Spiritual Chat 5 - Outline & Summary Version About Spiritual Chat 5 Title: "Learning To Die Well", Date: February 19, 2002 Chat Between: Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler) and Rumi Library Navigation Tree Go To Spiritual Chat 4 Chat 5 - Related Material Page 1 of 2 Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. My love you, my dearest brothers and sisters. Outline of Spiritual Chat 1. Introduction This introduction was sent with Spiritual Chat 5 to Rumi, and to the "Fellowship Mailing List" of Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler), on 2/19/02. This introduction focuses on the importance of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) as the vehicle of God for this age to bring the Children of God for this age the life and teaching of God for this age, the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). And it focuses on the role of the new on-line Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Library in supporting the Children of God for this age by acting as a repository of what is currently growing within the heart of these Children. 2. Get A Life - a true life, by putting down our false life The great subtlety of our life, the great secret of our life, is that God has given us two choices for life, a life of "separation from" God, which is temporary, which we are currently experiencing as "who we are", as "where we are", and as "what is happening" in our life, which is experienced as existing "outside" of us, separate from God, separate from each other, and separate from the Creation of God, and hidden within that life, a completely different form of life, a life of "oneness with" God, which is eternal, which we have yet to experience, which is experienced as one with all of the Creation of God in the 18,000 universes within us. The choice is ours. 3. If You Are There, God Is Not There This is one of those "Pearls of Wisdom" from His Holiness that provides a glimpse into the nature of the relationship between God, His Creation, and True Man. "If you are there, God is not there. If God is there, you are not there." So our work is "Not to be there", so "God can be there". And we accomplish this by using what God has personally given us to accomplish this, which is God. For as His Holiness teaches us, "On the path of God you must use God to get to God. You cannot use what God has discarded to get to God." In this way, we must come to understand what of "us" is of God, and what of "us" is of what God has discarded, and having understood this, we must discard what God has discarded, and embrace what God has embraced, and then we will move forward on the path of God. For this age, what God has embraced is the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and what God has discarded is everything else. It is just this simple. 4. Accept The Darkness As What Is Currently Living Within You This is the great step forward in our life, to "endure the cure", to accept our life as being about God, as being about the realms of God within us, and as being about what God is doing in the realms of God within us, and not about "who we think we are", as separate from God, or about "where we think we are" as separate from God, or about "what we think is happening" in our life of separation and differences that we see as existing "outside" of us. We must realize that all of this "self" focus is the darkness that has grown within us as a result of our ignorance of "who we are", of "where we are", and of "what is happening" within us, and that the appearance of this darkness of "self" interest, of "selfishness" is a natural part of what God is doing within us, which is revealing God, by revealing True Man within the Creation of God within us. So everything is Ok, even though we have make a left turn in our life where we should have made a right turn, and we have been traveling down this wrong road for many a year, only to finally come to the dead end, to the end of the wrong road that we have been traveling all these years. We had no other choice, and our taking the wrong road, the road of "separation from" God, from each other, and from the Creation of God, is an integral part of our coming to an understanding the right road, the road of "oneness with" God, of "oneness with" each other, and "oneness with" the Creation of God within us, because as His Holiness teaches us, "Understanding only occurs through contrast." So accept the darkness that has grown within us, the left turn that we took years ago, and the wrong road that we have been traveling for all these years, as the contrast to the light of God that can now grow within us, to the right turn we can now take in our life, and to the correct road that we can now travel with God, through our partnership with the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), which is the gift of God for this age to the Children of God for this age, to the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). And in this way, realize, understand, and accept the darkness that is now currently within us as an integral part of the understanding that we have come to this world to learn, the understanding of "who we already are", of "where we already are", and of "what is already happening" within us. And "who we already are" is the Child of God for this age, the Light of God to the world, and for this age that means the Child of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). And "where we already are" is sitting on the lap of God, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, whether we know it or not, because this is the birthright of each of us, this is something that is personally given to each of us by God, and as such it is our true heritage, it is not something we have to earn, or become worthy of, it is the given of our life, of all of our lives. And "what is already happening" in our life is His Holiness is teaching us "what we do not know", His Holiness is telling us the story of True Man within God and of God within True Man, which is the history of our Father, our history, and the history of many others, which is what we have come here to learn, to learn in this earth world, in this school of contrast that God has created for us and sent to for a short time, so we can live as one with Him, as the Light of God to the world. In this way, we must accept the darkness within us as a necessary part of the "school of contrast" that has grown within us, but not to accept it as "who we are", but rather as the "contrast" to "who we are", as the "opposite" of "who we are", so we can come to understand, through contrast, who we already are, which is the Purity of God, which is the Soul or Grace of God within us. And within that Purity or Grace of God, as the Harvest of God, or the story of True Man within God, within the Creation of God or the dunya, we are the Light of God within that Purity, which is wisdom or True Man, and within that as the story of God within True Man, within the Creation of True Man or akhirah, we are the Power of God within that Light, which is the 99 wilayat of God, the miraculous names and actions of God or the Maturity of True Man, and within that Power of God, we are the Oneness of God and True Man which is God. This is "who we are", my dearest loving brothers and sisters, we are of God, not of the darkness that we are currently experiencing, not of the life of separation and differences that we are currently experiencing as existing "outside" of us. May we all come to know this without the slightest doubt. Amen. May God give each of us the grace, the wisdom, and the 'ilm or divine knowledge to come to know this without the slightest doubt. Amen. 5. Reject The Darkness As "Who We Are" This is the big problem of our life, how do we "Reject the darkness as who we are"? To do this, first we must accept what we are currently experiencing as "Who we are" as simply "What we are currently experiencing", but not as "Who we are". And to do this we must have some reference to something beyond "What we are currently experiencing" as "Who we are", as truly "Who we are". This is where Religion comes into our life, and where faith and trust in God comes into our life, where the Prophets of God and the teachings of the Prophets of God come into our life, they give us a reference to something beyond "What we are currently experiencing" as "Who we are", as truly "Who we are.". For example, we could be a follower of the Prophet Moses, of the Prophet Jesus, or of the Prophet Muhammad (may God be pleased with all of His Prophets), and as such claim membership in one of the major religions in the world, as a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim. And in this way, we have something beyond "What we are currently experiencing" as "Who we are", as truly "Who we are.". For if we claim membership in the religion of Judaism or Christianity or Islam then we have a wealth of religious scriptures that define "Who we are" beyond "What we are currently experiencing" as "Who we are", and in this way, we can begin to differentiate between what "What we are currently experiencing" as "Who we are", and who we truly are, as defined for us by the religious scriptures of our chosen religion, and since the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all believe in One God, and all trace there beginning from the religion of Abraham (may the blessings of God be upon Him), then "Who we are" beyond "What we are currently experiencing" as "Who we are", should be pretty much the same. But in truth none of this helps us because what is now presented by the religions of Judaism or Christianity or Islam as the teaching of God brought by the Prophets of God is no longer valid, but has been distorted to reflect life in the world, not life in our heart. So what was the role of religion, to provide a direct connection with God, is now the role of the individual holy man, to the true Shaikh, Guru, or Swami, and for this age that is the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). Only in this way, by realizing, understanding, accepting, and joining with the life and teaching of God for our age, which is the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), can we begin to accept what we are currently experiencing as "Who we are" as simply "What we are currently experiencing", but not as "Who we are", because now we will have a viable alternative to what we are currently experiencing as "Who we are" as truly being "Who we are", we will have the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) as who we truth are. And in this way, and only in this way, we will be able to become peaceful about "What we are currently experiencing" as "Who we are", as not being "Who we truly are", settling into stillness through the realization that everything is perfect, allowing God to reveal within us, "Who we truly are", allow us to then experience "Who we truly are", rather than what we are currently experiencing as "Who we are." 6. Become Peaceful With Your Current Reality Become peaceful with the current reality within you, with the reality of the darkness having grown within you, and having taken our your life and body within you, because God is the one who set it up that way within you, not you, and God is the one who has to deal with it within you, not you. This is why His Holiness teaches us, "The most important thing for a disciple to know is what God is doing". Only by being able to answering this question within us will we be able to control our mind and desire within us, because nothing that is happening within our mind and desire can control our mind and desire, only what exists and is happening outside of our mind and desire, the larger thing that is going on within us, the larger thing that caused the mind and desire to occur within us in the first place, as part of completing this larger thing within us, can be used to make our mind and desire sit down. And what God is doing within us is revealing God, by revealing True Man within the Creation of God within us, allowing True Man to reveal God within us. This is what God is doing within us, and the fact that the darkness has grown within us, giving us the illusion of a life separate from God, separate from each other, and separate from the Creation of God within us, is because of what God is doing within us, is because God is revealing God. In this way, nothing that we are currently experiencing as "who we are", as "where we are", and as "what is happening in our life" makes any sense except in the context of what God is doing within us, except in the context of God revealing God within us, except in the context of God revealing True Man within the Creation of God within us. May we both think about this a little. It is very important. In this way, this darkness that we are currently experiencing is a gift from God, to allow the soul life within us, the light life within us, to differentiate between itself and the darkness that has surrounded it, allowing the life of God within us to understand who it already is, allowing the wisdom within us to liberate the soul life within us, which is Jesus (may the blessings of God be upon Him), from the cross of this elemental body, by pulling out the 5 nails of desire, the desire of the earth-life within us, of the water-life within us, of the fire-life within us, of the air-life within us, and of the ether-life within, of the 5 elemental lives within that have completely taken over our life. These 5 elemental lives within us secretly exist within us, along with the light-life within us, as the 6 separate kinds of consciousness within us, as Aaru-Muham, the six faced one, giving us the illusion of having only 1 face, only one life, while in truth we have 6 faces, six separate kinds of lives within us, a cooperative store, set up by the 5 elemental lives within us, to draw a profit for these 5 from our life of illusion in the world of separation and differences that we see as existing "outside" of us. And when any one of these 5 withdraw from this tenuous partnership we die. 7. Differentiate Between You And The Darkness Within You We need to shift our focus and our locus of identification. We must shift our focus off of "ourselves', off of "our life" as separate from God, as separate from each other, and as separate from the Creation of God, and we must establish our locus or center of identification on God within us, and on the stuff of God within us, that God has personally placed within us, to move our life forward. We must stop identifying with the darkness within us, with the life of separation and differences that we are experiencing within us, that has grown within us only due to our ignorance of "who we are", of "where we are", and of "what is happening" in our life. Through our wisdom, through the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) we must learn to differentiate between us and the darkness within us. We must learn to differentiate between us and our current life of separation and differences within us, which is an illusory life, which presents us with the illusion of one face, of one life, that is being lived in the world that we see as existing "outside" of us. All the while hiding the 6 real faces within us, the 6 separate kinds of consciousness within us, the 6 separate consciousnesses of the earth-lives, the water-lives, the fire-lives, the air-lives, and the ether-lives within us, that all live off of our life of illusion in the world of illusion that we see, that feast on the life of sin that we live in the world of maya or illusion. And the soul-life within us which has been crucified on the cross of our elemental body with nails of the 5 elemental desires, and has been forced to give up its life of light, its life of "oneness with" so the 5 within us can live lives of sin, so the 5 within us can all live "separate from", and in this way, dividing into 6 separate armies within us which are constantly at war, two by two - the battle between the earth and the fire within us, the battle between the water and the air within us, and the battle between the ether or lower mind within us and the wisdom surrounding our soul. And in this way, we must learn to stop differentiate between us and God within us, between wisdom and us within us, between the qualities of God and us within us, between the Prophets of God and us within us, between the Qutbs of God and us within us, between our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) and us within us. All of these things of God within us are our true things, our true property, are what we must become "One with" within us, and as "One with" each of them, we must overcome all of the 400 trillion, 10 thousand forces or energies of illusion or maya within us, we must join with the wisdom surrounding our soul to liberate our soul from the cross of this elemental body by pulling out the 5 nails of desire. And having liberated our soul by becoming one with our wisdom, which is our Shaikh, we must go in search of the Nur within us, the light of wisdom within us, the body of the soul within us, the body of the light-life with us, and having found and become One with the Nur within us, which again is our Shaikh, we must merge with the exalted Allah within us, which again is our Shaikh, becoming the Alif of Allah within us, the effulgence of Allah. This is what we must do, my dearest loving brothers and sisters, join with our Shaikh, with the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) to separate from us all that separates us from God, not identify with the darkness within us, as "who we are", not in our ignorance differentiate between us and God, and the things of God within us, and treat them as "separate from" us. 8. The Triple Dirt of Hell Versus The Triple Flame of God We have two options in our life, God and what has separated from God. For His Holiness teaches us that, "In the end, all that is left is God and what has separated from God, and what becomes separated from God in the end is what says, 'I am separate from God'." In this way, we separate ourselves from God. It is not God who separates us from God. We do this dastardly deed all by ourselves by repeatedly refusing to let God pull us back into Himself, from which we all have come. We must all realize this truth about our current fate with our wisdom, through our direct connection to the life and teaching of God for our age, which is our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). This is the point of our life, learning how it all works through realizing, understanding, accepting and joining with the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and then in the context of this understanding, re-establishing our life as one with God, allowing God to finish what He has started within us, which is True Man, which is to reveal the Oneness of God and His Creation, to reveal True Man within the dunya within us, to reveal True Man within the 18,000 universes within us, allowing True Man within us to finish what He has started within us, which is God, which is to reveal the Oneness of True Man and His Creation, to reveal God within akhirah within us, to reveal God within the Kingdom of God within us. There is nothing else really going on in our life, in any life, other than this, this story of True Man within God and this story of God within True Man. Everything else in our life, in all life, has been created by God to support and facilitate the telling and completing of these two stories, but if we fail to realize this, and mistakenly make the things created by God to support and tell these stories, an end in them selves, and focus on the creation of God rather than on God and what He is doing within us, which is to reveal True Man, and join Him in what He is doing, then the creation of God within us becomes but a deadly distraction for us, preventing us from learning what we have come here to learn, and we end up dying in ignorance of "who we are", of "where we are", and of "what is happening" in our life, which in truth is the telling of these two stories. That is why Bawa teaches us that, "The only thing of real value happening at the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship is Bawa curing Himself of us." In this way, when we live with our focus on the world of illusion, on the life of separation and differences that we see as existing "outside" of us, then our life in truth becomes the triple dirt of arrogance, karma, and illusion, the triple dirt of "I exist", of "I do", and of "I know" as separate from God, as separate from our brothers and sisters, and as separate from the creation of God within us. But when we live behind our Shaikh, behind the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), then our life becomes the Triple Flame of God within us, causing the handful of earth given to Muhammad by God to become the Disciple, the Shaikh, and God, which in maturity within us becomes Ya Allah, Ya Rasul, Ya Muhaiyaddeen, which when understood within us causes the Nur Muhammad within us to become Allah Muhammad within us, causes the handful of earth within us to become the Pearl of Wisdom within us, causes the seed of True Man, the seed of Iman within us to become the seed of Allah, the seed of Islam within us. 9. A Person Is Known By His Qualities Our true form is our qualities, not the things that we see with our physical eyes, or hear with our ears, smell with our nose, taste with our tongue, or feel with our touch. It is our qualities that define us, not what we experience through our 5 physical senses. May we both think about this a little, it is the key to understanding who we currently are, the change that must take place within us, and how to make the necessary changes. This is why His Holiness teaches us, "The Qualities of our inner selves must become victorious over the qualities of our outer selves." And this is why His Holiness teaches us, "We must think of His attributes and put them into action, we must take on the duties and qualities of God." And finally, this is why the major focus of the life and teaching of His Holiness, of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) is on transforming our current qualities into the Qualities of God, on transforming our current form, the form of "separation from" into the form of God, the form of "oneness with". Everything else is but decoration, is but a way to deceive us, to keep our focus off of our current qualities and on some illusory aspect of our life, such as our race or religion, or our status or wealth, or our sex or our age, or our language or nationality, or on our learning or our dress, or on our accomplishments or our relationships, like our family, our friendships, our groups and our organizations, or on our town, our state, our country, or even on our world, which we must protect at all costs, even at the cost of our own soul, from harm or change or extinction or death. But all of these things are but window dressing. The real us is reflected in our qualities, and in times of difficulty, danger, or suffering, are true qualities are revealed. That is why these things, these times of difficulty, danger, or suffering, are so very important in our life. In this way, it is only during the difficulties of our life that we move forward in our life, because at these times our qualities, the true measure of us, can change for the better, if during these times we turn to God, to our Creator, to see us through these times. This is why His Holiness teaches us, "A man is known by his qualities, not by what he says, but by what he does, especially during times of danger, difficulty, trouble, and suffering." Finally, this is why His Holiness teaches us, "Our entire life and everything that happens to us is meant to correct us, to improve us. Any suffering that befalls us is meant to help us to go one step forward." "As long as we have absolute certitude in God, then no matter what dangers, difficulties, troubles, or suffering that come to us, they will only make us move forward. This things help us to progress, to go forward on the path." "Never forget your goal, which is to reveal God." "Therefore, if you receive a blow on the back, that is a signal to move forward some more, that is a sign to progress." 10. The Meaning of Suffering And Sorrow In Chapter 3, "The World Within and Without", in the book, "The Wisdom of Man", by His Holiness, He teaches us on page 54, May all of you dispel The disease known as the world, The dog known as desire, The demon known as the mind, The torpor known as illusion. The pleasure that is the dream, The sadness that is the darkness of ignorance. The karma that is the torpor of the world, The evil actions of kalam (time, which is comprised of arrogance, karma, and illusion), That leads you to Kalan (the Angel of Death), And the nature and games of the five elements that collect and praise time. May you dispel all these things and go beyond them to Allah, The original treasure which stands in the open space, The treasure of the innermost heart. May God give you the grace of His wisdom to dispel all these evils. Amen. May God fill your hearts with His grace. Amen. In this way, His Holiness teaches us that "pleasure is the dream and sadness is the darkness of ignorance", and it is this cycle of pleasure and sadness that keeps us trapped within the dream of self existence, of an existence "separate from" God, "separate from" each other, and "separate from" the Creation of God within us. This is what we must end, through our wisdom, through our direct connection with the life and teaching of God for our age, for this age of Rahim, this age of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), when God calls everything that He has created back into Himself, from which it has all come, to again be complete, to again be "one with" Him, as we all were in the beginning, but this time with an understanding of that completeness, of this "oneness with" God. And when this cycle ends within us, when this cycle of pleasure and sadness ends through our wisdom within us, through our direct connection to the life and teaching of our Father within us, of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) within us, we will move into the open space within us, settling into stillness through the realization that everything is perfect, finding and living eternally within the peace that is our true life. May we both think about this a little, it is very important, and learn to make the life of our Father within us, which is the life of God within us, our life, and the teaching of our Father within us, which is the teaching of God within us, our teaching. May God give us the grace to do this right now. Amen. 11. Life Is A Feast of The World In Chapter 2, "The Shepherd & The Tree", in the book, A Mystical Journey, His Holiness teaches us about the first type of harvest that can occur in our life, which in truth is "A Feast of The World". "My children, look off in the distance. Can you see that huge rocky mountain there? Cows, goats, horses, donkeys, and many other animals are grazing in the field at the base of the mountain." "That land is the world (secretly hidden within each of us as our closed heart), and it is filled with millions upon millions of grazing beings. When dusk comes, they all climb up the mountain (of our mind) to rest." "And in the morning when the light dawns, they come down to the world (within each of our hearts) again to graze upon the weeds of sin, anger, haste, vengeance, deceit, treachery, property, blood ties, and possessions." "Yet even while they are grazing upon these evil things (within us), God (within us) is unceasingly trying to provide them with good food, and to teach them the divine knowledge known as 'ilm." "Above the field, the mountainside (which is our mind) is covered with millions of birds and monkey; bird drippings are scattered everywhere and monkey urine fills the hollows in the rocks. A light rain is beginning to fall and mix with the urine. Look how the animals run to drink from those filthy puddles." "My precious children, do you understand what you are look at? Let me tell you what my Shaikh told me about life in this world." "The heart is a hard rocky mountain. And what do you find in this heart of stone? All the disgusting things of the world; the waste products of the monkey mind and desire that have been washed down the mountainside by the rainwater of karma, filing all the hollows of that heart with dirty water." "Snakes, scorpions, and other creatures (living within us) come here to this hard heart and joyfully imbibe the prejudices of race, religion, and caste, the differences of "I" and "you", the desire for land, gold and sensual pleasures (woman), and so many other dirty things." "They consider this filth delicious, and eating it makes them very happy. This is what my Shaikh taught me when He brought me here." My dearest loving brothers and sisters, this is the state of our life, while we are living without wisdom, in ignorance of "who we are", of "where we are", and of "what is happening" in our life, a 'feast of the world", a life of separation and differences lived through the 9 openings of our illusory body, that we see as existing "outside" of us. May we all accept this as our current state, and join with the life and teaching of God for this age, the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen within us (may God be pleased with Him), to go beyond our current state as a "feast of the world" and through wisdom transform it into the "harvest of God". 12. Life Is Also The Harvest of God Through our wisdom our life can also be the harvest of God within us, the harvest of the Iman of Muhammad within us out of the Creation of God within us, then the harvest of the Qutb or wisdom within us, out of the Iman of Muhammad within us, transforming our heart from "a feast of the world" back into the "Palace of the Soul" within us, back into the state of the "Shepherd and the Tree", into the state of Qutb Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) and the Katpaha Virudcham, as described on pages 10 and 11 in the book, A Mystical Journey, back into the original state of our heart when God created Adam (may the blessings of God be upon Him) from a handful of earth, before the fall of Adam (may the blessings of God be upon Him), Then our life can become the harvest of the Nur Muhammad or the light of our wisdom within us, which is the body of the Soul, out of the Qutb or wisdom within us, and finally, the harvest of the Alif of Allah within us, which is the Effulgence of Allah, when the Qutb and the Nur Merge with the Eternal Allah within us. And this "harvest of God" within us is just as natural as the "feast of the world" within us. The choice is ours. For if we continue to choose to live as "separate from" God, after hearing and experiencing the life and teaching of God for our age, which is the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen within us (may God be pleased with Him), then our fate, our life as a "feast of the world", wins over our wisdom, and that is what we get, we get the 7 hells that God has placed within us, and within that, we get the suffering of the grave and an eternal life as "separate from" God. But if we chose to reject the life that we are currently experiencing, a life lived "separate from" God in the world that we see as existing "outside" of us, and instead through our wisdom, through the life and teaching of God for our age, through the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) we join with the life of God within us, which is the life of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen within us (may God be pleased with Him), and we join with the teaching of God within us, which is the teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen within us (may God be pleased with Him), then our wisdom is victorious over our fate, over our life as a "feast of the world", and that is what we get, we get a life that is the "harvest of God". The choice is ours. We get the 7 heavens that God has personally placed within us, and within that we get the 8th heaven or firdaus that is built by Muhammad within us (may the peace and blessings of God be upon Him), which is the kingdom of God within us, we get an eternal life as "one with" God within us, and within that we get God, which is the oneness of God and True Man within us The choice is ours. Text of Spiritual Chat 1. Introduction Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. My love you, my dearest brothers and sisters. My dearest loving sister Rumi, enclosed is a copy of the beautiful Spiritual Chat that we had today. It was certainly, "Sitting on the lap of God, while Bawa teaches us what we do not know". Al-hamdu lillah. We are all so very blessed by God. You can also read our chat today on-line in its Hypertext version by accessing Spiritual Chats, at www.SpiritualChats.homestead.com, and then by selecting Spiritual Chat 5 - "Learning To Die Well". We were able to get the "text only version" on-line before sending this letter. Also, we are in the process of putting on-line all the other chats we have had. For example, Spiritual Chats 1 and 2 from last month are now on-line, and Spiritual Chats 3 and 4 that we had on February 12th, and 14th are underway. Spiritual Chat 2 and 3 have their own URL and can be accessed directly as Spiritual Chat 2, and as Spiritual Chat 3. Finally, Spiritual Chat 3 has a lot of new material beyond what was covered in the original chat, that you may find helpful. All of these Spiritual Chats contain a wealth of Wisdom Points that all the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen could benefit from reading. This is the true Common Wealth of the Children of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). My love you (anbu) - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler) 2. Get A Life - a true life, by giving up our false life MuhaiyaddeenLB: Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Al-salam alaykum. Hi Rumismith. My love you (anbu) - Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler) Rumismith: Wa alaikum as-salam ya Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen. MuhaiyaddeenLB: What's up? MuhaiyaddeenLB: Our last dialogue was so very helpful for this child. Rumismith: Not much. I tried to get in touch with you yesterday but it always said you were not connected. MuhaiyaddeenLB: This is true, Louie is never connected, but Bawa is always connected. This is the great mystery of our life. This is what Bawa showed us in the "Bawa - Bawa Muhaiyaddeen" conversations. That is the learning for this child that came out of our last chat. Rumismith: Yes it was for me too. But yesterday and today are very difficult. I have been really connected last week, inspired by our dialogues. But yesterday and today I am depressed. I keep on saying Bawa, Bawa. I dont know what he is doing with me. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Don't want it so badly. As they say, "get a life". Rumismith: Don't want what so badly? MuhaiyaddeenLB: To be what only God can be. Rumismith: It is true I have no life, that is part of the problem. 3. If You Are There, God Is Not There MuhaiyaddeenLB: Remember, "If you are there, God is not there, and if God is there, you are not there." MuhaiyaddeenLB: This is the subtle part of the path, walking the left and the right. Rumismith: But why do I need to be so depressed if only God is there? MuhaiyaddeenLB: Because you have identified with what has covered the light, not with the light. 4. Accept The Darkness As What Is Currently Living Within You MuhaiyaddeenLB: A few days ago you said that you realized that you were not ready to give up your life for God. Do you remember. Rumismith: I don't want to identify with what covers up the light. Yes I do remember I said that. Rumismith: But in truth I really do not have a life. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Embrace that, embrace what just said that within you, "In truth I really do not have a life", As what is within you, but not as "who you are", and have some compassion for it. MuhaiyaddeenLB: In truth, "there is nothing other than God", not "in truth I really do not have a life". See the difference between the two? One is said by God within us, by the One who is "one with" everything within us, and the other is said by what has grown within us, through our ignorance, as our life of separation and differences, as what is "separate from" everything within us. We have both. 5. Reject The Darkness As "Who We Are" MuhaiyaddeenLB: Step 1: You do have a life and it is very, very much alive within you. And that is Ok. Step 2: That life is the life of darkness that has grown within you, but it is not "who you are", so accept it as what is currently there, but reject it as "who you are". Rumismith: Yes I do see the difference. The truth is that part of me would like to have a life and that part is very strong at this point. 6. Become Peaceful With Your Current Reality MuhaiyaddeenLB: Step 3: Become peaceful with this current reality within you because God is the one who set it up that way within you, not you, and He is the one who has to deal with it, not you. MuhaiyaddeenLB: If you realize this, then what is the problem? Rumismith: Well, there comes in my doubt. I think I did something wrong that my whole focus is not totally on God and thankful for whatever He gives. Like I pushed the button of the elevator down instead of up. Click HERE for more on this reference of "Pushing The Up Or Down Button In The Elevator".(note - go to Text Only Version to access this Footnote) 7. Differentiate Between You And The Darkness Within You MuhaiyaddeenLB: For The Last Point: The problem is that you are not making a distinction between you and what has grown within you. Instead, you are making a distinction between you and God, between you and Bawa, between you and this child. Rumismith: What has grown within me? MuhaiyaddeenLB: New Point: You didn't do anything wrong, nor did you do anything right. You are just experiencing what has grown within you, and making the mistake of identifying with it as you. MuhaiyaddeenLB: What has grown within you is what is separating you from God, from your brothers and sisters, and from the Creation of God. It is the life of separation and differences, which did not exist within you when you first came here, and for the first two years. Rumismith: True. It is painful. MuhaiyaddeenLB: True, it is only painful to the mind, not to wisdom. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Everything is Ok. Everything is always Ok. Rumismith: I just feel I am in a boiling pot screaming let me out, enough, enough, enough already. MuhaiyaddeenLB: So let it out. Stop trying to be God. Stop trying to be good. Stop trying to please the world within you. Stop trying to be correct. Stop trying, and let go, let it all go, let it be as it is, and be happy. Rumismith: I would like to be peaceful and have wisdom just like you. MuhaiyaddeenLB: You do, and its name is Bawa. Time for a short story? Rumismith: I need to have the awareness of it at all times, nothing short of it. Yes please for the story. 8. The Triple Dirt of Hell Versus The Triple Flame of God MuhaiyaddeenLB: Short Story: A man was buried inside of a mountain, and the place he was inside the mountain had four walls. Behind three of the walls were three other mountains, each a hundred miles wide, and behind the last wall, behind the fourth wall, which was the only exit from the mountain, was a barrier that was only about a foot thick. Even a gentle tap on the fourth wall, applied correctly, would send it falling down and release the man from the mountain. MuhaiyaddeenLB: So the man decided to dig himself out of the mountain. Which wall should he select, wall 1, 2, 3, or 4? Rumismith: 4 of course. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Then why are you digging on walls 1, 2, and 3? Rumismith: You have a way to make me laugh at myself. But to me it seems that the 4th wall is made out of thick steel. MuhaiyaddeenLB: We must realize that walls 1, 2, and 3 are the Triple dirt of our life, and wall four is the grace of God in our life. Which we use is our choice, we have the 4 walls. Wall 1 is arrogance, and wall 2 is karma, and wall 3 is illusion, and wall 4 is iman and wisdom. No matter how much you dig on wall 1, 2, and 3 you will never get out of the mountain of your mind and desire. MuhaiyaddeenLB: The name of wall 4 is Bawa. Rumismith: I like this story. Thank you. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Bawa is the 99 qualities of God, so when you become depressed you are not digging on wall 4, but on wall 1, 2, and 3. Bawa is patience, contentment and gratitude, trust in God, praise of God, and the realization that only God is great. That is wall 4. When you are not falling into these things, in everything that you do, you are digging on walls 1, 2, and 3. Rumismith: But how, how, please tell me how to switch from wall 1, 2, and 3 to wall 4. MuhaiyaddeenLB: By stopping the mind through wisdom. By acting the way wisdom acts. By reacting to things the way wisdom reacts to things. Rumismith: But when I am in a state of depression I can't connect with wisdom. 9. A Person Is Known By His Qualities MuhaiyaddeenLB: For last point: Bawa says that a person is known by his qualities. So each time you rap about "Rumi" in a negative way, you are digging on walls 1, 2, and 3. The only proper response to the question "how are you", or "what is happening" is Al-hamdu lillah. The first word out of your mouth determines your day, your moment, your life. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Step 1: Stop talking about "Rumi". Instead talk about Bawa, the life and teaching of Bawa, a paragraph from a book or discourse by Bawa. Rumismith: Yes, yesterday I was transcribing Bawa's discourses all day long. MuhaiyaddeenLB: In the "Forward" of the book, "The Pearl of Wisdom", page 6, Bawa teaches us, "Forget yourself. Speak and lose yourself. Talking alone with intensity, say, 'He is One', your soul will elevate itself." Rumismith: Then I read Bawa's discourse 4/26/72, "How To Merge With The Guru", at www.SpiritualDiscourse001.homestead.com, from our WebSite. "The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Library". MuhaiyaddeenLB: What a wonderful thing to do. 10. The Meaning of Suffering And Sorrow - to to summary MuhaiyaddeenLB: In "Sandakumaran's Song", on page 8 in the book, "Maya Veerum - The Forces of Illusion", Bawa teaches us the meaning of suffering and sorrow in our life, "What is the cause of suffering? Your mind engulfs you and gathers in sorrow. You fail to understand this wisely O man, and conclude, these must be the trials of God." "The sorrow and torment, the demons that attack and bring turbulence to your life, will be destroyed when wisdom cuts the schemes of the mind." "What suffering can there be then?" "Analyze and examine yourself. Then you will know the state of being One with God. What other bliss can there be but this? This is what our mind does. Our getting depressed is the nourishment of all of the lives of darkness within us. Realize this. 11. Life Is A Feast of The World MuhaiyaddeenLB: Our getting depressed does not, does not, does not, have anything to do with us, it is just us being "lunch" for all the lives of darkness that have grown within us. For as His Holiness teaches us, "All that you see is a dream. All that you do is just a thought within that dream. All that you appear as is hidden Life is a feast of the world. Its medicine is a time after a time." 12. Life Is Also The Harvest of God Rumismith: I like that forgetting oneself, that has always spoken to me. In the Mystical Experiences Bawa says: "If man gets to know his (true) self, (his selfless self), forgets the earth, and completely eradicates his ego, (his false self, his selfish self), then the Qutb (will emerge from within Him), and then the Nur will emerge (from within the Qutb), and when these two merge with the eternal Allah (with the Primal One hidden within us), that is Alif, the effulgence of Allah". Isn't that beautiful? MuhaiyaddeenLB: Yes - now you are on a roll. Keep it up. Al-hamdu lillah. Rumismith: I like you because you have a good sense of humor about you. So, shall we talk more about loosing oneself. End of Page 1 of 2 of Spiritual Chat 5 - outline & summary version - ......................................... Go To Spiritual Chat 5: Related Material or |
This page was last updated on: April 8, 2002
