The Mystical Capsules

 

 

At the very outset, let us pray and invoke the help and Guidance of God that, He may give us strength and the courage of our convictions to stand and uphold our ideal of a better and happier world. A world where there are no invidious distinctions of caste, creed, clan or colour, where misunderstandings disappear, where people have learnt to live in harmony and peace, where people have learnt to appreciate each other’s point of view, and where the spirit of tolerance and forbearance serves as a check and a brake on the acquisitive and aggressive instincts of men and women inhabiting the globe.

 

How we should live, move and work in this Age of stress? Why should there be famine, where abundance lies? Why should there be lack, when there is no lack in the higher realm? Why should we be cruel to our sweet self?

We are the world’s beautiful ornament. Let us hear the music of life, but we should not hear it sadly. But, when we hear it, we should be calm, collected, placid and happy. There should be no moaning, groaning, sighing, wailing and weeping. When we hear the music of life, let us laugh and smile. Then,

“Come, my friend, tis not too late to seek a newer world.”

Let us be

“Strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

You may have seen people, taking a rich diet, containing proteins, vitamins and minerals. They take milk, malt and cocoa. They try to take a nutritive diet in order to compensate for the leakage and loss of energy.

Some people take medicated oil massages, which to them is an effective treatment for muscular dystrophy, paralysis, strokes, arthritis, sciatica, lumbago, gout, rheumatic complaints, and for post-polio conditions. They think that the medicine, medicated oil health massages serve as a preventive medicine to relieve them from aches and pains and to tone up their circulatory system. Moreover, there are so many people who are victims of nervous shocks and heart disease.

It may give them temporary relief, but it cannot effectively cure the disease. The disease is not caused mainly by the deficient diet, but is mostly due to other causes. It may be due to anger, hatred, fear, excitement, feverish activity, tension, anxiety, exhaustion, fatigue or worry.  Physical rest is not enough. What is needed is mental rest. Let the mind be at peace.

So it is better:

  • To fix some time, when you are all alone.
  • To stop the machinery of the mind for some time-maybe even for a few minutes.
  • To forgive and forget.
  • To forget past failures and disappointments, and to forge a bright future by your own unaided efforts.

It is not wise to brood over the past. Let us manufacture our happiness. It is not and it cannot be manufactured for us anywhere else. All our happiness is self-created. And for all our unhappiness, we are ourselves responsible.

Nothing can enter in our life, unless we so allow anything to enter. Can anyone enter your house without your permission? I do not think so. And if anybody may so enter, you will treat the person as a trespasser, and will try to eject him either by the intervention of court, or by your own efforts.

Mystics have been careful to see, that nothing enters their life, which they do not like, or which they think is not conducive to their happiness, spiritual advancement or to their inner joy.

You decide whether you are to be happy or unhappy. I am sure you will decide to be happy. Once you have chosen happiness as you object or goal, then discard unhappiness, and also discard all those things which bring unhappiness.

Let us then, like the mystics, wait on God to renew our strength.

To be happy, it is necessary that we should have calm thoughts, tranquillity and peace of mind, a clean soul, a trained mind, a receptive heart, and also eyes, that see romance in everyday life, and in the common places.

In order to be happy, we should have a child’s heart and spiritual simplicity. Displaying childlike simplicity in middle or old age denotes a genius. Indeed, “A light heart lives long.”

It is better to avoid super-sophistication. The mystics have walked on the surface of the earth with its many roads, lanes, and by-lanes, paths, and by-paths with measured steps. They have been active in the performance of their duty. Their eyes were in search of truth, and they utilized their tongue for preaching and propagating, what they thought best in the interest of the failing and tumbling humanity, and in giving discourses so varied and various.

The mystics are impregnated with idealism. Thus, they are idealists. They have their own ideas and ideals. They have their own dreams and devotions.

You may also have dreams by all means. But, do not have day dreams. Try to make your dreams a reality. Dream by all means, of plans and schemes to make your life noble and sublime. Your dreams and visions should aim at making your life useful to you and to others.

Have an ideal in life, and pursue it vigorously and assiduously.

Let us plan our life according to the mystic pattern. Let us plan and dream accordingly. Let us chalk out:

Perennial happiness plan;

Live in peace plan;

Service without reward plan;

Conserve energy plan;

Forgive and forget plan;

Getting better and better plan;

To be true in faith plan;

To be firm in belief plan;

A new dignity and sense of purpose plan,

To have a future with promise plan,

Liberation of our soul plan;

Overcoming temptation plan;

Turning misfortune into fortune plan.

Why hesitate then? Come, visualise, act and plan. Make your life beautiful. You must feel like singing a song. Let your life be as bright as the moon and as beautiful as a star sprinkled night.

Mysticism, being the cry of the soul, is a part of Universal History. The other part is setting an example of better living, contributing substantially to human happiness, ensuring safety, and security to men and women, encouraging the common love and self-confidence, working towards improvement of dental, physical, mental and spiritual health, and encouraging wholesome recreation among youth and soft conversation among old person.

A mystic’s involvement does not end here or there. It has identified itself with human happiness, human welfare and human progress, through various devices and services to the community, like:

Meeting the needs and requirement of youth.

Reclamation of antisocial elements.

Rehabilitation of the displaced person.

Sober advice to the business community to observe ethical standards in their enterprise.

Freeing women from bigotry, superstition, and narrow mindedness.

Providing social equality and equality of opportunities. Acting as a co-ordinating link between the masses and the classes.

It is a total involvement.

Mystic culture should be like a coin and it should be in circulation. One side of this coin should have inscription-“Self-image” and the other side of the coin should bear the inscription-“Devotion to the cause”.

Do you understand its implications? It means that, your self-image is of great importance to you. And you cannot be a man with a mission, unless you are devoted to the cause.

Let us take a short trip to the glory of the immemorial mystic culture. Let us walk through the shadowy lanes of the centuries gone. We are out to witness the programme, depicting the spiritual heritage of mankind.

Time will tell you stories,that will astonish you. Day will tell you stories of the adventure of living. Night will tell you stories of people, who have searched, and ultimately found their real self.

There is a stupendous panorama of romanticism. Romance combined with love, lent beauty and harmony to life. Lives simply lived, having no flashes of the so-called awe—inspiring majesty, became the focus of attention for myriads of people.

The life of a mystic is a festival, which is neither rustic nor traditional. It has, within it, the throbs of the aspirations of the people, who are in search of truth, and it has a wealth of the history of mankind, trying to overcome temptation. At times, it seems as if some musician is singing a melodious song, and thereby, creating new horizons.

Proceeding further, we find that the city gate of the Palace of Truth has still the throbs of those who lived, worked and died for a noble cause.

Their life displays a treasure of exquisite mystic handicrafts, with which you can adorn your life.

 

Leadership is not merely the matter of occupying a high rank, or sitting in the Upper or Lower House of the Legislature. It implies the power of inspiring confidence in men and women, who are meant to be trained to live and to work together in harmony and peace.

The Prophets and saints have been the real leaders of men. They inspired people by precepts and practice.

Prophet Mohammed (PBUT) lays down that:

“The most excellent Jihad (Holy War) is that for the conquest of self.”

And

“The best of alms is that which the right hand giveth, and the left hand knoweth not of.”

Lord Jesus Christ advises thus:

“Be not afraid, only believe”.

And,

“Take ye heed, watch and pray; For ye know not when the time is.”

According to Lord Buddha:

“Happy is he who has overcome all selfishness: happy is he who has attained peace and happy is he who has found the truth.”

 

Lord Krishna suggest thus:

“Let not thy peace be disturbed even if thou art ridiculed or ill-spoken of by others.”

 

Guru Nanak Sahib lays down:

“They who make truth their fasting. Contentment their place of pilgrimage, divine knowledge and meditation their ablutions, mercy their idols and forgiveness their rosary, are foremost in God’s favour.”

 

If you read history carefully, you will find that, ignorance, superstition, bigotry, lust for power, and ambition have done more harm than all the wars waged so far.

Every failure can be turned into success. To be dejected or despondent means and implies to be overpowered by failure.

Search is always rewarding.

Zeal wants devotion.

Love wants sacrifice.

Honour barters.

Beauty alters.

Favour falters.

Fortune is blind.

Future is uncertain.

Our belonging to a mystical order involves justice, honesty and sobriety in our individual life.

A mystic always makes an earnest endeavour to keep himself close to the Source of Grace, and to make everyday a day of thanksgiving and a day of opportunity for him.

It is true that God helps everybody, but it must be remembered that He has a special care for those who belong to the household of faith.

Birds have wings. They fly with wings. You, too, have wings. Why not fly with them? You, too can fly with your two wings-Faith and Belief.

Sometimes, our life is visited by a crisis. A crisis lasts so long as we sit and ponder over it. But, as soon as we stand up and act, the crisis is diffused. The very crisis becomes an opportunity. Let us avail the opportunity afforded by crisis.

Let us pray, that God may grant us the prop of Faith, the treasure of Hope, the bliss of Peace, the ecstasy of Joy emanating from Divine Love and the Glory of His vision.

Let us not pitch our hopes too high. Hope is a good companion, but an erring guide. When the ship of Hope sinks, there is nothing left, but a string of bubbles, marking and pointing out the spot, where the ship of Hope has just sunk.

Our prayer, then should be:

I want nothing beyond what I am given.

All I crave is love.

All I seek is Thy Pleasure.

All I long for is Thy Grace.

All I want is sympathy.

All I desire is understanding.

All I yarn is happiness.

All I ask for is courage.

There are beautiful moments in life, which deserve a gift of love.

Let us give someone we love, something rare and useful, combining devotion with foresight. A piece of good advice is a good gift, indeed.

Avail every opportunity.

You are a builder. Your build under the vigilant eye of the Architect of the Universe. Build for better life, and build for better living.

Do not brood over your suffering. Face it before it is too late. Do not think, that you are born in a paradise. But, think that you are born in the world with all its suffering. You must take the world as it is.

Shakespeare thus describes life:

“The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together; our virtues would be proud, if our faults whipped them not; and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues.”

Life does not require a soft bed. It can be beautiful with sunshine, and colour, the wind and the clouds. It can also be made a dark lane, where there are no shadows.

The mystics, by their smile, have shown, that to them, there is no difference between life and death.

In the short span of life, try to occupy a driver’s seat. When you are, thus, seated, how can anyone take you to a place where you do not want to go?

Fact-finding may be a good thing, but fault-finding cannot be justified on any account. The mystics have always refrained from disclosing, or exposing the faults, shortcomings or limitations of others.

In fact, sainthood means covering the shortcomings of others with a thick cloth.

It is better to be born lucky than rich.

Your positive imagination is your good friend.

True love is unchanging. It has no caste and no colour. It is the same in the East and the West. And, it will be the same for ever.

Our lifestyle should exhibit a model of restrained emotions. In Nature, we find joy and not sadness. Let the beauty of Nature sink into the mind and relieve us of memories sad. Let us understand the eloquent teachings of Nature. Let Nature be your teacher. The eminent English poet Wordsworth thus says:

“One impulse from the vernal wood,

Can teach us more of man,

Of moral, evil and of good,

Than all the sages can.”

 

We go to a physician, when we are ill. When we are under his treatment, we follow his suggestions. We show our confidence in his skill, and we co-operate with him. For the solution of our problems, let us repose our implicit faith in the Great Physician, and I am sure your faith will reward you amply.

The best way to shoot a lion is to go up and shoot. So go up and shoot the brute in you, which is more ferocious than the lion.

Let us search, and find out the new lights in and around us.

Do you hear the clarion call of the glorious morning?

 

The clarion call of the glorious morning, is to the effect, that you are mine as I am yours, and so I am here to give you glad tidings and a report.

 

The starts that shine over you, do not come to you. You look to the start above, that are shining over you.

Time will tell you truth, the whole truth, nothing but truth.

It is good to get love, but, it is better to give love. Words give colour to your thoughts, and love gives sweetness to your words.

By all means, let the wise world peer into our life, and analyse one by one, our shrieks and our moans. But, let it not mock over us, and ridicule us, after we are dead and gone.

Some mystics stare in frank amazement at their surroundings. They find a peculiar sort of sophistication above them, which does not pleasantly impress them. Neither be artful or artificial in your bearings.

Indignation, frustration, sorrow and suffering, worry and woe, anxiety, fear and pain are a part and parcel of human life.

It is the price that we have to pay of being born.

Let us take courage in both hands, and overcome them before we go to sleep again.

If you exhibit patience, you will emerge as bright as the moon after the eclipse.

Here are some mystical capsules for you. Take one capsule a day. You may, or may not keep the doctor away. But, I think, that you shall get better and better every day.

 

                                                                 ********************************

The Nightingale said to the Rose in words simple and plain,

Thou are torn and split, and I in anguish ever complain;

Why I do not see the face of the Friend, I cannot explain,

Though the Friend as a gift of love has given his pain.

 

 


This is a series of postings to come on the subject of Sufi Mysticism. The postings will give in-depth knowledge in the complete world & ultimate sphere of Sufi spirituality. The postings are enlisted in Categories : ‘Sufi’s Spirituality’ (Tasawwuf )  & in ‘Tasawwuf ‘(Path  of Mysticism). Alternatively you can subscribe to our blog for updates.

 

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