Lights of the Eyes

The other day I did something for which I reprimanded myself,
And I was anxious afterward,
Thinking 'Jesus,
Don’t discard me from those that are considered to be following you.
I want to be genuinely close to you
In thoughts, character, disposition and actions...'

Then it was clear,
He would never discard me!
That would be like the eye trying to discard the light that it radiates.

Everyone Wins

Last night I played a game with my friends,
At one point I should have received some points but I didn't,
But I didn't care as I was having fun,
And in the end you know,
We didn't even tally points-
We just decided that everyone should win.

I think God doesn't tally points either.

Character

I’m in love with Jesus.
You know, he’s the only prophet who’s
Character alone
Has carried a religion over thousands of years.

It is rare to find a teacher who's greatest lesson
Is simply who he is.

And who he is exemplifies God’s soul so beautifully.

Rescue

I saw a homeless man and felt quite guilty when I passed quickly to catch a train,
I felt that I had let God down by neglecting his plight.

On the train I prayed,
God, I will rescue you,
In every form that you present to me,
If you rescue me,
Whenever I need you.

After the creation of this verbal contract He immediately showed Himself to be quite faithful.
I that hope He supports me in my undying faithfulness as well.

Wings of Divine Love and Freedom

There is a story about the great saint Rabia:
She was held captive in slavery for some time,
And one night her master was awoken by a bright light in the darkness.
He heard her pray,

'O God, You are aware that the sole longing of my heart is to be totally surrendered to your command.
The very light of my eyes is service to Your court.
If it were up to me, I would never cease serving you, even for an hour. Yet you have caused me to be subject to a creature.
For this, I come late to your service.'

The master immediately set her free and she lived with God from that point on.
Before she left, the man even proclaimed that if she stayed there, he and all of the people of his house would serve her.
But she found true freedom, and service from a greater Master.

Sometimes a great light awakens me too,
It awakens my own self who holds me captive in this world,
Captive to desires, thoughts, distractions.
In the light of this awakening,
I hear my soul beseech for freedom.

In my experience such prayers are always answered,
So we break all of the chains,
And fly high upon the wings of Divine love and freedom.

Beautiful Nature

On days like this I think that all holy spaces are just trying to recreate the beauty of nature.

Hope for True Love

Shams said that a soul that lives without true love might as well not live.

So everyone living on earth
By virtue of their existence,
Must really have hope for true love.

As God says,
He did not create anything in vain.

Shams to Every Creature

I thought that I was Rumi looking for Shams,
That radiant sun of spiritual inspiration,

But then I realized that I am Shams!
And every creature is my Rumi.

Service

Service is so much more gratifying
When you know Who you are serving.

The Cave

Tonight I was the story of the sleepers in the cave*;

I closed my eyes and meditated,
I appeared as if asleep.

I turned my head to my right and to my left,

And the sun of divine light passed over me,
As the moon receded with each of my exhales.

And my dog of desire slept at the threshold of the world, preventing any disturbances.

We don't know how long I was in this blessed state,
Maybe for several minutes, or hundreds of years,

There were others with me in this holy retreat,
But I didn't really notice how many,

Only God knows the truth of this,
And of all matters.




*Kahf, surah 18 of the Quran

Audacious Requests

I told God the other day,
"Give me what I've been asking You for
Or take back my life."

He answered the latter of the two requests,
And I'm feeling pretty good these days.
(Luckily He's gentle with me.)

But this is a dangerous wager,
I don't suggest it for the faint of heart.

Jesus, Love and Unity

I envy Jesus,
He came to teach love, my favorite subject.

Actually, he tried to teach Unity with the Divine too,
Unfortunately that was not retained as well by the masses.
At least they remember love.