An enlightened opinion

Friday, August 12, 2011 14:48 PM



Ramadhan meditation for inner enlightenment

Moh Yasir Alimi, Semarang | Fri, 08/12/2011 8:00 AM


Fasting literally means to hold back, to refrain from and to resist physical impulses. During Ramadhan, Muslims refrain themselves from eating, drinking and having sex, the three most basic forms of physical impulses, from dawn to dusk.

The goal is beyond abstaining from food, water or sex, however. The true goal of fasting is to realize one’s potential as spiritual a being, which is often dominated by excessive attachment to the selfish ego.

The Koran said, “fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you might remain conscious of God” (QS 2: 183). Conscious of God means we behave and live a life which radiates the lovely attributes of God: Love, compassion, and mercy toward the whole creatures.

An ancient and tested method, fasting is used by prophets of all religions to guide human beings from the desires of their flesh to the desires of their divine soul, to lessen the density of bodily impulses in human life.

“One cannot bring to perceive the subtle levels of reality without first quieting the grosser vibrations of the outside world. Everyday, reality is so striking that one has to make a conscious effort to downplay it in order to see the other reality that lies behind it” Inayat Khan, a great sufi teacher, observed.

Through fasting, Muslims should train themselves to return to their origin as divine souls and not be overly attached to the flux of worldly desires drawn by greed. The essence is not to get rid of desires,
but to train oneself not to become their slave.

Man should be the master of their desires and the slave of their conscience, not the other way round. Enslaved by the tyranny of egoistical desires, as we witness today, humans are trapped within an endless circle of violence and corruption.

Corrupt people think they can achieve peace by fulfilling their physical impulses, if necessary they will do this by accumulating wealth in ways that cannot be justified.

They will never achieve such happiness because a human being is a spiritual being. And the happiness of the spiritual being cannot be satisfied with materiality.

Some people seek happiness by imposing their own views and persecuting other people because of the difference of faiths. Religion in this case is in fact the only cover for egoistical impulses, for their failure to reserve space in their hearts for respecting others.

People will never achieve happiness through violence in the name of religion, either. Corruption and violence only make themselves the slaves of their own greed: The greed to accumulate wealth and the greed to impose one’s belief.

Very often, these people – corrupt people and religious extremists – look very religious outside because they think spiritual development can develop from merely conducting religious rituals, wearing religious symbols or talking about God and scriptures. But at the same time, they have left their heart unnurtured and their egoistical desires uncontrolled by doing corruption and being violent.

In his last discourses, Mu’inuddin Chisti, a sufi master, reminded us: “Mere talk of God and religion will not take you far.

Bring out all the latent powers of your being and reveal the full magnificence of your immortal self. Be overflowing with peace and joy, and scatter them wherever you are and wherever you go.”

So, it is only through controlling flesh desires, inner awareness can grow. This is the only way. And
this is the raison d’etre of fasting, and this is why Allah puts fasting in a very high place. “Every action of the son of Adam belongs to him except the fast. It is Mine, and I repay him for it.”

That is why Rumi, another celebrated sufi master, described ego as shells and fasting the weapon to break the shell. “Your chick frets within the egg with all your eating and choking. Break out of your shell that your wings may grow. Let yourself fly.”

Rumi also described fasting as reed. “Let nothing be inside of you. Be empty: Give your lips to the lips of the reed. When like a reed you fill with His breath, then you’ll taste sweetness.

“Sweetness is hidden in the Breath that fills the reed. Be like Mary — by that sweet breath a child grew within her”.

The essence of Rumi’s message is that by emptying ourselves for selfish desires, love, wisdom and self-realization can unfold within us. We can be like a reed that generates a beautiful music. This music will create a window within us and this window will give light to our self.

Corruption and violence takes place because we are ego-centered. Overly preoccupied by our own ego and greed will make us blind and insensitive to the concerns of others.

To heal this crises in the Islamic world, we should return to the basic teaching of fasting as exemplified by the the sufis.

The sufis call Ramadhan as the month of heart. It is the month where fragrance, love and self-realization should unfold in the heart.

When God’ consciousness rises in the heart like a wave, greed and hatred will be washed away like bubbles in the ocean. The essential duty for the man of wisdom is to keep the love in our nature ever increasing and expanding. This is why God requests Muslims to fast.

Unfortunately, the discourses of Ramadhan as we watch on TV rarely touches those issues. They emphasize the superficial issues and repeat the same discourses every year. As a result, the teaching of love dries up in the garden of public Islam. Religion is left as a form without substance.

The call to reinforce love is important because the wisdom of Ramadhan should outweigh consumerism and “money laundering” that dominate the practice of Ramadhan in Indonesia.

About the fasting of the heart, Confusius has a similar meaning to sufi’s explanation of fasting of heart. “The goal of fasting is inner unity. This means hearing, but not with the ear; hearing, but not with the understanding; hearing with the spirit, with your whole being.”

This is the only way Ramadhan can contribute to eradicate the rampant corruption and intolerance that endlessly hijacks the nation.

The writer is a researcher at the Centre for Cultural Pluralism, Democracy, and Character Building, at Semarang State University