Daily Times

Human being primarily is a dangerous creation. There are good and bad powers who run her whole system. If humans do not follow moral values, they obviously will go towards destruction. So there should be some people who remind them of the reality of righteous life. After the prophecy, it was needed that some people devote themselves for the moral training of others.

Therefore, in every society of the world, such great personalities are born whose souls are linked to the soul of the universe. They are blessed with such divine powers that help them discover the reality of hidden and obvious things pertaining to humans and the universe. They can discover unlimited human potential and infinity of universe. Traveling from a bit to wholeness, they move towards such a unity where the whole universe transforms into a single unit. At this stage, humanity becomes the biggest connection. Love and respect assume the status of faith. Their thoughts leave the boundaries of a particular faith and spread over entire universe trying to make the foundation of a broad human society by disregarding all kinds of differences between humans at a fixed and practical level. Usually they are called Sufi, Saint or a Spiritual Leader. They are on higher level of spiritual development but their concern is common people. They never try to build their relations with kings and rulers. Most of the Sufis in this region have had mastery over Persian and Arabic languages, but they still wrote in the local language. They adopted masses ‘language, living manner and culture to come closer and get their attention. Then, with words and actions, they instilled seeds of collective goodness into hearts and minds. Goodness is the asset of humanity and in it lays the survival of humanity. Every part of Pakistan is lit with the thoughts of such great Sufis. But our state neither gave importance to this light of earth and hearts, nor tried to connect with it. The consciousness of any society appears through the creations of its writers, philosophers, poets, and painters. Ethically and culturally developed societies recognise and honour them because literature and art reflect the collective wisdom of the society. If the state adopts this collective wisdom of society, not only healthy state originates but also brings conformity to both. And, if the state does not accept the positive awareness of the society, then there will be conflict in the values of both. Narrow ideology and ignorance will flourish; chaos will prevail in the society and the state will move towards destruction and failure instead of development.

State should encourage Sufi teachings and support institutions and persons who are working for spreading the message of Sufism

Bulleh Shah is a great Sufi poet and thinker of this land and his work is representation of universal thought. He, in his imagination, considers the whole universe as a single dot that cannot be divided. Oneness of humanity is his first priority. He has nothing to do with anyone’s specific ideology, sects, colours, race and nation. Bulleh Shah does not like hypocrisy, double standards and difference in sayings and actions. Bulleh Shah raised rebellion against all kinds of religious, academic, and social conservativeness, racism and sectarianism. He considered all humans just like a family because all are creation of one Creator. He opposed any division and discrimination between humans. Conservatives tried to create controversy regarding his universal thoughts by portraying his poetry as against religious rituals. Infact, Bulleh Shah was not against any religion but was against religious exploiters. To safeguard their interests, these religious exploiters created many hindrances in his life. Even after his death, they refused to read his funeral just to reduce the importance and value of his thoughts. By giving ‘fatwas’ against him they tried to openly preach hatred against him but failed to finish the name of Bulleh Shah because his philosophy rose from the soil of the land and stayed in the hearts of the people. Bulleh Shah himself knew that there was no death in the way he was traveling. That’s why he had announced before his death, “my realm is my thinking, my ideology and my consciousness. Thought, ideology and consciousness never die, so I will live. Though, the body will mix in mud but I will live among all,” and that is what has happened, Bulleh Shah is still alive today. He exists in hearts and minds of people because of his truthfulness. There is no existence of those who gave ‘fatwas’ against him. But it is a national misfortune or a conspiracy that the state rather than adopting the ideology of great Bulleh Shah has implemented the thoughts of rigid preachers. They still occupy educational institutions at each level. Thoughts of elements whose mission is hatred and division are promoted. They believe in the Creator but reject its creatures. Bulleh Shah can bear the loss of everything including the temple and mosque, but cannot bear indignity of humanity. For him, humans are honourable because he believes that the heart of a human is home of the Creator. Then, how, by destroying the heart of a human which is home to its Creator, can one relish?

The state has realized that extremism can be addressed through promoting the message of Sufis. For this, it is necessary for the state to adopt society’s collective awareness, accept it and promote it, otherwise the people will remain cut from their land, culture, thought and become victim of anybody’s ambitions. State should encourage Sufi teachings and support institutions and persons who are working for spreading the message of Sufism.

Today, if we are divided on the basis of faith and are in quarrel with each other, its responsibility lies on those who snatched our culture, heritage and wisdom. Therefore, if we have to improve our nation, we will have to return their language and its knowledge. The day when the state plans to adopt the wisdom of society, a journey of goodness will start. It is important to understand the poetry of Bulleh Shah and reach the spirit of his message. Then we will realize that salvation of humanity lies in the collective consciousness preached by Bulleh Shah. We can attain universality and become one family by leaving the thieves of our inner self.

Published in Daily Times, January 29^th 2019.