Bullish on Bouncing Back

So I went on a break and tamed some demons, not without the help of dioramas of death squads capable of macabre morbidity and the most cold blooded killer who came out triumphant was The Istiadzah.

Ok, ok, the hyperbole is getting to my head. To put it simply, I just needed to sort this thick jam I was stuck in, and a little bit of Me and The Big Guy time did the trick. I am grateful to the people who have helped me go through the darkest hour, even those who did not know the head or tail of things, and never once pressed me to spill the details. To Nefertiti, Ely, Arwanzeefor, Kak Teh, Kak Tenah, Lady Jade, Ayu, Zana, Nadia,and everyone who dropped comments and offered encouragements and remembered me in their prayers, THANK YOU.

How can I best share with you what I have learnt without sounding,God forbids, holier-than-thou?

When there is chaos, I am forced to accept that there are more important things than fame and fortune, and all that romantic perspective of things, especially in idiotic proportions will just make me exactly that, a romantic idiot. And those important things, I gathered, can be attained by way of peace, most importantly with oneself as well as with others. Enlightenment, in this case, peace of mind, is all in my too-big-for- a-neck-to-carry head.

I am a Muslim, born and bred, although I shamelessly go astray in times of weakness much to the dismay of the people who shed crimson tears to make me an orang. Yet The Big Guy has never once turned his back on me. When I cried for help, He gave me help, embraced me dalam lingkungan Ha, which gives me much of the peace I have for the past week. I actually gave myself two weeks to wallow in my sorrow and exhaust my capacity to wail and wake the dead, before I decided to take charge of things, miraculously, I got out of the woods in less that one.

I am taking this mencari ilmu hingga ke negeri China thing a little bit seriously lately that I found the timeless wisdom of Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, ringing alarm bells each time I feel like succumbing to my angsty spurts of self-pity. And how fascinating his principles go hand in hand with what we learn and practise in Islam, check the list of sifat mahmudah and juxtopose with that of Lao Tzu's.

Be Humble

A good man is like water, that dwells in low places. Recede first if you want to proceed. Give first if you want to take. Great oceans are kings of all rivers and streams because they do not compete for higher grounds.

Be Gentle and Compassionate

Bend in order to be straight. Be hollow in order to be full. Yield in order to be completely preserved.

Do Not Have Too Many Desires

Take less and you will have more. Desire more and you will be obsessed. No disaster is greater that insatiable desires. No vice is greater than limitless greed. He who is content is always sufficient.

Do Not Be Too Selfish

If you put yourself behind others, you will find yourself the first. He who stands on tiptoes, cannot stand firm. He who strides cannot go far. The more you do for others, the more you will have for yourself.

Do Not Be Too Sure

If you do not know, and you know you do not know, it is good.If you do not know but believe you know, it is bad.If you know others you are smart.If you know yourself, you are enlightened.

Withdraw in Good Time

If you love fame too much, you will pay a dear price.If you hold on to too much wealth, you will lose heavily one day. If you do not know where to stop, you will put yourself in danger. But if you know how to be content, you will not suffer disgrace.

Good Government

Too much taxes starve the people, too many rules make the land ungovernable.The more prohibitions, the poorer the people will become. The more laws are passed, the more thieves there will be.

From Lao Tzu I learnt to take a step back and have really good look at that big-headed basket case in the mirror. What I saw is life changing. Reason enough for another Zippy-doo-dah day!