Often the self becomes stuck in a state of self-blame (al-nafs al-lawwama) imagining that the key to returning to the Unity is depriving oneself of things that gives it pleasure or relief.
While on the one hand it is certainly true that things that give us pleasure or relief can become addictive and harmful when we habitually use them to avoid receiving certain of our experiences by taking a sip of unconditional gratitude to God; on the other hand, simply depriving ourselves of whatever gives us pleasure or relief is not going to heal us and return us to the Unity.
Such deprivations, instead of going directly to point A, involve a detour, imagining that by going first to point B, we can then get to A.
The straight path, however, is returning, straightaway, to God, directly, without any delay or detours, by receiving this moment's invitation of alastu bi-rabbikum?! (Am I not your Lord-Sustainer?)
and responding to it with an unconditional "Bala" (Yes!); namely by sipping whatever wine that the Beloved pours into our cup at this moment (irrespective of the outer form that appears in the cup of our consciousness, i.e., irrespective of its taste), receiving it with the unconditional surrender that is unconditional gratitude to God for the taste of such wine at this moment.
Furthermore, in contrast to what people who have not tasted the straight path fear, going direct to point A, i.e, returning straightaway to God, actually decreases the likelihood that one will succumb to various compulsive avoidances and addictions and will increase the likelihood that one will act wisely, ethically, and humanely.
May all of us receive the ocean of God's mercy, blessings, and peace with which God is bathing us at this moment and at every moment.
~ 'Abd al-Haqq via Sufis Without Borders Yahoo Group
While on the one hand it is certainly true that things that give us pleasure or relief can become addictive and harmful when we habitually use them to avoid receiving certain of our experiences by taking a sip of unconditional gratitude to God; on the other hand, simply depriving ourselves of whatever gives us pleasure or relief is not going to heal us and return us to the Unity.
Such deprivations, instead of going directly to point A, involve a detour, imagining that by going first to point B, we can then get to A.
The straight path, however, is returning, straightaway, to God, directly, without any delay or detours, by receiving this moment's invitation of alastu bi-rabbikum?! (Am I not your Lord-Sustainer?)
and responding to it with an unconditional "Bala" (Yes!); namely by sipping whatever wine that the Beloved pours into our cup at this moment (irrespective of the outer form that appears in the cup of our consciousness, i.e., irrespective of its taste), receiving it with the unconditional surrender that is unconditional gratitude to God for the taste of such wine at this moment.
Furthermore, in contrast to what people who have not tasted the straight path fear, going direct to point A, i.e, returning straightaway to God, actually decreases the likelihood that one will succumb to various compulsive avoidances and addictions and will increase the likelihood that one will act wisely, ethically, and humanely.
May all of us receive the ocean of God's mercy, blessings, and peace with which God is bathing us at this moment and at every moment.
~ 'Abd al-Haqq via Sufis Without Borders Yahoo Group
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