Passing Through

Dear Friends

by Passing Through on Wed Dec 30, 2009 03:03 AM PST

I just finished this piece:

Validate The Blessed Mother – No Jesus, No Mohammad, Yes My Sweet, Neither Moses

The subtitle for this piece is:

Our Mowlana .. God Almighty .. One and The Same
Our Love .. Your Passion .. Everlasting

Hope You Enjoy It :)

PT

 

 

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by yolanda on Tue Dec 29, 2009 01:52 AM PST

Dear PT,

    I don't dare to blog....I am very afraid of unfriendly comments. I am trying to get along with people here.

    I will be glad to introduce Rumi to my colleagues and the 140 people I work with everyday. The Seven advice is just beautiful! If everyone follows Rumi's seven advice, I am sure the world will be a better place and IC will be a better website!!!  :O)

Please take care!

 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

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by Passing Through on Tue Dec 29, 2009 01:06 AM PST

My Sweet Yolanda,

The best way to show the poster is to make a blog out of it

Let me tell you what I mean:

If you go to create a content, and choose blog, as you did for your first blog, at the very bottom there is a place for uploading an image

Once you have done that, choose a very straight forward title like The Seven Advice Of Rumi (Mowlana), etc., and then give a short description in the body of your blog of what they are

That's All :)

PT

P.S. If your image is good, then go ahead and use it - However, if you think that it may need some color adjustment, etc., then e-mail it to me, and I'll use my Photoshop software to the adjustment for you, and then e-mail it back :)

 

 

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by yolanda on Tue Dec 29, 2009 06:35 AM PST

Dear PT,

   Hi! Sorry to respond to your post late! I was afraid to post here when I realized that this blog would end up in the "Most discussed" table....I was very worried....2 days ago, I had to take down 2 posts 'cause some guy made unfriendly comment about my posts...I was very worried that whole bunch of people would jump on me and make similar comments. Thank God that nothing happened to this blog today, so I posted a couple of poems. Thank you soooo much for painstakingly explaining different things to me . It is super kind of you. I am sorry that I did not send your collection to anyone as you know that spiritual matter can be a very sensitive subject.....I don't want to make people feel uncomfortable.......I want to say that I feel happy for people if they are spiritual and live a balanced and blessed life.....I admire those people, too........but it is hard for me to share my beliefs and my conviction with other people 'cause I don't want to get into nasty debates. I don't have the guts to handle the heated debates......I want to thank you for sharing the spiritual matter with me. It is truly a blessing for me. It opened a new horizon for me. I am deeply appreciative.

     I just finished making the Rumi's seven advice poster. I will be glad to show you here. I will hang the poster at work and hopefully make my colleagues and myself better people.

   Please take care of yourself and God bless you!

yolanda 

"Cactus in the Desert"

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by Passing Through on Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:57 PM PST

My Very Sweet Yolanda,

Please don't be pressured to do something that you don't want to do

I wasn't aware of the fact that you were apprehensive about sharing the collection with others :)

Take Good Care Of Yourself,

PT

P.S. Thanks for for forwarding the e-mails to me Humility - I will respond to those people directly :)

 

 

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by yolanda on Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:42 PM PST

Hi! Humility,

     Thank you for your post and kindness! I will keep your advice in mind and try to work on my fear! It is very hard for me! I agree that there is a possibility that they will be blessed......of course, there are other possibilities, too...I may not be strong enough to handle it....

thanks,

 take care!

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

Hi yolanda!

by Humility on Mon Dec 28, 2009 01:09 PM PST

Be not afraid, dear friend! - That's how people learn from oneanother :)

You are perhaps depriving your friends of a blessing that they could potentially get from reading the collection :)

Respectfully,

Humility

P.S. Confucianism is not really a religion - It's more a way of life!

 

 

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by yolanda on Mon Dec 28, 2009 01:32 PM PST

  

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

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by yolanda on Mon Dec 28, 2009 12:40 PM PST

 

 

*****************************

A Poem by Hafiz

*****************************

Would you think it odd...

 

Would you think it odd if Hafiz said, 

"I am in love with every church

And mosque

And temple

And any kind of shrine

Because I know it is there

That people say the different names

Of the One God."

Would you tell your friends

I was a bit strange if I admitted

I am indeed in love with every mind

And heart and body.

O I am sincerely

Plumb crazy

About your every thought and yearning

And limb

Because, my dear,

I know

That it is through these

 

That you search for Him

************************************** 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

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by yolanda on Mon Dec 28, 2009 12:35 PM PST

 Hi! Humility,

       My mentality is that since I have spent money buying the book, I better read it, this way I feel I have not wasted my money.......I also subscribe 2 newspapers, I always make sure I read them and learn something.

      Right now I am on Confucianism, but it really does not sound like a religion to me. I rarely encountered the word "God" in that chapter. :O)

Thank you again for recommending the book!

You are so brave that you e-mailed PT's collection to your friends. I have to admit that I am a big coward and I am afraid of a lot of things. I have not e-mailed the collection to anyone 'cause I am kind of afraid!!

    Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! I hope you have a lot of blessings!!

 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

Hi yolanda!

by Humility on Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:58 AM PST

I'm glad that you are reading the book on World Religions at a feverish pace! However, be mindful of the fact of not doing too much, too fast - Otherwise, you would mix up different things!

P.S. I received some replies back from my friends regarding your collection, Dear PT - I will forward all the e-mails to you!

 

 

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by yolanda on Mon Dec 28, 2009 09:40 AM PST

 

 

********************** 

A poem by Hafiz:

***********************

I Have Learned So Much

I
Have
Learned
So much from God
That I can no longer
Call
Myself

A Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim,
a Buddhist, a Jew.

The Truth has shared so much of Itself
With me

That I can no longer call myself
A man, a woman, an angel,
Or even a pure
Soul.

Love has
Befriended Hafiz so completely
It has turned to ash
And freed
Me

Of every concept and image
my mind has ever known.

From: 'The Gift' 
Translated by Daniel Ladinsky

**************************************

A poem by Hafiz

**************************************

I Got Kin

 

Plant

So that your own heart

Will grow.

Love

So God will think,

"Ahhhhhh,

I got kin in that body!

I should start inviting that soul over

For coffee and

Rolls."

Sing

Because this is a food

Our starving world

Needs.

Laugh

Because that is the purest

Sound.

***************************

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

Dear Friends

by Passing Through on Mon Dec 28, 2009 03:33 AM PST

We had a wonderful exchange of ideas here

If you have any additional questions, or comments, please feel free to express it :)

Tks Again,

PT

 

 

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by Passing Through on Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:09 AM PST

My Dear Yolanda,

If you are truly interested in Mysticism in general, and Sufism in particular, then I would like to encourage you to focus on them primarily

This shotgun approach that you have adopted, in studing anything and everything, I am not really sure whether that's very helpful and constructive :)

I believe that a more rifle approach would perhaps be more suitable - This way, you won't get distracted and confused as you were before :)

Take Good Care Of Yourself Sweetheart :)

PT  

P.S. I have received a number of positive responses regarding the collection, Reality - The Truth About Divinity

If you have e-mailed the collection to your friends, and have received any kind of feedback, please share that with me :) - Tks

 

 

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by yolanda on Sun Dec 27, 2009 08:39 AM PST

 Dear PT,

      I am so sorry if I keep going back to the same concept. At 1st I understood that Rumi believed God in his heart. I did read his poem I found in Wikipedia and I also posted his poem in your previous blog, and then I saw Sufi whirling in the videos and read about Qawwali......I read more about Sufism in the World's Religions book......the book says on page 259 (1991 edition):

They (sufis) engage in normal occupations and repair to their gathering places to sing, dance, recite their rosaries in concert, and listen to the discourse of their Master, all to the end of reaching God directly.

To me, the above sounds like a worship service.........It is why I got confused a little.....

    Thank you for your post. It is very clear now!!! According to my observation, a lot of people believe in God in this country, but they don't go to any religious institutions to worship God......

  Thank you for your clarification! Thank you for your time!!

Please take good care of yourself!! May God bless you!!

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

...

by Passing Through on Sun Dec 27, 2009 01:54 AM PST

My Very Dear Yolanda,

Let me clarify a couple of things about Mysticism in general, and Sufism in particular, that you have to fully understand:

The whole concept and purpose behind Mysticism is to be totally and completely free of things that can potentially shackle you down, and deprive you of a total and complete experience of Transcendence

What I'm trying to say is this: If we are planning to follow the same ritualistic traditions of main-line and orthodox religions, then what's the point of adopting the concept of Mysticism in our lives? !!

Simply Put, Mysticism In General, And Sufism In Particular, Should Mean Total And Complete Freedom To Experience Transcendence To The Fullest Extent .. Nothing More, And Indeed, Nothing Less .....!

Now, a Sufi can go to a mosque, but he/she doesn't necessarily have to go to one either

Generally speaking, in the Sufi traditions, the students follow their Master until they reach a level of proficiency where they don't need their Master anymore

The students could potentially congegate with their Master at the Master's house for teaching, etc. - There is no particular setting, or a place, that they have to go to, or even follow!

To fully understand Mysticism in general, and Sufism in particular, you have to focus first and foremost on the concept of total and complete Freedom ... Again, Absolutely Nothing Else! 

I would like to encourage you to take your time, and re-read this comment all over again! I am beginning to feel that you are getting distracted, and essentially going back to the same old concepts of main-line and orthodox religions. If you are doing this, then you are missing the whole point behind Mysticism in general, and Sufism in particular!

Take Good Care Of Yourself Sweetheart,

PT 

P.S. Again, if you enjoyed the collection, Reality - The Truth Behind Divinity, then please share it with others by e-mailing it to them

Let me know if you have any other questions :)

 

 

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by yolanda on Sun Dec 27, 2009 01:18 AM PST

Dear PT,

1) I have re-read the collection, Reality - The Truth About Divinity. I saw the word, ecstasy, a couple of times. Thank you for explaining the meaning of the word for me.

2) As you know, Christians go to churches; the Jews go to the synagogues; Muslims go to the mosques; and Buddhists go to the temples. My question: Where do the Sufis go? My understanding is that they believe in God in their hearts, but they are not restricted to a particular type of worship. Another question: Do Sufis have some type of guidelines to follow? As you know, Christians have Bible; Muslims have Koran; Jews have Torah, and Buddhists have sutra....

3) You definitely know Confucianism more than the Chinese. My impression is that Chinese are not very serious about Confucianism due to some reasons. When I read the lady's e-mail, my interpretation is that Chinese started to pay a little more attention to Confucius because of the tourism. It is true that during Cultural Revolution, Chinese government tried to malign Confucius....after Mao Tze Tong died, they rehabilitated Confucius' name and issued a commemorative stamp in his honor.

4) One of Confucius' great-great grandsons of 75th generation lives and owns a house in Irvine. His name is Kong Xiang-Dong. Confucius' Chinese name is Kong Fu-Zi. Kong Xiang-Dong is a pianist. He performed in Hollywood Bowl before.

5) The impression I got is that Iranians are way more spiritual than the Chinese. One reason is that Iran has an organized religion when China has (atheist) communism. Of course, nowadays, China has more churches, mosques, and temples, but relative speaking, Iranians are way more spiritual.

6) Thank you so much for showing me how to make a hyper-link, yeah! I am excited! It is fun!!!

7) Here is a video showing Chinese kids learning Confucianism.

8) Here is a video showing the Confucius' great-great----grandson of 75th generation, the bald guy on the piano is Kong Xiang-Dong.

9) Here is a Chinese Song of 2008 Olympic Games with Farsi subtitles. Jackie Chan is in the video, you can also see Great Wall and Forbidden city.

Please take good care of yourself!

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

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by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 07:46 PM PST

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

....

by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 08:15 PM PST

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

.......

by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 07:18 PM PST

 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

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by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 05:45 PM PST

This guy is awesome! His music sounded like a duet to me 'cause he was able to play the music from different ranges or octaves. It is just amazing!

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

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by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 05:25 PM PST

Persian music perfermed by a Norwegian orchestra. Santour sounded great!

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

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by yolanda on Mon Dec 28, 2009 01:30 PM PST

 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

...

by Passing Through on Sat Dec 26, 2009 01:48 PM PST

My Dear and Very Sweet Yolanda,

During the Cultural Revolution in China, in the 1960's, Mao tried very hard to completely decimate and uproot all attachments of the Chinese people to their cultural heritage - And instead, replace it with Communist ideologies!

However, as it is the case with such things, they never succeed! - As you know, such cultural things are presently flourishing :)

Regarding Confucianism, it's very much a code of conduct on how people in the society should conduct themselves, and the responsibility of the society towards its people - It's not really a religion per se, however, its principles are based in the concepts and teachings of such things as Tao-Te-Cheng, as outlined by Lao Tzu  

Now, to make a hyperlink: The first thing to do is to pass your cursor over the words that you want to make into a hyperlink  - The same way as if you wanted to make them bold or italicize them

The next thing to do, is look to the bottom right side of the Comments box, and locate the symbol of a chain that is there (when you put your cursor over it, it says Insert/edit link) - Once you click on that symbol, a small box opens up - In that box, you insert the url link, and then choose to open the link in a new window (Don't bother with the question on Title) - That's it!

Take Good Care Of Yourself Sweetheart :)

PT

P.S. Let me know if you liked the collection on Reality - The Truth About Divinity

If you have any questions about it, please let me know :)

 

 

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by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:05 AM PST

 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

.....

by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:04 AM PST

 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

....

by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 08:03 AM PST

 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

.....

by yolanda on Mon Dec 28, 2009 01:39 PM PST

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

......

by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 07:29 AM PST

 The amazing thing is that Rumi's works and poems were written about 800 years ago, but they are still applicable to modern time. I read this marriage poem by Rumi several days ago...it sounds great. My prediction is that many people around world will appreciate this absolutely beautiful poem!

A poem by Rumi

***************************

This Marriage

May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.

******************************* 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"

.........

by yolanda on Sat Dec 26, 2009 07:13 AM PST

 Dear PT,

     Thank you for your great post! It is very informative! Wow! You know a lot! I was going to ask you why they put Confucianism in the World's Religions book (I have an impression, Confucius did not talk about God that much), you just answered my question. Several days ago, I e-mailed a lady in Beijing about Confucius, here is her answer, I did not change a word, here is her words:

**********************************

Nowadays, Confucius is respected as a great thinker and educationist in Chinese both gov and public. People regard his thought as a historical achievement, only some are suitable to current people. But his educational thought is approved popularly, at least in traditional culture field. People identify he was the first superior educationist, and established traditional education -- confucianism. Every year, in his hometown, people hold a memorial ceremony for Confucius. This activity was prohibited during cultural revolution, and restored in recent years. It is due to the requirement from both tourism and culture. With economic development, people wake up to respect our own history and culture. Historic sites are protected, national customs are promoted, traditional culture are inheritted. Such efforts are pushed by offical work and volunteer contribution. It is great progress, although too late.

************************************

I plan to read more about Rabia. I also found several different Rumi's sites, I will go back to read more about Rumi and sufism. Hopefully I will have a productive day today! :O)

Please take care of yourself! Thank you again for your great post! Great job!

One question: How  do you make HTTP link under a word or a phrase? 

Delaram Banafsheh (Yolanda)

"Cactus in the Desert"