If you are seeking Allah
by Shah Abdul Latif BhitaiEnglish version by D. H. Butani
Original Language Sindhi
If you are seeking Allah,
Then keep clear of religious formalities.
Those who have seen Allah
Are away from all religions!
Those who do not see Allah here,
How will they see Him beyond?
Let us go to the land of Kak
Where love flows in abundance,
There are no entrances, no exits,
Everyone can see the Lord!
There is no light nor day
Every one can see the Lord!
Those who love the Lord
The world cannot hold them.
Palaces do not attract them,
Nor women nor servants
Nothing binds them:
The renouncers leave everything behind.
A message came from the Lord:
A full moon shone
Darkness disappeared
A new message came from the Lord:
It does not matter what caste you are
Whoever come, are accepted.
Where shall I take my camel,
All is Light...
Inside there is Kak, mountain and valley,
The Lord and the Lord: there is nothing but the Lord.
-- from The Melody and Philosophy of Shah Latif, by D. H. Butani |
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/ Image by Trekking Rinjani /
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If you are seeking Allah,
Then keep clear of religious formalities.
Those who have seen Allah
Are away from all religions!
I am fascinated by how many revered saints and mystics of various religions make this sort of proclamation.
We have the keepers of religious tradition and the knowers of religious truth. Which is the real authority?
Those who do not see Allah here,
How will they see Him beyond?
This is a hard statement for institutional notions of religion. But mystics keep saying it: Heaven is not a place one goes after death; it is the sacred reality upholding all existence. In other words, we are already there; the only journey is a journey of learning to see what is already there. If we are already there and don't recognize it, does death open our eyes? Perhaps, for some.
The implication, though, is that those who simply follow religious and ceremonial formalities are fooling themselves. They are too often social approval and not inner awakening. Spiritual community can play an important role, but learning to see is always a solitary journey.
I sometimes think of religion as base camp at the foot of a mountain. It can be very satisfying to gather with others around a map under a tent, discussing the path up the mountainside, imagining high vistas, impressing others with how well we've memorized the feature names and the accounts of famous climbers who've gone before. The problem is, few ever leave camp and start climbing. The real mountaineers aren't talking, they're already hiking -- with eyes open in wonderment. Real mountaineers love the mountain more than the map.
Let us go the land of Kak
Where love flows in abundance,
There are no entrances, no exits,
Every one can see the Lord!
Bhitai keeps repeating that line -- Everyone can see the Lord! "It does not matter what caste you are / Whoever come, are accepted." This state of awareness is not reserved for some and denied to others. Anyone who looks will see. Anyone who comes will be accepted. It is simply the true nature of reality, everywhere present.
"The Lord and the Lord: there is nothing but the Lord."
Recommended Books: Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai
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The Melody and Philosophy of Shah Latif | Sufi Music from Sindhi | |||