Chapter 01: - Original Version About Chapter 01 Title of Chapter 01: "The Value of The True Shaikh" From: Spiritual Book 03 - "Shaikh and Disciple" Author: M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) Go To: Original Version - of Chapter 01 Go To: Review of Chapter 01 - by Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler) Go To: Table of Contents - for the book, "Shaikh and Disciple" Go To: "Introduction" - to the book, "Shaikh and Disciple" ============================================================== Home Page - Spiritual Books Go To Spiritual Book 04 Book 03: Go To Chapter 03 Library Home Page Go To Spiritual Book 02 Book 03: Go To Chapter 02 ============================================================== Bawa. Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Bawa. Al-salam 'alaykum wa-rahmat Allah wa-barakatuhu kulluhu. Wa 'alaykum al-salam wa-rahmat Allah wa-barakatuhu kulluhu. May all the peace, the beneficence, and the blessing of God be upon us all. May God help us all. Bawa. My love you (anbu) - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). - go to "Review of Chapter 01" Original Version - of Chapter 01 His Holiness Teaches Us: My children, my daughters and my sons, you are now traveling on the journey of your life, from the east to the west. You are traveling across a huge ocean of illusion, through jungles, deserts, and forests. This is the journey of life on which you will experience many difficulties, joys, sorrows, losses, heaven, and hell. My children, there is a reason for undertaking this journey. You are in search of something. On the path to God, there is only one point in life, there is only one thing to search for - Wisdom. You must proceed on this journey searching for Wisdom, and you must attain the liberation of your soul. You must cross over the sea of illusion, the sea of desire, the arid desert where nothing grows, the mind and dreams which are barren, and the jungle filled with animals. There is nothing to be seen in all this. These places only exist in the mind, and you must go beyond them all. To do this you need a Gnana Shaikh. Only a Shaikh can point the way to God through the use of a special map. As you proceed on this journey, you will encounter many difficulties and sorrows. There will be bloodties and differences of race and religion. However, when faced with these difficulties, those who are immersed in the sea of illusion will not realize that anything is wrong; instead, they will perceive it as comfort. The insects, worms, and viruses that live in the desert are comfortable because they are accustomed to that environment. Similarly, the monkey mind does not recognize the difficulties of the jungle; it has always lived there and knows nothing else. Human animals also know nothing other than this jungle. But a True Man should understand these things. If man wants to find the joy of the liberated soul of life, then he must proceed on this journey. Along the way he will encounter a desert, barren, without grass or weeds. The heat of the sun will be scorching. But in the midst of this barren wilderness there will be a tree. As soon as he see that tree the traveler will run beneath it. Immediately he will realize the comfort and peace which the shade provides, and his fatigue will be relieved. Once he experiences the peace and comfort of the shade, he will never leave the tree to return to the hot sun. Many forms of life can be found both on and beneath that tree. There are insects, germs, and viruses that live on the leaves, branches, and bark. Do they realize the comfort which the tree provides? No, they do not. Life is always the same for them. They do not know the difference between joy and sorrow. Only someone who has undergone this journey and has known the dangers of being exposed to the hot sun will realize the comfort of the shade. Only he will know the true value of that tree. The search for a Shaikh, for God, and for Truth is also like this. On the journey of life, as soon as you find this shade, your sadness, sorrows, and difficulties will immediately leave. You will experience peace, tranquillity, and serenity. If you find such a place, you will find peace. But that search and determination must be there. If you make the effort, you will find comfort and peace from the shade. Later, relieved of your fatigue, you can once again continue on your journey. When the heat lessons, and the sun goes down, the Shaikh will say, "Now you can proceed. Your journey will be much easier now. Come, let us go. Now that it is cool, we can cross this desert. We must go beyond this mirage to the other side." The Shaikh will then take you across the desert to a cool place. It is necessary that we experience certain hardships on this journey. Those who have not suffered and undergone these difficulties and who simply find themselves in the comfort of the shade, like those who are always with the Shaikh, will not recognize the benefits. They are like the leaves, beetles, and insects who are living on the tree without realizing its value. They need to be aware of the heaviness and weariness of life. Then, with Wisdom and determination, they must make the effort to purify their soul. They must truly know that they need God, and knowing this, they must make the effort to end their sorrow. If people can understand both the troubles they experienced earlier in their lives and the comfort and joy experienced later after meeting the Shaikh, then they will realize the true value of the Shaikh Without this awareness, they will never understand the joys and the sorrows of this journey. Although they are with the Shaikh, they are like the beetle that does not know the preciousness of the shade. They do not know that on this journey there is great value to be found - shade is given, fatigue is relieved, and great benefits are obtained. Even though many children have been with the Gnana Shaikh for a long time, if they do not have the correct focus, if they do not experience the joys and sorrows, if they do not have certitude and determination, there is absolutely no use in their being with such a teacher. Like beetles, these children just fly in circles and return to rest on the same branch; they do not progress on their journey. They are like insects feeding upon the world. But when the true traveler sits in the shade of the Shaikh after his long journey, he is comforted. He receives rest and peace and then proceeds on this journey. A true Shaikh is one who shades and comforts the travelers crossing the desert of this world. In this barren desert of illusion all that exists is a mirage. You see this mirage and run toward it searching for water, but it is just a dream. However, at that very moment when you are confused and entranced by this mirage, you will find a tree nearby which can provide shade. That tree is the Shaikh. Life is a desert. People are suffering and the Shaikh is there to soothe them and lend a helping hand. If you have the longing and determination to go on this journey, if you are in the proper state, and know what you are searching for, then no matter how hard it may become, the Shaikh can help ease the difficulties, the sorrows, and the fatigue you experience. You must recognize the value of the Shaikh and the work which He has come to do. Once you realize this, you can be comforted by Him and continue on your journey. If you do not realize this, you will be like the insects on that tree who do not know the value of the shade and have no purpose in life. Such people do not know what the Shaikh's work is or the peace He can give. Please think about this. You must realize: "The Shaikh has helped me to dispel so much suffering and sadness. So many problems have been cleared because of His help. How much peace I have gained on this journey of my life, and how much more He will help me to proceed even further." If you have the determination to search for God, then you will understand the value of this shade in the midst of the desert. Consider another point. When you come to a Shaikh, how must you behave? Depending on your behavior, the Shaikh will use one of two terms to describe you - a clever child or a fool. Let me explain. This world is like a huge bale of cotton. It is very bulky but almost weightless. You can tie up bags and bags of cotton and fill huge shiploads, but it has little value. Even though it occupies so much space, it takes just one tiny spark of fire to destroy it all. In comparison, a gem is very small. It does not occupy much space yet it has great value. Like this, no matter how many things you gather during your lifetime, they are all dreams which can be destroyed as easily as cotton wool. This dream world consists of all that you collect in your life. But when you take a good look, it is only cotton wool. One small spark of fire will destroy it all. A Shaikh has the fire of Wisdom, and with that He can burn everything you bring with you. You must be careful about bringing Him things that can be consumed by this fire. All the bundles you have collected in your life, all the thoughts of race, religion, and bloodties, and all your attachments can be burned by this fire of Wisdom. You carry all these bundles which are suitable only for the garbage truck. They can be destroyed with only one spark of the fire of Wisdom. You have four hundred trillion, ten thousand different kinds of cotton which you bring here in shiploads. Your work is to load and unload and carry all these burdens. You waste all your time doing this. You tie them in bundles and load them on the ship. Then you unload the ship, and later load it again! But the Shaikh does not load and unload these things. He can destroy them all very easily with one spark of that fire. The whole world, this body, and this life are burdens. You see this world as something huge, but it is only a dream. You are taken in by all the dreams you see, but they are only mirages. The world is a desert of illusion, yet you try to grab everything you see. You think this will quench your thirst, but you will never be able to drink from this mirage. You will never find relief there. Your body is small; in comparison, the world is much bigger. But your mind is even bigger than the world, your desire is even bigger than your mind, and all your karma is still greater than that. This is the sum total of your dreams. These things are useless to you. When you go to a Shaikh all these have to be burned away. There is something very small within you. Truth is very, very small, but like the gem, it is very heavy and very valuable. Unlike the cotton wool, that Truth has great weight. The Wisdom of the Shaikh is like that Truth, very tiny and very heavy. When the Shaikh gives you this, you must receive it very carefully and delicately. You must realize the immense value of what He gives and have the strength to bear its great weight. The strength of faith, certitude, and determination must develop within. You must stretch out your hand with that strength of certitude and accept what the Shaikh gives. You must realize that it will be heavy, and you must have the strength to bear that weight. If you do not, you will be unable to carry it. If you are already carrying one burden and try to take on yet another burden, you are likely to drop them both. Or if you are daydreaming while reaching for this gift, it may fall and you may fall too. So, how should you receive this gift? You should gather all your strength and reach out your hand. You must be strong enough. You must fully understand the profound weight of what the Shaikh is giving. If you receive it in this way, you will be able to hold onto it when it is placed in your hands. Then, when you place it in your Qalb (innermost heart), it will have great value. You must receive this treasure with a sharp focus, knowing its full weight and true value. You must keep it safely in the proper place. If you receive this gift and put it away carefully, the Shaikh will call you a wise person, a good child; but if you drop it without realizing its value, he will say you are a fool, that you have missed the point and have not understood its value. He will use either of these two terms depending upon your actions. You must understand this. Whatever the Shaikh gives you is very heavy. With faith, certitude, and determination (Iman), muster the strength to receive this weight and keep it carefully within you. You must take what He gives, guard it, and preserve it. You have to think about this. You are with the Shaikh now. You came here in search of something, and you must take what you came for. Every world the Shaikh utters is of some value to you. Every point He makes is valuable; within His every act, His every look, there is something valuable. Every time He puts His hand on someone's head, there is some value in it. Whatever way He looks at you or touches you, there is something to it; there is a definite reason for His doing it. Something may be wrong with your blood, your nerves, or your bones He does not touch anyone without a reason. You must think, "There is something to this." Maybe there is something wrong with your mind. There may be some lust, anger, miserliness, sexual desire, or sexual arts. He will place His hand on you to make this leave. In whatever the Shaikh does there is always some value, a deeper meaning than meets the eye. He may be cutting away a certain tendency or action, or perhaps a thought. Only the Shaikh knows why He is doing this. There is always a reason. It is a secret. You must recognize its value; only then will you understand the point of what He does. Because His words and actions have such profound meaning, you must always submit to Him and be vigilant to receive what He gives. Yet, my children, even though you are sitting before the Shaikh listening to a hadith that He is relating to you, you are looking here and there and are easily distracted. Like this, some people go to the temple and spend their time looking at the clothes others are wearing. They go with one purpose, but having arrived they look at these other things. "What color shirt is he wearing today? What kind of shoes is she wearing? What jewels are they wearing?" People go to the mosque and the church but only pay attention to such things. They look to see if their relatives are there. Some think, "Who is here? What does that person have? What can we get from him? What help can he give me?" This is how we are sitting in God's presence! Looking elsewhere! We are not looking for God when we are in the church, the mosque, the temple, or when we are in the presence of the Shaikh. People sit in these places and look at the world. They focus on all the distractions. Even if such people are with the Shaikh for a thousand years, this is all they will do. Such people do not really listen to what the Shaikh says. The Shaikh is right here in front of you, talking and making an important point. He is looking right at you, but you are looking everywhere else. Your attention is elsewhere. Your mind is wandering. When the Shaikh is finished, he may ask, "Have you heard what I said?" But nothing will have penetrated. Each person was looking in a different direction and no one absorbed what was being said. Nothing entered their hearts. If the Shaikh asks, "Have you taken this in?" All are quiet because no one was paying attention. One person was looking at a sari. One was thinking about the world, his house, his life. Another person was looking at the ceiling, watching a mouse crawl along the rafters. That person will answer, "Yes, yes, everything went in except the tail. The tail is still handing out. I watched it very carefully. It came from the corner over there ." "What came?" The Shaikh will ask in surprise. "The mouse. It came from there, stood there, went there, and then went to that corner. It looked right at us and finally went into that hole. See there, the tail is still handing out." "So that is what you were looking at? None of what I said penetrated!" "No," He will have to admit, very ashamed. The others in the room will also be quiet because they too were not paying attention. What is the use of sitting in front of the Shaikh in that state? You will never receive anything. Whether you are here for fifty years of five hundred years, it will not matter. It will be of no use. Does the rain fall all the time? No. Therefore, when it does rain we must make use of it. We must plow and clear the land and sow what has to be sown. Only then can we receive the benefit of the rain. In the same way, will the Shaikh be with you forever? No. Therefore, the short time He is with you, you must cultivate so much. The Shaikh will not always be here talking with you. You must make a sincere effort and absorb the wisdom that rains now and cultivate your land. Now is the time that you can receive this wealth in your life. If you miss this opportunity, you cannot make up for it later. You will be the loser. You must clear the land and be ready to sow when the rain of grace falls. You must collect this rahmat and develop your soul. Only then will you receive the benefits. It is in this state that you must sit before the Shaikh, seeking and receiving what He gives. Otherwise you are only looking at various aspects of the world. Some people look at religions, some look at races and colors, some look at clothes, some look at their relations and connections. Some look for gold, property, houses, and possessions. Some proudly think, "Oh, I have learned everything." Some think, "I know how to recite the scriptures." There is no point in all this. You are only wasting your time. You must understand the value of each and every point the Shaikh makes. You must absorb it fully, making use of every drop. You must open your heart so that the water of grace can flow into it. You must remain in that state (when you are with the Shaikh) and cultivate your land. Instead, some of you are sleeping, some are talking, some are resting, some are dreaming, some are sitting here but wondering in your minds. You sit here and think, "Oh, I have to go shopping. I have to go to the bank. I have to buy shoes. I have to go to the store." You say, "Oh, we're bored and tired. We want to go sightseeing." When you think like this, the time is wasted. Even though your are here before the Shaikh, your thoughts are elsewhere. When a dog goes to a huge lake, it can only lap up small amounts, even though the lake is filled with so much water. Similarly, if you have this dog of desire within you, even if you are with the Shaikh who pours so much into you, no matter how much love he gives or how much wisdom he pours out or how much compassion he shows, all you can do is lap up small amounts like the dog. Even if you are with a Shaikh who gives you an ocean of water or an abundance of sweet tasting honey, you can only lick at it like a dog. You will still wish to wander about. Feces is like candy to a dog; no matter how much honey you offer it, it will always search for feces. Therefore, you have to train this dog and tie it up. Then you can absorb the Shaikh's wisdom. Although you re here with the Shaikh, there are so many other things within you. You must try hard to receive every drop that comes from him. You will not be receiving this always; you have this opportunity only for a certain time. Within that allotted time period, you must be able to cultivate your land and attain the benefits. To think that you can still receive this gift after the Shaikh has died is not correct. Use the fire while it is burning. If you try to create a flame from the cold wood after the fire has gone out, your will not succeed. You must switch on the light while the generator is still working. Once the motor has stopped, if your try to turn on the lamp, it will not light. Like that, while the Shaikh is still in the world you must learn wisdom from him (you must learn to stand as the "Presence of God" with certitude, as the "Word of God made flesh" for your age and for all of the lives in your age, that is, for the benefit of all of the Creation of God within you, and for a little while on the "outside" of you, for the benefit of your brothers and sisters, as this child has Now learned to do). After He is gone, you will consider whatever the mind brings, and whatever your thoughts bring, as wisdom, but it will just be a dream of your mind. While you are with the Shaikh, He can show you directly what is right and what is wrong. So, with each breath, in each moment, you must be with the Shaikh. If you are always alert you will receive whatever you need. That will be your hayat, your eternal life. That will be your wisdom. You must make a sincere effort to do this. You must fully intend to receive whatever the Shaikh gives and understand its weight. All the time you are wondering, you will not be able to cultivate that crop. You must correct yourself and take in every point. Every point is very heavy. Every word is heavy. Every look is heavy. Every thought is heavy. You must carefully receive them all and keep them in your heart. Then you will be able to benefit from these things. Think about this. Do not be like the insects that live on the tree without realizing the value of the shade. Understand the value and weight of the words and actions of the Shaikh, and accept whatever he gives you very carefully. Do not sit before him and look at the world or up at the sky. If you do, you will not receive anything. Reflect on this. You must know the type of life you need to nurture the life of the soul. The wisdom you receive from the Shaikh should be able to protect the life of your soul. Through that state of wisdom, you must be able to know and protect the purity of that hayat. There are many deep meanings in this. It is said that you must be with the Shaikh for 12 years. What does this mean? . "Why is this?" What is it you have to learn? You must learn all that He has to give. What is that? His qualities, His actions, His conduct, His patience, His tolerance, His peacefulness, His compassion, His tranquillity, His serenity, His state of hunger, His state of vigilance, and the peace He has in the midst of joy and sorrow. You have to learn all this from the gnana Shaikh. It will take 12 years to learn His state of sabur, shukur, tawakkul, Al-hamdu lillah, His peacefulness, and His tranquillity. If you learn all His qualities within those 12 years, then the fruit will ripen within you. Acquiring His qualities and His wisdom is the meditation you must perform during this time. This is how to understand what is within you. You must take the good as good and discard the wrong as wrong. That is how you must spend those twelve years. You will not be doing this to receive gnanam, but rather to dispel agnanam, or ignorance, and to gather the qualities of meignanam, or true wisdom. You will be discarding the qualities of illusion and developing the qualities of God. As soon as these qualities grow within you, then a flower will bloom within your heart. As soon as that flower blossoms, its fragrance will emanate from every petal. When you reach maturity the flower will be in full bloom. That fullness and fragrance will appear, and you will be able to identify the flower. That will be God's flower. By its fragrance, it will be known that you are the Child of God. Once that is known, you will know the taste of heaven, God's Kingdom. To learn this takes 12 years. By learning and imbibing all these qualities, this flower and its fragrance emanates from within. There is no other learning except this. To do this you need wisdom. The wisdom that the Shaikh gives you is the knife to cut away the thousands of animals in the jungle within your heart; the monkeys, the poisonous animals, the vengeful animals, the animals that eat one another, the animals that chase one another, the animals that separate one another. Wisdom is to cut away all these animals, to discard them one by one, to chase them away. Wisdom is to cut and discard your arrogance, karma, maya, illusion, tarahan, singhan, suran, lust, anger, miserliness, attachments, fanaticism, envy, intoxicants, desire, theft, murder, falsehood; the differences of "I" and "you", of "mine and yours", of property, bondage to relatives, the discriminations coming from differences of religion and philosophy; the emotions of jealousy, envy, treachery, deceit, hypocrisy, selfishness, considering one's own hunger more important than the hunger of others; aging, disease, death; the countless qualities of impatience, hastiness, passion, pride, envy, doubt; the glitters of illusion, mind, desire, and the monkey mind all these have to be cut away and discarded. You have to cut away all that is hell, chasing away the demons and ghosts within you. Discard all these evil things. To do this, you must receive the sword of wisdom from the Shaikh. With that wisdom, you must battle each section in a different way. You must use the particular weapon necessary for each particular opponent. You need one weapon for ghosts, another for fairies, another for jinns, another for demons, another for the five elements, and still another for illusion and torpor. You need a different weapon for each of these things. It is only when you use all of the necessary instruments that you can operate on the different illnesses and diseases which you have. The Insan Kamil gives you the wisdom to do all this - to dispel all your bad qualities and acquire and put into action his good qualities and the qualities and actions of God, thereby attaining perfection. It takes twelve years to teach you how to end your diseases and give you clarity and wisdom. When you have learned to end all your diseases, then you have received gnanam. Your heart becomes full, the flower blooms and the fragrance wafts forth. That fragrance is gnanam. When this occurs, then God is within you and the path is easy. This is wisdom. Learning philosophies, the puranas, the Qur'an, or other scriptures can easily be accomplished in two years. But to establish this state within you correctly, to dispel all your bad qualities, and to receive the Shaikh's qualities and actions takes twelve years. This is why it is said you must be with an Insan Kamil for twelve years. You should understand this. If you do not receive hayat, eternal life, while you are alive and the Shaikh is alive, you will not be able to receive it when the Shaikh is gone. That cannot be done. What you receive at that time will be only a dream; you can see it while you sleep, but when you awaken it disappears. When the Shaikh is alive, He is right there in front of you, whether you are awake or asleep. That is not a dream. He is there in front of you. You can talk to Him. He can tell you right and wrong, what is good and bad, and you can understand. But if you let this allotted time pass, you will never be able to understand. You must learn all of this while both you and the Shaikh are alive. Then you will remember it even when He is not there. If you merge with Him now, then this learning will remain with you. If you do not merge with Him now, if you think you can accomplish this later, you are only deceiving yourself. Only if you mingle your qualities and your wisdom with the Shaikh's will He be with you after He is gone. Then you will receive hayat, eternal life. Each child should reflect on this and put it to use. Benefit from this. Try. Amen. End of "Original Version" of Spiritual Book 03 "Shaikh and Disciple" - Chapter 01 - "The Value of The True Shaikh" ............................................ Go To "Review of Chapter 01" or Go To: "Shaikh and Disciple" Chapter 03 - "Cutting The Gem" Chapter 02 - "Selecting A Disciple" or Spiritual Book 04 - "Islam And World Peace" Spiritual Book 02 - "The Pearl of Wisdom" or ( a top-down version of the Library Home Page) (a bottom-up version of the Library Home Page) |
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Chapter 01: - Original Version About Chapter 01 Title of Chapter 01: "The Value of The True Shaikh" From: Spiritual Book 03 - "Shaikh and Disciple" Author: M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) Go To: Original Version - of Chapter 01 Go To: Review of Chapter 01 - by Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler) Go To: Table of Contents - for the book, "Shaikh and Disciple" Go To: "Introduction" - to the book, "Shaikh and Disciple" ============================================================== Home Page - Spiritual Books Go To Spiritual Book 04 Book 03: Go To Chapter 03 Library Home Page Go To Spiritual Book 02 Book 03: Go To Chapter 02 ============================================================== Bawa. Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Bawa. Al-salam 'alaykum wa-rahmat Allah wa-barakatuhu kulluhu. Wa 'alaykum al-salam wa-rahmat Allah wa-barakatuhu kulluhu. May all the peace, the beneficence, and the blessing of God be upon us all. May God help us all. Bawa. My love you (anbu) - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler). - go to "Review of Chapter 01" Original Version - of Chapter 01 His Holiness Teaches Us: My children, my daughters and my sons, you are now traveling on the journey of your life, from the east to the west. You are traveling across a huge ocean of illusion, through jungles, deserts, and forests. This is the journey of life on which you will experience many difficulties, joys, sorrows, losses, heaven, and hell. My children, there is a reason for undertaking this journey. You are in search of something. On the path to God, there is only one point in life, there is only one thing to search for - Wisdom. You must proceed on this journey searching for Wisdom, and you must attain the liberation of your soul. You must cross over the sea of illusion, the sea of desire, the arid desert where nothing grows, the mind and dreams which are barren, and the jungle filled with animals. There is nothing to be seen in all this. These places only exist in the mind, and you must go beyond them all. To do this you need a Gnana Shaikh. Only a Shaikh can point the way to God through the use of a special map. As you proceed on this journey, you will encounter many difficulties and sorrows. There will be bloodties and differences of race and religion. However, when faced with these difficulties, those who are immersed in the sea of illusion will not realize that anything is wrong; instead, they will perceive it as comfort. The insects, worms, and viruses that live in the desert are comfortable because they are accustomed to that environment. Similarly, the monkey mind does not recognize the difficulties of the jungle; it has always lived there and knows nothing else. Human animals also know nothing other than this jungle. But a True Man should understand these things. If man wants to find the joy of the liberated soul of life, then he must proceed on this journey. Along the way he will encounter a desert, barren, without grass or weeds. The heat of the sun will be scorching. But in the midst of this barren wilderness there will be a tree. As soon as he see that tree the traveler will run beneath it. Immediately he will realize the comfort and peace which the shade provides, and his fatigue will be relieved. Once he experiences the peace and comfort of the shade, he will never leave the tree to return to the hot sun. Many forms of life can be found both on and beneath that tree. There are insects, germs, and viruses that live on the leaves, branches, and bark. Do they realize the comfort which the tree provides? No, they do not. Life is always the same for them. They do not know the difference between joy and sorrow. Only someone who has undergone this journey and has known the dangers of being exposed to the hot sun will realize the comfort of the shade. Only he will know the true value of that tree. The search for a Shaikh, for God, and for Truth is also like this. On the journey of life, as soon as you find this shade, your sadness, sorrows, and difficulties will immediately leave. You will experience peace, tranquillity, and serenity. If you find such a place, you will find peace. But that search and determination must be there. If you make the effort, you will find comfort and peace from the shade. Later, relieved of your fatigue, you can once again continue on your journey. When the heat lessons, and the sun goes down, the Shaikh will say, "Now you can proceed. Your journey will be much easier now. Come, let us go. Now that it is cool, we can cross this desert. We must go beyond this mirage to the other side." The Shaikh will then take you across the desert to a cool place. It is necessary that we experience certain hardships on this journey. Those who have not suffered and undergone these difficulties and who simply find themselves in the comfort of the shade, like those who are always with the Shaikh, will not recognize the benefits. They are like the leaves, beetles, and insects who are living on the tree without realizing its value. They need to be aware of the heaviness and weariness of life. Then, with Wisdom and determination, they must make the effort to purify their soul. They must truly know that they need God, and knowing this, they must make the effort to end their sorrow. If people can understand both the troubles they experienced earlier in their lives and the comfort and joy experienced later after meeting the Shaikh, then they will realize the true value of the Shaikh Without this awareness, they will never understand the joys and the sorrows of this journey. Although they are with the Shaikh, they are like the beetle that does not know the preciousness of the shade. They do not know that on this journey there is great value to be found - shade is given, fatigue is relieved, and great benefits are obtained. Even though many children have been with the Gnana Shaikh for a long time, if they do not have the correct focus, if they do not experience the joys and sorrows, if they do not have certitude and determination, there is absolutely no use in their being with such a teacher. Like beetles, these children just fly in circles and return to rest on the same branch; they do not progress on their journey. They are like insects feeding upon the world. But when the true traveler sits in the shade of the Shaikh after his long journey, he is comforted. He receives rest and peace and then proceeds on this journey. A true Shaikh is one who shades and comforts the travelers crossing the desert of this world. In this barren desert of illusion all that exists is a mirage. You see this mirage and run toward it searching for water, but it is just a dream. However, at that very moment when you are confused and entranced by this mirage, you will find a tree nearby which can provide shade. That tree is the Shaikh. Life is a desert. People are suffering and the Shaikh is there to soothe them and lend a helping hand. If you have the longing and determination to go on this journey, if you are in the proper state, and know what you are searching for, then no matter how hard it may become, the Shaikh can help ease the difficulties, the sorrows, and the fatigue you experience. You must recognize the value of the Shaikh and the work which He has come to do. Once you realize this, you can be comforted by Him and continue on your journey. If you do not realize this, you will be like the insects on that tree who do not know the value of the shade and have no purpose in life. Such people do not know what the Shaikh's work is or the peace He can give. Please think about this. You must realize: "The Shaikh has helped me to dispel so much suffering and sadness. So many problems have been cleared because of His help. How much peace I have gained on this journey of my life, and how much more He will help me to proceed even further." If you have the determination to search for God, then you will understand the value of this shade in the midst of the desert. Consider another point. When you come to a Shaikh, how must you behave? Depending on your behavior, the Shaikh will use one of two terms to describe you - a clever child or a fool. Let me explain. This world is like a huge bale of cotton. It is very bulky but almost weightless. You can tie up bags and bags of cotton and fill huge shiploads, but it has little value. Even though it occupies so much space, it takes just one tiny spark of fire to destroy it all. In comparison, a gem is very small. It does not occupy much space yet it has great value. Like this, no matter how many things you gather during your lifetime, they are all dreams which can be destroyed as easily as cotton wool. This dream world consists of all that you collect in your life. But when you take a good look, it is only cotton wool. One small spark of fire will destroy it all. A Shaikh has the fire of Wisdom, and with that He can burn everything you bring with you. You must be careful about bringing Him things that can be consumed by this fire. All the bundles you have collected in your life, all the thoughts of race, religion, and bloodties, and all your attachments can be burned by this fire of Wisdom. You carry all these bundles which are suitable only for the garbage truck. They can be destroyed with only one spark of the fire of Wisdom. You have four hundred trillion, ten thousand different kinds of cotton which you bring here in shiploads. Your work is to load and unload and carry all these burdens. You waste all your time doing this. You tie them in bundles and load them on the ship. Then you unload the ship, and later load it again! But the Shaikh does not load and unload these things. He can destroy them all very easily with one spark of that fire. The whole world, this body, and this life are burdens. You see this world as something huge, but it is only a dream. You are taken in by all the dreams you see, but they are only mirages. The world is a desert of illusion, yet you try to grab everything you see. You think this will quench your thirst, but you will never be able to drink from this mirage. You will never find relief there. Your body is small; in comparison, the world is much bigger. But your mind is even bigger than the world, your desire is even bigger than your mind, and all your karma is still greater than that. This is the sum total of your dreams. These things are useless to you. When you go to a Shaikh all these have to be burned away. There is something very small within you. Truth is very, very small, but like the gem, it is very heavy and very valuable. Unlike the cotton wool, that Truth has great weight. The Wisdom of the Shaikh is like that Truth, very tiny and very heavy. When the Shaikh gives you this, you must receive it very carefully and delicately. You must realize the immense value of what He gives and have the strength to bear its great weight. The strength of faith, certitude, and determination must develop within. You must stretch out your hand with that strength of certitude and accept what the Shaikh gives. You must realize that it will be heavy, and you must have the strength to bear that weight. If you do not, you will be unable to carry it. If you are already carrying one burden and try to take on yet another burden, you are likely to drop them both. Or if you are daydreaming while reaching for this gift, it may fall and you may fall too. So, how should you receive this gift? You should gather all your strength and reach out your hand. You must be strong enough. You must fully understand the profound weight of what the Shaikh is giving. If you receive it in this way, you will be able to hold onto it when it is placed in your hands. Then, when you place it in your Qalb (innermost heart), it will have great value. You must receive this treasure with a sharp focus, knowing its full weight and true value. You must keep it safely in the proper place. If you receive this gift and put it away carefully, the Shaikh will call you a wise person, a good child; but if you drop it without realizing its value, he will say you are a fool, that you have missed the point and have not understood its value. He will use either of these two terms depending upon your actions. You must understand this. Whatever the Shaikh gives you is very heavy. With faith, certitude, and determination (Iman), muster the strength to receive this weight and keep it carefully within you. You must take what He gives, guard it, and preserve it. You have to think about this. You are with the Shaikh now. You came here in search of something, and you must take what you came for. Every world the Shaikh utters is of some value to you. Every point He makes is valuable; within His every act, His every look, there is something valuable. Every time He puts His hand on someone's head, there is some value in it. Whatever way He looks at you or touches you, there is something to it; there is a definite reason for His doing it. Something may be wrong with your blood, your nerves, or your bones He does not touch anyone without a reason. You must think, "There is something to this." Maybe there is something wrong with your mind. There may be some lust, anger, miserliness, sexual desire, or sexual arts. He will place His hand on you to make this leave. In whatever the Shaikh does there is always some value, a deeper meaning than meets the eye. He may be cutting away a certain tendency or action, or perhaps a thought. Only the Shaikh knows why He is doing this. There is always a reason. It is a secret. You must recognize its value; only then will you understand the point of what He does. Because His words and actions have such profound meaning, you must always submit to Him and be vigilant to receive what He gives. Yet, my children, even though you are sitting before the Shaikh listening to a hadith that He is relating to you, you are looking here and there and are easily distracted. Like this, some people go to the temple and spend their time looking at the clothes others are wearing. They go with one purpose, but having arrived they look at these other things. "What color shirt is he wearing today? What kind of shoes is she wearing? What jewels are they wearing?" People go to the mosque and the church but only pay attention to such things. They look to see if their relatives are there. Some think, "Who is here? What does that person have? What can we get from him? What help can he give me?" This is how we are sitting in God's presence! Looking elsewhere! We are not looking for God when we are in the church, the mosque, the temple, or when we are in the presence of the Shaikh. People sit in these places and look at the world. They focus on all the distractions. Even if such people are with the Shaikh for a thousand years, this is all they will do. Such people do not really listen to what the Shaikh says. The Shaikh is right here in front of you, talking and making an important point. He is looking right at you, but you are looking everywhere else. Your attention is elsewhere. Your mind is wandering. When the Shaikh is finished, he may ask, "Have you heard what I said?" But nothing will have penetrated. Each person was looking in a different direction and no one absorbed what was being said. Nothing entered their hearts. If the Shaikh asks, "Have you taken this in?" All are quiet because no one was paying attention. One person was looking at a sari. One was thinking about the world, his house, his life. Another person was looking at the ceiling, watching a mouse crawl along the rafters. That person will answer, "Yes, yes, everything went in except the tail. The tail is still handing out. I watched it very carefully. It came from the corner over there ." "What came?" The Shaikh will ask in surprise. "The mouse. It came from there, stood there, went there, and then went to that corner. It looked right at us and finally went into that hole. See there, the tail is still handing out." "So that is what you were looking at? None of what I said penetrated!" "No," He will have to admit, very ashamed. The others in the room will also be quiet because they too were not paying attention. What is the use of sitting in front of the Shaikh in that state? You will never receive anything. Whether you are here for fifty years of five hundred years, it will not matter. It will be of no use. Does the rain fall all the time? No. Therefore, when it does rain we must make use of it. We must plow and clear the land and sow what has to be sown. Only then can we receive the benefit of the rain. In the same way, will the Shaikh be with you forever? No. Therefore, the short time He is with you, you must cultivate so much. The Shaikh will not always be here talking with you. You must make a sincere effort and absorb the wisdom that rains now and cultivate your land. Now is the time that you can receive this wealth in your life. If you miss this opportunity, you cannot make up for it later. You will be the loser. You must clear the land and be ready to sow when the rain of grace falls. You must collect this rahmat and develop your soul. Only then will you receive the benefits. It is in this state that you must sit before the Shaikh, seeking and receiving what He gives. Otherwise you are only looking at various aspects of the world. Some people look at religions, some look at races and colors, some look at clothes, some look at their relations and connections. Some look for gold, property, houses, and possessions. Some proudly think, "Oh, I have learned everything." Some think, "I know how to recite the scriptures." There is no point in all this. You are only wasting your time. You must understand the value of each and every point the Shaikh makes. You must absorb it fully, making use of every drop. You must open your heart so that the water of grace can flow into it. You must remain in that state (when you are with the Shaikh) and cultivate your land. Instead, some of you are sleeping, some are talking, some are resting, some are dreaming, some are sitting here but wondering in your minds. You sit here and think, "Oh, I have to go shopping. I have to go to the bank. I have to buy shoes. I have to go to the store." You say, "Oh, we're bored and tired. We want to go sightseeing." When you think like this, the time is wasted. Even though your are here before the Shaikh, your thoughts are elsewhere. When a dog goes to a huge lake, it can only lap up small amounts, even though the lake is filled with so much water. Similarly, if you have this dog of desire within you, even if you are with the Shaikh who pours so much into you, no matter how much love he gives or how much wisdom he pours out or how much compassion he shows, all you can do is lap up small amounts like the dog. Even if you are with a Shaikh who gives you an ocean of water or an abundance of sweet tasting honey, you can only lick at it like a dog. You will still wish to wander about. Feces is like candy to a dog; no matter how much honey you offer it, it will always search for feces. Therefore, you have to train this dog and tie it up. Then you can absorb the Shaikh's wisdom. Although you re here with the Shaikh, there are so many other things within you. You must try hard to receive every drop that comes from him. You will not be receiving this always; you have this opportunity only for a certain time. Within that allotted time period, you must be able to cultivate your land and attain the benefits. To think that you can still receive this gift after the Shaikh has died is not correct. Use the fire while it is burning. If you try to create a flame from the cold wood after the fire has gone out, your will not succeed. You must switch on the light while the generator is still working. Once the motor has stopped, if your try to turn on the lamp, it will not light. Like that, while the Shaikh is still in the world you must learn wisdom from him (you must learn to stand as the "Presence of God" with certitude, as the "Word of God made flesh" for your age and for all of the lives in your age, that is, for the benefit of all of the Creation of God within you, and for a little while on the "outside" of you, for the benefit of your brothers and sisters, as this child has Now learned to do). After He is gone, you will consider whatever the mind brings, and whatever your thoughts bring, as wisdom, but it will just be a dream of your mind. While you are with the Shaikh, He can show you directly what is right and what is wrong. So, with each breath, in each moment, you must be with the Shaikh. If you are always alert you will receive whatever you need. That will be your hayat, your eternal life. That will be your wisdom. You must make a sincere effort to do this. You must fully intend to receive whatever the Shaikh gives and understand its weight. All the time you are wondering, you will not be able to cultivate that crop. You must correct yourself and take in every point. Every point is very heavy. Every word is heavy. Every look is heavy. Every thought is heavy. You must carefully receive them all and keep them in your heart. Then you will be able to benefit from these things. Think about this. Do not be like the insects that live on the tree without realizing the value of the shade. Understand the value and weight of the words and actions of the Shaikh, and accept whatever he gives you very carefully. Do not sit before him and look at the world or up at the sky. If you do, you will not receive anything. Reflect on this. You must know the type of life you need to nurture the life of the soul. The wisdom you receive from the Shaikh should be able to protect the life of your soul. Through that state of wisdom, you must be able to know and protect the purity of that hayat. There are many deep meanings in this. It is said that you must be with the Shaikh for 12 years. What does this mean? . "Why is this?" What is it you have to learn? You must learn all that He has to give. What is that? His qualities, His actions, His conduct, His patience, His tolerance, His peacefulness, His compassion, His tranquillity, His serenity, His state of hunger, His state of vigilance, and the peace He has in the midst of joy and sorrow. You have to learn all this from the gnana Shaikh. It will take 12 years to learn His state of sabur, shukur, tawakkul, Al-hamdu lillah, His peacefulness, and His tranquillity. If you learn all His qualities within those 12 years, then the fruit will ripen within you. Acquiring His qualities and His wisdom is the meditation you must perform during this time. This is how to understand what is within you. You must take the good as good and discard the wrong as wrong. That is how you must spend those twelve years. You will not be doing this to receive gnanam, but rather to dispel agnanam, or ignorance, and to gather the qualities of meignanam, or true wisdom. You will be discarding the qualities of illusion and developing the qualities of God. As soon as these qualities grow within you, then a flower will bloom within your heart. As soon as that flower blossoms, its fragrance will emanate from every petal. When you reach maturity the flower will be in full bloom. That fullness and fragrance will appear, and you will be able to identify the flower. That will be God's flower. By its fragrance, it will be known that you are the Child of God. Once that is known, you will know the taste of heaven, God's Kingdom. To learn this takes 12 years. By learning and imbibing all these qualities, this flower and its fragrance emanates from within. There is no other learning except this. To do this you need wisdom. The wisdom that the Shaikh gives you is the knife to cut away the thousands of animals in the jungle within your heart; the monkeys, the poisonous animals, the vengeful animals, the animals that eat one another, the animals that chase one another, the animals that separate one another. Wisdom is to cut away all these animals, to discard them one by one, to chase them away. Wisdom is to cut and discard your arrogance, karma, maya, illusion, tarahan, singhan, suran, lust, anger, miserliness, attachments, fanaticism, envy, intoxicants, desire, theft, murder, falsehood; the differences of "I" and "you", of "mine and yours", of property, bondage to relatives, the discriminations coming from differences of religion and philosophy; the emotions of jealousy, envy, treachery, deceit, hypocrisy, selfishness, considering one's own hunger more important than the hunger of others; aging, disease, death; the countless qualities of impatience, hastiness, passion, pride, envy, doubt; the glitters of illusion, mind, desire, and the monkey mind all these have to be cut away and discarded. You have to cut away all that is hell, chasing away the demons and ghosts within you. Discard all these evil things. To do this, you must receive the sword of wisdom from the Shaikh. With that wisdom, you must battle each section in a different way. You must use the particular weapon necessary for each particular opponent. You need one weapon for ghosts, another for fairies, another for jinns, another for demons, another for the five elements, and still another for illusion and torpor. You need a different weapon for each of these things. It is only when you use all of the necessary instruments that you can operate on the different illnesses and diseases which you have. The Insan Kamil gives you the wisdom to do all this - to dispel all your bad qualities and acquire and put into action his good qualities and the qualities and actions of God, thereby attaining perfection. It takes twelve years to teach you how to end your diseases and give you clarity and wisdom. When you have learned to end all your diseases, then you have received gnanam. Your heart becomes full, the flower blooms and the fragrance wafts forth. That fragrance is gnanam. When this occurs, then God is within you and the path is easy. This is wisdom. Learning philosophies, the puranas, the Qur'an, or other scriptures can easily be accomplished in two years. But to establish this state within you correctly, to dispel all your bad qualities, and to receive the Shaikh's qualities and actions takes twelve years. This is why it is said you must be with an Insan Kamil for twelve years. You should understand this. If you do not receive hayat, eternal life, while you are alive and the Shaikh is alive, you will not be able to receive it when the Shaikh is gone. That cannot be done. What you receive at that time will be only a dream; you can see it while you sleep, but when you awaken it disappears. When the Shaikh is alive, He is right there in front of you, whether you are awake or asleep. That is not a dream. He is there in front of you. You can talk to Him. He can tell you right and wrong, what is good and bad, and you can understand. But if you let this allotted time pass, you will never be able to understand. You must learn all of this while both you and the Shaikh are alive. Then you will remember it even when He is not there. If you merge with Him now, then this learning will remain with you. If you do not merge with Him now, if you think you can accomplish this later, you are only deceiving yourself. Only if you mingle your qualities and your wisdom with the Shaikh's will He be with you after He is gone. Then you will receive hayat, eternal life. Each child should reflect on this and put it to use. Benefit from this. Try. Amen. End of "Original Version" of Spiritual Book 03 "Shaikh and Disciple" - Chapter 01 - "The Value of The True Shaikh" ............................................ Go To "Review of Chapter 01" or Go To: "Shaikh and Disciple" Chapter 03 - "Cutting The Gem" Chapter 02 - "Selecting A Disciple" or Spiritual Book 04 - "Islam And World Peace" Spiritual Book 02 - "The Pearl of Wisdom" or ( a top-down version of the Library Home Page) (a bottom-up version of the Library Home Page) |
This page was last updated on: June 19, 2007
