The Guest House by Rumi

The Paradigm House is six years old today!

The journey has had its highs and lows.There have been apparent losses and awareness of bitter realities. Yet there have been effective gains of knowledge and wisdom that have unveiled the paths to inner peace.

Here's my inspiration that I'd like to share with you. Hoping that this will inspire you too, and make your journey easier.

~ Shazia

The Guest House


This, being human is a guest house,
every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out, for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes,
because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. 

Jalaluddin Rumi 
Translation By Coleman Barks
Painting by Sadaf Farasat

A Heart That Listens

By: Sarah Haris

Often we are driven by the objective to win a conversational battle, to prove ourselves more intellectually profound than others, to prove others wrong, to find faults in others. In pursuit of this objective we totally forget that:

 

"Sometimes it is better to be kind than to be right.

We do not need an intelligent mind that speaks, but a patient heart that listens."

 

 

 

There’s Still a Longing To Run Free.

By: Tasmiyah Iqbal

There’s still a longing to run free.

To conquer. To achieve.
To get to the top of the ladder.
To get the best out of myself.
To be able to be right.
To be able to choose the right.

There’s still a longing to run free.

To expand my horizon.
To break from these clutches.
To taste each and every drop of life.
To laugh till I get tears in my eyes.
To love till I die.
To know what is love, to know what is life.

And there’s still a longing to run free.

To explore. To evolve. To nurture.
To touch each and every corner of the world.
To smell all the roses.
To dance in the rain.
To soar high above the sky.
To shout on top of my lungs.

There’s still a longing to run free.

To show the world that I’m not wrong.
To show the world that I can move the oceans.
To actually move the oceans.
To show the world that I care.
To be the change that we all want.

And there’s still a longing to run free.
To be crazy and lame.
And insane.
To make you laugh.
To make you smile.
To cheer you up.
To throw colours everywhere I go.

And there’s still a longing to run free.

To escape from my secret world.
To be the person that I am.
To puke all the guilt away.
To find a better day.

There’s still a longing to run free.

Originally published at: http://tasmay.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/theres-still-a-longingto-run-free/

Only When A Soul Departs

By: Shazia Yousuf

Day begins, day ends. Time is running fast; so much to do but such little time. There’s hardly time for anything. We are all the time busy in a race against time. It seems as if life would come to a halt if we stop doing all those things that we are busy with. Without even stopping for a while to realize what we are doing, we go on with that daily rut.

There are so many people around us, who we take for granted. We think we’ll talk to them tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes. We plan to visit them, but something or the other which is more urgent comes up. We do think about them, but blame the busy schedule for not being able to give them our precious time. Some of our dear ones, we don’t even find time to think about. Let’s face it, we do this.

Starting Fresh

By: Shazia Yousuf

Mother Nature teaches so much about relationships, life, and its realities.

I had been a staunch believer of saving a plant and making every effort for it to bloom again; I had never believed in disposing off and starting fresh.

But I realized there are times when efforts don’t pay off and you cannot save a plant however much you try! The plant may live, but with decaying and infected leaves, this could even harm the other plants around. A rotting, withered plant gives a sad aura to the entire garden and may have a damaging effect overall.

All you are left with is to dispose off and start fresh – a bitter reality, but this is life!

Umeed (Hope) - امید

 

An urdu poem in urdu script followed by roman english

امید

فصیح خیری

*
دنیا میں اکثر لوگ ایسے ملے، جن کو اپنا اچھا - اچھا نہ لگا
ان کو سمجھایا تو ان کو میں سچا نہ لگا
زندگی کی دھوپ چھاؤں میں، رات دن کے گھٹتے بڑھتے، جانتے نہ جانتے۔۔۔
۔۔۔ سچ کو سچ نہ کہنے کی عادت سی ہو گئی ہے

لوگ پوچھتے ہیں۔۔۔ اس کا فائدہ؟
جواب دیتا ہوں۔۔۔ اپنی نظروں میں نہ صحیح، دنیا کی نظروں میں میں تو سچا ہو گیا
ہوں۔۔۔۔
کہیں سنا تھا۔۔ یا پھر پڑھا تھا۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ انتظار کا ٹہرنا ضروری ہو نہ ہو، انتظار
کرتے رہنا بہت ضروری ہے
امید چاہے کتنی ہئ نہ ممکنہ ہو، امید لگائے رکھنا۔۔۔۔ بہت ضروری ہے
سو انتظار کرتا ہوں، امید رکھتا ہوں۔۔۔ ایک ایسے وقت کا
جب میرا سچ، اور دنیا کا سچ۔۔۔۔ ایک ہو جائے*---فصیح خیری--- *

Life's Puzzle

By: Zahoor Ul Islam

Yesterday while coming back home it was late, so we decided to pick the food on the way. We also didn’t want to get out of the car so we opted for the drive thru KFC and ordered the meal. Hasan enjoys kid’s meal. The meal is more fun as it comes with a toy and the meal box has puzzles on the outer side.

We reached home and finished our dinner. Hasan started playing with the toy and the puzzle on the box. The puzzle is usually about finding the right path to reach the desired end. There are four options at start and only one leads to the desired location.

The Traveler

By: Shazia Yousuf

I had been quite busy for the past few days, getting a couple of things done before I travelled out of town. Being away from home for a month requires a number of things to be taken care of. I had a list of tasks and would put a tick mark against each item as it was completed. Some of these tasks were job related, some included social responsibilities that I had got myself involved in, while others were just pastime activities that require regular attention. There were some very significant things to be taken care of before I left. I could also not leave any of those responsibilities undone, as it would disturb the lives of those who depended on them.

Sometimes, We Just Need To Let Things Be

By: Sumaira Hasan

Lately, I feel as if my life has been like a whirlwind. Blowing this way and that, but not actually "doing" anything worthwhile or achieving something. It really gets to me at times and I sit and wonder "What am I doing?” I am constantly trying to do this, or do that, but really none of those things are of major importance, and it won’t matter if they don't get done (at least once in a while).

For example, today I came home and saw the light blinking on my phone, signaling that there was a message on the answering machine.

Who Will Heal These Shattered Spirits?

By: Sadaf Chaudhry

No doubt 8^th of March is dedicated to women around the world. On that day world wide the efforts of women are acknowledged by the rigid societies prevailing in the world. They also have a theme each year. Have you all had a look at the theme they designed this year? The theme this year is, "Equal access to education, training, science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women". Is it possible to bring this into life? These things seem out of this world to accomplish.

The Spiritual Side of The Royal Wedding

By: Shazia Yousuf

There was a lot of hype about the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. People all over the world were excited to witness this fairy tale wedding, which was expected to be full of shimmer and glimmer. Thousands of royal dignitaries attended the wedding and millions of people watched it on their television sets.

Remote Control

By: Zahoor-ul-Islam

I have been living in this apartment for four years now. The apartment has two entrances to the basement parking, one at the front and the other at the back of the building. When I first moved here, I would always use the front entrance, but later on I discovered that the back entrance was more convenient, as it is broader and gives me easier access to my allocated parking space.

Ever since I started using the back entrance, I was always faced with a problem in opening the parking entrance bar which operates with a small remote control. I noticed a lot of other people struggling with it too. I would try different combinations, different distances from the bar, at times pressing the button of the remote with different intensity! I mastered in all sorts of techniques and found one or the other working at different times. It would get quite frustrating at times.

Thought of the week - Hope

I have been into gardening for the past few months. I added quite a few plants to my nursery, experimented moving plants from smaller pots to bigger ones, planted seeds and watched them grow and flower, and even tried to save wilting plants, which I am proud to have succeeded in. I had the chance to feel Mother Nature’s enchanting vocation.

Autumn followed by winter and spring was a learning experience. Autumn left plants totally withered; leaves turned pale yellow. Some of the plants, like the lemon and the motia shed their leaves to the extent that it made me feel as if something went wrong and the plants would die soon. The stems looked dry and lifeless. I wondered if it was time to dispose them off and start fresh. But I decided I should wait.

Spring started, yet there was no significant improvement. But then gradually, the plants started to bloom. I could see fresh, tiny, crispy green leaves emerging from the lifeless, dry stalks.

Seeing life emerging from the ostensibly dead plants reinforced my belief in the Hidden Divine Essence and the Divine laws of life.

I was reminded of the following lines:

“Paiwasta reh shajar se umeed-e-bahar rakh”

Miracles are not needed, to believe. There is a multitude of signs all around us that make us feel the Divine Presence. We should just not let go of hope.

Perspective - Can Beggars be Choosers?

By: Shazia Yousuf

From what I had learnt in my English language class during school days, I was pretty certain of the fact that "beggars cannot be choosers". For if beggars could choose, this idiom would lose its essence and we would have to come up with a modified version for this. But one fine day, this certainty became quite an uncertainty.

I was at the Naheed Super Market for some household errands. I happened to have very little cash with me, just enough for the stuff that I had to buy. When I was done, I was left with just a few coins totaling about five or seven rupees only. I usually keep these coins in a special coin pouch and I use them for handing over the exact change when I have to ask my driver to buy "roti" (bread) for him from "tandoor" (public oven), as he is usually not too fond of returning the change!

Anyways, as I came out of Naheed Supermarket, I started walking towards my car. That walk is usually not an unaccompanied walk, for there are quite a few people doing their day jobs right outside the supermarket known as begging. So, I was also followed by an elderly man.

Soul's Reflections - Mirrors

By: Zahoor-ul-Islam

Today was a usual day. I woke up at the usual time. I prepared for the office in the same way as I did every day, did some analysis of my appearance, realized I needed a haircut, some dieting and exercise to get rid of those extra fats! I realized my appearance had changed and I no longer looked like what I used to be ten years back. This realization urged me to think about joining a gym.

After spending some fifteen twenty minutes on self grooming, I was all set to leave for work, my hair neatly done with some gel and dressed properly in a nice white shirt with grey jacket. It was quite a contrast to the state I woke up in! Thanks to the mirror. Mirror gives quick feedback about us, how we look like and how we can improve.

Suddenly one of the neurons in my brain somehow passes an electrical signal through one of its synapses to another neuron and establishes a very absurd but valid inference out of this situation.  “Do we have such a mirror in our lives to judge our personality?” We do have mirrors that tell us of our appearance, but what if we had such a mirror, that could actually tell us how we look when we frown upon other people.

Thought of the week - To Win or To Lose?

"If I have a choice to do the expedient thing and win the day’s battle, or do the principled thing and lose, I will do the principled thing because in the long run it will affect other things and come back to me in different ways." (General Schwarztkopf)

How many of us think on these lines? Let’s face it. If given a choice, a majority of us would opt to win the day’s battle. Be it following the traffic signals, or bribing the traffic constable for not getting fined. Not only in this part of the world, but even at the greener pastures people follow rules out of fear and obligation.

I can never forget that moment, when we were going somewhere late at night and my little niece was with us. As soon as the driver crossed the red traffic light, we heard a tiny voice saying:

"Allah T'aalah dekh raha hai", [“God is watching us”] which was the title of a lesson she had just read in school!

I also remember the verses of an urdu poem that I read when I was a child:

“Chor jab bantay ke koi dekhta, Dekhnay ko mein hi khud moujood tha” (Ismail Meirthi)

Translation: “I would have become a thief if someone saw me, but I was watching myself”.

If only we could all be as God conscious and as pure as a small child, and be brave enough to lose the battle yet do the principled thing!

But how many of us would actually do that?

Wisdom Corner - Points To Ponder - Death

• Death tells us not to waste time.
• It tells us to love each other from the depth of our hearts.
• It gives us a message that we have to be accounted for our own deeds to the Divine being.
• This is a benefit for all mankind.
• It is the only thing that will survive in the future.
• It is the path to eternity.
• It is the mode of completion.
• It is the moment of ultimate joy for an upright man to meet The Almighty.

Read All Points To Ponder >>

Soul's Reflections - Are You Alone?

By: Shazia Yousuf

There are times when you may find yourself extremely lonely. This loneliness could be due to the absence of physical existence of human souls around. But there could be times when there is a huge crowd around you, yet you feel alone even in that crowd. Your soul cannot relate to the souls out there. There seems to be noise all around, by none of the sounds make any sense to you.

You find yourself completely consumed by the void all around you. Your soul screams but it cannot be heard. It only pulls you down even further.

And all you seek is maybe someone who could just remove this void.

Wisdom Corner - Life’s Foundation

By: Muhammad Haris

Build a strong foundation of a balanced character, expressed by positive habits with the ingredients of Divine Principles in order to raise the tower of effectiveness to reach the transcendental Bliss (or the treasure of love) abundantly available in the sanctuary ever hanging on top of this lofty tower.

For a strong foundation, we need to build basic habits of personal character and interpersonal relations based on correct principles, otherwise we shall have no foundation to make quality and other reform initiatives work.

Soul's Reflections - Prayer – Does it make God change His mind?

By: Shazia Yousuf

from: http://soulsreflections.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/prayer-3/

As a child, I had always believed in intense praying. I believed that I could achieve anything, and I mean anything, if I prayed hard enough. Of course I knew hard work was an essential ingredient for achievement but hard work without prayer was incomplete. A very traditional belief, this is what all of us know and have been taught at home and at religious classes and this is definitely the truth.

However, experiences in life gradually made me to scratch my head and compelled me to think and think harder. For instance, I had always desired to get straight As in O’ Level and A’ Level exams. I definitely worked very hard, I believe, and prayed harder. Yet I never got straight As. Anyways, my faith was strong, and I always believed God must definitely have something better planned out for me.

Other seemingly major, but actually minor events kept occurring in life. My belief remained unchanged. One experience, however shattered me, and left me in total dismay.
That event was my mother’s sad demise. It was not sudden. She was ill for over ten years, and gradually deteriorating. But her two month long hospitalization in the ICU was a life changing experience for me. I had been by her side, saw her fighting her pleural effusion, gradually losing her interest in life and finally departing. The doctors made great efforts, the entire family prayed! Prayed in congregation, prayed in solitude, yet none of us could convince God to spare my mother’s soul. The doctors couldn’t save her with their effort and hard work and we couldn’t save her with our prayers and duas.