Lit Fest Thumb Roll

White wings flap and shelter many a breeze

 

Above the chairs blinking at the sun

 

And thoughts bestir their heavy forms

 

In the city by the crags of roughened shore

 

While heads nod and silent drums roll

 

In carpeted corridors; awe rears its shapely head.

 

If a book is measure of a writer’s skill

 

Let the written word a drum beat be,

 

That for each drum beat along the walk of fame

 

Awe may accompany, the life that seems a mile above;

 

The charlatan of time and world

 

In glorious pen to sword structure seek

 

And bide clockwork like the chance

 

That robes kings of book-dom from dusty nooks

 

As picked out from the riotous rabble

 

They stand timorous till that purveyor of corridors

 

Snare drums each page, each word, each phrase

 

Drum,drum, drum.

 

 

Impressions from the Karachi Literature Festival 2012

 

Solitude – A Haiku

Soft, the wind on skin

I dream of the nights away

Spiralling. Nothing.

Dark, the night fleeting,

Swiftly as the sunset goes

Shadowing the glass.

Listen, the rain falls

Shall it undo the rift now?

Day comes back to knock.

Psych Speak 2011

Tid bits from my take on life in 2011. For the latest, click on the tab above.

06/08/2011 Ramazan Rage and the Money Game

Its the 5th day of Ramazan and already I can sense a strange disquiet on the roads. Nothing new in that, except that the rush, the inching in to get in or out of line, the looks and stares have started earlier than usual this year.

Political observers attribute this as ever to the conditions of the economy and the country in general. Psychologically, only extreme examples of food deprivation come to mind, none of which seem to fit here. Hunger for a limited time, when one knows that there will be an end to it, causes mild irritation for sure if prolonged and with the additional factor of burning heat added, but the reactions we have on the roads are in excess of what is expected. Perhaps another dimension is that over some period of time we have been losing our levels of tolerance. It can be sensed in the way the direct-pick-up-the-mobile instead of calling on landline translates into an incessant honking of the horn outside the gate and the idea that the person wanted inside the house will fly out in a matter of seconds. Another horn happy instance can be seen in a traffic jam where many feel it to be their duty to herd the commuters along. A very young version of me once revelled in the idea of owning Chitty chitty bang bang or Knight rider, only to discover that it was a shared dream with others. Now I shudder. If we Pakistanlings are unable to follow properly demarcated roads then how on earth will we follow aerospace rules?

Ramazan rage and swindling is on the rise this Ramazan.

Another money making scheme was just witnessed on Main Khayaban e Jami, Karachi where a tiny little school van came packed with goodies today. As I write this, this farcical scheme is still going on where a company by the nonexistent name of Aryan Enterprises has supposedly launched a dubious custard packaging with a prize scheme – get a ‘free’ blender, tv, sheraton dinner or Nokia N73 cellphone if the coupon yields that name – all for a paltry 1400 rupees. The catch: the France made blender is actually a ‘Mounelux’ instead of Mouleneux (meet the Bata – Beta version), the cell phone with a sheepish admission when confronted, turns to a made in China cheap revision, the TV suddenly goes from a made in Korea to dubious Malay origins and the men incharge earlier smiling and pleasing, turn into the sheepish, sidelong glances types when charged with fraud.

Full marks for the initiative though. The Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani version of Pakistani money makers. ‘Kabhi nayey packet mein baichain tum ko cheez purani’.

And this is just the beginning of Ramazan. Stay tuned for more from the roads of Karachi. Au revoir.

22/05/2011 Neighbourly batting

Just got a phone call from an irate neighbour questioning my take on child psychology when I don’t return her son’s cricket balls. Now should I really explain the consequences of negative punishment? Well, positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement both having failed, time for the big ‘P’. Thats my take on it for now.

In addition I have been told that the cricket balls WILL continue to fall in my house and I should deal with my negative emotions; and that ofcourse there is a 1 in 100 chance of getting hit by one (it narrowly missed me a few days back), and ofcourse cricket balls are not strong enough to break windows of a car or a house. Im totally re-educated! The icing on the cake: I also learnt that this is how children learn to bat sixers otherwise how else will they learn?! I suddenly have visions of young Afridi in knickers having half the neighbourhood running after him with sticks.

So wherein lies the soloution? It truly is a sad fact that we barely have enough playgrounds for children in the city. Yet, there is one very near my house and there happens to be just that someone who can take this kid out to play there. So, till I find another solution, long live negative punishment. Though in this case after hearing a lot of irrational beliefs, I’d say the mother needs it more than the child.

13/05/2011 Revelation – Personal Eureka on Islamic Practices and Self Healing Practices in the World.

Yesterday night I was hit by a revelation. Today it hit harder as I actually said it in front of a friend.

I was printing out a manual for Reiki level 2 when looking at the hand positions and the conceptual framework I was struck by how close the entire concept is to Islamic Practices of Namaz and Roza, Saum o Salat. The conceptual framework including meditation – relaxation – focussing on the words – placement of the hands … it all falls into place. Reiki linked with places we touch, Yoga linked with how we move and bend, Meditation linked with how we focus on removing external worries while we focus on His names. The list goes on and on. While we are praying it is not for Allah only; it is He who has created this system for us so that we are purified by the process. Reiki may well call it the flow of the eternal life force.

Bottom line – If one can take out time for Reiki, one can take out time to pray. The most natural and best God given gift to Man – provided one focusses, lets go of external stressors while praying and most important of all: ‘believes’! Pure Taqwa.

30/04/2011 Water, water everywhere…

Water. It is not just Man’s basic need but essential to all life on Earth. Imagine if this necessity were to become a luxury…And this is exactly what may happen and soon enough if we are not careful in water conservation – and here by conservation the reference is not just to its use but also its abuse ranging from overuse to the addition of various pollutants.

A case in point is that of Manchhar in our very own country where high levels of pollutants caused avoidable casualties. The current devastation caused by the recent floods (2011) is also a case in point after which the pollution level has increased further. It is said that the Government has undertaken to provide compensation to the families of the victims… Yet the question remains: who are we to blame? The Government, as a convenient target; the industries, for emptying their pollution into the pure Pakistani waters: or ourselves, for sitting and watching…and watching…

28/4/2011 Psychology of Terror

I have just come within inches of a bomb blast today. On my way to work I saw ambulances, sirens blaring rushing past and several police vans. This is the third blast in a bus in 2 days. I don’t know how long this madness will last where innocent people are killed daily and yet fingers point all around. The blame game doesn’t end does it?

Terror comes in various garbs and the one that is most potent is the one that injects fear in the masses. Overdose of fear can at times lead to apathy like the proverbial switch that has become faulty due to overuse. Right now, perhaps apathy is our double edged sword – the defense that keeps us going and the withdrawal in our own shells and little worlds that leads to social ignorance and carelessness.

If this is a war, which side are we on?

 

Dementia-ville – Shades of the Past ?

As a child it was fascinating yet quite a bit disturbing to be with certain old people at times. They would ask you your name over and over again or their hands would tremble so much that it was scary to be near them. Yet the way they smiled and their love and care cannot be denied. For the young child who has yet to see and know much of disease and despair, the revelation can be disturbing, yet growing up with it can teach a lot in the name of patience and humility.

Years later after a sojourn into the sketchy roads psychology can take us along; I have a name for the various issues caused by this condition. Dementia – or the cognitive decline in daily life functioning is a term that has both the aforementioned scenarios attached to it and more.

When I was younger, I grew up in a family where it was obvious that older parents and grandparents would be taken care of by their relatives. Not doing so was unthinkable and inexplicable. Tempers flared, grievances were common on both sides of the generational divide and one learned that this is how things moved on. Age brought on various issues and life had to move on accordingly. In my clinic now, I notice a change that has hit our conservative collectivistic culture several years after it was already an established ‘western’ tradition. The younger generation has a greater tendency to have both genders working long hours. Taking care of the elderly is no longer considered a first priority in many cases as it used to be earlier. Consequently the concept of old people’s homes is talked about in hushed tones but nevertheless – talked about.

Each story can have several angles and so does this one. One may argue that better nursing care is available at old people’s homes or centres such as this – an extremely derogatory name of a proposed dementia-ville of sorts that has health care professionals divided in opinion http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/switzerlands-dementiaville-designed-to-mirror-the-past-6293712.html . On the other hand there is much to be said for old fashioned home care. While round the clock health care facilities are provided at such spaces they are no replacement for the ease of living if provided in one’s own home in familiar surroundings. I have seen several instances where those with a moderate degree of dementia do very well when under the supervision of health care practitioners who may also train the caregivers to create cues for the patient. While the facility such as the one mentioned here may be an open door facility that would help in a rather advanced stage of Alzheimer’s, there are people doing extremely well in the home with nursing attendants or family members. Surely it is difficult, but not impossible. At the same time, even those suffering from dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease need a change and day long facilities may be just the right amount of change. Family members need to take care of their own health as well and providing round the clock nursing to an often irritable person can be a heavy task unless one is blessed with a rather large family with someone there to cater to various needs round the clock. Some respite may be provided by day care facilities which would go a long way towards keeping things harmonious at home. Younger children can learn from the patience and sacrifice invested in the process of home care and the family system can develop beautifully. There is after all, a lot to be said for the value system of taking care of elders in the circle of life just as they once did when we were young.

Updike and the Witching Hour

Ever since the entire drama surrounding Harry Potter and the Twilight series has somewhat faded, there seems to be an uncanny gap before readers or movie buffs experience any more witching antics. A bit of  googling online brought me to dwell somehow on the almost bookshelved Witches of Eastwick (1984), its filming and its never filmed sequel Widows of Eastwick (1998) written by John Updike.

Updike, whose 3rd death anniversary will fall at the end of this very month of January, was born on 18^th March 1932 and succumbed to lung cancer on 27^th January 2009. The only child of a mathematician father and a literary minded mother, he had the right atmosphere to bloom into a ‘distinguished Christian person of letters’ according to Jesuit magazine America which gave him its Campion Award in 1997. His initial sickly disposition troubled with psoriasis and stammering led to an interest in writing encouraged by his mother. His father provided the impetus for the ‘sympathetic father figure’ of his early work.

His childhood memories of the towns of Reading and Shillington were the later setting for the fictional Brewer and Olinger of his novels. Egged on by a passion to write, he worked in a local newspaper, graduated in English from Harvard and as an undergraduate at the same, had honed his story writing and drawing skills while working for the oldest humour magazine – The Harvard Lampoon; which had attracted him to Harvard in the first place.

A true son of the earth, Updike drew inspiration from the cluttered life on the margins using the American idiom as his canvas. Perhaps the most illustrative example can be found in his two times Pulitzer Prize winning portions of the “Rabbit” saga comprising of four novels, wherein the circumstances surrounding the life of its main protagonist Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom are shown against the backdrop of the social and sexual upheavals of the 1960s and onwards till the final AIDS ridden reflux of the 1980’s in ‘Rabbit’s Rest’.

A frank style of writing which held no room for obliqueness brought both fame and criticism for the content of his works. Redoubtable as he was, “Writers may be disreputable, incorrigible… but they dare to go it alone,” was the only answer he would give to this onslaught. Alone however, he did not remain. The Times, paid him the tribute of a feature story soon after his writing the novel ‘Couples’ in 1968 portraying the complicated liaisons of married suburban couples. On the other hand, all his writing is subtly steeped in theoretical and existentialist yearnings. He was an avid church goer and wherever possible used metaphors and symbols to bring forth philosophical questions.

Updike worked with most genres of prose as well as poetry including sonnets. His poems were light and amusing, characterised by attention to sounds and usage of colloquial language utilizing even brand names and imitating advertising jargon.

Perseverance, hard work and dedication became his personal axioms ever since he left The New Yorker, preferring a secluded existence in Massachusetts and raising his family on the returns of his writing alone. However, during his two year stint at the magazine, whence he had started his career, he had attained a fondness enough for it, to regularly contribute short stories, poems and reviews to it, throughout his life. Early on in his writing career, he initiated and maintained a rigid routine – writing diligently in a rented room for several hours six days a week.

Small wonder then that Updike received so many awards in his lifetime including the rare honour of being the third American to win the Pulitzer for Fiction twice and both the National Medal for Art (1989) and the National Medal for Humanities (2003).

Several of Updike’s works have been adapted for films. The most noteworthy amongst these are the 1960 novel Rabbit, Run as a full length film in 1970, the short story A&P (1961) produced as a 17 minute short in 1996, and Pigeon Feathers (1962) made for TV in 1987. The Witches of Eastwick (1984) produced in 1987 with a stellar cast comprising among others Jack Nicholson and Susan Sarandon, was well received and it remains to be seen if the recently written Widows of Eastwick (2008) has a similar fate in store.  Perhaps it is the lull before the witching hour strikes thirteen.

Photo courtesy: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/12/television.usa

2011 in review: Kiran Bashir Ahmad Blog review.

Dear readers, thanks for your repeated presence here on my blog in 2011. You all contributed to the interaction and made writing a joyful process. The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys (they call themselves that), prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog and you can click on the link below to see what they have prepared. A note to self: more people seem to be interested in fruits … not the ones of hard labour – not everything I say has a metaphor linked with it – but those that grow on trees, rather than world affairs. For once I don’t know whether to shake my head or grow fruits while the sun shines. Happy New Year! Keep reading and God bless us all in the coming year.

much love,

Kiran Bashir Ahmad

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,300 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Once Upon a Melting Pot

Apple of your eye, apple pie

Silken stress cut peel

I will not melt in oven strength

Or under grounded heel

Of crush stricken fantasy meet.

 

Melt in your mouth margarine

Sticking to the crystal boat

With pieces of my shredded shyness

Rubbed in by a rough shod toe

I slip away ashore.

 

Maybe still in marmalade pot

The orange will be an orange

For me to find my place

I grovel among the pleading mass

And the silver spoon thrusts me in.

 

Crust and crumbs I cling to you

As purveyors of the deep

As discarded survivors in the care worn dish

When fruit and nuts will mix

Yet again be whole.                   

Is it Time?

‘I believe in good’,

that was the past.

Is it time to make a change?

Do I rue the past for what it was?

Do I see in the ashes a flame?

Or is it a negative still

that shows false colours to me?

Black, blue and green

Is the world truly a better place

Than the lens lets me see?

 

Questions, questions,

useless rhymes.

Floating petals,

littered far.

Lick , lick the ragged fragment of sweetness

and make ashes ever more.

The dust that raised the grain of trust

will be dust and nothing more.

 

The autumn hues of sadness burst

and leave in place a taste

of molten gold, of coffee burnt,

of just another name.

3.50pm. 12/12/2011

Celebrating Otherness – Invocation of the Sufi Spirit in the New Millennium

 This is the full text of a paper written for and presented at the International Sufi Conference held in Bhopal (India) on 18th, 19th and 20th November 2011. It is being reproduced here with the kind permission of the organizers at Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL). My special thanks to Madam Ajeet Cour, President of FOSWAL for all her love and to Ms Noor Zaheer and Mr Rafaqat Ali Khan along with Ms Ayesha Zee Khan for their trust and support.

P.S. References for this paper are available on request.  For those who do not wish to go through the entire paper, a synopsis in the form of an Abstract is available in the Abstracts section of this site.

Pdf downloadable version: Celebrating otherness Invocation of the Sufi Spirit in the New Millennium

Video link on youtube: Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD9UN6lSFzU&feature=share

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUmsPniK9AU&feature=share

Introduction

 My heart has become the receptacle for every form;

 It is a pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks,

 And a temple for idols and the pilgrim’s Ka’aba,

 And the tablets of the Torah,

 And the book of the Quran.

 I follow the religion of love; whichever way its camels take,

 For this is my religion and my faith. (Ibn al Arabi – In King & Brockington, 2005).

The way of the Sufi is synonymous with the ideals of ‘Love’ the concepts of oneness with the ‘Beloved’ and the path or ‘tariqa’, beginning with repentance and going on towards perfection by means of purification. This unique path then traverses the levels of giving – first with the deeds of the body, then with those of the lower soul and finally with the higher soul or spirit. Seemingly the spiritual ascendance of the mystic places Sufism at a higher level than what most ordinary mortals aspire to in the materialistic world (Baldick, 2000). This paper examines the common man’s perception of Sufism in keeping with contemporary thought and holds that awareness and acceptance of ‘otherness’ of the metaphorical ‘other’ and also of oneself as the ‘other’, may be one of the most important factors in the Sufi solution of finding oneself amidst the current global turmoil.

In the new Millennium as we reflect on the changes within the last decade and beyond, we see that the connections between the South Asian Diaspora have been evolving continuously. Geopolitical routes have in many instances given way to barriers for dialogue as well as progress and while we all may not be able to relate to the agonizing process of forming bonds only to have them all broken again and again, we can all perhaps relate to the continuity of emotional bonds that reverberate through the centuries. These are bonds of the heart that have their roots in culture and tradition – and cannot be said to have come into their own without the contribution of the peace loving believers of equality; the Sufi saints.

Dynamics of the ‘other’ and ‘otherness’ – a general view

In this world each of us strives to make our own identity. Psychologically speaking, the self concept evolves as a result of interaction first with the home environment and parental values and then when it comes in contact with friends versus ‘other’ groups – the resultant sociological in-groups and out-groups. Contact with the community establishes patterns of thought and a sense of belonging, ‘us’ versus ‘them’ and finally the Nationalistic versus Global identity. We learn and unlearn continuously as we grow. As such the influences that shape our view of ourselves versus ‘others’ develop as a result of our perception of individual differences.

In the general view then, links to the Sufi spirit can be found in the vestiges of theological thought where the word ‘ghayr’ or ‘other’ is attributed first to all except the Creator and secondly is taken as a manifestation of anyone with a separate and distinct set of beliefs. Three different viewpoints occur regarding the word in the predominant mystical thought:

• ·       While many Sufis take ‘otherness’ to be a man-made falsehood and believe that communion with the Creator can only be reached through dissolution of all sense of self and otherness (Whitehouse, 2007),

• ·       there are those as well who maintain that recognition of otherness as important in terms of living in harmony in this world.

• ·       In Arabic and Persian, the close links between the words ‘ghayrat’ (jealousy) and ‘ghayr’ (the other) have often been construed as a jealousy of any other beliefs if followed and the concept of the jealousy of God. However, this idea is not mentioned with the word ‘ghayrat’ in the Quran, nor do we find a mention of jealousy (Chittick, 1983).

 

This paper focuses on the aformentioned second aspect of the Sufi spirit focussing on the respect for the otherness of the others and attempts to give a roadmap for the kind of measures that may be taken to revive the flickering light so that it may be passed on to future generations. The works and anecdotal instances from the lives of Rumi, Bullhe Shah and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai have been cited as relevant examples that work around the idea of cordial relations of respect with all and sundry.

  

Traditional thought in Sufism – a view of the ‘other’ and ‘otherness’

Sufi tradition has never involved the usage of harsh words or weapons to push forth a viewpoint. Arberry (2000), mentions how

 … love and honor for all religious traditions was not always popular … and often provoked criticism … A story is told that one such public challenge came from a Muslim dignitary, Qonavi, who confronted Rumi before an audience. “You claim to be at one with 72 religious sects,” said Qonavi, “but the Jews cannot agree with the Christians, and the Christians cannot agree with Muslims. If they cannot agree with each other, how could you agree with them all?” To this Rumi answered, “Yes, you are right, I agree with you too.”

This small anecdote is but one of hundreds of such instances in the lives of prominent Sufi saints. The language of love has never proved a catalyst for the creation of boundaries. Road, train and air links aside, the links in the Sufi way are those of the heart and soul. While we have our dominions to define ‘culture’ and individual passports to define our identity, our inner core and lifestyle is defined by our beliefs and these in turn are deep rooted in religion, tradition and culture. It is therefore unfortunate indeed that a large proportion of our masses are barely cognizant of the complex nature of the contributions that have been made by Sufi poets and elders towards the blossoming of the civilization currently living in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. The difference lies between hearing, seeing and actually understanding.

Sufi music, folklore, mystical traditions are popular and gain new followers by the day but the spiritual essence is lost in simply sticking to the obvious and the material. Current musical trends have brought Sufi music closer to the younger generation by encapsulating it in modern formats such as Pakistan’s Sufi Pop and the Sufi Rock culture. Musicians and bands from Pakistan have created a new genre like Junoon initiating Sufi rock – a blend of Western hard rock with Sindhi, Punjabi folk, Qawwali and Sufi poetry. Bullhe Shah’s poetry remains popular within its new environs and different contemporary singers have tried to give it new angles by musical experimentation ranging from blues to rock. The focus remains on the identity of the self and the respect for the other.

 Bullha, what do I know who I am?84 Neither am I a Muslim in the mosque nor am I in the ways of paganism, nor among the pure or sinful, nor am I Moses or the Pharaoh; Bullha, what do I know who I am? Neither in the books of doctors I, nor indulged I in bhan 85 and wine, nor in the wine-house in the company of the bad, neither awake nor asleep. Bullha, what do I know who I am? Neither in happiness nor in or-row, nor in sin or purity nor of water nor of earth, nor in fire nor in air. Bullha, what do I know who I am? I am not of Arabia nor of Lahore, nor an Indian nor of the city of Nagaur, neither a Hindu nor a Muslim of Peshawar, nor do I live in Nadaun. Bullha, what do I know who I am?

Other singers like Abida Parveen and the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with their rendition of mystical and devotional poetry have duly mesmerised audiences in International concerts. It is to them that we owe the current revival and popularity of Sufi poetry among today’s youth who were drawn earlier to western pop rather than local flavours. 

Each year, devotees flock by the thousands to shrines in the subcontinent from Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in Sindh, Hazrat Muinuddin Chishti in Ajmer Sharif, Sayyid Bulbul Shah in Kashmir and Baba Hazrat Bulleh Shah in Punjab only to listen with devotion to the local performances and participate with fervour and then go back out of the spiritual bubble to their material abodes and the daily life issues that confront them at their homes. While most derive some benefit from the interaction, more often than not, it is still seen that their lifestyle denotes their materialistic desires and their aggressive attitude, lack of tolerance and barely a notion for the respect of the otherness of the ‘other’. A sharp contrast from the teachings of the Sufis as explained in Bhittai’s view of the lifestyle of a Sufi or any lover of the Lord (Butani, 1991).

 Palaces do not attract them,

 Nor women nor servants

 Nothing binds them:

 The renouncers leave everything behind.

 A message came from the Lord:

 A full moon shone

 Darkness disappeared

 A new message came from the Lord:

 It does not matter what caste you are

 Whoever come, are accepted. (Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai)

 Ironically they veer far away from the simple life and pacifist teachings of the Sufis whose shrines they have been visiting, all the while claiming to be in spiritual communion with them.

The Sufi brotherhood commands respect for all, even if they follow different beliefs and no distinction of caste or creed. It claims that there is a difference but the distinction and label of being right or wrong is relative and situational. Take the following example that works on the concept of right versus wrong, cited by Arberry, (2000) translating Rumi,

“A westerner lives in the West. An oriental comes to visit. The westerner is a stranger to the oriental, but who is the real stranger? Is not the oriental a stranger to all the West”

While tolerance is also an important element of Islamic religious philosophy, it must not be confused with thinking that all spiritual teachings only belong to Muslims per se. There are Hindus, Muslims as well as Christian Sufis following the essentially inclusive path of Sufism and vociferously negating rigid doctrines that support extremist activities (Baldick, 2000). Some Muslims, such as The All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board (AIUMB) (2011), have recently spoken up in large gatherings against terrorist activities and reiterated the understanding of the spirit of Sufism as a means of projecting love, not hate. How we identify ourselves and each other is but a vehicle for understanding each other and our differences – and it is better that we learn from these unique attributes rather than attempt to blot out each other’s existence. According to Rumi,

“This whole world is but a house, no more. Whether we go from this room to that room, or from this corner to that corner, still are we not in the same house? But the saints who possess God’s jewel have left this house, they have gone beyond. Mohammed (PBUH) said, ‘Islam began a stranger and will return a stranger as it began.’ In this way, Rumi’s words come right through time and ask us today, “Can you accept that a true Lover of God could carry God’s authority? Can you see, because of what they carry, they will always be a stranger to this world?” (Arberry, 2000).

Picture this to yourself: A tree heavily laden with some of the most beautiful flowers on it in varying degrees of bloom; as buds and as full blown flowers. Some will bear fruit, others will wither and fall. Are the ones that fall any less than those which do not? Some would say yes, but in the circle of life, change is inevitable. It is only the perception of change that creates the difference. Still another question arises of how significant this difference really is? The tree is the metaphorical bearer of the human race, the origin with which we all aspire to attain Oneness through identity, through recognition of form and even through the analysis of our various Scriptures. The branches are different, the levels are different but in the end, we are all blossoms of the same tree.

Invoking the Sufi Spirit in the new Millennium

 Scholars have remarked on the new Millennium as a herald of integrative thought and action and greater progress of mankind as a whole both technologically and materialistically. While nihilistic ideals are there, spiritually the implications have been discussed in philosophical and theological terms. The dawning of the Age of Aquarius in the new Millennium has been prophesied to bring about greater levels of spiritual awakening globally and signs of the penultimate era can be found in the Indian Satya Yuga or the Age of Truth, the Christian tradition of the 1000 years of perfection or the controversial but still widespread Muslim belief in the significance of 1400 years after the Hijri calendar being the time nearer to the eternal afterlife and the day of Judgement (Godfrey, 1999). The message of the Sufis rings clear through the ages, refrains from passing judgement and makes us all spiritually in communion with each other, if only we understood it better. In the current tumultuous climate what better spiritual awakening can there be than to develop an understanding of our ascetic and mystic heritage. Asia and its geographical subdivisions South Asia, Central Asia and South East Asia are richer than most in Sufi traditions and many of these can be explored in order to combat popular myths, and establish the roots of tolerance of the ‘other’. This is imperative if we all are to co-exist as peaceful neighbours.

Through this paper it is proposed that four areas related to the Sufi teachings; lifestyle, love of the Creator, poetry and current influences are added to the current syllabi of religious or social studies in our respective countries at high school or college level. This would lead to a deeper level of analysis and understanding based on spiritual connectivity.

A brief online survey for this paper was undertaken by this researcher globally with almost 95% of the respondents having South Asian origin and ages ranging from 18 – 60. The survey was undertaken in order to assess quantitatively and qualitatively 1) whether knowledge of Sufism had ever been a part of their curriculum, 2) what were the avenues by which they had learnt about Sufism, 3) what were the areas covered in their curriculum related to Sufism in school or college and 4) what areas would they like to study or want their future generations to study. Many participants went on to give their individual viewpoints in detail about the need for inclusion of Sufism in the curriculum and the flaws in the way they had been taught and these were analysed qualitatively.

The results were startling in terms of the way they indirectly reflect on the issues of intolerance and lack of understanding we face in our current context.  Out of the nearly hundred plus respondents of the survey, more than 26% had never studied about Sufis or Sufism in their school or college and moreover those who had studied it, either read books on their own or studied it at school level. These studies were found to be limited to the study of poetry, biographical information, lifestyle and historical influences, were basic and did not promote analysis. The greatest deviance was seen in the case of ‘current influences’ as only 5% respondents reported having studied it in their curriculum while 42% said they would like to see it as a part of their or their future generations’ curriculum. The other contender was the area of ‘lifestyle’ where nearly 62% of the respondents were interested in learning more about the attributes of the Sufi tradition along with information about their way of life. It was also interesting to note that only 2% respondents felt that this topic should be removed from the curriculum and should not have any additions made to it, while the rest were all in favour of adding details and making it more analytical.

The survey showed that currently the study of Sufi lifestyle or activities is limited to brief biographical descriptions at a high school level in most countries in the SAARC region and hardly anywhere is analysis and critical thinking encouraged. How can we even hope to create an interest in Sufi traditions and practices without planting the seed of curiosity in the younger generation? Then again, junior school is not the best time to create this interest or promote deeper comprehension. It is the high school or college level where interest can be generated and sustained. Studying the current influences and effects of Sufi teachings of the past as well as contemporary elements are vital as they would help our next generation to relate to the dynamics of geo-politics as humanists than dogmatic radicals.

Conclusion

The basic instinct of every human teaches him to bond with others – others like him and the concept evolves as he grows, looks around him, inside himself and learns from again ‘others’ how to differentiate. Each new difference brings with it, its own set of prejudices until the divisions of gender, caste, religion, race, or ethnicity among the rest force him to abandon his basic instinct and struggle to find his own identity. However, in this lifelong process he loses a part of himself to the environment. The Sufi traditions evolve beyond the usual practice of identity formation and the search for meaning as they have already attained the next step. Renunciation of the self – the ego and attaining wholeness with the world is a part of this creed and fusion with the Creator its ultimate goal by celebrating the ‘otherness’ of the others and knowing that to them, we are the others – blossoms of the same tree. The legacy we leave today for posterity will define how they see themselves and the world around them. Development of a thorough understanding, not only of Sufi poetry and biographical information but the context within which it all stands based on historical, lifestyle and current influences, is necessary for the evolution of our future generations. Let the future belong to generations that are not force fed dogma but instead learn to think and analyse themselves and ‘others’ from the third person perspective – seeing the whole and not just the parts. The gentleness and peaceful offering of a tolerant Sufi tradition can go a long way in sowing the seeds for a better tomorrow.

‘And…’ A dedication to Prof. Kausar Bashir Ahmad

Dedicated to my late father, Prof. Kausar Bashir Ahmad - a visionary, educationist, architect, artist, poet and gentle soul who left us for his eternal abode on this day, five years ago. May Allah grant him the highest of places in Heaven and bless him in every way.

For more on his life and work, please visit: http://kausarba.wordpress.com

And it will be November again.

The evening chill reminds me

That I have but little time

Before the shadows of the past bestir me

And take me on that incline

Where progress is slow.

 

And it will be November again,

When dark corridors take on meanings anew,

When footsteps dwell in places small

And life begins to ebb and stall.

Bitter sweet, sour,

I dream of the summer sky instead.

 

And it will be November again,

When the eyes will search and rue – .

A life fulfilled, the bonds outcast

And the Earth out spins what’s due.

Yet that not there will be untold

And November, Daddy, will stretch again.

 

 

8:00 P.M

Sunday, 25^th October 2009