‘Lisan –Al – Gaib’

In a quaint alley, snuggled between towering complexes lies a small almost insignificant shop – which could be very easily be missed by any passer by & common man. It would take only the unquenched mind, the ever seeking eyes & the most voracious of all readers to discover this treasure trove. This dingy looking bookstore graciously provides room for every single book to hit the national & international market – whether a best seller or a major let down ranging from science fiction to fantasy to philosophy to business management to occult…u would find it here.

Thus this shop ‘which must not be named’ for too powerful is its name became the abode not only for rare & outdated books but even new born books, who had barely taken the whiff of the outside world…from across the world this shop became the go-down of every book - new or old, classic or contemporary…and it is here that you would oft find me, bunking classes & now bunking work spending hours on end dwelling deep into the land of words & letters.

It was on a cold winter morning a couple of years ago, when I discovered quiet by chance the mother of all science fiction novels – The Dune Series by Frank Herbert. Initially though intended to be a trilogy, Herbert could not but stop his own personal growth to higher levels & his thoughts spilled over six books all on the Dune saga.

Never have I read a science fiction novel that is buried so deep in religion & spirituality- bordering on Higher Awareness & Meta Cognition. The series draw heavily from Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Hindu Mythology, Islamic principles & ofcourse Christianity.

Dune touches upon Taoism throughout. The very first line is "A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct." compares with this fragment of chapter 63 of the Tao-te-ching, ‘Consider Beginnings’, as translated by Ursula LeGuin:

Study the hard while it's easy.
Do big things while they're small.
The hardest jobs in the world start out easy,
the great affairs of the world start small.

So the wise soul,
by never dealing with great things,
gets great things done.

The character of Paul Atreides, the protagonist of the Dune series who goes on to become Muad’Dib & the Lisan –Al – Gaib is the essence of not only of the book but the essence & the inner most truth of each of our lives. Lisan – Al – Gaib is an Arabic word meaning ‘The Hidden Prophet’ which is hidden deep within each one of us. It is the knowing, understanding and experiencing these hidden realities that marks the beginning of the spiritual journey & inner quests that every living creature embarks upon at some point during the course of his existence.

The becoming of the ‘Kwisatz Haderach’ by bridging the gap between space & time, yin and yan and embodiment of masculinity and feminity into one-all knowing, unifying force is the ultimate in all higher awareness – which every Yogi, Sufi Saint & Messiah aspires to achieve. Herbert, has spun one of the most beautiful word yarns using these concepts which modern day science fiction writers fail to do.

At what level of Meta Cognition Herbert reached one can only guess, but the fact that he brought out works like the Dune series, leaves no doubt that he has broken several boundaries in his quest for spiritual higher awareness.

Each of us is a ‘Freeman’ in our own way, looking out and waiting for our Lisan –Al – Gaib to deliver us from our current state. If only we would look deep within our inner well of providence, we would find the Mahdi [‘The One Who Will Lead Us To Paradise’] in us all & no longer would we be Freeman at the mercy of others.

Here’s a silent prayer that each of us wakes up from our Sleepy Hollow to see & experience the Lisan –Al – Gaib within us - merging with ultimate unlimited consciousness of existence!

Peace In Abundance

~Saba Khadri~

I came across this anecdote somewhere during my readings.
Don’t really know who said it, when, where or in what context.
But whoever it was – most definitely made a mark on me.

Love In Adbundance

~Saba Khadri~

Reflections On Effort

The anxious student asked the Zen master how long to enlightenment.

The Zen Master answered a long time, at least 10 years.

The student said, "Well I will work twice as hard."

The Zen master said, "Then it will take 20 years."

"No!" said the committed student, "I will work three times as hard."

"Well then," said the Zen master, "it will take 30 years."

All Matters Of The Heart

Spring is in the air
All birds chirp with little care.

‘Dew drops with roses & marshmallow chocolates’-
Vendors are selling, at sky rocketing prices.

Young lads & lasses all falling into queue
Crossing their fingers…hoping this would do.

The tricks of the heart & all desires to be met
Little fledglings all ready & set.

The Yogi sings & dances for all
He has no care, for he has heard his beloved call.

Lost in a trance, with a merry dance
The fledglings & the yogis do their prance.

Fools of paradise, lost in Eden
Both mesmerized by the glamour-they go unbidden.

Then tell me my friends the difference between the two
Why is one forbidden & the other too good to be true ?

The mysteries of love & heart have they sought
Only to cry at their beloved’s thought.

The ecstasy...the fury, all in one do they see
‘Thy Beloved’ ….what have you made of me ?

**********************************************************************************



A bunch of fresh roses to all my friends
Now send me my candies & make the amends:)

In The Name Of Love

I just had to share this really Koool & all time Classic Valentine Joke with all u guys:

Ishq Ne Najane Kya Kar Dala,
Kisiko Ashiq, Kisiko Dewana Bana Dala,
Do Phool Ka Vazan Na Utha Sakti Thi Mumtaz
Shahjahan Ne Us Par Taj Mahal Bana Dala !
-Author Unknown-

Wha wah …. Is all I can say !

Have a Super Kool Valentine’s Day !

~Saba Khadri~

Slowly getting back to blogging…But this article is no work of mine. It is the translation & handiwork of a very dear but lazy friend of mine [takes one to know one] Lathashree …So read on, N-Joy & Comment Maadi !

May the forces of the Universe be with each one of us!
[Too much of science fiction Happening :)…Plss adjust Maadi]

~Saba Khadri~

Dear all, this story is very complete. It is delightful as a play of words, delightful in its knowledge about plants and animals, delightful as a manifestation of thoughts, delightful in its utility to teach about illusion and power of mind and delightful in its exploration of the love of creation.

May your lives be blessed.

Love, Latha

A quotation, in full, from The Yoga Vasishta. An abridged version of Abhinanda Pandita's Laghu-Yoga Vasishta translated by K.N.Subramaniam. Published by Sura Books (P) Ltd., Chennai. (2003). Glossary: (translation by Lathashree K.S.) available at the end.

Section 6: Liberation; Chapter 6: The Story of Hundred Rudras (Verse 2-47)

There was a hermit who was devoted to the practice of samadhi and he was spending the whole day through such contemplation. His mind perfected by samadhi had become so pure that whatever it thought, it became the object instantly, like waters assuming the form of a wave.

Once he took respite from samadhi and sitting on his seat contemplated on the worldly process. As he was contemplating, a thought arose in his mind spontaneously-'for the love of it, let me act like a common man'. Thinking thus, his mind took the form of another individual, like the waters assuming the form of a wave by mere discarding of the former state.

After assuming through imagination, the existence of an individual, he also named himself,"I am Jivata" through sheer accident. The imagined individual roamed around for long in a dream-city among its streets. He drank intoxicant drinks and passed into oblivion and sleep. He saw in a dream that he was a brahmana who was completely satisfied with his learning and holy conduct. He became a brahmana as a result of mere imagination, like reaching one place from another.

Once, that brahmana, after a day's activities, slept deeply like a tree in the form of a seed. The brahmana saw himself as a great chieftain. The chieftain, after food, slept deeply and saw himself in a dream as a great ruler with a vast kingdom. As a king, he slept deeply and saw himself in dream as a celestial nymph.

The celestial nymph, tired of amorous sport slept deeply and saw herself as a deer. The deer with fleeting looks fell asleep and because of intense thought saw herself as a creeper. Even animals cognise dreams as a result of inherent nature. Mind has an indestructible tendency to remember things seen and heard.

The deer became a creeper, filled with flowers and fruits, in the bower, which a forest nymph frequented. The creeper assuming the form of a seed with full potential was self-cognizant and saw its own full form. Spending sometime in an inert form of sleep, the creeper saw itself as a bee.

The bee got attached to the lotus blossoms on the stalk. Even the mind of intelligent beings gets fascinated only by some object.

An elephant came to pluck the lotus. The bee alongwith the lotus got crushed. She saw the elephant and as a result of contemplation of the elephant, saw herself as an elephant. The bee that became an elephant fell into a huge pit and was captured.

The elephant became a king's favorite and was tamed suitably. It got killed in some battle. The elephant by contemplation of the bee over its neck became a bee again. The bee got killed by an elephant again. By contemplation of the hamsas nearby, the bee became a hamsa. The hamsa by uniting with other birds, became born as a hamsa in the Brahmasaras Lake. After it was born, it sported in the lake.

The bird saw once a Rudra. The bird then had the firm understanding, 'I am Rudra'. It assumed the form of Rudra and happily went around. Because of the conduct as that of a devotee of Siva, and because of association with persons of holy conduct, Rudra came to possess pure and complete knowledge about all past lives. With a clear cognition of the past, Lord Siva told him while in solitude, about the hundred dream manifestations of his.

'How wonderful is Maya! How it deludes the world! Though absolutely unreal like the waters of a mirage, it looks real!' The Rudra then remembered his various dream manifestations one by one. He recalled the hundreds of years that he had spent in his dream manifestations. The Rudra then went to the hermitage where the hermit was there like a corpse and awoke him. The hermit awoke and recalled the hundred dream manifestations. Then, the Rudra and the hermit went to the town where Jivata lived and awoke him and awestruck by the Play of the Mind recalled the dream manifestations. Since each of the dream manifestation was born of pure Chitta (Mind) every manifestation remembered the True Essence.

Sage Vasista says,"Whatever has been seen exists as it was seen in the treasure of Chitta. One attains from the Mind whatever one wants because it is all-containing.”
-End of quotation.

Glossary:
Brahmasaras- Head of Brahma (?)
Chitta-Mind
Hamsa-swan, alternatively Breath as basis of life in the in-going and out-going breath.
Jivata-one who is alive
Maya-Illusion
Rudra-devotee of Siva, alternatively, Siva.
Samadhi-single-minded contemplation