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Showing posts from August, 2009

What to me is beautiful

My table – when I sat on my study table with my lamp, register, book and pen, the other paraphernalia carefully arranged to make for a cozy environment before the studying began; and then the studying began. The Start – after a pensive impasse standing behind my chair looking at the book on the table, in the moment, captured by the thought of what I was missing, and then the start – I finally sat down. The Walk – to Zaka’s, Nabeel’s, Omer’s, off to Ahmer, Bilal through Bahadrabad and the streets that ran within. The Music – with the curtains drawn, seized by the music, dancing across the room – not on a single beat did I miss a step. Achievement - THAT is easy, I can do it, what's all the fuss about! The Realization – Act followed by intense pain followed by the realization that now it has no power over me; I have escaped it! Understanding – yes it makes sense now. Cool! Does everybody else know this??! God – He alone is the Judge, Jury and Executioner. Bring it on!

Corrupt art and why it is dangerous

Negative thoughts and negative emotions in every form unrealistic are dangerous food for the heart. Now food and water consumed properly add up to a wholesome appetite. Parallel to this negative thoughts and negative emotions manifested in forms of depression, jealousy, lust, and panic among other forms are a diet whose consumption is purely destructive. Unfortunately most people have still to figure this out and so not only do they fail to consciously protect themselves from these emotions they often indulge in them. A student of literature and a scholar on Allama Iqbal, Khurram Shafique said “Art is a mirror to the soul” i.e. art helps you see your inner most self. The function of art thus revealed has helped me differentiate between good art and bad art. Naturally if we indulge in art that will leave us ‘gasping for breath’ – exasperated, it will disturb us as long as we are left thinking that our soul is as dark as the art that we witnessed. Given how hope, love, self-respect and h

The reward I got for doing good

I wrote in my previous email about 'getting a kick' out of doing good. I recently wrote an email to a friend. This email is reproduced below and it will show you what that kick was. Hello, It was great to get your request. I personally feel I have tread little on the journey my self. There are people who have travelled it much. That said, I have discovered a few simple facts that have made my quality of life better. It turns out that as things get simpler so do I. I have tried to reason things out with myself. It seems that everytime I am honest with myself and give a 100% to whatever I think the next step should be, I get some interesting answers. The question I keep asking my self is: The world has to be a beautiful place if God made it [I personally believe in God] then why is it not beautiful for me? The answer is always a beautiful one. A parallel dialogue in my mind is: "The world was a great place when I was a kid. I still feel like a kid at heart. What then h