There is a colony out there of damaged souls.
Of wrecked souls.
Lost souls.
I suppose that all of us, if truth be known and if we care to admit, have damaged souls, but there are degrees of damage and degrees of recovery. Or the ability to recover perhaps.
Our position is that of having the facilities, opportunities, and access to be able to make the choice of how we address our inner peace and well being.
Others do not have the means, or call it fortunate circumstance, to be able to use the many facilities granted to us to apply the necessary 'healing' in what ever form, to repair our souls.
And so they wander and think and suffer in an endless cycle of surviving another day.
Sure, spirituality is a major part of beginning to address our repair process, but when you are overcome day in and day out with discrimination, anger, abuse, and/or hatred, spirituality, when you need it most, is not at the forefront of your thoughts. We are consumed with anger against those showing such animosity towards us and we therefore retreat into what we know...survival at any cost.
And so the cycle continues.
So we give up.
We turn away and ignore the need. Or perhaps we help only those we think are 'worthy'.
We continue to discriminate to fulfill our own perception of what is good and right not realising the damage we are actually causing and how we continue to participate in the cycle of damage.
Compassion does conquer all.
Compassion shows that there is a way out if the compassion shown is genuine.
Given without agenda.
Given to all those in need.
Not as a job. Not as a supplement to your own ego, ( and thereby causing more damage to your own soul).
Not because someone tells you to do it.
But because you realise that it needs to be done.
Don't look for heroes medals on the street.
Don't look for Datukships or Datinships for 'charitable work' if that is your focus and your agenda from the start. And believe me, there are those out there in other so called NGO's promoting themselves for this very reason
I despise those who use the poor for such material benefits only looking to enhance their own community standing. Or in the hope that they will receive such benefits.
I have no compassion for those that are willing to abuse the poor and helpless, and reserve my right to use any compassion I have been blessed with, (what little there may be), for those that need it.
And oh yes, I know who you are, and what your agenda is, and where you are targeting for your 'titles'.
But the colony grows and we can offer what we can. We can learn and apply what we learn in a true attempt to give those in need the power to repair their souls, by repairing their life.
They just need the chance.
"Is there for honest poverty, that hangs his head and all that,
The coward-slave, we pass him by, we dare be poor for all that,
For all that and all that our toils obscure and all that,
The rank is but a guinea stamp, the man's the gold for all that.
You see yon fellow called a Lord who struts and stares for all that,
Though hundreds worship at his word he's but a fool for all that,
For all that and all that his ribbon, star, and all that,
The man of independent mind, he looks and laughs at all that".
(Extracts From the poem 'A Man's a Man For All That' - Written by Robert Burns, Scotland's National Poet 1759-1796.
A poem on the rights of all humans to be treated as equals).
Pete,
ReplyDeleteYou said.."Sure, spirituality is a major part of beginning to address our repair process, but when you are overcome day in and day out with discrimination, anger, abuse, and/or hatred, spirituality, when you need it most, is not at the forefront of your thoughts. We are consumed with anger against those showing such animosity towards us and we therefore retreat into what we know...survival at any cost."
This is so profound. Often we feel that anger will take us to the top, make things right, savior of pride and ego, victorious even. But the truth is, it only weakens us and as you say, further damages the soul.
Love, compassion and forgiveness on the other hand, are the ultimate power and strength in character and in spirit. Alas, they are underrated virtues. But with organisations such as Reach Org, led by you and the other Team Leaders, there will be much less hurt,pain and suffering in this world.
Thanks Aniza.
ReplyDeleteI often wonder where compassion comes from. I don't try and analyse it, just wonder its source. Is it taught? Is it inherent?
If it is taught, then why do we often ignore it? Or why do we use it for our own agenda?
Is it because what we have been taught is someone elses perception of compassion?
If it is built into us where does that come from? It must be from an ultimate source that we can not understand.
So, lets follow the flow. Use compassion as it has been gifted to us, not by some man made perception of what compassion is or means.
Thats why I believe, and I truly believe, that Reach Org works with no agenda.
The dynamic from its volunteers and supporters is genuine compassion, small that it may be.
It appears, is passed on, and is received back, all in one.
That to me is compassion from the source, not from the mouth of man.
Reach will continue to do what it can for those in need, recognising always the gift of being allowed to do this work.
Dear Pete
ReplyDeleteTo me, it could only come from One, Ar-Rahim, The Most Compassionate. He is the Keeper and He gives it to anyone He pleases, anyway He chooses. We can acquire it if we seek knowledge on His attributes and call by His name often enough.
We start everything by the Basmallah, and of the 99 names we know, He chooses Ar-Rahim to be in this, besides Ar-Rahman, the Most Forgiving. It clearly shows that everything we do, we do in His name, and with compassion.
What I meant by power and strength in character and spirit is the power to overcome anger, and the strength to replace it with forgiveness, the power to accept an adversity and still have the strength to be grateful, the power to sustain with only a bare minimum and the strength to still believe that God is compassionate.
May Allah forgive us of our sins and bless us all on this blessed Friday.
Without doubt. Without question.
ReplyDeleteThe Ultimate Source that I refer to is that which we can not understand. We can only marvel. We can only do in His name and with His guidance.
We can only just truly believe and go back to the beginning which is not to question.