Literal is always right
in the matters of the law,
but always wrong
in the matters of The Law.
When dealing with things
that matter not,
the externals,
quarrels must be ended
through a clear edict,
no matter how ad hoc.
For those are the matters
of the humen.
Attended to
by the human
changeable law.
When dealing with
the matters of the spirit,
the only ones that really matter;
the literal will always
lead one astray.
For the Immortal and Unchanging Law
has existed much,
much before Man
ran riot on the face of the Earth.
The Law
is timeless.
The Law
cannot be defined,
cannot be laid down.
By humen.
It can, perhaps,
only be understood,
in a measure,
by us.
And since we lack a tool
to really understand,
we will always
approach closer,
or stray farther
from It, but
at The Law,
never arrive.
Thus the words
will only corrupt
our understanding of It.
Any words
will only seduce us away;
The Law can be understood
only in being one
with It.
Only on losing one,
inside The One
can one ever be ‘right’.
For the only ‘good’
is The Law.
Hence,
strive not
to confine The Law
in the capsule
of human understanding.
The Law is,
and always will be,
above and beyond
the collective human mind.
Accept that The Law
does not exist for us;
indeed, we would not,
were it not
for The Law.
Accept that
in making The Law
approachable to those
that cannot
or do not wish to
contemplate upon The Law,
you will only corrupt
their minds, and make it
ever more difficult
for them, to get closer
to It.
Allow them to be
a little farther away from The Law,
for in any effort
to codify It for them,
you will only push them
even farther away.
For they will think,
that in following the words,
or by merely mouthing them,
they will have arrived,
at The Law.
And thus,
strive no further.
Therefore,
get no closer.
Do not, if you love The Law,
try to make It any easier,
any simpler
than It can be.
No ritualization,
no ossification,
no fossilization
can preserve life.
Nor, in the image
of the Immortal,
that we, so assiduously,
paint in our minds.
And worry not
for the souls, not enlightened
by you. You are not
in any considerable measure
much closer to The Law,
than they are,
or will be.
They will still
live out their lives
as you will yours,
as humankind its,
and The Law
will still rule,
unaffected
by any (other)
‘intelligence’
understanding It
or not.
If you wish to,
just help them contemplate
a little more
a little better
a little deeper
with a little more
desire and love.
Content yourself,
with providing pointers,
with sharing your experience
of what you think,
mistakenly or otherwise,
of having gotten closer
to The Law.
Speak of your frailty,
of where you think
you went wrong.
Of the great tragedy
that befalls one
when swearing by the multifarious indoctrinations
that dog the way
to the real freedom;
real oneness
with The Law.
The real responsibility
that you hold in trust
for your fellow bipeds,
is to disabuse them
of their belief in their own centrality
to the Universe.
And,
to help them think
on their own,
which is the only way
to possibly, think right.
In the matters
of the food of the mind,
of the spirit and the soul,
of one’s very heart,
like in those of the stomach,
the best way
is not to give any handouts,
except when
total starvation
is otherwise unavoidable.
Teach them,
and help them learn,
but, allow them to earn
their own
religion.
If you do this, owais,
you will have fulfilled your destiny;
your duty
towards them,
towards humankind,
towards The Law.
- owais
--
Written down from 10:30 AM to 5: 30 PM, IST, on 23rd Oct 2010. If there is one thing that I'd like to be remembered for, it is likely this poem.
This is first being published here.
