The Little Things!

It really is the little things
That mean the most of all...
The 'let me help you with that' things
That may seem very small
The 'I'll be glad to do it' things
That make your cares much lighter,
The 'laugh with me, it's funny' things
That make your outlook brighter...

The 'never mind the trouble' things,
The 'yes, I understand,'
The interest and encouragement
In everything you've planned
It really is the little things,
The friendly word or smile,
That add such happiness to life
And make it more worth while

(Mary Dawson Hughes)

THE LION'S DAUGHTER

Four slaves stood fanning an old queen who was asleep upon her throne. And she was snoring. And upon the queen's lap a cat lay purring and gazing lazily at the slaves.
The first slave spoke, and said, "How ugly this old woman is in her sleep. See her mouth droop; and she breathes as if the devil were choking her."
Then the cat said, purring, "Not half so ugly in her sleep as you in your waking slavery."
And the second slave said, "You would think sleep would smooth her wrinkles instead of deepening them. She must be dreaming of something evil."
And the cat purred, "Would that you might sleep also and dream of your freedom."
And the third slave said, "Perhaps she is seeing the procession of all those that she has slain."
And the cat purred, "Aye, she sees the procession of your forefathers and your descendants."
And the fourth slave said, "It is all very well to talk about her, but it does not make me less weary of standing and fanning."
And the cat purred, "You shall be fanning to all eternity; for as it is on earth, so it is in heaven."
At this moment the old queen nodded in her sleep, and her crown fell to the floor.
And one of the slaves said, "That is a bad omen."
And the cat purred, "The bad omen of one is the good omen of another."
And the second slave said, "What if she should wake, and find her crown fallen! She would surely slay us."
And the cat purred, "Daily from your birth she has slain you and you know it not."
And the third slave said, "Yes, she would slay us and she would call it making a sacrifice to the gods."
And the cat purred, "Only the weak are sacrificed to the gods."
And the fourth slave silenced the others, and softly he picked up the crown and replaced it, without waking her, on the old queen's head.
And the cat purred, "Only a slave restores a crown that has fallen."
And after a while the old queen woke, and she looked about her and yawned. Then she said, "Methought I dreamed, and I saw four caterpillars chased by a scorpion around the trunk of an ancient oak tree. I like not my dream."
Then she closed her eyes and went to sleep again. And she snored. And the four slaves went on fanning her.
And the cat purred, "Fan on, fan on, stupids. You fan but the fire that consumes you."

• I AM FOREVER walking upon these shores,
  Betwixt the sand and thefoam,
  The high tide will erase my foot-prints,
  And the wind will blow away the foam.
  But the sea and the shore will remain
  Forever.
• It was but yesterday I thought myself a fragment quivering without rhythm in the sphere of life.
  Now I know that I am the sphere, and all life in rhythmic fragments moves within me.
• Only once have I been made mute. It was when a man asked me, "Who are you?"

• Forgetfulness is a form of freedom

• Remembrance is a form of meeting.

• We measure time according to the movement of countless suns; and they measure time by little machines in their little pockets.

  Now tell me, how could we ever meet at the same place and the same time?

• Space is not space between the earth and the sun to one who looks down from the windows of the Milky Way.

• Do not the spirits who dwell in the ether envy man his pain?

• On my way to the Holy City I met another pilgrim and I asked him, "Is this indeed the way to the Holy City?"

And he said, "Follow me, and you will reach the Holy City in a day and a night."
And I followed him. And we walked many days and many nights, yet we did not reach the Holy City.
And what was to my surprise he became angry with me because he had misled me.

• One may not reach the dawn save by the path of the night.

Footprints in the sand...

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed He was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from His life. For each scene He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to Him and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of His life flashed before Him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of His life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of His life.

This really bothered Him and He questioned the LORD about it. LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.

The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

· It is wrong to think that love comes from long companionship and persevering courtship. Love is the offspring of spiritual affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment, it will not be created in years or even generations.

(Kahlil Gibran-The broken wings)

The Scarecrow

Once I said to a scarecrow, "You must be tired of standing in this lonely field.”
And he said, "The joy of scaring is a deep and lasting on, and I never tire of it."
Said I, after a minute of thought, "It is true; for I too have known that joy."
Said he, "Only those who are stuffed with straw can know it."
Then I left him, not knowing whether he had complimented or belittled me.
A year passed, during which the scarecrow turned philosopher.
And when I passed by him again I saw two crows building a nest under his hat.

(Kahlil Gibran- How I became the madman)

Seven times have I despised my soul..

Seven times have I despised my soul:

1. The first time when I saw her being meek that she might attain height.
2. The second time when I saw her limping before the crippled.


3. The third time when she was given to choose between the hard and the easy, and she chose the easy.


4. The fourth time when she committed a wrong, and comforted herself that others also commit wrong.


5. The fifth time when she forbore for weakness, and attributed her patience to strength.


6. The sixth time when she despised the ugliness of a face, and knew not that it was one of her own masks.


7. And the seventh time when she sang a song of praise, and deemed it a virtue.

(Kahlil Gibran-Sand and foam)

Intellectual vs Love!

The intellectual is always showing off,

The lover is always getting lost.

The intellectual runs away.

Afraid of drowning;

The whole business of love,

Is to drown in the sea.

Intellectuals plan their repose;

Lovers are ashamed to rest.

The lover is always alone.

Even surrounded by people;

Like water and oil, he remains apart.

The man who goes to the trouble

Of giving advice to a lover

Get nothing. He's mocked by passion.

Love is like musk. It attracts attention.

Love is a tree, and the lovers are its shade.

(Jelaluddin Rumi Kulliyat-e Shams,

Usay Hum Yaad Ayenge!

Sitara dekh ker toota,

Usay hum yaad ayenge.

kisi se saath jab choota,

usay hum yaad ayenge.

Abhi to urr raha hai woh nai chahat ke par le ker,

Jo us ka Par kabhi toota,

usay hum yaad ayenge.

usay jis per yaqeen hai aaj to iman ki had tak,

wohi nikla jo kal jhoota,

usay hum yaad ayenge.

us ke ashk palkon se chune ga kon phir jaane,

Kisi se woh kabhi rootha,

usay hum yaad ayenge.

Muhabbat ke safar mein har koi mukhlis nahi milta,

kisi rahzan ne jab loota,

usay hum yaad ayenge!

Enter this house, My Love, or let me leave!

Enter this house, my Love or let me leave
I am a sculptor, a molder of form.
In every moment I shape an idol.
But then, in front of you, I melt them down
I can rouse a hundred forms
And fill them with spirit,
But when I look into your face,
I want to throw them in the fire.
My souls spills into yours and is blended.
Because my soul has absorbed your fragrance,
I cherish it.
Every drop of blood I spill
Informs the earth,
I merge with my Beloved
When I participate in love,
In this house of mud and water,
My heart has fallen to ruins.
Enter this house, my Love, or let me leave.
(Jelaluddin Rumi the Divani Shamsi Tabriz, XXXIV)

I have been Tricked!

I have been tricked by flying too close

to what I thought I loved.
Now the candle flame is out, the wine spilled,

and the lovers have withdrawn

somewhere beyond my squinting.
The amount I thought I'd won, I've lost.

My prayer becomes bitter and all about blindness.
How wonderful it was to be for a while

with those who surrender.
Others only turn their faces on way,

then another, like pigeon in flight.
I have known pigeons who fly in a nowhere,

and birds that eat grainlessness,
And tailor who sew beautiful clothes

by tearing them to pieces.
(Mathnawi, V. 346-353) Like This, Rumi, Coleman Barks, Maypop Books

Love is Reckless!

Love is reckless; not reason.
Reason seeks a profit.
Love comes on strong,
Consuming herself, unabashed.

Yet, in the midst of suffering,
Love proceeds like a millstone,
Hard surfaced and straightforward.

Having died of self-interest,
She risks everything and asks for nothing.
Love gambles away every gift God bestows.

Without cause God gave us being;
Without cause, give it back again.
(Jelaluddin Rumi Mathnawi VI, 1967-1974)

This is LOVE!

This is love: to fly toward a secret sky,
To cause a hundred veils to fall each moment.
First, to let go of life.
In the end, to take a step without feet;
To regard this world as invisible,
And to disregard what appears to be the self.
Heart, I said, what a gift it has been
To enter this circle of lovers,
To see beyond seeing itself,
To reach and feel within the breast.
(Jelaluddin Rumi the Divani Shamsi Tabriz, XIII)

Who is at the Door?

Who is at my door?
He said, "Who is at my door?"

I said, "Your humble servant.

"He said, "What business do you have?"

I said, "To greet you, 0 Lord."
He said, "How long will you journey on?"

I said, "Until you stop me."

He said, "How long will you boil in the fire?"

I said, "Until I am pure."

"This is my oath of love.

For the sake of loveI gave up wealth and position."
He said, "You have pleaded your case but you have no witness."

I said, "My tears are my witness;

the pallor of my face is my proof.'

He said, "Your witness has no credibility;

your eyes are too wet to see."

I said, "By the splendor of your justice my eyes are clear and faultless."

He said, "What do you seek?"

I said, "To have you as my constant friend."

He said, "What do you want from me?"

I said, "Your abundant grace."

He said, "Who was your companion on the 'journey?

I said, "The thought of you, 0 King."He said,

"What called you here?"I said,

"The fragrance of your wine."

He said, "What brings you the most fulfillments?"

said, "The Company of the Emperor."

He said, "What do you find there?"

I said, "A hundred miracles."

He said, "Why is the palace deserted?"

I said, "They all fear the thief."He said, "Who is the thief?"

I said, "The one who keeps me from -you.

He said, "Where is there safety?"

I said, "In service and renunciation."

He said, "What is there to renounce?"

I said, "The hope of salvation."

He said, "Where is there calamity?"

I said, "In the presence of your love."

He said, "How do you benefit from this life?"

I said, "By keeping true to myself

Now it is time for silence.

If I told you about His true essence

You would fly from your self and be gone,

and neither door nor roof could hold you back!
(Rumi - In the Arms of the Beloved, Jonathan StarJeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York 1997)

Oh Man! (Mian Muhammad Bakhsh_ the Sufi Poet)

Oh man!
Be not dismayed, stand firm and see,
Should many call you mad.
With firmness comes success at last,
Brave men are never sad!

With hope move on, don’t give up hope
‘Tis hope that leads your way
Never give up quest, the Quest’ll hold
It’s everlasting way!
Be not despaired for a moment, who knows,
When the times would change
The beggar’s bowl is always full on
Return from beggar's range.
If sorrow it be that joy gave
And sorrow were its need
Why men forget their sorrow past
When they at last succeed.
The heart which has a little spark
Of feeling in its soul
This tale by me, by the grace of God,
Will lead him to his goal!
(Mian Mohammed Bakhsh)

Seek Passion!

Passion makes the old medicine new:
Passion lops off the bough of weariness.
Passion is the elixir that renews:
How can there be weariness
When passion is present?
Oh, don't sigh heavily from fatigue:
Seek passion, seek passion, seek passion!
(Jelaluddin Rumi Mathnawi VI, 4302-4304)

When the rose is gone!

When the rose is gone and the garden faded

you will no longer hear the nightingale's song.

The Beloved is all; the lover just a veil.

The Beloved is living; the lover a dead thing.

If love withholds its strengthening care,

the lover is left like a bird without care,

the lover is left like a bird without wings.

How will I be awake and aware

if the light of the Beloved is absent?

Love wills that this Word be brought forth.
(Jelaluddin Rumi Mathnawi I, 23-31)

Fuel For Thought!

··

“No man was ever honored for what he received. Honor has always been a reward for what he gave.” (Calvin Coolidge)

Man’s mind stretched to a new idea never comes back to its original dimensions. (Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.)

Man is not imprisoned by habit. Great changes in him can be wrought by crisis once the crisis is understood and recognized. (Norman Cousins)

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness. (James Thurber)

· “The future is not a place we are going to but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the marker and the destination.” (John Schaar )

· “By building relations we create a source of love and personal pride and belonging that makes living in a chaotic world easier.” (Susan Lieberman)

· “Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers, the powers that would astonish him, that he never dreamed of possessing; force that would revolutionize his life if aroused and put into action.” (Orison Swett Marsden)

·

“The road to success is not crowded because while most are looking for ways to take, the truly successful people are finding ways to give. With a giving attitude, every situation is a opportunity for success.” (Unknown)

· “A dream is just a dream, but a goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.” (Harvey Mackay)

KahaaniaN na suno aas paas LogoN ki... (Ahmad Faraz)

KahaaniaN na suno aas paas logoN ki
Ke mera shehr hai basti udaas logoN ki
Na koi simt, na manzil to qaafila kaisa?
Rawaan hai bheer faqat be-qayaas logoN ki
Kisi se pooch hi letay wafa ke baab mein hum
Kami nahiin thi zamana shanaas logoN ki
Muhabbaton ka safar khatm to nahiiN hoga
Baja ke dosti ai na raas logoN ki
Hamein bhi apnay kai dost yaad aatay hain
Kabhi jo baat chalay na sapaas logoN ki
Kero na apni bala noshiyoN ke yooN charchay
Ke is se aur bharakti hai piyaas logon ki
Mein Aanay waalay zamanoN se darr raha hooN FARAZ
Ke meinay dekhi haiN aakheiN udaas logoN ki

Our Deepest Fear!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually who are you not to be?
Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory. It is not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
(Marianne Williamson)