Saturday, May 20, 2006
Pakistan Made Me Think: 7
Monday 10th April 2006 - 2.50pm
Diseases of the heart -
Social and even physiological conditions may be responsible for bringing about the onset of illness to the heart. Just as social conditions (and physiological ones) can cause the physical heart to become ill and diseased ~ one cannot argue that the same is untrue of the spiritual heart. In a world where popular culture teaches us to acknowledge only that which could be seen, it's amazing that the heart continues to be an example (just like any other organ in the body) where disease can not always be seen with the physical eye.
Some thoughts:
Social conditions and life events; having this and not having that - can all lead to certain diseases of the heart manifesting themselves. "A battle of egos" one may argue - indeed a battle of egos. The conditions one is exposed to can cause man's response to alter from the 'straight' path. If the diseased heart gains victory over man - then his thinking and subsequent actions are both affected as a result.
The initial social conditions which caused the symptoms of disease to manifest itself may not 'go away' so readily. Essentially are they not tests or trials from God? If the heart becomes diseased, then what kind of response is that to those tests?
Is that not mans' failure at attempting to sit the test with patience and positive hopes from the 'Testing One'?
This was my third visit to Pakistan as an adult. It was quite a different experience from my previous two: perhaps because the first time I was still at uni and the second time I had work to come back to. And this time I was in a state of limbo - neither here nor there. Or perhaps because a lot has happened in the five years or so (since I last visited Pakistan). I don't know and I can't pinpoint why I felt the way I did. One thing is for sure though, I found the attitudes of some folk very puzzling and thought-provoking. Unlike here where I spend most time at home - I was always in the midst of a variety of diverse people. People with different thoughts, ideas and ways of looking at the world. And that is all healthy - I love diversity for diversity should be encouraged and successively celebrated. However, I found it difficult to comprehend how many people were insistent that their ideas and views should be accepted by all. Stop.
I read Shaykh Hamza Yusufs' Purification of the Heart under this backdrop. And alot made sense. It helped me to piece together the jigsaw of human behaviour and provided me with the reasons and answers as to why people behave the way they do. The best thing was that it is aa solution-focused approach and for each 'disease' a cure is prescribed. I am very grateful that we have this book as it helped me address and accept what was going on around me. I recommend that everyone purchase this fantastic peice of work and pop it on their bookshelves. The best time to read it is when you just cannot work out why people act the way they do. It will not only tell you why they behave as they do - but also tell you what you can do for them.. and inevitably for yourself.
See Also:
Background / Introduction
Journal Entry 1
Journal Entry 2
Journal Entry 3
Journal Entry 4
Journal Entry 5
Journal Entry 6
Why I went away
Diseases of the heart -
Social and even physiological conditions may be responsible for bringing about the onset of illness to the heart. Just as social conditions (and physiological ones) can cause the physical heart to become ill and diseased ~ one cannot argue that the same is untrue of the spiritual heart. In a world where popular culture teaches us to acknowledge only that which could be seen, it's amazing that the heart continues to be an example (just like any other organ in the body) where disease can not always be seen with the physical eye.
Some thoughts:
Social conditions and life events; having this and not having that - can all lead to certain diseases of the heart manifesting themselves. "A battle of egos" one may argue - indeed a battle of egos. The conditions one is exposed to can cause man's response to alter from the 'straight' path. If the diseased heart gains victory over man - then his thinking and subsequent actions are both affected as a result.
The initial social conditions which caused the symptoms of disease to manifest itself may not 'go away' so readily. Essentially are they not tests or trials from God? If the heart becomes diseased, then what kind of response is that to those tests?
Is that not mans' failure at attempting to sit the test with patience and positive hopes from the 'Testing One'?
This was my third visit to Pakistan as an adult. It was quite a different experience from my previous two: perhaps because the first time I was still at uni and the second time I had work to come back to. And this time I was in a state of limbo - neither here nor there. Or perhaps because a lot has happened in the five years or so (since I last visited Pakistan). I don't know and I can't pinpoint why I felt the way I did. One thing is for sure though, I found the attitudes of some folk very puzzling and thought-provoking. Unlike here where I spend most time at home - I was always in the midst of a variety of diverse people. People with different thoughts, ideas and ways of looking at the world. And that is all healthy - I love diversity for diversity should be encouraged and successively celebrated. However, I found it difficult to comprehend how many people were insistent that their ideas and views should be accepted by all. Stop.
I read Shaykh Hamza Yusufs' Purification of the Heart under this backdrop. And alot made sense. It helped me to piece together the jigsaw of human behaviour and provided me with the reasons and answers as to why people behave the way they do. The best thing was that it is aa solution-focused approach and for each 'disease' a cure is prescribed. I am very grateful that we have this book as it helped me address and accept what was going on around me. I recommend that everyone purchase this fantastic peice of work and pop it on their bookshelves. The best time to read it is when you just cannot work out why people act the way they do. It will not only tell you why they behave as they do - but also tell you what you can do for them.. and inevitably for yourself.
See Also:
Background / Introduction
Journal Entry 1
Journal Entry 2
Journal Entry 3
Journal Entry 4
Journal Entry 5
Journal Entry 6
Why I went away
