Saturday Discussion – 9 November 2013

The world is also a collection of mirrors which continuously pass on one after the other; so know the One Who is manifest in them, see His lights, understand the manifestations of the Names (qualities) which appear in them an love the One they signify. Cease your attachment for the fragments of glass which are doomed to be broken and perish!..

How satan works?

• If he can’t stop you from performing religious actions, he makes you ‘emptily’ focus on your rituals WITHOUT any belief

Some people may say: In religion you have to submit, not reason.

• Why?
  • Because, reasoning is limited
    • Do you throw away the money you have, because it is limited?
    • Are you senses infinite?
      • No. They are limited to.
• We use our emotional attachments BUT we don’t use our reasoning

We have to stop being a hypocrite when it comes to religion

• We have to read, reason and experientially reach your conclusions

This very limited ability to think and investigate, is given to you so that you may realize the purpose of your life

• Not everyone can do
• But do the best you can do it

Afala tadabarrun

Afala ta-kaylun

• In the Quran, God repeatedly asks if we have pondered, thought about creation?
• We are expected to confirm reality with our created qualities
  • If people say that we are limited, stop and remind yourself that you are not limited, you are created
  • Whatever is reflecting from the mirror is reflection (created)
    • The image cannot create itself
    • Something else is manifesting the image

It is illogical to speak in a language that categorizes our qualities as ‘limited’ or ‘unlimited’

Analogy: Painting

• The conscious parts of the painting say that a painter is making the painting
  • The conscious parts, with their rationality, will definitely reject the idea that the paint is painting itself
  • There has to be a painter
  • You don’t have to be ‘limited’ or ‘unlimited’ to draw the conclusion
    • The painter and the painting exist in different dimensions

We are functioning as a material of justification for their atheistic tendencies

• We have to be careful our how we portray ourselves
• If we just imitate, the atheists have plenty to justify their way of life

Every moment is a mirror

• At every moment, a different part of creation is reflected

Winter reflects a different creation, whereas fall reflects another.

There has to be an object that reflects what we see in creation

• We don’t know the object and we can’t imagine it because it is of a different nature
• But we can observe the qualities that He manifest through what we see in the reflection
• We cannot attribute what we see in the mirror to the glass itself but we can be sure that there must be a Source
  • That is why I can love the Source (the One who manifests His qualities here on earth)

Cease your attachment for the fragments of glass: We attach ourselves to the fragments (the world/this universe)

• It we don’t carefully think about our attachments, we (our hearts, emotions, feelings) are attached to the ‘glass’

The world is also a collection of mirrors which continuously pass on one after the other; so know the One Who is manifest in them, see His lights,

Author’s methodology: To make us familiar with the Quran

• The way the Quran presents belief matters is perfect
• God is the light of the heavens and the earth (Surah Nur)
  • Everything that we see in this world, is a reflection (light) of God
    • It is not a ‘piece’ of God

Example: What we are seeing is NOT a part of the sun

• • It has nothing to do with the physical nature of the sun
  • It is FROM the sun NOT OF the sun

We have to be careful not to attribute anything in this world as ‘piece’ of God OR of God’s nature

• But we cannot separate anything from God’s essence

As readers of the Quran, we have to be careful of how we perceive the metaphors presented in the Quran

Example: When we see an object, we are seeing based on light FROM the sun

• The object itself, is NOT of the sun

We have to understand the terminology employed in the Quran.

When we see objects in this world, we have to be careful not to see any piece of ‘deity’ in it.

• We just have to see it as coming FROM God
• While we do not know God’s nature, we can be sure that the object is coming from God

Our heart is attached to things in creation

• We want to keep existing
• We want to remain healthy
• The author is reminding us to be careful that everything we want are just signs
  • They are not real
  • So, we are cautioned to not attach ourselves to the signs BUT rather attach them to the Source
    • If we are sure of the existence of the Source, we can attach our love/desires to the Source

Example: We enjoy coming home to a house filled with compassion (cooked food, family’s love, etc)

• We see the quality of compassion in the preparation of the food
  • Not in the food itself
• See the light of compassion in the food
  • Don’t attach yourself to the food
  • Love your mother

Exploited: When you invite a friend over for dinner and all the friend does is eat the food without talking or appreciating the food, you will feel exploited.

• You have been given the feeling to know what it feels like to be exploited
• Use those feelings in your daily lives in your interactions.

If we attach ourselves to the world, it will be a very ungrateful quality to the Creator of this World.

Don’t attach yourself to this world, in which the light of the Source is manifested. Rather, attach yourselves to the Source of the light

While we want to have security in our attachments, know that these attachments are given to us so that we can attach ourselves to the Source BECAUSE the objects in and of itself are very fleeting.

Cease your attachment for the fragments of glass, which are doomed to be broken and perish!

• Cut off your heart from the glass
• If you embrace the reflection from the mirror, you are setting up yourself for pain BECAUSE the reflection is transient.
  • The reflection changes every moment
    • The food CANNOT be the source of the compassion you are receiving
      • Look for the Source