“Reflections” by Musa Askari
THIEVES OF THE SOUL: You can’t steal someone’s or a nation’s Soul and say you made their life better by pointing to some transient material improvements through which some people’s so-called “life chances” got better while leaving intact the oppressive system that creates inequalities. Absurdity to its limit.
Almost Everyone Knows To Be A Racist Is Wrong, Immoral. Even the racist knows as they vehemently perpetuate what they know is wrong. Some know it only as an casual idea that it is wrong and go back to their usual concerns. As casually you notice something on a pavement as you look out of a car window driving by on the way to the rest of your life while someone is losing theirs century after century, day after day. Or even more dispassionately as scrolling through social media feeds. Oh look racism, scroll on they tell themselves. Some grasp it with their mind. It is more firmly understood and occupies a long hold of their attention and becomes a part of the fabric of their thinking, morality, intellectual endeavour. Emotionally they respond, react, resist and so on. The scars on their mind of having fought that fight only few see and know about. They are from all ethnicities. All communities. We pass by them daily (or used to before the pandemic). You could refer to them as the “salt of the earth” or “peace-makers” or “peace-holders”. It’s not easy sheilding a naked candle of hope from the winds of racism. They do it for me, for you, of course for themselves but their “Self” is Universal so no ego but selflessness. Once I saw a tremendous thing. A woman who I had only met only once of twice before standing face to face, giving no inch of ground as she faced a racist in the street. I was fearful. She was fearless. Which brings me to the last. Namely, that some (few perhaps), respond against racism not casually, not only from the mind or from a moral stance. No, they respond completely, absolutely, to the very summit from their BEING and respond from their SOUL. That immaterial, impartible, invisible principal of Self Conscious Thinking Voluntary Life. Which reminds me, as often is the case, of my late Father’s words….
Never Again: This Holocaust Memorial Day we say Never again. As One Voice NEVER & remember Six Million Jews that perished along with Millions of Roma Gypsies, Disabled People & many more. https://www.hmd.org.uk/ What is it in the human psyche that makes it plummet to depths below Humanity? What is it that makes humans inhumane? What is that dangerous force in history & today that takes hold of our identities & separates us from each other on grounds of race, language, religion & culture? That plants hollow seeds of superiority in our minds. A collective identity hypnosis, by denying its own existence it persists, claiming our soul as its own. A half-being that draws us away from our “neighbour”. Who is this “neighbour” which has every right to seek justice for every injustice? LIFE! From the sunrise of humanity it is the principle of Life that is our nearest & dearest, our true next of kin. It is a kinship that invisibly bonds us to each & every human being past or present. What a wondrous kinship where it breathes through all outer kinships, through all divisions, through all diversity; it is the UNITY that binds us to each other not only through sharing of culture, art & literature but as Soul-Beings.
ONE Compassionate Heart: Should there be only ONE Compassionate Heart remaining in the World there would still be an abundance from which the World could renew itself. Those that oppress and divide think they have divided the impartible when it is not so. That is the illusion they suffer from unconsciously.
Keep People Safe: By talking Peace. Acting in Peace. Making Peace. Do not demonise people. Do not divide people. Go beyond tolerance. BE PEACE.
Breaking Bread: Shopping this morning beside me I overheard a Mother communicating with her children in TWO LANGUAGES at the same time. I understood one of the languages and the other I could not. The Children however appeared to understand both without hesitation. The outer language of her mother tongue I was sadly ignorant of. Yet, at the same time the inner language was something I could grasp immediately. The inner language of love to her children expressed in her tone, style and compassion. The gestures by which she talked with them and they with her. It all happened so quickly and I smiled at similar exchanges I have with my children in the inner language. At times we only hear the outer language at the risk of letting suspicion and otherness cultivate in our minds. Should we notice the inner language too, the inner sympathies, we may well recognise ourselves in their manifestation from other languages and cultures. It happened at the bread and pastry aisle. Breaking Bread, a sign of Peace.
Know Thy Self: Own & Owe. What a world of difference two letter can make, masking suffering or a freedom of sorts. For some regardless of how much much they own what they owe themselves, peace of mind, remains forever illusive. For others, all they own is a kind and generous heart, a soft word. That is a treasure. So it seems to me. Who can tell who we are to ourselves. We become our own friend and foe mentally at times, perhaps. Know Thy Self I suppose this is what one owes oneself. Perhaps.
Dialogue: It seems at times talking about inter-religious dialogue there are multiple conversations going on with many narratives all at once. From identity statements to assertions of faith. Through it all, if we are not mindful, there may be a danger of not entering into true dialogue, to take the risk of transforming one another positively. Without any conscious awareness we may be trapped instead in monologue verses monologue and the individuals are themselves absent from each other.
Humanity: How can humanity be described as insignificant when that mind is able to conceptualize and explore such that is so significant as the Universe. If the Universe is a significant thing and humanity is made of the stuff of stars surely by some, even faint reflection, we too are significant? We have a place in the Universe not only as a physical presence but as those who echo back to the Universe what it already is. To discover it is to know ourselves more deeply.
North Star: Asked what and where is the star that guides innerly he replied it is the soul which is my sky and it is my heart which is a star in that sky. It is one’s heart that is the “north star”. Clense the heart it will be a better guide. Polish the heart, it will reflect one’s soul to you.
Spiritual Human: I believe in peace. I believe in universality. I believe in Humanity. I believe in the Sacred. I believe in the secular. I believe in above & beyond. I believe in within & without. I believe in heaven & earth. I believe in inner & outer. I believe in here and hereafter. Here & now. In the “Beloved” and lover. I believe in heart & soul. I believe in “Soul-Beings”. I believe in peace & the peace-maker. In the gift and “Giver”. In intention & act. The moved and “Mover”. I believe in hope & joy.
Compassion: What is it that precedes compassion? What is its forerunner? If Compassion is the manifest what is the hidden? If Compassion is to have an outer manifestation in our lives, in the inter-action between secular-sacred communities, as an intermediary, a real but invisible presence to conflict resolution. If Compassion is to enable peacemakers to meet in dialogue having arrived already “in peace”and thus better able to “make peace”. If all of this and much more is to come about perhaps we may also remember when we speak of Compassion and act as such that it’s partner, its co-present companion, is never far away. Namely, Mercy. To be Compassionate is to be Merciful and where Mercy takes the lead Compassion never far behind. I wish the work toward a more Compassionate world well within the hearts of us all.
To what natural law does humanity subscribe? Each season has it prescribed time. The birds have their migration across thousands of miles. Each tree has its period of blooming. Each flower blossoms and fades according to its cycle. The salmon swim against the strongest currents reaching a place where they give birth and die. Animals trek thousands of miles throughout their lives in search of greener pastures. Other creatures hibernate to avoid the harshness of winter.
Humanity: “stands for a hidden, universal unity across all physical and racial boundaries” Hasan Askari – see also thoughts on Human Nature ~ Hasan Askari https://spiritualhuman.wordpress.com/human-nature-modern-psychology/
Universe: is perhaps a thinking Self which however is not conscious of itself. That is its power. It is speed without motion or direction. It is action without prior thought or intent. It is natural. And that which is natural is a consequence without accident. (for further reading on this topic see: “Fireworks” & Interview with Physicist, Prof. Don Page) https://spiritualhuman.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/spiritual-human-interview-with-don-page/
“Life” as a principle is not affirmed when a particular form of life comes into existence. It is a continuum. Neither is “Form” upheld when it lends itself to matter. Life and Form are apart from that which participates in them. That which allows participation is always superior in the hierarchical structure of the universe.
It remains to be understood that above the realm of existence whether participation reaches a threshold where the final participation is with the “Eternally un-participated”. For that which confers to participation is itself a participant in that which is higher.
Spiritual Human 