Thanks Haruna On 21 July 2010 21:29, Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Allahu Wakubaru. Thank you for sharing Bilal. Its been a long time. I > forgive your long silence for value-re-introduction. I hope your temporal > silence was not due to a personal burden for which DaarManso hasn't offered > secours yet. Thy will be done. In honour of my late Father. > > Haruna. Thanx again for sharing value-life. > -----Original Message----- > From: Edi Jah <[log in to unmask]> > To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wed, Jul 21, 2010 2:02 pm > Subject: Something For Sycophants > > Culled from Ethics and Spiritual Growth by Sayyid Mujtaba Musawi Lari > - available at www.musavilari.org > > -------------------- > > > Struggle for Realisation of Higher Ideals > > > That which gives worth to life is struggle for the sake of realisation > of sublime and fruitful ideals. One must resolve to reach a station > worthy of humanity and make every possible effort to develop himself, > fulfil his duty, and offer ungrudging service to society. In the sweet > words of Hafiz: > > > Though the world's wont, like the bud, is to be close-fisted, Yet you, > like the spring breeze, be an opener of knots. > > > Dr. Schweitzer writes: > > > Often we hear people say, "I want to do some good in this world but > the obligations of life and work are so exacting that I cannot score > any success in this regard. I am sunk to my ears in the petty chores > of life and there doesn't arise any opportunity for my life to become > meaningful." This is a very common-and dangerous-mistake. Everyone > finds opportunities at his doorstep to help others, so that his spirit > may rise to the occasion and attain peace and joy. In order to attain > this joy it is not at all necessary to neglect one's ordinary duties > or to perform some dazzling feat. > > > I call this spiritual work your 'second duty'. All that you must do is > to make use of the many opportunities that arise and carry out this > duty. You will get plenty of excellent opportunities in this path and > acquire a perfect ability to make use of them. At this point all the > energies stored up in your being will swing into action. > > > That which the world needs today, and lacks, are people devoted to > fulfilling others' needs. In this work, done for the sake of others, > both the helper and the helped are blessed. > > > ... We are gradually losing our personality under the strains of > modern society. The urge for creativity and self-assertion is killed > in us. Accordingly, the attainment of genuine civilisation is delayed. > The big mistake of everyone of us is that we travel blindfolded > through life and do not notice the good opportunities that arise. Once > we open our eyes and look around we will observe many people who need > our help, riot for big things but for very small things. > > > In altruism and sacrifice we must invest the best part of ourselves. > The coin that a widow gives, which is all that she owns, has greater > worth than all the donations of the rich. We often hear people say, > "Were I rich I would do many things for people". But one can be rich > in respect of love and charity. If we discover the real needs of those > who require help and take steps to meet them, we would have spent the > best part of ourselves in this path, which is love and compassion for > others and which all the money in the world cannot equal. > > > You might think that my life in the equatorial forests of Africa is > something wonderful. But you should know that you can live a more > wonderful life by remaining where you are and, by impelling your soul > to effort, engage in a thousand kinds of good and kindly actions. This > task demands a spirit of sacrifice and courage and a strength of will, > and the determination to love, which is the greatest test of a human > being. But you must know that it is in this second and difficult duty > that you can find true happiness. [1] > > > Man is free either to obey or disobey the commands of his conscience. > Every man is the master of his soul and his will. He may choose > rectitude and purity, liberate himself from the bondage of lust and > endless desires, make chivalrousness his motto, and abstain from > injustice and cruelty. These qualities and virtues are within his > reach and he may adorn himself with them through persistent effort. He > may also take an opposite path, the path of decadence and vice, and > dive into the ocean of variegated lusts and pleasures. > > > The power of will is a heavenly gift which must never be left idle or > used for filthy purposes and inhuman goals instead of being employed > in the path of duty. The lack of will and determination is the biggest > obstacle in the way of fulfilment of duties. The employment of will > power under the guidance of conscience and in the struggle against > carnal urges and desires, against egoism and moral vices, is a > difficult task at the beginning and requires self-denying effort. But > through determination, persistence and perseverance, the soul > gradually becomes stronger and its moral characteristics improve. > Then, the performance of duty becomes a quite normal and easy matter. > > > If one's feeling of duty-consciousness be strong, he would not retreat > in the face of hardship and obstacles. Even when such a person's > effort remains fruitless due to obstacles, his conscience at least > would be at peace and he would be able to hold his head high before > himself because his defeat and failure have been for the sake of duty. > > > A father gives the following counsel to his son: > > > My son, let it be that you remain poor and penniless while others > gather wealth and get rich in front of your eyes through deceit and > treachery. Lead your life without position and glory and let others > get into high positions through obsequiousness and servility. Put up > with misery and loss and let others satisfy their desires by the means > of flattery and sycophancy. > > > Refrain from associating with big people, to get near whom others are > killing themselves. It is better for you to put on the garment of > virtue and piety so that when your head turns white there isn't any > blot on your honour and good name. At that time, thank God and > surrender to death with an easy mind and a happy heart. [2] > > > In the same way as admonishment, reproof and censure are beneficial in > the struggle against vices, so also appreciation, commendation and > encouragement are undeniably effective in producing better motivation > for work and performance of duty. Evil is the state of a nation in > which traitors are encouraged and worthy and duty-conscious servants > are censured, humiliated and driven away from sensitive positions in > society. Where deceit and imposture bring success and those who are > totally devoid of human values attain their cherished goals, a nation > in which those who wish to fulfil their human mission remain deprived > as long as they continue to live in purity-in such a society there > remain utterly no grounds for the growth of moral excellence. > > > Obviously, in such an environment the attraction and inclination for > deceit, corruption and hypocrisy make way, on an extensive level, into > the depths of the people's souls, and vice and corruption rapidly take > the place of virtues and decent morals. In such an environment, many > chaste souls may be compelled to turn their backs on piety and purity > as a result of unbearable pressures, for there are few people who can > heroically safeguard their souls in such a corrupt environment and > preserve their piety and purity in the mire of social filth. Yet all > people do not have such extraordinary qualities so as to continue with > their sublime and majestic spirit to live amongst a base and decadent > people. > > > In the course of his upbringing an ordinary individual stands in dire > need of a society on which he can rely to offer him worthy examples > that may acquaint him with practical patterns of conduct in life. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > ------------------- > > Jah > > -- > “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he > loves for himself.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim] > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > Web > interface > at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l > To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask] > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask] > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ -- “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤