RUMI - A Spiritual Treasury

THE SUNBEAM fell upon the wall;

The wall received a borrowed splendor.

Why set your heart on a piece of turf,

O simple one? Seek out the Source

Which shines forever.

~ Rumi

MASNAVI II:708-9

Food for Thought

The following words are written by Andy Rooney an American radio and television writer, a humorist and political commentator. He says, I've learned that...

The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

When you're in love, it shows.

Just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

Having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

Being kind is more important than being right.

You should never say no to a gift from a child.

No matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

Sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

We should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

Money doesn't buy class.

It's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

Under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

To ignore the facts does not change the facts.

When you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

Love, not time, heals all wounds.

The easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

Everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

No one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

Life is tough, but I'm tougher.

Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

When you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

One should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

When your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

The less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Ghazali's Last Poem

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111), popularly known as "Imam Ghazali", was a 12th century Islamic jurist, theologian, philosopher and mystic from Persia.

Imam Ghazali woke up one morning and offered his prayers. He asked for his white shroud, kissed it, and stretched himself out full length. Then saying, "Lord, I obey willingly", he breathed his last. 

Underneath his headrest they found the following verses:

Say to my friends, when they look upon me, dead
Weeping for me and mourning me in sorrow
Do not believe that this corpse you see is myself
In the name of God, I tell you, it is not I,

I am a spirit, and this is naught but flesh
It was my abode and my garment for a time.

I am a treasure, by a talisman kept hid,
Fashioned of dust, which served me as a shrine,
I am a pearl, which has left it's shell deserted,
I am a bird, and this body was my cage
Whence I have now flown forth and it is left as a token
Praise to God, who hath now set me free
And prepared for me my place in heaven,
Until today I was dead, though alive in your midst.
Now I live in truth, with the graveclothes discarded.

Today I hold converse with the saints above,
With no veil between, I see God face to face.
I look upon "Loh-i-Mahfuz" and there in I read
Whatever was and is and all that is to be.

Let my house fall in ruins, lay my cage in the ground,
Cast away the talisman, it is a token, no more
Lay aside my cloak, it was but my outer garment.
Place them all in the grave, let them be forgotten,
I have passed on my way and you are left behind
Your place of abode was no dwelling place for me.

Think not that death is death, nay, it is life,
A life that surpasses all we could dream of here,
While in this world, here we are granted sleep,
Death is but sleep, sleep that shall be prolonged
Be not frightened when death draweth night,
It is but the departure for this blessed home
Think of the mercy and love of your Lord,
Give thanks for His Grace and come without fear.

What I am now, even so shall you be
For I know that you are even as I am
The souls of all men come forth from God
The bodies of all are compounded alike
Good and evil, alike it was ours
I give you now a message of good cheer:
May God's peace and joy for evermore be yours.

See the beautiful media rendition of this poem,

Let's go Bananas!

Take a look and change the way you perceive bananas!!!

A Guide for Life

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, 
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, 
be on good terms with all persons. 
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; 
and listen to others, 
even to the dull and the ignorant; 
they too have their story. 
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; 
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, 
you may become vain or bitter, 
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. 
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. 
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; 
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, 
for the world is full of trickery. 
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; 
many persons strive for high ideals, 
and everywhere life is full of heroism. 
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. 
Neither be cynical about love, 
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, 
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, 
gracefully surrendering the things of youth. 
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. 
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. 
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, 
be gentle with yourself. 
You are a child of the universe 
no less than the trees and the stars; 
you have a right to be here. 
And whether or not it is clear to you, 
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, 
whatever you conceive Him to be. 
And whatever your labors and aspirations, 
in the noisy confusion of life, 
keep peace in your soul. 

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, 

it is still a beautiful world. 

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann

Happiest People in the World!

The happiest people in the world are not those

Who have no problems,

But those who learn to live with things that are less than perfect.

Help IDP from Swat, Dir and Buner

A Situation that demands attention. There is a massive exodus of people being evacuated from Swat, Buner and Dir due to the Army Operation against militants that have established themselves in these areas. I don't think this is the time to argue about our opinions on the Army operation, its time we step up and help our fellow countrymen, its estimated that 150K-200K people have already been displaced and another 300K expected to arrive to safer areas. Here are a few links that might be helpful if you are looking to do your part:

UNHCR

Helping Hands

Salvation Army

Here is a list I got from chowrangi blog

Al-Khidmat Foundation 

Edhi Foundation 

SUNGI: Who to contact [link], where to donate [link]. 

Islamic Relief USA

Oxfam - GB 

Plan International 

International Medical Corps 

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 

Church World Service 

Emergency Response Unit

Life Savers Organization

If anyone has any organization or any other way in mind to help please let me know. 

Saba Malik

Idea Box!

Survival of the fittest – how true is it in times of global recession? How do we interpret words like ‘survival’ and ‘fittest’ with less opportunities and volatility growing by the day – may be it is time to change our perspective and revisit our business practices. Even in times of recession where nothing seems to be working one can create opportunities by thinking out of the box. Instead of feeling useless and wasting time by not being able to keep up with your current line of business utilize that time to try something new, something different which has not crossed your busy mind until today.

I would request all the readers of this post to leave at least one idea which in their opinion would work in today’s global recession. Let me start by giving one idea of my own:

 - Try concentrating on small wins instead of scoring BIG!

Waiting for your ideas now...