"A Candle About To Burn Out" interpretation of Rumi

When candle becomes one with the flame,

at that very moment before its own annihilation

it casts no shadow.

It becomes nothing,
but a tongue of light.

Look at this stub
as is about to finish
as someone who is finally safe
from all virtues and vices of life
-- the pride and the shame
which were born of these.


----------------

Rumi, the 12th century Sufi mystic is showing us the main concept of
oneness with God in Islam (tawhid) -- when the person finds herself at
total peace and love, where there is no pride and shame, where there
is no duality or confusion.

legends

leave comforts -- delusion of being rich

go far to travel, live life as pilgrimage




see beauty of mountains, sit in a cave

in which Adam lived, where Eva her apple gave




visit old kings' palaces, now crumbling into dust,

let the wind tell you a story which meaning you might grasp




listen, Uki to these ancient halls

old legends are written on their walls




these ancient legends tell you a beautiful story,

about the true love, about the brave, and their glory




in the courtyard with a statue of real beauty,

a goddess maybe, a perfect woman and a real cutie




millennia have passed, my princess, since you walked this flower alley

since my lips last touched yours, alive, in the paradise valley




we sung the songs in which eternal love we were swearing

today, your memory is dying, the statue to your beauty's weathering




the desert will soon swallow you into oblivion and you'll be gone,

I am the wind, immortal, to search endlessly this empty home




people will come and wonder about the old statues: Who was who?

I'd give my life for just one more year with you.

Poem by Rumi for February 2

This is no ordinary friendship.

I attend your banquet as wine attends.




Like lightning, I am expert at dying.

Like lightning, this beauty has no language.




It makes no difference

whether I win or lose.




You sit with us in congregation of the dead,

where one handful of dirt says,

I was once a head of hair.




Another, I was a backbone.

YOU SAY NOTHING.




Love comes in, I can deliver you

from yourself in this moment.




Now lover and beloved grow quiet.

My mouth is burning with sweetness.




Rumi (Book: A year with Rumi - February 2)

A dream within a dream - E. A. Poe

[...]

I stand amid the roar

Of a surf-tormented shore,

And I hold within my hand

Grains of golden sand-

How few! Yet how they creep

Through my fingers to the deep,

While I weep, while I weep!

O God! Can not save

One from the pitiless wave?

Is all that we see or seen

But a dream within a dream?

E. A. Poe

Values and Quality in our lives

Values and Quality in our lives
"The daily effort comes from no deliberate intention or program, but straight from the heart. The state of mind which enables a man to do work of this kind is akin to that of a religious worshipper or a lover."
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Mainenance
This book took me 10 years to understand and to live by. What is quality? Was is good and what is bad? These are the koans (questions) we may ask ourselves until we break down mentally, in the end we realize that there is no duality (good, bad) in love and there is none in God, so the Zen or Sufi masters will teach us.
They will teach you "Don't wait until you die to meet with your God, live by your heart, not mind. Mind is deceiving and dualistic, open your heart to see what's is good about.", "... there are hundreds of ways to kiss the ground" Jalal-ad-Din al-Rumi wrote.
I kiss the ground every day in deepest humility and love.
No confusion, just love.

Are we all lone?

are we all lone?

our hand on phone

yet no one's calling

faces are scrolling..

people are plenty

when you are twenty,

but thirties' here

mamas out there

locked up at homes

dried up to bones

no life is left

feelings are theft

memories come

dreaming won't harm

in suburbs' prison

governed by reason

our feelings simmer

no one's a winner

are we all are meant

suffer 'til end.

To Aspirin and Zentec

my voice is worn

inside I am torn

my soul feels hollow

Zentec I swallow

to help my chest

I hope to rest

Aspirin for heart

that hurts with dart

that pains me dear

the end feels near

tired to death,

with heavy breath

I go to sleep

lay down and weep

life took a bite

too weak to write..

a bee in my ear

Dear love, you have always been there for me,

yet vanished slowly.. Now, in dreams I see




your beauty and soul, and love I rejoice.

Sweet song. Now! I hear can your voice




Like a bee in my ear, humming so sweet,

dreaming of the day we will again meet.




The day will never come -- is what I fear.

Cruel world! There is no way you would come near.




Tonight, visit me in dreams of years past,

good times together, went past all too fast.

Not feeling great

Working upstairs in lonely room

outside the window pathetic gloom

lends me the feeling my misery friend

I cannot wait until day's end.




Nothing to do, nowhere to go

it's not too common I feel this low.

Full of ideas and hobbies, too

but not today, I just can't do.




I need to go and see the faces

but of all the common, usual places

bookstore seems empty, the books are dull

gym is revolting, I hate them all!

Runner's joy

Gone! You gloomy days of old!

Sunset paints flowers of gold





On running path I cross

sun, a lovely rose,





bridge to happier time

verses want to rhyme,




birds to sing a song,

run's sweet and long.




Forest half aslep,

pace I want to keep,




yet I stoped and gazed

place got me amazed.




Night is falling fast

memories that last.

My lonely quest

Late, after midnight

Failed evening's plight

This lonely quest

Came now to rest

No rest for me
No sign from thee
Alone in bed
Single, yet wed

It's jester's jest
My lonely quest
I'm here for thee
No one for me

So many years
And no one cares
My lonely quest
It's time to rest

I swear tonight
With all my might
My heart is right
My soul is right

I keep repeating
My heart is beating
I did my best
How can you rest?

Basil Leaf - poem

my long-lost love

my peaceful cove

you're heaven's gift

plain basil leaf

usually so nice

yet a potent spice

ready to fight

my candle light

my desert star

shine from afar

blow all their might

you'll will burn as bright

If Buddha had a clock...

... he would live his life 15 minutes at the time.

I re-wrote my older article, I think it is worth re-posting it:

http://uki.blogspot.com/2007/07/is-it-mindful-or-wasteful-15-minutes.html

Japanese archery

I love the concept of Japanese meditative archery kyudo, but often in practice the execution is just pathetic.
So often it makes me just sick to watch it, as if they were doing the opposite of the original intent:
- wobbly grandpas and grandmas that obviously never practice anymore,
- badly choreographed and unnecessary movements such as Shinto priests carrying the bow by one end like a little baby, which may be respectful, but it is not Zen
- bad execution, terrible marksmanship, etc.
Recently, I came across a video of lovely ladies (pictures attached) doing things just perfect:
- efficient graceful movements,
- meditative mind and pose
- good marksmanship
What a joy to finally see a true art of Japanese archery! I have much to learn from them.
The art of Japanese archery is based on simple principles:
- practice a perfect form until it becomes you (muscle memory)
- practice without any unnecessary movements, good posture, efficiency of moves
- practice until hitting of the target is the outcome of your actions, not a goal
- let your mind become one with your action, no distractions

Stoic philosophy vs. Zen

Stoic philosophy vs. Zen

Both of the ways of life show similarities; both favor austerity and thoughtfulness, pursuit of quality in all doings and virtue. Both believe in the natural turn of things, here, however lies the biggest difference. Stoics distinguish things that are right, wrong and neutral, leaving very little gray area between them. Someone is either virtuous sage, or a burr, sadly this has very exclusive and aristocratic overtone. Also, as we all know, and Zen Buddhism supports, things are not black, or white, the judgement depends on point of view. Someone's garbage is another persons' treasure; just look at archeologists, psychosatrists, lawyers, or soldiers.

We can learn many noble things by studying stoics, some are great heroes of mine, but we must be forwarned about following the absolute truths and virtues, to understand this we may look at the shameful history of Christianity with the Holly Inquisition and more recent persecution and elimination of native religions around the World. Look at other religions that convert the infidels with the sword and fire and maintain its power by keeping the faithul in medival ignorance. We don't have to look too far as our current President Bush is the best example that "we are good, they are bad" might have worked well for the tribal chief, or football coach, but does not score us any cool points in the World. As the side note, Bush is also a great example of why we should separate religion from government, I shall not vote for anybody who considers beliefs anything more than a private and personal matter. Quality and virtue of stoics are still worth and noble goal everyone should strive for, but it is the "way" of living, not some ultimate truth.

tools at work

Dear team,

We like to maintain a certain level of frustration by not providing the appropriate tools for your work

(e.g. time entry, client collaboration, servers for development, or management tools)

Here is a poem for you...

Epicore

- what a sore!

in Share Point version one
- the search's gone.

Huge hosting provider,
- cannot find any servers either.


We are software giant,
- but no tools for the client.

wabi-sabi

I've read the aphorisms:
"Strive for excellence, not perfection." and "Don't worry about perfection, you'll never reach it."
Sadly, people tend to consider the things and ideas that are grand and complex as amazing. Any fool can see the world as complex and make it even more so.
"If not the perfection, not complexity, what is the excellence?" - You'd ask. - "Ha! Glad you asked this question. Your journey begins here and now."

I dream about life away from the rut we live in.

I want to get away and rent a cheap apartment in an old house under a red-tiled roof.
At sunrise, I want to ride a motor-bike (or an old jeep) to the deserted beach, walk for miles, dive, run, be naked, make love, feel the life, then, on the big rock eat a baguette with tomatoes, salt and pepper, and cheese, drink watered-down wine.
Spend the afternoons in a small corner cafe, reading and writing books.
Spend evenings in front of the fireplace with a cup of traditional European hot chocolate.

Cogito, ergo sum - Decartes

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With
our thoughts, we make our world."
- Sakyamuni Buddha, Dhammapada 2,600 years ago
People back then may not have Sony TVs, or Apple computers, but they
knew the same facts that about psychology that every self-help book
on the shelves of the Borders will tell you.
Decide to live the free and happy life and your stress will be
greatly reduced. Make your mind to success, set goals, follow them,
and you will succeed. Smile at life and to people and they will start
smiling back to you.
Definitely worth trying.

Art of doing things

Strive to learn everything you can about your thing in life, learn the mechanics of it, every aspect, until it become a second nature, natural and without thinking. Then you'll forget all you have learned and develop a Zen-like gut feeling, an intuition, about the subject. Only then you will be able to make an art of it.