Nassir Khushraw

[shamsu]

This is so true



In the path of the hereafter, one should not walk on foot but with the soul and the intellect, and for provisions, you must fill the tablecloth of your heart with obedience and knowledge.

-- Nassir Khusraw

[shamsu]

So what would be the interpretation of

SOUL

INTELLECT

TABLECLOTH OF THE HEART

OBEDIENCE

KNOWLEDGE


How does one walk with soul and intellect?

What is one walking within?

Who or what is going to need those provisions of obedience and knowledge?

Why do they have to be on the tablecloth of the heart?


Just some questions to ponder upon. Please share your views.

[schatoor]

salavtion will be yours if you passionatly and intellectually seek the truth of Allah.

[kmaherali]

This is so true



In the path of the hereafter, one should not walk on foot but with the soul and the intellect, and for provisions, you must fill the tablecloth of your heart with obedience and knowledge.

-- Nassir Khusraw

The above statement finds resonance in the following Ginan of Peer Shamsh - Jire Vanajaaraa.

TAARE PUTTHEE-ADDE CHHE PAA(N)CH
BY PEER SHAMSH


taare putthee-adde chhe paa(n)ch
saachalo samar lejo saath, jeere vannajaaraajee
jug maa(n)he lejo ghannero laabh
aagall saamee raajo lekhaa maa(n)gashe, jeere vannajaaraa jee.....1

Behind at your back, you have a (load of) five vices.
Take the rightful provision with you (for the hereafter),
o dear traveller. In this world, take along with you many profits
(good deeds), as ahead the Kingly Lord will take account
of all your deeds, O dear brother.


ejee khokharee bharee chhe tol aag
paa(n)ch potthee-addaa bhare chhe laakaddaa
jeere vannajaaraa jee........................................2

Your body is filled with the risk of being burnt on the occassion of
weighing scales(the Great Day). The five bullocks(sensory organs) keep
filling it with wooden logs(fuel), O dear traveller.


ejee taare paanneeno pottaddeeyo lejo saath
aagal koi kene paannee nahee aalshe
jeere vannajaaraa jee........................................3

Take along with you a container full of water.
There ahead no one will be there to give you water.
[This water refers to spiritual water which will ever
be with you even after death. The spiritual water is
'ameeras' ( and represents purity), the holy water which should be drunk regularly
with correct intentions to fill the 'spiritual' container.]


ejee taare khaavaanu(n) samar lejo saath
aagal haatt nahee vaanneeyaa, jeere vannajaaraa..............4

Take along with you the provision of food.
There ahead there will not be any shops to trade in.
[This food refers to spiritual food which is the 'geenaans'
and reflection thereof. Reflecting upon the 'geenaans'
regularly serves as spiritual food and substitutes the material
food which includes the pleasures of the world.
Remembrance also serves this nourishing purpose.]


ejee taare khaavaa malyo kuttu(m)b pareevaar
aagal koi kenu(n) nahee thaayshe, jeere vannajaaraa..........5

You have had the family relationships (for material security and joy).
But there ahead no one will be of any one else (you will be alone,
so don't make material attachments).


ejee e taare khottee chhe gharaddaanee naar
je tune vollaaveene paachhee valle, jeere vannajaaraa........6

Your worldly housewife is false (and temporary).
She will return after seing you off (after the funeral rites).


ejee e geenaan boleeyaa peer shamsh chott
saachalo samar lejo saath, jeere vannajaaraa.................7

This geenaan is said by Peer Shamsh the familiar.
Take along with you the true and real provisions (for the hereafter).

[kmaherali]

So what would be the interpretation of

SOUL

INTELLECT

TABLECLOTH OF THE HEART

OBEDIENCE

KNOWLEDGE

SOUL is that entity in you which is eternal, timeless not attached nor effected by external circumstances. If you are walking with the awareness that you are eternal, independant of your body and non attached to the world around you, you are walking with your soul.

INTELLECT in the normal sense is the faculty of reason, knowing and reflecting. It deals with the 'hows' and the 'whys'. In a more technical sense it means 'Aql' or 'Budhhi' which enables one to discriminate what is right from wrong and which enables the soul to know the real SELF.

TABLECLOTH OF THE HEART means that it finds approval of the heart. When an action is done according to the Firman of the Satguru it automatically generates joy as per following verse of Ginan.

aaj aana(n)d paameaa man,
ke sat-gur sireveaa re lol........................................1
'Today we have found joy in our hearts, through the worship(service, obedience) of the True Guide, o!

When real knowledge is aquired it generates joy and ecstacy in the heart as per following verse of the Ginan.

O momins! Recite the Ginans which are full of divine wisdom
So that your hearts may enjoy the boundless joy ...1

OBEDIENCE means Farman Bardari.

KNOWLEDGE is that which leads you to the ulimate truth. In technical sense it is gnan or hikma.

[kandani]

my interpretation:

INTELLECT/SPIRIT
- is the Divine Light/ spark or Inner Self within each human being. Intellect is NOT the brain or the mind or the thoughts. Intellect is the source of new thoughts, the source of reason within the human being.

SOUL
- actually refers to the spiritual transitionary state of the human being. If a person qualifies as having a soul, it means that he is spiritually in transition - ie: within his being, there exists Light (Intellect) and Darkness (Ego). The soul is like a mirror - it reflects whatever it is exposed to. The spiritual battle takes place within the soul, between the Intellect (Higher Self) and the Ego (Lower Self). Someone who conquers their lower self becomes pure Intellect - Light.

[alinizar313]

Shamsu Bhai, Ya Ali Madad
Very intersting enquiry
Actually we should see the quotation of Nasir Khusraw as totallity rather than to go for individual interpretation of each spice.
There are three portion of this quotation:
1. One to walk on foot for hereafter
2. With intellect and Soul
3. Provision of tablecloth of heart with obedience and knowledge

1. Normally if we just walk or drive to reach at certain destination. we can't reach no matter how much hard working or time we spent during our journey untill we know the whereabout (knowledge) of that particular place and secondly we should know to whom we want to see there or what is the object of going there. "Insan paisa paida keraiy, saara kam kere pachhi meri jai tau shoo faido. Taimaj hamaisha bandagi kerva chhata jo azadi ma na pohnchiyo tau shhoo faido . Akal waro thora thi naraz thashai" ( KIM 1 ) i,e Ibadat without purpose and knowledge.

2. Here one has to make oneself equipped with intellect and soul ( Ishq, Ism-e-Azam)These two are the form of Lord for our understanding due to our existence in this world as God is in Batin. As we want to know our Lord we should have with us these two things. " Khaliq Shabad Khaliq Pichahnaiy", " Imam duara Imam ne oraakhi shakae chhae".

3. Now to achieve that Muqam, we have to take the help of our heart ( Our higher conscious) as we are living in this world and has to get that muqam during our life time.For that we have to prevent our heart from satan or bad deeds by providing a shield or tablecloth of obedience and knowledge. Because Insan can't reach there but heart can do. " Insan ma aitli taqat nathi kaiy tiyan pohnchi shakaiy parn dil tiyan pohnchi shakaiy chhaiy'.( KIM 1). Here obedience means Ibadat (Farmanbardari) Knowledge means Firman. The former makes you Soul and latter makes you Intellect. Therefore by giving provision of obedience and knowledge to our heart, we can equip ourself with intellect and Ishq and tthen we can see the mysteries of hereafter.

[kmaherali]

The following is an extract from MHI's speech made at Dushambe at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Ismaili Centre. Here he talks about Nasir Khusraw and his view of intellect and knowledge.

The passage of a millennium has not diminished Nasir Khusraw’s relevance nor dulled the lustre of his poetry. It continues to uplift and inspire, reminding us that we are the authors of our own destiny. As he has said, we can be like a poplar tree which chooses to remain barren, or we can let our path be lit by the candle of wisdom, for only ‘with intellect, we can seek out all the hows and whys. Without it, we are but trees without fruit.’

Another lesson that we learn from this great philosopher is that, in the ebb and flow of history, ‘knowledge is a shield against the blows of time’. It dispels ‘the torment of ignorance’ and nourishes ‘peace to blossom forth in the soul’. It is this legacy, like the gifts of other thinkers of Central Asia, that this new Centre will seek to serve.

[kmaherali]

Wisdom is like the rain. Its source is limitless, but it comes down according to the season. Grocers put sugar in a bag; their supply of sugar, however, is not limited to what's in the bag. When you come to a grocer, he has an abundant supply of sugar. But he sees how much money you have brought with you and measures out the sugar accordingly.

Your money on the Path of God is courage and faith, and you will be taught according to your courage and your faith. When you come looking for sugar, your bag will be examined to see how much it can hold; it will be filled accordingly.(Rumi)

This message finds resonance in the following verse of the ginan: "Aye Raheman Raheman".

aae rahem rahemaan, ab to rahem karoge
ejee tan man dhan guruku(n) arapann kije
to ginaane ginaane ginaan...ab to............................1

Should mercy touch You, Kindly Lord,
Will You now mercy show?
If I submit my body, heart, and wealth to the Guide,
His wisdom(gnaan) helps me know more and more(leading to the ultimate knowledge of the truth).

[kmaherali]

The following poem of Mowlana Rumi serves to illuminate the difference between ordinary or discursive reason and intellect. The former is limited and works on that which is already in use or is dead whereas the latter is abundant and is always fresh and is the cause if creativity.

Discursive reason's a vulture, my poor friend:
Its wings beat above a decaying corpse.
The Saint's Reason(Intellect) is like the wings of Gabriel:
It soars in splendor, from stage to stage,
To rest in the shade of the Tree of Heaven.
It says, "I'm a royal hawk, I'm glorious and abundant,
I've nothing to do with a corpse, I'm not a vulture -
Leave the vulture behind and let me be your guide.
Just one of my wings will be of more help to you
Than a hundred thousand vultures in full flight.