Who is your God?

● The primal thing on which depends our decision how to act in the world of things

Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has
sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and
his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah ?
Then will you not be reminded? (Holy Quran)

before we begin it should be noted that by Allah I mean the same thing that is meant by God,
Supreme Intelligence, Nature.

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" - Shakespeare

Rose not as a concept but as a fact is one thing and the different words that we use to name
it, due to variety in languages, are just pointers to that one thing.
The same way is with the force that makes and maintains the whole universe together.
Some call it Allah, some God, some Supreme Intelligence or Divine Energy.

INTELLIGENCE - supreme Nature’s gift to humans

Abovementioned vision represent the eye of the heart through which our
intelligence is operating. Intelligence by itself is not the ruler of our lives but is
meant to be the ruling aspect of our soul. We, human beings, are the only
known creatures in this entire universe that have the power of free will.
Exercise of it lies in choosing where to place our focus in the given moment.
From there flows our energy. That is our only power. And this is our forgotten
knowledge and the root of our machinelike way of existing. Ignorance in
guiding your energies makes you their servant.

● Only the choice of its direction and not the energy alone, the nature of
energy being never stagnant and so uncontrollable.

Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23)

If it were not for our heart, as a physical organ, our outer bodily parts (arms,
legs) would not get the blood necessary for their functioning.
Likewise, as a psychological organ, our inner bodily parts (thoughts, emotions)
would not get the energy necessary for manifesting themselves in our mental
world.

Clearness of vision

In the degree of how much is our vision clear, so much we will see the real
nature of things.
For example, most of us have the childhood trauma from going to the dentist.
Like every other trauma, it is caused by creating wrong conception of the fact
and later on maintained by carrying that misconception throughout our lives.

Misconception - the act of making a wrong conceptual image of the fact.

● The fact was that we have gone to the dentist to get our teeth removed.
● Misconception, colouring of the real nature of things, is that the dentist
uses a giant drilling machine which produces horror noises and the
blood will be all around the room.

In fact, he is just going to do a standard procedure that he has already done

for many times. Until we clear our vision, so that we see the fact as it is, we
will remain far away from the dental room inasmuch our perception of the
scenes in our head is horrorlike.

We may then conclude that clearness of vision allows us to allow the free
Supreme Intelligence since the wrong perception is the thing which obstructs
its path. Impurity of our vision, the eye of psychological heart, has for its result
that we misuse conceptual images of things with which we further on misuse
the things themselves in the time and space.

● If we use things correctly or incorrectly we become good or bad.

○ For example, dynamite can be used when building a bridge or it can be used
to inflict harm to someone. Here is the key for knowing more about ourselves.

So let your main criterion for acting in the world of things be, as the nature has ordered, -
INTELLIGENCE. Let the thoughts of God dominate over your own thoughts. ‘You’ are only the
byproduct of your conditioning and God, the real you, is the byproduct of all existence.

The Voice of God

So who will guide him after Allah ? Then will you not be reminded? (Holy
Qur’an)

By being reminded in this case is also meant to be recollected. Recollected in the sense of
our dispersed state of being which in its chaotic state prevents the Voice of God,
intelligence, to be heard. You do not expect to hear your heartbeat in the middle of the
marketplace so in the same way it should not be expected to hear intelligence when the
inner state of your being is that of a turmoil. That Voice can only be heard when there is
devoid of one’s own thoughts because it is intrinsically empty of words. Words are only the
containers through which intelligence communicates with us. The bridge between the known
and unknown.

Silence is needed for the operation of intelligence. So, when you understand whole
machinery of thought, thought becomes quiet, and when it is quiet - intelligence is
operating. - Jiddu Krishnamurti

Antidote question

The most powerful question that you can set for yourself when thinking about how to act in
every situation is:

WHAT MUST BE DONE?

We learn from examples and the closest example to me is my father, who is well-known to
be resolute, valuable and successful entrepreneur, with his saying:

,,You think that I would like to work this much!? Believe me I would not but what are
you going to do? This is what must be done.’’
Before the decision about what must be done crosses the border it has to pass some
inspection. To see if it is made under some pressure. Reason for this is that intelligence
cannot be subdued, it can only arise when there is no pressure on it. How can you force the
That which has created the very force?

There is a lot of pressures and from all sides in our life in different forms:

● Parents - “Enroll to Medical college, doctors earn much and have a good reputation”)
● Friends - “Press down that gas pedal, don’t be a coward”
● Life partner - “I think that right now is a good time for a baby”
● All kinds of social groups - “You must do it this way, it is ordered so from the top.”

Soul acts in the form of its vehicle - Ego

● the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.

Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has
sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and
his heart and put over his vision a veil?

The most subtle pressure of which we are not aware, because we are identified with it, is the
pressure of our soul through the ego. The main cause of identification is ignorance of our
true nature. We all are the Spirit which is unlimited in its nature but in this limited world
drives in the vehicle of the soul that is defined through ego. Ego is our conceptual image of
ourselves.

Pressure exists only when there is a center on which to rely on. On our ego, the ‘me’. When
the illusion of the ‘me’ as the center of our lives is realized, then the pressure as the
periphery also becomes illusionary because they are both a part of one unity.

“The illusion of unity or oneness is created in man first, by the sensation of one’s
physical body, by his name, which in normal cases always remains the same, and
third, by a number of mechanical habits which are implanted in him by education or
acquired by imitation.
Having always the same physical sensations, having always the same name and
noticing in himself the same habits and inclinations he had before, he believes
himself to be always the same.
In reality there is no oneness in man and there is no controlling center, no permanent
“I” or Ego.”
— Ouspensky, Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution
Definition of ego
Ego is defined by many thoughts - lines of our inner face - in the forms of likes and dislikes,
peculiarities or intentions that are meant for satisfaction of the soul. Nature of the soul is
animalistic and because of that it tends to aim only for that things which arouse good
feelings in her.

1. Without awareness of its own function in the whole of human being, when she is
asleep, she strives to hoard up everything that makes her feel well. That state of
consciousness is characterized by ambition-like perception of the world where
anyone who is the obstruction for hers path to the goal is the enemy.

2. When she is aware of its function as the vehicle of spirit, in that state of
consciousness world is viewed as one Spirit of which we are infinitesimal manifested
part. Everybody on hers life journey is seen as an opportunity to transform itself to
the higher state of consciousness and in doing so its part in the function of the
whole, her animalistic nature is rewarded by experiencing feelings of enlightenment,
peace, joy, love and the like.

● I have a fancy to lighten up one cigar after a good meal

● There is no better feeling than after a fast ride
● My Sunday is nothing without binging ‘Friends’ all night

Ego’s main characteristic

Main characteristic of the brat which gets spoiled up with constant gratification is making
excuses, to clear it from feeling guilt, for harmful acts in which the soul indulges. It is given
power by constant gratification.Deceit of reason by rationalization.

“Nothing can harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts” - Buddha

Examples of ordinary excuses:

● “They say that smoking is bad, but l I read that the oldest woman in the world was
smoker until her 117th birthday when she could not light up a cigarette, reason being
the loss of sight.”
○ Like the quality of life is determined by its length and not depth.
○ And like it is adequate to point out specific example in defense of
generalization.

● “Why should I not drink a glass of scotch, I have a soul also.”

○ Which is then followed with another, and another...

Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this
world will keep it for eternal life. (Holy Bible, John 12:25)
One is his one’s own greatest enemy. Do not succumb to the temptations of your soul
through the excuses of the ego. For by overindulging in pleasures you will be misusing the
holy temple in which the God dwells. Therefore you will be bad towards your body.
If we are eager to learn, everyone can be a teacher to us.
Overconsumption of alcohol may lead to liver cirrhosis, of cigarettes to lung cancer, of food -
especially bad kind - to different kinds of illnesses. Also to more problems in your other
areas of life.

Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps
you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is
bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. (Holy Qur’an, 2:216)

Your body is the most exquisite machine existing in the world. It deserves a little
appreciation. Satisfaction of your emotional health should come from ways that keep your
energies well balanced. We all know that too much riding in roller coaster makes you sick.

So who is your God?

“Allah has created angels having reason but with no desires, animals
having desires and no reason, and man with both reason and desires.
Therefore, if one’s reason is stronger than his desires, he is higher than
angels. On the other hand, if his desires are stronger, he is lower than
animals.” (Hadith)

Taking ourselves aside and deciding for the one whom you love the most in this life, be it
father, mother or someone else, who would you rather choose to be their guide of conduct in
this life journey?

“Allah has not made for a man two hearts in his interior.” (Holy Qur’an)

Final Dam

Most trustworthy question that we can cling to when checking validity of the answer to what
must be done is - ‘Why?’ or to be more concise ‘Because of who?’. Examination of our
motivation, of the reason to why should we act.

“The unexamined life is not worth living” - Socrates

Because of ego

● Do I like to do it or not, whether it is pleasant to me or not. [OWN] desires

 On his return from a battle, the Prophet said: "We are finished with the lesser
jihad; now we are starting the greater jihad." He explained to his followers that
fighting against an outer enemy is the lesser jihad and fighting against one's self is
the greater jihad (holy war).

Because of Intelligence
● Is that action intelligent thing to do? Until it is not - DO NOT DO IT!

Never put passion before principle, even if you win, you’ll lose. - Mr. Miyagi
(Karate Kid)

... By the soul and (by) Him who made it perfect, and then inspired it to
understand what is wrong and what is right for it. Truly is successful the one
who purifies (his soul). (Holy Qur'an, 91: 7-9)

So let us be alike the wise man which is the one who uses things according to
their purpose. To use food like a fuel for our body and not as a factory for
manufacturing pleasures for our soul. Or car as a means for driving from point
A to point B and not as a status symbol which produces a satisfactory feeling
in soul. Remember, by misusing things we become bad.

Let us use intelligence whose purpose is to enable us to lead orderly life, full
of harmony. Order in life is made by intelligence operating on it. And the only
obstacle to her work is the ego - a bundle of thoughts formed through desires,
needs, likes which we. Intelligence must use the ego for manifesting itself in
material world because the ego is a bridge between material and immaterial.
When a servant is ruling the king the state of our kingdom cannot be led
orderly.

The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children
But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart. (Holy Qur’an,
26:88,89)