Reflections

Trusting the Process Anyone who has pursued a long-term goal would acknowledge the universal truth that the journey is more important than the destination. The need to fall in love with the process, and to trust it entirely, should take hold of one's focus far more than the end goal.  This law of life is more applicable to the spiritual journey than it is to anything else. The necessity of focussing on the process of the spiritual pursuit is so paramount, that it has been described by the Promised Messiah (as) as "the only true prayer".   He writes: "...The only true prayer of man is to seek the straight path leading to God. For, to attain any objective, it is the natural law that those means should be acquired through which the goal is achieved. This is the natural rule that God has laid down in respect of achieving every objective: The means that are necessary for securing it should be attained and the ways by which the goal can be achieved should be adopted."

Increase Your Need "The mouse-soul is nothing but a nibbler. To the mouse is given a mind proportionate to its need, for without need, the All-Powerful doesn't give anything to anyone. Need, then, is the net for all things that exist: A person has tools in proportion to his need. So quickly, increase your need, needy one, that the sea of abundance may surge up in loving-kindness." - Rumi  This subtle truth about the practice of God is repeatedly mentioned in various contexts by the Promised Messiah (as). He writes about it with such conviction that it becomes clear that these statements are coming from a place of abundant experience. There remains no mystery or probability about it--it is a fact that God's mercy is such that it descends when and where there is a need for it. He writes in one place: "This is the same attribute that, at times, is roused to take care of the physical needs of the famine-stricken and pours down the rain of mercy upon parched land; and

In his speech at the 1925 Jalsa Salana in Qadian, the English translation of which has been published as Way of the Seekers , Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) spoke on a number of subjects relating to morality. One fascinating aspect that Huzoor (ra) elaborated upon was of the ego, willpower, and their relationship with avoiding sin. Although the term ego generally has a negative connotation in spiritual discourse, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) clarified an important balance. He said: "...It is agreed that the ego is like a horse. True, the horse has to be exercised. Within reasonable limits it has to be kept lean but not too lean; fit enough to ride yet not so unruly as to throw the rider. But have you ever seen someone who should have become a good horseman merely by starving the horse? ...If a person does not know riding, he cannot learn it by starving the horse. Similarly it is a mistake to believe that by starving the ego, you can tame it or can make it obey your commands. You control t

"Wisdom is the lost property of a believer" - Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Kobe Bryant's life was scattered with gems of wisdom, left behind for the world to pick up. His life was a lesson on ambition. Whether yours is athletic, academic, or even spiritual ambition, there's wisdom to be gained from studying Kobe's mentality. Kobe was a straight up obsessive competitor. He was relentless in his drive and ambition, and it stood out in all that he did in his 41 years of life. He termed his vision, his focus, and obsession as the Mamba Mentality. This mentality is what he wished to impart to others, as it was his greatest gift. When other players, competing at the highest level of the sport, shared that this was the mentality they were ruminating over during championship runs, Kobe said, "I feel great about it, it means everything that I've done throughout my career, it doesn't just stay in the history books. It doesn't just sit on the