The Sufi Scientist

In the past few days, whenever I think or hear about the idea of god, I cannot help but think that the people who established the idea really did mean to use it as a metaphor for the universe. It is omnipresent, for we are the universe. Every molecule in our body can be traced back to the stars that once gave birth to these planets. Everything around us, man-made or natural, is a product of the universe. And we are all connected. It is in us, around us in every protein interaction in our body making life happen. In every DNA molecule that gets replicated. In every zygote that becomes an embryo and every embryo that becomes a person. It is the very basis of life. We are in the universe, and the universe is in us. This is much more elegantly said by Neil deGrasse Tyson.  We are one because we are all, the universe. Alif, what existed when nothing existed, and that which will exist when nothing will exist. We came from that and will go back to that eventually. In a sense, this

Human beings appear to be happy just so long as they have a future to which they can look forward - whether it be a "good time" tomorrow or an everlasting life beyond the grave. If happiness always depends on something expected in the future, we are chasing a will-o'-the-wisp that ever eludes our grasp, until the future, and ourselves, vanish into the abyss of death. But it has been possible to make the insecurity of human life supportable by belief in unchanging things beyond the reach of calamity - in God, in man's immortal soul, and in the government of the universe by eternal laws of right. Science may, slowly and uncertainly, give us a better future - for a few years. And then, for each of us, it will end. It will all end. However long postponed, everything composed must decompose. Despite some opinions to the contrary, this is still the general view of science. The modern scientist is not so naive as to deny God because he cannot be found with a telescope, or

Alif allah naal ratta dil mera... Mainu 'be' di khabar na kaayi... 'Be' padheyan mainu samajh na aave... Lazzat alif di aayi... My heart is drenched in Alif Allah; I have no knowledge whatsoever of 'Be'. I read 'Be' and I fail to understand what it means; I relish only the bliss of Alif. *Explanation: Alif is the first letter of Arabic/Persian/Urdu script. It corresponds to the letter A in the English script and stands for unity, God, the truth (explained in text later). Be (pronounced 'bay') is the second letter of the Arabic/Persian/Urdu script. It corresponds to the letter B in the English script and is symbolic of all other than God. Alif symbolizes what was there when this world/universe did not exist. It also represents what will remain when the world/universe will no longer exist. It is what is constant, what was, is and always will be. In this verse Bulleh Shah says that the only thing he understands is Alif. He does not u

Makke geyaan gal mukdi naahi... bhaanve sau sau jumme padhaaiye... It doesn't end with going to Mecca... even if you pray a hundred times... Ganga geyaan gal mukdi naahi... bhaanve sau sau gote khaaiye... It doesn't end with going to the Ganges... even if you bathe in it a hundred times Bulle Shah gal taaiyon mukdi... je main nu manno gavaaiye... Bulleh Shah! It only ends... when you loose ego from your heart... Sir te topi te neeyat khoti... laina kee topi sir dhar ke? You cover your head (showing commitment to religion) but your intentions are not pure... What do you achieve by covering your head? Chille keeta par rabb na mileya... laina kee chilleyaan vich varh ke? You fast for forty days but did not find God... What do you achieve by fasting? Tasbeeh phiri par dil na phireya... laina kee tasbeeh hath phar ke? You went around the tasbeeh* but never went into your own heart... What did you achieve by holding the tasbeeh* in your hand? Bulleya jaag bina dudh nai jamda... te bh

Je rabb milda nhaateyan thoteyaan, Te rabb milda dadduaan machhiyan nu... Je rabb milda jangal phireyaan, Te rabb milda gaaiyaan vachhiyaan nu... Ve miyaan Bulleya rabb ohna nu milda, atte dilliyaan sachiyaan achhiyaan nu... Padh padh ilam hazaar kitaaban, Kadi apne aap nu padheya nai.. Ja ja vadna e mandar maseeti, Kadi mann apne vich vadeya nai... Awein ladna e shaitan de naal bandeya, Kadi nafz apne naal ladeya nai... Aakhe peer Bulleh Shah, aasmani phadna e, Eh jehra ghar baitha ohnu phadeya hi nai... Jangal dhoondim, bela dhoondim... Dhoondim sara jahaan... Awein na sataaya kar... Saade vehre aaya kar yaar suboh shaam... Masjid dha de, mandar dha de... Dha de jo kuj dehenda... Par kise da dil na dhaanvi... Rabb dilaan vich rehenda... Ohda rabb vi nai rusda, rabb di saun... Jihnu yaar manaun da chajj hove... Ohnu makke jaan di lod nai... Jihnu yaar de vekheyaan hajj hove... If God was realized by bathing and washing, It would be first realised by fish and frogs.. If God was realize