Ibn Abbad, from my understanding, was a spiritual man born and raised in Spain that moved to Morocco to study and practice Islam in the 1300s. If anyone wants to know more Google it or go to a library or something. (The Holy Man Abu Abdallah Mahammad ben Ibrahim ben Abbad ar Rundi)
So, this passage is described by a friend of Ibn's who is ALSO NAMED IBN. FUCK! (Ibn Qunfund).
Man, I do not even know how many translations it went through because this passage is from a book by Thomas Merton titled "Raids On The Unspeakable." Thomas Merton, from my experiences, is dope as fuck. He just went off to Kentucky to live in a Catholic Monastery and express himself. Raises questions to is that a viable way to live life? Not sure if I would be cool with that but then I am watching Game of Thrones and Arya is progressing into No One and that shit is brackin'.
Anyways, from "Raids On The Unspeakable," by Thomas Merton, pp. 147:
Letter to a Sufi Who Has Abandoned Sufism to Study Law
Well, my friend, you prefer jurisprudence to contemplation!
If you intend to spend your time collecting authorities and precedents
What advice do you want from me?
I can tell you this: each man, today,
Gets what he wants,
Except that no one has discovered a really perfect
Way to kill time.
Those who do not have to work for a living
Are engrossed in every kind of nonsense,
And those who must gain their livelihood
Are so absorbed in this that they
Have time for nothing else.
As to finding someone capable of spiritual life
Ready to do work that is clean of passion
And inordinate desire
Done only for love of Allah-
This is a way of life in which no one is interested
Except a few who have received the special
Mercy of Allah.
Are you aware of this? Are you sure of your condition?
Well then, go ahead with your books of Law,
It will make little difference whether you do this
Or something else equally trivial.
You will gain nothing by it, and perhaps lose nothing:
You will have found a way to kill time.
As you say: you prefer to spend your time doing things you are used to.
Drunkards and lechers would agree:
They follow the same principle.
I DO NOT WANT TO BE A SUFI, A LAWYER, A DRUNKARD, OR A LECHER
While I was writing this out, Nancy Sinatra "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" came up on the YouTube playlist. I do not think I am ready to do work that is clean of passion and inordinate desire.
#seduced
So, I look to my left and I have a pile of junk in the form of possibly 100+ pages of advertisements and junk from the most recent GQ magazine that I tore out in a fit of annoyance all beckoning me to OBEY so that maybe one day I can have my own personal showing of "These Boots are Made for Walkin'"performed by the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders in the nude. Don't hate. My penis can be superficial at times. That was just the first fantasy that came to mind which is kind of weird because I usually do not go for the All-American, fake tan, fake blond, bleached teeth look but whatever. I'm a dog, I go HAM, I'm a hog.
Fuck it, I'm just blasting shit out there. Respond if you like. Discuss if you like. If not, have a nice day.
Those who are not working for a living
Are engrossed in every kind of nonsense
Man, I have been thinking about this reading for days (entire reading, not just above 2 lines)
The only solution that seems to work is helping others. Trusting in powers that are greater than me. Greater than my selfish self-centeredness. Taking care of business to make sure I am not harming others and then doing my best to help others.
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United States. Oct 14 2015 20:58. Posts 8866
