illusion of right and who created who

Nazir Uddin Khan, International Poetry Hall of Fame

miracle

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.

- Phillips Brooks

From Word of the Day http://www.gratefulness.org/word/index.htm

Union and Separation

There's no Union without the abilility to feel the pain of separation.

- Sri Guru Granth Sahib

There Should be ...

There Should be. . .

A Ghazel (#3144) by RUMI

Translated by Helminski & Rizwani

There should be a shore to our ocean,
There should be some rest on this journey.

The lion of the forest is in chains,
Lions should be out there in the meadows.

Fish are throbbing on the sands,
There should be a way to the river.

The intoxicated nightingale is dead drunk,
She should be singing in a rose garden and a verdant meadow.

Vision is tired of this dust,
There should be new lessons for our eyes.

And for each of these children eating mud,
There should be a kind foster mother.

The way is lost toward the life-giving water,
There should be Khidr to discover a Fountain of Life.

The heart is in remorse for what has passed,
This new year's heart should be happy with the last year.

There is a scarcity of Sun in this city,
We should see the shadows cast by the Divine Sun.

The town has become packed with dung worshippers,
There should be musk from the musk deer of Tartary.

No one discerns the musk from the dung,
Some musk should be spread around.

Too many seek for childish dominion,
There should be an unwavering Dominion.

As long as death is in ambush, day is like night;
There should be a real day to our night.

When you die, this artistry of yours will die too,
You should be ashamed of these arts of yours.

If we are clutched by the hands of this banal world,
We should take the hands of our Beloved, instead.

Profit seekers are far too many,
There should be seekers of God Almighty.

There are only a limited number of breaths left;
There should be infinite Breath.
The Breath of God from Yemen Should be blowing over all creatures.

Death is tending a cauldron for us,
That stew should be palatable to us.

Since remembering death averts death,
At every moment there should be this remembrance.

Any moment hundreds of biers may pass by,
The eyes should be contrite.

The kingdoms decayed and the kings are gone,
There should be an everlasting Kingdom.

Intelligence was chained and vanity unloosed,
But intelligence should have the right to choose. . .

Ears are closed, so close the lips,
There should be earrings fashioned from wisdom.
And for the metaphors of Shams of Tabriz
There should be an interpretation beyond all concepts.

Notes:
There is a myth that says Khidr and Alexander set out in search of the Water of Life but of the two only Khidr managed to find the Fountain and drink from it.

Referring to the hadith related from the Holy Prophet as saying, "I perceive the Breath of the Merciful from Yemen." [Meaning the presence of Uways Qarani there.]

Army Captain's Idea blossoms in Afghanistan

A positive story from Afghanistan..
Army Captain's Idea blossoms in Afghanistan

A carrot, an egg and a cup of coffee...

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity ... boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed…THE WATER.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water,the very circumstance that brings the pain when the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

from Positive News Weekly of Mr. Positive
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a man with big heart and 100 friends

Check out Marc Gold's work as he collects donations from friends and goes to third world and helps needy people himself.

http://www.100friends.com

Expectations

Expectations:

It is important that one understands the human mind, the truth of the matter is that we all have expectations regardless of what we say. The mind is structured that it cannotwork without expectation of fruits or anticipation of rewards for actions. Ifyou smile when you meet your friend, you expect a smile in return. If you give a gift to somebody, you expect something in return. If you say hello to someone,you expect him/her to salute you in return. For the majority at least.. BUT WE MUST FIGHT IT. As I walk trough the journey of life, I have learned that it is important to train the mind to work disinterestedly. We must allow to discipline the mind withpatience and perseverance. Worldly-minded people cannot understand the spirit ofunselfishness as their minds are charged with continuance motives and impurities. It is important to become unselfish and to do things for other that may not benefit you in return. You must purify your mind and soul. The world is nothing but manifestation of God. You must try to perform motiveless duties at all times.