DON’T POUR MUD ON YOUR HEAD LIKE AN ELEPHANT

My love you, my grandchildren. Would you like to see some more of the jungle? Let us climb up this rocky mountain and look around below us. Ah! Do you see that herd  of elephants? Two or three appear to be leading the herd in to the pond. Look how they roll in the water, then draw it up into their trunks and spray it all over themselves. They love to play in the water and spray each other. Let’s sit down and watch for a while. Don’t go too close, because elephants will turn on you if you frighten them.

The bath seems to be ending now. They have cleaned themselves and are leaving  the pond. But look, they are lifting their trunks high into the air and blowing dust and dirt all over each other. Oh no, they are all muddy and sandy again! They are even dirtier than they were before! It doesn’t look like they have washed at all, does it? But they have finished their bath, and now they are happily leaving the pond. Listen to them trumpeting and calling to each other.

My grandchildren, did you see how the elephants behaved? Man also acts like this. He lives in a jungle without any light, the dark jungle of his mind. Even though that mind is fanatical and arrogant, man wants to believe in God, trust in God, and bathe to purify his soul. And so he searches for a way to attain that purity of soul.

People of every race, religion, and color, and people who follow the various scriptures and creeds-all want to trust in God and make their souls pure. This is how people are. They go to temples, churches, mosques, and other places of worship, seeking freedom for their souls. Yet when they get there, what do they do? They bathe like the elephants and spray the mud of hell all over their heads. They think of revenge and murder while they pray. They want to kill someone or win something from someone or ruin someone’s business. They take the mud of each evil thought and splash it all over their heads.

Sometimes they even ask God to kill someone. They pray, “ O God, that man is my enemy. Destroy him. Destroy my competitor and grant me wealth. Destroy the man who has taken my house. “ People have such thoughts within them. They want to hurt others. But after praying like this, they are dirtier than they were before entering the church. They put the mud of selfishness, anger, haste, and impatience on their heads and then blame God. With their arrogance, karma, and illusion, they take all the sins of the world and dump them onto their heads. They are just like elephants.

Any man who lives in the dark jungle of the five elements, ignorance, and desire is like this. He enters a place of worship with a little bit of devotion and a sense of awe, but he is really looking for miracles and powers. He comes to purify his soul, but instead while he is there he thinks about attacking others or about fulfilling his own desires. And when he leaves he is dirtier than when he came.

What difference is there between man and elephants? Man can walk through the jungle where the elephant lives, but no one can enter that dark jungle of the mind of man. At least we can protect ourselves from elephants most of the time, but it is a very different matter to escape from man and his dark jungle. Man is even more arrogant than an elephant.

My love you, my grandchildren. If we want purity and freedom for our souls, we must understand this and gradually try to escape. Then our souls can be free. My love you, my grandchildren, think about this. 

M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (k.s)

Source:  Bawa Muhaiyaddeen(k.s) , “Come to the Secret Garden: Sufi Tales of Wisdom”, p.151-153

by the permission from Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship,  www.bmf.org 

SOME RELATED VERSES(AYATS) FROM QUR’AN TO THINK ABOUT

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمْ مَنَاسِكَكُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ آبَاءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرا ً  ۗ  فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَه ُُ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلاَق

Fa’idhā Qađaytum Manāsikakum Fādhkurū Al-Laha Kadhikrikum ‘Ābā‘akum ‘Aw ‘Ashadda Dhikrāan  ۗ  Famina An-Nāsi Man Yaqūlu Rabbanā ‘Ātinā Fī Ad-Dunyā Wa Mā Lahu Fī Al-’Ākhirati Min Khalāqin

So when ye have accomplished your holy rites, celebrate the praises of Allah, as ye used to celebrate the praises of your fathers - yea, with far more heart and soul. There are men who say: “Our Lord! Give us (thy bounties) in this world!” But they will have no portion in the Hereafter.

( Qur’an –Al-Bakara – [2/200] )

فَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلّٖينَ

اَلَّذٖينَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ

Fawaylun Lilmuşallīna

Al-Ladhīna Hum `An Şalātihim Sāhūna

So woe to the worshippers

Who are heedless of their prayer; ( Qur’an –Al-Maun-[ 107/4-5] )

فَخَرَجَ عَلٰى قَوْمِهٖ فٖى زٖينَتِهٖ قَالَ الَّذٖينَ يُرٖيدُونَ الْحَيٰوةَ الدُّنْيَا يَا لَيْتَ لَنَا مِثْلَ مَا اُوتِىَ قَارُونُ اِنَّهُ لَذُو حَظٍّ عَظٖيمٍ

Fakharaja `Alá Qawmihi Fī Zīnatihi  ۖ  Qāla Al-Ladhīna Yurīdūna Al-Ĥayāata Ad-Dunyā Yālayta Lanā Mithla Mā ‘Ūtiya Qārūnu ‘Innahu Ladhū Ĥažžin `Ažīmin :

So he went forth among his people in the (pride of his worldly) glitter. Said those whose aim is the Life of this World: Oh! that we had the like of what Qarun has got! for he is truly a Lord of mighty good fortune!  

وَقَالَ الَّذٖينَ اُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ اللّٰهِ خَيْرٌ لِمَنْ اٰمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَلَا يُلَقّٰیهَا اِلَّا الصَّابِرُونَ

Wa Qāla Al-Ladhīna ‘Ūtū Al-`Ilma Waylakum Thawābu Al-Lahi Khayrun Liman ‘Āmana Wa `Amila Şāliĥāan Wa Lā Yulaqqāhā ‘Illā Aş-Şābirūna :

But those who had been granted (true) knowledge said: Alas for you! the reward of Allah (in the Hereafter) is best for those who believe and work righteousness: but this none shall attain, save those who steadfastly persevere in good) ( Qur’an –Al-Qassas [ 28/79-80] )

تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْاٰخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذٖينَ لَا يُرٖيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِى الْاَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقٖينَ

Tilka Ad-Dāru Al-’Ākhiratu Naj`aluhā Lilladhīna Lā Yurīdūna `Ulūwāan Fī Al-’Arđi Wa Lā Fasādāan Wa  l-`Āqibatu Lilmuttaqīnaۚ  A

As for that abode of the Hereafter We assign it unto those who seek not oppression in the earth, nor yet corruption. The sequel is for those who ward off (evil).

( Qur’an –Al-Qassas [ 28/83] )

هَا اَنْتُمْ اُولَاءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِبُّونَكُمْ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ كُلِّهٖ وَاِذَا لَقُوكُمْ قَالُوا اٰمَنَّا وَاِذَا خَلَوْا عَضُّوا عَلَيْكُمُ الْاَنَامِلَ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ قُلْ مُوتُوا بِغَيْظِكُمْ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٖيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

Hā‘antum ‘Ūlā‘i Tuĥibbūnahum Wa Lā Yuĥibbūnakum Wa Tu’uminūna Bil-Kitābi Kullihi Wa ‘Idhā Laqūkum Qālū ‘Āmannā Wa ‘Idhā Khalaw `Ađđū `Alaykumu Al-’Anāmila Mina Al-Ghayži Qul  ۚ  Mūtū Bighayžikum ‘Inna  ۗ  Al-Laha `Alīmun Bidhāti Aş-Şudūri :

Lo! ye are those who love them though they love you not, and ye believe in all the Scripture. When they fall in with you they say: We believe; but when they go apart they bite their fingertips at you, for rage. Say: Perish in your rage! Lo! Allah is Aware of what is hidden in (your) breasts.  

( Qur’an- Al-‘Al’i Imran [ 3/119] )

ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُمُ اتَّبَعُوا مَا اَسْخَطَ اللّٰهَ وَكَرِهُوا رِضْوَانَهُ فَاَحْبَطَ اَعْمَالَهُمْ

Dhālika Bi’annahumu Attaba`ū Mā ‘Askhaţa Al-Laha Wa Karihū Riđwānahu Fa’aĥbaţa ‘A`mālahum

This because they followed that which called forth the Wrath of Allah, and they hated Allah’s good pleasure; so He made their deeds of no effect.

اَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذٖينَ فٖى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ اَنْ لَنْ يُخْرِجَ اللّٰهُ اَضْغَانَهُمْ

‘Am Ĥasiba Al-Ladhīna Fī Qulūbihim Marađun ‘An Lan Yukhrija Al-Lahu ‘Ađghānahum:

Or do those in whose hearts is a disease, think that Allah will not bring to light all their rancour?

وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَاَرَيْنَاكَهُمْ فَلَعَرَفْتَهُمْ بِسٖيمٰیهُمْ وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فٖى لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ وَاللّٰهُ يَعْلَمُ اَعْمَالَكُمْ

Wa Law Nashā‘u La’araynākahum Fala`araftahum Bisīmāhum  ۚ  Wa Lata`rifannahum Fī Laĥni Al-Qawli Wa  ۚ  Allāhu Ya`lamu ‘A`mālakum :

Had We so willed, We could have shown them up to thee, and thou shouldst have known them by their marks: but surely thou wilt know them by the tone of their speech! And Allah knows all that ye do.

( Qur’an –Muhammad [ 47/28-30] )

وَاِذَا رَاَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ اَجْسَامُهُمْ وَاِنْ يَقُولُوا تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ كَاَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُسَنَّدَةٌ يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ هُمُ الْعَدُوُّ فَاحْذَرْهُمْ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللّٰهُ اَنّٰى يُؤْفَكُونَ

Wa ‘Idhā Ra’aytahum Tu`jibuka ‘Ajsāmuhum  ۖ  Wa ‘In Yaqūlū Tasma` Liqawlihim  ۖ  Ka’annahum Khushubun Musannadatun  ۖ  Yaĥsabūna Kulla Şayĥatin `Alayhim  ۚ  Humu Al-`Adūwu Fāĥdharhum  ۚ  Qātalahumu Al-Lahu  ۖ  ‘Anná Yu’ufakūna:

When thou lookest at them, their exteriors please thee; and when they speak, thou listenest to their words. They are as (worthless as hollow) pieces of timber propped up, (unable to stand on their own). They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies; so beware of them. The curse of Allah be on them! How are they deluded (away from the Truth)!

( Qur’an-Al-Munafiquna- [ 63/4] )