Finding Nirvana...

2007-12-31T19:15:00.000+02:00

NOTICE:

The first post of this blog never changes. It will always be on top, with the picture of the three flags. To see updates, scroll down...

Why this blog...

2007-04-22T04:13:00.000+02:00

So that I don't forget...

I have been asked a couple of times to make a blog where all my Nirvana articles could be archived. For me, the idea of having a blog has been on my mind for sometime, but for a different reason. A much different one...

During the past few years, I have had an incredible opportunity to reflect upon so many things. I have had the time, the effort, and the resources necessary for me to focus on my own spiritual and mental growth. More than anything else, I was lucky to be able to do some Phenomenological thinking, Heidegger style, and try to think of things like right and wrong, and so many others, in an isolated manner, away from the pressures of society. A society does not like those who think differently and dare to say that they do. Perhaps these new thoughts, and the methods used to reach them, could not be poorer and more wrong, but it is the idea that someone dares to go beyond what everyone else thinks as true is something that is so abhorrent, so terrible.

And I think I came up with one or two insights, at least for myself. I would always feel this rush whenever I feel as if a lamp was turned on, shining light in some previously unknown territory of my brain, perhaps in the way Archimedes shouted Eureka!, "I found it! - وجدتها". It was the same adrenaline rush I felt as I would take for moderately dives into the sea. I started to develop my own theory of everything, and in many ways it felt good. But more importantly, self-reflection allows you to see things beyond the rush of life, beyond how everyday millions of us like cattel being led go into jobs which we hate, beyond how our societies tell how and why (and to whom) we should get married and form friendships, and beyond what our neighbours tell us to be an unchanging important fact and what is not. You begin to realise what is truly important, at least for yourself. You realise how, and why, you want to live. On another level, you also understand the world itself in a different, although most probably incomplete, way. You see how people, include yourself, exploit others consciously or unconsciously, for your own benefit. You see how nations and corporations, fighting for their own survival, and for that of its leaders, may go to extreme lengths, include the annihilation of others. You see how our envinronment is being ruined, how the North Pole is melting, how Skin Cancer is becoming as common as the flu, how our lungs are full of tar and how. as we worry about the world we leave for our future generation, more and more of us have lost the ability to create this future generation because of technology and or insufficiently tested modified and enhanced foods and crops, or even just stress. You see how that we created markets, companies, countries and others to serve us as human beings, as means to organise ourselves to create greater happiness, yet now we have become elegant slaves for our markets, companies and countries, and that the human society's happiness is more important than all of these artificial and forever changing entities. You see how love has become all about physical lust, and that there is no longer any spiritual lust for one another. You see how God has become a political tool for people to dominate and kill one another, and not a source of our happiness, fulfillment, and growth. You see how in the morning we criticise those who deceive, only to become them in the evening. You see so much ugliness, that you almost forget about whatever remaining beauty, that you decide to take a stand, and to live for the sake of making a difference. You decide to become better than all what you see around you, as much as you can.

But then one must eat. It is the primal instinct within us, and it is so powerful that it has led men and women to eat one another to this very day, alive or dead. A human being may hate her/his body, life, or everything, but will do anything to stay alive, and eat. So, I had to join the cattle myself, and become somewhat of another cow myself. What makes you a cow, in a non-Hindu sense, is that you give away your unique self, your own spirit, your own dreams and your own sources of joy, happiness and fulfillment. As I began to find these things wanting to slip from my immediate memory to my bottom one, from my RAM to my harddisk, I decided to create this blog.This blog is to remind me of who I truly am, or want to be. If I do change, then it would be because I wanted to, and not because of wanting to fit in, and my fear of being different.

Today is the first day of Ramadan (2005 Anno Domini, Gregorian) and I did find myself laying around with a couple of hours on my hands. I thought that this could be the perfect time to start this blog. In it, I will keep my previous Nirvana Articles, any new material I get published, and the thoughts that I am afraid to lose. By publishing the latter, I shall tie myself to them.

This blog is for that I don't forget...

Thank you for coming here. Shukran & Hvala.

Blizu, daleko, sjever, jug, zapad, ishtok, volim te Palasinca.
Za uvjak :)

2006-10-06T19:39:00.000+02:00

On the Pain and Beauty of Life

Someone was just saying that there is so much pain in life...

It's true...

There is so much cruelty around us. During the past few months, I have been exposed myself to some of life's most intolerable cruelty. I have learned what it is like to do almost all you can for something, to fight in secret more than in public so as not to "disturb the peace" as they say, to bleed in blood and thought, and end up losing it all. And even those for whom you "fought in secret" for end up believing that you did nothing for them, and you did not care enough. And you can never still tell them everything that happened. They taunt you, and you have bled for them.

But enough of that for now...

That is not the story...

The story is that in the midst of all of the agony of life, the injustice, the hunger, the pain, the sickness, the sadness, we still find that survival is our primary instinct. Something inside of us does not want us to let go.

The garbage collector who gets 150 pounds a month and works like hell in the dirty unforgiving streets of Cairo still fights for survival when a car almost collides with his body. And you'd think he'd just let it end his misery.

It is because we are designed to recognise pain at the its inception and end it that the body and mind give it so much more recognition than all the beauties of life that it explores every second of the day...

Despite everything that goes on, something pushes us to have another cup of tea with mint; to relive those magical first ten seconds when you run from the heat of the street into an air conditioned room; to sit in car as it drives glides upon the road as you listen to Sarah Brightman singing "Ave Maria", Fairouz singing songs from the "Wala Keif" album, or even Tamer Hosny singing "Ma yehremniesh Mennak"; to take a walk in the street and watch the faces of people as they pass by; to relive that "rush" you get when you listen to a new song and realise that it is a "good" one, or when you see a new movie and you realise that it is going to be one of your favourites; to read a good book that you would never forget; to watch as a friend mis-pronounces words in a very funny way, and remember the times when you mis-pronounced words in a way that was not that funny; to dance the Tango again to the melodies of Carlos Gardel's "Por Una Cabeza"; to have another walk in the Hussein and suffer another food poisoning that you would laugh about for years to come as you also remember that souvenir you bought for 10 times its normal price; to stand waiting for hours as Taxicabs pass you by refusing to take you anywhere; to explore a new country, city, town, or even a new street that you have never gone to, discovering all new places and facts that had never been a part of your life before; meeting new friends who would become like brothers and sisters, although a few days earlier you wouldn'd have recognised them on the streets; enjoying the friendship of pet that is nothing like you and yet a bond out of love and care develops between two totally unrelated species; to eat a hot pizza with a cola drink as you watch a good game; to just sit bored around the house one day; to write a small poem that someone likes; to learn the words of a new language, to learn how to pluck the strings of a musical instrument, and to learn how to play Squash without squashing your partner; and I could go on forever...

To just be able to watch in amazement the desert, the sky, the waters, to see how the elements of nature and the creatures seem to complement one another, all in an effort to create new life; to watch with childlike astonishment the television as you appreciate the genius of the idea of just sitting at home and flipping channels as you watch the world to your heart's desire; to even have a small fight with a family member you love; to experience the taste of something good that you have never had before, or to actually find out that something that you had avoided all of your life actually does taste good; and I could go on forever...

And there are two joys that are unparalelled...

The joy of working so hard for infinite hours on something you love and believe in, gaining the admiration and respect of people around you, or even just yourself.

And love. To live that experience of becoming one with someone who was once a total stranger, and to be willing to throw away everything, even your own life, for his or her sake. There is nothing more miraculous in life. There is nothing that makes us see the true beauty of God's spirit as such an experience...

And yet life is hard. You could have so much and lose it all. We could sometimes get so taken with our pride and strength until God and life slap you in the face, making you understand how little control you actually have over things. You could have great dreams that you have lived your entire life for, and you may be forced to give most of them up for the sake of a sick family member. You could run so fast down the road of your choice until you come across a wall that you cannot move alone, and you must wait for a helping hand - and changing the road sometimes may not be an option. And you can wait a long time. It is true that in a single day we could lose all our wealth, health, beauty and control. One day we could ignore others in false pride, and the next day we could be begging them to even look us in our faces. One day we could be suffocating from how much money we have, and another day we could be suffocating from its lack. One day you could make a huge sacrifice for someone you love, and you would never be able to tell that person about it, even if it meant losing them. I could go on forever...

There are those who live in suffering. There are those who have been deprived of things like the ability to walk, talk, hear, see, or even their basic health. There are those who suffer extreme poverty and disease. There are those who suffer from extreme oppression and pain. There are those who are not as fortunate as many of us.

All I know is that we should try to go on...

We should live our lives trying to create more good than harm in our final balance. We should all do our jobs as if we were living a mission. Even the security guard could see himself as the protector of the lives and properties of people, a William Wallace of a different sort. We should try to get as much beauty and goodness out of life as possible. Everyday, we should try and do at least one little thing for the less fortunate, whether by actually at doing something (such as giving money or clothes) or at least refraining from showing off what we have and they do not. A lot of the misery in life that we and others live can be stopped, or at least limited. We could do a lot by doing little.

In the end, we must remember something...

What goes around, comes around...

Ignore and you shall be ignored; help and you shall be helped; abandon and you shall be abandoned; learn egoism and your ego shall be destroyed; inspire and you shall be inspired; sacrifice and you shall be served; love and you shall be loved. Call it God, call it Karma, call it life. It just happens.

In the spirit of Ramadan, I would like to paraphrase something that Prophet Mohammed said. He said: "live for your life as if you would live forever, and do for your death as if you die tomorrow."

I'm not sure what this piece of writing is really about. It is the scribbling-out of a state of mind. I look at it and I see the writing of a 14 year old, and I don't mind.

I don't mind at all...

2006-06-29T20:59:00.000+03:00

Hey!

I have been away for quite some time...

From you (whoever reads this, and from myself)

But now I am back. And it feels great. Not just to be back writing, but to return to yourself. What does it mean?

Doesn't matter.

I am giving a lecture on Buddhism Next Monday 3/7/2006 in Studio 206 in Maadi at 6:50. Come if you are interested :) Till then, await more writing.

Bassem

2006-04-18T17:24:00.000+02:00

Whose blood is this?

(Picture taken from: http://www.slickrock.co.uk/adventure/Iditarod/images/Blood.jpg)

(Call 09007234 if you know the answer and you may win $1000!!!)

I haven't written in a while. Contrary to what you may think, it has not at all been because I have been out of words. Actually, the problem was that I had too much to say, and I just could not decide which words should get out first...

Then I watched TV...

I watched TV for about 45 minutes. All that was on, even when you flip through 7 different channels, was a collection of different ways in which people die, and kill one another...

I just wanted to say something. Look at the picture above. It is a picture of blood. I was going to choose a more expressive picture, but I thought I should not go too far so as not to actually repel you from the page. All I ask you is this. Can you tell me whose blood is this? I am not asking for names. I am simply asking to give general data on it.

Is this the blood of an Arab? A European? An American? A Latin American? An Asian? Chinese? Indian? African? Was it a man or a woman? Was s/he old, young or in between? Was it a rich or a poor person? Was this person a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, a Buddhist, a Hindu, Baha'i, or what? Was this a kind or an agressive person? Was this person lovable or hatable? Is this the blood of an enemy, or that of a friend?

One cannot tell...

You cannot tell because we know that the person who is your beloved friend could have been your enemy, had s/he grown on a different ground, or to a different ideology. Because we should know that there is no such a thing as an inherently evil person. Finally, because we must know that our blood is one and same, and so is pain...

Cursed be they who think they are better than others, and deserve life over others...

I wonder... Is the human being a magnificent creature that can do terrible things, or a terrible creature that can do magnificent things? I wonder if it is neither...

With all that I see on TV however, I do not see one death as tragic. Mine! At least I would be released from this misery...

2006-02-15T17:44:00.001+02:00

Parables and Koans 2:
You can never please everyone!

(The story is based on Goha/Go7a, and picture is taken from: http://tricolour.net/photos/trips/donkey.jpg)

Goha the old jester went with his son to buy a donkey to use for work and life. After the bought the animal, they started thinking on who to ride it on the way back and who to walk beside it. Goha thought that since he was an older man of greater endurance, he should be the one to walk with the animal, and that he should let his son ride it. But as soon as they passed through the market, people exclaimed:

"Ah! What a heartless boy! Young, energetic, yet lets his old father drag him around!"

To avoid the anger of people, Goha let his son down, and he went up the animal. A few minutes after walking through market, voices were clear again:

"Ah! What a heartless man! Experienced, strong, yet lets his young son drag him around!"

Since they already tried the reverse situation, they both rode the donkey, thinking that now people would have nothing to say. It was only a few minutes later that they heard people shouting:

"Ah! What heartless people! Heavy, two of them, and they both ride the poor donkey which could hardly drag itself around!"

Annoyed, they decided to mount off the donkey and walk, both of them, beside it. Now, they thought, no one can say anything about them! They immediately decided to abandon the donkey and return it to whence it came from when they heard the following comment:

"Ah! What idiotic people! A long journey awaits them, a hard terrain to walk on, and they both leave a perfectly fine donkey without any of them riding on it!"

You can never please everyone…

Just do what you believe to be right, as long as both your heart and mind agree…

2006-02-15T17:44:00.000+02:00

Parables and Koans 3:
You can't have everything at once!

(picture from http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/treasures/html/J/TUIN1810.htm)

A man/woman was very hungry one day. Storming around the house looking for anything to eat, she found a jar full of peanuts. She put her hand into the jar and grabbed a large pile of peanuts inside her fist. Nevertheless, because of how large the pile was, she could not get her hand out. For hours, she strove to get her hands out, but couldn't. She fought with the jar for days. She was so hungry, trying to her all the food she needed. As her hunger grew, she actually kept adding more to what was in her hand, making it further impossible to get it out.

Eventually, she died of hunger…

Had she eaten one peanut at a time, she would have eventually fed herself to satisfaction…

No one person can do everything at one time. You will do nothing in the end. One step at a time, and you will get there…

2006-02-04T23:16:00.000+02:00

And what is... Perfect Enlightenment!?

(Picture from: http://www.avataroverdrive.com/inside_avatar/i_a_6/enlightenment.htm)

About 2 years ago I heard these words for the first time. 2 Nights ago, I heard them again. To me, they summarise an ideal which I wish I could ever become one day. For me, this idea represents a level of perfection and mastery over ourselves that is worth fighting for. I will say it through this small parable...

A person went up to a great master and asked: "Master, who is the perfectly enlightened person? Also, if I become enlightened, will I still need to work?"
The master looked at the inquirer and smiled, and swiftly answered back: "There is so much to say of such a person! Yet I shall tell you one thing of such a creature, which brings together the two threads of your confusion. The perfectly enlightened person is one who drives her/his own soul, rather than be driven. It is the one who could put on any face that s/he desires, to perform whatever that the world demands of her/him. Yet, beyond that mask, s/he remains true to what s/he really is, never changing, and in constant remembering of who and what s/he values the most, and how s/he wants to be. Most people allow the givens in their lives to govern them, and tell them what to want, and what to avoid; who to like, and who to hate; what to like, and what to dislike. There are those, however, who dare step out of the cage they create for themselves, and see the endless horizons. They realise that reality may not necessarily be what they see with their eyes, and realise that before we search for answers to the world we see, we must first make sure that we see it in the right way!'

The man asked: "Master, I am confused. How do I know when I am enlightened?"
The Master smiled and then said: "When you can do whatever the world demands of you, without allowing it to change your soul. That is perfect enlightenment."

What I love about this idea is much. In short, I love that it teaches us that we do not have to retreat from life in order to find inner happiness. Instead, there is a powerful combination that is hard to attain, but worth all the effort. It teaches us to do whatever we have to do, and to do it with perfection, but yet always stay true to what is in our souls and to always view the red lines in front of us. Let us work in banks, but not learn Greed; let us work in the media, but not learn Vanity; let us work with numbers, but never forget about the beauty of a painting or a piece of music. That, I believe, is a great part of mundane Enlightenment.

Bassem Sabry

2006-02-03T03:49:00.000+02:00

Meaning of Life:
Three Songs by Eric Clapton...

I am writing a somewhat large post, which I will probably divide to making reading easy. What was noticeable was a somewhat irrelevant matter. Unintending, I listening over and over again to three songs by Eric Clapton. They were Tears in Heaven (Unplugged), My Father's eyes, and Pilgrim. Until I post my post, I thought I should share the lyrics with you. They are haunting...

(Apologies for the different formats - they were copy-pastes from diverse sources)

Tears in Heaven

Eric Clapton

Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven

Would you hold my hand if I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand if I saw you in heaven?
I'll find my way through night and day
Cause I know I just can't stay here in heaven

Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging please
Beyond the door, there's a peace, I'm sure
And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven

Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven

----
My Father's Eyes

Sailing down behind the sun,
Waiting for my prince to come.
Praying for the healing rain
To restore my soul again.
Just a toerag on the run.
How did I get here?
What have I done?
When will all my hopes arise?
How will I know him?
When I look in my father's eyes.
My father's eyes.
When I look in my father's eyes.
My father's eyes.
Then the light begins to shine
And I hear those ancient lullabies.
And as I watch this seedling grow,
Feel my heart start to overflow.
Where do I find the words to say?
How do I teach him?
What do we play?
Bit by bit, I've realized
That's when I need them,
That's when I need my father's eyes.
My father's eyes.
That's when I need my father's eyes.
My father's eyes.
Then the jagged edge appears
Through the distant clouds of tears.
I'm like a bridge that was washed away;
My foundations were made of clay.
As my soul slides down to die.
How could I lose him?
What did I try?
Bit by bit, I've realized
That he was here with me;
I looked into my father's eyes.
My father's eyes.
I looked into my father's eyes.
My father's eyes.
My father's eyes.
My father's eyes.
I looked into my father's eyes.
My father's eyes.

-----
Pilgrim

And how do I choose and where do I draw the line
Between truth and necessary pain?
And how do I know and where do I get my belief
That things will be all right again?
What words do I use to try and explain
To those who have witnessed all my tears?
And what does it mean to know all these things
When love's been wasted all these years,
When love's been wasted all these years.
Standing in the shadows
With my heart right in my hand,
Removed from other people
Who could never understand.
I was a pilgrim for your love,
A pilgrim for your love,
A pilgrim for your love,
I was a pilgrim for your love.
It's like living in a nightmare,
Like looking in the blackest hole,
Like standing on the edge of nothing,
Completly out of control.
Now where have I been all these years
And how come I just couldn't see?
Like a blind man walking 'round in darkness,
I was a pilgrim for your love,
I was a pilgrim for your love.
Standing in the shadows
With my heart right in my hand,
Removed from other people
Who could never understand.
Chorus
I was a pilgrim for your love.
A pilgrim for your love.
I was a pilgrim.
Pilgrim for your love

Eric Clapton...

(And Bassem Sabry!)

2006-02-03T03:08:00.000+02:00

The Meaning of Life:

Betting on the Right Horses...

-------
Note: As part of my 2006 resolutions, I am focusing on being productive in this year. So, I am parting paths with the old way this series was going, and taking a more dynamic form. I will still post the promised posts though - the picture is by Eugene DelaCroix, which is Arabian Horses fighting in a stable - http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/delacroix/
-------

It's 3am, yet again. I have been in bed for almost an hour, I have things to do early morning, it is freezing outside the comfort and warmth of my bed, yet I woke up, to the unlimited anger of my body. Why did I do such a thing to myself?

A moment of inspiration...

I had a powerful conversation with a friend who was to depart for weeks and weeks to uncharted territories of Africa, where no creature is to hear of here but a few wandering nomads. In that conversation, I was forced to put my entire life in perspective, reappraise everything yet once more, answer questions such as "what do you want to do?" and, more importantly, "why?". Even if your answers are ready, this is one conversation that should always shake your very foundation, either to fortify it, or to set it upon a path of collapse/demolition, now or later. For me, it was more of a chance to reassert the validity of my stances, the reasonabless of my ideas, and the truth behind my motivations. I left that conversation with a storm going through my brain, and I am not sure I were unhappy with it. For the unaccustomed one, a gale/storm of the brain is a most unwelcome event. For those accustomed, it is a rush and a high that one may never get enough of.

The following day there was yet a newer record for traffic congestion. On a clear Friday, I could get to work in about 10-15 minutes, assuming I don't rush it. This morning it took me two hours. Yet one of the best things about taking a cab is you don't have to be bothered that much (except by the tariff!). I immediately plugged my music player and headphones, and went on a jazzy journey that was beyond expression. Moreover, I slipped my hand into my bag to pick up some papers when I found a book I put by mistake. It was: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, by Robin Sharma. I hate to admit it, but I was inspired by an inspirational book. How cheesy have I become. The book reeked with Business-oriented language. I mean, how many Indian Yogis and wise men speak and say something like "I have some strategies and exercises that will help you achieve your goals within a suitable timeline" (not an actual phrase, and I am overdoing it to be fair). But still, the book had beauty in it. In some ways, it reminded me of the exhilaration I felt when I first read Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. That book was one of the most joyful events of my life. Anyway, to make matters short, these two events conspired to get me to write down these words, for myself, and to whoever may ever be interested...

A few notes on what is important in life, and I do not claim to know the answers. I just have some thoughts, and I am somewhat comfortable with them. I will use an analogy, and through it I will share my possibly ridiculous ideas.

Life is often likened to a Race of some sort to another. I will use this analogy here as well. Let us assume that life is a horse race, which is repeated once in every generation, and in which all the generation must bet. In this race, however, you get to bet on more than one horse. You win more as more and more of your selected horses cross the finish line. However, you rank your horses. If your selections cross the finishing line according to the order you set, you win the most. If your #1 horse crosses the line, but lately, you don't win what you would have won had it crossed it at a higher position. Before the race starts, every one of us makes his selection, but there is still a catch. You could change your bets anytime until the long race is over. However, the more the part of the race that has already gone by before you change your bet, the more you have to invest to get lesser benefits. The best combination is always a combination of wise and small investments in the beginning of the race, which yield large results in the end. Then, once all bets are set, the race is on to the shivers of everyone. Everyone is forced to bet, and everyone is forced to bet all what they have. There are those who could win huge multiples of what they had, and there are those who could lose all what they have. But there are so many horses to bet on. Possibly thousands, which renders the matter more confusing. But, for our purposes, there are a few central ones though that many of us would bet on. And so many surprising results did ensue.

Many have bet on the horse called strength, and the horse did cross the line, but it's position was much late. It started out very strongly, and raced beyond all of the other horses, but it soon began to fall behind, until it virtually crawled in a somewhat crippled manner through the line - strength is a tool that takes us far. It is a tool that is used to protect, build and honour. If (excess) Strength is used to aid those who need it, when the time comes when you have gone frail, the strength you invested in the past should return manifolds to support you through your hardest of times. Yet if one invests strength in the harm of those who have less of it, this strength shall return manifolds in your future of necessary weakness only to tear you apart, when you will have little or no ability to fight back - what have you done with your strength and vitality?

Many have bet on a horse named beauty, and so many were they indeed. But they were the sorest of losers. The horse, in all of the races in all of the generations, never crossed the line. It is a great horse that catches the eyes. Even when other horses have went much far ahead, one cannot remove the eyes from its sight. But much before the crossing line, as generations have recounted and our eyes tell us now, it always dies. It never makes it through. I have heard of people who were so bewitched by it that they chose to bet all they had on that horse alone, and none other. The worst bet they could have done - Beauty is a wonderful thing, which we should cultivate and look after, but should never be our purpose, target and main source of happiness. It would be like choosing to cross the desert holding a huge water tank that leaks, or a cup of water that doesn't. By the time you get thirsty, the tank will have emptied itself, and the cup will still be full. If we become obsessed with how we look, we will never probably be good human beings. People shall want you for impure reasons. People may want you to brag to their buddies about you for a while, to fantasise about you until they find a fresher fantasy, or to "have their way with you". You will get so much attention and care when you are in your prime, but once you reach the downhill phase of age & beauty, you will find people leaving you and caring less about you. They loved you for something you cannot always give them, something that you cannot always have, and something that may be taken away at any instant by an angry mugger's attack, a violent accident or the jealousy of the ostensibly less fortunate who would destroy your beauty rather than explore theirs. External beauty matters and may do better in short term screen tests, but will always fail longer tests and experiments to the beauty of the soul. It is beauty which can always grow, and whose rate of growth could multiply as you get older, not decline. Do whatever you can with your appearance. It may make you pretty, but just for a while. It will not alone make you beautiful, and beauty lasts forever - How Beautiful is your soul? If your face and physique were not attractive (or lost their attractiveness for one reason or another), would anyone really (stil") love you?

And I seem to have been mistaken. Beauty was the second most-betted horse. The first was a horse called wealth. It is a great horse, and it seems to have the ability to encourage other horses with its leadership to move ahead when they slow down or get tired. But sometimes it could go too far and eat a lot of the hay in the stables, weaknening other horses and causing many important ones to lose the race, whether in rank or in totality - Money and Wealth are wonderful tools, but very misunderstood. We often want money as security. But a lot of what we are afraid of and require security about comes from the worriful pursuit of the source of security itself. We want to secure the future of health, but grow decades more than our actual years, get heart-attacks and strokes while creating the source of own security. We create money and disease with it, and they both would either cancel one another, or the money would lose the challenge to the disease. How many hermits have cancer, strokes, heart-attacks, bone problems, skin problems, and so forth? By avoiding worry and cultivating happiness, they make themselves richer by making what they already have more than what they need, and not by entering a race between the new things they learn to need, and the new resources they get to satisfy such needs. We seek money to get nice things to those whom we care about as an expression of our feelings, but we end up wasting so much time that we actually lose those people we care about, first by forgetting that they are the target, and by not being there for them and not giving them the price of their love: our love to them. Also, what we build with our money can be taken away in instants, whether through your own faults, or through those of others. Quite often, by seeking more wealth, we generate more problems. The problems eat away from the wealth, and we do not always end up richer. Much like a company that made €10,000 in profits, 2000 in expenses, and 8000 in net profit. It made 100,000 in profits one day, but with 99,000 in expenses, and thus only 1000 in net profit. More does not always in reality mean more - Would the way you pursuit wealth make you truly more wealthy? Would it leave you with more friends than when you started; more love, to and from you, than when you started; greater healthiness and happiness than when you first started out; and yes, greater sums of money?

I saw a few bet on a horse named Learning. I particularly love that horse, and I bet on it myself. But there are, as in everything else, great problems with this horse. It often forgets its way to the finish line, sometimes goes backwards, sideways, or just stays stationed in one place, with great confusion on its face. In other cases, as history told us, it was the first winner by employing clever strategy in the face of more agile and faster horses and steeds, much like the story of the Rabbit and the Turtle - Learning is a wonderful thing. It expands your soul to horizons that you never knew existed. In fact, at times it is even responsible for telling you that you actually do have a soul to expand! But the problem is that many of us forget that it is a tool to generate, like everything else, greater happiness and satisfaction, both through the actual learning and (more) through using this knowledge for a great purpose. To learn knowledge that is not employed in a satisfying purpose is like good food that is eaten even when we feel full, causing us more harm than benefit. It is like a powerful car that has no direction, and shall probably reach no where. But what is a good purpose? I am not sure I could tell you. All I think is that it should be a purpose that almost no one could take away from us, that is not much bound by time and which adds meaning to the entirety of my life - Do you learn? What do you learn? Do you learn the ways of the writing pen, the ways of the glittering gold, and the ways of the sparkling soul? Do you also learn the lessons that make not only a day better, but make every single moment better? Why do you learn? Would you learn the same things for another reason, and still have the same satisfaction?

Some betted on the horse named Friendship. As we are told, that horse often does cross the finishing line, at one rank or another, and has one of the highest winning rates! But despite the consecutive results, many don't give this horse the importance it really deserves, only to always sit win for others at the end of each race, only to our sadness and remorse - Friendship is the one of the best few things that life has to offer. Without people who care for you, who listen to you, who look out for you, who may even give you what you need without asking for it, who give you fun, without friendship, life means little, if anything. Many of us do lose our friends because they abandon us. But what I have seen is that in most of the times, they do abandon us because we did not give them what they (were willing to) give us, and because we did not fight to show them what they meant for us. We convince ourselves that they were evil all of the time, so as to justify our loss. Whereas that may be true at times, in many others it isn't. They went away because we did not make them feel as welcomed and loved as they did to us, or as they needed. Most importantly, because we expected them to give without at least one fee; our true appreciation. Also, at times we might abandon really good friends. We may abandon friends who care for us, who listen to us, who help us, who would do almost anything for us, just because there are richer, more physically attractive, or more powerful alternatives. If these newer alternatives abandon us, we would only then realise what we have lost, and may not always get it back. In addition, many befriend us for interests. They want us for our money, looks, influence or property. They want you because they could play at your basketball court; because they could grab a ride in your car; because you look hot and thus make them somewhat hot themselves. Shouldn't they love of because of how you make them feel; because of your loyalty; because of your character; and because of your soul? - Who are your friends? Why do they love you? Is it something you are comfortable to be loved for, and could always have? Do you appreciate what your friends give you? Do you try to give them back some what they give you? Moreover: do you deseerve their friendship? If not, what would you do about it?

Some have bet on a horse named Career. The problem with this also very powerful horse is that it also usually just falls down dead a bit before the finish line - I kept the analogy short, because I will take some space here. They say you get one chance at life. Even if some of us choose to believe in rebirth on this earth in new bodies, we are not aware of that fact as it happens, and to us we seem to only believe in one life. Necessarily, you should want to make the best out of it. You should generate the greatest possible happiness and joy in every moment as possible. Which brings me to this. Many of us consider the greatest part of our day as time necessarily spent at doing something that generates money, and we would impatiently wait for the clock to strike at leave-time. But that is absurd, as long as you have the option, and most of us do! Why waste more than half of your adult life in doing something that gives you no joy or happiness whatsoever, but momentary bursts that soon fade away? Why not search for your Dharma? Why not search for your calling? Why not search for the best reason you were designed for? For money? Truly money is important, and many of us can succeed in making a good sum of money out of what we love! That is the perfect equation. Yet, if I had you had to choose between (literally) feeding your spirit and doubling the amount of life you have on Earth by eliminating the wasted time, or still have half of the time for more money yet with more tension and boredom? I once heard a saying that went: no person on her/his death bed wished he had spent more time in the office, but rather wished that he had gone after more happiness, friendship, and love, in every second of the day - What does your career give you? Does it give you joy? Does it give you pride? Does it feel like the reason you were created for? Does it mostly feel like wasted time that you would love forever? Does it give you vitality and inner (& outer!) youth? Do you feel that every inch of your body and soul is happily part of it? Also, and most importantly, do you want to wake up in the morning to go to it?

If not, then you are missing out on a lot more than you think...

There were many who betted on the Horse named love. I think that is the greatest horse that anyone could ever bet on. It is the one horse which should always cross the finish line, and probably it crosses in first place! All of it! The reason I say "should" is because there is a problem with this horse as well. You have to give it at least half or 2/3 of your total investment, or else it will not cross the line. Strange, eh? In addition, apparently it needs a lot of care, dedication and encouragement during the race so that it could make it all the way. Without them, it would probably drag the other horses down. Yes it is subject to the risks of suickness and injury, like any other horse, but because of your care and dedication, it could force itself to recovery and save itself. But due to the size of this investment, if one wins, you win a lot. If one loses, you lose a lot. In fact, even if all your other choices win, it may not be enough to cover your losses if that horse lost because you didn't give it what it needs - Love is the greatest thing in the world. There is nothing like loving and being loved, to care and being cared for, to want and be wanted, to need and be needed. You invest your body, heart and soul into Love, and it could take you to heaven while you are still here. Yet, it could take you to hell as well. To love so much and not get the same amount of love back is shattering. It is like a small disease that just eats you up slowly and slowly, until it possibly devours all of you. Many have spoken of the pain of giving much, and getting little. But more have spoken of the pain of being abandoned by the ones they loved. At times you could do everything right, except choosing the right person, and that could be more than enough. But at times it is also our fault. We could receive so much love that we forget that we must give our share. Love is great, but not infinite. Unless we nurture and give love to those whom we really care about, we are bound to lose them, even if they truly love us. What use is much love unexpressed and ungiven, compared to little love fully expressed and given. Also, although the eye may bring to our attention people whom could be the ones for us, they should not be the basis of love. When people grow old, don't you see how everyone in a way looks like the other, and that how possibly 15 years of youthful beauty mean little when age kicks in? It is in these times when we realise that what matters the most is the beauty of your conversations, the strength of your bonds and friendship, the ability of both of you to share beautiful things to do together, as well as your ability and confidence to trust one another with your lives. To bet on anything else other than these could you a few years, maximum, of a total blast. Afterwards, you will want to kill yourself rather than see that boring person sit by the chair across from you. If you do not love the soul of the one you love, if your main reason forloving them is their soul, then what you have together shall be doomed, and shall your soul as well. Love that is not based on trust, friendship, mutual care, partnership and the mutual feeling that a moment spent with one another is more precious than anything else in the world is not the type of love that I would call love! Even if that type of love is a myth, I believe we should convince ourselves of that myth and live the lie - Are you loved? Have you been truly loved? Have you been loved for the right reasons? Have you loved for the right reasons? If you have loved truly, have you done all you can and all you should to keep this special person? If you have been abandoned, was it because you made the wrong choice, or because you did not do enough of what was right? Are you truly trying to give your partner all that s/he needs and deserves?

And much more horses to come, whenever I have the time...

But for now, I will leave you with two things. The first is a small conclusion of mine. There is nothing more important in life than love, friendship, and to live for something that you would give up your life for. All the rest are mere details and tools. A life not spent in cultivating those three variables is not a life. Am I being a outdated romanticist of the 19th Century? Not really. These are the conclusions of a person who is very dedicated to practicality, empirical logic and scientific evidence. This is what my scientific studies tell me...

Second, I wish to share with you the lyrics of a song that means so much to me. It is Nature Boy, the Antonio Carlos Jobim/Ella Fitzgerald version. It goes:

There was a boy
A very strange..... enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far... very far....
Over land and sea!
A little shy, but sad of eye
But very wise... was he...

And then one day
One fateful day he passed my way
And as we spoke of many things
Fools and Kings
This he said to me:
"The Greatest thing
You'll ever learn
is just to love
and be loved
in return"

Bassem Sabry

P.S. On an irrelevant note, while writing this post, I was mostly listening to the Unplugged version of Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven, as well as another two songs of his: Pilgrim, and My Father's eyes. I put the lyrics in the preceding post, for anyone who is interested...

2006-02-01T00:45:00.000+02:00

The "others"…

I had this slightly interesting dream, and… …. … I am going to write about it.

It was a very strange dream. It seemed like a chapter of some old Chinese or Indian legendary tale, or a book on the Tao or something. The dream was simply a young man talking an old sage, with white hair, a long white beard and…. well, you know how they look like. And the young man was talking to the sage asking him about what is about to follow. I am not exactly quoting what has been said, but I think I am being quite sufficiently accurate:

- Young Man (M): And so, wise one, you say you have found the secrets of happiness, satisfaction, joy and love. You say have found the right balance between what is earthly and what is divine; what is material and what is incorporeal; what is static and what is fluid; what is strong and what is unstoppable; asceticism and lavishness; and more and more of the categories of life and the Tao. Yet your disquietude, worrying and anxiety seem to have grown, rather than receded, by the revelations you have achieved. Isn't this contradicting, wise one?

- The Sage (S): Not necessarily. When you are confused, there is a chance that you might find your answers to be the same or close to other people. But those which I have found are anything but so. I know what others do not, and what others reject and I know it to be the truth. How do you live amongst people if you do not live their life; walk their walk; talk their talk; and follow their way? One may seal herself or himself in some sealed hermitage in a far away desert, but you must always return to the world of man for one reason or another. Also, soon there shall be no more places for hermitages and for isolation.

- M: I am still not sure what you do you mean.

- S: I am trying to say that I less comforted and encouraged by my own wisdom as I am discomforted and discouraged by the foolishness of others.

That dream was probably not a reflection of my subconscious. I was reading a book called "The Wisdom of India", with a lot of things similar to this. Perhaps the book imposed itself on my mind during my sleep. I also don't consider you wise when you call yourself so. But isn't there something to be learnt from this weird dream? That a person of total wisdom could still be exposed to harm due to the errors of others?

It also made me remember the following story (in just one of its many variations), which is somewhat relevant…

A man passing through a forest when he saw a bear by the lake being attacked by a group of bees. The bear could have jumped into the shallow waters nearby and drowned them off, but, unlike the strength of his body, his mind was not up to such tasks. The man took a bucket, filled it with water, and splashed the bear to safety. The bear was so grateful that it insisted on following the man wherever he goes, despite his refusal. At night, as the man slept, a few bees came and hovered over his head and were about to sting him. The bear, wanting to save its beloved friend, decided to do what it would have done to itself. It hit the man's face with its hand to squash some bees and to force the others to flee. In doing so, he killed his friend.

A foolish friend could sometimes be a thousand times more dangerous than a smart enemy…

That's two lessons for now. An accidental one from my dreams, and an intentional one from my books…

Bassem Sabry