PORCELAINia
Dialogue with the Seeker
Seeker: There is one who upon his death left words for his children. What were they?
Ancient One: I know the one of whom you speak. He was on earth a good and honorable man who sacrificed greatly. He was self taught. His ideas may not immediately be obvious to you, and in time may come to have greater meaning for you. He wrote (As translated from Arabic by AEN):
"My lifeless body that you see will disintegrate after which no one will see it again as it was, but I am eternal as long as I am remembered. If I reach happiness, I shall give it to my family, lead them to the safe harbor, and plant in their broken hearts joy. I will revive those who have fallen into the pit of despair and rescue those who are on the verge of destruction. I was brought into this world to fulfill the happiness of my family, and I dedicate all so that they might understand what I say. The truth is the greatest treasure in the world, and the way to reach it is through the purity of the soul, its purification from greed, lust and the desire for power. What you sow today, you shall harvest tomorrow, for the future is the fruit of the present. Ignorance makes people hold to customs and unnecessary traditions, but true religion is the purity of the heart and the mending of broken bones. For he who is pure of heart and an instrument of harmony, traditions and customs are of no avail. Prayers are not empty words; neither are hymns if they come from the depths of ones heart in the name of truth to purify the soul keeping it from greed and evil doings. Those who practice discord bring misery and unhappiness to those around them. The world is full of evil, hardship, and sorrow because the world if full of greed. Self glorification gives the veneer feeling at the beginning of pleasantness and happiness but in the end brings sorrow and everlasting misery. Greed and lust will make you a servant and slave to them, and before you can discover truth, you must free yourself from them. To understand life in its entirety, you must understand truths from high above. Abide by them and lead forward on the rightful path and seek light and faith. Utter none but the truth and behave well. In the process of making a living, do so with honor and honesty. Be truthful in all that you endeavor. Be pure of heart in your intentions, thoughts, and daydreams and thus you can have inner peace. Open your eyes and face the truth with logic and wisdom. The cause of human misery today is the selfishness that manifest itself in war, greed, and lust. Plunge yourself into good works, into the service of others. Forget about yourself and God shall reward you. Those that do the good deeds are the popular and loved ones. For they have given more than taken. One can never reach perfection except by doing good and through love. One of the things you need most in life is a loving heart. Our deeds are like our shadows. They pursue us and follow us. Also have forgiveness in your heart, for not forgiving is to leave unquenched the fire within. Need not swear to tell the truth as long as you always speak the truth and have established this reputation. Speak not when you have nothing to say, but speak if you have something to share with others that may be helpful to them. Hate not your enemies but wish them well and pray for them. Do not be greedy or jealous of those who have more than you do, but be happy for them and wish them happiness. Be kind to others. Avoid discord not only in the physical sense but in the spiritual and mental ways. For at times what we do or say or how we may behave with and in front of others may cause discord. Keep the company of the pure and avoid the evil ones. Cast ignorance out and wear the robe of truth and knowledge. Only thus can you find the true path to eternal life. And through perseverance and hard work you find happiness, not by laziness and laying about. For ignorant ones take no heed of beauty or the end for he is so preoccupied with self. Destroying and not doing good is easy. It is the service in the rightful path and in the search of the truth that is difficult and is what one should pursue. How easy for you to overcome hate with love. You should only try it. And how you should overcome evil with goodness. You should also try it. And how you can overcome lies with truth. Therefore be truthful in everything you say. Do not let hate enter your heart. Lead others on the rightful path, to justice and to equality not with force and arrogance. Do not eat or drink more than your body needs or requires. Be modest in your needs. Be like that butterfly that sucks the sweetness of the flower without hurting it; yet, it feeds itself and gives fragrance all around. Budget yourself properly. Need not spend more than you can afford to. Give council to those around you and receive it as well. Do not ask others personal questions for they will be hesitant in answering and in doing so would bring back painful memories. Never discuss family and home problems with others, especially those of husband and wife, for these are not to be shared outside the hearts that were joined in marriage. Habits are formed by practice. Take care in your self analysis and find out what you are doing so you can reform yourself as time goes on. No good can come from one not good to home and family and his own people. Man's self respect is greater than his fame. Honor is greater and more desired than glory. Do not hold any grudge and be not jealous. Seek no riches and be afraid not of poverty. Thus you can avoid unhappiness and gloom and you pass your life in satisfaction. Keeping secretes and tragedy and disease are great gifts of man if he is able to keep these to himself. Remember life is not measured by its length nor our desires fulfilled by having them recorded at the notary public or as a legal document. Unless you are truthful to yourself, you cannot be truthful to others, for one follows the other as night follows day. Mental wealth (mind) is the true wealth. Deeds are more of the essence than rewards."