The conference of the Birds! (Mantiq-ut-Tayr)

Peechli aik post (Zafar Sahab - an encounter with a sufi) main Fariddudin Attar ki kitab 'Manṭiq-uṭ-Ṭayr' ka zikar aaya tha. "Persian sufi poetry" ka ye Shahkar bhi kamal ka hai. Mujeh to english translation parhna para. 

Its a very interesting read with theme of wahadtul wajood.

30 birds decides to go and find the perfect bird called Simorgh. Its double meaning. Simorgh itself literary translates to 30 birds but also it is the name of the world's most beautiful bird.

Their destination is hurdled with seven rivers named

1. Talab (to crave), 
2. Eshq (unconditional Love), 
3. Marifat (understanding), 
4. Istighnah (to get detach/isolate), 
5. Tawheed (uniqueness of All mighty),
6. Hayrat (Surprise) and, 
7. Fana (Get dissolve in God)

This large transcript is marked by small sufi tales in between which really makes the whole work spicy.

At the end when these 30 birds reached their destination, they learned that actually they all together make Simorgh! This can be explained beautifully and precisely by Ghalib's couplet

hota hai nihaaN gard main sehra mere hote 
ghista hai jabeeN khak pe darya mere aage

Mohabbat

Mohabbat ke jazbe main payedarii ho na ho, magar gherayii bohat hai

(Love may not have eternity but it has immense integrity)

Life's dirt

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. 

"Piyar Kerte Raho"

What a classic read by Zia Mohiuddin of Adeel Zaidi poem

Link: http://youtu.be/4pBhvUUFhB8

Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen's new movie "Blue Jasmine" is a sweet bitter taste of life! Woody Allen is a legend and the way he did this movie, speaks of his genius!

Plot of the movie revolves around a neurotically anxious woman who once enjoyed the status of high elite New York society and suddenly events throw her down to nothingness. She has to move to west coast (a touch in directorship of 2 extremes coasts!) to live with her relatively low socio-economic class sister (ginger), who works as a cashier in a grocery store!

Movie demonstrates to us that how easily material well being can make us blind to phoniness of relationships (Relationship of Jasmine and her husband). But side notes in movie are as interesting as the main theme, like sometime we get second chance in life but we blew that too with fear of not speaking truth (Jasmine breaking up with ambitious but gentle wanna be a congressman) - and - how sometime we can stray away from true love under craze/haze of a new found person (Ginger sleeping with a guy she met in a party) - and - how 2 people can make up again!!! (Ginger getting back with her guy).

It was very touchy when Ginger's ex-husband said to Jasmine: "Its not easy for some people to put everything behind and move on in life"!

You should read NY TImes review: Pride Stays, Even After the Fall (or here)

Its a movie you may like to see  : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FER3C394aI8

Others: 

1. "JOBS" turned out to be an unimpressive work though Ashton Kutcher did a remarkable job playing Steve Jobs. 

2.  Shah Rukh's 'Chennai Express' is a pure fun flick - 'aik dam paisa wasool masala picture'.
3. Jennifer Aniston's "We are the Millers" is just waste of time and money! I don't think, it was even funny

3 KahawataiN

1. Dunya pas-e-marg-e-maa, cheh darya wa cheh sarab 
(Once I am dead, Would it even matter if the world is a river or a mirage?)

2. Khuda ya to de ke aazmata hai, ya phir le ke aazmata hai!
(All mighty tests either by giving to us or by taking from us)

3. Insaan ki sachchai - uska hamsaya, hamsafar, ya uske saath karobar kerne wala hi jaanta hai
(Human's true character is only known by his neighbor, co-traveller or a business partner)

On "Used Textbooks"

There was a time in my life, when my parents didn't have enough money. We used to get one uniform and one shoes per year. We used to borrow used textbooks from friends in upper class by exchanging it with their siblings in lower class.

It was in 7th class when one day while having a math test, Sir Zaheer asked us to use reference formula from the back of the book. I failed as reference page for formulae was missing from my book.

That day Sir Zaheer said: "Son! Never get 'used textbooks'. I understand it costs money but it is not a good habit for 3 reasons. First, it may be outdated. Second, it may have missing pages but lastly and most importantly, it may take away your psychological craving of conquering new book as old textbooks do not carry the charm, smell and curiosity of hidden treasure".

I never believed that - but now I do. As someone told me once: "Fortunate is the man who holds a virgin woman, built his own house and smells pages of a new book".

Poverty Sucks!

Rishtey!

"Jab rishton main ye sawal aane shuru ho jaayaiN ke mera kiya faida? - to behtar hai woh rishta na banay! - kiunke rishtoN main to kabhi kisi ka faida nahi hota. Har koi aik aag main jalta hai - magar phir bhi ham rishtoN ka tana-bana is liye bunte hain - kiun ke hamari ruhoN ka khameer inhi rishtoN se gondha gaya hai".

Anguthi

"To jab Larki ne tumhe anguthi wapas ki to tum ne kiya kiya?"

"Rakh to sakta nahi tha, kisi aur ko bhi nahi de sakta tha.......Pehle socha phenk dun - phir McDonald ke aik 'charity box' main daal di"!

Lubna

(Following post carry some sexual content. Please leave if it bothers you)

(Recently while cleaning my old papers, I recovered a Birthday card)


Zindagi main kuch log bohat thore arse ke liye milte hain magar gehre naqoosh chor jaate hain.

Lubna se mera 'interaction' ba-mushkil 3 ya 4 mahine raha hoga. Ye 2006 ki baat hai. Tab woh Minnesota main hoti thi. Ab woh kahan hai - iska mujhe ilm nahi.

Woh mujhe pehli baar internet pe kisi Urdu literature forum pe mili thi. Usi ki hawale se main ne pehli baar naye shayeroN ko parhna shuru kiya - jin main Wasi Shah, Basheer Badar aur Farhat Abbas Shah qabile-zikar the. Usne mujhe in shayeroN ki kai nazmain email ki (jo ab bhi mere paas mehfooz hain)

Phir hamari messenger pe chat hone lagi. Jab use yaqeen ho gaya ke main aik normal aadmi hun to usse meri phone pe bhi baat hone lagi.

Lubna 3 saal pehle student visa pe Pakistan se aayi thi. Yahan bhai ke saath rehti thi.

Jab pehli baar main ne Lubna se kaha ke main use 'cam' pe dekhna chahta hun to usne inkaar ker diya. Usne kaha: "Main bohat badsurat larki hun. Meri umar 28 saal ho gai hai, magar aaj tak kisi mard ne mujeh pe nazar nahi daali. Tarah tarah ke namoN se pukari jaati hun. Pakistan main Koi 'kaali moti bhens' kehta tha. Koi 'atom bomb' kehta tha. Aur yahan bhi angrezi ke achhe achhe khitab milte hain".

Magar mere israr kerne pe us ne apna 'cam' on ker diya. Lubna khubsurat na ho - magar bilkul badsurat bhi nahi thi. Main ne use yaqeen dilya ke: "She is fine"! Mere 'encouraging remarks' se usko kafi dharas mili - aur woh mere se kaafi qareeb ho gai, aur kuch dinoN main hamari kafi 'frank friendship' ho gai!

Aik din raat ke 2 baje 'chat' itni frank ho gai - ke - 'we start talking about sex'. Mujhe uske kai sawaloN pe bari hansi bhi aai ke uski 'sex' ki maalumat aur tajarba 'sifar bata sifar' tha. Meri har baat per woh hairat se chat pe likhti: "Oh mera khuda! aesa bhi hota hai"!

(later I learned - it is called cyber sex in modern world - kind of funny term)

Phir agle 2 dinoN main ye 'chat' kai hadain aboor ker gai! - aur phir aik din - in the heat of erotic conversation - she almost get naked in front of cam!

Aur phir aik dam se chat aur cam off ho gaya!

Dusre din usne phone bhi nahi uthaya - aur phir uska woh phone bhi disconnect ho gaya - aur email account cancel ho gaya!

Is baat ko do mahine guzar gaye - meri saalgirah ke din mujeh Lubna ka birthday card mila. Card main usual wishes ke saath - aik chota sa letter tha. Bari nafees writing main likha tha:

"Aurat bari bewaqoof hoti hai. Woh saari zindagi 'attention' aur 'acknowledgment' chahti hai.
Jo pehla mard use ye dene main kamyab ho jaaye, uske liye woh apne kapre bhi utar deti thi.
 - I am not proud of what I did, but I have no regret either! Happy Birthday".

Lubna ki ye baat main kabhi nahi bhulunga!

Gay and Lesbian Love!

'Gay aur Lesbains' ki hame samjh nahi aa sakti, kiunke hum un jese nahi. Mere liye ye baat hamesha aik mu'amma hi rahi.

Jo kahani likhne ja raha hun, woh mere liye aik film ki tarah hai. Main sirf aik 'viewer' tha.

Chicago main second year ki residency main roommates se tang aa ker main ne apna alag studio le liya. Mere peeche wali building main 2 apartments the. Aik main aik young ABCD Pakistani larka/larki couple (call them A and B) rehta tha. Dusre main larki ka cousin apne roommate ke saath rehta tha (call them X and Y).

Larka/Larki ka couple bhi ajeeb tha. Sarak pe khare ho ker bos-o-kinar kerte. Har sham bahoN  main bahaiN daale walk kerte.  Couple aik dusre se jitna piyar kerte the, saath ke dono 'boys' (X n Y) itna hi larte rehte the. Main un dono larkoN ko aksar bus stop ya neeche store pe larte dekhta. Aik larka guitar bajata tha. Dusre ka mujhe ilm nahi.

Main FOB tha. ABCDs ki mujhe samajh nahi aati thi.  Meri shuru main unse 'Hi Hello' bas rasmi si thi magar phir kuch kuch dosti ho chali thi.

Mere apartment ki peechli khirki un ABCDs ki peechli khirki ke saamne khulti thi. woh aik floor neeche rehte the. Buildings ke beech choti si back alley thi. Couple (A and B) ki khirki hamesah khuli rehti. Unko privacy se koi sarokaar na tha. Magar dono larkoN (X and Y) ki khirki hamesha band rehti. 

Aik din main hospital se wapas aaya to larki TV pe kuch dekh rahi thi. Woh topless thi aur apne nipples se play ker rahi thi (I assume she was watching porn). Chicago ki sardiaN thi. Andhera ho chala tha. Main ne apne apartments ki lights off ki aur 'show' dekhne laga. Itne main larki ka boyfriend/Husband (Mr. B) aa gaya. ... I watched their live lovemaking.

Mere liye ye sab abnormal tha - magar unke liye normal tha!

Kuch dinoN baad unko kahiN se pata laga, main Pakistan ja raha hun. Larki ne mujh se kaha, meri aik dost ki shadi hai. Tum uski Diamond ki ring Pakistan se la sako ge? Main ne kaha le aaun ga. 

[Main Rebecca (here) ke liye larkioN wala saman laane hi wala tha.]

Main Pakistan se wapas aaya to pata laga larki ke bhai (Mr. X) ne 'suicide attempt' kiya hai - aur hospital main hai. .. Tab mujhe pata laga woh larka aur uska roomate Gay the - aur laraii bhi isi baat pe hoti thi ke us ka lover/roommate kisi aur larke ke ishq main girafter tha.

Aur main jis larki ke liye anghuti laya tha - uski engagement bhi aik larki se honi thi - jab mujhe 'izharre tashakkur', choti si ceremony main invite kiya gaya. Meri laai hui anghuti larki ne larki ko pehnaii. Wahan bohat se gay aur lesbian larke larkian the.

Mere liye ye sab kuch bohat naya tha. Main us raat apne bed pe leta sochta raha - ye kese rishte hain - jo unke liye bikul normal hain - aur hamare liye bilkul abnormal? Ye saare ke saare larke larkiyan achhe aur khubsurat inssan the  - phir ye kiun?

I came to conclusion - I would never be able to explain this - I just need to accept them and treat them like other humans.

On 'Organized Religions'

One miracle which 'Organized Religions' like Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam etc. hold against any other political or mass movement in known human memory is their persistence to survive and thrive!

It may be to the notion that believe in super being is a psychological need of every human but despite that 'organised religions' stood well against many other such phenomenons like magics, Vodoo etc. etc.

The way Islam spread within short period of 23 years from a tiny nowhere place or Buddhism came from one person or Christianity erupted from one event of crucifiction  is mind boggling and in a way speak of truthfulness itself.

Dua!

(At Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, Montreal)

"Kiya ye baat sach ho gi ke is church ki seerhioN pe ghutoN ke bal chal ker jaao to har Dua qabool hoti hai?"

"Ye to maloom nahi ke Dua qabool hoti hai ya nahi - magar Dua maangne wale ko ye yaqeen zaroor ho jaata hai ke - main ne apne 'loved one' ke liye woh sab kuch kiya jo mere bas main tha"!

An encounter with one Sufi (Zafar Sahab)

(I am posting following as an event of life. I never took things very seriously as described to me here. But I should attest that many things predicted here came true in my life. Whenever I had any good success in worldly affairs/profession - I recalled Zafar Sahab. Sorry for little lengthy post.)



Ab tak ye sab ya to qisse khanioN main parha tha ya buzurgoN ki zabani suna tha. 

Zafar sahab se meri mulaqat Karachi main hui. Woh cousin ki dukan pe koi cheez lene aaye the. Unke haat main Fareedudin Attar ki 'Mantiq-ut-Tayr' (The Conference of the Birds) thi. Main ne shoq zahir kiya to bole: "Rakh lo mian! Shayed tumhare liye hi bheji gai hai!"

UnhoN ne bataya, unke gareeb khane pe har jumeraat mehfil hoti hai. Main kabhi kabhi wahan jaane laga. WahiN unke sufiana silsile ke kuch logoN se mulaqat hui. 

Main duniya bhar ka 'jhap jhaliya' sirf 'curious' tha! Mujhe Allah se wisal ki na kabhi aarzoo hui aur na walion ke qissoN ne mujhe kabhi mashoor kiya! 

Zafar sahab - saaf suthri wazaa ke aadmi thi. British civil service ka asar tha is liye angrezi ziyada bolte the! Kahin se andaza nai hota tha ke sufism ke raaste ke musafir hain. UnhoN ne kai baar chaha ke unke aastane pe 'regular' ho jaun - magar mujhe to Allah aur rasool ki zaat pe bhi shaq tha is liye dur rehta!

Phir main America aa gaya - unse taaluq kam ho gaya! Bohat baras beet gaye.

4 baras pehle Pakistan gaya to socha Zafar sahab se mil aaun. Bohat piyar se mile. Ye woh zamana tha jab gherulu halat aur bachhe ki pareshani se dimag ma'uf tha. Milte hi bole: "Hum na bulate to tum to kabhi is des na aate! Aao bahir sarak pe walk kerte hain". Mere bataye bagair kehne lage: ".Tumhari pareshani baja hai. Dekho! ye dukh sukh, ameeri gareebi, beemari sahet - sab dhoop chaun hai! Achha waqt bhi guzar jaata hai aur bura bhi. Rab ne tumhari ungli pakar rakhi hai, us pe bharosa kerna sikho".

Phir sufism pe baat hone lagi. Bole: "Tum bohat confuse lagte ho. Tumhara dimag Allah ko manta hai, magar dil ragib nahi hota. Tum Mirza Galib ki tarah 'la-ilaha' aur 'illal-lah' ke beech main muall'aq ho. Kaaba-o-kaleesa ki zad main ho."

Main ne poocha: "Kiya sufism Allah tak jaane ka short cut hai?"
Hasne lage, bole: "Allah tak jaane ka short cut to nahi - magar sab se ziyada 'comforting way' zaroor hai"

Main ne poocha: "Kiya sufi banne se aadmi maujize kerne lagta hai? Jese Hazrat Essa murdon ko zinda kerte the. Kiya insaan Hazrat Shams ki tarah paani pe chalne lagta hai"?

UnhoN ne jawab diya:  "Maujize kerne ki taqat behkawa, khilona aur rukawat hai. Us ke 'display' ki ijazat sirf khas halat main hai. Kai sufi, yogi aur achhe achhe Allah wale, is manzil pe aa ke ya to 'dabba pir' ban jaate hain, ya sab kuch ganwa dete hain."

Phir kafi der hum chup chap walk kerte rahe. Phir bole: "Main ne apne 'mursheed' se ijazat le li hai. Kiya tum koi maujiza dekh lo ge to aik baar koshish karo ge? Tum isi raaste ke aadmi ho. Bus therao ki kefiyat main ho." Main ne kaha waada raha. 

Woh kafi der mujhe dekhte rahe phir bole: "Is sarak pe jis jis gaari pe nazar daalo ge uska darwaza khul jaaye ga". Main aik ke baad aik 'car'  pe nazar daalta - aur uska darwaza aese khul jaata jese kisi ne bethne ke liye open kiya ho! Ye bhi aik ajab aalam tha. Mera dil bhara huwa tha aur aankhe laal thi. Hum chalte jaate aur gariaN khulti jaati. 

Kuch der baad sab kuch normal ho gaya. Meri zaban se sirf nikla: "WOW" 

(was it just an illusion like David Copperfield show?)

Main ne jab chalne ki i.jazat maangi to bole: "Ab ke wapas jao ge to tumhare naseeb main bohat kuch likha hai. Duniya bhi Deen bhi.  Jis cheez ki aarzoo kero ge saamne aa khari hogi. Magar aik baar Allah ke raaste ka muasafir ban ke dekho. Bohat aage jaao ge. Hazrat Owais Qarni tumhare mursheed-o-hadi hain. Tum se bohat piyar kerte hain."

Main ne sir hila diya (Yaqeen tab bhi nahi aaya)

Kuch arsa pehle Zafar sahab Karachi main faut  ho gaye - magar meri manzil abhi Josh Maleehabadi ke maslak se aage nahi gai!

Judge Not!

(I follow one intellectual elist where debate erupted on "Do Muslim festivals depend on sight-ability of moon or actual sighting of moon?" - and soon emotions took over and people start judging each other. Someone send a beautiful thing.)

I was shocked, confused, bewildered 
As I entered Heaven's door, 
Not by the beauty of it all, 
Nor the lights or its decor.. 

But it was the folks in Heaven 
Who made me sputter and gasp-- 
The thieves, the liars, the sinners, 
The alcoholics and the trash. 

There stood the kid from seventh grade 
Who swiped my lunch money twice. 
Next to him was my old neighbour 
Who never said anything nice. 

Herb, who I always thought 
Was rotting away in hell, 
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine, 
Looking incredibly well. 

I nudged God, 'What's the deal? 
I would love to hear Your take. 
How'd all these sinners get up here? 
You  must've made a mistake. 

'And why's everyone so quiet, 
So somber - give me a clue.' 
'Hush, child,' He
said, 'they're all in shock. 
No one thought they'd be seeing you.' 

Power of Silence!

My experience with hypnotism

If you are following this blog, you may know my previous obsession with para-psychology.

In context with the quest for reincarnation, I know a psychic and hypnotist friend who claims to take people to past lives.

As he made me sit comfortably at his eye level and asked me to relax my mind and start saying things that I don't remember - I saw myself standing at the bank of a river. Bank was high, about 50 feet from the ground. I was almost 70-75 years old. I was dressed in a white-creamish shirt with some dark-colored pants. I was clean-shaven and bald. It seems I was an Indian/desi. It is a period of the early to mid-1950s.

Suddenly, I saw a massive figure with two iron hands (a huge 12-15 feet figure) who threw me into the river. I understand he was malkul-maut (angel of death)! It appears to people that the sand below my right foot slipped away, and I died from falling into the river - but now I know I was thrown into the river.

At this, my eyes opened. Hypnotist informed me that this was the best he could do!

But here is the kick! Even before this episode of my life - I was always afraid of water banks/beaches and swimming. (I have mentioned a few instances on this blog) and I always thought of living my life around 70-75...

I am still unsure - was that actual travel back to a past life or just a play of the human mind?

Allahu alim ul gaib.

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