Ahmad Al Charif

Articles in this category follow the format of a conversation, between myself and another party. If you would like to know more about the origins, please click here. I start the conversation in blue.

 

You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about?

 

Indeed.

 

Please go ahead…

 

You have been trying for a while, to achieve something. To reach a certain place, where you feel peace.

 

Yes, i have. I certainly am not there yet, but sometimes i do feel it, though not often enough.

 

Peace, is not something you can achieve by deciding to go there. It is a state of mind, where you achieve oneness with your true self. Where the balances are tipped in favor of the soul.

 

How do you mean?

 

As a human being, you exist in both the physical and the spiritual realm. But by now you understand these two realms operate on different laws, or mechanics if you will.

 

As a person, and whether you are aware of it or not, you are constantly living with feet rooted firmly in both realms. However, the amount of weight you place on either side dictate how you perceive your existence.

 

Can you expand more on that?

 

Depending on how much emphasis you put on physical issues, or things, versus spiritual ones you will be inadvertently sinking more towards one realm rather than the other. And that is not how you achieve peace.

 

In order to achieve peace, you need to put in the same amount of weight on both, so that you stand perfectly balanced. We have talked about the concept of balance before, that universal element applies directly here: you need to achieve the balance within yourself.

 

Ok, i see what you mean. But how do you put in more weight in one area or the other?

 

With the way you live your life. For example meditation, some forms of exercise, and even prayer serve as weight on the spiritual side.

 

Chasing after money, or physical things and possessions, that serves the opposite.

 

But as a person, i need money to survive.

 

That may be true. But we know of many earning no money at all, and spending none.

 

You are talking about people like monks? Devout people who dedicate their time for a relig-

 

Maybe. That idea maybe a bit far fetched for you, but the need for physical things will never cease to grow, and the desire to earn more money will grow with it. There needs to be a balance.

 

Re-consider the things which you think you really need, re-examine those beliefs that you now take for granted.

 

You do not need to be a monk, that is perhaps too far for you to go, at least for the time being. But decrease the need, and the desire. Learn to desire the simplicity of less. And i promise you, you will come to be happier and give more value to the little things that you already have, which you now take for granted.

 

Alright, so that is one thing. What else?

 

Secondly, experiment with the concept of time. And how it rules your life.

 

How do you mean? Time is of the essence! As they say…

 

To some people. Or to most. But time, is a physical phenomena, and thus allowing it to rule your world further roots you into that realm. Again, to achieve true peace there needs to be a balance.

 

We understand that a human life is bound my time, but it does not have to revolve around it. Do you understand the difference? You are always obsessing over what time it is, what are the things you need to do. When you will do this, when is the time to do that. You immerse yourself so deeply that it is no wonder you become out of balance.

 

I understand what you mean, but people have jobs, responsibilities. Everything is kept as per a set schedule, the school starts and ends on a set schedule, there are deadlines at work as well. I cannot begin to ex-

 

Allow us to make it simpler for you. There is no need to forsake time keeping all together, but in the interest of achieving a balance and therefor peace, you sometimes have to let go. To forgo the idea of time keeping, even if for a little while.

 

And how do i do that?

 

Immerse yourself into something, that you feel very passionate about –

 

A hobby you mean?

 

Call it whatever you want. But you have to become completely immersed, and oblivious to time.

 

How do –

 

Think back to your childhood, your earlier days is when you knew better how to achieve balance, ironically. What was the one thing you really enjoyed? What did you love doing, just for the fun of it?

 

Make contact again, with your inner child. Close your eyes, see the child version of you smiling at you, showing you. Let him guide you, remind you of how you used to do it.

 

If you truly remember something of relevance, your soul will cry out to you, yearning for that feeling of peace to return. It will beckon you to once again indulge, so that it may light up with joy. The scale will be tipped tremendously… Time, will no Longer be of the essence, as you put it previously.

 

Did you just smile? Was that a giggle?

 

Set some time aside, for loosing track of time. Does that make sense to you?

 

In more ways than you can imagine…