Three Minutes to Joy

Affirmations are effective reminders and can be powerful tools upon the spiritual path. In fact, sufis have been using simple affirmations, known as zikr, for over one thousand years to discipline and correct themselves. Much of the Qur’an encourages and advocates the use of affirmations, the scripture itself being essentially the recitation of declarations of truth, it’s daily recitation long considered invaluable to spiritual development. Many verses actually begin with the directive Qul, “Say,” followed by simple yet fundamental truths (such as the Oneness of God) that are to be repeated.

Continually reminding ourselves of what is truly true is an essential exercise in retraining the brain to not only think properly, but also to see what is actually here rather than the fictions the ego creates to justify its belief in pain and suffering, the means it uses to preserve a state of separation.

As one moves towards a state of harmony and alignment with Truth, with Goodness and with Life, we naturally attract positive circumstances, events, people and results into our lives.

This video is a short three minute experience designed to help you remember something you already know, but which the world tends to make us forget: That there is only Goodness.

Enjoy.

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How effective is your prayer practice? Has it become mere routine and ritual, or is every experience a beautiful journey deeper within? With a conscious approach, you can make your prayer practice a powerful catalyst for change, for personal growth and for communion with the Divine.

It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of routine and ritual, particularly when we have maintained a practice for an extended period of time, and especially when we’ve been performing this practice for years or even decades.

Yet a daily prayer practice is an essential tool to catalyzing spiritual development, maintaining a life of balance and preserving focus in a world of endless distractions.

In fact, a daily prayer practice such as the five daily prayers known as salah which is performed by Muslims and Sufis can be an invaluable exercise in cultivating presence, the essence of spiritual practice that leads to awakenng and transcendence of the self.

By being mindful of and applying the following five pillars of prayer practice, you can instantly transform your daily discipline from mere routine into a powerful experience quickening your spiritual evolution. After all, this is the purpose of prayer.

1. Set and Declare Your Intention

The value of an action is determined by the intention. — Prophet Muhammad (S)

By consciously declaring your intention for the few minutes you will be spending in prayer, you set your focus and thereby determine the value of the practice. This can make a significant difference in the experience, and a prayer session which is begun with a clear and conscious intention can be infinitely more valuable than one that is performed unconsciously. Additionally, by declaring an intention, you automatically bring yourself into presence during the exercise as it becomes a valuable activity in itself rather than just a ritual to be performed for the sake of getting it done.

Use an intention which feels good and effective to you. It’s important for this to be personal and based upon your understanding and personal experience. Here are a few examples:

“Great Lord of Heavens, I am going to stand in your Divine Presence in a state of prayer. Envelope me with Your light.”

“I am going to allow myself to melt and dissolve into the will of the Universe. I am letting go.”

“I am re-connecting with the Source of all goodness, beauty and light. Creator of all that is, shelter me.”

Such intentions can be incredibly powerful tools for exponentially increasing the value and joy of your prayer practice. When setting your intention, always make sure it is reflective of a belief in a reality which is based in benevolence.

2. Enjoy the Experience

Rush is from Shaytan. — Prophet Muhammad (S)

Once you’ve set a beautiful intention, one which feels good to you and aligns you with your most pressing need in the moment, now allow yourself to enjoy the experience.

Do not rush. Slow down. There is no need to exaggerate this — simply perform your prayer fully enjoying and experiencing every posture, every movement, every verse. Fully experience each posture, moving on only when it feels right to do so.

Become aware of any tension within yourself, and let it go. These are a few minutes in your otherwise busy day where you can treat yourself to a rejuvenating and relaxing experience, reconnecting with your Divine Source.

Simply perform your prayer for the act itself and not to complete it. It will complete itself. And you will be refreshed and rejuvenated.

3. Don Your Divine Dress

Perhaps nothing communicates to your subconscious who and what you are more quickly than does your physical appearance and attire. There is truth in the statement, “The clothes make the man (or woman),” and for this reason, it is recommended when possible to wear clothes that communicate to you your divine nature and origin, clothes which are reflective of nobility, beauty and truth. A good choice in clothing is conducive to spiritual practice and presence, and can make a significant difference in your state of consciousness.

Proper spiritual dress can be equated to royal regalia, reminding oneself of the honored position humanity has been granted in creation. Following are some articles of clothing which have been historically noted as especially conducive to a state of spiritual presence and effective energy flow, often referred to as sunnah clothing, each one of significance and increasing one’s immersion and the manifestation of sublime character:

• Loose, Comfortable Clothing. Appropriate attire is something which is loose and comfortable. Tight, constrictive clothing which accentuates the form is not only uncomfortable, but reinforces the egoic identity by highlighting the border between the individual and the rest of the Universe. Loose, gently flowing clothing naturally diffuses the form with which the ego identifies into the surrounding space, effectively diminishing its energetic force.
• A Head Covering. By covering the head with either a cap, a scarf or a turban, you help to protect yourself from lower frequency negative energy which is more dense than subtle positive spiritual energy. The crown of the head is the most sensitive part of the body and shielding it is not only practical, but also equates to an act of reverence, which is essential to spiritual development. The turban was described by the Prophet Muhammad (S) as a crown for a believer, and has been used throughout history not only by Muslims, but by the faithful of other traditions as well. It has traditionally been worn by prophets, messengers and saints. The cloth should be wrapped in a counter-clockwise direction around the head, reflecting the natural order of the cosmos.
• A Spiritual Cloak. Traditionally referred to as a jubba, khirqa or chappan, a spiritual cloak is simply a traditional cloak or robe, perhaps not unlike the robes worn be the Jedi spiritual warriors from the Star Wars universe. Alternatively, a shawl may be used as well. Again, by shielding and covering the form, one can effectively enter a deeper state of presence almost as if entering a private, personal cave secluding you from the rest of the world. It has been noted that the Prophet Muhammad (S) often covered himself in a shawl when receiving revelation. This tool creates a very real and intimate space for private communion with the Creator.

4. Engage Your Senses

Your visual and olfactory senses are some of the most powerful mediums with which to increase the efficacy and immersion of your prayer practice.

By controlling the lighting in the room and adjusting it so that it feels appropriate in the given moment, you facilitate the natural harmonizing of your soul with your current needs. Pay attention to what feels right and conducive. Brighter? Dimmer? More natural light? Adjust the light in the room accordingly. Your soul knows what you need in every moment, and it is always seeking presence, peace in the now, so pay attention and accelerate your spiritual development and healing.

Also, aromatherapy can be a very effective tool to cultivate greater immersion and presence during your prayer. Traditional natural scented oils are ideal, and scents such as rose, jasmine, sandalwood and the like are best. Either apply to yourself or evaporate with a diffuser. Alternatively, incense may be used. Use as natural quality as possible so as to not create an unnecessary burden upon your system from artificial chemical products.

5. Leverage Your Environment

Create a space conducive to spiritual practice and presence. An altar, relics and artwork are great tools to use. With artwork, tend towards more abstract forms rather than definitive material representations which will subconsciously re-inforce egoic identity by equating consciousness with physical forms.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Keep an item which has special spiritual significance for you upon a small altar in the area in which you practice. It will serve as a focal point and channel for spiritual energy.
• Use a prayer rug. A natural material such as wool is best.
• On occasion, make it a point to pray outdoors in a natural environment. Feel the breeze, the gentle chirping of birds and the sound of rustling leaves in the background. This is the presence of God. By changing things from time to time, you re-awaken the mind from its tendency towards slumber. By introducing something new, a new environment, you call your mind to consciousness.

In Summary

Set your intention. Relax and enjoy the experience. Dress appropriately. Engage your senses. Leverage your environment. And make each experience unique and special, as if it may be your last.

To your divine success.

Life is Good

Of the many aphorisms coined in recent years, the simple phrase “Life is good,” is one of the best to have graced popular attire in the last decade. Bert and John Jacobs began their popular clothing line in the early 1990’s based upon this simple affirmation, and their enterprise has since grown considerably.

Incredibly, it is true that we need to be reminded of this most basic and primordial principle.

And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. — Genesis 1:31

Stay Connected

Despite the fact that what is true and real is intrinsically good, we still somehow manage to insist otherwise. This is only so because we lose ourselves in what is untrue and unreal, in illusion, in delusion.

There are two realities: The worlds of the internal and the external, of essence and of form, of cause and of effect, of the Divine Presence and of dunya, the world of appearances.

The key to experiencing a life of goodness, of joy, abundance and prosperity is to remain rooted in that which is real, connected to the Divine Presence.

And hold fast to the rope of God, and do not fracture. — Surah Al-Imran (Qur’an 3:103)

The Breath Gate

The simplest and most effective way to do this is to enter through the Breath Gate.

To learn how to easily begin bringing your life back into balance and thereby experience a miraculous moment by moment manifestation of continual awe and wonder, watch the video above and put into practice the simple suggestion offered therein.

In this podcast, you will learn about the power of paradigms, how to become aware of them in the various areas of your life, and most importantly how to purify yourself from negative programming that may be sabotaging your life.

Becoming more conscious is integral to spiritual development, and increasing awareness of the subtle aspects of our selves is key to awakening to a life of beauty and infinite bounty.

The insanity of the collective egoic mind, amplified by science and technology, is rapidly taking our species to the brink of disaster. Evolve or die: that is our only choice now. — Eckhart Tolle (A New Earth)

James’ Cameron’s epic movie Avatar, which recently released after over a decade in the making, is nothing short of spectacular. The technical skill and innovation, in addition to the superb performances by the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, not only creates an entirely immersive experience that transports one to the beautiful and lush landscape of Pandora, but also makes a significant impression upon the audience’s psyche and furthers the goal of real and intelligent progress in an age where technological innovation if not checked by common sense, moral obligation and spiritual responsibility, can destroy not only our world, but ultimately others as well.

When we look back at our own history on planet earth up until this point, we are precisely where Cameron’s story places Pandora: On the verge of destroying not only one another, but also our very home, our mother, in an insane war against Life itself. There is a disease in the human being that if not cured, will destroy its host and its environment. One of the symptoms of this disease is blindness, the inability to see the truth, reality, as it is before it is perceptually corrupted. This then leads to violence, conflict, exploitation and the like. The source and cause of the disease, of course, is a spiritual one. It is dis-ease itself, a condition that naturally arises when a conscious being is cut off from Life itself, from its Source, God, the Creator, and is trapped in a dream world, a nightmare of separation and isolation, wherein every man truly is an island, and where empathy has been lost and fear governs.

Despite the fact that human beings were given a paradise, a reality of infinite possibility, prosperity and beauty, we have thus far been accelerating towards its opposite as we create a world based in fear, scarcity, lack, destruction and death. Humanity appears to be on the brink of utter loss as cultures that have evolved over thousands of years are made extinct and the planet itself reaches the tipping point of apocalypse in order to correct and stabilize its very ability to support life.

Yet there is hope. All is not yet lost. We can change.

Change however is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. We are rapidly reaching the precipice where we will be called to account and to responsibility, where we must definitively choose: Change, or die.

Our planet can no longer sustain the thoughtless raping of its life force, its honor and its integrity at the hands of an apparently insane species that does not realize it is killing the very womb that bore it. Spiritual evolution is now a necessity. This then is Sufism, the path through which one may return to innocence.

Paradise Lost

Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. – Jesus (Matthew 18:3)

Tradition teaches that when the Creator first created human beings, they were placed in a paradise, a world of beauty and bliss. They were given the guidance to enjoy of the bounty of a world where there was only joy and peace, and where every need would be met, but to not come near a particular tree. Yet mankind chose to eat rather than from the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge. Thus duality was born. Separation, the state where we perceive ourselves as separate and cut-off from all else, from the Universe itself, manifested. And so we became doomed to a life of struggle and toil.

It is (vouchsafed) unto thee that thou hungerest not therein nor art naked, and that thou thirstest not therein nor art exposed to the sun’s heat. But the Devil whispered to him, saying: O Adam! Shall I show thee the tree of immortality and power that wasteth not away? Then they twain ate thereof, so that their shame became apparent unto them, and they began to hide by heaping on themselves some of the leaves of the Garden. And Adam disobeyed his Lord, so went astray. Then his Lord chose him, and relented toward him, and guided him. He said: Go down hence, both of you, one of you a foe unto the other. But if there come unto you from Me a guidance, then whoso followeth My guidance, he will not go astray nor come to grief. — Surah Ta Ha (Qur’an 20:118-123)

Through perception of contrast, we gained self-consciousness, knowledge of a self, the ego, independent and separate from all else. Consciousness became localized to a finite form, a body, and we began to forget who we are and where we have come from. Having realized at a fundamental level the grave error we had made, in shame we immediately attempted to cover our forms, the most apparent manifestation of the self as separate from all else. And so began the necessity for the journey back home, for we had fallen from grace.

This same reality, inevitably, plays itself out in every birth, in every child. It seems the destiny of man to be born in a state of grace, perfection and innocence, the state of fitra, and then to subsequently develop self-awareness through which the ego grows, and so to forget, necessitating the spiritual path, the journey back to truth, presence and unity, the journey of remembrance.

The nature of reality is such that it evolves and develops as we do. Even science now confirms the holographic nature of reality and the indisputable fact that our world literally emerges from thought, from perception. In the primordial state of grace, the divine experience that manifested was a spontaneous and natural result of Divine Will, which in the absence of human will, in the absence of ego, was able to emanate without resistance. Yet through the development of self-consciousness, through the arising of ego, the self, independent will also emerged, and this will when coupled with a disconnection from Reality, from Truth, from the Source, the Divine Presence, then becomes a prism through which creative energy is channeled to create other than perfection. In other words, as we remain veiled and distant from a state of Presence and Peace, we manifest a world that reflects our lack of these divine qualities. Looking at the world of men, the violence, chaos, confusion and fear is a natural result of this disconnected internal state that defines the state of most people.

It is possible to return to our natural state of grace, beauty and perfection, but to do so necessitates we return to innocence, as a newborn child who has not yet learned how to differentiate, label, judge, condemn and separate. It has no sense of self, just a pristine perception of a unified field of reality in which it is simply a happy observer, a witness. This is God in human form. And this is why Jesus, peace, light, love and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The Power of Creation

Verily we have honoured the children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment. — Surah Al-Isra (Qur’an 17:70)

We cannot help but create. Creation happens automatically, and is based on the focus of our souls. What we “see” is what we create. This is a divine honor, the responsibility of khilafat, or divine deputyship, granted to human beings. This is a tremendous power and a heavy burden. We have no choice but to now accept responsibility. And this becomes more critical with each passing day, for as we evolve, as creation progressively comes closer to its Divine Source, God, our power to create becomes greater. Ultimately, in the Last Days, which are also known as the Age of Miracles within the Sufi tradition, human beings will fully manifest their divine potential and literally be capable of manifesting thought. The question we must ask ourselves is this: What kind of world do we want? What is the noblest vision and purpose we are capable of?

In Avatar, the natural world emerged to serve the Na’vi (as does ours to serve us), yet because the Na’vi’s alignment with divine will, nature, their world emerged (precipitated, manifested) perfectly suited to honor their vision. As a result of their honoring the Divine Trust and maintaining a unity-based consciousness, their very bodies developed the instrument with which to integrate directly with the manifest world, it’s creatures and lifeforms, an antenna emanating from their cerebral cortex that directly linked and connected the Na’vi to Pandora’s creatures and lifeforms, which themselves had developed a reciprocal system to receive and serve the Na’vi.

The long antenna, known as Lekku, that the Na’vi possess is a roughly meter long appendage emanating from the base of the skull, and with it’s utility the Na’vi are able to physically connect, effectively to become one with other lifeforms. It reminds one of the first letter in the Arabic alphabet, alif, which is drawn as simply a straight line, and according to traditional Sufi knowledge represents divine honor. It is the same letter that the name of God, Allah, begins with, as well as the term referring to human beings, insan, and the name of the first man, Adam. It also denotes standing in Divine Presence, the first posture in the Islamic ritual prayer known as salah. The significance of this is that when sentient beings live in a state of divine honor recognizing their true selves and honoring divine purpose, they become angelic and divine in nature, and assume their rightful place as divine deputies within creation. The opposite of this is signified by the letter dal, which is written as a bent line, signifying the burden of the world, dunya, which begins with the same letter. One can literally picture a human being overburdened by the troubles of the world eventually becoming bent over, humbled by force rather than choice.

Now, we are in the age of responsibility. We must take responsibility for ourselves, our thoughts and feelings, our state. From this, the prism of our beings, does the world emerge. And as we, human beings, evolve and thus become more subtle and refined as a result of our progressive journey back to our Source, the Creator, so does our power to manifest advance. The recent (relatively speaking) emergence of technology, which is simply our ability to amplify our power, our will, is a natural reflection of this truth. Technological power (worldly, material power) grows concurrently with the development of spiritual power. It is in this age that the light and dark within the human soul is being made manifest, clarified and polarized.

The question we must now ask ourselves is this: What kind of world do we want? The one we have thus far created and are forcing upon the entire planet is one based in fear, isolation, loneliness and lack. Is this the world we want to leave to our children? Are greater gadgets and more innovative creature comforts really worth the stress, anxiety, despondency and depression that accompany technological progress at the cost of cultural regression?

We have nothing they want. Blue jeans and light beer?! — Jake Sully (Avatar)

The Prophet Muhammad, eternal light and grace upon his holy presence, taught that as human beings aligned with their divine purpose by serving the Creator, creation would in turn serve them. Yet as they allowed distance to develop between their consciousness and the Divine Presence, and as a result of forgetting their divine honor, they would be reduced to serving creation, the world. In other words, they would be reduced from the divine position of kings and queens, sovereign rulers guided by divine will, to slaves, unintelligent creatures struggling for survival.

We are more powerful than we realize. Yet our true greatness is not realized in the conscious use of our will to subjugate reality, to control and manipulate the natural world through force, but rather it is truly expressed in the divine surrender of selfish will and the abandonment of the very self from which the illusion of separation, emptiness and abandonment originates.

Welcoming the Kingdom of Heaven

Die before you die. — Prophet Muhammad

After humanity’s fall from grace, it became incumbent upon us to now consciously seek to return to the Kingdom of God, the Divine Presence, and to a life of light. While mankind chose the Tree of Knowledge from which to eat, the Na’vi chose the Tree of Life, and their harmonious lives naturally reflected pristine perfection and the sublime wisdom of the Creator. Thus, their home was “Home Tree,” a magnificent tree that shaded and supported life within the entire forest. While we live in a reality that is hostile, the Na’vi were home, a destination we as human beings continually yearn for.

It is truly a tragic and horrific sight to watch men, in their madness, fell this great tree, Home Tree, and even the most callous show remorse after the deed.

How then do we return home, to grace, peace, harmony and beauty? The path to life is through death. The death, the diminishment, of the ego is what is required for humanity either collectively or individually to return to peace and to truth. Only through the surrender of the false self that can only maintain it’s existence through war with the Universe, with Life, is freedom from it’s tyranny possible. And this is why the holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, taught, “Die before you die.”

Death is the doorway, but this need not mean a physical death. It may be considered a spiritual death, the death of the self, the ego, and it is only possible through total surrender of the mind. In his book, A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle says the following:

The secret of life is to “die before you die,” and find that there is no death. — Eckhart Tolle (A New Earth)

Sufi tradition teaches that in the Last Days, the earth will be renewed, restored to its original beauty, and that only then mankind will realize its true potential. Then will human beings truly carry the awesome responsibility of deputyship, khliafat, with the wisdom, grace, guidance and humility that it requires. It is to prepare human beings for this destiny that all prophets were sent. And tradition also teaches that this Age of Miracles will be a divine period in which the earth and the first heaven shall be joined, a holy honor that even prophets prayed to witness.

The Kingdom of Heaven will naturally emerge once the human ego abates, once our interference with creation is surrendered. For all good comes from the Divine. Goodness is the natural state of things, the natural state of the Universe, without the interpolation of negative intentions, thoughts, feelings, states. Through the pursuit and practice of spiritual excellence we evolve and honor our very creation. It is for spiritual growth and evolution, the progressive awakening of consciousness, that we are created.

Embracing Your Destiny

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek; and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. — Jesus (Matthew 7:7-8)

You are greater than you realize. You are more noble, beautiful and honored than you can possibly comprehend. You deserve all the joy and goodness that is your divine inheritance. Yet we all possess a disease, a parasite that poses as us and so possesses us, a non-entity that veils and covers the light and truth which is right before us. To slay that dragon within then is the purpose of the spiritual path.

By embracing the path of spiritual excellence one commits to the struggle against the self and this is known as jihad al-akbar, the Great Struggle. Pursuing this goal without the wisdom of a spiritual guide, a teacher, a qualified master who has already traveled the path, is in the words of the great mystic poet Rumi to “Make a journey of a single day into a thousand days.”

Authentic teachers still walk the earth. May you be fortunate to find one.

To your divine grace and eternal success.

One day the Earth will be changed to a different Earth, and so will be the Heavens, and (mankind) will be marshalled forth, before God, the One, the Irresistible. — Surah Ibrahim (Qur’an 14:48)