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What brings us closer to God?

And: Why do we sometimes feel so distant from God?

Imagine in the core of your self lies a bright light. This is the Life-light (fitrah), the light you were before your heart began to beat. That true essence of self; a drop of God’s mercy in a potential state. Then that spark is injected in the world to be realized- absorbing experiences, trying to find its way through truth and falsehood; happiness and despair; loss and gain; success and failure; an endless ocean of choices. How well will this fragile essence cope with the vicissitudes of the unfairness of life, and the wheel of fortune?

Over time and adaptation the vulnerable life-essence may be forgotten, lost amongst the endless daily choices. Perhaps that quiet inner voice was saying things that seemed inconvenient, inappropriate, or contrary to what you wanted. What you thought was right and proper became stronger. Or, what your heart was trying to tell you did not match with what your outer world seemed to be saying. So that essence seems to have disappeared, as though it got lost in the shuffle. Is it gone? Did it disappear?

No. It just got hidden away, forgotten, and unnecessary.

But then something comes along to remind you that the non-permanent, immortal part of you needs to be re-awakened, re-invigorated, and re-charged. But there seems to be such thick and many layers between you and the essence that it looks like an impossible fantasy to ever achieve reconnection.

Perhaps you remember some of your religious upbringing; bibles, books, movies, music briefly re-kindle that sputtering flame. Or you may seek therapy, meditation, healings, healers, spiritual teachers for a weekend, seminar, course of study, or books on tape.

Or perhaps love for another- a spouse, a mate, child, grandchild, teacher may remind you of that spark. Or, it could be an illness, death or crisis that shocks you into a moment of wakefulness. You look around seeing things as if for the first time and you might wonder: Is this the last image I will see? What if these are my last moments? Have I wasted my life?

This is often the place where it’s good to ask yourself: what am I attached to? Because that immortal essence you came in to life with is the only thing you can take back with you. Any other focus of your energy will move the transition to that lack-of-materiality state that much more painful. And I know that most of us are really not big fans of pain.

What if we could look forward to that moment when we have to let go of all things of this life?

And then, when you see yourself without a body or the ability to manipulate matter, that it hits you right between the non-eyes: We see what we are looking for.

Wherever you put your focus, whatever you are seeking – that is what appears before you. The only problem may be that it does not come in the form or experience or person that you were expecting. This can certainly lead to many problems. These distractions are what lead you away from God. I don’t have to spell them out. You know what they are. Your expectations are

Salaam Alaykum, murids, seekers, curious and interested listeners,

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