To Demonstrate the Living Truth.....

This is the last of the blogs on Islam.

My approach in writing this blog "Flowers From Gardens of Faith" is to provide a small bouquet (about 10 entries) ) for each of the seven religions whose gardens of faith I am exploring, enjoying, and sharing with you, my readers. I am enjoying the comments some of you are sending my way, and finding that you are providing me with the feeling of a community of support as I continue with my project.

The book I am writing (see my first blog) will contain 30 readings from each Garden of Faith, as well as suggestions for using them individually or with others in interfaith meditation and sharing.

The suggestions will include a couple simple rituals to use for each faith before and after the reading.

I have found that doing a simple ritual helps me focus and reminds me of the sacred purpose of what I am about to do. I believe our bodies as well as our souls need to be engaged in prayer and meditation, and ritual serves that purpose. It also serves to create a unity of mind and heart when done with others.

I will also be suggesting music for meditation, mostly in the way of simple chants, so that anyone can purchase or download it for their use. I have found that meditative music, from whatever religious tradition, takes me more quickly to the heart of a faith than almost anything else. To me, it is an ideal way to absorb the feeling of the faith I am engaging, sort of like "taking time to smell the flowers."

For the purposes of this section of the Blog, which has focused on Islam, I would recommend A Sufi Song of Love, by Robert Gass and Wings of Song ( easy music to relate to for Westerners) and Ocean of Remembrance, which is a whole CD of chants by Oruc Guvenc. It is more Middle Eastern in it's musical flavor, yet can be quickly learned by any listener.

The one ritual I recommend for use with the readings when done for meditation, or devotionally, is that of ablutions, or washing one's hands. Muslims do ablutions five times a day, before each time of prayer, and their ablutions are considerably more complex than a simple washing of the hands. But the intent can be the same:

to pause a moment to remember what one is doing, and why, and to purify oneself in preparation for a spiritual practice.

Here, then, is the final reading for the Muslim section of the blog.

I chose it because it is another passage from the Koran, in the form of a meditation on Surah 98 by Lex Hixon in his book "Heart of the Koran," which clearly shows a broad, inclusive,universal perspective re: religion.

To demonstrate the Living Truth,

the Ever Present Source sent

as clear signs from God/Allah Most High,

purified human messengers

who selflessly transmit Divine Words

which become the illuminated pages of revealed Books

full of pure and just teaching.

But after these sublime pages of Revelation are received through noble messengers,

their followers often begin to disagree and become fragmented into religious factions.

This is regrettable

because all nations are given the same instructions from the Source of Wisdom.

"Turn directly towards God alone and make your entire life

a sincerely devoted offering to the Source of Life."

The Voice of Truth calls to human beings throughout history

to turn around completely to their own True Source,

to plunge wholeheartedly into prayer each day, and

to offer constant tenderness and assistance to those in need of any kind.

This is the single Religion of Truth natural to the human soul,

which transcends all religious factions with its perfect clarity and directness.

For my response to these inspired words, I want to use, not my own words this time, but those of a great Islamic scholar, poet, and mystic named Ibn 'Arabi. I have learned these words by heart (which is much more than memorizing!) and they have shaped my life in many ways. I invite you to join me in the caravan of the Camel of Love of which he speaks so eloquently!

My heart has become capable of every form.

It is a pasture for gazelles,

and a monastery for Christian monks,

and a temple for sacred images,

and the pilgrims shrine,

and the tablets of the Torah,

and the Book of the Quran.

I follow the Religion of Love.

Whatever way Love's Camel takes

That is my religion,

that is my faith.

Love Poems from God

Today I want to share three poems from the book "Love Poems From God" by Daniel Ladinsky.

Each one made me gasp a little the first time I read it. I could feel its impact in my body as well as in my soul.

Both authors are mystics from the Muslim tradition, and beloved through centuries by people of many cultures and religions. They speak with the universal voice of the Soul.

The first poem belongs with the picture of the sky above. It is by Rabia, a woman mystic poet of the 8th century who lived a life of great hardship, yet endured to inspire countless people with words and deeds that flowed from her life of devotion to the Beloved.

Here it is:

THE SKY

I hear talk about the famous.

I hear talk about different cities.

The most intimate events of families

come to my ears.

I hear about temples and mosques and saints.

All that can be said, I have heard.

All that can be wanted I have seen.

My interest in this world has waned,

though not because I am depressed.

A fish in a bowl I was,

a bottom feeder,

but now I nurse

upon a breast

in the

sky.

The second two poems are by the Sufi poet Hafiz, who lived during the 14th century.

Here they are.

THE ROSE

How

did the rose

ever open its heart

and give to the world

all its beauty?

It felt the encouragement of Light

against its being.

Otherwise, we all remain too frightened.

THE SUN

Even

after all

this time

the sun never says to the earth,

"You owe me."

Look

what happens

with a love like that--

it lights the whole

world!

Here is my response-prayer:

Beloved One,

may I open my heart, like a rose,

blooming with your Beauty,

offering your fragrant Wisdom

to all the word,

warmed as I always am,

by Your Sun of Love.

Indeed, Your Sun-Love

floods the world,

floods my life,

never demanding anything in return,

only inviting me to turn,

like the sunflower,

towards You,

all day long.

Encountering Divine Radiance

Most of the world's religions offer us a vision of the after-life, which is believed to be experienced in direct relationship to the way we have lived this life. Personally, the idea of a God who would send the vast majority of the human race to hell forever because they neither lived nor believed correctly is a troubling one that I , for one, no longer subscribe to. I found this meditation by Lex Hixon on verses from Surah 102 and 104 (from his book "Heart of the Koran") helpful and enlightening. This idea of the Divine Radiance of God's Presence being a delight to those who have lived with love in their hearts for God and others (demonstrated by action!) while at the same time being experienced as "hell fire" (the burning of purification) by those who have lived loveless lives is not unique to Islam, but I find the way it is put here helpful.

Turning away from the Source of Love is every person who engages in cruel criticism,

or who speaks the slightest untruth about another.

Turning even farther away from the Ever Present, Ever Giving Source

are those obsessed with selfish accumulation of worldly wealth and authority.

They are caught in the basic illusion that riches and power can fulfill the natural longing of the soul

for its True Source.

My cherished humanity,

constant rivalry over possessions and personal power can distract you entirely

from the Ever Present Source of your life,

and from the holy way of life and prayer

revealed by God/Allah Most High.

But when the body is brought to the grave,

all distraction ceases,

and the soul must gaze directly into the consuming Light of Truth.

Then every person will come to know with perfect clarity

the eternal significance of human existence.

Those who glimpse, while still on earth,

the ultimate meaning of their thoughts and actions

will lead lives of intense caring.

Those who live selfish and careless lives that negate the Source of Life

must eventually encounter Divine Radiance as the fire of hell.

My dear humanity,

at the dawning of the Eternal Day,

souls will be asked whether they have lived for self-centered pleasure and power,

or whether they know the nature of true spiritual joy.

Consider deeply what your response will be.

My Prayer of Response:

Source of Love, Ever Present, Ever Giving:

May I live a life of loving kindness and caring.

Guide my feet on the path of generous giving.

Keep me from straying into selfish living.

Teach me the nature of true spiritual joy,

that I may walk in the Light of your Truth,

enjoying the divine Radiance of Your Glory and Splendor

as I live, give, and pray in peaceful surrender

to You, my God and my All.

Amen

Why have you come into this world?

Today's reading is from one of the most loved of Persian Poets, Hafiz.

There is a beautiful passion for peace in this poem, and a longing to see and hear and experience life in union with God. What would that be like?

Here is the answer Hafiz gives us. I wonder what yours would be.

I have come into the world to see this:

all creatures holding hands

as we pass through this miraculous existence we all share

on the way to an even greater being of soul,

a being of just ecstatic light

forever entwined and at play with God.

I have come into the world to hear this:

Every song the earth has sung

since it was conceived in the Divine Womb

and began spinning from Her wish;

every song by wing and fin and hoof,

every song by hill and tree and field and stream and rock,

every song of woman and child

every song of tool and lyre and flute

every song of gold and emerald and fire,

every song the heart should cry

with magnificent dignity,

to know itself itself as God incarnate.

For all other knowledge will leave us again

in want and aching.

Only imbibing the glorious sun will complete us.

I have come into the world to experience this:

People so true to love they would rather die

before speaking an unkind word.

People so true, their lives are God's Covenant,

the promise of hope.

I have come into the world to see this:

the sword drop from men's hands

even at the height of their arc of rage

because they have finally realized

there is just one flesh we can wound--

the Beloved's.

This is my prayer of response:

Beloved One, what Hafiz came into this world to see, to hear, to experience,

I intend to live out in my own life.

I will reach out and hold hands with all creatures

who pass through this marvelous life with me.

I will let my soul of Light ecstatically entwine and play with You, Beloved.

I will sing with earth, moon, stars,

with rivers, oceans, and rain.

I will join in the song of birds, fish, insects,

and every kind of animal.

I will sing with voice and flute

as I imbibe the glorious Sun.

I will speak kindly and live truly,

that others may have hope.

i will drop the sword of anger

and refrain from wounding another

knowing we are all

Your flesh.

Paradise Now!

One of the stumbling blocks to understanding the Quran, or any sacred scriptures, is to take them too literally. When one reads them metaphorically, as poetry, we discover many levels of meaning which speak to the many levels of human consciousness. Then the beauty and wisdom they contain blossom for us in new ways.

In the reading I have chosen from the Quran for today, this is most especially true, because it is not just about some future state of bliss in Paradise, but a sublime state of consciousness which human beings can experience here and now.

The following words are taken from Lex Hixon's wonderful book "Heart of the Koran," which is really a collection of his meditations on passages from the Quran, rather than being literal translations into English from the original Arabic. I recommend his book to you as a marvelous window into Islamic spirituality from a Sufi standpoint.

"When the day of Enlightenment dawns,

the soul,

expressed as a luminous body,

the face of its being suffused with calm joy

awakens into the supernal garden of the Divine Presence,

overwhelmed to comprehend at last

the full significance of its own spiritual commitment.

In this perfectly Awakened state called Paradise,

the sublime Resonance of God

is experienced within the soul continuously,

like a bubbling spring,

without the slightest distracting sound

of mundane thought or conversation.

The soul finds waiting there

the graceful chalice of unceasing prayer,

the soft pillow and silken carpet of silent meditation,

and the majestic throne of mystic union."

This is my prayer of response:

Yes, I wake up each morning.

But I am still awakening

to You, Divine Presence.

My soul is still half awake too often.

Beloved One,

I long to experience You continually

as the bubbling spring of Eternal Life

in the flower garden of my soul.

I meditate on Your Being

as flowers turn towards the sun.

Your Glorious Names fall

like rose petals

on the soil of my heart,

and the fragrance of the remembrance of You

perfumes the day and night

with Divine Delight.

One God, many forms of worship

The impression is often given in the media and in other ways that Islam is basically intolerant of all other faiths, and insists that Islam is the only way to a right relationship with God.

Although there are Muslims who fit this description, and even verses from the Koran one could find to support this view, it is also the case that there are many Muslims who are accepting of faiths other than their own, and whose attitudes are broad minded and inclusive. They too can appeal to passages of the Koran in support of their position. Today, I would like to quote one such passage. It is a translation of verses from Surah 22.

For the people of every nation, We have ordained a form of worship.

By this means, the people of each nation can praise God and give thanks for all that has been given to them.

There is only One God; let every nation submit to the One God of all.

Let us proclaim good news

to the humble whose hearts fill with awe at the mention of their Lord,

to those who endure their misfortunes with courage,

to those who are devout in their prayers,

to those who give generously from what God has given them.

I call all people to the path of the Lord.

I call all people to accept true guidance.

Some people dispute about God, though they possess neither true knowledge,

nor guidance, nor divine revelation.

I remind those of you who persist in argumentation

that God is aware of all your actions.

On the Day of Resurrection, God will resolve all disputes and disagreements.

As for those who have faith and do good works, God will welcome them

to a garden watered by running streams.

God's will is always done.

This is my prayer of response to this scripture:

God of all people and nations.

My heart delights in all the ways You have revealed Yourself

to all kinds of people in all places, down through the ages.

I love to worship You in

the temples and mosques,

the shrines and synagogues,

the churches and medicine wheels

that people have created for prayer and praise.

As I unite my heart in prayer with the hearts of others,

You enlarge my heart

and fill it with Your Love and Wisdom.

May I join the holy ones of all nations and ages

in walking the Path of Righteousness for Your Name's sake,

with devotion, courage, humility, and generosity.

Amen.

Simple Union and the sport of love

One of my favorite Sufi poets is Kabir, whose fresh way of speaking of the spiritual life always grabs me.

This poem of his reflects his heartfelt fervor for union with God.

I don't know how many days of his life he felt what he expresses in this poem,

but I would love a few more days in my life feeling what he felt!

Kabir, like Rumi, and other Sufi writers, masterfully captures the beautiful mystical spirituality of Islam which the Sufi tradition has carried on for more than a thousand years.

If you want to explore the Sufi tradition further, there are many good books available. One I would recommend is "The Knowing Heart" by Kabir Helminski, a contemporary namesake of Kabir who writes eloquently on the wisdom of the Sufi path of Islam.

Here is the poem.

O seeker, the simple union is the best.

Since the day I met with God

there has been no end to the sport of Love.

I do not shut my eyes,

I do not close my ears,

I do not mortify my body.

I see with open eyes,

and smile,

and behold God's great Beauty everywhere.

I keep uttering God's Names,

and whatever I see reminds me of God.

Whatever I do, it becomes a way to worship God.

The rising and setting, ups and downs, are one to me.

All contradictions are solved.

Wherever I go, I move around God.

All I achieve is in God's service.

When I lie down, I lie prostrate at God's feet.

God is the Adorable One to me.

I have none other.

My tongue has forsaken impure words;

It sings God's glory day and night.

Whether I rise or sit down I cannot forget God,

for the rhythm of God's music beats in my ears.

I am immersed in that great bliss

which transcends all pleasure and pain.

And here is my prayer-response to Kabir's words: I wonder what yours would be?

God of Compassion,

You know how far short I fall of Kabir's love for You.

I behold Your Beauty, but not always, not everywhere.

I still see ugliness here and there.

I still hear discord now and then.

I forget You still, far too often.

Much of what I do I neglect to offer as service to You.

I still struggle with contradictions,

and I would much rather be up than down!

I do sing Your praises, but not always.

I do desire to do Your Will,

but there are still too many times

I do not even discern Your Will, much less do it.

I do not enjoy the great bliss, beyond pleasure and pain, of union with You, except

in rare moments that linger in my heart like the fragrance of a flower.

Yet I believe

by Your Grace,

I can, and I will, enjoy simple union with You as Kabir did

in Your good time.

Windows of the Heart

So far I have chosen a reading from Mohammed, and one from the Qu'ran, to give you a taste of the kind of choices I am making for my book "Flowers From Gardens of Faith."

Today I want to share a beautiful poem written by Rumi, who is loved and read by Muslims more than any other Islamic writer. Though the Qu'ran is always first for Muslims, ( and always in Arabic, preferably recited out loud, ) Rumi's voluminous writings have been called the Persian Qu'ran. Those of you who have read him will understand why this might be so. He was truly a lover of God, of others, of learning, and of the spiritual life. And he was a consummate poet.

Notice Rumi's skillful use of images like the window and the rose garden in this poem, which the pictures I have posted with this blog point to also.

Surely there is a window from heart to heart.

They are not separate and far from each other.

Though two earthenware lamps are not joined, their light mingles...

When the lightening of love for the Beloved

has shot into this heart

know that there is love

in that Heart.

When love for God has been doubled in your heart,

there is no doubt that God has love for you.

The Beloved's water washes all illness away.

The Beloved's rose garden of Union has no thorns.

I've heard it said there's a window that opens

between heart and heart

but if there are no walls

there's no need even for a window.

Rumi

There is a wonderful CD by Robert Gass and Wings of Song which contains an extended chant called a Sufi Song of Love. The combination of listening to and even chanting with this music, and reading poems by Rumi, the great Sufi teacher, can truly open your heart and take you into the Rose Garden of Union with The Beloved.

Here is the prayer of response to Rumi's poem which I wrote. You could write one too.

Beloved God, you have enlightened my heart with the lightening of Your Love.

It lights a fire of love for You in my heart

that burns away the walls that were between us,

so that I may gaze upon your Face, which is Beauty Itself.

Then the whole world becomes for me

the Rose Garden of your Beauty,

shining from countless eyes,

reflected in all You have created.

And I know

our hearts are One.

On Being Generous

Have you ever noticed how astounding the generosity of Nature is?

How many pine trees are potentially there in a single pine cone?

How many fields of flowers could spring from the seeds of a mere handful of blossoms?

Islam's sacred book, the Quran (or Koran) is full of wise and inspiring words about the generosity of God and the way human beings should imitate that generosity. For Muslims, generosity is extolled as a way of life, and part of how a just society is established.

As you meditate on these words from the second surah of the Quran, you might want to ponder how you might live more generously, and why.

If you spend your wealth in God's service,

you are like a grain of corn which sprouts seven ears,

each of which bears a hundred grains.

God is abundantly generous to those who are generous.

A kind word of forgiveness is better

than charity given in an insulting way.

Do not mar your generosity,

like those who show off how generous they seem to be.

Such people are like a rock covered with earth.

A heavy shower falls upon it, leaving it bare.

They will gain nothing from their efforts.

But those who are generous with their wealth

from a desire to please God and satisfy their own souls

are like an orchard on a hillside.

If rain falls on the orchard, it yields twice its normal crop....

Those who are generous by day and by night

both in secret and openly

will be rewarded by God.

They have nothing to fear or regret.

Here is my prayer of response to these inspiring words. What might yours be?

Generous and giving God,

my life is so full of your gifts,

I would run out of time to recount them.

Indeed, I live and breathe by Your generosity alone.

May my heart be as generous as Yours.

May I give to others freely and gladly,

as I have received freely and gladly from You.

May an orchard of gratitude grow in my heart.

May the fruit of my life and my gifts bless the lives of many others.

May I be like a fruit tree, bearing gifts for others

in all the weather and seasons of life.

May my giving be as free and unselfconscious as that of the trees and plants that nourish me.

Amen.