Guest guest Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 From Ivan Monday, 30 November, 2009, 2:33 Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Belief brings me close to You By Hakim Sanai(1044? - 1150?) English version by Priya Hemenway Belief brings me close to Youbut only to the door.It is only by disappearing intoYour mysterythat I will come in. -- from The Book of Everything: Journey of the Heart's Desire, by Hakim Sanai Al-Ghaznavi / Translated by Priya Hemenway Amazon.com / Photo by Flowery *L*u*z*a* / ============ Thought for the Day: Deep spiritual unfoldingmay feel unbearably slow,at times painful or terrifying,-- but what else is worth any effort? ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Various World Festival of Sacred Music - The Americas Listen / Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -This poem's two statements say so much.Belief brings me close to Youbut only to the door.Personally, I'm not a big fan of "belief," not in the way most people use it today. I think of that sort of belief as the religious form of "Fake it 'till you make it." It can help a person go forward, but it's also a hollow act until it blooms with organic life from within. At best, belief can only bring us to the threshold. No matter how loudly or passionately we profess it, belief alone is not enough.It is only by disappearing intoYour mysterythat I will come in.The final step -- which is really the only step -- is the step into the unknown. It is in opening ourselves to the fullness of the sacred mystery all around us that we finally cross the threshold.True, belief is what gives some the courage to let the ego fall ("disappear") in order to step naked through the doorway. But for too many belief does the opposite, armoring the ego, becoming the excuse to not see, to not understand, and to not take that step. Those with certainty but no knowledge have no tolerance for a reality beyond the mind's limited conception.To really meet the mystery, we must be UNcertain. We must be open-minded, open-hearted, curious, courageous, quiet, poised... and humble enough to not notice our own sweet melting. That is when we've finally stepped through.=When I was in my first year of college, I spent a day in a wheelchair. I wasn't injured. I just wanted to do it, as an awareness exercise. Not for some class assignment. I wanted to get a better sense of how people in wheelchairs relate to their environment. Making my way across the University of Southern California campus was no easy feat. Trying to find ramps hidden around the back of buildings. Elevators that existed only at the other end of a hallway Asking strangers to open doors I couldn't quite tug open. The simplest things became difficult puzzles. And my arms were exhausted by the end of the day. But I highly recommend it. It will change your relationship to the world around you.Well, unfortunately, my wife is going through her own version of an awareness exercise, but not by choice, and with significant discomfort. Early last week, my wife fell and broke her wrist. (That's why the poetry emails stopped without notice.) When we haven't been sitting in doctors' offices, I've been helping her with all the little things two-handed people take for granted: carrying things from room to room, fastening buttons, opening food containers... She goes through surgery Tuesday, more time in a cast, but over a few weeks she'll get normal use of her hand back.I better check on her again, see if she needs another ice pack...Wishing you all lots of love, and safe footing!Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include: Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi on Interfaith Dialog - A wise, thought-provoking interview with Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi on Interfaith Dialog from a Jewish perspective. More Video & Music: Trace Bundy Playing Pachelbel's Canon - Comments (2) Something about Pachelbel's Canon is profoundly healing to the heart... More EATP Interview with Ivan - Comments (3) I talk a little about myself, and a lot about poetry the transformational power of poetry, the ways poetry naturally expresses the sacred experience, the non-dogmatic nature of poetry. And I read a few poems. More Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Dear Alan wonderful short precise IT a wonderful day of course to all of us in Sri Ramana Maharshi michael - Alan Jacobs Monday, November 30, 2009 6:46 AM Hakim Sanai - Belief brings me close to You From Ivan Monday, 30 November, 2009, 2:33 Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Belief brings me close to You By Hakim Sanai(1044? - 1150?) English version by Priya Hemenway Belief brings me close to Youbut only to the door.It is only by disappearing intoYour mysterythat I will come in. -- from The Book of Everything: Journey of the Heart's Desire, by Hakim Sanai Al-Ghaznavi / Translated by Priya Hemenway Amazon.com / Photo by Flowery *L*u*z*a* / ============ Thought for the Day: Deep spiritual unfoldingmay feel unbearably slow,at times painful or terrifying,-- but what else is worth any effort? ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Various World Festival of Sacred Music - The Americas Listen / Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -This poem's two statements say so much.Belief brings me close to Youbut only to the door.Personally, I'm not a big fan of "belief," not in the way most people use it today. I think of that sort of belief as the religious form of "Fake it 'till you make it." It can help a person go forward, but it's also a hollow act until it blooms with organic life from within. At best, belief can only bring us to the threshold. No matter how loudly or passionately we profess it, belief alone is not enough.It is only by disappearing intoYour mysterythat I will come in.The final step -- which is really the only step -- is the step into the unknown. It is in opening ourselves to the fullness of the sacred mystery all around us that we finally cross the threshold.True, belief is what gives some the courage to let the ego fall ("disappear") in order to step naked through the doorway. But for too many belief does the opposite, armoring the ego, becoming the excuse to not see, to not understand, and to not take that step. Those with certainty but no knowledge have no tolerance for a reality beyond the mind's limited conception.To really meet the mystery, we must be UNcertain. We must be open-minded, open-hearted, curious, courageous, quiet, poised... and humble enough to not notice our own sweet melting. That is when we've finally stepped through.=When I was in my first year of college, I spent a day in a wheelchair. I wasn't injured. I just wanted to do it, as an awareness exercise. Not for some class assignment. I wanted to get a better sense of how people in wheelchairs relate to their environment. Making my way across the University of Southern California campus was no easy feat. Trying to find ramps hidden around the back of buildings. Elevators that existed only at the other end of a hallway Asking strangers to open doors I couldn't quite tug open. The simplest things became difficult puzzles. And my arms were exhausted by the end of the day. But I highly recommend it. It will change your relationship to the world around you.Well, unfortunately, my wife is going through her own version of an awareness exercise, but not by choice, and with significant discomfort. Early last week, my wife fell and broke her wrist. (That's why the poetry emails stopped without notice.) When we haven't been sitting in doctors' offices, I've been helping her with all the little things two-handed people take for granted: carrying things from room to room, fastening buttons, opening food containers... She goes through surgery Tuesday, more time in a cast, but over a few weeks she'll get normal use of her hand back.I better check on her again, see if she needs another ice pack...Wishing you all lots of love, and safe footing!Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include: Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi on Interfaith Dialog - A wise, thought-provoking interview with Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi on Interfaith Dialog from a Jewish perspective. More Video & Music: Trace Bundy Playing Pachelbel's Canon - Comments (2) Something about Pachelbel's Canon is profoundly healing to the heart... More EATP Interview with Ivan - Comments (3) I talk a little about myself, and a lot about poetry the transformational power of poetry, the ways poetry naturally expresses the sacred experience, the non-dogmatic nature of poetry. And I read a few poems. More Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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