The Power of Thinking

Last week was a lesson about the power of thinking from The Almighty. It started with the comment given by a member of discussion group on the weakness of Organisasi Shiddiqiyyah, which later was counter-balanced by another member about how in its weakness it could gather about 50millions over rupiah during one day fund raising from its members. So the term weakness didn't seem quite true and I saw the parable of a weak baby who has the ability to capture the heart of an adult to care, love and protect him. This situation then reminded me of a verse in Tao Te Ching as well as the comment of my great spiritual master about the meaning of the word 'kun fayakun'. Here is the verse from Tao Te Ching:

28. Becoming

"Be" and it is

Using the male, being female,
Being the entrance of the world,
You embrace harmony
And become as a newborn


Using strength, being weak,
Being the root of the world,
You complete harmony
And become as unshaped wood.


Using the light, being dark,
Being the world,
You perfect harmony
And return to the Way.

As my mind found its connection, my heart was shown the meaning of 'becoming' which in arabic was 'kun fayakun'. And suddenly the thunder stroked outside though it wasn't raining or anything. As if it wanted to tell me that indeed it was true. I was in awed and remembered what had been told by my great master that when some ulamaa' (those with knowledge) were asked about the meaning of 'kun fayakun', they wouldn't answer and some would hit the questioner for asking that question. Well, this time I didn't ask. I was given / being told about it. The thunder was a profound experience for me since not every day I got the universe talked.


The Power of Thinking

Then the other day, I read a status of my friend in facebook quoted some scientists about the power of imagination. Here is the quotes:

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" [Albert Einstein]

"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will do what you imagine and at last you create what you will." [Bernard Shaw]

Something bothered me when reading the quotes just like any other times when I read the quotes on the power of human thinking. Because every time I read the quotes as if I saw their way of thinking has excluded Allah in the process. That they have made their wills as the most ultimate of all and that their achievement was due to their own works. To some people, they may think it is right. Because they have made their best effort and sacrifice so much to make their wish come true. But it is certainly an act of ones that have forgotten about the fundamental cause of their life and that is certainly not a good sign for ones who want to be a grateful devotee of Allah. Of all the achievement, the best example was given by Prophet Sulaiman AS (Solomon), that even in his richness, intelligence and wisdom he pbuh had said "haadza min fadhli Robbi" - these all are by the grace of my Lord.

Learn, then Forget the Teaching

Same action should be taught as well to those who wish to make their wish come true. I mean, I had experienced myself about this making wish come true. As much as I worked my way up to make it come true, the wish of Allah was the one that held true. This is because affected by worldly desire, in our limited mind compare to His Divinie Wisdom, it is difficult to understand, accept and thus submit to the higher and nobler cause to direct our life. So often in fulfilling the higher cause, we have to take the road that is less traveled and usually against the common sense of ordinary people. Look at those of the great souls amongst the prophets and messengers in their own time.

They had come to the state of inaction, means that in their action they knew they weren't the one who acted - it was Allah that allowed them to act, directed their course of lives and made anything happened and it was His Wish that ever held true and would come true. I'd like to point out the different approach given by Bernard Shaw (and so many inspirational speakers) to Lao Tzu, the follower of the Way as mentioned in the verse below:

48. Inaction


The follower of knowledge learns as much as he can every day;
The follower of the Way forgets as much as he can every day.


By attrition he reaches a state of inaction
Wherein he does nothing, but nothing remains undone.
To conquer the world, acconplish nothing;
If you must accomplish something,
The remains beyond conquest.

Of course, all those inspirational speakers may not think this way. As inspirational speakers, they have to tell their audience that they can do it (achieve success in accordance to their own term) and they just have to believe in themselves. If some of them succeeded, they will be happy because it would affirm their theory and if many more failed, they would say they haven't done hard enough and they should just keep trying. Because if they don't say so, they won't get paid hahaha... For me, I only want to care for my heart. I need to protect it from anything that will cause me to forget Allah, The Lord of The Worlds. It is by His Grace alone that I am breathing and having this life with all its content.


Thinking and Imagining

I think, thinking is quite different from imagining. Imagining as it comes from the word image required a reference image to have it materialize in the mind. Image is projection of what the five senses perceived. And we are often reminded how images can be so deceiving. To say imagining is more important than knowledge we really need to see its context and not just take it for granted. Whilst thinking is general action of the mind, like working to human being can be in the form of any actions.

The way the quotes emphasized on imagination also reminded me on the teaching of Imam Ghazali (may Allah sanctify his soul). He said that one of the hindrances for those who want to seek the proximity to Allah is called 'thulul amal'. It is a term given for daydreaming. Since it is daydreaming, nothing substantial is done to their wish / imagination. He also said that the first requirement for human being in worshipping Allah and living their life in its truest sense is by acquiring knowledge.

Another forms of Enlightenment

If the imagination is used to explain about invention process, I think it is just another kind of enlightenment as it is represented in the original icon given to those who discovered some breakthrough, a lit up bulb. Because in its essence all the invention of human being is actually copying the creation of Allah, The Creator of All. The plane is a copy of birds or flying insects, a auto mobile is a copy of a living carriage called animal, light is a copy of the sun, air con is a copy of breeze, sub marine is a copy of fish and so on.




The Mind of Universe

In responding my next comment about imagination, my friend then said about the realm of thinking isn't limited to the imagination. It is even broader including logic, perception, intuition, imagination, sub-consciousness, alpha world, gamma world, theta world. As I pointed out that my concern is the way human think. By putting all them into the realm of human thinking, I feel something is amiss. Because he didn't seem to differentiate the human mind and the mind of universe.

As long as the way people think only resort in their lower level which is limited by their own mind and ego (event, time and people), they can not differentiate the two states. That's why their wish and imagination is usually limited to the ever changing world. But once they have build the bridge called consciousness, they can perceive a broader realm of thinking which is the mind of universe (universe, Time and humanity). For this I had witnessed it myself.

And by the stars they are also guided

In the beginning of new year following the islamic calendar usually my great spiritual master would tell us a prophecy related to what would happen in society at that year. To any calamity that would happen, we were taught to anticipate it by giving some instruction (usually a prayer taken from quranic verses). My understanding he took it from reading the Mind of Universe in his state of awakened following the verse stated in the Qur'an "... And by the stars, they are (also) guided." [QS 16:16]. And true was his prophecy and blessed was his instruction to keep us in safety, like last year prophecy was about many leaders in the world would find their falls. So we witnessed the falls of Husni Mubarak and Moammar Gadhafi. My own experience on this - as I am still learning to read the Mind of Universe was in the form of dreams that helped me afloat in this life. And in accepting this, I took the saying of Great Prophet Muhammad SAW that a dream of a mu'miin (one who believe) is one of the forty segments of prophethood.[Shahih Muslim no. 4201]


Substance

The gates of hell (the five senses) need to be guarderd
for human being to omprehend the Mind of Universe 

Some heedless people may think this is coincidence and an absurd idea. But as I studied further, it is true and in accordance with the quranic verses. When it comes to this realm, imagination is useless. Because it is beyond the realm of human mind. Our imagination is limited by our five senses: the hearing, the smell, the sight, the touch and the taste. To some these five senses also called the Gates of Hell. It is why in following the Way we are taught to 'forget'  the teaching (undo the work of the mind) and put the teaching into 'practice' to go to the substance. When it comes to controlling the mind and seek the substance the sages said very clearly:

12. Substance


Too much colour blinds the eye,
Too much music deafens the ear,
Too much taste dulls the palate,
Too much play maddens the mind,
Too much desire tears the heart.


In this manner the sage cares for people:
He provides for the belly, not for the senses;
He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance.

The mind of universe is kept in the substance and only the pure heart that can touch and comprehend its meaning. It is why in the Quran it is said " Furthermore I call to witness the setting of the Stars. And that is indeed a mighty adjuration if ye but knew. That this is indeed a qur'an Most Honourable. In Book well-guarded. Which none shall touch but those who are clean. A Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds." [QS 56: 75 - 80]

And since the substance is hidden beyond what the mind can perceive it is then truly stated that all the creation of the universe is indeed 'the Sign' as stated "Allah created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): verily in that is a Sign for those who believe." [QS 29: 44]

In learning to comprehend and perceive the signs of Allah, we human being are then granted with greater rewards than doing the ritual. Because in this process of learning something is shown, understood thus transform us as it is beautifully stated in Quran [QS 3: 190 - 195]

Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, 

and the alternation of night and day, 

there are indeed Signs for men of understanding. 

Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, 

and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, 

(With the thought): 

"Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! 

Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire." 

"Our Lord! any whom Thou dost admit to the Fire, Truly Thou coverest with shame, 

and never will wrong-doers Find any helpers!." 

"Our Lord! we have heard the call of one calling (Us) to Faith, 

'Believe ye in the Lord,' and we have believed. "

"Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, 

and take to Thyself our souls in the company of the righteous." 

"Our Lord! Grant us what Thou didst promise unto us through Thine apostles, 

and save us from shame on the Day of Judgment: 

For Thou never breakest Thy promise." 

And their Lord hath accepted of them, and answered them: 

"Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: 

Ye are members, one of another: 

Those who have left their homes, or been driven out therefrom, 

or suffered harm in My Cause, or fought or been slain,

verily, I will blot out from them their iniquities, 

and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing beneath; 

A reward from the presence of Allah, 

and from His presence is the best of rewards."

Indeed in thinking of Him, His presence is the best of rewards.

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

All Praise belong to Allah, The Master of Universe