sing-songs

this is the song that never ends...yes it goes on and on my friends...some people started singing it, not knowing what it was, but they'll just keep on singing it forever just because this is the song that never ends...

Sunday, January 27, 2008

What's in a name?

Ammara (Nafs-e-Ammara / Commanding Soul): There are various verses in the Holy Qur'an relative to the existence of this kind of Nafs. This Nafs commands us to commit sin. It is lower than animals because they behave according to the demands of nature. When a lion or tiger devours another animal it is because it needs food. And once an animal is full it does not pursue another animal, while a man is capable of swallowing the whole world and still be hungry. Man can kill thousands and still long for more blood. There are lots of factual accounts which are indicative of the existence of Ammara, one of whom was the late Shah of Iran; the more he killed the thirstier he became and the more he stole the greedier he got. Saadi, the famous Iranian man-of-letters recounts the story of Mahmoud Shah Ghanzanavi who was at the threshold of dying but he would not die. Eventually he commanded that his royal jewels be mounted on mule backs so the caravan could pass in front of his eyes. Once this was done, he died comfortably. These are a few samples of men who became so degraded that they sank lower than any animal. Man tramples upon his nature and behaves relative to the demands of his desires and whims for which there is no limit. In short, Ammara is lowest of all the Nafs and Dr. Shariati has compared it to mud.

http://www.ezsoftech.com/akram/nafs.asp

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Crusts and crumbs

wood chippings and nail clippings glued on some crusty old crepe paper
was this art?

i cocked my head to the right...the greyish hues tilted quizically

i cocked my head to the left...an up-side-down frown glared back

sometimes we see something which doesnt make sense, and in an attempt to understand it we try to adopt a different perspective...but do those always work? will the unrest of not figuring something out consume us and haunt us to no end?

if i'm making sense, then congratulations, but if i'm not, it's ok...just sit with it for a while. eventually things break down, like grains of sand, or tiny crumbs, which will fall thru the cracks in our minds, and we may percieve this as a great loss.

i've had a love-hate relationship with logic, and she's mad at me for challenging her so damn much. i can't help it, i'm like an impetuous child looking for a satisfying answer.