The heart....the compass of the man

To live with faith. We live our lives believing in certain causes which makes our lives worthwhile. Such causes point us in a general direction in which to lead our lives to. In other words, acting as a compass.

But there are differing faiths and beliefs lurking within our hearts. Every man is capable of choosing the direction upon which to lead his soul. The choice is his to make. God has made it so. He has given the freedom to decide and at the same time shone light upon the path best to be taken. It's up to us to choose.

Yet there are those among us who chose a different path. There are people who choose the road less travelled. A faith that is different. Do we have the right to deem these people lost? Are we correct in saying so?

In order for one to be lost, he needs to be unaware of where he is headed or where he stands. To be lost is to be confused and not know your way around. So would it be right for us to deem those who do not follow our faith lost?

Perhaps not.

Take the example of a man in the heart of the woods. Give him a compass and tell him that his destination is a village up north by the river. He knows the general direction in which he needs to travel as well as what to look out for. Is he lost?

Give that man a clearly marked out map along with the compass. Now he knows exactly where he is as well as where he needs to be. Is he lost now?

Replace that map with another copy that leads him on a long winding path which ends at that same village. Can he be considered lost? Think your answer through thoroughly.

One way or another, that guy knows where he is headed. He couldn't possibly be lost if he knows where he is going. Yet others may deem him lost from the looks of how he is travelling alone within the jungle in a direction that doesn't seem to be marked by any roads or pathways. A seemingly indistinct path. Who are they to judge? Who are we to say?

The world is a very non-linear existence. We live lives full of cross-junctions and twists and turns. There are many routes that can lead to the same end, as well as similar routes that can lead to vastly differing ends.

Knowing this, can anyone ever be lost? Everyone knows what the are doing relative to their surroundings. Everyone has their own maps and compass in life.

Everyone takes a different path, each headed to their own ends. How could they be lost? Headed in a different direction in life, perhaps. But most definitely not lost. So the next time you wish to deeem another person lost and to tell him so, think twice. He might just be planning to head elsewhere.

You may know the right way, but so does everyone else. And their right way may be the exact opposite of yours. Who knows who is right and who is wrong? Each person's point of view, to him is as real as another's. The heart is the only compass we all have, and it works in mysterious ways. Who are we to say who's lost?

echoing bells

Oh echoing bell
upon the field of night
linger thy sounds
within the air so bright

to mine ears
doth reach thy cries
calling mine name
in voices nigh

naught could I do but listen
thy beckoning filled with passion
kneel I do before thee
addicted to thy creed

each breath I doth take
in thy memory in my wake
hail to thee
oh echoing bell

pray free mine heart
I beg thee feed mine soul
thy voice of honey
doth make me whole

oh echoing bell
thou hath me weakened
mine strength taken
thy echoes become mine

I be naught without you
I am for naught but you
mine soul doth relish in you
pray do tell me it's true

pray do say
thou doth love me too.

Dreamcatchers

A willow hoop woven into a circle with a web center and feathers. It is a native american dreamcatcher. And it is more than just a necklace or bangle. It holds more than just material beauty. It has significance. One that is (as is always the case with such things) overlooked by those who sell, wear or buy it.

Dreamcatchers are an authentic american indian tradition which began from the Ojibway tribe. It is a tradition held close to the hearts of Indians. It is not just a trend.

These things are said to be able to filter and protect their wearers from nightmares and bad dreams at night. The dreamcatchers were originally hung over cradles to protect children from nightmares. Bad dreams were captured within the strands of the web, letting only good dreams flow down to the sleeping child below.

Many legends revolve around this little Indian trinket. Many differetn versions with multiple storylines and legends. But if there's one thing they all have in common, it's that it is capable of filtering dreams. Dreams and nightmares are believed to be spirits that float freely in the night sky. And when one dreams, one is said to be receiving guidance and wisdom.

How much of this is true? Few people can fully even remember their dreams. So how could dreams affect a person in any way? Who knows the realm of the unseen? But dreams are visions. Though their origins may be hidden or blurred, they all open up to new sensations and personal experiences.

Dreaming is experiencing a different life. And at times, it unveils a lesson upon which to be learnt. It is the growing of the subconscious, Living a life in death. Living within another realm.

The dreamcatcher, like a compass, points towards supposedly good or helpful dreams. This would mean having less dark painful recollections trapped within the bowels of the subconscious.

Though we may not realise it, nightmares can find their place in the thoughts and memories of the person. And at times, these fears can stay around and you may find yourself lonely even among friends. Dark dreams and dark visions have an adverse effect upon you that you may not even notice.

We've all had such experiences before. where we find ourselves in a horrible dream that we dread and can do naught about. And every so often we search for ways to overcome such happenings. Perhaps the dreamcatcher is such a method of doing so? Perhaps. Who knows...

Money = Favors?

Money. A sign of power or ownership? A means of owning things or repayment? Or perhaps a method of replacement?

Money makes the world go round.

Currency. It began with pebbles, beads and precious metals. And it has evolved eversince into pieces of paper and insubstantial numbers.

It has become so widespread it has turned into the nervous system of our civillisations. No longer do we find ourselves bartering one deed for another and one form of goods for another. We trade with currency. A medium by which the value of all goods are measured.

We are paid to work. We sell our belongings for pieces of paper. We trade food for currency. Money has become the essence of our livelihood.

Money is in truth nothing more than an I.O.U (I owe you). It is a system of trading favours. One good deed in return for another in the future. It is a debt.

You work hard under the supervision of another person. Instead of giving you food or shelter as was the case for people in the past, or returning one good act for another, we've learnt to instead trade money for all these things. Money has taken central stage in our determination of value and such. It has become an integral part of our world. In exchange for our service, we take these green I.O.U notes with which we can call upon the services of others around us.

We use the money given to us to buy food,seek shelter and other such comforts. We make it into a method of repayment and replacement for whatever deeds we've done for friends, family or even strangers.

Indeed, money is a method of giving a body or material value to help and favors. Promises given a more specific and countable value.

The cream in the cake of life

Riches. Money. Gold. Luxury.

All of them things men and women constantly crave for. No matter how much they have, there's always room for more.

With prosperity comes happiness. Such is popular belief. The more you own, the happier you will be. Or so it is said. Picture yourself with riches around you. All the money in the world to buy all the things you want. What will you buy?

Will you be happy with excessive luxury? Will it all be good? Wouldn't life be so much better with more money and luxury? Is it even possible for a person to live without any money at all?

With money you can travel, eat, have fun and even make friends. Can you ever have too much of any of these? Or are you better off living life with less money and wealth? Is he who is poorer wiser?

Having less money usually means having to get by with what little you have, living off the bare minimum. It forces you to pay more attention to what you need. Often tearing your eyes off the unnecessary and unneeded. Do riches blind?

Does wealth open your eyes? Does it bring with it knowledge and new possibilities? Perhaps not.

Wealth, like friends, love and romance, are things that you can live with or without. Icing upon the cake of life. Without it life would be bland, but that doesn't mean you can't live without it.

Even without great riches surrounding you, life is still a tub full of possibilities. There's always a long list of things that could, would or should be done. Granted there are things that you can't do and options that are opened only with great wealth. But are those things that you can't live without?

Richest is the man with little wealth but more happiness.

To know Creator....

Knowing God. What does it take to know The Creator? What does it mean to know Allah? How much do we know of Him?

It doesn't take too long to figure out. The answer is very clear and concise.

In this world littered with so many different religions and teachings, we find ourselves confronted with questions every day. Who is He? What is He like? Is He real? Where is He? Each question mark designed to shake the foundations of our belief. Each a test of our faith.

Who is Allah? And what is He like?

Allah is our Creator. He goes by 99 names. Each describing an aspect of His Greatness and Beauty. To know Him, is to know His names. But even then it would not be enough. Knowing the "Asmaaulhusna" only brings you a step closer to knowing the Greatness of God.

Look to the past. Learn from what has transpired within history. Read through His books. Learn from His past prophets. All these could teach you what He likes and what he frowns upon. Perhaps then you may learn more of God.

Even then, we've known but a tiny fraction of the vast greatness that is Allah. How could our minds fully comprehend the greatness of Allah? Our akal and our capacity to understand is very much limited. How could we learn all there is to know of The One who created us as well as the entire universe we live in? When we can't even understand ourselves that well yet.

Is Allah real?

Are souls real? Is the world real? Are we real? Is love real? What is real?

He is our Creator. Without Him we could not exist. Without Him te universe would cease to move or exist. How else would everything begin? Is it possible for all these things in the universe to exist without a Creator? So, is He real?

Where is Allah?

He is above us. Upon His throne, looking down upon us. There are also those who would say that He is all around us. But who are we to know? We are but His creations. Made to worship Him and know His glory and greatness. Be He upon His throne or near us, He is The All-Seeing and All-Hearing. It suffices to know that He is gazing upon our every action. He is The All-Knowing. How important then, is knowing where He is?

To know infinite glory. To know infinite greatness. To know the ends of our universe. Are these things possible? Is it possible for us to know God? To truly know Him?

It burns....

Blood red fury burning
Coursing and pulsing
It boils within me
Oh the power

I feel it
I see it
I hear it
I am it

Feral thoughts in my head
Fissures in my reality
Quakes of passionate hate
Oh the power

I feel it
I see it
I hear it
I am it

This ravenous fury
It hungers for justice
It demands payment
Sweet revenge

I feel it
I see it
I hear it
I am it

Indigenous selfish wrath
Beligerent selfworth
Screaming for right
My right

I feel it
I see it
I hear it
I am it

Nothing could change it
Nothing could be done
I am it
It is me

I feel it
I see it
I hear it
I am it...

Within the blurry eyes of a man...

Within the blurry eyes of a man, there lives anger
Within the blurry eyes of a man, exists hatred
Within the blurry eyes of a man, is the devil

In his hand, a bottle. In his eyes a glazed clarity.
His mouth spews out words. Each phrase dressed in enmity.
His breath a stench of foulness, just as wretched as his desire
His thoughts seemingly clear, are clouded by an invisible fire

He speaks fo the devil, he speaks of ghosts
He knows God, or so he boasts.
Each spin of his tongue, a venomous bite
That perverted snake of a man

That forked tongue, tipped with lies
Those fangs sharpened by untruth, cushioned with deceit
Those cunning eyes, hidden beneath a cowl of innocence
37 years written in his head

Each a vague picture misinterpret
In the end he's naught more than a man who's lost his way

Within the blurry eyes of a man, there is loss
Within the blurry eyes of a man, there is sorrow
Within the blurry eyes of a man, ithere is no tomorrow.

Qis...as i promised....

Silence shed

Silence accentuates the senses. A short trip out in the middle of the night will tell you just as much.

In the silence the ears listen. The eyes stare. The skin feels and the nose smells. Sensations are enhanced. New sounds are heard. The chilly air is colder than ever. The shadows are blacker than black. Every footstep echoes. Every breath is a drag. The silence is a flood of sensations.

In the silence there is mystery. In there is beauty. Only in silence can you hear everything. Without distractions, focusing would be so much easier. That is just what silence is. The loss of distraction.

Walking in silence lets you hear more. The sounds around us blind and confound us. They overwhelm us. The sounds of cars rushing past, people shouting, music playing and machinery whirring away. So much sounds all around. So much disruption.

The world we live in is so noisy it is hard to even hear ourselves thinking sometimes. We'd be lucky if we know even half of what's going on in our lives.

Taking a walk around in silence would tell us that much. Take some time to hear ourselves. Spend some effort to listen to who we are.

When we take the time to listen we'll be more able to find peace. Peace exists in the calm harmony of silence. And only in silence can we carry ourselves with grace and kindness. Only when at peace can a person go through life feeling happy and content.

Contentment can only be found when you know the value of what you have. How can you value something if you do not notice it? How can you notice something when your senses are dulled?

Exalt your senses. Be silent.

Remember your friends.

Boyfriend. What comes to mind when this word is mentioned to you?

Girlfriend. What are the thoughts that run through your head upon the mention of this?

Friend. What is a friend to you?

Who are these people? Can you come up with a name upon being asked who your friend is? Who is your boyfriend? Who is your girlfriend?

Why is there such a divide? What is the difference between a boyfriend/girlfriend and a friend? Why is there a divide between the two? Is one more significant than the other?

We've all seen it before. Couples holding hands. Smiling at each other. Conducting PDAs(public display of affection) everywhere they go. Are such actions indignified? Is it wrong? Do such things make one's boyfriend/girlfriend more special than any other friend? Do these things elevate him/her to a status beyond that of anyone else?

Is it fair to lose time you usually reserve for close friends in order to be with someone new? Is it wise to do so? Is he/she worth it? What could posess you to leave friends you've known so well for years to be with someone else?

It is human to want someone. To be with somebody who completes you. A person some of us would call "the other half". We call these people our "boyfriends" or "girlfriends". But are they any different from our best "friends"?

Let us understand the term friend before we proceed further. A friend is a companion in life. A person who will see through thick and thin. A company to keep loneliness away. Someone who knows you. Who is a part of you.

Be it boyfriend, girlfriend or best friend. They all share one thing in common. They all know you. They make up a part of you. So is it alright for a person to set aside his/her friends for his/her boyfriend?

To answer this question, we need to first change our perceptions. Think of the boyfrined/girlfriend and as more than just a friend. Think of the couple as lovers.

When one deems another his/her lover, one pledges loyalty and devotion to that person. This usually means the sacrifice of freedom, self as well as life as he/she knows it. A boyfriend/girlfriend is a catalyst for change. A step up from friendship to family. So do you care more about your friends or family?

Just because you have a lover and you spend more time with your lover, it doesn't mean you don't care for your friends. Just remember them. Friends care for you as much as you care for them. They need to know you care for them too. So don;t forget them. Spend some of your time with your friends too.

New love may enter your life, but forget not the old. Remember your friends.

The silent teachings of the tree

Be strong. Strength is something to be respected. But do not flaunt, for strength shown off is a sign of weakness.

Be silent. There is strength in silence. A woman suffering in silence is a hundred times stronger than a man with a blade. Show not your grief and pain lest it be unbearable. Make not more noise than is absolutely necessary. Instead, listen.

Know your roots. And know them well. No one person can go far on his own. Remember that no matter how high you go, you would never be where you are right now without your family and close friends. No matter how strong you are, you can never stand on your own.

Reach out for the sky. Know that there is much awaiting you. Do not be afraid to reach for the sun. It may be striving for the impossible, but only with testing your limits can you find your peak. Who knows how high you can reach.

Have pride yet be humble. Stand tall. Do not let others walk on you. Do not step on others either. Know your own greatness but do not flaunt it.

Be patient. Good things come to you in time. Do not rush.

Kindness is a virtue. Lend aid to those around you. Show your gifts with your surroundings that you may make a better world. Help them. You never know when one day you may need their help.

We rarely remember the gentle giants that are the backbone of our ecosystem. It is time we remember them. This, is a tribute to the trees.

Count Dracula

This, is done on behalf of a certain friend of mine who requested to know abit more about the "Prince of Darkness: Count Dracula."

First of all, let me ask you what you know about the Count? List down everything you can recall about him,then read on.

The Count: What he is.

Count Dracula is a fictional character made up by Bram Stoker. No. He is not real. His name was inspired by a historical figure from Romanian histories. Vlad Tepes(Vlad the impaler), also known as Vlad Dracula(Vlad the Dragon). Take heed though, Vlad was in no way a vampire. Nor did he believe in their existence.

In actual fact, Vlad was a cruel and strict ruler who deemed any criminal acts within his country punishable by death through impaling. Be those atrocities lying or stealing or murder, you're punished by death on the stake.

Count Dracula is not the first vampire in history. In fact, there are earlier literature of vampires that existed before Bram Stoker's Dracula. Indeed these stories extend to beyond centuries long past.

Dracula, like most other vampires in the olden days, is capable of walking in sunlight. Though it seeps most of his supernatural abilities away, it doesn't kill him. This is only something that began to become a popular aspect of vampire stories after the film Nosferatu came into the scene.

He is more than a vampire. Cunning, gifted with culture and intelligence and a bloodthirstiness directed by a clod-hearted intuition. Posessing both supernatural physical as well as mental sharpness, it is no great wonder that he's caught the fancy of many movie makers as well as storytellers alike.

Indeed, he is a story turned into a legend. He, is the ultimate villain. A snake gifted with a glib lying tongue. A suave demonic monster who feeds upon the souls of man.

But is he really a monster? How could one so human in appearance, so polite in nature be totally evil? Or is he really evil?

These are but some of the many intricacies that make up the Lord of Vampires. There's much more if you wish to find out about this elusive mystical being. Yet, what's more interesting than him, is Vlad Tepes, the man whose name had become the inspiration for this ghastly beast. There could be no more contradictory person. Nor one so complicated. What I've learnt from these two men, is this.

Judge not a book by it's cover. Judge not vampire by his name. Judge not a ruler by his actions. Know why they do what they do. Know why the want what they want. Only then will you understand. Only then will you know them.

This very same understanding, can be applied to people too. Sometimes, people can do things that appear evil or ugly to us. But they may have their reasons for doing such. Do not judge them until you know them.

Read more about Vlad Tepes here

teen confusion

Teen. Its etymology dates back to the Old English time, when it meant Misery or Affliction.

Teen. Short for teenager. Refers to anyone within the age of 13-19.

Love. Friendship.Family.Life. Not new things to a growing person. Rather it's something that suddenly becomes more complicated when one enters teen-hood. Why is this so?

The teenage phase is a time of discovery of the self. It is the time when the person begins to lear to judge and oppinionate for his/herself.To recognise both good and bad. Something that is termed in Islam as aqal(akal). It marks the beginning of his/her break away from total dependence on parents.

Decisions are made and the first seeds of wisdom are sowed. Hormones run wild and they busy themselves in their search for love, friendship and life. This is when teens find themselves in a whole new world.

Can a teen discern right from wrong? Good from bad? The answer is yes and no. What a teen lacks is experience and wisdom. Experience dictates actions and wissdom predicts consequences. Some of these things can't be learnt or taught in school. Rather, they are experienced. It is something that we gain as we grow older.

But remember this; Though they may lack the years of experience of an adult, the teen is also gifted with youth and aqal. So, even with these two gifts, can teens still be confused?

Let's further understand the meaning of the word confused first. To be confused is to have the lines between good and bad blurred. To not be able to see the difference. That is confusion.

A teenager, just setting out on his/her journey of self-discovery is still innocent. His/her eyes and mind can be easily clouded by the world and its denizens. Teens are perhaps the most easily tempted to brash and erratic acts due to the lack of wisdom. It only takes time. For teens, like trees, need to grow before they can weather the storm.

So, is a teen confused?
Perhaps. It's natural for a teen to be so.

Can he/she be helped?
Yes

How?
By a friend. Not a parent who treats him/her as a child. A teen does not like to be treated as a child as he/she has grown up. He/she has aqal.Besides, adults can get confused too every once in a while.

We are all travellers here. Equipped with our compass and travelling a road littered with junctions which can confound us at times. All we need, is a helping hand.

Meaning of life

A meaning to life. There has to be something more to it. An empty life is not something worth living. But what need have we for a life full of meaning if it's no different from any other life?

One thing that we've been taught during our time in this world, it's that everything happens for a reason. And that reason gives the event meaning.

And we, being humans are constantly asking what that meaning is. We keep asking for reasons, causes and effects. Trying to figure out the layers and reasons why things happen. What is the meaning behind a certain event? Why would a mother slap her child? Why would a man drink? What are we here for? Why am I writing this?

For each of the above-mentioned question, there can be a whole myriad of answers. And each answer would give the action or event in question a whole new meaning. It would invoke an absolutely different response each time.

Let's take for example the event of the mother slapping her child.The mother slapped her son due to frustration. Is this acceptable? Perhaps.

But what if I told you that her frustration was due to the fact that her son had interrupted her while she was on the phone with a friend? Has the meaning behind the action changed?

Now, what if I told you that her son was suffering an asthma attack? How do you feel about this now?

And if she continues on beating him even after she realises that he's suffering an asthma attack, would the meaning of the action change in any way?

As you can see, with the inclusion of each additional factor, we find the meaning of the action takes on a different color.

Such is the nature of meaning. When we give an action a meaning, in truth we are comparing it with something else. We are judging it. Meaning is the layer between two things. It is the "nothing" that becomes "everything" about what we do. It is all about giving a name to that which is nameless.

And many of us have tried to do so. To give meaning. Not find it, rather to try and give it meaning. But how do you give meaning to life? And when you do manage to do so, will you be satisfied with it? Can you be satisfied with it?

Balqis

Beautiful
And
Lovely
Queen
In
Satin

Why just look at her
Wouldn't you fancy that
One so beautiful
With an attitude to boot

A lioness covered in a coat soft
A lovely angel cowled in a hood
A happy smile upon her face
And a glow of angelic grace

Be she a princess or a queen
Or the mistress of an arabian king
one way or another one thing's for sure
her beauty's more than just material

A lovebird whose wings've been clipped
no longer she flies so wild and free
down-to-earth and full of love
even though sadness rings her world

A gentle friend independent and kind
her rough exterior hiding a soft lover
her words bittersweet sugar
ever willing to help those in need

Ever self-sacrificial
ever in suffering she smiles
even in pain she smiles
ever hiding herself

Naive
Angel
Born
In
Loveliness
Anew

Loving someone else

To be in love with another's lover. Be it a love triangle or otherwise, it would only lead to problems. It has been the subject of many a story, from "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai"(that's a Hindustan movie by the way) to "Friends" the comical television series.

To fall for a person who has pledged his/her love to another. Such an occurance is as natural as night and day. It can happen to anyone. Even you.

Why does it happen? Why would we want someone who is already attached to another? Will we ever be able to find for ourselves satisfaction from someone else when we know our heart belongs to another? Will we ever find peace?

It is very difficult to make a decision knowing one way or another someone will be hurt. So should we approach and attempt to break the couple apart or do the selfless deed of leaving them to live a healthy life together?

When such a question pops up, it is then that you know that the time has come for you to do some soul-searching.

Ask yoursef, do you really care for him/her? Or is it just a passing crush? Perhaps it will die down with time; like it always does. Is it just lust and wanting that's making you "love" him/her? And does he/she need you the way you need him/her? And finally, think about the future. Would his/her future be better with our without you?

Sometimes in loving someone, you have to learn to let go. You can't hold on to a bird that wishes to be free. It'll only die in your hands if you do so. If in setting it free, you find the bird returning to you, then perhaps, you've won over its heart. Then again, why would a bird leave one coop to enter another?

Always the first step to loving someone is to choose to do so. So why choose a bird in a cage when there's so many others flying free?

to those who stare at the past and have their backs turned to the future

The past. It makes up a part of who we are. It directs and points the way to what we will become. It is a lesson.

Memories of the past are given unto us as lessons, not windows of opportunity for us to mourn and cry. To wallow in sadness over past mistakes is a grave mistake in itself. Cherish the experience and learn from it. Know that what you've learnt from it can be used to change and affect the present and future.

I leave the past in the past and use that experience to grow not diminish my life.
-Ronald DiBisset

We store within our past an infinite cache of wisdom from which we can draw lessons to better our future. It is a gift to be able to do so. Don't turn it into a curse. A person living in the lpast is a person reliving his death.

When you make a mistake, don't look back at it too long. Take the reason for the thing into your mind and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.
Hugh White

As living breathing human beings, we need to learn to look forward: Brighten up our days and rise afresh like the sun. Let not the weight of the past drag you down. Step upon them as you would stairs and rise higher instead. Be free.

Yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it, You either run from it, or you learnt from it.
-Rafiki in The Lion King

Me?....

You have wings of STEEL.

No one's really
sure why, but at this point in your life you've
shut off emotion to the point of extreme
apathy. You are cold and indifferent much of
the time...or perhaps you're just a good
pretender. Next to impossible to get close to,
even those who do never see the real you. It's
entirely possible that YOU don't even know the
real you. You have a certain fascination or
attraction to destruction on a massive scale -
disasters, perhaps even death or the concept of
the Apocalypse. Because you hold so much
inside, one day you're simply going to snap.
Then the mask will fall away, and your true
wings will be revealed. Until then you will
deal with whatever comes your way in icy bitter
silence and acceptance. On the positive side,
you are fearless and immeasurably strong - not
much can crack through your defenses. You
intrigue people, who can't help but wonder why
you're the way you are. A loner and one who
spends much of their time brooding and
contemplating life and death - you are a time
bomb waiting to explode and create some
destruction of your own.

Image Source:
elfwood.lysator.liu.se/.../nmetalwings.jpg.html

*~*~*Claim Your Wings - Pics and Long Answers*~*~*
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Lies

The truth about lies.

We can't live with them. We can't live without them.

Lies have always been the plague that haunts the lives of people young and old. Some see it as the inevitable, others frown upon it with most distrust. Some say it is necessary. Others say we're better of without it.

We've been gifted with the gift of gab, but oft it comes with the curse of a glib tongue.
Lying comes to us naturally. As children we tell tall tales, often blurring the lines between reality and the realm of imagination that we tend to live in as children. As young kids we begin to lie with self beneficial reasons in mind. As adolescence and teens we see lying as alternatives to keep situations in check and avoid conflicts or hurting those we are lying to. Untruths called white lies.

But is there really any difference between the two? Is there such a thing as a white lie? Is there such a thing as a good lie?

Be there white lies or otherwise, deception has always been frowned upon by people. Be it from whatever religion you're from, lies have always been seen as sins.

From the Bible: Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

From the Quran: And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). (YA, al-Baqarah 2:42)

In the Hadith, Prophet Mohammed was also quoted as saying, "Be honest because honesty leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Paradise. Beware of falsehood because it leads to immorality, and immorality leads to Hell."

Indeed lying has been introduced to us as something that holds within it much evil and great transgressions against the Divine. Yet, there have been cases where we find that honesty could only lead to more pain. There are bound to be cases where we find ourselves backed to a corner where the only way to bring goodness is through deception.

So how do we justify lies? When is it alright to hide the truth under a cushion of lies? When is it ok to fib? According to the Quran, there are times when one is actually encouraged to hide the truth.

Some examples of when it is ok to do so:
-For reconciliation among people.
-In war.
-Amongst spouses, to keep peace in the family.
-The necessities justify the forbidden.
-If faced by two evils, choose the lesser of the two.

Even when faced with such decisions, one should always be wary of what one says. For words not thought before uttered may lead to disaster.

As it goes in a malay proverb: "kerana pulut santan binasa, kerana mulut badan binasa." ( The coconut milk is ruined thanks to glutinous rice, just like the body is ruined thanks to the mouth )

To be a friend...

Listen closely to the land. It calls out. It sings out its name. Savor it. Feel it. Sing with it. Listen.

Trees everywhere, with birds perched upon their branches. Flowers stretching out, waiting to be seen. Butterflies fluttering out in the breeze, under the shadows of sunlight. How much of this could we see?

Never is there enough time to appreciate. Rarely is there any time to waste on such trivial matters. Matters easily forgotten.

No. There are more pressing matters at hand. There's always more pressing matters at hand. Constantly do we rush for goals we alone could comprehend. Only we know why we rush. So busy that we have absolutely no time, to look at the land arouund us. To look upon the land.

To feast our eyes upon nature. To witness the sea rolling upon the sand. To smell the fresh salty fragrance brought by the breeze. To lay sight upon the setting sun. And to feel the calm of the woods. The serenity of the land.

No. We are too busy for that. Too busy to notice the creatures that live with us. We are far too important to be wasting our time with the animals that live so close to us.

To listen to the beating of wings of an eagle. To ask the cat how he feels. To see and touch the turtle and ask why he's shy. To see the tree and touch it. To feel it.

We have no time. We're too busy to be..

A FRIEND

Pool...a lesson in life

Life is like a game of Pool. You can start the ball rolling but you never know when it will stop. You could learn new tricks, attempt to master the secrets, but in the end, it's all up to chance.

There is always a goal you wish to achieve. A certain ball that needs to be nudged down a specific pocket. But you can never achieve your goal(slotting the ball in the pocket) until opportunity presents itself. Before that happens, you need only be patient and go on with the game, satisfying yourself with other targets.

At times, things don't seem to be going your way. Balls fall into the wrong pockets, your aiming gets a bit off and you keep losing. But that is no course for alarm. You never know when the situation may buck up and the end might prove more rewarding than the beginning.

When obstacles get in your way and there seems to be no clear route, try your best. Don't give up and say you can't. Your cue ball may be tucked away behind those stripes(assuming you can't hit the striped balls) and there seems to be absolutely no way around your predicament. So be it. Just try your best. That's what's important.

In the end, how the game finishes may not matter as much as what you learn from it. You could keep shooting and shootin, and win. But if it was all by accident and you're not learning from your mistakes, you may find yourself comitting the same mistakes over and over again. You have to learn before your game can improve. The same way life can only get better when we learn from our mistakes.

Focus. Focusing on your gameplay can lead to wondrous results. Yet distractions are everywhere. Distractions can kill your game. Lose your focus and your planning your defeat. This is a lesson for life. If we focus and set our minds on getting what we want, we're bound to get it sooner or later. This is a useful lesson in life. It will get us somewhere.

There are many lessons that we can learn from pool. Just like there are lessons to be learnt from soccer and basketball. Everything we do, from fun and games to simple observance, holds behind it a lesson and teaching. So when we do something, take the time to reflect upon it. We might learn from it.

Friendship lost

The years haven't been too kind to you. Gone is what was once a bright shining star. The compass and guiding light in your life taken away. A companion lost.

Friendship is a very easy knot to tie. It is equally easy to unravel. A small quarrel or a slight disagreement gone uncheck could lead to disastrous results.

We all experience loss every so often. The loss of a friend is no exception. Friends can deteriorate to strangers, your best bud could become your worst enemy. And when it happens, it would be a tragic thing indeed. We all wish to preserve our friendships. To have a friend is to have a "north star". To have a direction.

Our friends tell us which way to go in life. And when we lose our guides in life, we begin to feel lost and alone. We feel empty. Sad.

Yet life still goes on. We carry on with our lives while at the back of our minds, lurks the everpresent nudge of missing someone.

No matter what we do and how we try to look at it, things will never be the same again. We will be haunted by the shadow of a friend lost.

The years will pass and we will go numb from the pain. There will come a day when we look back to friendship lost and can do naught but sigh. A lost friend is a tragic loss indeed.

Transmutation...changing the world

Creation comes from destruction. The only kind of creation that can defy this very law, is divine creation. And that is something only God Almighty can perform.

We humans have been gifted with the ability to create and perform amazing feats. Ingenuity and creativity are traits present in all of us. We've built tall buildings and underground subways. We've made submarines and high-flying planes. We've written novels and drawn comics, We even created civilisations. But out of the million and one things we've created, try to name even one creation that did not result in some form of destruction or another. Buildings and submarines all require metal to be melted and moulded. Huts call for wood to be used. Pottery needs clay that needs to be moulded and dried.

What we are actually doing, is transmuting. Changing. And this form of creation, is a three step process
Understanding
The first step to transmuting is understanding. A proper understanding of the object to be changed enables us to better comprehend the consequences of our actions upon it. Being able to predict the sort of change the object will go through is very important if we wish to change it.

Break down
Before the transmutation or change can take place, we have to break down the raw materials we are using. We change it into its most basic of elements. We destroy. Fuel and matter are broken down to give us power and the necessary resources to create something new. We can't make something out of nothing. There is always a source of matter as well as power.

Create
The final step is the creation process. We make a new object out of the bits and pieces of the old. We change the resources we had at hand to make something that we deem worthy of our time and efforts.

This form of creation that we practice is more suitably called transmutation, which means to change or alter in form and appearance or nature. It is making the new out of the old.

When practising this, we have to abide by the laws of nature and physics. Laws that state that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. And that matter can never increase or decrease, simply change or move.

There is only so much matter and energy in our world. We can neither add nor alter this amount. Our creations are merely bits and pieces of the whole.

Only He can create. Allah Almighty is the only One who can create. He is the Creator. When he says "Be" so shall it happen. Only through him is there existence. Realise that we are but transmuters, not creators. We borrow His creations. Be humbled by this thought. Do not even once think ourselves gods.

Change... light...

Light. We can't live without it. It chases away darkness. Brings with it life and joy. Gives us the gift of sight.

We are at home in the light and fear darkness. When caught in the dark unknown, we begin to picture strange and scary things. We solicitate darkness with evil, the unknown.

Light signifies change. A transfer or presence of power. We see light as something that is burning. Lightning, a pure force of power. Angels, powerful beings created from light. Quarks, the tiniest form of matter, is made from photons(packets of light).

We see light everywhere. It is an essence that is found within everyone and everything. Light, is the building block of movement and change. When we see light, it is a sign of change.

Explosions, flashes, reflection and refraction of light are all movement and change.

We are but human beings. We cannot live a stagnant life. We need to see movement and change. And light is the medium that shows it to us.

Darkness, the absense of light, is stagnant. There is no appearance of change. It is all hidden within a film of blackness. A never-ending silence that screams out pain. We could never live without change. It would kill us. We would slowly deteriorate from it. From the emptiness.

Silence

Do not mistake silence for ignorance
For silence is not empty though it seems so

Even a thousand words could never compare
To the message transferred by one cold stare

A mind consumed and filled with thought
Would have less to say than one which is not

As a rubbish can would ring much less
If it was full than one empty of trash

Look up to clouds that roll by slow
Silent till their power becomes storms full grown

Take the lesson that they now teach
Be quiet and listen, do not preach

Thoughts...

Dark cold thoughts. I'm sure everyone has them every once in a while. The idea of stealing something, the prospect of killing someone or even the thought of self destruction.

These ideas are dealt with differently from person to person. Some shake it off and avoid letting it grab a hold of them, others simply relish it.

There is an evil side to all of us, just like there is some form of good in us too. It's what makes us human. What makes us different from other people, is which thoughts and ideas we choose to project.

Kind and caring people are those who choose to help out those in need. It is in their nature to do so. That is the path in which they choose to trudge. Yet within those very same people could lurk a nature that is more disruptive and ugly. We may just never see it. That's all.

Big tough bullies may appear heartless and brutal. But that doesn't mean that they have hearts of stone. Within a coconut lies a soft white milk sweet as honey. And within a ground so hard is a diamond clear and valuable. You just need to dig for it.

Yin and yang is something that is very real. Just like there is a dark shadow for every ball of light, so is there an evil for every good in us. It is our nature to have fluctuating thoughts that oscilate between love and hate. The question is which thoughts do we manifest?

Vodun (spirit)

An African religion. A belief in the spirits and the existence of dieties. The belief in the power of the otherworldly to manipulate our very existence. A tradition having existed over 6000 years ago."Vodun".

The belief in spirits called "Loa". Spirits of people whom have left the physical world. Exceptional souls who have been given dominion over certain aspects of our lives. Spirits such as:
   - Agwe: spirit of the sea    - Ayza: the protector    - Ezili: the female spirit of love    - Sango: spirit of storms

The art of voodoo, is as real as ghosts and the devil. As real as angels and djinns. It is as real as the dark arts of the bomoh and the spiritual prowess of the taoist priest. And just like those very examples, it is something that can be practiced for good or ill. It is a belief.

Similiar to most other unseen arts that are practiced the world over, voodoo has been interpreted by the mass media and made to look evil and ugly. It has been linked to the worship of dark beings. Satan and other mystical faerie whose love for the gross and unholy corrupts the practitioner. But how much of this is true?

A voodoo practitioner channels his will through voodoo dolls, invoking the spirits to do his bidding unto others. Wishes are granted. Wants are given. Needs are satisfied. And all of these done by spirits?

Stories of people harmed by voodoo and dark rituals plague the Hollywood scenes. And yet, there are more traditional views that border upon white magic surrounding voodoo. Its potent healing powers aid Africans in their time of need. When ailments haunt them and spiritual well-being is threatened. When their diety comes down, possessing the bodies of priests in order to help those who seek it. How much of this is real?

Are these things naught more than placebo effects? Tricking and toying the mind to achieve results. Conning the blind and rooting down believers in its mystic arts. Could any of this hold even a ring of truth?

Yet, truth only exists in our eyes. And the truth of voodoo lies in those who believe. Perhaps, it is belief that drives and gives it power. A harnessing of the power of the mind, channeled through a doll, calling the powers of beyond to take heed. Or perhaps, there really is a hidden power that comes to the aid of a voodoo practitioner. Just like there is a djinn that is said to accompany the bomoh in his escapades.

What is the truth of the voodoo doll? You be the judge.

lost? alone?

The world surrounds you
It moves without you
you're alone
moving on your own


The seas roll before you
The land unfolding around you
you're but a visitor
to everyone but a guest


The caves stand above you
Their watery walls engulf you
You're not a part of this world
You're different


The music that soothes you
It threatens to drown you
You don't care
The music is the only thing that listens


Flooded rivers guide your way
Pulling you through torrential rain
You see through them
They don't mean a thing


In woodlands you prowl
Your only guide hidden
The music is everything
You can only trust it


You're lost
You don't know where you are
You're all alone
Only you understand


Only you.
Nobody but you.

P.S try reading the whole poem through,
and then reading it by colour- red and blue.
You might find something new.

The Man Who Knows. A tribute.

Living the life of the man who knows.

It is a very difficult thing to do. The life of such a man is wrought with sorrow. It would be like treading along a path in the wake of a hurricane.

The man who knows is most aware. He is awake in this world of dreams. He is most saddened and yet at peace.

Living the life of the man who knows is like being in the heart of a tornado. He is looking out to chaos, suffering and loss. And there is little he could do to help but pray.

Within the eyes of the man who knows, lies sorrowful serenity and wisdom. Looking into them is like looking out to sea. He calms you down and asks you to think. His knowledge is seemingly never ending.

But who is the man who knows? Just look around you. He could be just about anyone, anywhere.

hatred and pain

Hatred is the intense hostility and aversion towards something that comes from fear, anger or sense of injury. A distaste that may emerge from very negative past experiences of dealing with such an object, be it justified or otherwise.

It is another step in the direction of anger. A dislike so great that it may last through years without end. And it burns from within. Much can be learnt from human history about the nature of hate. Racial prejudices, family feuds and world wars.

Looking at all these events, there's one thing we can concur. Hate leads to pain.Unbridled hatred could lead to much suffering. Not only to the object of the hatred, but also to those around him.

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.
- Martin Luther King

It's ugly indeed. Hate blinds. It clogs up judgement and makes us irrational. With hatred comes the power to do ugly things, things that we couldn't ordinarily do. It enables us to inflict pain upon others as well as ourselves.

We've all been taught to love and show concern toward others. Islam promotes peace and forgiving.(as do most other religions) We've been told time and time again, that hate, only leads to pain. But how much of this is true?

Let's just put ourselves in this scenario:
Picture yourself alone in a room. And picture, next to you, a being so monstrous and ugly, that it makes your stomach churn. A titanic beast with eyes of the purest evil and a sinister smile left you frozen with fear. Look at its claws, dripping with poisonous ooze slimy and purple, as it claps and clitters them together, relishing in the clacking sounds that leave your ears ringing in eternal torment. Its putrid breath, sending out a vaporous black stench that makes your eyes waters and your nose flare up in pain. Disgusting?

Now picture this monster as it tears up your loved ones, killing them slowly. Sending them off from this world in a torturous and pain filled death. Peeling their skin from their flesh slowly and steadily. As it enjoys the screams of pain that comes from the burning throats of your loved ones. This monster, is hatred.

If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us. -Herman Hesse

There are those who hate something because they find it ugly. It is horrendous to their eyes. They find within it traits that they find displeasing. Traits that should never be manifested. These traits are ugly thoughts made real. Thoughts that sometimes we have but deem evil and not to be shown. Somethings are hated because these things are outward manifestations of the darker sides of us.

Watch your words.

Nothing could hurt more than poisonous words from a sharp tongue. The right curses and a well chosen insult could pierce a heart and leave it bleeding.

The most flowery of praises could be tainted by hatred hidden within a voice so sweet.

We seldom realise the full extence of all that we're saying. Each word, each intonation, each drawl and pause gives power. The power to affect and change those around us. Sweet greetings and harsh good byes. Angry curses and mellow confessions. Every sentence could change those who hear it.

In this day and age, we find ourselves bombarded with all sorts of suggestions.

"Buy this car. Get those shoes. You'll need these clothes."

We've tangled ourselves within a web of culture built upon the backs of ideals imprinted upon us by others. As a matter of fact, we add our own strands to this evergrowing culture of ours. This very passage in itself will change you; in one small way or another.

Music. Another fine example of the power of words. Ballads. Songs with lyrics that could touch our hearts, caressing sofly like the wind. Memories are called forth from the depths of our thoughts just by reading and listening to them.

Poetry, writing art forms surrounded by words. All of them tied to us. All capable of inducing feelings. The manipulative power of words incarnate.

Be swayed. Listen. Understand. Know that each time you say a word, it could mean more than what you think. Watch your words.

Silent Night

Lie down and look up at the ceiling. Turn off the lights and just stare. What do you see? Look closely. Then listen. Open up your ears and listen. (this works best at 1:00 a.m when the rest of the world is mostly asleep)

The empty screen, the low hum of the world, the silence all brings you to bear. Your thoughts and feelings all revealed and unveiled.

How many among us do find ourselves pondering on our fate and current state during the moments before we lay ourselves to rest?

There are those among us who cry before falling asleep. Tears of sorrow, loss and pain never fails to invade our eyes and heart when we're all alone.

There are also those who smile as the lay themselves down to rest. A million smiles and thoughts of love could surround them, chasing away the clammy claws of the night and wrapping them in a blanket of soft warmness like no other.

When darkness is all that is around, and the coolness of the night is the only thing that caresses your soul, that is when your feelings shine out. When you're all alone.

Painful thoughts, flashbacks, visions of the future and dreams. Deep thoughts emerging from the subconscious that we tend to bury in the brightness of sunlight.

Meditation accompanied by the ebony silence of the night brings out retrospective thoughts and a moment of self-reflection. It is the only time when our true feelings can flush themselves out.

During the silent night.

ACHOO

We've all sneezed every once in a while. Some of us sneeze due to dust in our noses, and other seemingly normal reasons. Others due to allergies. But have you ever heard of a Photic sneezer?

A photic sneezer is someone who is suffering from Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophtalmic Outburst. This is a medical condition where the person sneezes involuntarily upon exposure to bright light. The number of sneezes following the exposure ranges from an average of 2 to three to about 40 sneezes. ACHOO!!!

You would think that this is a very rare case, but you would be surprised by the results. In a study done in a medical school, 23% of its students were suffering from it. The syndrome occurs in men and women alike, having a likely chance of being passed down from parent to child. Yes. It's a hereditary condition.

So the next time you come out from the dark into sunshine and you find yourself sneezing your butts off, perhaps you have ACHOO!!!

Sneeze away my friends....Sneeze away.

to want and to need. what is the diference?

To want and to need. What is the difference?

Want: The desire for something one feels is lacking.
Need: The lack of the means of subsistence.

We all need to want, yet very few among us want to need. For to need something, is a sign of weakness. But to want something shows character. The desire gives stability. A reason to live. It makes life more palatable. Adds flavour.

A want comes mainly from envy. It is a desire for something which we do not truly need. Something perhaps we could live without. A car, a big house, riches and perhaps even friends.

Needs encompass whatever we can't live without. Food, drink and even the air we breath. All things material that would kill us if we're deprived of them.

Yet, if you think about it, besides the material, we also have psychological and spiritual needs that require tending to. Friendship, love, closeness to the divine. Because living without these needs satisfied would make for a miserable life. A life not worth living.

The link between wants and needs is very complex. Wanting to achieve a certain goal could change your needs to better fit your ascension towards that particular goal.

We're like spiders spinning our webs.

How the spider weaves its web changes according to the location of its choosing. A spider in a corner of the wall spins its web differently from one in the branches of a tree.

Our wants shape our needs the same way the location shapes the spider's web. Thus do our needs morph as time passes.

For example:
A person who wants to have love in her life would need a man. Trustworthy, loyal and a romantic.

A person who hungers for riches beyond compare would have less need for a loved one than a competent business partner. Someone who's more intelligent in the ways of business than love.

So what's the difference?

The difference lies in satisfaction. A need can be satisfied, but watns will keep on coming back. Because a need sprouts from the urge to fill up the emptiness in ourselves; while a want is usually the product of envy. A want creates emptiness.

So the next time you think you need something, or someone, take a step back and ponder on it a bit. Is it a need or a want?

Hmmm...

Life.

Life. It passes us by faster than a flash of light. One minute you could be standing and feeling vibrant and alive, the next you could find yourself lying in your deathbed. But what happens when death cuts it so short that there is barely any time for you to live? Then, and only then do you appreciate life.

I looked at his tiny white form, wrapped in pure white cloth. No movement. No breath. Not a single sound. Nothing. I couldn't. It was just too difficult. To accept that one so young could be taken away. A child. He was just a child. And yet there he was. Just lying there. No movement. No breath. Not a single sound.

All around in the room, people mourned for him. People who had never gotten the chance to know him. People like me. We all looked at him. We could all feel the pain. The sadness. The sigh of silence that permeated the room. My silent tears.

The procession then continued. Leaving our house. His house. On towards his final resting place. It was a dreary walk. Slow, quiet and depressed. My footsteps echoed in my heart. They grew heavier with every step I took, But I bore with it.

"Be strong."

We finally reached it. They lowered him down, I watched on in the blurry waters of my eyes. Then, came the earth. I looked on as he slowly disappeared. His pure white dress drowned in the emotionless brown of the land.

"Goodbye."

Fairies...bright and shiny...

Fairies. What are they? They exist within the folklore of many a country. Appearing as beautiful maidens with wings so lovely.

The root of the word fairy comes from the Old French word Faerie, which is in turn derived from the Latin word fata, meaning "fate". Yes. Fairies are magical beings believed to be able to control fate.

Faeries have been stereotyped as diminutive beings of kindly disposition. But once upon a time, fairies were portrayed as being neither small nor kind.

Folklore concerning fairies nowadays have degraded to simple childish stories of tiny people dancing in rings, living in hills and flowers and other such nonsense.

Yet fairies of past contexts appeared as a varied lot of individuals, ranging from little green men to fiery maidens with wings of flames. In fact, there have even been refferences to demons and devils as faeries.

Thinking back on what we know, the word fairy could encompass close to anything that holds a certain degree of power over us. "Fata". That is what they are. And of course, the ultimate fairy of all.

The devil himself.
So remember this. Never judge a book by its cover. You never know when the fairy that you're talking about might be the Dark One himself. Beware of fairies...

Treasures of a woman.

This is a recounting of an article I've read from another site. In no way is any of this my writing. Just thought that it would prove a good read. Cheerio :D

"If memory serves me correctly, I was wearing a little white tank top and a short black skirt. I had been raised Orthodox Muslim, so I had never before worn such revealing clothing while in my father's presence. When we finally arrived, the chauffer escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father's suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day. My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them." He looked at me with serious eyes. "Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."

The seven sins.

Sin. An offense against religious law. A transgression of the law of god. A crime.

The seven deadly sins are those transgressions which are fatal to spiritual progress. You probably commit some of them everyday without thinking about the rich tradition of eternal damnation in which you're participating.

Why seven? Who decided on putting only seven? The christian church made a division between sins which were venial with those which were capital. These capital punishments which were seen as fatal to the well-being of the spirit, were thus named the seven deadly sins.

Truth of the matter is, The seven deadly sins are a classification of all human acts regarded as gross in the face of God Almighty.

What are the seven deadly sins?

First.

Superbia
Pride. Proud or disdainful behaviour or treatment. The sin from which all other sins arise. It involves an excessive belief in the self that interferes with the sinner's recognition of the grace of God.

Then comes

Invidia
Envy. Painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage. Simply put, wanting. Asking for more than what the Almighty has given to us, indeed is it a sin.

Next is

Avarice
Greed. The excessive and insatiable desire for wealth and material gain. Desiring for more than you need. Greedy individuals are often believed to be harmful to society as their motives often appear to disregard the welfare of others: if one person is to increase in wealth, somebody else must be decreasing in wealth. Such is the hoarding of God's gifts a sin.

Followed by

Gula
An excessive indulgence in food and drink. A sin for those who refuse to share that which The Creator has given them. For His gifts are to be shared and cherished by all of mankind. Not for one person alone. Gluttony.

Also

Accidia
Laziness. Sloth. The disinclination to action or labor of either physical or spiritual in nature. Putting off the tasks asked of you by God, even ignoring His commands entirely. Great is the sin of one who does ignore the calling of God Almighty.

The sixth sin

Luxuria
The unbridle desires of the flesh. Sex. Lust. The wish to make love to another that one is not married to. Great indeed is this sin in the eyes of God.

Last and certainly not the least

Wrath
The heart of the devil. Anger. A strong vengeful indignation. Feelings of hatred, revenge or even denial, as well as punitive desires outside of justice. May we be saved from such feelings.

The seven deadly sins. Evil in the eyes of God, and negativity that could only lead to a bad end.

Marry me...

Marriage. The ultimate contract of all time. The bonding between two souls meant to last for all their lives. For better or worse, through thick and thin, till the end.

Marriage. A proclamation of love, trust and loyalty between love-birds. An eternal binding of two lives. A melding of two souls to live through the rest of their lives as family.

Marriage. Love. Sacrifice.

There is no marriage that can survive without sacrifice. A marriage without love is naught more that a contract. A marriage without sacrifice is naught at all.

A pyramid is built upon the back of slaves. And without the slaves, there can be no magnificence within the pyramid. Such is the case with marriage. For without sacrifice, marriage will fall apart within selfishness. But before we continue on, let's better understand the meaning of sacrifice.

What do i mean by sacrifice? Sacrifice is giving in. Letting go of selfishness and ego for the sake of your significant other or loved one. Forgetting your self and wishes for the sake of others. Ring a bell? Yes. This is exactly what people in love would do for one another. Sacrifice.

You might argue that sacrificing is something done out of necessity, not love. Well, look at it this way. Love cannot survive if you are not willing to part with your wishes every once in awhile for the good of your loved one. How could arguments end if neither party would give in? How can you compromise if both of you continue to state your case without cutting a little slack for your partner? Thus the necessity of sacrifice is made. Every once in a while, you'd have to give in to your love'd one's needs and wants.

Thus far, we've identified that sacrifice is important in love and marriage. But how much sacrifice should you make? The answer? It's not with me. The answer's with you; and him/her. How long do you wish for the relationship to last? How long do you wish for the marriage to last? As long as you wish to keep the relationship strong and healthy, you'll have to be willing to make some sacrifices.

Sacrificing a bit of time for the family. Overcoming your ego to please the family, tearing yourself away from other activities to bring happiness to the family. All these add up to the betterment of the relationship. Thus is marriage dependent on sacrifice.

Arguments will rise in marriage. It is a long road full of potholes that couples take. And as soon as they enter the stage of marriage, the potholes get bigger. And neither one could cross through without the other. For the ties that bind, binds them together as one. No longer are you just man and woman. Now have you become husband and wife.

No longer are you alone. As the days pass, it may grow harder for you to remember this. But this is the most important thing you must remember. Everything you do now will be for each other. Not just yourself. For good or bad, it's for the both of you.

That is marriage. It is a link. When one suffers, both sufers.

Then comes another important question. Is it love that leads to a good marriage, or is it just chance? Does love grow as time passes within a marriage? Love. Yes, it can lead to marriage. And newly weds usually find themselves overcome with joy and ecstacy upon marriage. But time passes and that excitement may dull down.

Then, does the test of faith and love come in. For it is when you have grown accustomed to each other that loce and care can truly develop. You learn to live with each other, share your thoughts and feelings, sacrifice some time and put in effort to try and understand each other. Develop trust and concern for each other as is expected of married couples.

How long can you keep doing that? How long before you grow tired of the endless "being together" and "loving each other"? Yes, one day that will happen. The romance will not last forever. It is then that you, and him/her will have to make the effort to renew the light in your marriage.

This is the very reason why you tie the knot. Why marriage has become something of great import between a couple.

Once the love and affection has mulled down, the ties of marriage is what binds the two of you together. Marriage is what give you the responsibility to keep on going and to keep on caring for one another. It is what motivates you to keep loving each other.

Marriage. It is a contract. It is a binding link. It is love.

Belief...

We judge by what we perceive. We perceive by what we believe. We believe only what we see. We've all watched stories like "The Matrix". Movies that emphasise on how the world can be shaped by beliefs and thoughts. And there are psychics out there who believe that the mind can shape the material realm. That we are capable of more.

How much of this is true? And how much more are we capable of? None could answer that question. For the answer changes with each person, with each passing day. Each man's belief, changes the degree of control he has over his surroundings.

Ranging from the self-confident suave rich man who believes he rules the world to the bum sitting on the roadside begging for food and money, believing he is naught more than a bug trying to scrape a living off the donations of the working people. Both men have a strong sense of where they stand within the hierarchy of society. Thus that is where they've wound up. The street bum may feel that he belongs elsewhere, but until he changes his sub-conscious mindset and truly believe that he is great, then he'll never find his way up from just being a street rat.

Our thoughts and beliefs indirectly determine just about all the choices that we make. From small choices such as the type of clothes we wear, the type of music we listen to and the kinds of people we hang out with, to big decisions that will determine the path that our future will take. From this, one could say that one's belief does change the world.

Do not be mistaken though, for the world is made up of multiple different dimensions. Each of us living in his own dimension, where everything is centered around us. Each person adds a different dimension to the world. A different layer from every person. And each person has a relatively complete control over his layer, bestowed with the rulership of his realm. Thus can we make things move our own way, by affecting that which is within our sights and control. But how far does our control stretch to?

Let's look at it this way. The dimensions that we live in, are not merely physical. Rather they are more spiritual and mental. We live in a material world, but we are empowered with abilities beyond the physical. Yet we've become so attached to the physical that our spirituality and soul has become suppressed and repressed. Our senses and belief dulled to the point where we feel incomplete and unable to practice the control. Unable to change our fates.

People begin to believe in a predestined end. Some start believing in fate. Others think their lives, and everything they do, had been pre-planned. That they never really had any control over their choices. Could they be any more wrong.

Truth of the matter is, we are the ones caging ourselves. We've limited our powers and beliefs. If we could change our beliefs, to morph them to better aid our lives. For with belief, we can rationalise and get over our fears. With belief we can empower ourselves. With belief we can move mountains. With belief, we can overcome all challenges. With it, we change our fates.

What do you believe?

-List 10 beliefs that you hold about yourself... for example: I am short --- Life is a struggle, I am a good cook... I have too much to do... nature is beautiful - and harsh...
-consider how these beliefs impact your life, look at which beliefs hold you back in life, - and what your options are, how could you shift your perspectives around those negative beliefs ...

Condolences for the dead...

Roses for the dead. Condolences for those who've lost. In the death of millions, that's when we're reminded of the dead. How ironic that we may not take too much interest in the deaths of one or two people, but when thousands are lost in the wake of the sea, we start propping up virtual roses to respect them.

What good are virtual roses to those who've passed on beyond the grave? What use are condolences to those who can't hear them? Why do we do that which is unlikely to make a change in their lives? How many among us truly feels for these people who are suffering in the wake of the tsunami? It is easy to say that we feel sad for them. But do we really mean it?

I've seen a couple of people who confessed sadness for the deaths of so many, yet manage to enjoy themselves at clubs dancing their nights away. Sadness? Respect? I'd like to ask one simple question. Where is the sadness? Where is the respect?

It is hard for us to feel for people whom we barely know. It is difficult to care for someone we've never met. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's difficult. For in order for us to care, we need to know. And the victims that we are mourning for, are people we don't even know of. It is close to impossible for us to understand the pain and anguish that they are going through, and we're better off not trying to.

Yet there are many who claim to feel for these people. I can't say i do. For to do so would be close to lying. I look at the pain they go through, I understand it. But I do not feel it as something tangible and clear. Rather, it's like a distant alarm. Resounding just inches from the edge of my senses. Clear enough to be heard yet to dull to send tingles down my spine.

Tonnes of people around here are claiming sadness, but i look around and wonder how many of them are being honest. If you can still enjoy yourself while others are in misery, I wouldn't call that respecting and feeling for the dead. Or perhaps they do so to show that they're human. Are you doing it for that reason? Look deep down and think. Why do you show concern? Is your concern something real, or are you just making a show of it? Trying to establish yourself to your friends as a human being. Trying to show to everyone you care. Trying to become the kind generous person that everyone will love. In other words, being selfish.

Well, i judge from what i see, but what i see is not everything. So to all those who may take offense from these words, I'm sorry. Just had to put out my two cents worth, and hopefully make you think. As for those of you who truly care for the victims of the tsunami attack, do take light in the fact that those whom have died, may have found themselves at peace somewhere out there. Leading towards a better life on the other side. So cheer up. Life moves on, there's still much ahead awaiting us. Look on to what's coming, lest it catches us by surprise.

Naught more than a smile to lighten the load of a heavy day...GARFIELD!!!!

Cherrio :D

It has begun...

We've made it through another year. Time to look back to the past and forward to the future. Good times and bad pile up in litter. And we're bound to sweep them all aside and continue on once more through another. Just like we've done in past years. Just another year amongst all the years.

2004 is another year left behind now. Time to welcome 2005. Has anything changed within our lives? Any new discories? Anything learnt? Transferring to another year is supposed to be an ushering to change. There has to be something different in our lives. For a life of stagnation is an impossible thing. Especially so for us. For humans can never live as such. Constantly we seek for a change and motion within our lives. Seeking constantly for the harmony of movement and change, we have to see change. To live it.

Can you feel any change? Has there been any difference to your life? Have you changed?

The answer to that would probably be a yes. We all change with time. We're always changing for the better. Morphing and lifting ourselves ever-higher towards a goal that only we could see. The year may end in raining tides and floods of painand yet usher in a day filled with sunshine and summer tunes. What ever the case, greet it with a smile.

So wipe that frown off your face and smile. Welcome the new year in open arms. I'm sure it has something good waiting for you out there, as it does for everyone. So we're a year older. So we have exams waiting for us at the end of the year. So what? This year, just like the last, will have it sorrows and joys. Let's smile and cheer up. Have a beautiful beginning filled with a happy end.