Why Preaching? Part 1

  I've been preaching on non self limitating and self limitation, since it has been proven to be beneficial universally, again, without limitation. One famous Indonesian motivation speaker once mentioned that if everything in our life is the same, then we will not improve ourselves, since we'll learn nothing new. We have nothing to compare, i'd like to add. When we find things, including people, to be different, than it's not a reason not to study (or to cower away as many westerner and their impostors do) Instead, it's exactly the reason to study.

  Then, how we'd be able to extract lesson from those differences? By looking at the similarities that tie them in, that is embedded in all of them! Just because something is abstract, doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't exist. Take electricity for example. Can we really always see or touch electrical current? You get to be electrified first then to admit its existence?

  If we human don't study continuously, openly, and dare themselves to accept anything new (not necessarily agree with it though), however despicable it might be, we'd still be in caves by now.

  When we base our judgements only on personal knowledge and personal wish, instead of the one great universal truth (this isn't abstract either), we'll never reach peace, unity, and harmony, since human knowledge is limited and there are billions of human being here. Each with their own personal believe.

  So, it is not about the right to think, but about what is really right. Please differ what is truly right with thinking oneself as being right.

  At best, we'll attain peace by not adhering to the one real truth, peace between human, rarely with nature (to our own disaster). Like the Palestinians and israelis. Smiling in front, knives behind. What separate it from hypocrisy. Not to mention it will never endure, such "peace". Just postponing underlying conflicts. Unless we enjoy conflicts? I experienced the 1996-1998 riots in Jakarta and its surrounding, and it wasn't fun.

  To study is to step out of long held comfort (If it is comfortable at all. Be honest to yourselves).

  Well, thanks for being around. May Allah shines His light on us all.

Ego 2#

For all these times, Islam has been mis-understood and mis-interpreted, taken as a source of threat. Simply because it mainly teaches human (and jins) not to take their own self as the ground for determining right or wrong, but to take God as the basis for doing so. Simply because it teaches humans (and jins) not to rely on their own selfish ego to judge anything.

Just imagine. If we take what the north americans (and perhaps also the rest of the white people including the europeans) believe, that "truth is personal", then we'll come up with different versions of truth almost as much as living and even deceased persons ever live (and still live) on this planet. Yet, the fact is, we all live in the same plane, the same realm. Like it or not, and believe it or not, anything we did, do, and will do, will affect others.  The question is simply directly or indirectly, in short, middle, or after a long term. Still, we're interconnected.

So, take for example a bunch of natives in amazon or kalahari or papua or simply elsewhere, anywhere where we can find indigenuous people and rich land or body of water. They have their version of truth. Since "truth is personal", a big company planning on extracting and manipulating those rich soil or water simply has to hire expert(s), lawyer(s), to define what is "right" and "beneficial" etc. It doesn't have to be true, just has to make sense and right sounding. So, they gain the contract and start plundering the soil or water area. Will the result be different than a destruction of earth, regardless of they have all the public relation announcement explanation through the media, all the papers etc, describing them as doing something rightfully? The results, the facts, speak, and for us to carry the burden. Not all the justification been made up.

Or, prostitution. Say "what the heck, i play by myself, who will i do hurt then?" or "let them be, as long as me and my family have nothing to do with it". Sure. You play yourself, you keep that activity going on in your neighbourhood. You catch hiv aids, you get sick You yourself get hurt? No. You can't work. The place you've been working for loses its productivity. You can't afford your family. Me and my family have nothing to do with it? One day, either one of the prostitutes or their consumers gets hiv aids, then have a wound, and incidentally bruise over the skin of one of your family member, since you all live in the same neighbourhood. The same. And the above are just some of the misfortunes that might take place for using yourself as the basis for right or wrong.

So, rely on ourselves to determine which is right and which is wrong. It instantly turn out to be a simple contest of brute strength, wether physical, monetary, thinking strength, etc. Whatever the results, it will we ourselves again who have to live with it.

Still want to rely on our own self then to define the truth?

Find the truth. Consult God. Learn and study Islam. Get rid of those selfish ego of ours. Of me and you.

Ps/nb: and don't tell me you don't care about what happens to others, to nature, it won't affect you...It does.  And people still complain whenever something bad happens on them, even when they have their share in making it happen.

Swordmanship

People who hasn't understood swordsmanship often has many misgivings concerning it. Let me tell you something:

The real purpose of practicing swordmanship are:

1. To make the sword inseparable from us. In fact, it becomes nothing else but a continuation of our own body. So we'll be able to wield it as easy as we eat, walk, etc.
2. The higher one. To make the sword actually unified with us, body and soul. So it even exists in our heart and mind. This way, we can even use a blade of grass as our sword, and attack an opponent from 10 paces distance.
3. The highest purpose. Sadly, many people tend to dismiss this level of achievement. Either they forget it, or despise it, just overlook it, out of fear avoid it, or simply don't realize it. It is: to make the wielder comprehend the nature of sword so much that he feels enough of it, sort of fed up with it, so he "throw" the sword away from his hands and his heart and mind. Thus, he find tranquility, solace, peace...with God and all His creation under Him. Including with himself, the swordsman.

Does the latest, highest level of achievement render the swordsman impotent? Au contraire. Hasn't he passed level 1 and 2, meaning now he has become an extremely skilled swordsman? Yet, since he is in peace and no longer has intention to mis-wield the sword, he becomes a very secure person for the society. He might never use his sword for anything else save for practicing and to uphold the truth and justice, eg.: protecting the society he lives in.

If these all sound absurd to you, you better dare yourself to get the taste of it. Practice it. There's a good site to add to my explanation on this subject. You can find in in the right "Interesting Links" column in this blog, but i'll give it here anyway too: www.jidai.jp

Mind you, swords are not to be always taken literally. Swords here, as in our life, could mean anything we can wield to show, uphold, exert our power. That would include rifle/firearms, even nuclear weapon, and our positions, be it in the office, society, etc.

So you see...there's more to it than just martial art related matter. It's life itself. And ourselves.

Goodness, Kindness, Which Is Good and Kind?

An acquaintance of mine once said that in doing something good, beneficial, kind, the only thing that matter is our will/intention/motivation. By that, i interpreted that's it, that's all.

Is It?

Wrong.

Not apprehending what we will or is doing, also what we've done, not finding the truth about it first, what effects it will cause, will i benefit others by doing so, etc, is a sin in itself. In the past, in the colonial era, the british and the french and some other old european powers launched their conquering campaign that spun for centuries, under the pretext of spreading peace, law, and order over their then becoming dominion. so, many of their young citizens joined their armed forces and eventually backed up the colonizing programme.

Did they do more goodness to the colonized countries' native inhabitants? Well, did we learn subjective or objective history?

What is good according to one man might not be good for another. Forcing our version of goodness then itself is violating kindness and good will principle. Yes, as long as we intend to do good it will be appreciated. By God, usually, not by fellow human. Why? Because each sides define everything from their own perception from the beginning.

But we do deemed to do goodness, kindness, right? So which is good and kind?

The bible says "Don't lay yourself to the opinion of others, but rely yourself on the opinion of God". The prophet Muhammad saw/pbuh said "Ignorance/foolishness/stupidity is so close to sin doing" If someone is not aware of what she/he is doing, she/he might end up doing something that is bad to others, without ever realizing nor intending to do so deliberately.

So, let's not base our decision on selfish, petty human thoughts. Let's find the truth. The real truth.

Egg Man

Humans tend to be like eggs sometimes. Hard on the outside, yet, like an egg, so thin that hardness is. Just superficially, skin deep, indeed, literally. While on the inside, lays the soft matter, which is the real one. Real egg, real human.

The soft one, protected by hard shell. Without it, that soft substance simply spilled out, making no good use. But after some treatment with heat, it'll make a beneficial product. Egg being incubated by the mother hen, for example, will God permits allow a chick to come out. Egg being boiled or fried etc, will make a nutritious food (Don't eat too much of them though).

So, don't be affraid to tempered, forged, by "heat" in this life. Like a german said, "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger".

Keep fighting the good fight, dear readers.

Answered by a Slap

A young man who has just returned from studying abroad comes approaching an ustadz (muslim cleric, or religious figure, for there's no priesthood in islam). After reception, he asks straightly to the point:
" I've been keeping these questions i got from abroad, and so far, no muslim, including ustadzs, ever be able to answer them. Then i approach you. May i ask them?"

The ustadz replies "with God's permission, i'll answer them".

The lad says "i told you, no muslim including any ustadz has ever be able to answer them up until now. Are you sure yo'll answer them?"

The ustadz, showing a bit of hesitation, replies "I'm God's servant. I'll strive to do what i need to do with His leave".

"Fine", replies the young man. "Here are they:

1. Does God really exist? Proof it if you say so.
2. What's this thing called fate? As if every man has her/his pre-destined destination.
3. If you all believe satan was made out of fire, why would God throw him to hell anyway, at the end? Both are made of fire. Would something hurts other that has been made of the same substance?

" Is that it?", asks the ustadz.
"Yup, there they are", replies the lad.

The ustadz says "give some time to ponder please"
"Surely", replies the boy.

"With God's permission, i'll answer them now"

Before the young man has time to do anything...

WHAPP!!!

The ustadz slaps the young man's face hardly and swiftly. "What the...!?!", says the young man in awe. The ustadz then says "There goes your answer". The young man says "what kind of @#*% answer was that!?!"

The ustadz then says "What do you feel after i slapped you?" The lad says "Terrible pain!". The ustadz asks "Please explain to me what pain is. show it to me before my eyes, or hand it to my grab". "I can't!" replies the lad. "I can't even see it!". "But you believe it exists?", asks the ustadz. "Damn sure i do!" says the boy.

"Now so is God. We all can feel and believe His existence by feeling His presence, for example, by seeing all His creation. Although He Himself is yet visible".

"What my hand was made of?" asks the ustadz.

"Flesh and blood, bones, covered with skin", replies the young man.

"So we are the same, especially your cheek and my hand, and yet you still felt pain, correct?

"I did", answered the lad.

"What will prevent God from making hell made of fire able to hurt satan, who also had been made from the same substance then?"

"Have you predicted that i'd slap you?"

"No, replied the young man".

"There's fate. Something that ought to happen will eventually simply happen. We'll never guessed them out".

Does this story slap any of us?

Menempa Besi Selagi Panas

Terima kasih untuk ibu Sitaresmi S. Sukanto. Bahasa Indonesia yang digunakan untuk tulisan asli saya edit.

Bila melihat saya membawa tiga anak kecil berusia 10, 7, dan 5 tahun dalam aksi damai untuk solidaritas bagi Palestina, mungkin kak Seto yang dikenal sebagai pecinta anak akan berkomentar " Tega sekali membawa anak long march berkilo-kilo selama 4 jam. Itu namanya eksploitasi anak. Wah, apalagi melihat ibu-ibu lain yang menggendong bayi-bayi mungil itu dalam barisan panjang melintasi bunderan HI, melewati kantor PBB, dan akhirnya mendengar pidato-pidato di depan kedubes AS di jalan Merdeka selatan. Bisa-bisa ada anggapan bahwa para orang tua yang merupakan para kader dakwah sering melakukan child abuse, terutama bila muslim berdemo. Benarkah?

Kita tak meragukan kak Seto sebagai tokoh pecinta anak. Ia memiliki lembaga pendidikan anak-anak pra-sekolah, selalu berada di sekitar anak, memperdulikan dan mencintai anak-anak Indonesia. namun tanpa mengurangi penghargaan kita pada kak Seto, kita menegaskan bahwa ini adalah masalah perbedaan paradigma. Yakni bagaimana pandangan kita tentang mencintai seorang anak. Juga perbedaan konsep tarbiyatul aulad (pendidikan anak). Anak -anak kita adalah anak-anak Palestina yang berjuang untuk kehidupannya tanpa dunia perlu merasa untuk mengasihani mereka. Anak-anak kita adalah anak-anak Afghanistan dan Irak, yang negerinya dibumihanguskan oleh kekejaman tentara AS. Anak-anak kita bukan anak-anak yang dimanjakan dengan boneka Barbie dan segala simbol kemewahan sehingga tumbuh menjadi manusia yang brillian tapi tidak dewasa, kaya harta tapi egois.

Salahkah jika orang tua muslim mendidik anak-anak mereka untuk menjadi anak-anak pemberani yang tangguh dan tahan banting? Mereka harus bertahan hidup dengan ikhtiar/usahanya sendiri. Bisakah para pecinta anak membayangkan trauma fisik dan psikis yang dialami seorang anak Palestina yang menyaksikan di depan matanya sendiri, bagaimana tentara yahudi memperkosa ibunya yang hamil secara bergiliran hingga keguguran, baru setelah itu membunuh ayahnya? Semua sudah di luar batas nalar dan kemanusiaan.

Dalam tragedi Bosnia Herzegovina di awal dekade 90-an, seorang anak Bosnia ditanya wartawan, mengapa ia bermain perang-perangan di tempat terbuka, dan bukannya bersembunyi di bunker-bunker. Mereka menjawab bahwa di setiap peluru sudah tertera nama nyawa yang harus diambilnya. "Biarpun kami bersembunyi, jika sudah takdirnya mati ya pasti mati. Dan walau kami di luar, tapi bila takdirnya belum mati ya tak kan mati" Jawaban anak-anak yang jujur, jernih, dan polos tersebut mencerminkan tebalnya aqidah mereka pada Allah swt.

Rasulullah saw sudah mengatakan dalam satu hadis beliau, bahwa ummat islam akan menjadi bulan-bulanan musuh islam, sehingga anak-anak muslim memang harus dididik menjadi pejuang-pejuang tangguh., yang tidak mengidap penyakit wahn, yaitu cinta dunia dan takut mati.

Fatimah Heem Sarka, seorang muslimah Jerman, menjelaskan bahwa tahap pendidikan yang perlu diberikan kepada anak-anak muslim adalah sebagai berikut:

1. Penanaman aqidah
2. Pembiasaan beribadah
3. Pengokohan akhlak
4. Penumbuhan ruhul jihad

Ruhul (jiwa) jihad (perang dan perjuangan) membela islam dalam diri anak sejak dini. Anak-anak adalah anak-anak berlimpah energi yang tak tahu perlu melawan siapa, tak sadar "who their real enemies are".

Di masjid Nabawi, Madinah, dan masjidil Haram, saya melihat bayi-bayi yang menemani ibunya shalat dengan tangisan. Namun mereka sadar itu adalah pengenalan dan pembiasaan sejak dini agar anak cinta ibadah dan masjid. Ada juga yang menggendong bayinya yang masih merah di punggung dan diajak tha'waf mengelilingi ka'bah di bawah terik matahari. Namun subhanallah, bayi itu tertidur dengan pulas dan ni'mat. Di sudut lain terlihat pula seorang kakek tengah mengajari cucunya yang berusia sekitar tiga tahun untuk rukuk dengan benar ketika shalat, sambil menuntun bacaan shalatnya.

Bagaimana pula dengan nabi Ibrahim as. yang dituntun Allah swt mendidik anaknya, Ismail as., tidak dengan memanjakan seperti yang kita pahami sebagai bentuk mencintai anak selama ini? Beliau meninggalkan bayi Ismail as. dan ibunya siti Hajar di tengah gersangnya tanah tandus Hijaz. Tak ada tanda-tanda air atau kehidupan lain di sana. Namun tsiqah billah menuntun siti Hajar dan nabi Ibrahim as. untuk tetap tegar melaksanakan perintah Allah swt. yang sekilas tidak masuk akal dan kejam, tega pada anak dan istri. Belum lagi perintah berikutnya, untuk menyembelih Ismail as. Mungkin para pecinta anak tak akan bisa lagi berkomentar apa-apa. Apakah nabi Ibrahim as. tidak mencintai anaknya? Sangat, sangat, karena setelah sekian lamanya ia menanti. Tapi perintah Allah swt lebih ia utamakan...dan bahagialah pada kesudahannya.

Jadi apalah arti melatih anak untuk ber-jihad, ber-long march sambil berteriak amerika dan israel teroris, dibanding anak-anak Palestina yang sudah memegang batu berhadapan langsung dengan yahudi? Adakah bentuk cinta pada anak yang lebih baik dibanding menanamkan ruhul jihad padanya? Bukankah besi perlu segera ditempa dan dibentuk selagi panas?

Tubuhku Adalah Milikku

Ada sebagian wanita yang berpendirian: karena tubuhnya adalah miliknya, maka ia bebas memperlakukan tubuhnya itu. Bebas menampilkan tubuhnya melalui dandanan yang sesuai dengan keinginannya di depan publik.

Kisah berikut ini katanya terjadi di sebuah apotek di Jakarta Barat. Seorang wanita muda masuk ke dalam apotek dan langsung menuju petugas penerima resep. Ia berpenampilan seksi, dengan rok pendek dan kaus ketat membalut tubuhnya, hingga sebagian (besar) tubuhnya masih nampak, seperti perut, pusar.

Setelah menyerahkan resep dokter, ia mengambil tempat duduk persis di sebelah laki-laki muda yang sejak awal mengikuti kedatangan wanita muda itu dengan tatapan matanya.

Dengan suara perlahan namun masih dapat didengar orang di sekitarnya, lelaki muda itu membuka percakapan.

"Mbak, tarifnya berapa?"

Si perempuan muda nampak terkejut. Ia menatap dengan marah pada lelaki tadi. Kemudian dengan nada ketus ia menjawab "Saya bukan pelacur, bukan wanita murahan!!!"

Si lelaki tak kurang marahnya. "Siapa yang bilang mbak pelacur atau wanita murahan!?! Saya cuma nanyain tarif,karena mbak bedandan kaya' lagi ngejajain sesuatu!"

Terjadi perang mulut yang membuat pengunjung lain apotek itu ikut menyaksikan. Dengan nada tinggi si wanita muda berkata ketus "tubuh saya milik saya ya! Saya bebas mau ngapain aja dengan ini tubuh, dasar lu aja yang pikirannya kotor!"

Si lelaki muda tak mau kalah. "Saya bebas memakai mata saya! Saya juga bebas memakai mulut saya, termasuk untuk nanya kau tarifnya berapa! Saya juga bebas make' pikiran saya!"

Si wanita muda tak kehabisan argumen. "Saya bisa melaporkan anda ke polisi karena melakukan perbuatan tidak menyenangkan!"

"Silakan", kata si lelaki. "Saya juga bisa menuntut anda dengan tuduhan melakukan perbuatan tidak menyenangkan. Termasuk anda telah menganggu ketenangan 'adik' saya. Kau ke apotek mau nebus obat atau bangunin 'adik' saya?"

Mungkin karena malu (kalau masih punya red.), si wanita muda tadi sekonyong-konyong meninggalkan apotek, padahal urusannya belum selesai. Sedangkan si lelaki setelah selesai dengan urusannya pun pergi ngeloyor dengan wajah bersungut-sungut.

Terima kasih pada mas Wardiman.

Ooo, Ramadhan...

Har har, it's ramadhan again; D! Fasting. Yes, we muslims do the fasting. Let's run a test: notice how many times and how easily we swear at others. Now, especially that now is the month of fasting.

You'll notice how violent, rude, we, our lives, have been.

Ah, ya...the month of fasting. A good time for contemplating. To run self checks.

Urban Educated Women Nowadays

Well, the title says it all. Many of them, the numbers are growing, still thank God not all of them, are becoming more and more...

If you ever got close to this specific group of women, up until the point of asking their hand, you will usually find that they won't accept harsh treatment. Well of course, almost all major religion and culture teach us not to. Including our sanity and consciousness. But they steer this act up to the direction that they won't even accept it should they be scolded, even for what apparently is a mistake, an over the limit one (so the man scold her), on their behalf. Facing this truth, they usually chose celibacy. Fancying that they could afford living without men. "What's men for? I can live without any of them!", they are use to say.

That's exactly what men are for. Logically, yes, if life is just work-eat-having fun-sex-sleep, to be repeated everyday, you might think you don't need men. Then, without men, women won't be able to bore children and the one saying the previous sentence won't even born.

Then, where is the fun in life without sex? Yes, you can have sex without marriage, but you may not. All research, conducted by health, social, and other fields scientists, even the ones we can conduct by ourselves in daily lives, simply show how destructive free sex is. God doesn't forbid it with no reason. Good ones. You simply endangers yourself of phisically contract many disease, horrible ones (mind you, condoms simply reduce the risk. It's not totally safe. Its pores still bigger than hiv aids virus), while mentally you turn yourself into something even animals would be embarrased of. You kill your own heart, by denying what you feel toward your sex mate when you're coupling. That any sane person will do so with the utmost joy by doing so with love. And love includes responsibility.

While without ever having sex, delivering and breast milk feeding baby, women are also prone to several cancers.

Many says women can do what men can do in terms of jobs in life. Well, life's not that simple. There's the saying "why women can't read map". I've proven this. There are things only women can do, such as delivering babies. There are things that men do best, like being soldiers. Doesn't necessarily mean women can't do it, but we can not hang our country's fate to some persons having menstruation while in the midst of battle, for example, correct?

It's not about men are higher than women. In islam women are actually higher. Women being confined not to travel recklessly, for instance, so they can be guarded against evil men. If a poor family have extra money, their boy is put to college first instead of the girl, not to discriminate the girls, but to prepare that boy for tougher jobs, while the girls can be kept safe with their parents.

Do you think a president is a more noble person than a farmer? Isn't it just positions? The president carries a bigger, heavier responsibility, not guaranteeing he be a clean person (just take a look at some of u.s.a's presidents), and still he cannot live without the food produced by farmers.

So the same goes with girls and boys. They are not meant to be competed. Each have their own plusses and minuses. We are simply incomparable in some instances. We share our similarities and also differences. And we need each other to fill each other's gaps in order to get the best of this and the next life.

Ever thought of that, any of you out there?

The Gap

So, several weeks ago i bought some apet/cucur cake. Indonesian traditional light meal. The seller, an elderly figure, gave me 7 cakes for the price of 6. Imagine that. 1$ roughly equals idr 10.000 nowadays. 1 cake costs just idr 500. What fortune he'd make with such price?

I started asking myself then. That kind of small time vendor. An another sandal and shoe repairer who charged me for just idr 7000, while the same kind of repair would take idr 50.000 in malls. A fried bean curd seller gave me extra for already cheap fried bean curd and other fried snacks. Those people...The small time people, the have not, the way we call them worldwide, ordinary people, they gave their service or sell their goods for such low price, in this harsh economic time. While the rich ones, especially the ones who take selling, be it goods or services, as their occupation, ever you looked at them? Not all of them, but as days go by more and more of them...selling their goods, sometimes goods or services of luxuries, not the ones classified as main or even secondary necessities, at such a high price that everybody with a bit clean consciousness would see it as improper. And even still they strive to gain more and more fortune by cheating people if necessary and possible. By tripling the real price, by not telling the truth to the buyers, etc.

The small people, whose life is logically harsher and harder than us...how could they be more sincere? And they who gain enormous fortune and still feel not enough...what are those fortunes for? For example, a friend told me of this luxurious apartment in Jakarta where one day rent goes for idr 2 million or roughly $200. One day rent. RENT, not sold. Where did they get those money? It might not be kosher/halal money after all. Please notice, hereby i refer to people who rent excessively expensive appartments in pursue of luxury, lifestyle, etc. Not the ones who have small choices in choosing living place, if they stll have any. Like the owner of the company handling the Nike license here, while Nike, if it was true, employed under age children! They are just like those army and rebel in Latin America and Africa! Employing underage children, for, of course, under standard salary...!?! They got those money from abusing people!

And those money, which might not give them the "enough" feeling...to hire that kind of apartment, for example...? Do you know how un-healthy living in an apartment is? Mentally, you don't communicate enough in healthy manner. Grooming individualism. Physically, you don't get in touch with enough sunshine, fresh air...Not to mention apartments are under constant danger from earthquake. Imagine, about 6 Richter scale and everybody come tumbling down in not so funny fashion.

Hey, i received a news. Staying for suspended time i any place far from the ground will weaken our bones, because we become separated by quite a distance from earth's center of gravity.

Won't it be better to look at the small people? Taking them as reminder, that God permits, we can AND SHOULD do better in and for this life. We can employ them, if we're that powerful. We might have to give them education courses first, but in the end we won't just have some new dependable employees, we'll also be diminishing un-employment in our own nation!

With the fortune we make, we can spare some amount to help others with their education and businesses, provided they are small and medium ones. We help others empower themselves, in turn they will help us too, God permits, with God knows what way. Will be a sweet surprise.

Sincerity. To erase the gap. Clarity of goal in our life. Let's do it.

Suicide

Several days ago, a guy i know wanted to commit suicide. Life had been so heavy for him. Then another friend of his told him, that if he doesn't commit suicide and be a pious, devout person (of course, including continuing to be so), the credit from God won't just go to him but to his parents also.

Hey, nice bargain= )!

Time...precious time

Wonder how precious time is. You know, there's a poem in Japan which sounds
among flowers, the cherry blossom
among men, samurai

Cherry blossom is sakura. Samurai(s) are Japanese knights, or they who live by their principle. Samurai have been upheld as the true highest form of manhood, compared to sakura. It is said the life of a samurai is like the life of a sakura.

Why?

Unlike many other flowers, sakura blooms in a moretheless same time all around the world. Sakura has a big tree, and it is so rare for anybody to find a tree with full sakura blossoming. Usually, it is 80% of the whole buds that go blossoming. More than that, unlike other flowers that go blossom in slow state, then spend several days or weeks in blossom state, gradually getting dry, lame, and then drop dead to the groud, sakura stays in their blossom state for just several hours or days, then still in their full bloom glory fall to the ground.

Dies, at the height of it's life.

We never know when, where, and how we're going to die, do we?

Isn't it a reason for us to treasure every second of our lives, to make every second counted, lived to the fullest, to be spent to do the best deeds of our lives, wherever whatever with regard to whoever it is?

To die as the best person God allows us to be. To the fullest.

If you still don't (or don't want to and make the best use of it) realize the value of time...then you might as well ask Valentino Rossi or Michael Schumacher.

Tua dan Muda

Ini ada puisi kecil yang cukup baik untuk direnungkan:

Yang tua kagum yang muda sudah sadar
Yang muda kagum, yang tua masih mau belajar

Charges on Islam

Many charges and accusations are directed towards Islam as a religion and Muslims as people who (supposedly) take islam as their way of and life guiding principle. These charges are easily found, be it in some christian conggregation, wether catholics, protestant, Jehovah's witnesses, in mass media subtly put under news by the using of words such as terrorist, extremist, etc. You can find them easily in European and North American products of thought, like books, tv shows, again mass media, etc.

Usually, the most utilized charge is that islam is a religion teaching, no, preaching its adherents, to be agressive, to attack people of different faith. FYI, use your logic and consciousness, people who claim to have no faith are actually having faith, which is that whatever they themselves deem true is the truth.

Islam is been said as urging the use of terrorism against anybody who dares to differ from them.

Funny. Muslims so far constitute the largest portion of people classed under their religion on this planet. Say, they all go into rage, this planet would be so quickly, literally, torn apart, not needing nuclear explosive. So, everytime an accusation, sometime harsh one, is made and directed towards islam and muslim, it resulted in some of the muslim immediately go up, sometime, (although mostly just in words) to defend their position and their faith, indeed to the boundary of becoming a combatant themselves. If anybody rob you and rape your wife and children, or slay your parents, closest friends, or cut your husband's neck...would you stand still? Even if you're a follower of some claiming-to-be-gentle Jehovah's witnesses? Will you actually get security by just thinking only of yourselves and not offering any resistance to any threat?

Then the other bigger portion of muslims will usually follow their clerics advises, which is not to retaliate the accusers action by violent actions. So, the muslim just keep themselves cool, again and again. Because if they dare to spank the accuser, even after she/he is proven wrong (not to mention to be found carrying some other hidden patron's hidden agenda), the accusers companion in arm will immediately say how true the accusation was, for the muslim do launch violent action.

So, the muslim and their islamic faith keep cool, whatever, how many, however the form of charges and accusations made and directed towards them.

Is islam as religion and the muslims as people adopting islam really violent intolerant terrorist then...?

The Strike

I start to ask myself, why do you tend to name your posting with titles resembling movie title? Well, maybe because that's how life is. Like a movie, where sometimes, one scene would say a million words.

Ok, so let's get going with it. Whenever someone launches a strike, be it with bare hand/foot, with a sword, etc, whenever she/he does it with the utmost intensity based on some bad motivation, say, hatred, the move becomes a very predictable one. Oh, you're welcome to try it for yourself to prove= ) But whenever we launch it simply with purity of motivation, it simply swings just like that right to the target. Hard to imagine, huh? Have to try it for our ownselves.

So, what's the point? The point is:

1. When we do something not simply because we want to but because it is a necessity, even in killing, God permits it'll be such a smooth, easily done activity. God permits we'll gain success pulling it, even sometimes earn some bonuses, so to speak. But how can we be able to do it? Simple. By relaxing. How can we be relax, say, in the midst of battle? Will you believe my answer? I say we naturally relax, again, when we do something that is really ought to be done. Like helping someone. Will we let any thoughts apart from how to actually do the helping stop us from helping anybody in trouble? When we do something God says is righteous, if we succeed, we'll simply be happy, succeeding, gain victory, etc. When we fail or even die, we know God knows all and will appreciate whatever it was we were doing. So, no losses. Just do the right, good, decent thing. And again, just do it.
2. There are many lessons of life behind many aspects of good, true, martial arts. It's not about maiming others, actually, honestly.

From the novel Rob Roy McGregor

And to his sword he would have said,
'Do Thou my Souvereign will enact
From land to land through all the earth!
Judge Thou of law and fact!

Nice reading/movie, that Rob Roy McGregor. Recomended. Not for children though. What makes me write that poem, slightly modified, was that in this ending chapter of our race's history we really do have to ask for God's salvation, before His judgement. And sometimes, like it or not, we have to employ the sword to uphold and enforce that judgement of God.

The Traffic

Nooo, this is not a movie or novel title. Would make a good one though, don't you think so= D? Well, last night i finally realized that in tranquil nights like the ones i usually experience here in my housing complex, i could actually heard the sound of the faraway traffic. The horns, the exhaust pipes sounds, the sirene...Reminded me of big cities like Tokyo and New York. Hopefully our lives here won't get nasty as there.

So, a friend of mine said "You don't know what patience is until you ever get trapped in the traffic of Jakarta!" Then she added "and until you ever experienced being the passenger of one of the Jakarta's public transport". Maybe one day the Shaolin temple will oblige their would be student to go to Jakarta and experience street life here, in order to make them learn the "values of patience, humbility, and humility". Wonder if they can take it= )

The CIA, the abuse...

I'm reading a particular book right now (not while typing), and dare myself to ask you this:

do you ever wonder what the CIA has been doing?

The CIA, the spooks, has kidnapped many persons they deemed opposing USA's interest (they consider themselves the true representation of USA people). Maimed many people, tortured many of them, launching character killing campaign (don't immediately believe anything in world's major media publication), supporting if not actualy moving coup d'etat in many countries, selling dopes...If there's turmoil in your country and it seems potential to give benefit to USA, chances are they are there too.

Take the Abu Ghraib for instance. People beaten there. Forced to stand covered in human dungs. Let chased by dogs.

The children, the parents, in Nicaragua, Argentine, Somali, Pakistan, German, Afghanistan, Iraq...Those who suffer and die either now or in the past...Don't you think you may become their new victim? Or maybe you simply won't. Who am i to be their latest victim? Of course. Just live this life not caring for others. Just follow the mainstream, make the best profit out of anything you encounter in this life. You may actually grow rich, powerful, untouchable. So you think.

And we all render ourselves into something indescribable, for even animal still contains compassion.

Is this the kind of world you enjoy living in? Maybe you live in some mansion or appartment in Malibu, or Kuningan street in Jakarta, or Ginza in Tokyo, the area near Champs Elyssee, and life seems just fine. Why would i bother with the suffering of others then? Or you're too poor to think anything beside money making.

Because we weren't there. Because we create some reasons to not follow the news. Because it wasn't us who were trapped in all those disaster, crying outloud, begging everything to stop.

Have you seen the movie Matrix? It's actually quite philosophical. We create a system, governing our world, internationally speaking, then also our country, our family, our selves...Then we don't realize it. We simply born, try to make money as much as we can, after we gain enough, we still feel not enough, then look for some more. And we start to break existing rules, making new ones that will accomodate our actions. Then the system we or our parents created start to make us the victim, the subject of it. We no longer hold control of ourselves.

What happens to others, directly or indirectly, quick or slow, will affect us too. And we simply too occupied with our own wants, sometimes not just basic needs but something we don't really need but simply desire...and we all turn ourselves into the victims of those hungry wolves who simply play with rules and the situation to enrich themselves too.

Is it not enough suffering to makes us realize the truth, unite, and start to do something?

The sacrificing

So, comes the sacrificial animals slaughtering, as naturally follows aidl adha. There is actually such an encouraging lesson behind all these , y'know. Here's how it goes:

For you who's not yet familiar with the story, the sacrificial started by a story of the prophet Abraham/Ibrahim as. been told by God to slay his son, the prophet Ismail/Ishmael as. As an offering to God, just like Abel/Abil and Cain/Qabil did so long ago. Actually, God just wanted to test Abraham's faith. Of course, God didn't immediately spoil the true intention He had been keeping until Abraham went to actually carry the order.

C'mon, gutting your own child? Well, after a little father-and-son debacle that thank God ended well, they did go to do the slaughtering.

Just at the nick of time (the knife's saying hello to Ismail's neck), God told them to halt and send them a goat/sheep. So the tradition goes untill the present day. The father and the son survived and continued to live happily after that.

How about if i say: When it's something you believe to be good because God deems it so, then do it! Even against all odds. Trust Him, in the end, He might suddenly send you His miracle. And all turns well. Even better. And beautiful.

Keep fighting the good fight, whoever read this. To the last bullet.