4 years ago
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Are You In Love And In Pain?
Kahlil Gibran on Love
When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreamsas the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.
Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love. When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreamsas the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.
Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love. When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
Remembering Tunku On Merdeka Day
Believe it or not I had a chance to meet Tunku Abdul Rahman, the founder of Malaysia. It happened because I collect interesting books. One book I kept from my days in University Malaya was THE PROPHET by Khalil Gibran. It's not a religious book. It's an artistic book with poems. There are paintings in the book which are done by the poet.
You see, what happened was the President of Singapore was a good friend of Tunku. On one visit he mentioned to him that he should read this book. So he asked my dad who was his secretary to look for it. Dad went to University Science Malaysia and the Penang Library but could not find it. Over breakfast he just mentioned his exasperation in looking for the book. I told him it was upstairs in my room.
Well, I wrote a message in it for Tunku. After that I had a chance to meet him. His home in Penang was warm and open. Chicken roamed freely.
What did he talk about? He seemed to be broken hearted.. saying that his successor did not understand how hard he worked to build Malaysia. He mentioned specifically that he travelled along many rivers to explain his vision to the people.
I still have a Times Magazine feature on Tunku. I kept it because in it he made a statement which I had quoted when I gave a speech entitled " The Vision Of A Great Man". He said " We have deviated from the true struggle.."
What is the true struggle?
Today in church we sang a song , Sejahterah Malaysia ( Joyous Malaysia ). I have sung this song many times but somehow today it hit me with a new urgency and poignancy. Thank you Almighty for your gift. We are willing to embrace the challenges.
I realized that we were put here as a gift. It could bring us to greater level of liberty. Or we could be pulled backwards to selfish , self-centered destructive conflicts.
There was a profound calling in my spirit. Tears streamed down as I felt the spirit call me. I knew I had to move towards our true struggle. It was not only nation building. It was building the heart and soul of the new generation in Malaysia.
Kami rela kami setia sejahterah Malaysia
We are willing , we are loyal, Joyous Malaysia.
Happy 51st Merdeka.
What is our true true struggle..share your feelings here.
You see, what happened was the President of Singapore was a good friend of Tunku. On one visit he mentioned to him that he should read this book. So he asked my dad who was his secretary to look for it. Dad went to University Science Malaysia and the Penang Library but could not find it. Over breakfast he just mentioned his exasperation in looking for the book. I told him it was upstairs in my room.
Well, I wrote a message in it for Tunku. After that I had a chance to meet him. His home in Penang was warm and open. Chicken roamed freely.
What did he talk about? He seemed to be broken hearted.. saying that his successor did not understand how hard he worked to build Malaysia. He mentioned specifically that he travelled along many rivers to explain his vision to the people.
I still have a Times Magazine feature on Tunku. I kept it because in it he made a statement which I had quoted when I gave a speech entitled " The Vision Of A Great Man". He said " We have deviated from the true struggle.."
What is the true struggle?
Today in church we sang a song , Sejahterah Malaysia ( Joyous Malaysia ). I have sung this song many times but somehow today it hit me with a new urgency and poignancy. Thank you Almighty for your gift. We are willing to embrace the challenges.
I realized that we were put here as a gift. It could bring us to greater level of liberty. Or we could be pulled backwards to selfish , self-centered destructive conflicts.
There was a profound calling in my spirit. Tears streamed down as I felt the spirit call me. I knew I had to move towards our true struggle. It was not only nation building. It was building the heart and soul of the new generation in Malaysia.
Kami rela kami setia sejahterah Malaysia
We are willing , we are loyal, Joyous Malaysia.
Happy 51st Merdeka.
What is our true true struggle..share your feelings here.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Obama's Great Grandfather
I just finished reading Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama. One story stands out. It's about his grand father in Africa.
He lived in a time when the Luo tribe did not wear western clothes, only a goatskin loin cloth.
The village had heard that white men had skin as soft as babies'. They came in ships and carried sticks that had fire.
He was told by his father not to go to town because they did not understand the white man.
But he went and did not come back for several months. Finally he came and stood in front of his father's hut with a shirt, trousers and shoes. His father taught he had leprosy and that was why he covered himself up. So he told the others not to go near him and said he was unclean.
The father never spoke to him again.
What do you think of this encounter? How does it make you feel about your own life?
He lived in a time when the Luo tribe did not wear western clothes, only a goatskin loin cloth.
The village had heard that white men had skin as soft as babies'. They came in ships and carried sticks that had fire.
He was told by his father not to go to town because they did not understand the white man.
But he went and did not come back for several months. Finally he came and stood in front of his father's hut with a shirt, trousers and shoes. His father taught he had leprosy and that was why he covered himself up. So he told the others not to go near him and said he was unclean.
The father never spoke to him again.
What do you think of this encounter? How does it make you feel about your own life?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
NO ONE IS THINKING
Here is a quotation for you to ponder on:
If everyone is thinking the same way, no one is thinking.
Wanna share your feelings about this?
If everyone is thinking the same way, no one is thinking.
Wanna share your feelings about this?
Monday, August 25, 2008
It's Alright To Cry
Do you hide when you cry?
I did when I was a child. You see my mum is Chinese and she believed that crying would bring bad luck. I remember reading Black Beauty and when the horse died I cried. So I climbed on the wall behind the bathroom and sat on a ledge near the roof and cried. I cried quietly.
When my father died I didn't cry. It was because of what happened when I was holding his hand and he was looking up. I just said, "Jesus is here". It was a peaceful moment. Nothing scary or painful. Just so right. And I really wasn't thinking. I was feeling.
Well recently I cried. I burst and exploded. I shook everyone up. And it was alright. Cos if you were me, you too would have cried.
I did when I was a child. You see my mum is Chinese and she believed that crying would bring bad luck. I remember reading Black Beauty and when the horse died I cried. So I climbed on the wall behind the bathroom and sat on a ledge near the roof and cried. I cried quietly.
When my father died I didn't cry. It was because of what happened when I was holding his hand and he was looking up. I just said, "Jesus is here". It was a peaceful moment. Nothing scary or painful. Just so right. And I really wasn't thinking. I was feeling.
Well recently I cried. I burst and exploded. I shook everyone up. And it was alright. Cos if you were me, you too would have cried.
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