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tawakkull · 4 years

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Spirituality in islam: Talwin and Tamkin (Coloring and Self-Possession)

Meaning coloring, taking on a color, painting, and presenting different views, talwin (coloring) in the Sufi language is an important degree belonging to those who continuously seek to change their states for higher ones and to gain stability in the ranks they reach during their journey through actions in pursuit of God’s good pleasure.

If coloring is, as asserted by some, the presentation of ever different views by continuously changing states, then those who are in this state are still in the initial stages of the journey, without having yet reached the horizon they are aiming for and without having attained peace or rest in their hearts. If, on the other hand, they can feel or sometimes find themselves in the final stage of the journey, and their changing of states and the lags in time occur as stated in the verse

(18:19), “We have stayed a day, or part of a day,"

then, by means of their intention, will-power and resolution, they will fly from one rank to another. As they never avert their eyes from the goal on which they have set their hearts, and since they always keep company with Him in their souls and emotions, they are not even aware of the fact that they advance, though sometimes they linger. By removing the shortcomings that are caused by instances of indecision or changes that arise from being in a state with intention and far-sightedness, they will be safe from displaying their changes of colors, especially in moments when they are satisfied with the charm and magnificence of the goal. In addition, if the superb performance they display during their journey is favored with gifts, granted in advance, bearing the colors of the goal, even their temporary halts will serve as a means of gaining stability. The different colors they take on, or the different views they present may be regarded as self-possession, by virtue of the goal for which they are heading. For this reason, we can say that the travelers to truth at this degree breathe self-possession in their coloring; coloring in this sense is a Divine imprint. Any Divine work or imprint cannot be defective, for the Almighty is perfect in all His Attributes, Names, acts, and works. The verse

(55:29), "In every moment He is in a different, new manifestation (beyond all conceptions of modality)"

refers to this truth.

Leading scholars in Islamic Sufism have dealt with coloring in two categories:

The first is the coloring which is witnessed at the beginning of the spiritual journey and which is still not free from the influence of the carnal self and desires, which may be risky and deceptive for the initiates, leading them to make groundless claims like, for example, being the Mahdi or the Messiah.

The second is the coloring which is praised by God, and comes from the Truth on the wavelength of guidance, and in response to acknowledgment of helplessness and poverty before God and thankfulness and reflection. It is accompanied by contentment, and there is a potential for the traveler to reach the desired goal. In addition, it opens the way to further colorings, which can function as ladders of self-possession. Such coloring rarely deceives and does not cause the traveler to make groundless claims nor to utter words that are incompatible with the rules of Shari'a and self-possession. Although it is apparently as charming and splendid as the former, this coloring is free from the influence of the carnal self and desires, because A wind may blow away a piece of straw but how can it blow away a mountain? (That is, an initiate who has reached this degree of coloring is like a mountain deeply established in the ground of religion and cannot be blown away by the wind of carnal desires and groundless claims.)

The author of Mizan al-‘Irfan expresses the same truth in a beautiful style:

He feels constant worries on a slippery ground,

While crossing distances without stopping at all.

He advances forward from one attribute to another,

Being promoted from one rank to the other.

……………………………………………………………….

Every moment he changes states,

With his feet in a different realm every day.

He always takes steps toward higher stations,

Presenting a new view, taking on a new color.

This is how one advances to perfection,

This is the state of one who experiences coloring.

Self-possession is the opposite of wavering and instability, and denotes steadfastness, dignity, solemnity, and contentment. The leading scholars of Sufism see self-possession as deepening in straightforwardness and gaining stability to attain contentment and peacefulness. Whether at the beginning or the end of the journey, seekers with self-possession who aim at the horizon of resignation always feel the beauty of their end -dying a believer- and the joy to come at meeting with the Beloved. They are even unaware of being elevated from one state and station to another.

Travelers to the Truth takes on colors at the beginning of their journey as an indispensable characteristic of state. For they always see, hear and feel different things while crossing the long distances from the Names to Him Who is called by the Names and the Attributes and Him Who is qualified by the Attributes, and from state to station. Since what they see, hear and feel has a certain kind and degree of influence on their being, their manners display coloring; this is bound to continue until the travelers reach their goal. When finally the truth of "subsistence or permanence with God” manifests itself on the horizon of “self-annihilation in God,” the coloring gives up its place to self-possession. The author of Mizan al-'Irfan describes this occurrence:

When a man of God attains his goal,

God announces to him, “Return to your Lord…!”

When he has reached the Ka'ba of the goal,

And the way ended in the Highest, Most Desired One;

This is the self-possession gained on the Sufi way,

In which the excellent have attained excellence.

Self-possession is a few steps above contentment and denotes stability and composure which requires the greatest patience and resolution; these attributes are found in the great Messengers, something that the Qur'an refers to

(30:60): Let not those who have not attained certainty lead you to unsteadiness.

Those at the beginning of the journey can attain self-possession through sincere intention, extremely strong will-power, and true knowledge that comes from its true source and the guidance of a perfect guide. They must make the attainment of the good pleasure of God their goal on the journey, they must be equipped with a strict religious life according to the Ahl al-Sunna wa'l-Jama'a (or the way of the Messenger and his Companions), and travel guided by the master of the creatures, upon him be peace and God’s blessings. In other words, the goal must be God, the equipment, a careful life in strict accordance with His commandments, and the way, the Straight Path which is free from all kinds of excessiveness.

The self-possession of those who have dedicated themselves to God wholly should assign their hearts to God exclusively and keep them free from attachment to all else save Him in order to receive His gifts. Ibrahim Haqqi of Erzurum stresses this, saying:

The heart is the home of God; purify it from whatever is there other than Him.

So that the All-Merciful may descend into His palace at night.

The self-possession of those favored with the knowledge of God is that whatever they do they do it as if they were seeing God, and in whatever state they are they are in it is as if they were seeing God; this is the highest point of excellence from where they see everything annihilated in God. They have reached this point where they are in constant self-supervision by realizing their “self-annihilation in God” and “permanence or subsistence with Him.” At this point, they are perfectly aware of the Source from which they receive gifts and always turn to that Source with deep yearning and wonder. They feel that they exist by His Existence and subsist by His Self-Subsistence. Following the lights diffused by the perfect guide of humanity, upon him be peace and blessings, they claim neither the Unity of Being nor the Unity of the Witnessed, and keep within the sphere of the truth described in: It is incumbent upon you to follow my way (Sunna) and the way of my rightly guided and guiding successors. With the conviction that their existence is solely from Him and they subsist because of His being the All-Subsisting One, they feel well-established in existence and securely maintained, and acknowledge that permanent existence is possible by self-annihilation in His Existence. They submit to Him with all their being and say:

I have given up all existence for the sake of Your love,

And orphaned my family so that I could see You.

O God! I ask You to equip me with being well-pleased with You after any misfortune comes upon me, and for a peaceful life after death, and for the pleasure of Your vision, and for zeal to meet with You. And may God’s peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, who guides us to the way of peace, and upon his family and honored Companions. Amen, O All-Aiding One.

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wisdomrays · 6 years

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KEY CONCEPTS OF SPIRITUALITY IN ISLAM : Talwin and Tamkin (Coloring and Self-Possession)

(18:19), "We have stayed a day, or part of a day,"

(55:29), "In every moment He is in a different, new manifestation (beyond all conceptions of modality)"

refers to this truth.

Leading scholars in Islamic Sufism have dealt with coloring in two categories:

The author of Mizan al-'Irfan expresses the same truth in a beautiful style:

He feels constant worries on a slippery ground, While crossing distances without stopping at all. He advances forward from one attribute to another, Being promoted from one rank to the other. ......................................................................... Every moment he changes states, With his feet in a different realm every day. He always takes steps toward higher stations, Presenting a new view, taking on a new color. This is how one advances to perfection, This is the state of one who experiences coloring.

Travelers to the Truth takes on colors at the beginning of their journey as an indispensable characteristic of state. For they always see, hear and feel different things while crossing the long distances from the Names to Him Who is called by the Names and the Attributes and Him Who is qualified by the Attributes, and from state to station. Since what they see, hear and feel has a certain kind and degree of influence on their being, their manners display coloring; this is bound to continue until the travelers reach their goal. When finally the truth of "subsistence or permanence with God" manifests itself on the horizon of "self-annihilation in God," the coloring gives up its place to self-possession. The author of Mizan al-'Irfan describes this occurrence:

When a man of God attains his goal, God announces to him, "Return to your Lord...!" When he has reached the Ka'ba of the goal, And the way ended in the Highest, Most Desired One; This is the self-possession gained on the Sufi way, In which the excellent have attained excellence.

(30:60): Let not those who have not attained certainty lead you to unsteadiness.

Those at the beginning of the journey can attain self-possession through sincere intention, extremely strong will-power, and true knowledge that comes from its true source and the guidance of a perfect guide. They must make the attainment of the good pleasure of God their goal on the journey, they must be equipped with a strict religious life according to the Ahl al-Sunna wa'l-Jama'a (or the way of the Messenger and his Companions), and travel guided by the master of the creatures, upon him be peace and God's blessings. In other words, the goal must be God, the equipment, a careful life in strict accordance with His commandments, and the way, the Straight Path which is free from all kinds of excessiveness.

The heart is the home of God; purify it from whatever is there other than Him. So that the All-Merciful may descend into His palace at night.

The self-possession of those favored with the knowledge of God is that whatever they do they do it as if they were seeing God, and in whatever state they are they are in it is as if they were seeing God; this is the highest point of excellence from where they see everything annihilated in God. They have reached this point where they are in constant self-supervision by realizing their "self-annihilation in God" and "permanence or subsistence with Him." At this point, they are perfectly aware of the Source from which they receive gifts and always turn to that Source with deep yearning and wonder. They feel that they exist by His Existence and subsist by His Self-Subsistence. Following the lights diffused by the perfect guide of humanity, upon him be peace and blessings, they claim neither the Unity of Being nor the Unity of the Witnessed, and keep within the sphere of the truth described in: It is incumbent upon you to follow my way (Sunna) and the way of my rightly guided and guiding successors. With the conviction that their existence is solely from Him and they subsist because of His being the All-Subsisting One, they feel well-established in existence and securely maintained, and acknowledge that permanent existence is possible by self-annihilation in His Existence. They submit to Him with all their being and say:

I have given up all existence for the sake of Your love, And orphaned my family so that I could see You.

O God! I ask You to equip me with being well-pleased with You after any misfortune comes upon me, and for a peaceful life after death, and for the pleasure of Your vision, and for zeal to meet with You. And may God's peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, who guides us to the way of peace, and upon his family and honored Companions. Amen, O All-Aiding One.

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britishdeepstate · 6 years

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'Armenian Territory' as a Propaganda Tool

The Armenian issue, which is today used by the British deep state as a propaganda tool, is based on the allegation that Eastern Anatolia has always been a land that solely belonged to the Armenians. Before we elaborate why the claim is baseless, we must note that the modern state of Armenia with its current borders is a friendly neighbor of Turkey and its citizens have been the brothers and sisters of the Turkish people for almost 1,000 years. Turkey respects the existence, borders and international rights of Armenia, as is the case with its other neighbors. More importantly, Turkey desires all these countries to be lasting and strong.

However, the above allegation made by certain circles that the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey is Armenian’s only, contradicts historical facts.

According to this allegation developed by the British deep state, the Turks have been an occupying force on the Armenian lands starting with the Seljuks and followed by the Ottomans, and even persecuted them. These allegations suggest that the so-called oppression continues even today. However, a close examination of the common Turkish-Armenian history will reveal the baseless nature of these allegations. It should also be noted that Armenians did not have such claims until WWI, when the British deep state started its black propaganda on this matter.

First of all, the allegation that the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey is exclusively an Armenian homeland does not reflect historical facts. The region in question, where Armenians once lived in large groups, was a Persian province from 521 until 344 B.C., before becoming a part of the Macedonian Empire from 344 to 215 B.C., and then a part of the Seleucid Empire. It was later transferred to and fro between the Rome Empire and the Parthian Empire, then became a Sasanid province and finally a Byzantine land. After the 7th century, the region was controlled by the Umayyad Caliphate, followed by the Abbasid rule that continued until the end of the 10th century, when the Byzantine Empire retook the lands. After the 10th century, the Turks arrived in the region.

Armenians are an ancient, civilized people that have existed in the region since antiquity. Throughout history though, they either lived under the rule of various other nations, or their own states acted as a buffer zone between the big empires of the time and were subjected to frequent interventions. The Armenians will certainly continue to live in Eastern Anatolia, which will always be their home. However, as the historical data indisputably shows, it would be incorrect to assert that Eastern Anatolia is an exclusively Armenian region where no other nation’s people ever lived.

Armenian historian Kevork Aslan confirms this truth with the following words:

Armenians lived as feudal states. They don’t have a bond based on a sense of a shared land. Neither do they have political bonds. They answer only to feudal states where they reside, and therefore their feelings of patriotism are regional. Their bonds are not based on politics, but are rather due to their shared religion and language. (Kevork Aslan, L’Arménie et les Arméniens [Armenia and the Armenians], Istanbul: Librairie Weiss, 1914)

Adnan Oktar: Let’s rebuild our brotherhood with the Armenians. Let’s open borders with Armenia, let’s hug each other. They were one of us, our brothers in the Ottoman era. It’s still the same; nothing has changed. They are the ‘loyal people’. They are good, well-mannered people. [Anything to the contrary] is wrong; is a sin. We won’t allow anyone to drive a wedge between us.

(Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar’s interview on A9 TV on December 18, 2011)

Adnan Oktar: They [the officials of the two countries] have reached an agreement on visas and then after a while, there won’t be any need for passports as well. They’re discussing the final details. But of course, it is important to avoid a language that might embarrass them [the Armenians]. They are good people that expect compassion and love. They want the good old times to come back. Armenians are ‘the loyal people’, ‘millet-i sadıka’. We entrusted our soldiers to Armenian pashas, and gave them key positions in the administrations. It is important to have a compassionate approach. Comparing bones, counting bones and skulls, these are very dangerous things. It’s good that after we drew attention to how wrong this was, they stopped this attitude. Thank God, that’s a good development. We should focus only on love. I said that they would retreat from Nagorno-Karabakh and indeed they are doing it. I also said that ‘Insha’Allah they will open the Lachin corridor’ and indeed it is being opened now. It will ensure connection between Turkey and Azerbaijan. For example, when our President went to Armenia, on that day, they put out the eternal fire on the memorial. So they are thinking about it, they know and I believe they will do whatever is necessary. They want only sincere love and compassion. It is crucial to strictly avoid any harsh, accusatory statements. Personally, when I witness such language, it embarrasses me. They are a few people, trapped in a small country. Of course, we will save them from there. By the grace of God, our union of love will incorporate Israel, China, Azerbaijan, Turkistan, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria among others. (Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar’s press conference on September 17, 2009)

'Armenian Territory' as a Propaganda Tool BritishDeepState.net

#armenian territory before genocide #armenian territory in turkey #armenian territory within azerbaijan

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impugningdmind · 7 years

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Ramakrishna: His Life and Sayings

A true devotee who has drunk deep of Divine Love is like a veritable drunkard, and, as such, cannot always observe the rules of propriety.

The Knowledge of God may be likened to a man, while the Love of God is like a woman. Knowledge has entry only up to the outer rooms of God, but no one can enter into the inner mysteries of God save a lover, for a woman has access even into the harem of the Almighty.

He who has faith has all, and he who wants faith wants all.

So long as one does not become simple like a child, one does not get Divine illumination, Forget all the worldly knowledge that thou hast acquired, and become as ignorant about it as a child, and then thou wilt get the knowledge of the True.

God is in all men, but all men are not in God : that is the reason why they suffer.

He is to be known as a Sanyasin, we read in the Bhagavad-gita. Who does not hate and does not love anything.

Avadhūta, literally one who has shaken off all attachments.

Sanyasins, men who have completely shaken off the fetters of passion, who have disciplined their body and subdued the imaginations of their mind to a perfectly marvellous extent, cannot be doubted. They are often called Yogins, as having exercised Yoga.

Within certain limits Yoga seems to be an excellent discipline and in one sense, we ought all to be Yogins. Yoga, as a technical term, means application, concentration, effort.

And if they have been brought up in a philosophical atmosphere, or are filled by deep religious feelings, they would very naturally become what the Mahatmans are described to be - men who can pour out their souls in perfervid eloquence and high-flown poetry, or who are able to enter even on subtle discussions of the great problems of philosophy and answer any questions addressed to them.

A chosen religion is always stronger than an inherited religion

Vedanta, the oldest religion and philosophy of the world. The end, the goal and the highest object of the Veda.

Paramahansa, high soaring eagle.

Debendranath Tagore, I have been moved by the Spirit of God, but I do not know of what use it will be. Now I have become quite useless to the world. I have now very little to connect me with the world," the Maharshi continued, "I am living the life of a recluse, I have no energy left. The energy and earnestness you see in me now is roused only by seeing you." I have got the essence of these things within me now, and I am enjoying the sweetness thereof. So there is now no more need for me to go to the texts.

At the age of sixteen, Rmakrishna, having been invested by his own father with the sacred Brahmanic thread, was taken to this school, but what was his disgust to find that after all their high talk on being and non-being, on Brahman and Maya, on how the soul is liberated by the realisation of Atman, they would never dream of practising these precepts in their own lives, but run after lust and gold, after name and fame. He told his brother plainly he would never care for that kind of learning, the sole aim of which was to gain a few pieces of silver, or a few maunds of rice and vegetables. He yearned to learn something which would raise him above all these, and give him as a recompense God Himself. From that time he kept aloof from the school.

Sincere as he always was, he could do nothing from mercenary motives, nor did he ever do anything which he did not thoroughly believe.

He used to say, 'That man who had been an emperor in his former birth, who had enjoyed the highest pleasures the world can give, and who had seen the vanities of them all, would attain to perfection in this life on earth.'

Mother! destroy in me all ideas that I am great, and that I am a Brahman, and that they are low and pariahs, for who are they but Thou in so many forms?

"My soul! this is what the world calls money,impressed with the queen's face. It has the power of bringing you rice and vegetables, of feeding the poor, of building houses, and doing all that the world calls great, but it can never help thee to realise the ever-existent knowledge and bliss, the Brahman. Regard it, therefore, as rubbish."

On receiving a costly gift, "It increases vanity, but it can never help to realise the ever-existent knowledge and bliss, and therefore is no better than a piece of torn rag.

The lady lived there for some years, and made her friend practice all the different sorts of Yoga which make a man complete master of his body and mind, render his passions subservient to his reason, and produce a thorough and deep concentration of thought, and, above all, the fearless and unbiased disposition which is essential to everybody who desires to know the truth and the whole truth. About this time Ramakrishna began to practice Yoga, or the physical discipline which makes the body strong and enduring. He began by regulating his breath, and went through the eight-fold methods prescribed by Patanjali.

What is high and what is low in the sight of a Gyani?

He could never understand, however, Ramakrishna's love for his mother (the goddess Kali). He would talk of it as mere superstition, and ridicule it, when Ramakrishna made him understand that in the Absolute there is no thou, nor I, nor God, nay, that it is beyond all speech or thought. As long, however, as there is the least grain of relativity left, the Absolute is within thought and speech and within the limits of the mind, which mind is subservient to the universal mind and consciousness; and this omniscient, universal consciousness was to him his mother and God.

The highest point of love is reached when the human soul can love his God as a wife loves her husband. The shepherdess of Braja had this sort of love towards the divine Krishna, and there was no thought of any carnal relationship. No man, they say, can understand this love of Sri Krishna until he is perfectly free from all carnal desires.

After all these visions and his realizations of different religions he came to the conclusion that all religions are true, though each of them takes account of one aspect only of the Akhanda Sakkhidananda, i.e. the undivided and eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss. Each of these different religions seemed to him a way to arrive at that One.

He had attained to great Yoga powers, but he never cared to display these marvellous powers to anybody. He told his disciples that all these powers would come to a man as he advanced, but he warned them never to take any heed of the opinions of men. They had not to please men, but to try to attain the highest perfection, that is, unity with Brahman. The power of working miracles was rather a hindrance in the way to perfection, inasmuch as it diverted the attention of man from, his highest goal.

When the rose is blown, and sheds its fragrance all around, the bees come of themselves. The bees seek the full-blown rose, and not the rose the bees.

Men possessed of wonderful Yoga powers and great learning came to learn from this illiterate Paramahansa of Dakshinesvara, and in their turn acknowledged him as their spiritual director (Guru), touched as they were by the wonderful purity, the childlike simplicity, the perfect unselfishness, and by the simple language in which he propounded the highest truths of religion and philosophy.

When pressed to take rest, he would say, I would suffer willingly all sorts of bodily pains, and death also, a hundred thousand times, if by so doing I could bring one single soul to freedom and salvation.

He was a wonderful mixture of God and man. In his ordinary state he would talk of himself as servant of all men and women. He looked upon them all as God. He himself would never be addressed as Guru, or teacher. Never would he claim for himself any high position. He would touch the ground reverently where his disciples had trodden. But every now and then strange fits of God consciousness came upon him. He then became changed into a different being altogether. He then spoke of himself as being able to do and know everything. He spoke as if he had the power of giving anything to anybody. He would speak of himself as the same soul that had been born before as Rama, as Krishna, as Jesus, or as Buddha, born again as Ramakrishna. He said that he was free from all eternity, and the practices and struggles after religion which he went through were only meant to show the people the way to salvation, He had done all for them alone. He would say he was a Nitya-mukta, or eternally free, and an incarnation of God Himself. 'The fruit of the pumpkin,' he said, comes out first, and then the flowers ; so it is with the Nitya-muktas or those who are free from all eternity, but come down for the good of others.'

The object of the poet is to warn people against voluptuousness, not as something in itself criminal, which has never been an Indian view, but as a hindrance in obtaining that serenity of mind without which the highest objects of life, dispassionateness, serenity, and clear-sightedness can never be obtained.

Man thinks that he is an Ego dwelling in the body, seeing and hearing, comprehending and reasoning, reasoning and acting, while with, the strict Vedantist the true self lies deep below the Ego, or the Aham which belongs to the world of illusion. As an Ego, man has become already an actor and enjoyer, instead of remaining a distant witness of the world. He is then carried along into the Sansara, the concourse of the world; he becomes the creature or the slave of his accumulated acts (karman), and goes on from change to change, till in the end he discovers the true Brahman which alone really exists, and which as being himself is called Atman or Self, and at the same time Paramatman, or the Highest, Atman and Brahman, both being one and the same thing.

Good works may be helpful in producing a proper state of mind for receiving this knowledge, but it is by knowledge alone that men can be saved and obtain Mukti, freedom, and not by good works. This salvation or freedom finds expression in the celebrated words Tat tvam asi, thou art that, i.e. thou art not thou, but that, i.e. the "only existing Brahman; the Atman, the Self, and the Brahman are one and the same."

Brahman is pure intelligence, and when the opponent remarks that intelligence is possible only if there are objects of intelligence, he replies: 'As the sun would shine even if there were no objects to illuminate, Brahman would be intelligence even if there were no objects on which to exercise his intelligence. Such an object, however, exists even before the creation, namely, Nama-rupa, the names and forms, as yet undeveloped, but striving for development (avyakrite, vyakikirshite), that is the words of the Veda living in the mind of the creator even before the creation.

One of the most ancient commands of Greek philosophy was the famous Know Thyself. Here the hindu philosopher would step at once and say that this is likewise the very highest object of their philosophy, only that they express it more fully by "Atmanam atmana pasya, See the Self by the Self!".

The Vedanta-philosophy has been called: a philosophy of negation, which tries to arrive at the truth by a repeated denial of what cannot be the truth. It often defines its own character by Na, na, Not this, not that.

What remains for the Atman? This Self, this the true Atman, was discovered in the lotus of the heart in true Self-consciousness, it was discovered as not-personal; though dwelling in the personal or living Atman, the Jiva, it remained for ever a mere looker-on, untouched by anything.

In the Khandogya upanishad III,14, we read: 'Surely this universe is Brahman. It should be worshiped in silence as the beginning, the being, and the end of all. Its matter is thought, life its body, light its form. Its will is truth, its Self the infinite (ether). It works all, it wills all, it scents all, it tastes all, embracing the Universe, silent and unconcerned. This is the Self in the innermost heart, smaller than a mustard seed or the kernel of it. This is the Self in the innermost heart, larger than the earth, larger than the atmosphere, larger than the sky, larger than all worlds. The all working, all-willing, all-scenting, all-tasting one, the all-embracing, silent, unconcerned one, this is the Self in the innermost heart, this is Brahman, this I shall become when parting from hence. He who has this, does not doubt.'

It is this self that brings bliss, finding peace and rest in the invisible, the immaterial, the inexpressible, the unfathomable. So long as anything else is left, hidden anywhere, there is no peace and no rest, however wise a man may think himself. Or, as Yagnavalkya says : 'He who knows this, knows everything.'

Every name that can be imagined for expressing what is really inexpressible, is assigned in the Upanishads to Brahman. Brahman is neither long nor short, neither subtile nor gross; he is without parts, without activity, still, without spot, without fraud, he is unborn, never growing old, not fading nor dying, nor fearing anything; he is without and within. Whether such a being can be called he, is very doubtful, for he is neither he nor she; he is It in the very highest sense of that undifferentiated pronoun.

If the world is real the Self is not. If the Self is real the world is not.

Man is man phenomenally, the world is world phenomenally, the gods of the world are gods phenomenally, but in full reality all are the Godhead, call it Atman or Brahman, metamorphosed and hidden for a time by Avidya or Nescience, but always recoverable by Vidya or by the Vedanta-philosophy.

Samadhi may be looked at, however, from two points, as either purely physical or as psychical. From an ordinary Samadhi, a man may recover as one recovers from a fainting fit, but the true Samadhi consists in losing oneself or finding oneself entirely in the Supreme Spirit. From this Samadhi there is no return, because there is nothing left that can return. A few men only who have reached it, are enabled to return from it by means of a small remnant of their Ego, and through the efficacy of their wish to become the instructors and saviours of mankind.

Something very like Samadhi is the state of deep dreamless sleep, during which the soul is supposed to be with Brahman for a time, but able to return. This deep, unconscious sleep is one of the four states, waking, sleeping with dreams, sleeping without dreams, and dying.

#ramakrishna #maxmuller

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weldonturner · 7 years

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New Post has been published on Weldon Turner

New Post has been published on http://www.weldonturner.com/for-a-higher-power-from-hacksaw-ridge-to-muhammad-ali/

For A Higher Power: From Hacksaw Ridge to Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali arrives at federal court in Houston for his trial on a charge of refusing to be inducted into the Army.

What does it take for someone to stand for what they believe in? What does it take for someone to sacrifice for what they believe in? What does it take for someone to literally sacrifice their liberty, their very life for their faith? In the film, Hacksaw Ridge, Desmond Doss enlists in the army and is faced with these questions right from the get-go. Muhammad Ali is faced with these questions in the prime of his fighting career, and thousands of others have faced these questions for centuries.

When I think of the term ‘conscientious objector’, Vietnam and the young men who refused to join the conflict immediately crowd the imagination. Images of long haired hippies, in tie-die tee-shirts, ‘turning on, tuning in, and dropping out’ [1] in the streets of San Francisco and New York City in the late ‘60s, holding peace signs an decrying the evils of the War, are synonymous with the term.

Hacksaw Ridge

The 2016 Academy Award Winning feature film, Hacksaw Ridge, portrays the life of a conscientious objector that could not be farther from that image. Desmond Doss was working at a shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, [2]. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour in December of 1941 he was determined to serve in the military, yet would not compromise his faith as a Seventh-day Adventist. This meant adhering to two commandments that would cause him great difficulty. He would not kill, and he would observe the Sabbath. Consequently he refused to carry a weapon, let alone fire one, and requested a pass to attend church on Saturday.

Pfc. Doss’ beliefs put him on a collision course not only with his fellow soldiers, but with his superiors as well. DesmondDoss.com says they ‘ostracized him, bullied him, called him awful names, and cursed at him’ [3]. In the film, he is put on trial and is about to be court martialled for insubordination. It is only through his father’s intervention, a World War I veteran, and a letter from the father’s former superior officer, that the charges against Doss is dismissed. His actions were protected under the U.S. Constitution.

Doss soon proves himself with acts of bravery and kindness and selflessness, like treating the blisters on his fellow soldiers’ feet, and sharing his canteen with those suffering from heat stroke [4].

Doss is deployed to the South Pacific and sees action on the islands of Guam, Leyte and Okinawa. By May of 1945 the men of Doss’ division were on Okinawa, attempting to take the Maeda Escarpment, a daunting clifflike structure the men dubbed ‘Hacksaw Ridge’. The Battle of Okinawa is described as one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific Theater, [5] and the fighting at Hacksaw Ridge was no exception. Under intense enemy fire Doss’ again put his faith in action. After storming the rock-face the Americans were faced with a fierce counterattack and were forced to retreat down the vertical face of the ridge. But here again, answering a higher power, Doss disobeyed orders and charged back into the firefight [6]. [He] crawled from wounded to wounded, dressing their injuries and dragging them to the cliff’s edge, where they could be lowered to medics below. Hit by grenade fragments…Doss refused to endanger another medic and dressed his own wounds. He continued to help those in need, even when a Japanese tank approached. When another enemy bullet shattered his arm, Doss patched it up and crawled 300 yards through enemy fire and explosions rather than expose anyone else to further danger’ [7]. His exploits resulted in at least 75 lives saved. That day was May 5th, 1945, a Saturday. For his actions that day Doss was awarded Congressional Medal of Honour, the U.S. highest honor for bravery under fire.

Who is a Conscientious Objector?

The website of the Selective Service System of the United States says ‘[a] conscientious objector is one who is opposed to serving in the armed forces and/or bearing arms on the grounds of moral or religious principles.’

There are two types of service available to conscientious objectors.

The person who is opposed to any form of military service will be assigned to alternative service…

The person whose beliefs allow him to serve in the military but in a noncombatant capacity will serve in the Armed Forces but will not be assigned training or duties that include using weapons.

The Selective Service System, [8].

Conscientious Objectors in the Past

Encyclopedia Britannica says that conscientious objection to military service has existed for centuries, since the beginning of the ‘Christian era’. [9]. It developed as a ‘doctrine’ of the Mennonites in Europe during the 16th century, and among the ‘Society of Friends’ (the Quakers) in England in the 17th Century, and the Church of the Brethren and of the Dukhobors in Russia in the 18th century.

In the United States, since the Civil War and the enactment of conscript laws, some form of alternate service has been granted to those unwilling to bear arms, [10]. In 1940 conscientious objector status, ‘including some form of service unrelated to and not controlled by the military, was granted, but solely on the basis of membership in a recognized pacifistic religious sect. Objections of a philosophical, political, or personal moral nature were not considered valid reasons for refusing military service.’

During World War II Great Britain granted several exemptions from military service and since 1960 several European countries, including France, Belgium, Sweden, The Netherlands, East and West Germany granted Objector status on a variety of religious, philosophical and moral grounds.

Muhammad Ali

No discourse on conscientious objectors can be complete without discussing Muhammad Ali, probably the best-known Objector of all.

Cassius Clay shot to fame after winning the gold medal for boxing in the Rome Olympics of 1960. In a British television interview in 1971, he relates an incident that occurred just three days after winning the medal. He goes into a restaurant in his racially segregated hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, with the gold medal around his neck, and expects to be served. He’s told that ‘we don’t serve negroes’. ‘I said, “I don’t eat them neither…I’m the Olympic gold medal winner, three days ago I fought for this country in Rome, I won the gold medal, and I’m gonna eat!’…Anyway they put me out, and I had to leave that restaurant, in my hometown, where I went to church and served in their Christianity, and my Daddy fought in all the wars. Just won the gold medal and couldn’t eat downtown. I said something’s wrong…’ [11].

Less than four years later, in February of 1964, he fought ‘the Bear’, Sonny Liston, for the heavyweight championship of the world. Liston could not continue after the sixth round. The day after his victory, Clay declared his conversion to Islam and introduced the world to the personae that billions of people around the world would come to know as Muhammad Ali.

A mere two years later, at 24 and in the prime of his boxing career, Ali was drafted into the U.S. Army. He filed for conscientious objector status and refused to go to Vietnam, based on his religious beliefs as a Muslim.

‘My conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother, some darker people, some poor hungry people in the mud, for big powerful America, and shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they never put dogs on me, they never robbed me of my nationality, raped and killed my mother and father…shoot them for what, why’m I gonna shoot them, them poor little black people? Little babies and children, women, how’m I gonna shot them poor people? Just take me to jail!’ [12].

Conscientious objector status was denied Ali in 1967 and he was sentenced to five years in prison. He remained out of prison while his case was appealed. He was however denied the ability to make an income from his profession. He was unable to fight in the United States, and was not allowed to leave the country. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where his conviction was overturned in 1971.

In its ruling of ‘Marsellus CLAY, Jr. also known as Muhammad Ali, Petitioner, v. UNITED STATES,’ the decision stated, in part:

In order to qualify for classification as a conscientious objector, a registrant must satisfy three basic tests. He must show that he is conscientiously opposed to war in any form. Gillette v. United States, 401 U.S. 437, 91 S.Ct. 828, 28 L.Ed.2d 168. He must show that this opposition is based upon religious training and belief, as the term has been construed in our decisions. United States v. Seeger, 380 U.S. 163, 85 S.Ct. 850, 13 L.Ed.2d 733; Welsh v. United States, 398 U.S. 333, 90 S.Ct. 1792, 26 L.Ed.2d 308. And he must show that this objection is sincere. Witmer v. United States, 348 U.S. 375, 75 S.Ct. 392, 99 L.Ed. 428. In applying these tests, the Selective Service System must be concerned with the registrant as an individual, not with its own interpretation of the dogma of the religious sect, if any, to which he may belong. United States v. Seeger, supra; Gillette v. United States, supra; Williams v. United States, 5 Cir., 216 F.2d 350, 352.

In this Court the Government has now fully conceded that the petitioner’s beliefs are based upon ‘religious training and belief,’ as defined in United States v. Seeger, supra: ‘There is no dispute that petitioner’s professed beliefs were founded on basic tenets of the Muslim religion, as he understood them, and derived in substantial part from his devotion to Allah as the Supreme Being. Thus, under this Court’s decision in United States v. Seeger, 380 U.S. 163, 85 S.Ct. 850, 13 L.Ed.2d 733, his claim unquestionably was within the ‘religious training and belief’ clause of the exemption provision.’ 4 This concession is clearly correct. For the record shows that the petitioner’s beliefs are founded on tenets of the Muslim religion as he understands them. They are surely no less religiously based than those of the three registrants before this Court in Seeger. See also Welsh v. United States, 398 U.S. 333, 90 S.Ct. 1792, 26 L.Ed.2d 308. [13].

Ali would return to the ring that year and fight Joe Frazier in Madison Square Garden for the championship. Years later, slowed considerably by Parkinson’s, Ali became a figure beloved around the world. Who can forget the magical moment at the opening ceremonies at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when Ali, hand trembling from the disease, slowly lit the Olympic torch?

Other Notable Conscientious Objectors

The life of a conscience objector—men (primarily, men) who are willing to sacrifice for their beliefs, many of which are religious beliefs– does not always have a happy ending.

Ben Salmon

Ben Salmon was a writer and observant Catholic who refused induction into the U.S. army as a matter of conscience during World War I. He ‘rejected the “Just War Theory”. He believed no war could be just. He said he would not cooperate in any way with the war machine’ [14].

He was arrested, court-martialled, and sentenced to death by the military. While in prison he wrote an open letter to then president Woodrow Wilson.

“Religious objectors are such through their faith in God. They believe the best way to preserve the nation’s honor is to avoid dishonoring God; the best way to conquer an enemy is to treat him as God prescribes. The religious objector helps his country more in one hour than a regiment of military men could in a hundred years, for God holds the destiny of nations in the palm of His hand. To serve Him is to ensure the country’s future. . .”

He was later admitted to the St. Elizbeth Hospital in Washington D.C., in the wing for the criminally insane. His actions were supposedly considered insane since most observant Catholics did sign up for military service. In November 1920, he was released thanks to a Catholic priest and the American Civil Liberties Union. He would die less than twelve years later, in poverty, at age 43.

Tom Atlee

Tom Atlee, brother of British Prime minister, Clement Atlee (1945-1951), was a ‘devoted Christian’ and, says his grand daughter, Cath Atlee, ‘believed that war could never be the Christian answer to any dispute – he was prepared to suffer for what he believed in.’ [15]. During World War I He was denied conscientious objector status and court-martialed in 1917. He spent a year in prison, three months of which was with hard labour. He was never able to ‘fully’ practice in his chosen field of architecture.

Franz Jägerstätter

Franz Jägerstätter was the sexton of a parish church in Austria during the 1930s. He opposed the Nazi regime. After being inducted into the German army he refused to serve.

A letter he wrote in prison reads:

“Just as the man who thinks only of this world does everything Possible to make life here easier and better, so must we, too, who believe in the eternal Kingdom, risk everything in order to receive a great reward there. Just as those who believe in National Socialism tell themselves that their struggle is for survival, so must we, too, convince ourselves that our struggle is for the eternal Kingdom. But with this difference: we need no rifles or pistols for our battle, but instead, spiritual weapons–and the foremost among these is prayer…. Through prayer, we continually implore new grace from God, since without God’s help and grace it would be impossible for us to preserve the Faith and be true to His commandments….

“Let us love our enemies, bless those who curse us, pray for Those who persecute us. For love will conquer and will endure for all eternity. And happy are they who live and die in God’s love” [16].

(This letter, according to The Society of Archbishop Justus, a group of Anglican computer scientists, [17], found its way into a book, In Solitary Witness, about German Catholics response to Adolf Hitler. The book, in turn, reportedly influenced Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst famous for leaking the study on American decision making in Vietnam, which became known as the Pentagon Papers.)

Imprisoned in Linz and Berlin, Jägerstätter was convicted in a military trial and beheaded on August 9th, 1943.

Final Thoughts

This discussion is in no way intended to compare Desmond Doss and Muhammad Ali. Doss’ faith grew out of his background as a devout Seventh-day Adventist. Ali’s faith in Islam was in part driven the rejection meted out to him by an unjust society, a society that claimed Christianity as its own, while rejecting him as a human being. Moreover Ali, for many years, was for many the face of an entire religion and race, a singular representative of hundreds of millions of people, a position which he accepted.

For the other men in this piece their Christian faith forbade them to engage in a conflict they believed that was at odds with their beliefs. What does this say about faith–religious faith–that can be both so loving, brimming with empathy and sacrifice, and at the same time be espoused by those brimming with hate and enmity? This does not just apply to Christianity, but, I’ll argue, to practically any belief system.

No, I’m not in any way comparing the impact of these men on society, nor am I comparing the sacrifice of one vs. the other. I am addressing the idea of faith, and the strength of character that a strong unshakeable faith can instill in a human being.

Faith that keeps you grounded in a set of core beliefs will protect you from passing fads, whether philosophical, political, cultural. The danger lies in the basic principles on which your faith is based, and how you interpret them. Ultimately that’s an individual responsibility, a responsibility to understand and accept the core principles on which your faith is based, and the courage to stand for, and ultimately sacrifice for those principles.

Next Month: The Luxury of Atheism

Image

Muhammad Ali arrives at federal court in Houston for his trial on a charge of refusing to be inducted into the Army.

Credit: Bettmann / Contributor

Collection: Bettmann

Date created: 19 June, 1967

Source: Bettmann

Editorial license secured.

References

[1] Brainyquote.com, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/timothylea380739.html, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[2] DesmondDoss.com, https://desmonddoss.com/bio/bio-real.php, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[3] DesmondDoss.com, https://desmonddoss.com/bio/bio-real.php, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[4] DesmondDoss.com, https://desmonddoss.com/bio/bio-real.php, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[5] Historynet.com, http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-okinawa-the-bloodiest-battle-of-the-pacific-war.htm, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[6] DesmondDoss.com, https://desmonddoss.com/bio/bio-real.php, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[7] Historynet.com, http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-okinawa-the-bloodiest-battle-of-the-pacific-war.htm accessed, March 25, 2017.

[8] SSS.gov, https://www.sss.gov/consobj, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[9] Bratnnica.com, https://www.britannica.com/topic/conscientious-objector, accessed March 11, 2017.

[10] Bratnnica.com, https://www.britannica.com/topic/conscientious-objector, accessed March 25th, 2017

[11] DemoracyNow.com, https://www.democracynow.org/2016/6/6/john_legend_reads_muhammad_alis_1966, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[12] outube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQdOJvs26r4, accessed March 25th, 2017.

[13] The Legal Information Institute and Cornell University, https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/403/698 accessed, March 25th, 2017

[14] BenSalmon.org, http://www.bensalmon.org/uploads/8/2/5/7/82576010/bensalmonbrochure.pdf, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[15] The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/25/conscientious-objectors-men-fought-different-battle, accessed, March 25, 2017

[16] The Society of Archbishop Justus, http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/224.html, accessed, March 25, 2017.

[17] The Society of Archbishop Justus, http://justus.anglican.org/soaj.html, accessed, March 25, 2017.

Links

Brainyquote.com, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/timothylea380739.html,

DesmondDoss.com, https://desmonddoss.com/bio/bio-real.php,

Historynet.com, http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-okinawa-the-bloodiest-battle-of-the-pacific-war.htm

SSS.gov, https://www.sss.gov/consobj,

Britannica.com, https://www.britannica.com/topic/conscientious-objector,

DemocracyNow.org, https://www.democracynow.org/2016/6/6/john_legend_reads_muhammad_alis_1966,

Youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQdOJvs26r4,

The Legal Information Institute and Cornell University, https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/403/698

BenSalmon.org, http://www.bensalmon.org/uploads/8/2/5/7/82576010/bensalmonbrochure.pdf

The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/25/conscientious-objectors-men-fought-different-battle

The Society of Archbishop Justus, http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/224.html, accessed, March 25, 2017.

#Culture #Faith #Hacksaw Ridge #Mel Gibson #Muhammad Ali #Social Justice

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