” Our faith in the present dies out long before our faith in the future.”

– Ruth Benedict (1887 – 1948 ) , Anthropologist

I have no scruple of change, nor fear of death,
Nor was I ever born,
Nor had I parents.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute,
I am That, I am That,

I cause no misery, nor am I miserable;
I have no enemy, nor am I enemy.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute,
I am That, I am That,

I am without form, without limit,
Beyond space, beyond time,
I am in everything, everything is in me.
I am the bliss of the universe,
Everywhere am I.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute,
I am That, I am That,

I am without body or change of the body,
I am neither senses, nor object of the senses,
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute,
I am That, I am That,

I am neither sin, nor virtue,
Nor temple, nor worship
Nor pilgrimage, nor books.
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute,
I am That, I am That,

( Taken from here.  Author’s biography is here. )

Success is as dangerous as failure.

Hope is as hollow as fear.

…

What does it mean that hope is as hollow as fear?

Hope and fear are both phantoms

that arise from thinking of the self

when we don’t see the self as self,

what do we have to fear?

See the world as your self

Have faith in the way things are.

Love the world as your self

then you can care for all things

– Lao Tsu, C. 500 BC

( Translated from Old Chinese  by Stephen Mitchell, page 13 of his translation)

आज मुग़ल ए आज़म का गाना “प्यार किया तो डरना क्या” के कुछ अल्फाज़ मेरे मन से निकलते ही नहीं हैं.. गौर फरमाईये..

”
आज कहेंगे दिल का फ़साना*
जान भी ले ले चाहे ज़माना
मौत वही जो दुनिया देखे,
घुट घुट* कर यूँ मरना क्या?

[ फ़साना = story ; घुट घुट = suffocate ]
….
छुप न सकेगा इश्क हमारा .
चारों तरफ है उनका नज़ारा
पर्दा नहीं जब कोई खुदा से,
बन्दों से पर्दा करना क्या?*
जब प्यार किया तो डरना क्या? ”

[ When we cannot hide things from God, why hide things from humans? ]

शकील बदायुनी साहब ने ये बेहद कमाल की बात कही है – पर्दा नहीं जब कोई खुदा से, बन्दों से पर्दा करना क्या? – . This is akin to spirituality being served a la carte. कितनी आसानी से शायर अपनी बात कहते हैं. अगर हम भगवन से कुछ छुपा नहीं सकते, तो इंसानों से कुछ क्यूँ छुपाना? इस कथन के हजारों अभिप्राय हैं, जो की पाठक सोचे तो स्वयं ढूंढ लेंगे. साधू कवि, साधू!