God is Within, the Sufi Poet Wrote
Salman Ahmad - December 06, 2006
Just over 300 years ago, the Muslim Sufi poet Bulleh Shah, while a student at a madrassa (Islamic school) in what is now Pakistan, asked his religious teacher this question: "What is the point of washing one's hands and feet before prayers if the heart wasn't clean?"
ust over 300 years ago, the Muslim Sufi poet Bulleh Shah, while a student at a madrassa (Islamic school) in what is now Pakistan, asked his religious teacher this question: "What is the point of washing one's hands and feet before prayers if the heart wasn't clean?"
The teacher considered Bulleh Shah's query most contentious and refused to answer the question which in his mind bordered on the blasphemous.
Despite his teacher's attempts to dissuade him from rocking the religious boat, Bulleh Shah just couldn't contain his restless heart: He grew his hair long, dressed outrageously, danced wearing ankle bracelets, picked up the iktara (the one-stringed South Asian folk instrument) and began singing poetry.
His poetry of love, freedom and tolerance not only gave voice to Muslims chained by blind ritualism and a fear-mongering clergy. It also created a cultural and spiritual bridge between Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs living in the subcontinent.
My advice to people who are seeking God is to look within their own hearts.This is best illustrated in Bulleh Shah's poetry which was directly inspired by the Quran:
You could tear down the mosque, break down the temple
Break all that can be broken
But never break anyone's heart
Because that is where God lives.
Baba Bulleh Shah
HAPPY HANNUKAH, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND EID MUBARAK!
Digg this entry 
Add to Del.icio.us 
Share on Facebook 
Subscribe
Posted by Salman Ahmad at December 6, 2006 01:01 PM
Comments
Great reminder of where God resides, in the House that God Built(the heart)in each one of us.
with loving kindness,
North
I remember watching the song 'sayonee' long time back and thinking it was great, I loved it. Thanks for bringing the sufi influence into popular music.
3. Posted by
rekha
![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.intentblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
on
December 6, 2006 08:11 PM
Everyone has a spiritual practice. It's what you do, think, eat, and drink every day.
How you are you is your spiritual practice. It cannot be separated from your life as a whole.
How are you feeling now? That is the current state of your spiritual evolution.
Churches and prayers, and celebrations are great reminders when engaged with a spirit of love, sharing and creativity.
Rituals which are simply mechanically carried out, just because authority told you to do it, kills the spirituality of man.
If you force someone to say "I love you" against their will, it has no meaning. It could even be a statement of hatred.
Similarly, rituals can be done in a way that completely subverts the very spirituality they are meant to preserve.
The same ritual becomes a bond with the divine when performed with understanding, wisdom, devotion, and love.
Those things are born again - and again, and again every moment. Real love is constantly being born and springing fresh and new from the heart every second.
Then everything becomes a meditation, every act has spiritual significance. And every day will bring more bliss.
"Life consists of small things. When you love, they become beautiful. When you love, everything becomes tremendously beautiful."
-Osho
4. Posted by
yogi-one
on
December 6, 2006 11:16 PM
Hello Salman,
Thankyou for the reminder to look within.
One of my favorite contemplative sentences is,
Be Still and Know that I Am God. It can take you to there in an instant.
peace ruth
5. Posted by
ruth
on
December 7, 2006 04:33 AM
Dear Salman
Thanks for a great post.
love, Heath
6. Posted by
hgquinn
on
December 7, 2006 05:21 AM
What Am I?
A wander into the wonder of Bulleh's World
This video is an english translation of a poem by Bulleh shah.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CINLONC97as
A poem
WHAT SAYS BABA BULLEH SHAH
Don't break the heart
says Baba Bulleh Shah
for there lives God
And his dimwit
devotees say: yes
yes there lives God
As if the coward God runs away
from disasters - earth quakes
tsunamis and tornadoes
And comes to live
in warm cozy hearts.
Poor baby, sissy God!
A repost from Anamika's blog
7. Posted by
Arpita
on
December 7, 2006 11:41 PM
Dear Salmon,
Thank you for sharing Bulleh Shah's words of wisdom. He certainly said it well!
Love, Kristin
8. Posted by
Kristin Masterton
on
December 9, 2006 11:51 AM
Salman, maybe you could someday write about how the Sufis derive their inspiration from the Quran. I was born a Muslim but have never found the Quran to be anything but an attempt by a He-Man God to obtain forceful compliance from a weak-minded population. (I will say that is true about all organized religions to some extent.) What part of the Quran stokes the spiritual fire in the sufis? I never could tell.
9. Posted by
xyz
on
December 23, 2006 08:05 AM
A wonderful post, thank you. I am a big fan of Bullah Shah and a big fan of you and Junoon too. Happy Eid, Happy New Year, and peace.
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
Recent Posts
- 25/07/08: Does a New Start Have a Chance?
- 23/07/08: Sex & The City
- 23/07/08: Innocent Until Proven Guilty
- 23/07/08: The Pregnant Man
- 23/07/08: The Army Fights "With God on Our Side"
- 23/07/08: Anand Jon is rotting in Hell - Part II
- 23/07/08: Open Thread
- 21/07/08: My Talk with the Saudis, and What I Learned from Them
- 20/07/08: Spirit: Meet Matter
- 20/07/08: The Little Korean Mozart
Recent Comments
-
sparklevh commented on God is Within, the Sufi Poet Wrote
A wonderful post, thank you. I am a big fan of
-
xyz commented on God is Within, the Sufi Poet Wrote
Salman, maybe you could someday write about how
-
Kristin Masterton commented on God is Within, the Sufi Poet Wrote
Dear Salmon,
Thank you for sharing Bull
-
Arpita commented on God is Within, the Sufi Poet Wrote
What Am I?
A wander into the wonder of
-
hgquinn commented on God is Within, the Sufi Poet Wrote
Dear Salman
Thanks for a great post.
Dear Salman,
The moon glow of the evening is streaming through the window as I type.
Though I have had so little rest this week and last night,
the realization of suffering seems like smoke within air,
It can dissipate or linger,
depending on how long I want to hold on to it
(kind of like grapping a hot skillet, and deciding to hold on...longer
than a milisecond... is very painful! and not necessary! for sure :)
Also deepening is my 'quest' - to not hurt another.
Thank you for your post,
love,
~ Kate