A JOURNEY TO NOWHERE

                                      

         All is said and done, and we have come to be born, in this other world of odds. But there is more ahead; ample realities lingering to unfold; all creations waiting for our manifestation.

                  Brought into being by reason of eternal reason, to be that which we were created to be, many have sung the praises of this divine design; and have we not heard, that we are on a journey, that the world is not our home, and that all earth is like a giant Jerusalem or Mecca? O, and now I know that I am a pilgrim, too—sent not into one of these hallowed nations on earth, but to earth itself. Indeed, all have embarked on this journey: you and me, and all of humanity. Though amidst a host of skeptics, who see no reality beyond mere matter and mortal mind, our truth, this very divine journey, remains ingrained in our hearts.

               But are we indeed on this sacred path, and is God still visible on our screen of thoughts and deeds? And if this be a journey, what shall its end thereof be? What shall befall our other self when this feeble self sinks below? Yes, this is the question that so frequently sticks to my mind, as the sun springs up at each dawn. And, long ago, the answers had danced into my mind, and now I know. For there is a glorious magnificent place ahead of that soul who shall, beyond the odds and dirt of this vile world, take the path of the creator and achieve the ultimate purpose set before him or her. O joyful world: a world of glamour and unmatchable grandeur.

                Who shall reach this graceful destiny? Only few…very few; for humans below are full of vanities. The path of life, many have strayed away; the love of God has in many hearts decayed. And now, are we still contemplating these fantastic lingering realities, when here on earth, many of us still live like dead things, thinking of no eternal journey, nor giving room for godliness? Many have left the safe shore, and have dabbled into the ocean of endless doom, yet, still hoping to ascend a ladder  which their very lifestyles have rendered inexistent.

              Fruitless, futile ventures have flooded the fertile mind of humans, and souls are lost in the thick forest of wrongdoings, hunting but shadows of dead antelopes, seeking solutions where there is none. At 5.am, the clocks tick in clamors, and many humans scuttle to cars, boats, trains and planes, heading to cities and nations, to work, and work, and be worked for. Writers write, thinkers think, teachers teach, students learn, doctors prescribe, lawyers speak, and the architects design mansions and scrapers. Everyone is busy—none seems idle anymore. Money is cultivated and wealth is spilled within and afar; families are still raised, and funs abound as more funds emerge.

         Things have fallen apart; or have they not? The world of music has fallen beyond repairs, and obscene beings have become the role models of the young ones.  Vain trends have stained our days. Addictions of terrible hierarchies, heinous acts have filled the human mind, and pervasive politics have polluted pure piety. Who still thinks of that beautiful land of wonderful bliss, the golden destination of humankind? Is there still a journey, and are we still among the pilgrims? I shall not speak for all. Let each soul answer this question. For if we remain on this path of nothingness and vanities, it is certain, that this journey shall unfailingly lead many humans to unparalleled tragedies. 

         O, alas I send my plea: may our journey on earth not in the end, be like a journey to nowhere.

THE AGE OF KNOWLEDGE

        This is an age of intense curiosity and of knowledge—an age with various advantages but with more disadvantages. The rate at which knowledge is sought for and gained, which has become a predominant feature of this age, brings us to the conclusion that increasing curiosity is a key feature of civilization. This is historically true: when we consider the level of knowledge that existed in about 2500 B.C when the Egyptians were building pyramids, and the level of advancements obtained today

     Today, too many people just know too many things; and it is as if everybody wants to know everything. Even the little child wants to know as many things as he can. No knowledge is any longer sacred. What was previously true is now declared orthodox and new truths have emerged. The “traditional” models are now condemned both in the scientific, philosophical, and religious sphere. It seems, also, that it has become a duty for men of this age to look for means to flaw all existing paradigms of truth, and to create new standards, or, in most cases, no standards. The human being, deciding to learn everything, has now made everything his teacher.    

     Today, there are thousands of Aristotles and millions of Albert Einsteins.  There just seem to be too many stars. The very idea of being a star has therefore lost its original value. People each day want to dig into deeper truths, to know what caused what, and to predict what shall happen to what. Mysticism, spiritualism, quantum knowledge, is on the rise. The universe is no longer as big, and life is no longer as sacred as it used to be, because man thinks that he has finally arrived at the central truth about everything. This is an age when seminars, schools, books, and conferences of all forms abound. Inspirations run to and fro, and each hour, new books emerge to meet the demand of avid readers.

     The internet has served both as a bane and as a blessing in the realm of knowledge. Anybody can know almost anything just by the click of a button. As such, knowledge becomes cheaper as each day unfolds. The little stress which previously accompanied the acquisition of knowledge is eradicated to a great extent, and scholarly studies and research have become like a child’s play.

        Knowledge id good, and so should its age, but our knowledge heads rather towards the wrong direction. It is clear that the “knowledge” of the Age of knowledge is largely the self-centered kind of knowledge, which aims at making us better, making us richer and more knowledgeable. Knowledge has therefore increased because of the increasing desire to pursue power, fame, recognition and wellbeing. Due to the egoistic competition in the realm of knowledge, it becomes rare for people to openly accept that they don’t know. As such, there are many people who will never know that they really don’t know.

     Not so many people are interested in the knowledge of God, the creator; compared to the great number of people who are sacrificially ready to know about the mechanics of the world He created. People want to know science more than they are willing to know the giver of science—God. The want of knowledge has blinded our hearts from the lovelier and loftier things of life. Where knowledge increases at the expense of good virtues, disaster becomes imminent.

WHY DO WE NEED GOD?

                                

    Many of us claim to love God. We constantly tell Him how much we love Him and how much we can’t do without Him. We trust His guidance and abide by His principles, trusting that He knows the best for us. While some people discard the belief in God, others still hold unto it tenaciously; they can go as far as martyrdom to defend the belief in God. The question now is, what makes God (as an idea and as a being) necessary to humanity? Simply put, why do we need God? And why do you, the reader, hold unto God, or why don’t you?

            God is good. So, do you need God because He is good and thus desirable? Does it therefore mean that because we humans have a longing for what is good and what is excellent, we need God because He is good, excellent and perfect? Do we then need God because we need these finer elements of life?

         Mortal existence is almost entirely fateful. Sudden disasters and troubles constantly cause turbulence to the human heart. The world, as we know, is no longer a safe place. Is this why one must need God, why one must love God and must pray to Him? Do we need God for security and protections, that our lives may not be lost in horrible ways? Is God here only to save us? Had He no other purpose in mind when He created us? Couldn’t we have assured God our total submission if He had not assured us safety?

       God helps us to succeed. Is this why we should need Him—because we have some goals to achieve and we believe God is the best instrument for such goals to be achieved? That means if we had no desire to succeed in certain endeavors, there probably would have been no desire for God. Is that true? Do we need Him because He is a God that blesses His people? Do we need Him not because of who He is but because of what He can offer us?

       We, in our present age, speak of God as if He is an instrument for humans to achieve their vain selfish goals. Does God not also need us? Is He up there only for us that are down here; and does God exist for nothing but our goals and needs? Who actually needs who? I think God also needs us; He first needed us; that’s probably why we were created. God needs us because He created and owns us, and we need God because He is our creator and source, and because we cannot fulfill His purpose for our lives without Him. This alone is why we need God. We need God because He is God.

    In our prayers, in our worships, in our devotions, fewer thoughts should be given to our affairs, our security, our wellbeing, and our various worries. But more thoughts should be given to God—who He is and for what purpose He created us. We are not here to use God, rather, God created us to use us.

     God does not exist for man, but instead, man exists for God. After all, God existed before we came into being. There could not have been an entity called, “us” without God. We need Him therefore because He needs us and requires our submission. If we can’t reason that way, it is because we are still in the shell of ego, and thus keep thinking that everything comes from us, is with us, and exists for us.

    Our creator cannot be our instrument. The instrument cannot decide the purpose of its maker. It seems that humans have wanton desire to make God a means, and if possible, a servant, but it can’t just work that way. However, the next time I go to God in prayer, I will bow in humility and tell Him, “My maker, I’m all yours. Do unto me as you desire and help me to do your will at all times.”             

ETERNAL DEVOTION

                                 

   In the beginning we were not; if we were, we were nothing. And if we were nothing, there was no us. Suddenly, God spawned the cosmos, paving the path for the feet of mortals. From nothingness, we emerged; from chaos, we were formed, by the one who knows all and can do all.

    Could we have been anything? Could we have known anything, or could we have performed the great duties of today, if we were not first created by this great creator or transformed us from nothingness to “somethingness”?  If indeed, He brought us here, we ought to live for Him, and act as it pleases Him—not us.  We often speak about obedience to God,  and forget that we owe more to God than obedience. Yes, we must obey Him when He commands, but God always commands, and man therefore has to obey Him every second. This is devotion—always living for the divine. Obeying God every second of our lives is a great task. I said, “Every second.” But such obedience that occurs every second, 24 hours a day has gone beyond the boundaries of obedience, and hence, should be given a more fitting name. This is what I call Eternal Devotion. It is eternal because we are referring to God, and because our devotion will surely continue after this life. Devotion to God is the highest good of every creature, and should be the highest yearning of humans.

    Without God, there could have been no you. Therefore, if you are not living for God, you’re not living at all.  

     Here are we, as conscious sons of mortal men, thinking the thoughts of flesh and blood. But beyond our transient life stands a higher, more glorious life. For hereafter, this ancient earthly veil shall be lifted, to lay bare the more spectacular sphere of being. All that we know is not all that there is. What we know is great, but that which we don’t know is far greater. What we see is specious, what we have not seen is eternally spectacular; with such splendor that surpasses all thoughts.

    Deep within my veins are urges, desires, divine instincts, constantly drawing my mortal soul to immortal realities. Each passing day, I think of an unknown as though I fully know it, and of the unseen as though fully beheld. I learn soon enough that we are not what we think we are—evolving apes from broken cells. I see a hand, I feel a being, and constantly hear a call from a divinely symphonic voice.

   An eulogy to the creator: He who brought all things into beings, and beings into life, who controls the forces of the cosmos and directs the path of stars. What a great God He is, great beyond measure, in words, in being and in deeds. What are we living for, if not to lift our soul to the golden throne of our creator, to worship Him at all times and sing psalms with instruments hands have never touched? What place have we in constant toiling and running, for the sake of wealth and comfort, instead of sitting still for a moment or two, to think the deeper thoughts and feel the force of eternal comfort.

     How I wish men gain wisdom soon enough. Of what use are our sundry efforts in life, and the myriads of inventions that lurk in our cupboards, if we refuse to give regards to God—the one whose strength we bear, from whom we became visible entities? How long shall it take, for humans below to set their minds on things above? When will arguments be sent to grave, for truth to resurrect and shine into all souls? How long will men stop pondering if there is or if there is no God, and reach forth to this great creator, to give unto Him His due adoration? I have seen folly in the mask of philosophies, and childish rebellion in the form of wisdom.

    I have kept arguments in the dungeons where they belong, and have crippled the leg of laziness. I will be busy no more, doing everything and achieving nothing worth eternal worth. My soul, spirit, body and mind is consecrated to God, to love and to serve, to follow Him where he leads, and to speak forth His wonders to all creations. I long to behold Him, as I behold the sun in the sky—and clearer than that. To Him I will sing a new song, and in poetic form, speak deep things to Him.

     

   I pray , "Show me the way, to worship you in truth, and to serve you with the life you gave me."

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

  

                                           

       Turn on your TV and watch current events, take up a newspaper and read the headlines; listen to the radio. What do they showcase? They reveal an ugly, politically bogus, unexciting, disastrous life. Yes, I know that things are really bad, but this is not reality. What we witness is not real, what we want to see is.   Everything in nature is veiled, and the things we see are either not true or not the entire truth. It is in our hands, therefore, to uncover the true elements of life. One of the greatest achievements of mankind is the discovery that one can change one’s situation by changing one’s state of mind.

     You and I are here in life to make things happen. We are created to create; we are real in other to make other things real. So, instead of complaining over the things we have come to see, we should channel our strength to actualizing the things we want to see.

     Everyone—including you—wants to see a brighter future and a more beautiful life, but only few people achieve that dream. Why? There is a secret they know which the mediocre doesn’t. I’ll tell you about this secret, and help you to live a truly beautiful life.

     The future is not far away, it is closer to you than anything else, and you have what it takes to make it the way you desire. Make each day of your life more beautiful, by waking up each morning with blissful thoughts. I tell myself every day, “Today is better than yesterday; my life is fresher; my achievements are greater, and I am getting closer to my dreams.” The future is important, but each day of your life is equally important. Everyday should be a step forward into the “great day” you hope for.

       Launch into the realm of possibilities. See everything in nothing and yourself in every great achievement.  Get close to the great achiever; and even if you can’t, admire him or her and long to perform better. Focus on what you want, and don’t try to think of what you don’t want. If you don’t want it, you shouldn’t talk about it. Instead of saying, “I won’t be sick,” say, “I’ll enjoy good health.” Instead of saying, “I don’t want to fail,” try saying, “I want to succeed.”

     Use your mind and achieve your goals. God has blessed you with the creative power to do and to undo. Everything you can imagine is real.  If you can think about it, if you can talk about, you can see. So, the point is, what actually do you want to see? What do you want to achieve? It does not depend on possibilities and impossibilities; it depends on how far you are willing to imagine and how determined you are.

      Do you know the wonders of Hollywood—how cars fly in the air, how people live in the stars, how magical kingdoms emerge from nowhere, and how impossible events become real? Reality is more fantastic than that. Things are more possible in real life than they are in works of fiction. Don’t doubt. Play the cards well. I was astonished by this truth.

         Excellence and perfection is at your reach, but mediocrity and awkwardness always wants to spoil the show. You are not a weak person who tries to be strong; you are not a novice who tries to be perfect;  and you are not an ignorant soul who tries to know. Within you are all the excellence, the proficiency, the power, and the perfection you desire. What you need is therefore the force to draw out the best in you.

     For there to be a change, a change must be made to be. Look at what part you can play to see the change you desire, and play it well. Everything will remain the same, until something happens.

     Examine your beliefs, and hold tenaciously to the one you consider most fitting. What you believe affects your daily realities to a large extent. What occupies your mind is unfailingly what occupies your day-to-day experience. What fills our mind fills our world. The things we witness everyday are somehow first began as ideas.  Strong imaginations—including works of fiction—soon culminate into visible reality.

     See the best in the worst and see multitude of opportunities where there is no way. The first and greatest steps in life are imagination, visualization, and determination. The resources may not be there—they don’t always need to be physically present, but the potential to make it happen is always there, the resources by which our greatest feats manifest, are within us; external resources occupy the second priority.

         Focus on what you want, not what you don’t want. Talk about what you want to do, not what you don’t want to do; for if you don’t want it, you should have nothing to do with it—in thought, in words, or in deeds.

     In life, I have my desires and dreams, and know that they will unfailingly come to pass. It is not in my place to know how; in fact, I don’t care about how it comes, I care little about when it will come, and care so much about what it is that will come.

  There are times of great adversity, when it seems that positive mindset or good qualities become irrelevant. In situations like these, I tell myself, “I’ll be fine. This will be over, and when it is gone, I will come out stronger.” Soon, the storms fade and I come out stronger. But whether adversities arise or not, whether things turn awry or awkward, our mind should always be on the excellent, the best, and the beautiful. Knowing secrets like these help us to live a better, happier, and more fulfilling life.

       A writer once wrote, “When life gives you hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.”

      These principles have worked for me on a large scale. I have created lofty realities for myself. But I also try to ensure that my desires go in line with divine will. Therefore, it is not just about what we want to achieve, but the divine relevance of such an achievement.

      Rise up and keep dreaming your lofty dreams. Think about it; talk about it; grasp it, and start living a beautiful life.

           

Effulgent Star

                                      

      My eyes ascend unto the heavens; my mind leaves the sundry affairs of men into the marvelous workings of the cosmos. Stars rise and fade,galaxies  evolve by the steady passage of light years. The heaven is splendid, and all that we can see in the universe but a reflection of splendor. Splendors upon splendors, so are the lustrous lights that hang in space, little in our eyes, yet, larger than life. Have we not for many years thought of the beauty of the stars and the awesomeness of its little twinkle? Not only the children but also the thoughtful adult wonders what they are. How long shall it take, for man to take a step ahead, to pay a surprise visit to these twinkling bodies that continually amaze the earth?

      Such is beauty spoken of. Such is bliss felt; but I know longer see splendor and glamour in the eye of the stars than I do in the soul of man. Oh, what a beautiful creature you are—You, yes, you. Not the stars of the heavens, for you, too, are a star, brighter than clusters of stars. You were the first star, and your light the primal light, even before the formation of the first stars. The heavens have turned to imitate your luminous nature. Above your head are crown of stars, guarding the moon like knights unto a pope, but within you are greater stars, brighter than all the stars of the universe. What blind creatures humans are, for though they have so great a light within, have chosen to see only frail emotions and grieving thoughts. Be not like these ones, but like the visionary son of a great God.

      Be the star that you are. Let your eternally effulgent light cast forth radiance upon matter and mind—from the microscopic worlds to the massive mounds of the heavens. Spread your light to all. Effulge! Effulge with vehemence! Let your light push sorrows and obstacles to naught, let it cut challenges asunder, and let bliss broadcast. See light amidst plights and splendor amidst tremors. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, to shine and to outshine. The cosmos is not splendid enough, the heavens not sparkling enough, compared to the eternal light embedded in one pure soul. 

      Men will behold no more the brilliant galaxies, and will spring forth no more astrologies from the zodiacs, when you shine forth your lustrous light. Within you is the power to do and undo, to know the unknown and perform the “cannot”, for your light is so bright and mighty. Within you is the light, to keep the world agleam, to shine amidst darkness, and to show the way to the lost and the ailed. Grope no more with the gropers, sit no more in gloom and think no more of doom, but like the flowers, let your soul bloom. Unfold your inner splendor and drag out the great light in your heart. What a sparkling soul you are. Your light blinds the gazers, for not even in the city of suns is this kind of light known. It is so bright and blazing.

      Fallen souls wait to be upheld by the strength of your light, and the downtrodden to be uplifted by its radiance. The world, though now full of fright and fraud, waits to see wonders in your soul, reflecting as love, as virtue, as wisdom, and as divine might. Let your heart believe no more the words of the pessimists, the speculations of the vain thinkers, and the voices of circumstances. Listen to the voice within, the one so loud and melodious, which continually speaks of your greatness and the greatness of the light within you.

    Take a trip to the darkest nights, and make it brighter than seven radiant lights. Hope not for the best, but to discover the best in you, and not for good things of life, but the goodness within you. In your inward parts is the strength to do all things, to know all things, and to be all that you must be. Smile, for this is your truth. Who cares to cheer you up with a lie, or to make you happy by vain promises? If you had no light, I would have said nothing. But because I see it looming forth like the sun at dawn, I have deiced to say it with the best of my strength, in beauty, and literary fancies.

    Behold a clear picture of your true self, reflected by the golden mirror of heaven. Look through your eyes and see the person you truly are; listen to the still blissful sounds in your soul, and hear such sweet words that draw out smiles from your heart. Impossibilities exist, but not within you.  Say, “I can” and you will. Say, “I will” and it is done.

     Effulgent star, so were you, so are you, and so you remain. You will shine when you so desire, and will be seen by all eyes when you are willing. The world is waiting. Respond fast. Tomorrow hopes to behold a better you, act wisely.