Do you own a car? A house? That money in the bank? It does not matter whether it is a BMW or a Kancil, a hut or a mansion, whether the sum barely enough to cover the bank's monthly charges or can buy the entire bank itself. You own them! Why ?!
(A Perodua Kancil - image from PRT MotorSport)
Simply because your name gets printed in the car ownership title; written in the house and land grant titles and; the account name bears your name (for discussion sake, don't say the banks actually own them because you have not paid up the loans! he..he..he..!).
Let us go slightly deeper. Beside these ownership documents, what else makes you own those things? Don't imagine too much now.
Isn't it because you are here? Don't you think? You exist. You have a name therefore you can be located and issued with the ownership documents. Documents under your name, signifying you as the legitimate owner.
In another word, ...because you are alive !!!. You are breathing!
hold your breath now....
Now let us step into the realm of wonders and ask,
"What if I am dead? What if I am no longer breathing?"
Do you still own those things? Those ownership documents still have your name on them. But where are you in this world? Have you not departed leaving all your belongings behind? Or do you still carry them with you when you departed? A BMW made from paper perhaps? Let us not venture and get ourselves lost in that uncharted territory. Not just yet.
Can we ponder on this simple statement then.
In this world, we are the owner of all the things we own, as long as we are still breathing. The moment we stop breathing (dead! to be very blunt about it!),we cease to be the owner of all those things.
We? You? Me? Can we then command, "Hey breath! Go away! Leave me alone for a moment". The breath obeys and goes away. Soon, we quickly summon the breath, "Come here quick! I am breathless!".
The breath again obeys. Can we do that at our whims and fancies? I don't think I can.
When the time comes, it will not be a second too early or a second too late.
Ponder again on this:-
Can it be implied that the real owner of all things imaginable by our minds is in fact the Owner of this single breath we take? The moment 'He' calls for the 'return' of this breath, 'He', in fact, is taking back all of 'His' treasures, be them a car, a house, wealth or even our spouses, children etc. Those are in fact "entrusted" upon us and we are just merely a caretaker of the King's treasures. A servant to the King of Kings! (1)
SILENT !
Would you now send that long overdue Kancil for servicing? The longer you wait, the more likely the past due engine oil will mess the car's engine. Do you want to earn the wrath of The King of Kings for ruining His treasure? You have been entrusted to care-take, are you not that trust-worthy? You can't even take care of a Kancil, yet you hope for the King to entrust you with a BMW next. How come?!
When we start to get hold of the so-called concept "that we are not the owner of things", start to observe our "materialistic minds". See how does that affect our body, mind and soul from time to time.
Every breath we take, every single step we move, every single second we wonder are made possible by this "life-giving gift". We are indeed gifted! Don't we want to take just a moment of silence to thank, to really be thankful to the Owner of this breath?
"We own nothing, not even this single breath we take.."
Seek The One Who Owns !
There is a force within
Which gives you life – seek That.
In your body
Lies a priceless gem – see That.
O wandering Sufi,
if you want to find the greatest treasure
Don't look outside, Look inside, and seek That.
(Jonathan Star & Shahram Shiva, A Garden Beyond Paradise, Bantam Books, 1992) Which gives you life – seek That.
In your body
Lies a priceless gem – see That.
O wandering Sufi,
if you want to find the greatest treasure
Don't look outside, Look inside, and seek That.
* (1) - "Whoso bows his head to the King of Kings Will receive a hundred kingdoms not of this world..." - Jalalludin Rumi.
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- Perihal Syukur - MistisFiles (update 13/04/2010)
