Photograph taken at a village in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
If you want to believe that what your physical eyes can see is all that’s there, then fine, you can. Stay in that small fraction of perceptual reality if you choose. But at some point, even if that point is at the point of death, we all know better. I’ve seen cynics become mystics on their deathbeds. We are here as though in a material dream, from which the spiritual nature of our larger reality is calling us to awaken. The magician, the alchemist, the miracle-worker, is simply someone who has woken up to the material delusions of the world and decided to live another way. In a world gone mad, we can choose to be sane. In order to move ourselves, and our civilization, into the next phase of our evolutionary journey, it’s time for all of us to awaken. – Marianne Williamson from the book “A year of Miracles”
You who live by the life of this world, shame on you. Why do you live like this? If you don’t want to be dead, never be without love. Die in love if you want to be truly alive. – Shams-e Tabrizi
From a different perspective, and although this photograph was taken in Africa, Zanzibar, I want to share a philosophy from Ancient Asia that says: Life is not a circle but a spiral. Every life lesson that has ever been presented to you (which means everything you have ever been through) will come back again, in some form, until you learn it. And the stakes each time will be higher. Whatever you’ve learned will be greater fruit. Whatever didn’t work in your life before this point was a reflection of the fact that you hadn’t yet integrated the different parts in yourself. Where you didn’t yet accept yourself, you attracted a lack of acceptance in others. Where you hadn’t yet dealt with your shadows, you manifested shadowy situations. Broken parts of you encountered broken parts of others. So now you know! That was then and this is now.
This gallery contains 73 photos.
Originally posted on Razan Masri:
April 21 2015, Today I packed my bags, and before moving to my next destination, I went to meet with an old Palestinian man, who sat with me and told me about his story with…
When Downtown Amman
Almost everywhere around the world, Downtown is where the primary shops are located and the best of the events take place, it is where everyone wants to hang out and be at, but in Amman, the capital city of Jordan, things are a little different.
Click on the photo below to learn more about Downtown Amman 🙂 – With Love.
Click here to be redirected to AlBalad photo diary.
We sometimes can not imagine forgiving someone for the pain they have caused us, but the more we think about it, the more it pains us, and we can not let go. Even when we do let go, if the name of that person arises it forms bitterness in our hearts, if we cross paths with that person in coincidence, it aches and breaks our thoughts and feelings into rot. So why should we forgive someone or something for being so painful to us? Would you forgive it if you knew that, it really is the only solution to your pain?
Forgiveness really is the cure, it is your only medicine, and there is a reason for that. A cut will only burn you until it heals, and it heals because your body forgives you for the cut. For putting yourself in places where it can hurt itself. We learn by experiencing, by going through with the pain. But not wanting to forgive is self harshness. Because you are the only one capable to forgive yourself first, and then forgiving the cause.
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۗ وَإِنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَآتِيَةٌ ۖ فَاصْفَحِ الصَّفْحَ الْجَمِيلَ [Al-Hijr : 85] And We have not created the heavens and earth and that between them except in truth. And indeed, the Hour is coming; so forgive with gracious forgiveness.
Where do I put my faith? Do I put my faith in something loveless that someone did to me, or in the eternal love that lies beyond & corrects all things? To the extent that I withdraw my attachment to what you did, I will no longer be affected by what you did. I have decided to put my faith elsewhere. That is the miracle of forgiveness. [from my readings of: A year of miracles]
I have read this verse from the Quran not so long ago, and it really struck me, and it stayed with me.
How beautiful it is written,
how beautiful it means.
From my understanding, the verse stuck with me in the sense of allowing myself to be a color reflection from the colors of the Divine. And what are the colors of the Divine, I then asked myself? How many colors can I wear to be a mirror of the Divine?
But as I continued living, I would remember this verse at different encountering, and I would see different colors to put on, to reflect the act that comes from and within the Divine in us.
صِبْغَةَ اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ صِبْغَةً ۖ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدُونَ [Al-Baqara : 138] (We take our) color from Divine (Allah), and who is better than Allah at coloring. We surrender to Him
We all face difficulties in our lives, and staying true to yourself is the best possible way to deal with everything you come across. Being true to yourself, is being true to your heart, and this is where the Divine in all of us reside. So be a reflection of God, surrender to your inner love, become you, the love that is within you.
The spirit within leads to joy, as it inspired me to see the love in everyone & the possibility of miracles that lie inherent in all things. The universe itself is the handwriting of God, as He constantly creates & re-creates the perfection that he is. Within that perfection I have my true being, and within my true being I am happy & at peace. [from the book: A Year of Miracles]
Become a Dervish, become free of everything and anything, surrender only to the color of Love, to the Divine, to the Divine in you, the reflection of everything else.
What does “Dervish” mean?
He is the heart of the world, because by means of his heart, the body attains to its true art.
If the heart is not there, how can the body speak? If the heart doesn’t seek, how can the body seek & search? The dervish that glows with the fire is the theater of the holy rays; and so the heart, not the body; is the theater of God.
All lesser hearts are like a body to the heart of the human being whose heart is complete, aligned with its original source. [from the book: the Rumi daybook]
Photo by; Serhat Atlığ
This gallery contains 54 photos.
Originally posted on Razan Masri:
April 22 2015 I couldn’t blog my last few days since I was caught up between moving from one place to another, lost my connection as I moved from the West Bank area (supposedly a…
Less than Twenty Four Hours in Frankfurt
Everyone was telling me not to go to Frankfurt, saying things like, “there is nothing much to see or do”. I must confirm my disagreement. I didn’t spend much time in Frankfurt, but I was able to tell that there is so much to see and explore. It is not at all as empty and lifeless as everyone claims. Maybe in comparison with Berlin, but you can never compare 2 cities, they are just 2 different cities. Berlin’s city life is bigger and wilder, but I found Frankfurt to have more character and stillness.
I recommend you walk in this beautiful city. It is so spacious it gives a different taste to breathing. The streets are super clean and super wide, the people are friendly and the city is busy. Things are very basic and easy to get a hold of. I suggest…
View original post 90 more words
A MIddle-Eastern dish a new recipe a new way,
What is for lunch? or Iftar ? Give this easy steps recipe a try and let us know what you think. Eggplants Tomatoes and Minced Meat are some of the ingredients you will use and you will love it.
Razan Masri 