Showing posts with label lecture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lecture. Show all posts

Thursday, April 9

The Hard Question About Self


I do like the mantra in that image, but I think it falls short. It's better to learn how to stand in another person's shoes, then be the type of person others want to meet. Otherwise, bitter assholes who enjoy the company of other bitter assholes will stick to their guns and the next thing you know you have. I did this and now I am very knowledgeable but closed off to most people. This doesn't work if you're too self-aware.  Just because I'm aware of reality doesn't mean I make myself separate from it, I engage with life and with everyone else in it. Because unlike the majority I don't see myself as some special snowflake, but just another animal with a highly evolved brain stranded here on this mossy rock, and baby we're all on it together so we might as well work together and make the most of it.

I love being in silence but i really want to talk, i love being "myself", yet i want to be recognized, not famous but someone people can look and say: "This guy succeed on life." I follow the idea of creating your own future independent of the past, yet i seem to be chained to my past, looking and looking at it repetitively. I want to be independent, yet want someone to be able to "fall" and be held safe. I want to enjoy but i don't want to choose the wrong path. I like some things about myself. I wish I had more people to talk with and spend time with. I like who I am on the inside because I have a huge ego but I hate how I represent myself to other people.

Even if I try to think about who I "am", what does that mean? Things I like? Clothes I wear? That's who I AM? I don't know but after practicing meditation for a while I cant take this whole person hood thing serious anymore. That's a pretty hard question. I want to say that I like myself as a person, but in everyday situations I am so self conscious about my appearance/awkwardness that it just can't be true. If I had the choice to start over, forgetting everything. I'd take it. Just so I had the chance of ending up on a better path than the one I'm on now. I like myself, sure. I mean there's always room for improvement - I could be more confident, improve my image, get motivated,etc. Doesn't really make sense. I'm not really a person. A person is a human being separate from myself, with their own separate conscious experience happening. "I" am nothing more than a conscious experience, I see little more of myself than my hands at the keyboard. For the most part , although I do get intense pangs of insecurity from time to time, which are usually due to women of all things.

I don't see what you see. I don't see what my dad see, i don't see what my mom, my sister see. I don't see what the person in front of me see. And i don't think like you, or like anybody else. So as you. We are "special snowflakes". Not because we're special (we don't), but simply because we are different. We see the world by ourselves, have our own thoughts, have our different preferences. "We" are 2, one and one. We are snowflakes. No one is equal to other. There is more than just "various animals in the same planet", there are lots of one persons in the same planet. We need to work together, but do we? You may not perceive things as I do, but that is your own ego. At our essence of our being, the "being" which experiences the ego itself, that is our true selves which is not separate from others like the ego, but all one in the ground of our being. Compassion and love is the moment when one is selfless, boundless, and without ego.

I've had days where I dressed up really good for no real reason. A nice button up shirt and ironed jeans and all that just to go to my college courses. I could feel the layers of self-consciousness shed off of me as people looked at me in a slightly different tone for once. Instead of the look of awkwardness and unattractiveness, it was the complete opposite feeling from people, and you can tell instantly. Doesn't work for everyone though I guess, I don't do it every day because I feel like I'd get tired of it.

I dislike myself, I dislike most of humanity more so though. If I met myself I think I'd be very critical of myself, but also once I saw him criticizing himself I'd be sweet to him because I'd realize he's not trying to be an asshole. I think we'd at first be stand offish and awkward but once we realize we're both relying on the same insecurities we'd open up and be pretty cool with each other. Honestly, I do think I'm a pretty open person who genuinely enjoys understanding others and standing in other people's shoes, the problem with hanging out with yourself is that you really cant play off each other, you'd know too much about each other.

I, of course, have some character flaws, I can be a real friggin' drama queen, but the flip side of that is that I'm very devoted and invested emotionally in others. Human touch is really rare nowadays, but I like it when it's gentle and affectionate. There are a lot of things about me which I sometimes really like to get rid of, such as my often blunt spouts in conversations (I take it as being honest) and my sometimes egoistic thoughts and ways. But nobody is perfect. And what I've achieved so far is pretty nice. I honestly think my computer set up, custom-upgraded sport-touring motorcycle, my music taste, and my somewhat diverse base of experience are pretty badass for my age, and I normally can contribute to any conversation that is open to a group. I'm also making a career choice that I feel is philosophically in-line with my persona, capabilities, and desire for physical health and mental adeptness.

Every now and then someone will thank me and remind me of the support, help and change I have brought to them; it makes me smile briefly but I still wish I could have done better. I do what I can to understand people and everything I can to help those few I care about but I can't live on that and I always think I could have done it better than I did if only I had been that bit better myself. I still view myself as far below what the standard should be and am depressed at how far below me so many are. I dislike my past self, but I am warming up to my current self. I matured a lot in the recent years, and while I am not satisfied yet, I get closer every year.  No, not even a little. Hell, I don't even have any friends so at least I know everyone else doesn't like me either. Who am i as a person, anyway?

Its actually an awareness of more than just whats going on socially. I understand this kind of perspective on life is scary and uncomfortable to your ego. Rest assured you are not missing anything. You should relax and watch some television, everything will be alright.

Monday, November 29

Ikhlaas

Author: Abu 'Iyad

Source: The Book of Worship



As for Ikhlaas, then that is one of the meanings of the testimony "there is nothing which has the right to Ibaadah except Allaah" in that your Ibaadah should be exclusively and sincerely for Allaah Azzawajall. Eemaan by itself is not sufficient for our Ibaadah to be accepted by Allaah. Rather it is necessary that your action is out of Eemaan in Allaah and complete Ikhlaas to Him Azzawajall so that you do not make anyone a partner with Him. The Exalted said:

{Those who have Eemaan and confuse not their Eemaan with Injustice. For them there will be security and they are the rightly guided} [1]

Injustice here means Shirk as was explained by the Messenger (sallallaahu-alaihi-wasallam) to the companions (radiallaahu-anhum) and as has been recorded by Bukhaaree in the Kitaabut-Tafseer of his Saheeh.

Allaah Azzawajall has laid down a condition for the perfection of Eemaan, which gives its possessor security, guidance and freedom from Shirk and that is Ikhlaas; the abundance of which is necessary for Ibaadah to be accepted. The Exalted has said:

{And they were not commanded except with this: that they should worship Allaah, being completely sincere in the Deen} [2]

and the Exalted also said:

{Say: Indeed I have been commanded to worship Allaah making the Deen sincerely for Him alone} [3]

and there is also the Qudsee Hadeeth reported by Muslim:"I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having partners. Thus, whoever does an action for someone else's sake as well as Mine, will have that action rejected by Me to him whom he associated with Me" [ 4]

Ikhlaas is the sanctification of your speech and action from every blemish of the soul's desire. For example, desiring your beautification in the hearts of people, desiring their praise so that they say 'a scholar', 'what a brave man' or 'a doer of good'. Also included in this is running away from the criticism of the people (i.e. abandoning certain actions because people may criticise or become angry), seeking people's magnification of yourself, their aid and assistance, the fulfilment of your needs or desiring other peoples wealth and possessions - while being contented with all of that because your soul is deceived and your amazement with yourself.

Know also - Brother and Sister Muslim - that Ikhlaas is not correct until you are truthful in your speech, action, striving and while you desire nothing but the Face of Allaah Azzawajall and the Home of the Hereafter.

The Exalted said:

{And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as it should be strived for while being a believer then his striving will be acknowledged (rewarded)} [5]

There are some other useful definitions of Ikhlaas:

1. It is the freedom of the desire for nearness to Allaah Azzawajall from every blemish or impurity
2. It is singling out Allaah Azzawajall with ones intention in all acts of worship
3. It is forgetting the sight of the creation by continual observance of the Creator
4. It is to hide your good deeds just like you would hide your evil deeds. [6]

So be warned - Brother and Sister Muslim - that no action is acceptable to Allaah if somebody else is given a share in it. Reflect carefully upon the words of Yoosuf bin al Hussain ar-Raazee: "Indeed the hardest thing (to achieve) in this world is Ikhlaas. How many times have I struggled to extinguish riyaa (showing off) from my heart except that it only appeared again in a different colour" [7]

Also reflect upon the words narrated by Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee in his [Mukhtasir Minhaaj il-Qaasideen] "Indeed mankind, all of them, are destroyed except those with knowledge and all those with knowledge are destroyed except those who act upon it and all those who act are destroyed except those who are sincere in their action and all those who are sincere are in great danger (of associating other than Allaah in their actions)". [8]


Notes

1 [An'aam 6:82]
2 [Bayyinah 98:5]
3 [Zumar 39:11]
4 Reported by Muslim
5 [Israa 17:19]
6 Taken from the Book [Al-Ikhlaas] by Abu Muhammad ibn Sa'eed al- Baylaawee
7 [Jaami ul-Uloom wal-Hikam] of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee p.
8 [Mukhtasir Minhaaj il- Qaasideen] of Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee p