Ch 07 On The Effects Of Education Story 11
When I was a child I asked an illustrious man about puberty. He replied: ‘It is recorded in books that it has three signs. First, the age of fifteen years; secondly nocturnal pollutions; and thirdly, sprouting of hair on the pudenda; but in reality there is only one sign which is sufficient that thou shouldst seek the approbation of the most high and glorious rather than to be in the bondage of sensual pleasures; and whoever does not entertain this disposition is by erudite men considered not to have attained puberty.’
The form of man was attained by a drop of water
Which remained forty days in the womb.
If in forty years it has not attained sense and propriety
It can in reality not be called a man.
Virility consists in liberality and amiableness.
Think not that it is only in the material figure.
Virtue is necessary because the form may be painted
In halls with vermilion or verdigris.
If a man possesses not excellence and goodness
What is the difference between him and a picture on the wall?
It is no virtue to gain the whole world.
Gain the heart of one person if thou canst.
Related quotes
Ch 02 The Morals Of Dervishes Story 44
I asked a good man concerning the qualities of the brethren of purity. He replied: ‘The least of them is that they prefer to please their friends rather than themselves; and philosophers have said that a brother who is fettered by affairs relating to himself is neither a brother nor a relative.’
If thy fellow traveller hastens, he is not thy fellow.
Tie not thy heart to one whose heart is not tied to thine.
When a kinsman possesses no virtue and piety
Then severing connection is better than love of kinship.
I remember that an opponent objected to the last two lines, saying: ‘God the most high and glorious has in his noble book prohibited the severing of connection with relatives and has commanded us to love them. What thou hast alleged is contrary to it.’ I replied: ‘Thou art mistaken because according to the Quran, Allah the most high has said: If they both father and mother, strive to induce thee to associate with me that concerning which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not.
A thousand kinsmen who are strangers to God
Are the sacrifice for one stranger who knows him.
Ch 02 The Morals Of Dervishes Story 46
A faqih had a very ugly daughter and when she attained puberty no one was inclined to marry her in spite of her dowry and wealth.
Bad is the brocade and damask cloth
Which is upon an ugly bride.
At last it became necessary to marry her to a blind man and it is related that on the said occasion a physician arrived from Serandip who was able to restore sight to the blind. The faqih, being asked why he had not put his son-in-law under treatment, replied: ‘I fear that if he is able to see he will divorce my daughter.’
It is better if the husband of an ugly woman is blind.
Of Getting A Female Child...!
My mother dreamt of a boy child
While she was carrying me
in her womb;
Alas! I was born! A female child,
My father has to save a portion of his salary
For my marriage to settle with the dowry;
While I attained puberty,
My father spent a portion
To make his savings empty;
I have to forgo my dream
Of my college degree and
Settle with higher secondary;
Nowadays I find lot of photos
Of eligible bridegrooms
Spread over my shelf;
The boys who planned to love me
Vexed with my horoscope
And departed me;
I made a decision finally
Not to marry
To avoid the worry
Of me getting a female child…!
poem by V.K. Kanniappan
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In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it - thou art a fool.
quote by Lord Chesterfield
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In seeking wisdom thou are wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it thou are a fool.
quote by Rabbi Ben-Azai
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The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there.
Ch 08 On Rules For Conduct In Life - Story 02
A great man having been asked why he wore his seal-ring on his left hand, whereas the right possesses so much excellence, replied: ‘Knowest thou not that the meritorious are always neglected?’
He who has created joy and distress
Apportions either excellence or luck.
Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man's own will.
quote by Thomas Aquinas
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ch 03 On The Excellence Of Contentment Story 02
Two sons of amirs were in Egypt, the one acquiring science, the other accumulating wealth, till the former became the ullemma of the period and the other the prince of Egypt; whereon the rich man looked with contempt upon the faqih and said: ‘I have reached the sultanate whilst thou hast remained in poverty as before.’ He replied: ‘O brother, I am bound to be grateful to the most high Creator for having obtained the inheritance of prophets whilst thou hast attained the inheritance of Pharaoh and of Haman, namely the kingdom of Egypt.’
I am that ant which is trodden under foot
Not that wasp, the pain of whose sting causes lament.
How shall I give due thanks for the blessing
That I do not possess the strength of injuring mankind?
Ch 02 The Morals Of Dervishes Story 39
The son of a faqih said to his father: ‘These heart-ravishing words of moralists make no impression upon me because I do not see that their actions are in conformity with their speeches.’
They teach people to abandon the world
But themselves accumulate silver and corn.
A scholar who only preaches and nothing more
Will not impress anyone when he speaks.
He is a scholar who commits no evil,
Not he who speaks to men but acts not himself.
Will you enjoin virtue to mankind and forget your own souls?
A scholar who follows his lusts and panders to his body
Is himself lost although he may show the way.
The father replied: ‘My son, it is not proper merely on account of this vain fancy to turn away the face from the instruction of advisers, to travel on the road of vanity, to accuse the ullemma of aberration, and whilst searching for an immaculate scholar, to remain excluded from the benefits of knowledge, like a blind man who one night fell into the mud and shouted: “O Musalmans, hold a lamp on my path.” Whereon a courtesan who heard him asked: “As thou canst not see the lamp, what wilt thou see with the lamp?” In the same way the preaching assembly is like the shop of a dealer in linen because if thou bringest no money thou canst obtain no wares and if thou bringest no inclination to the assembly thou wilt not get any felicity.’
He said: ‘Listen with thy soul’s ear to a scholar Although his actions may not be like his doctrines.’
In vain does the gainsayer ask:
‘How can a sleeper awaken a sleeper?
A man must receive into his ears
The advice although it be written on a wall.’
A pious man came to the door of a college from a monastery. He broke the covenant of the company of those of the Tariq. I asked him what the difference between a scholar and a monk amounts to? He replied: ‘The former saves his blanket from the waves Whilst the latter strives to save the drowning man.’
Philosophy Of Beauty And The Beautiful
Simplicity is beauty,
Purity, divinity;
The virtue of quality
Excels that of quantity.
Beauty that pleases the sense is good,
Beauty and vitue are good,
Seek for things simple but noble,
Virtue alone can ennoble.
True beauty is simply graceful,
The graceful are beautiful,
There's beauty that's deceitful,
Nature itself is beautiful,
Beauty is perfection of form,
Virtue and good sense conforms,
Beautiful things may deform,
But virtue act in good form.
poem by Merlin Archivilla
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Girl of Fifteen
Girl of fifteen,
I see you each morning from my window
As you pass on your way to school.
I do more than see, I watch you.
I furtively draw the curtain aside.
And my heart leaps through my eyes
And follows you down the street;
Leaving me behind, half-hid
And wholly ashamed.
What holds me back,
Half-hid behind the curtains and wholly ashamed,
But my forty years beyond your fifteen?
Girl of fifteen, as you pass
There passes, too, a lightning flash of time
In which you lift those forty summers off my head,
And take those forty winters out of my heart.
poem by James Weldon Johnson
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Remember, that if thou marry for beauty, thou bindest thyself all thy life for that which perchance will neither last nor please thee one year and when thou hast it, it will be to thee of no price at all for the desire dieth when it is attained, and the affection perisheth when it is satisfied.
quote by Walter Raleigh
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Remember, that if thou marry for beauty, thou bindest thyself all thy life for that which perchance will neither last nor please thee one year; and when thou hast it, it will be to thee of no price at all; for the desire dieth when it is attained, and the affection perisheth when it is satisfied.
quote by Walter Raleigh
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Baby, the Divine Form
Behold the effulgent form of divinity
in the soft figure of a child,
which is endowed with pure,
white and beautiful teeth.
Verily in the mortal world,
the child forms heavenly bliss,
the fruit of conjugal figures.
In the lucid river of child’s body,
overflows the cheerfulness
of lovely love-creepers.
Sweet smile of the child is splendid
having indistinct utterance of syllables
and so an object of ever-remembrance.
In the lovely lips shine delicacy and lucidity.
Sarasvati, the Goddess of Speech,
spreads her nectareous jingling,
graceful, faultless and rich.
Auspicious divinity and purity
lightly and delightfully
dance in the utterance of the child.
Music, unread and unknowingly attained,
flows in the cries and gaieties of the child.
In the child, who bears
a miniature form of Cupid,
the god of love and beauty,
there abide guilelessness and swiftness limpid.
In every limb of the child,
reigns the guileless comeliness
sprung from the creation
of the omnipresent Supreme Self.
In the ambrosial abode of child’s figure
scintillate innocence as well as sagacity.
Effulgent appearance of divinity
one can obviously observe
in the delicate form of the child.
poem by Harekrishna Meher
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Ch 08 On Rules For Conduct In Life - Maxim 54
It is contrary to what is proper, and against the opinion of to partake of medicine by guess and to go after a caravan without seeing the road. The Imam Murshid Muhammad Ghazali, upon whom be the mercy of Allah, having been asked in what manner he had attained such a degree of knowledge, replied: ‘By not being ashamed to ask about things I did not know.’
The hope of recovery is according to reason,
That he should feel thy pulse who knows thy nature.
Ask what thou knowest not; for the trouble of asking
Will indicate to thee the way to the dignity of knowledge.
She was in the profession
She stopped her work at her lawn when she saw me
and leaned over the fence and we talked for over two hours
with my elbow on her posts and my feet resting
against the palings.
She had worked forty years in the same profession
and had seen generations through the doors. She
had enjoyed her work and people still call her to
tell her about themselves; they express their gratitude
and how much of a difference she had made.
She walked down the fence, waved her arms
and returned to the corner where I stood.
But what was work for?
she asked.
Forty years doing what was good for others
but nothing that was good for myself.
What was work for? she sighed.
What were forty years for? It destroyed me.
(from The Migrant - notes of a newcomer (February 1997- July 1998))
poem by Raj Arumugam
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Remember the 'Virtue Years'?
It is a good feeling to be thanked.
Without those ulterior motives floating.
Someone who just says 'Thank you! '
And that's it!
With nothing to gain.
Or leave behind nothing to suspect.
Is given undo attention.
If any is given at all.
Remember the 'virtue years'?
Those who are still able to maintain a sense of sanity do!
And there are so few still with 'us'.
I remember the days when people spoke and said 'Hello! '
Without one eyebrow arched over an eye,
Moving swiftly from one's head to toe.
Those who are lucky enough,
Know this.
And...
Children were so respectful.
Today,
If children are respectful...
Immediately we detect something is wrong.
So we hurry along to get away from them,
As fast as we can!
With a forced smile and eyes fixed,
On keeping them distant.
To get home as quick as possible...
To lock our doors.
And take sneak peeks from behind draped windows.
Hoping we have not been followed!
With claims of how the world has changed.
And not hold our own selves responsible!
Of course 'these' actions are not deranged.
Especially when it has been determined,
We have arrived safely to a protective place.
To then take our appropriate medications.
You know...
The ones for high blood pressure!
Remember the 'virtue years'?
Those who are still able to maintain a sense of sanity do!
Or whatever that is we are calling our fears!
And doctors then were not considered our best friends.
To call whenever we developed hypochondriatic symptoms.
At least we know they are there caring...
About our health and adequate insurance coverage!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Song Of The Bell. (From The German)
Bell! thou soundest merrily,
When the bridal party
To the church doth hie!
Bell! thou soundest solemnly.
When, on Sabbath morning,
Fields deserted lie!
Bell! thou soundest merrily;
Tellest thou at evening,
Bed-time draweth nigh!
Bell! thou soundest mournfully.
Tellest thou the bitter
Parting hath gone by!
Say! how canst thou mourn?
How canst thou rejoice?
Thou art but metal dull!
And yet all our sorrowings,
Arid all our rejoicings,
Thou dost feel them all!
God hath wonders many,
Which we cannot fathom,
Placed within thy form!
When the heart is sinking,
Thou alone canst raise it,
Trembling in the storm!
poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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Another Epilogue to Faith
If thou can move mountains
canst thou move my heart for me?
That it may beat the way it should be.
If I with thee can walk on waters,
canst thou dry the tears for me?
That I may walk in them no more.
If I with thee can do anything,
then why canst I love him back?
That I in kindness may fill what I lack.
If thou could lead the way for me,
canst thou put me to the path
that leads me to forgiveness..
that I may in goodness forgive myself.
poem by Jessel Jane Tevar
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