From tariqas-digest-approval@europe.std.com Sun Jul 21 14:53:52 1996 Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 09:05:13 -0400 (EDT) From: tariqas-digest-approval@europe.std.com Reply-To: tariqas-digest@world.std.com To: tariqas-digest@world.std.com Subject: tariqas-digest V1 #71 tariqas-digest Thursday, 18 July 1996 Volume 01 : Number 071 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: frank gaude Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 06:43:41 -0700 Subject: Ancient Ray of Creaton (5 of 7) The Laws of Three and Seven (5) - --------------------------- "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." Understanding Luke, 13:6-9, doesn't come if it is literally taken. Understand it psychologically and you see it means humanity, humankind, has certain possibilities which can come to fruition and, unless some fruit is produced, humanity will be cut off. (Notice the "three years" and the implied Law of Three, the fullness of creation, sufficient time allowed. Digging and dunging is the shock of the octave.) If we don't swim against the current, if we go with the flow, we will be cut down, no longer in the river of life. We have a door open to us, not along the Ray of Creation (big octave), but up and down a ladder (small octave) beside it, created by our sun. Such is the meaning of the Prodigal Son in the popular Christian Bible. "Organic life is a pain factory." "Learn how to suffer and such life need suffer no more."--gnostic slogan. Organic life is an experiment in self-evolution, produced by the laws that govern stars, govern our sun, coming from Will of Absolute (Allah). >From the Laws of Three and Seven it should be clear how far detached we humans are from Absolute. Such has little direct contact with us, but we can have contact with lesser beings, our sun and our moon. If we have negative feelings about things, our neighbors, we feed the moon; if we work on ourselves, our positive side, we move in the direction of higher powers, our sun. But none of this make sense, to have input into our five or six or seven sensors, in our present state of being. First we have to have an aim, a will, to do something about our present condition. Are we conscious enough to develop a little will? Can we sound note Do strongly. Can we observe such? Observe forces of resistance, second, or negative forces? Can we get as far as note Mi, and then, and then, acquire shock to get us over to note Fa? If not, we go in circles, wonderful circles of pain, endless pain and suffering. Such is the condition of many people here on earth. >From what has been said so far, it should be clear enough what the answer to the question, "If there be a God, why does he allow things to happen here on earth the way they do?" is. God, Absolute, infinity, has no contact with us. Laws are set in motion along the big octave, Ray of Creation, and these laws are obeyed, because they govern matter, transformation, creation. They cannot be violated. The only unknown is Will of Absolute. Ask not why, for it is so. Humanity is under from 96 to 24 laws. Such determines the confusion experienced among ourselves. We don't usually understand much of each other because we are on different levels of being. A Christ is under only 12 laws and is nearly invisible to normal humans under 96 to 24 laws. It should be clear why people like me never really wish to speak of "free will". Such is pure tom-foolery. We can speak of will and the power to do, and what it takes to develop will and aim that takes us along the vertical axis of time, up the side ladder, octave of the Ray of Creation. Now it should be clear what is wrong with ordinary science, as much as its efforts are admired. It choses not to work on itself, does everything in the external or outer worlds, tries as best it can to ignore the inner side of life, the spirit behind mind and matter. More to come in part (6) as we learn to observe 3s and 7s within our being, within all matter and energy. "Avoid the Do-Ra-Me-Do syndrome!"--circle of pain. Swim against the stream, stay conscious, remember self, Self (Zikr). Get on the Do-Ra-Me+++Fa-Sol-La-Si+++Do bandwagon (Si stands for sidera: stars!). Search out positive and negative forces, and what it takes to get third force (Holy Ghost: such should drive science to the new heights) in conjunction. More in (6) tanzen ------------------------------ From: CWoodsong@aol.com Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 10:02:09 -0400 Subject: Re: le bon sauvage Dear Ali Haydar, > Am I out of place in asking that the subject be dropped? I will no longer participate in any such discussion. I appreciate your presence here and hope that you will stay. love, carol ------------------------------ From: Hafizullah@aol.com Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 11:22:38 -0400 Subject: Re: Verb: to be In a message dated 96-07-16 13:46:54 EDT, you write: << And what of the romanticized crapola along the lines of "noble technology", or even "techno-gods" nonsense of the twentieth-century? >> I agree. Still crapola. << Why should i fear that of which i am part? >> Now THAT is romanticized crapola! Get real. Humans were a preferred prey animal of saber-tooth cats since when humans came out of the trees. We're talking about a beast whose back half was as big as that of an African lion and whose front was half-again as large --- and not too bright, to boot. If you can stand you ground when chased by a bear --- or even just a big truck driven by a drunk --- then I'll take back what I said. ------------------------------ From: frank gaude Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 08:25:02 -0700 Subject: Riddle from Chief MB Hello, folks! Chief Morning Bear posed a riddle; any takers? > Luke had it before. > Paul had it behind. > Matthew never had it at all. > All girls have it once; > Boys cannot have it. > Old Full-Moon-Seer had it, > Twice in succession. > The medicine man, Low-Well, > had it before and behind; > He had it twice as much > Behind as before. > What am I? tanzen ------------------------------ From: NurLuna@aol.com Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 11:52:19 -0400 Subject: Re: Riddle from Chief MB In a message dated 96-07-17 11:33:29 EDT, you write: > > Luke had it before. > > Paul had it behind. > > Matthew never had it at all. > > All girls have it once; > > Boys cannot have it. > > Old Full-Moon-Seer had it, > > Twice in succession. > > The medicine man, Low-Well, > > had it before and behind; > > He had it twice as much > > Behind as before. > > What am I? I am the letter "L". Farrunnissa ------------------------------ From: Well333@turbonet.com (Jacquie Weller) Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 08:59:12 +0100 Subject: Poem Music Towards the One The drum, the flute, and the tamborine Were having a conversation one day. The drum said "I am a drum; the flute cannot speak to me". The flute said "I am a flute; the drum cannot speak to me". The tamborine said "I am neither the drum or flute and they Cannot speak to me." What a pity they could not make music together Under the Cresent Moon or drink the Stars of Harmony; Or kneel together in adoration, praising Allah... Kaffea Lalla ------------------------------ From: frank gaude Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 10:19:40 -0700 Subject: Re: Poem Jacquie Weller wrote: > > Music Towards the One [...] > What a pity they could not make music together > Under the Cresent Moon or drink the > Stars of Harmony; > Or kneel together in adoration, praising > Allah... I be a frame drum and and we make music with other instruments of Allah, Alhamdu'lillah. Your point, through, is not missed on this poor soul kissing the slim at the pit's bottom. O Lord, send Thy peace, that we may think, speak, and act in harmony with Thy Will. Amin. tanzen ------------------------------ From: maarof@pc.jaring.my Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 06:08:23 +0800 Subject: Re: Riddle from Chief MB On Wed, 17 Jul 1996, NurLuna@aol.com wrote: >In a message dated 96-07-17 11:33:29 EDT, you write: > >> > Luke had it before. >> > Paul had it behind. >> > Matthew never had it at all. >> > All girls have it once; >> > Boys cannot have it. >> > Old Full-Moon-Seer had it, >> > Twice in succession. >> > The medicine man, Low-Well, >> > had it before and behind; >> > He had it twice as much >> > Behind as before. >> > What am I? > >I am the letter "L". > >Farrunnissa > It cannot be "L" because "L" and "l" is not the same :( I don't think its the alphabet. My guess "I" is the big brother of "i" maarof (... always :( /angry/ when someone wrote in riddles) ------------------------------ From: Well333@turbonet.com (Jacquie Weller) Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 16:54:38 +0100 Subject: Re: Riddle from Chief MB > > >On Wed, 17 Jul 1996, NurLuna@aol.com wrote: >>In a message dated 96-07-17 11:33:29 EDT, you write: >> >>> > Luke had it before. >>> > Paul had it behind. >>> > Matthew never had it at all. >>> > All girls have it once; >>> > Boys cannot have it. >>> > Old Full-Moon-Seer had it, >>> > Twice in succession. >>> > The medicine man, Low-Well, >>> > had it before and behind; >>> > He had it twice as much >>> > Behind as before. >>> > What am I? >> Maiden or last name, ? Kaffea Lalla >It cannot be "L" because "L" and "l" is not the same :( >I don't think its the alphabet. > >My guess "I" is the big brother of "i" > >maarof >(... always :( /angry/ when someone wrote in riddles) > > > ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 23:02:37 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Volume of mail On Mon, 15 Jul 1996, Richard Rozsa wrote: > Dear friends and members of the tariqas e-list, > > May this find one and all well. > > Of late, there has been a huge volume of mail on this list. Since > Friday, I've received more than 150 messages and this has been the > normal amount of late. Some have sent more than 20 messages in just > three days. To be clear, I'm not asking people to stop sending mail. As > far as this person is concerned, the responsibility for action resides > with each individual. We each act continuously, knowing our motivation > or not. While one suspects that being "compelled" by one's Lord to > action is a rare occasion, to presume the knowledge of the workings of > the Absolute would be bad form. It is also not my wish to request an > atmosphere of "biting one's tongue." There have been several threads > that while they have at first seemed personal (and therefore, none of my > business since not directed to me personally), through work at > extracting the substance in a message, inner biases and understandings > have come to light. > > With all this said, I'd be very grateful for any techniques that have > been successfully used for dealing with this volume of mail. It has been > too much lately to give the proper attention to each message. If you'd > like to send mail directly to me, I'll compile any messages received > (not requested to be private) in a single mail and forward to the > tariqas list for any of the many people there that might be interested. Assalamu alaikum. Thanks very much for your note. Just want to remind members that there is a digest version of tariqas available. While the digest won't cut down on the volume, it will at least "lump" a lot of messages together for you. To subscribe, send email to majordomo@world.std.com with the following text: subscribe tariqas-digest unsubscribe tariqas This will subscribe you to the digest and unsubscribe you to the regular list (Insh'Allah). Please write me directly at habib@world.std.com if you have any questions with this. Writing such requests to me directly, rather than to the tariqas list as a whole, will help cut down on traffic. Other ways to help cut down on traffic: Consider carefully if you really need to send a response to a message that just says "I agree with what you say" Consider if you want all your responses to go to the entire list. Perhaps some messages are really intended for specific individuals (e.g. gosh, it's good to see you on this list -- haven't seen you in a long time...) Be careful that you are not sending multiple copies of the same letter to the list by including a carbon copy to tariqas@europe.std.com as well as an original to tariqas@world.std.copm -- you can send your messages to either address and it will work just fine -- there's no need to send to both! Thanks a lot! Habib Rose host of tariqas ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 23:08:00 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Turkish Sufi Music Concert in Lousiana (fwd) From: Lbolat@aol.com Received: from emout19.mail.aol.com (emout19.mx.aol.com) by world.std.com (5.65c/Spike-2.0) id AA14138; Mon, 15 Jul 1996 21:05:01 -0400 Received: by emout19.mail.aol.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) id VAA19939 for tariqas@world.std.com; Mon, 15 Jul 1996 21:06:53 -0400 Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 21:06:53 -0400 Message-Id: <960715210650_434921621@emout19.mail.aol.com> To: tariqas@world.std.com Subject: Turkish Sufi Music Concert in Lousiana LATIF BOLAT IS BRINGING THE DEVOTIONAL TURKISH SUFI MUSIC AND POETRY TO BATON ROUGE, LOUSIANA. Latif Bolat will be performing devotional Turkish Sufi music and poetry at the Atchafalaya Room of Lousiana State University Student Union on July 26, Friday at 8PM. "The Sound" magazine calls Latif Bolat^Rs music " ..The effect is very powerful, very soothing." Turkish instrumentalist and vocalist Latif Bolat will present the seven-hundred years old devotional music tradition of the mystic Sufis from Turkey. A Sufi is a person who possesses nothing and possessed by nothing, in a short description. Sufism was born as a response to orthodox Islam and gained prominence during 13th century, partly because of the Mongolian invasion of the Middle East. While affirming the unity of God and the absolute distinction between creator and and created, Sufism also assumes an inner kinship between God and man and strives to bridge the gulf between them through the dynamic force of love. Sufis developed very elaborate rituals and philosophies during the past seven hundred years. Latif Bolat will present Turkish Sufi songs which are called "Ilahi" and "Nefes", from the Anatolian peninsula. Traditionally these songs are accompanied by dancing and whirling Derwishes in a ceramony called "Zikr", which means "Remembrance". The art of "zikr music", as with most of the great Asian musical and literary traditions is transmitted orally. The mystical verse associated with Zikr music is best appreciated and understood by listening and participating in the movements of the Zikr. The vehicle of music is used to bring one closer to the experience of the inner truth. One of the objectives of Zikr music is to induce trance in a group of listeners and participants in a communal ritualized setting. The external manifestation of of this trance is a state of mind that is created by musically induced ecstasy. This ecstasy can range from rhythmic moving of the head or swaying of the body to violent convulsions. The lyrics of "Ilahis" or Nefeses" are taken mostly from the great Medieval Turkish mystical poets such as Yunus Emre, Celalledin Rumi and Pir Sultan Abdal. The main poem is sung verse by verse in recitative-chorus alternation. Each line is usually first intoned solo, then repeated by the group progressing from one song to next without breaks to intensify the effect of the music. The program also includes Sufi poetry readings from 13th Century poets Yunus Emre and Rumi . This electrifying performance will take place on July 26, Friday at 8PM at the Atchafalaya Room, LSU Student Union, 3rd Floor. For further information, please call (504)388-3788. ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 23:26:21 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: le bon sauvage Assalamu alaikum. On Wed, 17 Jul 1996, Thomas McElwain wrote: > > Assalaamu Alaykum! > There is an ongoing discussion in which I have not participated so > far regarding the guru-like contribution or lack of it on the part of Native > Americans or their anscestors as far back as the Mammoth. Insofar as I know, > I am the only participant in this forum who is actually on the tribal rolls > of a Native American community. It is also likely that, considering that I > have written in a number of academic publications post-doctoral research in > the area of Native American spirituality, I am among the more qualified in > this forum to state an opinion on this matter. The subject is being > discussed in more sophisticated terms in other forums, to which I would > direct those interested either in the contemporary expression of > spiritualities attempting to draw from Native American spiritual culture, or > in the objective examination of such movements, or in the objective > examination of Native American culture. The fact that the subject is being > debated here with what appears in my point of view to be little or highly > generalized factual information, makes me feel uncomfortable. I am not > accusing anyone of racism, I am only saying that, given my ethnic > background, I feel uncomfortable with the debate. It does not relate to the > practice of Sufism, nor to the evaluation of Sufism, nor the the giving of > information historical and factual about Sufism. Am I out of place in asking > that the subject be dropped? Or should I drop out of the forum? The tariqas list (from my perspective anyway) is not necessarily only about Sufism. On the other hand, you are prefectly in place by saying whatever you feel drawn to say, including requesting topics to be dropped. I certainly hope you don't drop out of the forum, but needless to say, that's up to you. I would hope that members of the list would have the courtesy ("adab") to be respectful of other people's traditions, and to be willing to admit their ignorance. Yours, Habib ------------------------------ From: gberlind@crl.com (Gary Berlind) Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 20:48:43 -0800 Subject: Re: Riddle from Chief MB >> >> >>On Wed, 17 Jul 1996, NurLuna@aol.com wrote: >>>In a message dated 96-07-17 11:33:29 EDT, you write: >>> >>>> > Luke had it before. >>>> > Paul had it behind. >>>> > Matthew never had it at all. >>>> > All girls have it once; >>>> > Boys cannot have it. >>>> > Old Full-Moon-Seer had it, >>>> > Twice in succession. >>>> > The medicine man, Low-Well, >>>> > had it before and behind; >>>> > He had it twice as much >>>> > Behind as before. >>>> > What am I? >>> >Maiden or last name, ? Kaffea Lalla > > > >>It cannot be "L" because "L" and "l" is not the same :( >>I don't think its the alphabet. >> >>My guess "I" is the big brother of "i" >> >>maarof >>(... always :( /angry/ when someone wrote in riddles) >> >> >> All is One. L is part of All. l is also part of All. Therefore, l=L Therefore it is the letter 'L' I have spoken, Gary Berlind ------------------------------ From: Hafizullah@aol.com Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 02:14:39 -0400 Subject: Re: Al-Haqq and poetry In a message dated 96-07-17 08:09:55 EDT, you write: << There has been an expressed aversion to poetry as such. I understand well if there is an aversion to one, some or all of my poems, but I do not understand the aversion to poetry as such. >> Who, pray tell, is making them read it? IMHO, we are here in this forum to share, sometimes to disagree, and inshaa'Llah, to stretch our heads and hearts in a spirit of tolerance and even appreciation of and honoring of our differences. If there are forum members who just don't like reading poetry (for whatever reason), it takes but the briefest caress of the keyboard to commend the offending item to electromagnetic limbo. Perhaps we could agree on an adab of using the word "Poetry" in the subject line so that those who find it distasteful can just delete without reading. ------------------------------ From: Thomas McElwain Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 09:34:43 +0300 (EET DST) Subject: Riddle from Chief Assalaamu 'Alaykum Writing is riddles cannot be avoided so here is the answer to the riddle from the Chief: As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with seven wives Every wife had seven sacks Every sack had seven cats Every cat had seven kits Kits, cats, sacks and wives How many were going to St. Ives? What am I? If I told you, you wouldn't believe it. Sincerely, Guess who. P.S. Love you, Tanzen. ------------------------------ From: Thomas McElwain Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 10:55:00 +0300 (EET DST) Subject: savage music and poetry Assalamu alaykum rahmatullahi I beg the pardon of all for implying limitations on Sufi vehicles. I thank you all for helping to broaden my limited horizons, and I especially thank you, Habib, for your words of welcome. There has been a long debate, I use the word guardedly, but the book-length bibliography on the subject seems to justify it, on the use of music as a Sufi vehicle. Some have deplored it strenuously. I think of the followers of Jalaladdin Rumi in their reaction to Shams-i Tabrizi and the associated music-riddled sema. The last dhikr I visited in Egypt made me think I was in a Pentecostal meeting. The music was amplified above distortion level. This might be an unexpected point of unification. Al-Hamdu lillaahi! Since music has always raised questions, and recently the time-honored vehicle of Sufi poetry has been questioned as well, I submit to the judgment of authority. Let's investigate something fresh... How about ethnic slurring... Anyone want to begin? Ah, Tanzen, my dearest, what does slim taste like? Jack Sprat could eat no fat, His wife could eat no lean, And so betwixt the two of them They licked the platter clean. When shall I learn that there is room for All in One? I God take on a form, not for heresy, but to be able to take the universe in my hand and watch it spin like a new penny. Love to all, Ali Haydar ------------------------------ From: maarof@pc.jaring.my Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 19:47:00 +0800 Subject: Poetry (pls ignore) On Thu, 18 Jul 1996, Hafizullah@aol.com wrote: >In a message dated 96-07-17 08:09:55 EDT, you write: > ><< There has been > an expressed aversion to poetry as such. I understand well if > there is an aversion to one, some or all of my poems, but I do > not understand the aversion to poetry as such. >> > >Who, pray tell, is making them read it? IMHO, we are here in this forum to >share, sometimes to disagree, and inshaa'Llah, to stretch our heads and >hearts in a spirit of tolerance and even appreciation of and honoring of our >differences. If there are forum members who just don't like reading poetry >(for whatever reason), it takes but the briefest caress of the keyboard to >commend the offending item to electromagnetic limbo. > >Perhaps we could agree on an adab of using the word "Poetry" in the subject >line so that those who find it distasteful can just delete without reading. > Assalamualaikum, God knows best why sufis speak in poetry. Sometimes they just want to tell their experience as the tale of the reed in Rumi's opening in Mathnawi. I find that a very powerful opening lines in whole of mathnawi. There are some very very good poetry in tariqas-list and it depend on the readers' experience. And to put the word "Poetry" in the subject line, in my opinion, is to discriminate against members who submit poems. Imposing this condition will made them 2nd class citizen of tariqas-list. I also see it, "poetry" being classified as 2nd-class materials for the tariqas forum. salam maarof ------------------------------ From: frank gaude Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 06:01:14 -0700 Subject: Ancient Ray of Creation (6 of 7)(long) The Laws of Three and Seven (6) - --------------------------- What causes things to grow and develop, from a seed to a flower, from an acorn to an oak tree, from sperm and egg to person? For humans: One cell, by dividing into two and the two into four, and the four into sixteen, until 50 stages of division are reached, in nine months, produces 100,000,000,000,000 living cells. The dividing process is due to the Law of Three. The ordering and arranging and integration of the whole developing person of living cells with the shocks given at certain points is controlled by the Law of Seven. The first shock in the first octave in the whole process is of course given by fertilization. Breath-of-air is the shock that keeps you going once out of mother's womb. Now think of octaves within octaves, an infinite number of octaves in the universe. Mull... There are many ways of seeing how things reach a certain stage and cannot get further without help from outside, i.e., without a shock. Have you ever thought that nature brings things to a point and stops? But a person can give a shock and take them further in their development. Think of wheat--loaves do not grow in a wheat field. Think of the uses we people make of raw materials. We supply the shock to carrying things along in development, taking iron ore and making steel, taking sand and making computers. On the other hand, if a shock were not required once a thing got started it would go by itself to a successful completion. You know that things don't go that way. Things start and then stop. That is natural. But within ourselves it need not be that way, if we have the knowledge to produce our own shocks. If we don't have such knowledge, such gnosis, things simply go in circles and never change in eternity. Things are born, they live, they die, over and over again. Nothing new here. But conscious intelligence can produce not only the necessary shocks for straight lines to be produced, for big spirals to come about instead of little circles, but also the third force that controls the quality of the product. For you see Holy Ghost (third force) is already contained within organic life on earth. It comes from stars, our sun, from Will of Absolute (Allah). Many call it "love". As you move from octave to octave you change from one level of being to another. Each level has a scale associated with it. I have been known to say that as you move over an octave you "cross an infinity", much as adding a dimension to your understanding. Think of the octaves-within-octaves as a series of maps, each showing the same territory, but each with a different scale, showing more or less detail of the area. "The Law of Seven within the Law of Three provides the relationship of the part to the whole." Wish we had a better word than infinity, it is so overused! Infinity is something indefinite, but it is more than that: it is thinking and being outside the world of contrasts, the world of duality and earth, beyond the negative and positive forces, into the unimaginable world, the Real universe. Keep all that is being said as relative, relative to everything else. We never deal with fixed assets. Everything is knitted together, from the heights to the depths of the universe by the double action of the Laws of Three and Seven. Such has been known by the "Conscious Circle of Humanity" for over 12,000 years and is beginning to be known in the present day scientific community, in the Physics Community lead by Fritjof Capra and others. We must get things the right way up in our minds and we cannot do so unless we realize the conditions and limitations of creation, transformation. We have only to look sincerely at ourselves to realize how difficult it is to work and how much we sleep during the waking day. Yet the real, most intense meaning of "Humanity on Earth" lies in the octave from the sun into which we can grow internally and come under influences of other than earth, other than materiality: This is the path of the friends, the seekers, and those who think of others before themselves. Once humanity loses connection with the intelligence of the sun (consider the Mandeans and Sabeans), it will inevitably be destroyed, and that is especially the danger today. And it is the same thing on the scale of individuals like you and me; for, once we lose contact with the better 'I' within us, the real 'I', once we lose all faith, all meaning, all affirmation, all deeper understanding, we will destroy ourselves and most of life on earth. And when life assumes evil forms we easily weaken. The "evil" of today is the worship of material goods and comforts, but such will pass, unless... Now if we think about the vertical scale, where we came from and where we can get back to, nothing here on earth can corrupt us. We can stay awake and not be simply a tool of nature. In life many things are started which turn out quite differently from what was expected of them. The starting of anything can be represented by the note Do. The next stage of its development can be represented by Re, and the next stage by Mi. If the development of things were easy there would be no reason why any particular development should not proceed successfully to its fullest stage, i.e., the octave would be completed. But two factors prevent this. First, the passage between Do and Re and Re and Mi requires effort to keep the direction of the development in the right alignment with the starting point. An example: We start an international society for preserving peace; we sound the Do. But as development of the society proceeds, owing to misunderstandings and disagreements and many other factors, the original line is not quite adhered to; in fact, it begins to deviate to one side or the other of the original direction. Instead of developing in a straight line we have it turning back on itself. The result is that things started may end up where they started. Our society for peace may end up being a society for war! Why? We each have war within ourselves, a perpetual war, a conditioning of nafs. Second, a factor prevents the full and successful development of things is the check, the slowing down point between Mi and Fa. Here unless something arrives from the outside progress stops. The octave does not proceed! The further development of our society is not reached. It is dead and returns to repeat its mistakes over and over. Another example: for a child to speak, read and write, letters must first be learned, then words and phrases, and then a shock from life comes because the child is surrounded by those who are speaking, reading and writing. If that shock is not there, the child never learns speaking, reading and writing. (We cannot learn much in a vacuum: creates the ivory tower egghead! Such a person, as we so well know, is a good example of unbalance.) Understand? If you do, you can now spend much time observing how all things fall under the two laws we have been discussing. Once you are able to do such observations, it is an easy step next to start to observe yourself and become conscious of your various minds, centers, and other attributes. >From there you self-remember! You find Self along the line leading to the sun, Sun, SUN. One more to go (7), tanzen ------------------------------ End of tariqas-digest V1 #71 ****************************