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To: tariqas@europe.std.com From: nagasiva@luckymojo.com (haramullah) Subject: Presumption 50000411 IVom assalam alaykum, my kin. a correspondent writes: > The part where Haramullah talks about "brazenness" at the end, reminded me > of one of my favorite books when I was a kid (I am still a kid compared to > those who heard Jimmy Hendrix live, but never mind that): The once and > future king. By TH White about King Arthur, I am certain that several > people on this list may have read all or parts of it at some point. I have read that book more than once and love it dearly. the character of Merlin/Myrddin is quite important to me, as are other depictions of him (and Mordred) in Arthurian and quasi-Arthurian legend. > ...So when we are on the Path -- is there ever a time when presumption > is the RIGHT thing to do? how do we tell if we are even on the Path, as you put it? where are the signs and omens? what if we have mistaken them? so many variables we take for granted, sure in our meandering through the Garden. so we have ALREADY presumed that we are on some special route rather than running the same course as all the others. here is where the presumption begins. is it "right" to presume we are on the Path, or anything else, for that matter? I think it may serve us a little while, but it is not foolproof. too many have taken turns from the Straight Path and contended them to be 'Short Cuts' only to find that we are the butt of Shaitan's joke one more time. but is exploration WITHOUT presumption valuable? if we do not at least TENTATIVELY presume, then won't we stagnate in our indecision and torpitude? this is where the Testimony of Faith comes in. it is the start of every spiritual path, whether this be in the form of the classic Shahadah (concerning the One and Hir Glory) or some other, the acceptance of guidance in the Faithful Testimony is essential. given this initial impetus of presumption based on our heart and the advice of our better(s), perhaps only the first presumption is what is required? after that should we rest assured? accepting a guide, we set ourSELVES upon the Path. what more could there be for us to presume given such a journey? and yet our guide is not always an intermediary between us and the world. nor may she always be available to us for consultation such that we can rely upon hir evaluation. the Most Compassionate makes available our own abilities to assess, discern, judge, indeed even tentatively presume. to avoid refining these through trial and error is to disregard these precious gifts. even our guide(s) will agree that there comes a time when all the study and training we may have received must be tried and tempered in what we call the 'Real World'. refraining from using our mind and heart to discover the Beloved whom we have overlooked and misconstrued is a sorrowful and shameful error, especially when we are of a strength and confidence due to the support of our guide(s) as to make these important, if potentially mistaken and error-ridden, choices. it is only when the presumption occurs before we are ready that the problems grow. otherwise we can proceed with care and the attention that such a Path requires. stabilized and grounded by our faith and guide(s), we can proceed to try, fail, try again, discipline and enjoy ourselves as we pursue the Great Work. > Is there a cathartic time when we HAVE to be presumptuous? yes, when we are testing out our new skin, when our training- wheels are firmly in place and our sources of authority are aligned in watching us attempt to apply the secrets that they have imparted to us. > Perhaps this is a question that even the spiritual > guide will refuse to answer for us. indeed, some guides will attempt to deny it until there is no other means of maturation. constraining the student until she is able and willing to break free, the guide may have strengthened hir so as to resist other dominating influences which unfairly bend or influence the will toward service of something other than that which she may worship and in which she may have faith. an ability to adhere to the mast while sailing into stormy weather may have been facilitated by our guide trying to take something we think we want away from us, while we do not understand that we are being prepared for an adventure on the High Seas. peace be with you, haramullah
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