IMAGINATION – II

The human body depends on the soul, that is, the corporeal body of man is not the real person. Every sane person who is not suffering from any mental ailment or disorder has the natural and instinctive urges in him. The social values of our society, according to which we live our life, are based upon instincts.

Example:- If someone, who is sensible enough to understand, does not know who his parents are he would feel frustrated. This ignorance causing frustration keeps on haunting him. It seems that it should not be having are effect if someone doesn’t know who his parents are because one keeps on living even when his parents die, despite the death of his parents he enjoys his life, takes interest in all the activities of life, feels delighted in the company of his friends. But if he is ignorant of his parents his life becomes a symbol of frustration and deprivation.

Children, who do not have in order knowledge of their parents, have to seek the support of someone to remain linked with their origin. Example of this thing is found in the western countries where the children having no knowledge of their parents are called His Majesty’s Children. Although this amounts to acknowledging the fact that they have no idea who their parents are, still it gives them a consolation that they are royal children. The relation between child and parents is acknowledged by all the civilizations of mankind and is protected by enforcing laws in the society. Existence of casts and family systems is also based upon the idea of protection of this sacred relationship. The laws of nature also safeguards this relationship and instructs mankind to respect and honor their ‘origin’; the parents. As a matter of fact one who is born out of wedlock has no status in the society. To be an orphan is one thing and existence without having knowledge of parents is altogether another thing.

When a spiritual person, in pursuit of his quest for having knowledge of his origin, starts searching for his origin, his search, because of his impetus and far reaching thinking, takes him to the origin of the cosmos. Search for one’s origin is the first lesson of spirituality. A spiritual associate first of all searches himself. When he succeeds in exploring and discovering himself he searches for the origin of his ambiance and surroundings. When the discovery transpires that the environment is based upon various gases and lights, his mind becomes attentive towards the origin of these gases and lights. Once he is aware of the lights and their reality, the veils hindering his view, start lifting and he starts beholding those creatures of the unseen realm which are created from the lights. When his quest for reality propels him towards the original source of these lights, he observes that the originating source of these lights is such an invisible and subtle light which because of our limitations of vocabulary cannot be termed anything else but Light (Noor).

We know that the shape and form of electric current cannot be determined. Despite its existence and routine operations No one has ever tried to explain the shape of electricity. Now one can deny the electric power. When electricity displays itself we do witness its reflective display. At the most electricity could be called a wave but its shape cannot be described. If the electric current is made to pass on a screen we might be able to see sparks of various colors but still the form and shape of electric current remains beyond description. The sparks or the colors displayed on the screen cannot be called electricity. Here the vision was that of the screen and not of the abstract electricity.

Coming back to our original point of discussion. The quest of discovering the reality of lights takes the spiritual student to that Light which is called ‘Noor’. After acquainting himself with Noor he searches for the reality of Noor. This enables him to explore and he discovers that the Noor is composed of the Attributes of God, the Almighty. Introduction of Elohistic Attributes further excites his quest and he starts thinking of beholding the one who possesses these attributes. If the blessings of God are there and he enjoys the affinity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) he tracks down, that the origin of the attributes is the Holy Will of God. When he concentrates on the Holy Will of God, his propelling quest, his love for the Holy Prophet, his profusely offered prayers and his passion for the reality reveals upon him that the basis of the Holy Will is the Beatific Vision (Tajjalli). When he still keeps on longing for more, it transpires that the base and foundation of the Beatific Vision is the Elohistic Inclination (Taddalla). At this stage negating the consciousness and senses he advances ahead, further ahead and forward. Ultimately he succeeds in cognizing the Absolute Being, the Eternal and Infinite God.

The purpose of narrating all this is that for reaching the climax there must be something to begin with and for taking the initial step we have to be attentive. For having an undistracted attention we have to have interest, involvement and concentration and to enjoy the concentrative focused attention the simple method is the Muraqbah. It is said that Muraqbah triggers the imaginations. There are few interesting things that are said to criticize the concept of imagination and its activation. There are, for instance, many people who have the faculty of imaginations and admittedly they perform certain remarkable deeds because of this power but there exists not even a single example that after getting the imagination activated with the help of physical sciences or the worldly formulae one has ever witnessed an angel or one’s own soul. This imagination business is quite an enigmatic puzzle. If someone happens to see his soul which resembles him in every aspect one simply gets upset or is frightened.

It is not very difficult to understand this. One who does not have courage to face his own reality or doesn’t want to bother in this regard, so to by-pass the issue, it appears easy to say that all this is the work of imaginations and if something is witnessed at all it is all illusionary, accidental or things happening by-change. But the fact remains unchanged and cannot be hampered by such ideas.

Many great scientists have contributed a lot in the advancement of mankind through their legendary inventions. Scientists of the past have even greater achievements to their credit; few of them have not been understood despite all the advancement claimed in the field of physical sciences. Scientists of this age who have tall claims of walking in space, conquering the moon and having access to the far reaches of the cosmos have not properly understood the Pyramids of Egypt. Their construction, their purpose and their working is so mind-boggling that every list prepared on the wonders of the world remains incomplete without their inclusion. Muqanna; the veiled prophet of Khorasan, had contrived a moon which used to rise at its appointed time and after illuminating the world for a specific time would set. In the famous Sanskrit epic; Mahabharat, firing weapons are mentioned and amongst them was the ‘Chakar wart’ which would create a devastating inferno on the earth. Obviously all these inventions were made possible when someone following his imagination constructed them and they were acknowledged widely, or in other words, the imaginations of the inventors ware appreciated openly and indiscreetly. 

Published by tasawuf.co

Spiritual Teachings of Hazrat Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi

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