Send us a textWhat is a Human Being?Ibrahim AnsariIn Sufism we give the title Human Being to someone who is developing compassion, intelligence, patience and surrender.The seven maqams or Stages of Understanding map well the transitions a person makes to achieve a connection with their heart. The strata of comprehension cannot be accessed by the brain alone. Much of the knowledge must happen within the heart. The heart is where paradoxes are resolved.The Human Being is a matrix of paradoxes. First, there is the monkey suit acquired and given as the form in which all this takes place. Created through eons of evolution, the primate must navigate the basic survival modes, secondly, it must adapt to the environment, the times, the seasons, the culture, the parents, the legacies of previous generations handed down to the confused being as though these are the only truths.The first paradox to deal with, is that while there is the primal monkey suit of survival, there is also the heart: the jewel beyond price, the connection to the Divine, Creator, or Allah - whatever you call that which holds all these universes together. Both the material and spiritual worlds are within us.Of course, that is not the only paradox we must unlock. There is also the need to eat other living things. There are needs that must be balanced: shelter, companionship, family, and reproduction. After the primary needs, there is then the pressure to obtain enough money, a career or at least a job, learning how to maneuver through technology and stay grounded… Waves of information and misinformation, the thousand details of life in the 21st century: pandemics, artificial intelligence, privacy, legalities, medical crises… Paradoxes continue for the rest of your life.A paradox can be a tool to help understand the divine. If we accept that we are on a journey  towards Unity with that Creation Spirit, then we must pass through layers of contradictions and resolve them in new ways. Perhaps one purpose of the maqams is to show us that our levels of understanding change or transmute as we ‘solve’ new opposites; such as predestination and free will; the unity of Allah and closeness of His presence; Good and Evil. How can any of these co-exist at the same time? The spiritual journey requires us to find our own resolution of these polarities. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis. When two opposites meet, a new understanding about Reality may emerge. This is similar to how our brain works. The wiring of our grey matter circuits requires a spark to leap across a synapse for a connection to be made. A spark, in this case, requires energy. For a paradox to find resolution requires effort and a ‘letting go’ of previously held concepts. This new comprehension sets up a new set of parameters of ‘how things are supposed to be.’ Which will necessarily become new contradictions to be resolved.Often in sacred literature the term ‘bewilderment’ accompanies this state of trying to smash opposing realities together. We find this push towards purposeful confusion in Sufi stories like the set of Nasruddin tales, the Koans of Zen, and Chasidic fables.If you tend towards wanting to contSalaam Alaykum, murids, seekers, curious and interested listeners,We appreciate you, and are happy to share our Sufi Message. Your donation will  help support our Sufi Centre in Sydney where we offer Zikr, Sohbet, spiritual counselling and healing services. We believe the message should be free, but it costs equipment, rental, services, software and hardware to get this to you. Thank you for choosing our podcast amongst all the millions available. If Support the showPlease send your questions to: [email protected]

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