History that Repeat through the Ages

Despite all the world's history of war and the horrible consequences it has brought, it appears that human as a collective being never learn to become wiser, kindler and gentler. All the latest news on Iraq, Israel, North Korea seem to indicate that we all are still children, never seem to grow to become more selfless and caring toward another. Each collective people in each collective area called country seem to think for themselves, exert more power, more "hemisphere of Influence", to make themselves bigger than others.

It is as mentioned before, like a bully you would find in kindergarten when you were growing up, who understand nothing than making themselves the most fearsome kid on the block.Individually, perhaps it is true, we find quite many people who may possess this wisdom and understanding of a better world. But collectively, mostly as nation states, we just lost it. It is hapless to see countries fallen into the cycle of violence and war over and over again. It is as if we humans have a ritual that we must do, like in ancient times, that requires blood to be shed from time to time.

True, policies are shaped by what leaders of each nation states dictate/persuade the country to do. But it cannot be helped as well to see that most of population tend to mind their own daily lives, unnerved by what goes on out there.We must do something, and as the hadith say, even amongst us with the weakest faith, we must at least say in our prayers to offer relief to those who are suffering now, and let them persevere in this times of trouble. May Allah saves us from ourselves. At some point, if this destruction is going for too long and bring too much suffering, we will be replaced by a better generation, something that was promised in the Scripture. I am not sure I want to live to see that happening.

Observation from reading online news

Wake Up! This Is the Real World

Qur`an mentioned the relativity of time ( 1 day equals to 50,000 year). Black hole is a scientific evidence now and we are traveling around the milky way galaxy at a quarter of speed of light. Talk about reality there.When we dream, sometimes dreams can be more real than waking up. So, which one is the real world?We use our five senses to define what we consider as real around us. We treat this world as if we will live thousand years.

There is more than meet the eyes, the nose, the hands, no doubt about it. We must awaken within ourselves this one sense, or perhaps I should call it the Essence. We must get ourself re-familiarize with it, for it has been ignored, dominated too long by our other senses. It has been there ever since we were born, and we have become accustomed to ignoring it.This essence is our soul, one that remember where it came from and knows where it will go. It knows what reality lies beyond this world of plays and games.

Let us awaken our kindredship with it, get in touch with it, so we will finally wake up on the real world." Do you admit that I am your God? Yes, we acknowledge that indeed You are our Master"

Observation from Discussion with colleague

Cycles in A Lifetime

Even one life time consists of cycles. At certain stations in our short life, each and everyone of us passes through a stage. Every stage will determine the next course of cycle of each individuals, while each individuals, with his/her own capacities, will seal the fate of the stage itself.There is a process of born and reborn constantly. We shed our skins in each stage, mostly mental skins, to move on to the next stage in life. We hope that with the passings of stages, we will move on to become closer to reach an understanding of the the very meaning of existence.

Rare are the occasion of those who actually gain an understanding, as proven by history of this world. If we gather up all the saints, pious people or even genius of this world from now to the earliest recorded history of humans, I would say the ratio is at least in the range of 1:1,000,000 (this is a purely made number, though I suspect the ratio ismuch higher than this). Most of us, the "ordinary people" seem to be bound to the vicious cycle of virtuous-debauchery, to some degrees.

Statistically, it is quite frustrating to be in this position. Are there hope for us?I do believe however, that these cycles are not in vain, only if this one condition is followed; that we never stop trying to obtain the understanding, in whichever way we could, to be able to reach it. Failure to even try would mean that we will continue the cycles without a chance of breaking out of it. Failure means we become zombies, living but not alive.

Observation from reading Siddharta, by Herman Hesse

Who Do We Trust?

Have we lived in such a cynical age that we completely distrust each other? When Ulama (or religious authorities) give you fatwa, how many of us actually manage to listen, comprehend, question, or again....be cynical about the message? how about following the message without questions?

So how about putting our trust in news.......messages of lies constantly being choked into our minds. It is difficult enough to even find out who we can trust

On another thought, this could be just my personal feeling on my observation to the world itself. Perhaps I am being cynical. The problem is, almost for every arguments, there are counter arguments, both with, often times, very strong reasonings. Which ones do you pick that you think is right;
-ones that is most convenient to you?
-do more exhaustive research and try to get the answer yourself?
-put your trust in one person and go with it.
-be cynical and end up not doing anything, not believing in whatever people says.

As you can see, things can be quite mindboggling if we have to get answers for everything that we have question for. God knows we have our works that occupies at least 8 hours in our life :).

I would tend to think that what we should do is to just focus on the most fundamental priority that each of us have in this life. List them out and make sure we do the right thing based on the research (if you trust your sources that is). I would say things that fall out of our priorities should become "noise", somethings that we can either listen to or not.

Observation from Michael Moore online articles, discussion with colleague

Moment of Absolute Truth

Finding the absolute truth should be something that preoccupies our activities, or so I think. However, to reach that, treacherous path lies ahead:

-Laziness: we are lackaidaisical creatures, too lazy to even open up a book and start reading to gain understanding. Or when we do read, it is something of trivials. There is also a possibility that truth in words might never be the same as the Truth itself. To ultimately understand the Truth is to experience it, not from words of scriptures or anything else. There is no substitute of the real Truth with words...

-Ego: when we do search for the absolute, it is out of our version of understanding what the Truth should be, as opposed to what is. This is dangerous, as we will start looking for things that will match our ego/opinion, thus, excluding ourselves from ever finding the real answer.

-Black stone heart: heart that will never heed, to whatever truth comes, absolute or not. This is the most dangerous condition that a person can be, as it is no longer matter why this person exists in this life.

-Ignorance: just never figure out/concerned with anything that happens in life.I believe everyone of us has a demon that needs to be exorcised, for otherwise, the Truth will never reveal itself. I hope we all exercise cautions and never give up the fight to find the absolute Truth, wherever that may be, no matter how long it takes.

Amendment:Truth in return, can probably prove to be illusive, especially if and when we look in the wrong places, no matter how hard. When we look for it, perhaps we should be free of pre-assumptions, opinions. One component that might be necessary is, though it could be dangerous, is to let ourselves be daring to search it.

Observation from discussion with colleague+Al Ghazali reading

The Problem With Tongue

It is one of the most flexible organ in our body, moving in and out of the small cave called mouth to create those consonant and vowels. Yet, the wonder does not come from what sounds it makes, rather how those sounds are interpreted to be intelligible and intepreted.People kills, love each other, cry like there is no other day, filled with joy, feel alone, for the various consonant and vowels that comes out from tongue. It is really amazing!The interpretation of spoken words can inspire, as well as slander. All the more reasons that we have to be watchful on things that are spoken out of our mouth.

Unfortunately, it appears that humans are also not making the grade when it comes to being responsible on spoken words. Wars, famines, slanders, murders have been done just by the very interpretation of our vowels and consonants.Is it really humanity's nature to do this over and over, just as we seem to never learn on being tolerant toward one another? Is this one of the way to maintain our number in this world? I would hate to think God has created such a device for that very purpose, sustenance of humans in earth.

This message goes to me first and foremost. Be watchful of my tongue, listen, listen and listen. Listen to our loved ones, listen to our team mates, listen to our colleagues, listen to our own body, listen to our own soul. May this be better for all of us.

Observation from self

Why Do We Pray to The Almighty?

I notice there are many reasons why those who are religious pray to the Omnipotent:
- because of fear--->fear of hell fire
- because of hope--> to enter heaven and get rewards
- because of habit -->something that you are used to doing, and feel otherwise odd if not doing it
- because of understanding -->something that you enjoy and feel joyful of doing. An anticipation of being in love with the One I hope we all strive for the last one.

Thinking about reward is good, but it seems as though our relation to God is reduced to being a seller and buyer. Isn't it much more beautiful if we become lovers to Allah instead, to pray because we long to be in a seclusion with our loved one? I am not suggesting that I am already there, I am merely stating that we should not get too hung up with reward or hellfire.

God is not to be feared, nor is He the place for us to be waiting for reward (though He does punish and reward). We just need to change the perspective of our relation and see if we can build it into that of love for Him alone.There is another suggestion that is interesting as well, which is the need to maintain the three aspects of fear, hope and love, as a way to keep us abreast in the seconds that we live on this earth.

Observation from Sufi stories (Al Hallaj, by Louis Massignon)