Saturday Discussion – 10 May 2014

Topic: The Words, 17^th Word, Pg 228

A beloved that is hidden through setting is not beautiful, for those doomed to decline cannot be truly beautiful. They may not be loved with the heart, which is created for eternal love and is the mirror of the Eternally Besought One, and should not be loved with it.

A beloved that is hidden through setting is not beautiful

• Why?
• I should never value the ephemeral nature of objects because if I attach myself to it (by ascribing it an independent value, separating it from its Creator), I will be left with nothing, as the ephemeral qualities are not self-sustaining.

Analogy: A women’s beauty

• While she may be beautiful in her youth, it will change as she grows
• Women try to preserve their beauty just like how singers try to preserve their voice
• But there is no way to eternally preserve it
  • If we keep chasing these transient and ephemeral objects, we will be in misery because they will inevitably set
  • We may ‘deceive’ ourselves about the reality of an object’s transience by choosing to focus on ways that we can ‘extend’ its transience because we really desire eternity (and anything that promises eternity)
    • Regardless, the fact remains that everything will eventually perish
    • Rather than getting lost in the transience of objects, or in ways to prolong its transience, we should dig deeper and search for the TRUE ETERNAL One.

When we ‘lose’ a transient quality (beauty in humans, love between parent/child, etc), we will be ‘punished’ with the misery of its loss

• However, if we reflect on the misery experienced, we will realize that we dislike anything which sets (la uhibul afaylin)
• The feeling of misery is a reminder that tells us:
  • The beauty you cherished is not created by you
  • Loving beauty amounts to nothing tangible because it does not have a reality APART from that which is given by its Creator
  • Instead, love the Creator of beauty because you desire eternity and the only Eternal One is He

Everything is beautiful BECAUSE of the Creator

• We have to attach our hearts to the Creator of that which we are attracted to
  • ‘My Creator is calling me to Him, through the attractive objects that He has created’
    • Do not get lost in the object itself

They may not be loved with the heart, which is created for eternal love

• Listen to yourself and you will find that you want ETERNAL LOVE

Example: Finding a spouse

• ‘I want a beautiful spouse so that my eyes will not wander’
  • False criterion
• You have to look for someone whom you love with your HEART not with your LUST
  • Why?
  • Your lust is that which desires instant gratification but your heart desires eternal happiness
• To avoid adopting the false criterion you have to first recognize that you are a human being
  • Ask:
    • What is the purpose of my life?
    • It cannot be this transient universe because it would make my existence a meaningless joke
    • My desires all point towards eternity
    • My purpose, as a CONSCIOUS human being, is to strive for eternal pleasure
    • Eternal pleasure can only be sourced from the Eternal One
    • In every action, I choose that which reminds me of the Eternal One so as to fulfill my purpose for eternal pleasure.
  • When we are aware of our state as a human being, we realize that this life will be in vain if I only seek to fulfill my lust.
• Therefore, when I search for a spouse, I am seeking someone who is committed to being connected with the Absolute Creator through our interaction with creation. Only then, I can share my world with this person.

Our heart is created with the capacity to function as the mirror of the Eternally Besought One

• Eternally Besought One: The One who is Absolutely independent in his existence. Every thing else is dependent on Him. He is the One Who is worthy of worship ETERNALLY
• The end of everything in this life is separation BUT the heart dislikes separation
  • The only way to satisfy your heart requires seeking the Eternal One

With respect to created objects/people/places, always ask: Can I love them eternally?

• The objects will outlive me OR I will outlive the objects. I cannot love it eternally so I should not attach my heart to it
• Rather, we should connect our hearts to the Eternal One, the Creator of everything because only that will grant you peace and comfort

When I find myself attracted to something, I should ask:

• What qualities am I attracted to?
  • Durability, practicality, design, etc
  • All these qualities are provided within this creation by the Owner of the universe through the rules set by the Creator
    • People discover the rules so we should not worship the rules or the people
    • Rather, love the Creator

All praise and credit goes to the One who created the principles on which any object (I enjoy) is based

• The One who created these principles is the Eternal One and praise only belongs to Him.
• If you only love the ‘object’, your heart will be in pain BECAUSE the heart cannot bear separation, yet separation is inevitable.