================Our Recommendation================

A contemporary mystical Islamic philosopher offers clarification about common misconceptions of the Islamic concept of God.

Hulusi is an Islamic scholar whose writings mirror the mystical dimension of Islam known as Sufism, made well known in the U.S. through translations of the Sufi poet-theologian Rumi. But many who read the English translations of Rumi fail to realize the complexity of the system of spiritual thinking that Sufism represents. Hulusi explicates one of the most difficult concepts in mystical Islam--the notion that "Allah," commonly misunderstood in the West and even in parts of the Muslim world as "God," encompasses more than the word "God" can illuminate. Drawing upon his interpretations of the Quran, Islam's most sacred scripture, Hulusi claims that nowhere in Muhammad's transmission of the Quran is there the assertion that Allah is a god. Instead, Hulusi writes that Allah is "an infinite, unlimited, whole One, in which case...there is nothing in existence other than Him." The consequences of this assertion are that individual lives are fated by Allah, predestined to heaven or hell after physical death. The point of religion, writes the author, is to gain nondualistic awareness of Allah, which is realized through essential self-knowledge and the rejection of illusionary dualities in daily life. The author relies on short paragraphs to frame his beliefs and uses abstract language to describe consciousness, but the gist of these abstruse ideas is helpfully noted in bold throughout the book. One can only imagine the difficulty translator Atalay faced in converting the author's esoteric Turkish style into readable English. Yet it does read clearly as a kind of Sufi manifesto of faith. Get the Book NOW

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

What Meditation Is

A surfeit of concepts seems to be packed in this magical expression called meditation. What does this term meditation mean?
I am too small and irrelevant a person to explain or expand on the concept of this greatest expression on earth. Yet I deserve to make a try.
Meditation is derived from the Latin word 'meditari', which means to heal. It would be an error to believe that meditation is a practice that originated in the mystical east. It really does not matter when this originated or where. The fact of the matter is great individuals of all religions down the ages meditated.
Hindu sages stressed on self-awareness through yoga and the means to achieve this was meditation.
There is reference in Christianity to meditation. The term meditation is used a number of times in the Psalms of the New Testament. For instance, Psalm 143:5 says, "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all you have done; I ponder the works of your hands."
Muslims confirm their faith in the oneness of God and declare their total submission to His commandments through Salat.
According to Buddhists, "the gift of meditation is the greatest gift you can give yourself in this life".
In Judaism, Rabbi Abraham considered meditation as the core of all biblical prophets.
You can go on and on describing, what meditation is according to different religions. All spiritual leaders knew meditation sets in motion processes that lead to physical, mental and spiritual well being.
Human civilization has seen remarkable progress in scientific evolution. Now it deserves a spiritual evolution. Our existence depends on it.
Arun Prabhu loves travel, is a nature lover and a keen photography enthusiast. You can visit his blog here http://arun-savenature-preservemankind.blogspot.com/2010/07/monsoon-special.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arun_Prabhu

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