tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64693403160126579942024-03-14T08:03:14.527-07:00SimurghRecognizing Collective Self...Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-37882210156918099152011-12-28T00:44:00.000-08:002011-12-28T02:01:17.651-08:00Change and The Inside WarUsually we are inclined to form opinion about people. Some people, we think, are bad and some are good, some can be trusted while others can never be. These opinions may last longer than our lifetimes. However, have we ever asked ourselves, are we justified in doing so? If you feel the answer should be 'yes', you must be thinking that 'people never change', which I think eventually means that you don't want them to change or you will never accept if they ever change. On the contrary, analysis of human behaviour suggests that people are prone to change. There are two major reasons for that:<br /><br />Firstly, every human is exposed to different circumstances. They teach lessons nobody can ever teach. Mistakes make people learn and improve. Circumstances can also affect people in negative ways, depending on different choices and perceptions of poeple which help them derive conclusions out of circumstances. These are really tests from God, He places human in different situations in which he/she has to make a choice, and depending on the choice, people change. So, it's irrational to assume that someone will never change.<br /><br />Secondly, there is a war within ourselves, of good and evil, of selfishness and selflessness, of hope and despair, of happiness and pessimism, of everything that brings us to life and everything that keeps us away from it. I call it "The Inside War". Inside every person, this war goes on till he/she exists. Whenever, the 'good side' is dominant, person is inclined to do things and make choices that are more humane, and vice-versa. Here, religion plays a role, only blessings from God can make the 'good side' be always dominant. So, forming an opinion about someone means that you think that only one side will remain dominant in The Inside War, which itself is quite inhumane.<br /><br />Every person is divine creature of God and deserves chance. It just depends on ourselves if we are able to see the good side dominating in the person or not. Whatever you may think about someone, you must ensure one thing always: the good side must never be disappointed due to lack of opportunity.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-44565968471117129752011-06-08T18:05:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:39:51.181-07:00PatienceNo matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, there will always be hard times in life. Life is all about hardships and struggle. Even the most successful man on earth faces adverse circumstances. Whenever the wind blows against a person, there are two options left. One is to get depressed, which is off course not a solution. Second is to face the problem, which needs strength. But how can such strength be acquired? Answer is Patience.<br /><br />Patience doesn't mean not to react at anything. It means doing the right things and wait for their effects to appear. When I say 'the right things', that means things which are prescribed by religion and universal moral values. For example, when someone starts shouting at you, you have a choice. Either you can make that person calm down, maybe by just submitting to what he says if possible, or else start shouting at him too. In the first case, you can try to make that person realize your point of view when he is in his right mind later on. Off course, chances of success in the argument are not cent percent, but at least it will make that person give due consideration to your point of view. This increases your chances to resolve the problem, instead of magnifying the problem by shouting.<br /><br />But all this requires a little control on what you feel. This control is patience. If you can be patient, you may also be able to understand others and also, yourself. This understanding may give a solid environment for love to blossom. Love always needs patience, and maybe patience needs love to exist. Both 'love' and 'patience' come together in package, and never separate. So, to make this world more lovely, patience is a necessity !Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-87969949146336013802011-03-23T08:45:00.000-07:002011-03-23T09:47:14.622-07:00The Need for CompassionHuman being is a mystery of God, something which He has created. Circumstances are also result of God's will. Whatever is the discretion of human being over the circumstances, the product of mysteries of human action and circumstances reflect the divine will. Whenever we see a human being, with all his colours, we see something divine.<br /><br />Today when we don't hesitate to humiliate someone, to show our disrespect to someone, or even become enemies with someone, we need to ask ourselves how we look at this divine creation of God? Someone who is created and nurtured by God or someone who is devilish just because he or she doesn't belong to our religion or ethnicity? or perhaps, doesn't have the same perspective of looking at things as we do?<br /><br />This mysterious creature of God is really difficult to understand. However, what we need is a try, a serious attempt to listen to others. Not just try to identify where the other is not similar to us, but to put ourselves in their shoes and think in their perspective, with knowledge of the biasness we already possess. Maybe then, we will start respecting others. Maybe then, we will start living a compassionate life.<br /><br />Thanks Karren Armstrong for making me understand this.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-8855736309839051432010-01-26T06:48:00.000-08:002010-01-27T09:26:14.279-08:00Pessimism<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwfEOKepWwnb4WE4CoPQZC6m-BIjMBKJlCU5_XMptF0q3eYx4V7KuZHZxVgfjIQJ6qZcMB7XXqQbMrYK36WmWhiY6LMcGGPrilr9AoClNif0eaBuFCS_M_uCwNonpP3GQ7w9UlqAw0ic/s1600-h/20060412.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwfEOKepWwnb4WE4CoPQZC6m-BIjMBKJlCU5_XMptF0q3eYx4V7KuZHZxVgfjIQJ6qZcMB7XXqQbMrYK36WmWhiY6LMcGGPrilr9AoClNif0eaBuFCS_M_uCwNonpP3GQ7w9UlqAw0ic/s320/20060412.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431471974124752114" /></a><br />Life has its twists and turns. Sometimes a person feels bad, sometimes good. But does that mean he should start thinking that life is not worth living? Many people will agree that he should not think like that. Many people will advise that problems occur in every individual's life but that doesn't mean he can't solve it. If he takes his failure as a step towards success, he will surely succeed someday in his life. We always advise people who are depressed this way, although somewhere in our mind we know that this might not come true always. But we console him that way as we know that only this approach can light the fire of hope.<br /><br />We, somewhere, know that where pessimism starts, hope ends and ultimately chances for success are much lesser.<br /><br />Then why we never adopt this approach for our nation? Yes, our nation has problems. But should we start thinking that these problems will never end? Or we should take it as a step towards future success? Media portrays Pakistan as a hopeless country having ever-increasing problems. Our so-called intellectuals have dug out so much in history which they can use in arguments against the formation of Pakistan. Excessive criticism and pessimism have collaborated in making them lose trust on the country. Will this loss of trust benefit us in any way? If we agree that an individual can benefit from hope and trust on himself, then we should agree that only hope and trust on our collective self can benefit us.<br /> <br />Many of us will assert that they are not pessimist. That maybe the case, but first we must analyze ourselves and our thinking patterns before jumping to conclusions. Pessimism maybe present in its most dangerous form, its unconscious form. Often people who have pessimistic approach are not even aware that they are pessimistic. This goes for our intellectuals too.<br /><br />Pessimism leads us to nowhere. It’s a force of friction against our individual and national goals. This force must be identified and must be destroyed with hope and patience.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-72437863299538504022009-11-14T12:14:00.000-08:002009-11-15T10:28:09.198-08:00To the people of PakistanHey you!... Yes you Mr. Pakistani... I want to say something to you:<br /><br />Surprised that someone called you Pakistani? Have you ever felt like being a "Pakistani" instead of being Punjabi, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pushtun</span></span></span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Balochi</span></span></span>, Sindhi? Do you know how does it feel when you consider yourself a Pakistani? You must learn that.<br /><br />I know you will ask, Why?<br /><br />I've been examining your actions and thoughts since years now and I must comment that there is much incongruity in what you wish and what you do.<br /><br />You wish that law and order situation should be stable, then why don't you just respect law? Why do you break that traffic signal almost every day when you drive? Why do you bribe officials to get your work done? Why you never vote honestly?<br /><br />You wish that poverty should end, then why do you want to accumulate wealth for yourself? Why you never try to help people? If you think that people of Pakistan should do that then why just you don't play your own part?<br /><br />You wish to be independent of any foreign influence, then why do you just improve yourself so that you don't have to beg for help?<br /><br />You wish that the problems which Pakistan is facing must end, then why you don't solve them? or just <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">at least</span> try? Why you always complain? Why never you complain for your own inaction?<br /><br />I know why, and I can tell you the secret.<br /><br />This is because, you never feel like Pakistani. You never feel that Pakistan is your nation. You never talk to yourself like I'm talking to myself right now.<br /><br />Just once, feel the nation we are !!Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-52377607013115365362009-10-06T22:22:00.000-07:002009-10-06T23:35:03.769-07:00Excessive CriticismCriticising is seen as a tool for improvement. When someone criticises, you try to take it positively and build upon his observations. But should there be any limit to criticism?<br /><br />While reading history, I found out that East has been excessively criticised. By this, the "positive" side of the history of East faded away. Take the history of Islam, there are many western writers who would make you feel that Islam is some kind of "evil tendency". Even, atheists have criticised God so much that they deprived themselves of religion. Off course, attitude of criticising excessively makes you feel like "This world is false".<br /><br />I am not against criticism, but I don't agree with criticising something so much that it loses grains of truth. The thing being criticised should not become the mythical "absolute villain". An honest analysis must acknowledge both positive and negative sides of the picture.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-22143168809954067742009-06-30T07:22:00.000-07:002009-06-30T08:08:50.559-07:00Trade and SpiritualityCommercialism has become notorious among many people nowadays. Poeple have started associating negative conotations with the term "commercial". But is doing trade and being commercial really something bad?<br /><br />Answer lies in our perception of business. Since ancient world, it is in the basic nature of man to try everything he can to fulfill his needs. Man has been doing trade since ages and we all know that he will continue, because he has to satisfy what he considers as basic need of his life. Here, we all have to agree that trade and business will continue with the existence of man. Should we assign negative connotations with something very basic to human?<br /><br />If we reflect on this, then there remains only one reason for attaching negative connotations to commercialism: The <em>way</em> business is done is questionable. But, can't we improve it?<br /><br />A businessman is very central person for a nation. As, he's the one who supplies oil for the machinery of a nation. Concept of collective self should be introduced to businessmen first, so that he can trade for nation rather than himself.<br /><br />Alas! our corporate businessmen have become selfish and greedy. Exploitation of nation and its resources have become something normal. They can do anything to keep their pockets filled, even depriving someone from his/her life.<br /><br />When we trade it's obvious that the objective is to earn. Can't we do it in interest of our nation? Isn't there spirituality in such a trade in which interest of collective self is taken into account rather than individual self?<br /><br />If there is spirituality in serving humanity, then there is spirituality also in business which serves humanity.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-79967154525016992812009-06-20T10:23:00.000-07:002009-06-20T11:56:44.159-07:00Brain drainMy friend was arguing with me about job opportunities offered in Pakistan. According to him, it is very much rational to leave Pakistan after receiving education. I was listening quietly and smiling. My imaginations led me to all the moments I've spent in Pakistan. The problems, reliefs, joy, sadness, people and my relations with them, all emerged in a complex form in my imaginations. Suddenly, I realised that he stopped talking and now it was my turn to say something. I said, "I love my country and I can't leave it permanently". He smiled and said, "You're a Kid"<br /><br />I'm certainly a kid. A child who is still attached with his mother land. Or rather, a native who loves his nation. If loving is immaturity then I'm proudly immature. But my heart says that loving one's country and nation is a moral value which we all must acquire. Those educated people who leave the country instead of serving it, are like children who leave their parents alone when they get mature. But it's not that this always benefits them. Many of them face identity crisis in foreign countries.<br /><br />I quote here a song sung by Mehdi hassan and written by Masroor Anwar. You might have listened to it, perhaps many times. But now, read it as if the spirit of our nation is complaining to the people who left it and settled abroad.<br /><br />mujhe tum nazar se giraa to rahe ho<br />mujhe tum kabhi bhi bhulaa na sakoge<br />na jaane mujhe kyuN yaqin ho chalaa hai<br />mere pyaar ko tum miTaa na sakoge<br /><br />meri yaad hogi jidhar jaaoge tum<br />kabhi nagmaa banke, kabhi banke aaNsoo<br />tadaptaa mujhe har taraf paaoge tum<br />shamaa jo jalaayee hai meri vafaa ne<br />bujhaana bhi chaaho bujhaa na sakoge<br /><br />kabhi naam baanton mein aayaa jo meraa<br />to bechain ho ho ke dil thaam loge<br />nigaahon mein chhaayegaa gham kaa andhera<br />kisi ne jo poochhaa sabab aansuon kaa<br />bataanaa bhi chaaho bataa na sakoge<br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.hindilyrics.net/translation-Doraha-(Pakistani)/Mujhe-Tum-Nazar-Se.html">here</a> for english translation of this songRehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-87399208962655165822009-06-10T09:11:00.000-07:002009-06-13T11:12:22.388-07:00Unconscious mind and Collective SelfA writer, although conscious by every definition of consciousness, is not free from unconscious writings. This is an experience of my life for which I had to leave my province for the first time in life and go to Lahore in order to attend Young Leaders Conference 2007.<br /><br />It was a six-days conference. We spent first three days in PC hotel Lahore. At the end of first day, we were given an assignment to prepare a drama. The objective of drama was to show how we see our country in future. Drama was to be performed on the third day. We had a group of fifteen and I knew that none was much interested in dramatics except me. As the first day was very tiring, we had to leave the preparation of drama for the second day.<br /><br />But the second day of the conference was very busy. We were not able to take out time and when activities of the day were over, we started discussing about the drama at 1:30 a.m approx.<br /><br />They didn't know it, but I had a surprise drama for them in my bag. I wrote it during one of the lecture sessions of second day. It was story of a person who seeks revolution, but for that he had to recognise his own self, and then he starts communicating his ideas to other people. In the process of communication, he dies. I quote some initial lines of this drama (It was a kind of drama where poetry is narrated in the background with silent acting on stage) :<br /><br /><em>Main tha iss jahaN meiN zinda</em><br /><em>Jaisey koi masoom darinda</em><br /><em>Har pal thi koshish jeeney ki</em><br /><em>Jaam-e-duniya ko peeney ki</em><br /><em>Ek mor aya</em><br /><em>MaiN behek gaya</em><br /><br />By this, one can easily get the impression how I used to see the world, that is, false and unimportant. I used to give importance to my inner-self only.<br /><br />The group discussed about what to do, till 2:15 approx with no conclusion. I was silent. There was a flaw in my drama..... It didn't show how the future will be, instead it showed how to transform ourselves to a better future, according to my perception at that time.<br /><br />Well, I spoke and took the drama out of my bag. Read it. They all clapped after I finished. But one group member identified the flaw in the drama: It didn't fulfil the purpose. They all liked the drama, but they all agreed that we had to amend it a bit to allign it with our purpose. They all agreed that the protagonist should not die in the end as it is depressing.<br /><br />Time was running fast, at 3:10 a.m, I took permission from my group to leave them and go to my room, as I needed some silence to write a new drama for them. They reluctantly gave me permission. I promised I will return after half an hour.<br /><br />After half an hour at 3:40 a.m, I returned with a half finished drama. I read the lines I've written and requested them to give me ten minutes more to complete the drama. After listening the unfinished drama, they all clapped more encouragingly than before, even at that hour of morning when they were really sleepy. They all accepted my drama. Initial lines of this drama are as follows:<br /><br /><em>Ek qaum ho aisi, jaani pehchani</em><br /><em>Jis par barasti hoN rehmateN aasmani</em><br /><em>Jo kisi ke khwaaboN se kam na ho</em><br /><em>Jo kisi ke rokney se khatam na ho</em><br /><br />Our drama got much appreciation next day when we performed it.<br /><br />But, this drama is really a mysterious text. Concept of "qaum" (Nation) was there, and it was "jaani pehchani" (already known). It's written that it confirms to "Kisi ke khwabon" (Anybody's/Somebody's dreams). I never dreamed of any such nation. Then who did? Iqbal?? Our nation?<br /><br />The second drama was certainly not made up of my ideas. Those ideas were unconscious. I believe every Pakistani writer has such ideas, they can only be explored through <em>interaction with people of Pakistan</em>. I wrote that drama just because I had to confirm to the ideas of my group members. If we start interacting with people of our nation, these ideas will automatically emerge in our writings.<br /><br />Our unconscious mind already has the idea of Collective Self. It just needs exploring itself through interaction with people of our nation.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-60206090059543188512009-06-08T02:18:00.000-07:002009-06-09T02:36:49.802-07:00The Conference of the Birds - Simurgh portrayed by Attar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzZ2DtOC9NhQUbPL-u7EpKTuSPZ8_omwcOmgBv4Kz-PNBFXDddT5m8MmxzYt_RhlFupJXsVz9qXzh9pIBmovd-1R5dxg8ri8VdyTX8S_7DHEV7L7T0xX_bmYLJDK9164uKnRQCzyHSS0/s1600-h/art.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344910868681928610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 204px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzZ2DtOC9NhQUbPL-u7EpKTuSPZ8_omwcOmgBv4Kz-PNBFXDddT5m8MmxzYt_RhlFupJXsVz9qXzh9pIBmovd-1R5dxg8ri8VdyTX8S_7DHEV7L7T0xX_bmYLJDK9164uKnRQCzyHSS0/s320/art.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>What is Simurgh? This is the first question which comes to a visitor's mind while visiting my page (If the person doesn't have any prior knowledge about it). So today I introduce Simurgh to such readers.</div><br /><div></div><div>Simurgh is a mysterious, benevolent, mythical flying creature in Iranian mythology. A reference to Simurgh is found in the poem "The Conference of the Birds" (Mantiq at-Tayr) written by Sheikh Farid ud-din Attar (born 1145-46 in Nishapur – died c. 1221) . To understand Simurgh as portrayed by Attar, we first have to know the story as constructed in this poem. Here is a short summary:</div><br /><div></div><div>Birds of the world hold a conference to search for their king, as they have no leader. The hoopoe encourages them to the quest to find their king, called "Simurgh", who lives behind the far-away mountains of Kaf. Soon, under the guidance of hoopoe, a group of birds start a journey to find Simurgh.</div><br /><div></div><div>But the journey comes out to be very difficult. They pass through seven valleys, namely:</div><br /><div></div><div>1) Aban (Flash) (or "Talab" which means Quest)</div><div>2) Ishq (Love) </div><div>3) Marifat (Gnosis) </div><div>4) Istighnah (Detachment) </div><div>5) Tawheed (Unity) </div><div>6) Hayrat (Bewilderment)</div><div>7) Fuqur o Fana (Selflessness and Oblivion)</div><br /><div></div><div>In each of these stages, there are several events by which the birds learn different lessons. One by one, in each of these valleys, birds give up the journey, not being able to endure it. Only thirty birds are left when they cross their final valley and reach the land of Simurgh. There, only what they see is their own reflection in a lake, and not the mythical Simurgh.</div><br /><div></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">There in the Simorgh's radiant face they saw</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Themselves, the Simorgh of the world - with awe</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">They gazed, and dared at last to comprehend</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">They were the Simorgh and the journey's end.</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">They see the Simorgh - at themselves they stare,</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">And see a second Simorgh standing there;</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">They look at both and see the two are one,</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">That this is that, that this, the goal is won.</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">They ask (but inwardly; they make no sound)</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The meaning of these mysteries that confound</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Their puzzled ignorance - how is it true</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">That 'we' is not distinguished here from 'you'?</span></em></div><br /><div></div><div>As "Si" means thirty and "Murgh" means birds in Persian, so Si-murgh means Thirty Birds. Interestingly, these birds found their king in their Collective Self. This Collective Self appears when one and many are the same thing.</div><br /><div></div><div>(The above summary has been made with help of wikipedia and free texts available online. <a href="http://www.geocities.com/zeeshanhasan/birds.html">Translation</a> quoted is by Afkham Darbandi and Dick Davis)</div>Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-82558789448295379312009-06-01T02:51:00.000-07:002009-06-01T04:09:52.170-07:00Thoughts about Simurgh"Simorgh is where one and many are the same thing", writes Khurram Ali Shafique while commenting on one of my blogs. As recently this concept of Collective Self is penetrating into me more than any other idea, I have started thinking futher into it. Is it just another concept which is "too Idealistic", or is there a practical side of it too? I tried to think about this concept, and here are my thoughts regarding it:<br /><br />1) If our collective self and individual self become the same thing, then we might be sharing similar problems. Problems of the nation will be problems of an individual layman who belongs to it. But my question is: Is that possible? A mad example comes to my mind: When electricity load shedding increases, individual person and nation both suffer. But this is also an ideal thought, as we can see all of us don't have same level of electricity load shedding, and there might be areas in Pakistan where there might be no electricity. So I'm left with no examples still in place where nation and individual suffer the same.<br /><br />2) Nation and Individual might be having similar interests, where individual interest will lie in the interest of nation. I've thought about this concept, but well I don't see any example of it really existing. An increase in taxation rate might be good for nation overall, but individual suffers.<br /><br />3) There will be consensus, but this consensus is a different concept from democracy. Where democracy exits, there is rule of majority. But consensus implies that there is absolute consent of the whole nation. This again sounds something, which cannot be seen in today's world till yet.<br /><br />There is so much of Idealism hidden in the concept of Simurgh. Even sometimes I fear that this kind of unity can only exist in theories. <br /><br />When I think about this too much, there is only one light that shines in my mind. Perhaps if we <em>float</em> this concept, only then we will be able to attain such a state of Collective Self. Becuase if this concept will become popular, we will start <em>feeling</em> like one nation and that may cause ourselves to become something near to Simurgh.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-14546395844787282632009-05-25T12:57:00.000-07:002009-05-25T14:04:19.219-07:00Ghost of my pastToday "Past" is being regarded as something unimportant. People float quotations which <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">advise</span> to avoid what happened, just focus on today and don't care about future <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">because</span> it is uncertain. But I regard 'past' a very important aspect of life. Reasons for this are as follows:<br /><br />If we just avoid or forget what happened, how will we be able to learn from it? We will just be repeating our mistakes. This is basic defence which historians have used to justify importance of history. I too respect it. But I have one more point: We are product of our past. I am a product of my past. The only reason I don't have much close friends is because people are not interested in knowing my past. They just know a detached me, detached from what happened with me. They like to be friends with what I am today, without regard of what I was before. They make their opinion about me by how I "appear" today and not what I really am. Off course, my real personality can only be understood by my past.<br /><br />Secondly, If we live for today only, and ignore future, we will only be ruining future. Maybe future is more important than today, and maybe we can only know about future through past. This point may appear very superficial for some, but well, I must admit that I believe, sometimes only analyzing past can make you understand what can happen in future.<br /><br />Third reason, which perhaps applies to me only, is my imagination. My imaginations are full of memories about my past. So strong are my imaginations that I have started living in them and not in this world. They are more real to me than the world which appears in front of me. Sometimes, my dreams also show me what I might have forgotten. How can people know me without being introduced to my imaginations? Its not possible. And all my imaginations are nothing but creative mixtures of my past. When I say I live in my imaginations, it also goes with it that I live in my past memories and their mixtures. So without being introduced to my past, you cannot be introduced to my imaginations and so you cannot be introduced to me.<br /><br />I must say, my past is a ghost for me, but this ghost is part of my existence.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-61353658345224145612008-12-28T11:40:00.000-08:002008-12-28T12:32:55.929-08:00It's OKSome people may laugh about the topic, but I just say "It's ok". Some words are very important for our lives but we don't acknowledge them. When a friend places his hand on your shoulders and says "It's ok", when a mother shows her sympathy to broken dreams of her son/daughter and says "it's ok", when you have nothing to say about someone's sadness, depression and frustration and you say "it's ok", it really becomes ok. Because by saying these words you assure that all these circumstances are just for now and temporary. You incorporate the Godly messege with your "it's ok" that "Don't worry, these are just tests which you have to pass, and failure in this temporary world doesn't matter much." By saying these words, you assure your own presence and also remind that your presence is much more important than the circumstances. So, the problem is half solved. Have you ever imagined these not-to-be-acknowledged words can solve your problems that much? It's good if you have, but if not, It's ok. :)Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-88110925875070371172008-12-26T08:25:00.000-08:002008-12-26T08:26:58.234-08:00Love ReinstatedLove. “The ideal which can’t be achieved”, “Only found in good novels and bad movies”, “Never to be believed in”…<br />These are the approaches which we have now adopted by assessing the appearances of reality.<br /><br />This thing, which we don’t believe, first originates in the eyes of mother when a person is born. This “ideal” thing goes parallel with the existence of human in the early stages of his life. Then, this “not to be believed in” thing is transferred to human, and he starts feeling the same for his/her parents. Then it grows for friends. One day, it evolves as energy for a special someone. No matter what happens this energy remains even in the most adverse of the circumstances. When a person starts a relationship, it then takes a form of bonding. Then it automatically reaches its peak for the children.<br /><br />Alas! We have started thinking differently. I must show you the difference before I give reasons for the same.<br /><br />When a mother loves her child, we say “It is her duty”, or “Every mother does it nothing special”. When the child grows, he loves his parents; we say “Every child is attached to parents nothing special”. When a person loves his friends, we say “It will stop obviously with time or with loss of common grounds between them”. When it evolves as a special energy for someone, it is not acknowledged, it is mixed with lust / attraction. Then after a person is committed to a relationship, he laments that he is committed. When a person has children, he thinks that he just have to fulfill his duties.<br /><br />Well, I know above statements are not true for every circumstance, as energy of love is still felt by the humans, although with diminished frequency.<br /><br />The main reason why Love left us, or why we left Love, is that we stopped believing in it. We have started criticizing everything which has no appearance to our senses. Love, which emerges in the hearts of people who believe in it, is gone away from world as people have started criticizing its existence. We have become people of senses. It is not that we should leave our senses and start believing every superficial thing, but we must remember that superficial exists. Every human has mystical experiences which he can easily point out in his life. But he seldom acknowledges them.<br /><br />God, and God’s love is also superficial. It never appears but gives signs of its existence. If this form of Love exists then every other form also exists. Love for humans is just a derivation from Love for God.<br /><br />“Love doesn’t exist”, it is a normal statement by an adult who falls in adverse circumstances. Yes, Love doesn’t exist because you mix it with your need for relationships. Love doesn’t exist as you lament on its existence when circumstances are adverse. You think Love will give you something. Yes it will. But a superficial thing can just give you feelings. It is not an investment from which you seek return. It exists if you continue to believe in it. Just as God is always there for those who believe in him.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6469340316012657994.post-67968525382904894322008-12-25T11:19:00.000-08:002008-12-25T12:05:09.921-08:00The conversion from Raja Gidh to Simurgh.....The pessimism, the depression, the sadness in me takes a new form now. Please don't take is as an end, it is not. It has taken a new form and it will grow. I knew it as a bird, who used to live within me. I used to call it "Raja Gidh" (King of Vultures). I thought it is a vulture, as it always reminded me of my past, always reminded me of what is dead. It derived pleasure from past memories and lamented on their non-existance in present. Whenever i asked it, "Why do you think there's pleasure in pain?". It said,"I don't know". Maybe, it was Raja Gidh because it didn't know.<br /><br />But now, it knows that it is a part of a greater reality. Now it knows that it must end in hope, it must end in optimism, it must end in beauty. Now it knows that it is not alone. Now it knows that it is not what it thought it is. It is not king of vultures. It has a Collective Self which includes its own individual self. It is "Simurgh" (means 30 Birds as defined by Attar in "The Conference of the birds"). The Simurgh within me is now growing, and is identifying its parts in other individual selves. Maybe it should make them realize that they exist within it, but this collective self is never short of hope. The tool which must be used is the language of those individual selves, but the idea must be of the collective self.Rehan Damanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15955660683633112494noreply@blogger.com8