As said by Muid ad-Din ibn al-Arabi (Sufi Philosopher 1165-1240):
Do not attach yourself to any particular creed so exclusively that you disbelieve all the rest; otherwise you will lose much good, nay, you will fail to recognize the real truth of the matter. God, the omnipresent and omnipotent, is not limited by any one creed, for, he says, "Wherever ye turn, there is the face of Allah." Everyone praises what he believes; his god is his own creature, and in praising it he praises himself. Consequently he blames the beliefs of others, which he would not do if he were just, but his dislike is based on ignorance.
From Karen Armstrong ( modern religious historian) and her newest book "12 Steps to a Compassionate Life:
It is common for a Sufi poet to cry in ecstacy that he is no longer a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim and is equally at home in a synagogue, mosque, temple, or church, because once you have glimpsed the divine, you have left these man-made distinctions behind.
It is important that we keep our minds open. Minds are opened and stretched by practice. As we need to work out to have a fit body, so we need to mentally work out to have a fit mind. There are many ways to accomplish this. Meditation is an exception way. Anything that causes you to focus on that event, to be in the present is a form of meditation. Thus, walking, running, singing, dancing, drawing, writing, traditional silent meditation, and numerous more things all can be considered meditation.
I find that meditation is most effective when during this process, we focus on something specific. Perhaps something like compassion. Or forgiveness. Or God. Again, there are many paths to the same higher end.
So, feel free to contemplate the above words. With focus, we can all reach such platforms where we see the inherent beauty and divinity in all beings, and we can see all opinions and sides.
Do not attach yourself to any particular creed so exclusively that you disbelieve all the rest; otherwise you will lose much good, nay, you will fail to recognize the real truth of the matter. God, the omnipresent and omnipotent, is not limited by any one creed, for, he says, "Wherever ye turn, there is the face of Allah." Everyone praises what he believes; his god is his own creature, and in praising it he praises himself. Consequently he blames the beliefs of others, which he would not do if he were just, but his dislike is based on ignorance.
From Karen Armstrong ( modern religious historian) and her newest book "12 Steps to a Compassionate Life:
It is common for a Sufi poet to cry in ecstacy that he is no longer a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim and is equally at home in a synagogue, mosque, temple, or church, because once you have glimpsed the divine, you have left these man-made distinctions behind.
It is important that we keep our minds open. Minds are opened and stretched by practice. As we need to work out to have a fit body, so we need to mentally work out to have a fit mind. There are many ways to accomplish this. Meditation is an exception way. Anything that causes you to focus on that event, to be in the present is a form of meditation. Thus, walking, running, singing, dancing, drawing, writing, traditional silent meditation, and numerous more things all can be considered meditation.
I find that meditation is most effective when during this process, we focus on something specific. Perhaps something like compassion. Or forgiveness. Or God. Again, there are many paths to the same higher end.
So, feel free to contemplate the above words. With focus, we can all reach such platforms where we see the inherent beauty and divinity in all beings, and we can see all opinions and sides.
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