Tag: Philosophy

a serene shelter of words

Posted on by Ajmal

I have always thought of this writing space as a beautiful sanctuary that I am building for you to rest and read. The routines we have, can feel like a tempest at times – a ceaseless barrage of demands, distractions and urgencies swirling around us. We get buffeted by the incessant winds of work, family obligations, digital overstimulation and our own swirling thoughts. It’s so easy to get swept up in the frenzy and lose touch with any sense of inner calm or groundedness. In the midst of this storm, we desperately need a place of shelter and reprieve – a quiet inner sanctuary where we can take refuge, settle our beings, and rediscover the peace that is our true essence. Just like a snow globe, we require the ability to remove ourselves from the swirling turbulence outside and let the flurries gently come to rest so we can regain clarity.This metaphorical sanctuary is a place already within us, no further away than our next conscious breath. It is the still, silent space of pure awareness that lies beneath the choppy surface of thoughts, feelings, and sensations. A realm of vast, uncluttered presence that is our true abode.To access this inner sanctuary, we must become like skilled navigators or surferapists, riding the perpetual waves of experience without getting overtaken by them.

Rather than flailing against the rolling tides of thoughts, emotions and cravings, we learn to witness them arising and passing away, without judging, grasping or submerging into their undertow.Imagine yourself an old sea captain who has spent a lifetime riding out storms on the vast ocean. You have learned to read the patterns in the roiling winds and cresting waves. You know better than to blindly fight against their power or wish them away. Instead, you skillfully adjust your vessel’s sails and rudder, riding up and over the swells, allowing each rolling surge to sweep underneath as you remain centered and unperturbed.In this way, you cultivate a deep inner refuge – a place of unshakable poise and equilibrium no matter how wild the squalls become on the surface. From this space, you can take wise and grounded action, while never allowing the turbulence to unseat you from your core of abiding serenity.With practice, this sanctuary becomes a waking refuge we can enter anytime, day or night, no matter the external circumstances. A quiet fortress compound within our own being where the rampant monkeys of compulsion and restlessness are dethroned, and we are liberated into the open, spacious awareness that is our deepest nature.

From this liberated interior, we gain a grounded clarity and sovereignty over our lives. We become like still, unruffled pools reflecting the moon – able to bear witness to the magnificent dramas playing out across the waters, while remaining rooted to our essence as the depths beneath. Problems and difficulties no longer appear as crises to reactively combust over, but rather as emblematic waves to wakefully navigate with wisdom and aplomb.. The endless gyres of experience can churn as intensely as they may, but they cannot shake us loose from our moorings to the bedrock of serene being. For in reclaiming this inner sanctuary again and again, we awaken to our ultimate nature as life’s very cradle of stillness itself.

untamed eyes and perception

Posted on by Ajmal

The other day, I was taking my 3-year-old son Ehan for a walk in a park. Gazing at his curiosity is my biggest fulfilling pleasure these days. Do you remember what it felt like to be a child, newly arrived in this strange and miraculous world? When every tiny thing seemed invested with magic and mystery? The way a simple dandelion puff could become a vessel for impossible wishes carried off by the wind. Or how an ordinary cardboard box could instantly transform into a spaceship, time machine or magical castle simply through the alchemy of your imaginings? As children, we existed in a state of perpetual awe, our senses constantly flooded with the pure rapture of being alive. The velvety texture of a rose petal, the delicious explosion of sweetness from a berry plucked straight off the vine, the kaleidoscope of colors splashed across a sunset sky – all of it was a grand carnival for our eager awareness to drink in.

In those early years, the universe felt wide as the sky, brimming with sublime possibilities and laced through with astonishment at every turn. We viewed the world through a lens of radical presence, utterly consumed by the magnificence of now in a way that alienated us from no aspect of the experience arising. Then, inevitably, we began growing up. Somehow, despite our parents’ and teachers’ best efforts, the world started getting smaller. The magical thinking that had once caused us to see tooth fairies and snipes in the garden gave way to the concrete, rational mind. The inherent mystery and divinity of all life became obscured by the endless looping of our conceptual stories about it all. Slowly, modern society’s trance of disenchantment sedated our childlike perception of reality as a living wonderland.

The bureaucratic, consumerist mindset deadened our senses and walled us off from the profound truth that we are in fact surrounded by absolute miracles at every turn. The very air we breathe, the astonishing natural intelligences collaborating within every breath to sustain our life force, became just “air” – something so rudimentarily taken for granted that we lost all cognizance of its staggering prosaicness. Our flesh, knitted together by trillions of cells cooperating in unfathomably complex biological symbioses, became a mere object of critique and judgment in the mirror rather than a seamless embodiment of the sacred cosmic choreographies that risened us into manifestation.

Even the stars twinkling in their grand galactic vaultings, the dizzying mysteries of spacetime and dark energy, became just twinkling lights in a vacant sky – no longer an abyssal ocean of wisdom and igniting forces whose secret languages our souls were forged to one day remember. Yet that bright, unarmored gaze we once turned upon this world with pure astonishment never truly goes away, no matter how many layers of jadedness and desensitization accrete upon it. No, it remains there in our secret hearts, pulsating insistently like a tiny seed awaiting the chance to thrust itself outward into a blossoming of rapture rekindled. All it takes is the willingness to pause, set down our catalogues of assumptions for just one powerful moment, and breathe our perception back into that primordial spaciousness. To return to seeing all of life not as a series of inert facts, but as an endless unfolding of miracles and total hospitable magic, no matter which way we happen to turn our newly untamed eyes.

small steps, big changes

Posted on by Ajmal

We’ve all heard the saying, “You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes.” But what if the secret to a more organized life lies not in the shoes themselves, but in how you treat them? In Japan, where shoes are removed upon entering a home, the state of the entryway reveals a fascinating truth. Neatly lined-up footwear paints a picture of a calm, organized household. A jumbled mess of shoes, on the other hand, suggests a cluttered mind and a chaotic flow within those walls. This isn’t just about keeping your house tidy. There’s a deeper wisdom here, one captured in an old saying: “Look carefully at what is under your own feet.” It’s not just a literal reminder to mind your step, but a metaphor for self-awareness. By ignoring the details of our daily actions, we lose sight of the bigger picture – the direction our lives are taking. Here’s the beauty of this philosophy: it starts small. Imagine returning home. You kick off your shoes, feeling the day’s stress melt away with each step out of them. Now, instead of leaving them in a heap, take those three precious seconds to line them up neatly by the door. This seemingly insignificant act has a surprising ripple effect. It becomes a tiny seed of order, a conscious choice to bring a touch of calm into your space. Over time, this simple habit becomes a stepping stone, leading you towards a more organized and mindful way of approaching all aspects of your life. It may sound like an exaggeration, but this is the power of intention. By tending to the “under your feet” moments, you cultivate a sense of awareness that spills over into everything you do. It’s a reminder that every little step, every conscious choice, contributes to the bigger journey. Next time you kick off your shoes, take a moment to consider the metaphorical message. It’s a chance to pause, to find your center, and to start lining up the next steps towards a more beautiful and organized life.

brighter skies are ahead

Posted on by Ajmal

Let’s face it, life can feel like a dark tunnel sometimes. You keep pushing forward, but the walls seem to close in, and it’s hard to see any light at the end. But here’s the thing: tunnels do have ends. There is always light waiting for you on the other side. Ponder of hope like a tiny seed. It might seem insignificant, especially when you’re buried under a pile of worries. But that seed, if nurtured with a little belief, has the potential to blossom into something incredible. It can push through the cracks, reach for the sun, and surprise you with vibrant flowers. Believing in a higher power, the Almighty as you call it, is like giving that seed the perfect growing conditions. It’s the sunshine that warms its leaves, the rain that nourishes its roots, the trust that allows it to unfurl its petals. When you have faith, you’re essentially saying, ” I trust that you have something amazing in store for me, even if I can’t see it yet.” And guess what? Almighty tends to reward that trust. It might not happen overnight, but slowly, things will start to shift. Opportunities you never knew existed will appear. Challenges you thought were insurmountable will find resolutions. It’s like the clouds parting after a storm, revealing a breathtaking view you couldn’t have imagined while you were huddled under cover. Remember, when you feel lost in the darkness, remember the seed. Hold onto that flicker of hope, nurture it with belief, and trust that there’s a whole world of sunshine waiting for you on the other side. Just keep pushing forward, and you’ll be amazed by what you find.

rowboat in the hurricane

Posted on by Ajmal

As a writer, I have always tried to be an instiller of hope to my readers. I don’t want anyone to feel down. We’ve all been there. You know the feeling: adrift in a sea of troubles, waves crashing over the deck, and the horizon lost in a thick fog. Helpless. Hopeless. Powerless. Like you’re just a tiny rowboat caught in a hurricane. It’s easy to want to throw in the anchor, curl up in the bilge, and wait for the storm to pass. But here’s the thing: giving up is never the answer. Even when the fiercest gales are howling, there’s always a flicker of hope, a tiny ember glowing in the heart of the storm.

Think of hope like a stubborn lighthouse. It stands tall amidst the chaos, its beam cutting through the darkness, reminding you that there’s still land ahead. It might be faint, barely a speck on the horizon, but it’s there. And that is enough. Because that tiny speck is where your destination lies, a calm harbor waiting to welcome you after the storm.

Now, we all know storms can be disorienting. Sometimes, the crashing waves make it hard to see where you’re going. That’s where faith comes in. It’s the hand on the tiller, steady and strong, guiding you through the roughest seas. It’s the unwavering belief that even when you can’t see the way forward, there’s a higher power watching over you, a captain who knows the course even when the charts are washed away. Cling to that hope, my friend. Cling to the faith that there’s something bigger than the storm, a calm that awaits you on the other side. Because even the fiercest tempests eventually run out of steam. The sun will peek through the clouds again, and you, battered but not broken, will find the strength to steer your ship towards calmer waters. Remember, you’re not alone in this journey. I wrote this so that next time you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of troubles, take a deep breath, and look for that glimmer of hope. Think about what you just read. At that stage, it might be a kind word from a friend, a beautiful sunset, or a simple act of compassion. Hold onto it, nurture it, and let it be your guiding light and rely on the divine. After all, the bravest sailors aren’t those who never face storms, but those who weather them with hope in their hearts.

existential mystery

Posted on by Ajmal

What is the most profound, eternally consequential question that has puzzled the greatest minds and philosophers throughout human history? What existential mystery remains despite our exponential scientific progress? The biggest unsolved mystery of all is the fundamental question of why we exist at all. Think about it. All our intellectual energies are devoted to unraveling the riddles of this physical universe – investigating its origins, its makings, its laws and properties. But we rarely stop to ponder the much bigger existential mystery staring us in the face: Why is there a universe in the first place? What existential necessity or driving force initiated this unfathomably vast cosmos full of galaxies, energy, space, and time from mere nothingness? How and why did everything come into being rather than just never existing at all?

Science can describe amazingly well what the universe is comprised of and how its mechanics operate. But it cannot answer why the universe itself exists to study in the first place. That is a puzzle that transcends the scientific domain into the realm of pure philosophy and spirituality. Even our most accomplished astrophysicists and cosmologists admit bewilderment at this most profound question. The physical laws and evidence merely trace back to a cosmic starting point of extreme density, but not the metaphysical first cause or mover behind it all. The only way to find a logically coherent answer to this supreme enigma is through the practice of deep thinking and spiritual contemplation. For the signs are everywhere that our existence is not a mere fluke, but a phenomenon meticulously brought into being by a supreme being who transcends space and time. As you look around at the extraordinary complexities of this world, does it make any rational sense that it all spontaneously erupted into perfect order from absolute nothingness by chance? Doesn’t the very existence of this mind-boggling universal design have signatures of a power behind it? Humble our intellect, open our heart, and engage in deep reflection to solve the biggest mystery of all – our very existence itself. The evidence is all around us if we only care to deeply ponder it.

the invisible ballet

Posted on by Ajmal

As we go about our day, we likely perceive the world around us as constant and still – a fixed stage where we are the star player. The buildings, roads, and backdrops to our life all seem unmoving and permanent. But what we cannot perceive with our limited senses is the intense choreography of movement and change happening all around us at every second. A dizzying, unseen kinetics occurring both in the vastness of the universe and within the smallest microscopic dimensions. On the grandest scale, the planet we call home is whirling around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour. And our entire solar system is orbiting around the center of the Milky Way galaxy at over 500,000 miles per hour. All the while, the galaxies themselves are hurtling through the ever-expanding universe in an elaborate ballet of motion. Zoom down to the tiny realm of atoms, and even the seemingly solid objects in our mundane world are vibrating with incredible intensity as their building blocks in constant motion.

The nuclei of every atom we’re made of are being perpetually pelted by other subatomic particles and held together by the strong nuclear force to create the illusion of tangibility. Even the air we breathe is an anarchic molecular frenzy, with billions of gaseous atoms bouncing off each other and the surrounding surfaces in an endless kinetic flurry. All of this frenzied activity and perfectly choreographed, intersecting movement is happening all around us constantly, yet we cannot directly perceive any of it with our limited senses. It’s taking place in higher and lower dimensions beyond our range of perception. This unseen cosmic choreography is one glimpse of astonishing finely-tuned design and planning that points to the brilliance of the Almighty orchestrating it all. Each intricate movement happening in perfect coordination and timing to allow for the fleeting materiality we call the world. As we go about our day, no longer be deceived by what we cannot see with our physical eyes. There is an entire expansive reality unfolding in the hidden divine choreographies all around us, from the subatomic to the intergalactic. Through deep contemplation, we can appreciate this unseen artistry of what transcends our sensory limitations.

sleepwalking minds

Posted on by Ajmal

Imagine being given a phenomenally valuable gift, but only having it for an extremely limited time. You’re told the gift is so precious that you’ll be asked to give an account of every single moment you had it. How would you cherish and make the most of that gift? That metaphor is our existence. The life we have now, which seems so permanent and unquestionable, is in fact more temporary than we realize. From the moment of your birth, the countdown has begun towards the day when we need to depart from this world. Me and you should ask within whether we are slowly developing into heedless souls who wasted this amazing gift by sleepwalking through it, consumed by chasing temporary whims? Or did we use our divine-given intellect to deeply ponder our purpose?

In my personal reflections, what I have noticed is that most people go through life in a semi-conscious trance. We’re vaguely aware of our ultimate fate, but we carry on mindlessly as if this will never end. We are overly consumed with acquiring possessions, social status, or indulging our egos and desires, none of which will accompany us to our grave. But occasionally we’re shaken awake by the stark realization of how everything can be ripped away from us at any moment. Through illness, natural disasters, freak accidents – glimpses of how feeble our grip on this worldly life really is. These are wake-up calls from the divine, alerting us to stop living like hostages to distracting delusions and turn towards our real purpose through deep reflection. The truth is, we have no way of knowing when our final moments will be. While we have this breath of life, we must make efforts to make the most of our intellect to contemplate the eternal realities. This world is but the blink of an eye. It’s time to awaken ourselves.

the extraordinary hidden in the ordinary

Posted on by Ajmal

All around us, each moment is filled with extraordinary realities that we simply cannot see. Not because they are truly hidden, but because we have been enveloped in a veil of heedlessness that blinds us from perceiving them. Have you ever really pondered the humble apple before biting into it? Beneath that thin peel is a whole universe of complexity. The peel itself is an exquisitely designed package, crafted to lock in the fruit’s flavor and freshness to perfection. And what about the apple’s color, fragrance, and intricate texture? All springs forth from mere dirt through a process modern science cannot replicate. Or have you contemplated why you can so easily swat a fly, despite it beating its wings hundreds of times per second? The design of its anatomy allows it to hover through the air with impeccable precision and maneuverability.

We are surrounded by such astounding marvels, from the veins coursing through a leaf to the mind-boggling operations of our own cells. Yet we carelessly overlook them, like an audience member at a magic show who misses every astonishing feat happening right before his eyes. This is the spell of heedlessness that affects the majority of us – being so dazed by our inherited lifestyle habits and traditions that we remain blinded to the stark realities unveiling the majesty of Almighty.

But we have been blessed with the sacred gift of our thinking minds, that we may use them to part the veils and truly witness the brilliance surrounding us. To pause, ponder, and be struck with awe by the magnificent signs of the divine’s fabulous artistry everywhere we look. All it takes is making the conscious choice to embrace profound thought. To use the intellectual faculty that is bestowed upon us for its very purpose – as a key to discern and appreciate the hidden wisdom woven into every fiber of this universe. We have to wake up from our slumber of heedlessness. Pausing and deeply reflecting with intention on the marvels we are ordinarily blind to, will render us stunned by what our thinking mind can unveil right before your eyes.

embodying true resilience

Posted on by Ajmal
I’m titling this work “true resilience”. The fractures of our past were never meant to ruin us. They were meant to sculpt us into concentrated resilience.

Life inevitably brings challenges, disappointments and trials that can shake us to our core. The loss of a loved one, a shattered dream, health crises, broken relationships, financial devastation – these intense storms of suffering have a way of overshadowing everything, making it difficult to imagine ever feeling wholehearted again. In those darkest moments, the path ahead can feel utterly hopeless, cast in perpetual shadow. You may find yourself asking existential questions like “Why me?” or “How can I possibly endure this and come out intact on the other side?” The hurt and uncertainty feel utterly consuming. And yet, even in the midst of immense pain and confusion, an essential part of the human spirit remains unbroken – an inextinguishable light of resilience that makes perseverance possible, even when you’ve been brought to your knees. It’s the tenacious force that allows people to gradually rebirth themselves from the ashes of their worst nightmares, like a pristine rose blooming from the charred husk of its former existence. True resilience isn’t about plastically positive attitudes or stuffing down uncomfortable emotions until they fester. It’s about being humble and compassionate enough to let yourself feel and acknowledge the rawness of difficult life experiences as they unfold. To work through the natural cycles of grieving, anger, disillusionment and hopelessness rather than prematurely forcing yourself to “move on.” From that grounded place of emotional honesty and presence, you then make a choice to look for the openings where light seeps through the cracks. To fan the faint embers of your fighting spirit and remind yourself of the strength that has carried you to this point, even if you feel hollowed out in this immediate chapter. Slowly, steadily, you begin reconstructing yourself around a new and wiser definition of what’s important and meaningful. You draw insights and unexpected growth from having walked through refiner’s fires that cremated outmoded parts of your former identity that no longer served you. Lost pieces of yourself that were once so central to your foundations are grieved, celebrated, and ultimately surrendered with bittersweet acceptance. Meanwhile, you cultivate new beliefs, relationships and fuel for your journey that are better aligned with the person you’re becoming. With consistent self-compassion, support from loved ones, and perhaps professional help along the way, the piercing anguish begins transmuting into a kind of hard-won, grounded wisdom only possible by passing through your unique valley of shadows. You emerge with more courage, authenticity and appreciation for life’s fragility. The scars from your trials remain visible like kintsugi – the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with veins of precious metal. Rather than being sources of shame, they become powerful testaments to the adversities you’ve transcended and the redemptive fires that keep remaking you into someone resolute yet exquisitely humanized. That’s the alchemic gift of resilience when we honor its spiraling path instead of trying to short-circuit the process. A deeper sense of unshakable wholeness arises, not in spite of life’s storms, but thanks to having had the fortitude and vulnerability to pass through them