"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40)
Meditation: The Love of God and Love of Neighbor remain the basic ethical measure of our words, thoughts and actions. We should not behave and think like the Pharisees and Scribes who multiply laws yet are lacking in the real measure that counts…
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD
Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.
1st step: Write the text in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.
Kargador at Dawn
Work in the Vineyard
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Uncovering of the First Veil...
--From the Persian Kashf al-mahjub--
by Data Ganj Bakhsh, al-Hujwiri, from Ghazna in Afghanistan (d. in Lahore between 465 and 469 AH/ 1072 and 1077 CE)
CONCERNING THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (ma'rifat Allah).
The Apostle said: "If ye knew God as He ought to be known, ye would walk on the seas, and the mountains would move at your call."
The MA'RIFAT of God is of two kinds: cognitional ('ilmi) and emotional (há1i). Cognitional knowledge is the foundation of all blessings in this world and in the next, for the most important thing for a man at all times and in all circumstances is knowledge of God, as God hath said: '' I only created the jinn and mankind that they might serve Me (Quran, 51:56), i.e. that they might know Me. But the greater part of men neglect this duty, except those whom God hath chosen and whose hearts He hath vivified with Himself.
True knowledge or "ma'rifat" is the life of the heart through God, and the turning away of one's inmost thoughts from all that is not God. The worth of everyone is in proportion to true knowledge, and he who is without "ma'rifat" is worth nothing.
Theologians, lawyers, and other classes of people give the name of true knowledge (ma'rifat) to right cognition ('ilm) of God, but the Súfi Shaykhs call right feeling (hál) towards God by that name. Hence they have said that true knowledge (ma'rifat) is more excellent than cognition ('ilm), for right feeling (hál) is the result of right cognition, but right cognition is not the same thing as right feeling, i.e. one who has not cognition of God is not an 'arif (man of wisdom) but one may have cognition of God without being as 'arif. Those of either class who were ignorant of this distinction engaged in useless controversy, and the one party disbelieved in the other party.
by Data Ganj Bakhsh, al-Hujwiri, from Ghazna in Afghanistan (d. in Lahore between 465 and 469 AH/ 1072 and 1077 CE)
CONCERNING THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (ma'rifat Allah).
The Apostle said: "If ye knew God as He ought to be known, ye would walk on the seas, and the mountains would move at your call."
The MA'RIFAT of God is of two kinds: cognitional ('ilmi) and emotional (há1i). Cognitional knowledge is the foundation of all blessings in this world and in the next, for the most important thing for a man at all times and in all circumstances is knowledge of God, as God hath said: '' I only created the jinn and mankind that they might serve Me (Quran, 51:56), i.e. that they might know Me. But the greater part of men neglect this duty, except those whom God hath chosen and whose hearts He hath vivified with Himself.
True knowledge or "ma'rifat" is the life of the heart through God, and the turning away of one's inmost thoughts from all that is not God. The worth of everyone is in proportion to true knowledge, and he who is without "ma'rifat" is worth nothing.
Theologians, lawyers, and other classes of people give the name of true knowledge (ma'rifat) to right cognition ('ilm) of God, but the Súfi Shaykhs call right feeling (hál) towards God by that name. Hence they have said that true knowledge (ma'rifat) is more excellent than cognition ('ilm), for right feeling (hál) is the result of right cognition, but right cognition is not the same thing as right feeling, i.e. one who has not cognition of God is not an 'arif (man of wisdom) but one may have cognition of God without being as 'arif. Those of either class who were ignorant of this distinction engaged in useless controversy, and the one party disbelieved in the other party.
Dhikr for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Text: He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." (Matthew 22: 20-21)
Meditation: The usual distinction of what is God’s and Caesar’s usually comes to mind with the above passages. But the real challenge posed by the Gospel is to discern God’s will in our life and act truthfully according to His will…
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD
Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.
1st step: Write the text in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.
Meditation: The usual distinction of what is God’s and Caesar’s usually comes to mind with the above passages. But the real challenge posed by the Gospel is to discern God’s will in our life and act truthfully according to His will…
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD
Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.
1st step: Write the text in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Sacred Heart
Peace!
Today is the Feast of St. Margaret Mary. In her letter, she reminds us anew that from the Sacred Heart three streams flow endlessly. The first is the stream of MERCY for sinners. The second is the stream of CHARITY that helps all in need especially the poor and those in difficulties. The third is the stream of LOVE for friends...
There are three important things in life... Mercy, Charity and Love. She adds another value... She says that what is important above all is to have Peace of Heart...!
Today is the Feast of St. Margaret Mary. In her letter, she reminds us anew that from the Sacred Heart three streams flow endlessly. The first is the stream of MERCY for sinners. The second is the stream of CHARITY that helps all in need especially the poor and those in difficulties. The third is the stream of LOVE for friends...
There are three important things in life... Mercy, Charity and Love. She adds another value... She says that what is important above all is to have Peace of Heart...!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Dhikr for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Text: 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' (Matthew 22: 8-9)
Meditation: The Parable tells us of God’s invitation to ALL! One caveat though… that is finding ourselves NOT WORTHY TO COME… BEWARE!
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD
Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.
1st step: Write the text in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.
Meditation: The Parable tells us of God’s invitation to ALL! One caveat though… that is finding ourselves NOT WORTHY TO COME… BEWARE!
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD
Dhikr is an Arabic word which means REMEMBRANCE.
1st step: Write the text in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.
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