The metal Bird flaps its wings a thousand feet away from the nearest moment of hesitation.
A Giant tip-toes atop a cloud nearby to watch. Charisma in chords, command.
Bird and Giant eye each other in reverance. Together they are Sovereign.
Monday, 27 November 2006
Wednesday, 22 November 2006
The Fourth Dimension
How long did it take you to understand the idea of a 3D world? I remember it took me quite some time. It wasn’t because I was really thick (although it may have been!) – I just had trouble reconciling the IMPOSSIBILITY of anything being 2D. Unless you’re talking mathematical theory, the world is purely one of 3 physical dimensions no matter what you try and do. But then again, what makes pure mathematical theory not part of the world? Why are points, planes, and lines in the mathematical sense no part of reality? Is it because they are imperceptible by our 5 senses, or by any tool we use to enhance those senses? If our senses are electrical impulses interpreted by our brains, then there is no proof anything around is really exists, and those mathematical concepts would have equal recognition since they too are understood through impulses in the brain. If I am touching an apple, the hard, cold texture my fingers pick up travels to the brain and says “cold, hard”. But what if there is a faulty middle-man, that is, what if the nerves that travel to the brain are polluting the information on its way up? Moreover, since all we get are the impulses, how do we know something is triggering them? We could all be living in a complete vacuum, and our brain is really projecting everything around us.
The first time this occurred to me it was a bit frightening. Could it be true?
One thing persuaded me against this theory – my brain could (and probably does) simulate my environment and the people I see, in that what I see as red may be to someone else green, or blue, but we all come to an agreement somehow that we identify one retinal communication as the color “red” –- however I am certain my brain does not have the capacity of introducing ‘new experiences’. My first Cézanne, my first crepe, my first glimpse of the Pyramids, or of Lago Di Como – none of these amazing experiences could have been a product of my brain (unless you happen to be an avid reader of Alan Lightman). Therefore it follows that the world around me does exist. How then, do we access this world?
We have 5 senses – hear, touch, smell, taste, see. Given my prior elaboration on how unreliable those sense are, is there any reason to suggest that there isn’t another sense? If those 5 sense are able to put a 3D tag on our physical world, any extra sense or senses could add more dimensions to our world, and this would not be a departure from logic or ‘reality’.
Yes, of course there’s a fourth dimension. Although many thinkers have proposed earlier that “time” would be a valid 4th dimension, it fails the test of certainty. Time is not only illusive, in that we have invented artificial ways of regulating the irregular, but it also doesn’t stimulate any part of my brain – does not send an electrical impulse through me in any way. When’s the last time your “sense of time” ‘hurt’ you, or was in any way ‘unpleasant’ or ‘pleasurable’?
Many cultures and traditions have already touched on what I see as the 4th dimension. The fourth dimension is free of empiricism. The 4th dimension dominates, governs the remainder because it’s the interpreter in the brain. The 4th dimension is a Quality, not a Quantity, it’s the Chi, the Essence, the Soul, the Life-force every moment.
Summer comes around, we dance and drink on the beach, we lust and indulge, we laugh, sleep for as long as we like, the “Spirit of summer” if you will dominates us – the euphoria in physical freedom from commitments, worries and clothing creates this Spirit, this fourth dimension.
Our places of worship are nothing but buildings without this 4th dimension. The Spirit of joy, love, repentance and of harmony affects our entire physical experience. The hypnosis I feel when I hear the hymns sung and the organs played at church, or of the sheikh’s voice melodically and rhythmically reciting the mystical phrases of the Quran, or the powerful Zikr in a Sufi order. Its almost as if there is a magnetic field between you and everyone that shares this experience. And you can always single out a person who is not on this 'frequency'.
The 4th dimension is not always a pleasant one. Beautiful, healthy, privileged lives can be mortal hells with a Spirit of war, bitterness, or jealousy.
It follows, therefore, that the 4th dimension is the only one that we as humans have complete control over. We, through our personalities, can project a magnetic field that will not only affect the remaining 3 dimensions in our own perception, but influence the 4th dimension of others. Some call this 'Attitude', but that word doesn't do the concept justice. The 4th Dimension of Spirit does affect your life and how it progresses in the same way your 'attitude' does, and certainly for you to form the right Spirit entails forming the right 'attitude'- the difference lies in magnitude. Attitude is a conscious commitment to change your preception - Spirit is attitude so founded and powerful that it becomes an autonomous creation able to replenish your perception with its quality should your conscious mind be at fault. For example: A person with the Spirit of love can only detest for so long before she rebounds to her Spirit, her Default. Equally a person with Spirit of bitterness finds it difficult to alter this dimension and truly be resigned and complacent. Indeed it takes a lot of effort to alter a whole dimension in your perception, but it is hardly not worth it. Spirit affects your perception, your 3 dimensions, and as an autonomous being of your creation it also can affect those around you.
So I guess the question is – what is your fourth dimension like? Have you taken control of your 3 dimensions and accentuated their pleasure by adding a positive 4th dimension?
Can you perceive the magnetic field in sharing a beautiful feeling?
A beautiful man from Canada once said: “I am a work in progress, and hope my life to be my masterpiece.”
The first time this occurred to me it was a bit frightening. Could it be true?
One thing persuaded me against this theory – my brain could (and probably does) simulate my environment and the people I see, in that what I see as red may be to someone else green, or blue, but we all come to an agreement somehow that we identify one retinal communication as the color “red” –- however I am certain my brain does not have the capacity of introducing ‘new experiences’. My first Cézanne, my first crepe, my first glimpse of the Pyramids, or of Lago Di Como – none of these amazing experiences could have been a product of my brain (unless you happen to be an avid reader of Alan Lightman). Therefore it follows that the world around me does exist. How then, do we access this world?
We have 5 senses – hear, touch, smell, taste, see. Given my prior elaboration on how unreliable those sense are, is there any reason to suggest that there isn’t another sense? If those 5 sense are able to put a 3D tag on our physical world, any extra sense or senses could add more dimensions to our world, and this would not be a departure from logic or ‘reality’.
Yes, of course there’s a fourth dimension. Although many thinkers have proposed earlier that “time” would be a valid 4th dimension, it fails the test of certainty. Time is not only illusive, in that we have invented artificial ways of regulating the irregular, but it also doesn’t stimulate any part of my brain – does not send an electrical impulse through me in any way. When’s the last time your “sense of time” ‘hurt’ you, or was in any way ‘unpleasant’ or ‘pleasurable’?
Many cultures and traditions have already touched on what I see as the 4th dimension. The fourth dimension is free of empiricism. The 4th dimension dominates, governs the remainder because it’s the interpreter in the brain. The 4th dimension is a Quality, not a Quantity, it’s the Chi, the Essence, the Soul, the Life-force every moment.
Summer comes around, we dance and drink on the beach, we lust and indulge, we laugh, sleep for as long as we like, the “Spirit of summer” if you will dominates us – the euphoria in physical freedom from commitments, worries and clothing creates this Spirit, this fourth dimension.
Our places of worship are nothing but buildings without this 4th dimension. The Spirit of joy, love, repentance and of harmony affects our entire physical experience. The hypnosis I feel when I hear the hymns sung and the organs played at church, or of the sheikh’s voice melodically and rhythmically reciting the mystical phrases of the Quran, or the powerful Zikr in a Sufi order. Its almost as if there is a magnetic field between you and everyone that shares this experience. And you can always single out a person who is not on this 'frequency'.
The 4th dimension is not always a pleasant one. Beautiful, healthy, privileged lives can be mortal hells with a Spirit of war, bitterness, or jealousy.
It follows, therefore, that the 4th dimension is the only one that we as humans have complete control over. We, through our personalities, can project a magnetic field that will not only affect the remaining 3 dimensions in our own perception, but influence the 4th dimension of others. Some call this 'Attitude', but that word doesn't do the concept justice. The 4th Dimension of Spirit does affect your life and how it progresses in the same way your 'attitude' does, and certainly for you to form the right Spirit entails forming the right 'attitude'- the difference lies in magnitude. Attitude is a conscious commitment to change your preception - Spirit is attitude so founded and powerful that it becomes an autonomous creation able to replenish your perception with its quality should your conscious mind be at fault. For example: A person with the Spirit of love can only detest for so long before she rebounds to her Spirit, her Default. Equally a person with Spirit of bitterness finds it difficult to alter this dimension and truly be resigned and complacent. Indeed it takes a lot of effort to alter a whole dimension in your perception, but it is hardly not worth it. Spirit affects your perception, your 3 dimensions, and as an autonomous being of your creation it also can affect those around you.
So I guess the question is – what is your fourth dimension like? Have you taken control of your 3 dimensions and accentuated their pleasure by adding a positive 4th dimension?
Can you perceive the magnetic field in sharing a beautiful feeling?
A beautiful man from Canada once said: “I am a work in progress, and hope my life to be my masterpiece.”
Friday, 17 November 2006
Track 12: Moan - Trentemoller
Conflicts in residual memory and consciousness.
A more mellow mood with sparks of harps keeps the pulsating brain alive with smooth vodka.
Colors spin and blur in and out of focus in a dimly lit cabin. A finger circles the tip of the frosty glass, the skin indenting to its shape, flushing unashamedly red.
Sad simplicity at the end of a consuming breath.
Back curved in perfection against the seat.
A more mellow mood with sparks of harps keeps the pulsating brain alive with smooth vodka.
Colors spin and blur in and out of focus in a dimly lit cabin. A finger circles the tip of the frosty glass, the skin indenting to its shape, flushing unashamedly red.
Sad simplicity at the end of a consuming breath.
Back curved in perfection against the seat.
Thursday, 16 November 2006
Psycho-babble of a law student
Isn't it time that I wrote a normal post?
Well as of November 11th I've entered a somewhat peculiar phase. On the face of things I feel somewhat isolated - with Jim gone for 3 weeks and me returning to school for what is turning out to be a tough 4 weeks till Christmas. Too many assignments due, with too much attention to be given to each. I promised myself I'd do just as well as I did last year though, so I have to crack the whip on my own gorgeous butt ;)
I realized something though in the past couple days- I have very few real friends. Back when I was in high school, making friends seemed so easy. Being in an international school meant that my friends rotated almost every 2 years (because nobody stuck around longer anyway), and since I was a constant in Cairo, I found it easy to be comfortable in that tiny but fun social circle of american educated creeps. The flip side of that was that I have a huge network of people one every contintent who I know and occasionally visit.
Of course, my school days are over. My first year at the american university in cairo wasn't quite so bad considering many of the people that went to my high school and were in my position (ie Cairenes forever!) rolled right into the Greek Campus with me. It seemed all of a sudden that since I'd been in the international school the longest, I was the only one without a network of friends from outside of it - Tamer had his church friends, Shaima had her friends from Kuwait, even Raul had his friends from the Jesuit School and the Lycee Francais, and Seif the Deutsche Ueberschule. Takhi (bless him) was from Saudi so he was practically an orphan like me! Thats not to say that all these aforementioned who I call real friends took off with their former networks, but im sure on some level university seemed a much more familiar place.
Anyway my point is once in AUC i realized that making friends wouldn't be as easy. When I moved to England not only was it even harder, but I also lost constant touch with the people I considered the closest.
In England, making aquaintances has been easy. In london I must have dozens of people I 'know' and go out with. Here in Newcastle I reluctantly interact with other people on my course, but nevertheless randomly socialize. Friends are a different category though.
I guess I remain an oddity to many - an Arab with an American accent studying law in the North-east corner of england only a spit-ball away from the north pole. On the other hand I also can't find a point of relation or common ground between myself and those on my course - born, bred small-town people with minimum ambition and pickled livers (oh wait, the pickled liver? hehe, no I'm a nun compared to these folk). In london, a crazy city comparable to Cairo in chaos (fancy alliteration?) I can relate more - the dynamics are more familiar, and consequently so are the people. Not to mention more interesting. Still its a city of ghosts. People come and go very quickly, noone forms a true bond with you, and I have no time to form bonds with them. I'm on a train or a plane at least a few times a month, running my north-south england axis or packing myself into my relationship bubble with jim and going away for a weekend.
Takhi, my best bud and Zina my partner in academic crime are the only constants in my life. I thrive on emails and texts from my friends in Cairo and around the world. My sister i feel less and less comfortable around as her voice rings with judgment over my sexuality, my brother in his own cocoon in Cairo, and my father where he always is- away on business.
I'm not an unhappy person - i'm blessed with more than i can count or be thankful for. And perhaps this is the way I was meant to live my life - and silence and solitude are food for the soul.
Well as of November 11th I've entered a somewhat peculiar phase. On the face of things I feel somewhat isolated - with Jim gone for 3 weeks and me returning to school for what is turning out to be a tough 4 weeks till Christmas. Too many assignments due, with too much attention to be given to each. I promised myself I'd do just as well as I did last year though, so I have to crack the whip on my own gorgeous butt ;)
I realized something though in the past couple days- I have very few real friends. Back when I was in high school, making friends seemed so easy. Being in an international school meant that my friends rotated almost every 2 years (because nobody stuck around longer anyway), and since I was a constant in Cairo, I found it easy to be comfortable in that tiny but fun social circle of american educated creeps. The flip side of that was that I have a huge network of people one every contintent who I know and occasionally visit.
Of course, my school days are over. My first year at the american university in cairo wasn't quite so bad considering many of the people that went to my high school and were in my position (ie Cairenes forever!) rolled right into the Greek Campus with me. It seemed all of a sudden that since I'd been in the international school the longest, I was the only one without a network of friends from outside of it - Tamer had his church friends, Shaima had her friends from Kuwait, even Raul had his friends from the Jesuit School and the Lycee Francais, and Seif the Deutsche Ueberschule. Takhi (bless him) was from Saudi so he was practically an orphan like me! Thats not to say that all these aforementioned who I call real friends took off with their former networks, but im sure on some level university seemed a much more familiar place.
Anyway my point is once in AUC i realized that making friends wouldn't be as easy. When I moved to England not only was it even harder, but I also lost constant touch with the people I considered the closest.
In England, making aquaintances has been easy. In london I must have dozens of people I 'know' and go out with. Here in Newcastle I reluctantly interact with other people on my course, but nevertheless randomly socialize. Friends are a different category though.
I guess I remain an oddity to many - an Arab with an American accent studying law in the North-east corner of england only a spit-ball away from the north pole. On the other hand I also can't find a point of relation or common ground between myself and those on my course - born, bred small-town people with minimum ambition and pickled livers (oh wait, the pickled liver? hehe, no I'm a nun compared to these folk). In london, a crazy city comparable to Cairo in chaos (fancy alliteration?) I can relate more - the dynamics are more familiar, and consequently so are the people. Not to mention more interesting. Still its a city of ghosts. People come and go very quickly, noone forms a true bond with you, and I have no time to form bonds with them. I'm on a train or a plane at least a few times a month, running my north-south england axis or packing myself into my relationship bubble with jim and going away for a weekend.
Takhi, my best bud and Zina my partner in academic crime are the only constants in my life. I thrive on emails and texts from my friends in Cairo and around the world. My sister i feel less and less comfortable around as her voice rings with judgment over my sexuality, my brother in his own cocoon in Cairo, and my father where he always is- away on business.
I'm not an unhappy person - i'm blessed with more than i can count or be thankful for. And perhaps this is the way I was meant to live my life - and silence and solitude are food for the soul.
Tuesday, 14 November 2006
Glimpse 4 (From the Route of the Flying Scotsman)
City lights swiftly glide by. What are tiny dots of light form slim lines as the eye moistens. The laptop screen remains steady. An index finger idle in mid-air, poised. The smell of coffee makes its way to a pulsating head.
"L..."
Two types of good authors. Those whose generousity with words recreats a world of the senses and feelings; and those whose reticence with words does precisely the same.
(لما نتكلم بأكثر من لغة واحده و نكتب بواحده؟ )
"London Fashion Week, February. HH and I sat a few rows left of the catwalk. Yves Saint-Laurent's new صائحة is the color yellow. Frail figures paraded with charisma up and down the brilliantly lit stage. The music fit into every savage kick, every throw of the hips, every sexy rebellious look into space each of the slender figures gave. Lights screamed. Magazine editors and journalists glanced with concentration over the rim of their reading glasses, making casual notes. A relentless minefield of cameras flash."
--fast forward--
"Laurent Perrier was the evening motif as HH, AL and I exchanged repartees and sarcasm, all in good spirit. Under the dimmed halogen of the minimalist living room, shadows swirled and an occasional spark of light reflecting off our flutes would bring the world back into focus. Cairo, New York, Reykjavik. NK struts in and seemlessly joins us. Belmopan.
"This city's an addiction, it is agreed. It is so because of the sharp withdrawal symptoms one has and because of one's physical dependency on its many induglences, themselves an addiction."
" 'Zum Beispiel, Ich hab letzte woche im Chelsea Friedhof jemand gefickt. I can't think of any other place where anything similar is tolerated'...'Na ja'...'Nothing's sacred, one doesn't find better sex in this borough than in that cemetery. Large men in leather propping up their belts against tombstones and having it their way with whoever happens by. Where do they come from? This is such a pristine borough its hard to imagine-'...'The availability of narcotics, such as those crumbs escaping HH's nostrils as we speak-- sniff up poppet, will you? --allows for this culture of decadence'...'Yes its much simpler than it sounds, n'est ce pas?' "
--forward--
I had listened to this with a slight distraction. بلنسبة لي the hedonism is the pretext, not the context. As I wrapped my body around ZN (Moscow) that night in a steam room, tasting every drop of sweat on his neck as I rhythmically penetrated him, I thought to myself-
Within these very veins runs blood that is ancient. Long lines of people are the essence of this genetic legacy, this DNA that I hold, the way my thick eyebrows cover my inset eyes, the way my skin both glows and darkens under the sun. I am a sum total of that legacy. The sum total of my nomadic ancestors deep in the middle-eastern deserts; my ancestors from the nile valley, who have thrived for seven millenia; and my ancestors from Asia Minor, who crossed the Mediterranean a little over a century ago.
---fast rewind--
" 'This legacy I carry not alone. Every person carries a legacy equally profound. When we come together, we weave the fabric of humanity. When we have share dinner, a drink, or have sex, we are bringing together the cultures from which we belong - from the tinyiest particle in our body to the languages our tongues speak. From this union of diversity we find stimulation - we realize the spiritual commonality between us and we rejoice over racial differences, uniqueness. The truth is, gentlemen, no place facilitates this union more than London.' "
The Flying Scotsman flees into a tunnel.
"L..."
Two types of good authors. Those whose generousity with words recreats a world of the senses and feelings; and those whose reticence with words does precisely the same.
(لما نتكلم بأكثر من لغة واحده و نكتب بواحده؟ )
"London Fashion Week, February. HH and I sat a few rows left of the catwalk. Yves Saint-Laurent's new صائحة is the color yellow. Frail figures paraded with charisma up and down the brilliantly lit stage. The music fit into every savage kick, every throw of the hips, every sexy rebellious look into space each of the slender figures gave. Lights screamed. Magazine editors and journalists glanced with concentration over the rim of their reading glasses, making casual notes. A relentless minefield of cameras flash."
--fast forward--
"Laurent Perrier was the evening motif as HH, AL and I exchanged repartees and sarcasm, all in good spirit. Under the dimmed halogen of the minimalist living room, shadows swirled and an occasional spark of light reflecting off our flutes would bring the world back into focus. Cairo, New York, Reykjavik. NK struts in and seemlessly joins us. Belmopan.
"This city's an addiction, it is agreed. It is so because of the sharp withdrawal symptoms one has and because of one's physical dependency on its many induglences, themselves an addiction."
" 'Zum Beispiel, Ich hab letzte woche im Chelsea Friedhof jemand gefickt. I can't think of any other place where anything similar is tolerated'...'Na ja'...'Nothing's sacred, one doesn't find better sex in this borough than in that cemetery. Large men in leather propping up their belts against tombstones and having it their way with whoever happens by. Where do they come from? This is such a pristine borough its hard to imagine-'...'The availability of narcotics, such as those crumbs escaping HH's nostrils as we speak-- sniff up poppet, will you? --allows for this culture of decadence'...'Yes its much simpler than it sounds, n'est ce pas?' "
--forward--
I had listened to this with a slight distraction. بلنسبة لي the hedonism is the pretext, not the context. As I wrapped my body around ZN (Moscow) that night in a steam room, tasting every drop of sweat on his neck as I rhythmically penetrated him, I thought to myself-
Within these very veins runs blood that is ancient. Long lines of people are the essence of this genetic legacy, this DNA that I hold, the way my thick eyebrows cover my inset eyes, the way my skin both glows and darkens under the sun. I am a sum total of that legacy. The sum total of my nomadic ancestors deep in the middle-eastern deserts; my ancestors from the nile valley, who have thrived for seven millenia; and my ancestors from Asia Minor, who crossed the Mediterranean a little over a century ago.
---fast rewind--
" 'This legacy I carry not alone. Every person carries a legacy equally profound. When we come together, we weave the fabric of humanity. When we have share dinner, a drink, or have sex, we are bringing together the cultures from which we belong - from the tinyiest particle in our body to the languages our tongues speak. From this union of diversity we find stimulation - we realize the spiritual commonality between us and we rejoice over racial differences, uniqueness. The truth is, gentlemen, no place facilitates this union more than London.' "
The Flying Scotsman flees into a tunnel.
Saturday, 11 November 2006
Valley of Bewildernment
The source of happiness or unhappiness is all in man, himself. When he is unaware of this, he is not able to arrange his life. As he becomes more acquainted with this secret, he gains mastery. The process by which this mastery is attained is the only fulfillment of the purpose of this life. It is this process which is explained by Attar in his description of the seven valleys through which the birds must pass to reach the Simorgh- themselves.
Particularly the Valley of Bewilderment, which follows that of Unity and precedes that of Absolute Poverty and Nothingness, is a very interesting station to reflect upon. By the time the fifth valley, the Valley of Unity, is reached, one has disillusioned one's self – in biblical terms this is called a ‘Rebirth’. However at some point, the soul which was once in tact and in unison with the Being is abruptly scattered, and the wayfarer is no longer acquainted with the Whole. The disconnection has brought about confusion and awe - a kind of bewilderment, together with a great joy. A man's interest in life is increased. All that he sees he enjoys. He concerns himself with few things, but wonders at all. This bewilderment is such that it becomes wonderfully amusing to look at life. The whole world becomes a kind of stage to him, full of players. He then begins to amuse himself with the people of this world, as one might play with children, and yet not be concerned with what they do, for he expects no better. This may be somewhat in convergence with the Valley of Detachment, which realizes in the insignificance of this world and frees the soul of emotional or mental dependability. Nevertheless and most importantly, he is confused, at awe, in shock and disbelief, doubting knowledge, and doubting doubt.
Nothing fine tunes our understanding of this Valley as much as the story of “The Princess Who Loved a Slave”. A beautiful princess to whom everyone would fall in love at first sight, fell in love with a slave who was equally or more beautiful. Embarrassed at her love, she plots with her servants to bring the slave to her room sedated so that she may please herself without his knowledge. He awakes in the midst of the sensual delight and experiences love that was to him unimaginable. Then as dawn approached, he fell asleep, and was secretly carried outside the palace and laid on the floor, where he awoke in astonishment, regret, and grief.
Taking the slave as a symbol for the wayfarer, the servant to the lord, and the princess as a metaphor for the Beloved, this story gives the clearest insight into this Valley of Bewilderment. It shows a man ambushed with love and unity, and just as suddenly as it was brought upon him he awakes from it as if it were a dream, completely confused and in shock. “Was it a dream, or was it true? Was I drunk or sober? I wish I knew- the world has never known a state like this, this paradox beyond analysis…” . Similarly, Bahá'u'lláh exclaims when describing his remarkably similar Valley of Wonderment: “At every moment [the traveler] beholdeth a wondrous world, a new creation, and goeth from astonishment to astonishment, and is lost in awe at the works of the Lord of Oneness.”
Particularly the Valley of Bewilderment, which follows that of Unity and precedes that of Absolute Poverty and Nothingness, is a very interesting station to reflect upon. By the time the fifth valley, the Valley of Unity, is reached, one has disillusioned one's self – in biblical terms this is called a ‘Rebirth’. However at some point, the soul which was once in tact and in unison with the Being is abruptly scattered, and the wayfarer is no longer acquainted with the Whole. The disconnection has brought about confusion and awe - a kind of bewilderment, together with a great joy. A man's interest in life is increased. All that he sees he enjoys. He concerns himself with few things, but wonders at all. This bewilderment is such that it becomes wonderfully amusing to look at life. The whole world becomes a kind of stage to him, full of players. He then begins to amuse himself with the people of this world, as one might play with children, and yet not be concerned with what they do, for he expects no better. This may be somewhat in convergence with the Valley of Detachment, which realizes in the insignificance of this world and frees the soul of emotional or mental dependability. Nevertheless and most importantly, he is confused, at awe, in shock and disbelief, doubting knowledge, and doubting doubt.
Nothing fine tunes our understanding of this Valley as much as the story of “The Princess Who Loved a Slave”. A beautiful princess to whom everyone would fall in love at first sight, fell in love with a slave who was equally or more beautiful. Embarrassed at her love, she plots with her servants to bring the slave to her room sedated so that she may please herself without his knowledge. He awakes in the midst of the sensual delight and experiences love that was to him unimaginable. Then as dawn approached, he fell asleep, and was secretly carried outside the palace and laid on the floor, where he awoke in astonishment, regret, and grief.
Taking the slave as a symbol for the wayfarer, the servant to the lord, and the princess as a metaphor for the Beloved, this story gives the clearest insight into this Valley of Bewilderment. It shows a man ambushed with love and unity, and just as suddenly as it was brought upon him he awakes from it as if it were a dream, completely confused and in shock. “Was it a dream, or was it true? Was I drunk or sober? I wish I knew- the world has never known a state like this, this paradox beyond analysis…” . Similarly, Bahá'u'lláh exclaims when describing his remarkably similar Valley of Wonderment: “At every moment [the traveler] beholdeth a wondrous world, a new creation, and goeth from astonishment to astonishment, and is lost in awe at the works of the Lord of Oneness.”
The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living
The unexamined life is not worth living…
- First of all, there are concepts that need to be identified here. “Unexamined life” is assumed here as a life without philosophical retro and introspection by s/he whom is alive. “Not worth living” is assumed here as not worth the energy spent in the daily processes of life – i.e., death would be a favorable alternative.
- Socrates here makes the assumption that in some cases, life is worth living, which is highly debatable. Particularly as he had implicitly suggested life a “disease” prior to his execution. Socrates’s life, given the previously set definition, is notable “examined”.
- Once again the argument against this quote would revolve around 2 focal points.
- One: the attributes of a life worth living must be identified. Is it one of joy, wisdom, social and religious conformity, or otherwise? To challenge this quote, one would propose that a life worth living satisfies the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual personas of a human being (Carl Jung). Introspection (assuming that it is a voluntary action) is unneeded for this growth.
- Second: the usefulness and consequences of “examining” life must be identified. “He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth suffering” is a famous quote. In many cases philosophizing about life leads to depression, frustration, stress and other factors that make life truly not worth the fight. In this case the basic and “superficial” activities of life: work, entertainment, piety, sex ad infinitum provide more fulfillment and a smoother experience for the human soul on earth.
Apart from all of this it is notable that Socrates took for granted that examining life in the deeper sense happens voluntarily. Everyone is subject to paradigm shifts and broader perspectives every once in a while, and the fine line between that and philosophy is fragile.
Thursday, 9 November 2006
Knowledge of Oneself (Sufi thought)
How may the entity that is the human be described spiritually? What is one’s duty towards one’s self in terms of self knowledge? What is the consequence of pursuing this duty? What entails this journey of self discovery? From a thorough examination of sources, we may conclude that Knowledge is possible through two spiritual achievements – first distinguishing the Spirit (al-rawh) from the Soul (an-nafs)[1], then understanding the nature of desire, associated with the Soul. Notably, understanding the nature of the Soul as an achievement may very well come naturally once the seeker of Knowledge has differentiated between his Spirit and Soul, given the incredible spiritual depth of the latter.
In fact, distinguishing Spirit from Soul is very easily one of the foundations of Sufi teachings, and has been prescribed several times as a means of traversing the Path. Scholars such as Burckhardt have spent considerable effort analyzing the self composed of Spirit and Soul, in his case to conclude that the former is a transcendent form of intuition (Burckhardt calls this ‘Intelligence’) while the latter is an ego- a bearer of the ‘I’[2]. The intuition’s primary goal, in this case, as well as its natural tendency is the realization of the present world as transitory, and the inclination towards the Truth[3]. It is man’s ‘light’, and his ‘mirror’ as both Ibn Khaldun[4] and Ibn `Arabi[5] had professed. On the other hand, however, man also holds within him the psyche, the Self[6] which is affected by the present world and presents centrifugal individuality and selfishness to man’s heart. In theory, both Spirit and Soul are in constant battle over the heart, the winner succeeding to alter its nature[7]. In the powerful and romantic language for which he is infamous, Jalaluddin Rumi also highlights this schism and battle within man. He recognizes the ‘ego’ as an insatiable hell of fire, swallowing up the Seven Seas and not one bit cooled; the ‘intellect’ as the true human nature, always flying away from this world[8]. More compelling, however, is the following metaphor:
“…this mention of Moses has become a shackle on men's minds -- they think these stories happened long ago... Moses and Pharaoh are in your own existence -- you must seek these two adversaries in yourself…”[9]
This understanding of the story of Moses and Pharoah, that they are really symbols within us, makes Ja’far as-Sadiq’s contention of a transcendent, multi-layered Holy Qur’an very clear. Rumi’s powerful comparison also presents an unavoidable question- what is man’s duty towards the understanding of himself? Should he be seeking to kill the Pharaoh within him? Or simply understand him? Moreover, what will this Knowledge lead to? Man understands his duty towards himself as well as the consequences to sincerely executing this duty through the simple but emotive prophetic tradition: “He who knows himself knows his Lord”[10] . Likewise Al-Ghazzali’s embarks on the first chapter in The Alchemy of Happiness with the opening sentence: “Knowledge of self is the key to knowledge of God.”[11] It is the general belief that through ijtihad an-nafs and through the incessant strife for understanding of oneself that man may finally be able to glimpse his purpose in this world, the essence of the shahada (once he is able to understand the transitory nature of his Self and world), and therefore the fundamental nature of religion. This strife for understanding has been further analyzed by Fariduddin Al-‘Attar (in The Conference of the Birds) and Abu Hamid al-Ghazzalli (in The Alchemy of Happiness).
Particularly we may look at the Valley of Insight into Mystery and the quest for the Simorgh as two instances where themes of Knowledge were prominent. After a long journey, beginning with the quest for God followed by an inextinguishable love for Him[12], the wayfarer finds himself in the Valley of Insight into Mystery that calls for him to investigate, to seek out Truth’s mysteries and persevere. Although never explicitly mentioned, this Valley is ultimately one of introspection, of a metaphorical drowning in gnosis[13] that is the knowledge of one’s self. We may further imply this theme from “Mahmoud and a dervish”, a short anecdote that Attar presents following his description of the Valley. A dervish full of sorrow and regret rudely- after being approached by King Mahmoud- commands the King to leave. In response to his words of insult, the King exclaims: “I am Mahmoud; I suggest that ‘infidel’ is not how I’m addressed!”[14]. To this the dervish goes mad, claiming “O splendid youth, if you knew how far you are from the Truth!” Layers of meaning are within this tale. Primarily the dervish is disgusted at the lack of introspection the statement “I am Mahmoud” seems to reek of – as if the confident, unflinching identification of oneself is indicative of a lack of restless insight into one’s soul. Al-Ghazzali agrees, claiming that, “If thou sayest ‘I know myself’, meaning thy outer shape, body…such knowledge can never be a key to the knowledge of God.”[15] When Mahmoud exclaims that he is not an infidel, the dervish mocks how far he is from the truth. Earlier we have seen the demanding Self being compared to Pharaoh, and it appears that Attar (and the dervish for that matter) seem to use the term ‘infidel’ to describe this Self just as well. With this in mind, the dervish’s mockery of Mahmoud is clearer- the ‘infidel’ is in all of us, yet Mahmoud has not invested the spiritual effort do discover the ‘infidel’ within him (and this evident through his pride), and therefore loses all respect in the dervish’s eyes.
On the other hand the Simorgh, the quest for which the book is centered upon, in the end is divulged to be none other but the thirty birds themselves. They had discovered that the Diety, to whom they had crossed the Valleys and overcome the obstacles of pain, fear, death, audacity, poverty, and even the Self, had turned out to be their very own Spirit – the transcendent reflection of their divine existence. With poetic eloquence and glory Attar describes this moment:
“Their souls rose free of all they’d been before…And in the [sun’s] rays they shone as one. There in the Simorgh’s radiant face they saw themselves, the Simorgh of the world…”[16]
Here we find overwhelming evidence of the importance of the knowledge of oneself and its spiritual implications as a major step on the way to ultimate understanding of God, or even the understanding of piety for that matter. It is the comprehension of one’s nature, particularly the strengthened connection with one’s Spirit, which will be the guiding light and final aim.
Al-Ghazzali’s chapter on the “Knowledge of Self” reverberates our contentions. How is it possible for man to know anything if he does not know himself, asks Al-Ghazzali, and how is it that he may be on the Path while he holds the characteristics of, and is therefore only comparable to, beasts[17]? Al-Ghazzali sees the realm of Knowledge and gnosis both as an aim in itself, and as a means to the Destination. Treading the Path is impossible without this vital piece of armor. At the same time, Al-Ghazzali seems to bring us to the second component of Knowledge – understanding the nature of desire. “In what does they real happiness and misery consist[18]?” When is one genuinely happy? We understand that our passions and desires come from the Self not the Spirit, but if we were to indulge these inclinations, we would lose our association with Angels[19] and forever be haunted by the pleasures of the earth, i.e. pollute the Spirit. The first step in understanding desire is knowing that its cries are really cries of the Devils[20], and that it is of man’s accidental nature, not of his essential one. This nature dies with the body, and it is therefore illogical to pursue its limited interests that may harm the eternal, essential nature. Once this is truly comprehended, the world’s transitory nature grasped in essence, and the nuisance that is the Self fully unveiled, man will let go of his desires and will qualify for Attar’s Valley of Detachment.
For the true ‘mystery’ unmasked at the end of the Valley of Insight into Mystery is the inconsequential nature of this world, and the wayfarer finds himself in the Valley of Detachment. Here, all physical, mental, or emotional lust or need is lost. It truly is the liberty of the mind, a mind that was once dependable on its surroundings for pleasure, always missing the fact that true enlightenment lies within its own understanding. Another short anecdote may be of more clarification to this point: a hungry fly looks at a beehive that appears to hold delicious honey. He says he would offer a grain to contrive and be inside. A passerby took pity and lifted him and the grain to the honey, where he was became physically stuck. He cries in despair, exclaiming that he would now give two grains to regain his freedom, the freedom that he did not know he had.[21] Attar intentionally uses a fly as the main character in his anecdote to convey to the reader a certain message- we, and our aspirations and material dreams, are all very trivial in the grand scheme of things. Our lives and our bodies occupy virtually no space or time, yet many glorify themselves in their worldly aspirations. Secondly, these aspirations and needs are like honey, to which one is stuck and unable to move. We are attracted to its sensually delightful characteristics, and forget the cost of our freedom. The soul, when caught in the honey, is nostalgic of a time when it possessed its liberty and detachment. Our souls, particularly our Spirits, are inclined to only one attachment, that of God, an inclination originating from the day of alastu.[22] When we understand the nature of desire, we satisfy this ultimate inclination.
Our journey through knowledge of the Self and Spirit has shed light on why gnosis remains of the most revered and sought mystical practices, and has brought us to an understanding of it through the eyes of several mystics and scholars. Even though we have explored all but a drop in the sea of Knowledge, we have also established a broad conceptual framework underneath which the subject lies and highlighted its importance in the Islamic faith. Knowledge of the Soul and Spirit, after all, is man’s duty on this earth, a duty synonymous with faith. I have had a personal, emotional response to my research and the writing of this paper. As a child religion and God were never discussed outside the occasional context of duty and Law. Only has this recent journey through Sufism brought color and texture to what I (wrongly) assumed was a rigid and narrow structure that is ad-Din, the Commitment. In light of this paper, I am much closer to believing that man, I am the macrocosm, not the world that surrounds him or me. “We will show them Our signs in the world and in themselves, that the truth may be manifest to them.”[23]
[1] Burckhardt, Titus. Introduction to Sufism. San Francisco: Thorsons (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers), 1995.
[2] Burckhardt, p. 26
[3] Burckhardt, p. 54
[4] Tufail, Abu Bakr Muhammad bin. The Journey of the Soul; The Story of Hai bin Yaqzan. Trans. Riad Kocache. London: The Octagon Press, 1982. (p. 48)
[5] Corbin, Henry. Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn `Arabi. Trans. Ralph Manheim. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1969. (p. 271)
[6] Note that usage of ‘Soul’ and ‘Self’ refer to ‘an-nafs’ and ‘al-hawiyah’ respectively, and are considered synonymous according to an examination of Burckhardt and Attar.
[7] Burckhardt, p. 26
[8] Jalaluddin Rumi. Signs of the Unseen: The Discourses of Jalaluddin Rumi. Trans. W.M. Thackston, Jr. Putney, Vermont: Threshold Books, 1994. (p. 59)
[9] Jalaluddin Rumi. The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi. Trans. William C. Chittick. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1983
[10] Corbin, Henry. Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn `Arabi. Trans. Ralph Manheim. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1969. (p. 95)
[11] Al-Ghazzali, Abu Hamid. The Alchemy of Happiness. Trans. Claud Field.London: M.E. Sharpe, 1991. (p. 5)
[12] The Valley of Search and The Valley of Love, the first two of seven valleys
[13] Attar, Fariduddin. The Conference of the Birds Trans. Afkham Darbandi, and Dick Davis. London: Penguin Books, 1984. (p. 180)
[14] Attar (p. 184)
[15] Al-Ghazzali (p. 5)
[16] Attar (p. 219)
[17] Al-Ghazzali (p.5)
[18] Al-Ghazzali (p.6)
[19] Al-Ghazzali (p.8)
[20] Al-Ghazzali (p.6)
[21] Attar
[22] Reference to the Primordial Covenant
[23] Holy Qur'an. Trans. M. H. Shakir. Elmhurst, NY: Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, n.d (41:53)
In fact, distinguishing Spirit from Soul is very easily one of the foundations of Sufi teachings, and has been prescribed several times as a means of traversing the Path. Scholars such as Burckhardt have spent considerable effort analyzing the self composed of Spirit and Soul, in his case to conclude that the former is a transcendent form of intuition (Burckhardt calls this ‘Intelligence’) while the latter is an ego- a bearer of the ‘I’[2]. The intuition’s primary goal, in this case, as well as its natural tendency is the realization of the present world as transitory, and the inclination towards the Truth[3]. It is man’s ‘light’, and his ‘mirror’ as both Ibn Khaldun[4] and Ibn `Arabi[5] had professed. On the other hand, however, man also holds within him the psyche, the Self[6] which is affected by the present world and presents centrifugal individuality and selfishness to man’s heart. In theory, both Spirit and Soul are in constant battle over the heart, the winner succeeding to alter its nature[7]. In the powerful and romantic language for which he is infamous, Jalaluddin Rumi also highlights this schism and battle within man. He recognizes the ‘ego’ as an insatiable hell of fire, swallowing up the Seven Seas and not one bit cooled; the ‘intellect’ as the true human nature, always flying away from this world[8]. More compelling, however, is the following metaphor:
“…this mention of Moses has become a shackle on men's minds -- they think these stories happened long ago... Moses and Pharaoh are in your own existence -- you must seek these two adversaries in yourself…”[9]
This understanding of the story of Moses and Pharoah, that they are really symbols within us, makes Ja’far as-Sadiq’s contention of a transcendent, multi-layered Holy Qur’an very clear. Rumi’s powerful comparison also presents an unavoidable question- what is man’s duty towards the understanding of himself? Should he be seeking to kill the Pharaoh within him? Or simply understand him? Moreover, what will this Knowledge lead to? Man understands his duty towards himself as well as the consequences to sincerely executing this duty through the simple but emotive prophetic tradition: “He who knows himself knows his Lord”[10] . Likewise Al-Ghazzali’s embarks on the first chapter in The Alchemy of Happiness with the opening sentence: “Knowledge of self is the key to knowledge of God.”[11] It is the general belief that through ijtihad an-nafs and through the incessant strife for understanding of oneself that man may finally be able to glimpse his purpose in this world, the essence of the shahada (once he is able to understand the transitory nature of his Self and world), and therefore the fundamental nature of religion. This strife for understanding has been further analyzed by Fariduddin Al-‘Attar (in The Conference of the Birds) and Abu Hamid al-Ghazzalli (in The Alchemy of Happiness).
Particularly we may look at the Valley of Insight into Mystery and the quest for the Simorgh as two instances where themes of Knowledge were prominent. After a long journey, beginning with the quest for God followed by an inextinguishable love for Him[12], the wayfarer finds himself in the Valley of Insight into Mystery that calls for him to investigate, to seek out Truth’s mysteries and persevere. Although never explicitly mentioned, this Valley is ultimately one of introspection, of a metaphorical drowning in gnosis[13] that is the knowledge of one’s self. We may further imply this theme from “Mahmoud and a dervish”, a short anecdote that Attar presents following his description of the Valley. A dervish full of sorrow and regret rudely- after being approached by King Mahmoud- commands the King to leave. In response to his words of insult, the King exclaims: “I am Mahmoud; I suggest that ‘infidel’ is not how I’m addressed!”[14]. To this the dervish goes mad, claiming “O splendid youth, if you knew how far you are from the Truth!” Layers of meaning are within this tale. Primarily the dervish is disgusted at the lack of introspection the statement “I am Mahmoud” seems to reek of – as if the confident, unflinching identification of oneself is indicative of a lack of restless insight into one’s soul. Al-Ghazzali agrees, claiming that, “If thou sayest ‘I know myself’, meaning thy outer shape, body…such knowledge can never be a key to the knowledge of God.”[15] When Mahmoud exclaims that he is not an infidel, the dervish mocks how far he is from the truth. Earlier we have seen the demanding Self being compared to Pharaoh, and it appears that Attar (and the dervish for that matter) seem to use the term ‘infidel’ to describe this Self just as well. With this in mind, the dervish’s mockery of Mahmoud is clearer- the ‘infidel’ is in all of us, yet Mahmoud has not invested the spiritual effort do discover the ‘infidel’ within him (and this evident through his pride), and therefore loses all respect in the dervish’s eyes.
On the other hand the Simorgh, the quest for which the book is centered upon, in the end is divulged to be none other but the thirty birds themselves. They had discovered that the Diety, to whom they had crossed the Valleys and overcome the obstacles of pain, fear, death, audacity, poverty, and even the Self, had turned out to be their very own Spirit – the transcendent reflection of their divine existence. With poetic eloquence and glory Attar describes this moment:
“Their souls rose free of all they’d been before…And in the [sun’s] rays they shone as one. There in the Simorgh’s radiant face they saw themselves, the Simorgh of the world…”[16]
Here we find overwhelming evidence of the importance of the knowledge of oneself and its spiritual implications as a major step on the way to ultimate understanding of God, or even the understanding of piety for that matter. It is the comprehension of one’s nature, particularly the strengthened connection with one’s Spirit, which will be the guiding light and final aim.
Al-Ghazzali’s chapter on the “Knowledge of Self” reverberates our contentions. How is it possible for man to know anything if he does not know himself, asks Al-Ghazzali, and how is it that he may be on the Path while he holds the characteristics of, and is therefore only comparable to, beasts[17]? Al-Ghazzali sees the realm of Knowledge and gnosis both as an aim in itself, and as a means to the Destination. Treading the Path is impossible without this vital piece of armor. At the same time, Al-Ghazzali seems to bring us to the second component of Knowledge – understanding the nature of desire. “In what does they real happiness and misery consist[18]?” When is one genuinely happy? We understand that our passions and desires come from the Self not the Spirit, but if we were to indulge these inclinations, we would lose our association with Angels[19] and forever be haunted by the pleasures of the earth, i.e. pollute the Spirit. The first step in understanding desire is knowing that its cries are really cries of the Devils[20], and that it is of man’s accidental nature, not of his essential one. This nature dies with the body, and it is therefore illogical to pursue its limited interests that may harm the eternal, essential nature. Once this is truly comprehended, the world’s transitory nature grasped in essence, and the nuisance that is the Self fully unveiled, man will let go of his desires and will qualify for Attar’s Valley of Detachment.
For the true ‘mystery’ unmasked at the end of the Valley of Insight into Mystery is the inconsequential nature of this world, and the wayfarer finds himself in the Valley of Detachment. Here, all physical, mental, or emotional lust or need is lost. It truly is the liberty of the mind, a mind that was once dependable on its surroundings for pleasure, always missing the fact that true enlightenment lies within its own understanding. Another short anecdote may be of more clarification to this point: a hungry fly looks at a beehive that appears to hold delicious honey. He says he would offer a grain to contrive and be inside. A passerby took pity and lifted him and the grain to the honey, where he was became physically stuck. He cries in despair, exclaiming that he would now give two grains to regain his freedom, the freedom that he did not know he had.[21] Attar intentionally uses a fly as the main character in his anecdote to convey to the reader a certain message- we, and our aspirations and material dreams, are all very trivial in the grand scheme of things. Our lives and our bodies occupy virtually no space or time, yet many glorify themselves in their worldly aspirations. Secondly, these aspirations and needs are like honey, to which one is stuck and unable to move. We are attracted to its sensually delightful characteristics, and forget the cost of our freedom. The soul, when caught in the honey, is nostalgic of a time when it possessed its liberty and detachment. Our souls, particularly our Spirits, are inclined to only one attachment, that of God, an inclination originating from the day of alastu.[22] When we understand the nature of desire, we satisfy this ultimate inclination.
Our journey through knowledge of the Self and Spirit has shed light on why gnosis remains of the most revered and sought mystical practices, and has brought us to an understanding of it through the eyes of several mystics and scholars. Even though we have explored all but a drop in the sea of Knowledge, we have also established a broad conceptual framework underneath which the subject lies and highlighted its importance in the Islamic faith. Knowledge of the Soul and Spirit, after all, is man’s duty on this earth, a duty synonymous with faith. I have had a personal, emotional response to my research and the writing of this paper. As a child religion and God were never discussed outside the occasional context of duty and Law. Only has this recent journey through Sufism brought color and texture to what I (wrongly) assumed was a rigid and narrow structure that is ad-Din, the Commitment. In light of this paper, I am much closer to believing that man, I am the macrocosm, not the world that surrounds him or me. “We will show them Our signs in the world and in themselves, that the truth may be manifest to them.”[23]
[1] Burckhardt, Titus. Introduction to Sufism. San Francisco: Thorsons (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers), 1995.
[2] Burckhardt, p. 26
[3] Burckhardt, p. 54
[4] Tufail, Abu Bakr Muhammad bin. The Journey of the Soul; The Story of Hai bin Yaqzan. Trans. Riad Kocache. London: The Octagon Press, 1982. (p. 48)
[5] Corbin, Henry. Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn `Arabi. Trans. Ralph Manheim. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1969. (p. 271)
[6] Note that usage of ‘Soul’ and ‘Self’ refer to ‘an-nafs’ and ‘al-hawiyah’ respectively, and are considered synonymous according to an examination of Burckhardt and Attar.
[7] Burckhardt, p. 26
[8] Jalaluddin Rumi. Signs of the Unseen: The Discourses of Jalaluddin Rumi. Trans. W.M. Thackston, Jr. Putney, Vermont: Threshold Books, 1994. (p. 59)
[9] Jalaluddin Rumi. The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi. Trans. William C. Chittick. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1983
[10] Corbin, Henry. Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn `Arabi. Trans. Ralph Manheim. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1969. (p. 95)
[11] Al-Ghazzali, Abu Hamid. The Alchemy of Happiness. Trans. Claud Field.London: M.E. Sharpe, 1991. (p. 5)
[12] The Valley of Search and The Valley of Love, the first two of seven valleys
[13] Attar, Fariduddin. The Conference of the Birds Trans. Afkham Darbandi, and Dick Davis. London: Penguin Books, 1984. (p. 180)
[14] Attar (p. 184)
[15] Al-Ghazzali (p. 5)
[16] Attar (p. 219)
[17] Al-Ghazzali (p.5)
[18] Al-Ghazzali (p.6)
[19] Al-Ghazzali (p.8)
[20] Al-Ghazzali (p.6)
[21] Attar
[22] Reference to the Primordial Covenant
[23] Holy Qur'an. Trans. M. H. Shakir. Elmhurst, NY: Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, n.d (41:53)
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