We clearly operate at these four levels:
1: Body - We want affirmation for this and thus it is that it affords us an opportunity for pleasure
2: Intellect - writing my first software program was a great achievement. Every time something makes sense to me intellectually there is a pleasure in it
3: Heart: When somebody affirms my heart/qalb* I take comfort in it
4: Soul: When somebody removes a deep-seated contradiction in my world view I become powerful by it
There is a pleasure at each level and clearly as we move from 1 to 4 the pleasure derived increases. So when the intellect is affirmed [and not idled] you enjoy more than when the body is affirmed. Similarly when somebody [actually] affirms your heart, that is more enjoyable than an intellectual experience. And finally when somebody solves some deep-seated problem, it can send quite a shudder down our spine.
This is not a framework or a model this is our psychological built!
And this is how Allah has created every human being!
Mashallah!
At the same time He has created the universe to work on the principle of Cause and Effect. If we seek affirmation He will be happy but if despite seeking affirmation we contradict the universe [by choosing to create the wrong causes] we would suffer a brutality no one has the power to escape.
If He has made us so then this must reflect God's psyche.
It is not possible then that a person who does not recognize the heart can profess to be complete. Similarly a person who does not recognize the intellect or the soul cannot be complete. But what is it to be complete?
To be complete is to have an independence to make your own choices as opposed to being pre-programmed for a response in a given set of situations.
But to be truly complete one has to acknowledge the brutality and the negative in the universe [that exists because of Cause/Effect] and thus take heed from it.
*heart/qalb: It is that within you that cries when you see a distressed and orphaned child or that shows you the brutality in the humiliation [without purpose] of another human being. Or that knows [without argument or thought] that peace is superior to war.
1: Body - We want affirmation for this and thus it is that it affords us an opportunity for pleasure
2: Intellect - writing my first software program was a great achievement. Every time something makes sense to me intellectually there is a pleasure in it
3: Heart: When somebody affirms my heart/qalb* I take comfort in it
4: Soul: When somebody removes a deep-seated contradiction in my world view I become powerful by it
There is a pleasure at each level and clearly as we move from 1 to 4 the pleasure derived increases. So when the intellect is affirmed [and not idled] you enjoy more than when the body is affirmed. Similarly when somebody [actually] affirms your heart, that is more enjoyable than an intellectual experience. And finally when somebody solves some deep-seated problem, it can send quite a shudder down our spine.
This is not a framework or a model this is our psychological built!
And this is how Allah has created every human being!
Mashallah!
At the same time He has created the universe to work on the principle of Cause and Effect. If we seek affirmation He will be happy but if despite seeking affirmation we contradict the universe [by choosing to create the wrong causes] we would suffer a brutality no one has the power to escape.
If He has made us so then this must reflect God's psyche.
It is not possible then that a person who does not recognize the heart can profess to be complete. Similarly a person who does not recognize the intellect or the soul cannot be complete. But what is it to be complete?
To be complete is to have an independence to make your own choices as opposed to being pre-programmed for a response in a given set of situations.
But to be truly complete one has to acknowledge the brutality and the negative in the universe [that exists because of Cause/Effect] and thus take heed from it.
*heart/qalb: It is that within you that cries when you see a distressed and orphaned child or that shows you the brutality in the humiliation [without purpose] of another human being. Or that knows [without argument or thought] that peace is superior to war.
Truly a beautiful, logical post which shows such depth of reflection and wholeness...if you are a teacher or becoming one or have children - your students will receive such gems and gentle yet clear/firm teaching!
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I hope you are keeping some kind of notebook, journal or files of these items and other thoughts?
This Ramazan is the first time in my adulthood when I have experienced this effect via another religion to great depth: "Soul: When somebody removes a deep-seated contradiction in my world view I become powerful by it" and that is by so clearly seeing God as ONE the way that is taught by Sufis, Iqbal, Khurram Sahib, Akhtar Sahib and other "student-teacher-scholars" here including you....
Thank You so much for this post...and you KNOW if you've been reading my blogs that I LOVE your ending.
It feels so good to read your comments and words of encouragment. :)
ReplyDeleteYour blogs reflect the large amount of issues you have seriously considered. This is overwhelming for me. And to have your feedback on my posts is something that makes me feel proud.
[My note taking is basically such that I write down ideas on facebook the moment they form. When enough of them have come about and come together I write them here as a post.]
You almost convince me to reconsider and become active on facebook - or at least to learn from your concise methods. Thanx for letting me know about the way you describe your note-taking and the spiritual-practical logic I note in your work.
ReplyDelete