In the days when there were such things as castles and fair damsels, (and we may assume also dragons, knights, sorcerers, and such like things, though they have nothing to do with our tale) there were two brothers. They shared similar handsome features and were both blessed with a strong robust physique. In short each was, in appearance, the very stuff of the heroes of fairy stories or legends. They were both in the prime of their young manhood and thus brave and foolish by turns, and of course utterly susceptible to the charms of fair maidens and smitten by the pleasure of competitive sport. Indeed they differed only in one thing – for whilst one was diligent in studies and cautious in nature the other wasa man of action rather than words.
Now it so happened that one day they climbed on their trusty steeds (for in such stories as this it is a necessity to have trusty steeds) and set out on a journey of discovery to satisfy a wanderlust that had grown within them in their formative years and had reached such a point that it would not be denied. Neither could have described their purpose in setting out on their journey nor could either have denied the call within.
Read more...(2266 words, 11 images, estimated 9:04 mins reading time)
In olden times there was a famous astrologer whose skills were said to be so great that he could accurately foretell the exact date that any person who consulted him would die. The king came to hear of the astrologers great skills and called him into his presence. He inquired if this story was true and, on hearing that it was, the King requested the astrologer to predict the date of the King’s own demise. The astrologer duly consulted his charts and gave the King the exact date.
The King was not comfortable with the reply as it was a little closer than he liked. He asked again if the astrologer was indeed infallible in this respect. Receiving confirmation of this the King said he would prove the astrologer could be wrong.
He asked the astrologer to say what date the astrologer himself would die. Consulting the charts the astrologer named a date several years off. The King said, “Now I will prove you wrong – call in the executioner!”
There was once a mystic who had great powers of asceticism. He lived as an ordinary fisherman and everyday he would go out in his boat and catch many fish. He would distribute his catch amongst the poor and only save one fish head for himself. One day he called one of his trusted disciples and said“It appears that my spiritual development is held up by something and I have not been able to fathom out what it is. I want you to go and visit a great Sufi mystic who lives some way away. I want you to ask him for the solution to my problem. He is one of those much loved by God.”
Accordingly the disciple traveled for many weeks until he reached the town of the great Sufi. He inquired as to the direction to his cave but was shown instead the path to a great mansion, a veritable palace situated on the top of a hill. He checked again and all agreed that this was where the mystic lived.
Read more...(778 words, 1 image, estimated 3:07 mins reading time)
If they had the graceful movements Of your feet and tongue, they would not stop laughing Between their ecstatic dance steps and unbroken praise. Your heart beats inside a sacred drum, Its skin is tanned and stretched - Our skin is alive and stretched - With the wild molecules of His Wondrous Existence.
Your mind and eyes are an immense silk cloth Upon which all your thoughts and movements paint.
Your soul once sat on an easel on my knee. For ages I have been sketching you With myriad shapes of sounds and light;
Now awake, dear pilgrim, With your thousand swaying arms That need to caress the Sky.
Now awake with your love for the Friend and the Creation, Help this Old Tavern Sweeper, Hafiz, To celebrate.
No more enemies from this golden view - All who have entered this holy mountain cave Have dropped their shields and swords.
We all cook together around a fire Our yearning music builds.
We share our tools and instruments and plates; We are companions on this earth
As the sun and planets are in the sky. We are all sentries at our sacred humble posts.
Read more...(302 words, 3 images, estimated 1:12 mins reading time)
Think, before envying the position of your fellow man, with what difficulty he has arrived at it.
There are experiences such as failure in business, or misfortune, or illness, or a certain blow in one’s life, whether an affair of the heart or of money or a social affair, whatever it may be — there are blows which fall upon a person and a shell breaks, a new consciousness is produced. Very few will see it is an unfoldment, very few will interpret it as such, but it is so. Have you not seen among your acquaintances how a person with a disagreeable nature, a most uninteresting man to whom you were never attracted, perhaps after a blow, a deep sorrow, after some experience, awakened to a new consciousness and suddenly attracted you, because he had gone through this process? As we unfold at every step in our life, so we do with every experience. The deeper the experience touches us, the greater the unfoldment. Read more...(831 words, 1 image, estimated 3:19 mins reading time)
A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. The other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two unfortunate frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.
Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs tried with all of their might to jump out of the pit. The other frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that they wouldn’t be in that situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible. They continued shouting that they should save their energy and give up, since they were already as good as dead.
But the two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could and became quite weary. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in helpless grief.
Read more...(364 words, 1 image, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)
Surely there is not, cannot be, any better proof of imagination confused with real experience, than something which happened to me during a tour of holy places in the Middle East.
I was with a party of very devout people belonging to a certain faith, we need not say which one. They were visiting places reputed for their spiritual history and atmosphere, mostly belonging to another religious tradition.
Their guide was new to the job. To help matters, he read in detail from a Michelin guide as we went from place to place. ‘Here martyrs were killed …. Here is the site of the cell of a certain holy monk …. Here such-and-such a person had a holy vision ….’
Every single time the devotees stood respectfully, showing every sign of appreciating the deep spiritual feelings which suffused the places ….
Then, one day, we were taken to a site where the guide read out about the horrors which had been perpetrated there, how a certain tyrant had murdered scores of good men of God, and how the whole area was reputed to be cursed. All shivered and eagerly discussed how they felt the ‘very essence of evil’ surrounding them. Read more...(277 words, 1 image, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)
In the days when there were such things as castles and fair damsels, (and we may assume also dragons, knights, sorcerers, and such like things, though they have nothing to do with our tale) there were two brothers. They shared similar handsome features and were both blessed with a strong robust physique. In short each was, in appearance, the very stuff of the heroes of fairy stories or legends. They were both in the prime of their young manhood and thus brave and foolish by turns, and of course utterly susceptible to the charms of fair maidens and smitten by the pleasure of competitive sport. Indeed they differed only in one thing – for whilst one was diligent in studies and cautious in nature the other was a man of action rather than words.
Processing your request, Please wait....
In olden times there was a famous astrologer whose skills were said to be so great that he could accurately foretell the exact date that any person who consulted him would die. The king came to hear of the astrologers great skills and called him into his presence. He inquired if this story was true and, on hearing that it was, the King requested the astrologer to predict the date of the King’s own demise. The astrologer duly consulted his charts and 
There was once a mystic who had great powers of asceticism. He lived as an ordinary fisherman and everyday he would go out in his boat and catch many fish. He would distribute his catch amongst the poor and only save one fish head for himself. One day he called one of his trusted disciples and said “It appears that my spiritual development is held up by something and I have not been able to fathom out what it is. I want you to go and visit a great Sufi mystic who lives some way away. I want you to ask him for the solution to my problem. He is one of those much loved by God.”
With Inayat Khan
A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. The other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two unfortunate frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead. 
