An Sionnach

It’s hard to believe I have been on this earth for 41 years. Even more interesting is the memories and highlights I have (In no specific order):

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Cultivate harmony within yourself, and harmony becomes real;
Cultivate harmony within your family, and harmony becomes fertile;
Cultivate harmony within your community, and harmony becomes abundant;
Cultivate harmony within your culture, and harmony becomes enduring;
Cultivate harmony within the world, and harmony becomes ubiquitous.

Live with a person to understand that person;
Live with a family to understand that family;
Live with a community to understand that community;
Live with a culture to understand that culture;
Live with the world to understand the world.

How can I live with the world?
By accepting.

A good look at how Religulous we can look, interested in the response.

I just finished reading an interesting article that was in last months Wired magazine. It basically went into the idea that most people would be willing to give larger amounts to assist one person over larger groups of people.  According to psychologists they believe this is hard wired into most of our brains.  For example you land on two separate sites asking for your help.  One site allows you to assist one person, the donation you send specifically goes to assist that one person with food, education, clothing, transportation, etc.  The second site allows you to make a donation to assist a campaign to provide build a school, feed thousands, etc.  While it would be great to think that we could help all these people, deep inside we know that we can not help all those people, and so we give a little less.  In the first example we see that we can directly affect one person, it becomes personal.  We know there is one life that can be save.  One life we can make a difference in, who hopefully can make a difference in other peoples lives.  Let me use a story to explain the point.

A man was walking along a beach one day, and sees a woman tossing starfish back into the ocean.  He notices that the tide has brought thousands upon thousands of starfish up onto the shore.  He knows that for as long as they sit there they will probably die due to sun.  So he asks the woman, “what is it your doing”.  She replies, “tossing starfish back into the ocean so they can live.”  “But there are so many of them, how can you possibly save them all?”.  She smiles and replies, “I can’t, but I can save this one”,  as she proceeds to toss another one in.

This also reminds me of when I took a trip to Honduras to help do some work for a small impoverished  village located in the mountains.  I remember getting there and seeing how many broken down homes there were. Everyone using what they could find in order to keep their homes in repair, and keep their families safe.  I looked at it all, and thought to myself.  There is so much work to be done here.  If I maintained that outlook I would have been overwhelmed by the shear numbers of people who needed help.  But each day we picked 1 home to work on.  One house we placed a cement floor so they would no longer have to live in the mud. 2 other homes we built or rebuilt the roof.  With each project we increased the quality of living for that person or family.  They no longer needed to worry about keeping dry, or sleeping in the mud, and could now focus on other things, including that of helping others in the village.

So when we look at the world, and think to ourselves how could I possibly help any of these people.  You can’t as long as you focus on the large numbers of people that need help.  But you can make a huge impact in one persons life.  And when you think of the amount of people just here in the US, think about how many people that can affect.

At the end of the month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to give 2.5% of their worth to help the needy.  Thats 2.5%, think about how much you give the government in taxes, or to purchase CD’s, movies, another widescreen TV, or 500 channels of cable TV/internet and phone service.  How much of that do you really use, or need?  Do you really need it.  And if you don’t have money, how about your time.  How much of you time is spent in front of the computer, TV, on the phone, playing games, working, or just doing nothing.  2.5% is about 4 hours of your time.  Think of the impact you could make by just donating a little bit of that time to helping someone else.

The first week of Ramadan focuses on the Mercy of God.  It is a time of reflection, where we examine our lives and focus on the great mercy that God bestows upon us.  Let us all give a little bit of ourselves and be a mercy to one person.

Most of you who have been around my blog, or any of the sites I have designed, have seen some of my graphical work.  For years I have been toying around with graphics.  Outside of any formal art classes from back in high school, everything I have learned has been self taught, as well a being a gift from my creator.  For years my mom, dad, and aunt have hassled me about wasting this God given talent that I have.  Friends have pointed out my natural gift and have always asked for assistance when working on designs themselves.  And it wasn’t until recently that I realized that I am completely wasting this gift, and settling for something far less that only gets me by.  So after thorough examination of myself, my gifts and what I want in life; as well as some encouragement from some people close to me I have decided to enroll myself into college for a degree in Graphic Design.  It is an online course, fully accredited.  The first year focuses on the graphical aspects of the course, which will give me a diploma, as well as the skills to begin work as a graphical artist.  Once I have the diploma I can then pursue my Associates and Bachelors degree in one of two fields.  Graphic Design or Interactive Graphical Media allowing me to progress further into the field.  Classes start on Oct 1st, so InshAllah (God Willing) my Federal Loans with pull through in enough time to purchase books, supplies, and possibly a Mac.  I could stick with the PC, which I will stick with if I need to, but most graphical artists use a Mac and are usually looking for someone with Mac experience.  If I purchase one later then I will have to repurchase most of the software again for the Mac OS.  So hopefully things will work out.  The other tough part will be working, and taking courses at the same time.  Fortunately with online courses you can work on your own schedule, as long as you meet the necessary requirements set by the school.  I have to say I am pretty excited, and looking for this yet another challenge in my life.

Interesting, but simple article on find Truth

My heart tells me it is distressed with Him,
but I can only laugh at such pretended injuries.
Be fair, You who are the Glory of the just.
You, Soul, free of “we” and “I,”
subtle spirit within each man and woman.
When a man and a woman become one, that “one” is You.
And when that one is obliterated, there You are.
Where is this “we” and this “I”?
By the side of the Beloved.
You made this “we” and this “I” in order that you might play this game of courtship with Yourself,
that all “you’s” and “I’s” might become one soul and finally drown in the Beloved.
All this is true. Come!
You who are the Creative Word: Be You, so far beyond description.
Is it possible for the bodily eyes to see You?
Can thought comprehend Your laughter or grief?
Tell me now, can it possibly see You at all?
Such a heart has only borrowed things to live with.
The garden of love is green without limit and yields many fruits other than sorrow or joy. Love is beyond either condition:
without spring, without autumn, it is always fresh.

-Rumi

We are the flute, our music is all Thine;
We are the mountains echoing only Thee;
And movest to defeat or victory;
Lions emblazoned high on flags unfurled-
They wind invisible sweeps us through the world.

R. A. Nicholson

‘Persian Poems‘, an Anthology of verse translations
edited by A.J.Arberry, Everyman’s Library, 1972

Four traveling companions, one Persian, one Arab, one Greek and one Turk, became hungry. With just a coin between them, they began to argue.

“I want angur,” said the Persian.

“I want uzum,” said the Turk.

“I want inab,” said the Arab.

“But I want stafil,” said the Greek.

A Sufi, hearing their arguing, approached and asked what was wrong. After listening to their complaint, he promised them that if they gave him their coin, he would return with something that would satisfy them all. After much hesitation, the travels agreed, and gave him their coin. The Sufi returned from the marketplace with grapes—- “angur” in Persian, “uzum” in Turkish, “inab” in Arabic, and “stafil” in Greek.

-RUMI

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