A diseased social organism...

A diseased social organism sometimes sets up within itself forces which have a tendency to preserve the health of the organism - e.g., the birth of a great personality which may revitalise the dying organism by the revelation of a new ideal.

~ Allama Iqbal (from Stray Reflections)

He is one

He in one
Above all ritual
Above all dogma
Above all custom
And only where
These paths cease
Does true faith begin.

~ Ghalib
 (from Ghalib in Translation, O.P. Kejariwal)

Man is a Creative Activity

"When attracted by the forces around him, man has the power to shape and direct them; when thwarted by them, he has the capacity to build a much vaster world in the depths of his own inner being, wherein he discovers sources of infinite joy and inspiration.  Hard his lot and frail his being, like a rose-leaf, yet no form of reality is so powerful, so inspiring, and so beautiful as the spirit of man!  Thus in his inmost being man, as conceived by the Quran, is a creative activity, an ascending spirit who, in his onward march, rises from one state of being to another."

Allama Iqbal (from The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam)

The Pangs of Love

Who indeed

Can control

The pangs of love?

O Ghalib 

It's a fire

You cannot kindle

And one which

You cannot extinguish

At will. 

~ Ghalib (from Ghalib in Translation, Translator O.P. Kejariwal)

Black & White Birds

People's relationships can be compared with two facing walls.  Each wall is full of small holes in which nest black and white birds.  Black birds are dark thoughts. White birds are pure thoughts.

 
Because of their size, white birds can only enter into the white bird holes.  The black birds likewise.  Now let's suppose there are two people, Usuf and Ali. Usuf, convinced that Ali thinks evil of him, emits thoughts full of hate.  In doing so he releases a black bird and, at the same time, a nest/hole from his wall is freed.  The black bird flies towards Ali and looks for a nest there.  If Ali has not sent his black bird towards Usuf (i.e., if he has not made any negative thoughts about him), then none of his black holes will be free.  Not finding a nest, the black bird will return to Usuf, caring with it the evil vibrations, thus destroying Usuf. 

Lets suppose that Ali has sent an evil thought.  In doing so he releases a hole in his wall in which Usuf's black bird can nest fulfilling its mission!  At the same time, Ali's black bird flies towards Usuf and, finding another empty nest, does the same.  So the two black birds fulfill their mission which is the destruction of their target.

But as soon as they fulfill their mission, they return to their base according to the ancient law: "Everything returns to its source." 

The evil returns to the sender, thus damaging him.  Same with white birds.  If we only send good thoughts to our enemy, while he is sending negative thoughts, then his black birds, not finding a nest, return to him.  While the white birds, not finding a nest, return to us full of positive energy.

In conclusion, if we only send good thoughts, they will return and strengthen us.  That's why we must always bless and wish the best for our friends as well as our enemies.  That way, the blessing not only goes towards others, but also some day returns to us with its blessings.   

This story is from the teachings of Tierno Bokar, a sufi from Mali

How to Escape Education's Death Valley

Please relax with this brief TED talk.  I find this deeply inspiring. 

For me, when listening to Sir Ken Robinson, I'm thinking not only of the education of children, but also of the education of adults, and the passing of cultural depth and height from one generation to the next. 

I'm also thinking of having social leaders such as politicians who are not about command & control, but rather are devoted to creating a climate of possibility.  A climate of possibility implies to me a melioristic evolving of humanity. 

Mary Parker Follett Walks the Talk

I am a big proponent of walking.  Listen to this brief video wherein Nilofer Merchant speaks to the value of the walking-meeting.  Pay especial attention, though, to what she shares at from about 2:30 to 3:00 in the video.