Strive to discover the mystery before life is taken from you. If while living you fail to find yourself, to know yourself, how will you be able to understand the secret of your existence after you die?
A slave's freedom ---by Farid ud-Din Attar Loghman of Sarrakhs cried: "Dear God, behold Your faithful servant, poor, bewildered, old-- An old slave is permitted to go free; I've spent my life in patient loyalty, I'm bent with grief, my black hair's turned to snow; Grant manumission, Lord, and let me go." A voice replied: "When you have gained release from mind and thought, your slavery will cease; You will be free when these two disappear." He said: "Lord, it is You whom I revere; What are the mind and all its ways to me?" And left them there and then -- in ecstasy He danced and clapped his hands and boldly cried: "Who am I now? The slave I was has died; What's freedom, servitude, and where are they? Both happiness and grief have fled away; I neither own nor lack all qualities; My blindness looks on secret mysteries -- I know not whether You are I, I You; I lose myself in You, there is no two."
Farid ud-Din Attar was born in Nishapur, in north-east Iran. There is disagreement over the exact dates of his birth and death but several sources confirm that he lived about 100 years. He is traditionally said to have been killed by Mongol invaders. His tomb can be seen today in Nishapur.
As a younger man, Attar went on pilgrimage to Mecca and traveled extensively throughout the region, seeking wisdom in Egypt, Damascus, India, and other areas, before finally returning to his home city of Nishapur.
The name Attar means herbalist or druggist, which was his profession. It is said that he saw as many as 500 patients a day in his shop, prescribing herbal remedies which he prepared himself, and he wrote his poetry while attending to his patients.
About thirty works by Attar survive, but his masterpiece is the Mantic at-Tayr (The Conference of the Birds). In this collection, he describes a group of birds (individual human souls) under the leadership of a hoopoe (spiritual master) who determine to search for the legendary Simurgh bird (God). The birds must confront their own individual limitations and fears while journeying through seven valleys before they ultimately find the Simurgh and complete their quest. The 30 birds who ultimately complete the quest discover that they themselves are the Simurgh they sought, playing on a pun in Persian (si and murgh can translate as 30 birds) while giving us an esoteric teaching on the presence of the Divine within us.
Attar's poetry inspired Rumi and many other Sufi poets. It is said that Rumi actually met Attar when Attar was an old man and Rumi was a boy, though some scholars dispute this possibility.
Farid ud-Din Attar was apparently tried at one point for heresy and exiled from Nishapur, but he eventually returned to his home city and that is where he died.
A traditional story is told about Attar's death. He was taken prisoner by a Mongol during the invasion of Nishapur. Someone soon came and tried to ransom Attar with a thousand pieces of silver. Attar advised the Mongol not to sell him for that price. The Mongol, thinking to gain an even greater sum of money, refused the silver. Later, another person came, this time offering only a sack of straw to free Attar. Attar then told the Mongol to sell him for that was all he was worth. Outraged at being made a fool, the Mongol cut off Attar's head.
Whether or not this is literally true isn't the point. This story is used to teach the mystical insight that the personal self isn't of much real worth. What is valuable is the Beloved's presence within us -- and that presence isn't threatened by the death of the body.
There are some slum dwellers living near Ramizan Mission, Comiolla. Necessary steps have been taken to improve their living condition and environmental situation. But they are still lagging behind in normal culture and education. To grow awareness among the dwellers some of our student-volunteers, who happen to be members of ramiZan.org, have come forward to provide teaching support to the children at primary level and have been continuing tutorial classes to educate the slum dwellers denied of proper education and other social facilities. To elevate and educate the dwellers various programmes have been undertaken: free educational support to vilage people related to their earnings, free teaching to poor students, award of stipend, computer training, scriptural class, awareness of civic sense and health care and motivation of self-supporting etc. It is a pleasure to mention that the dwellers are now coming up in the limelight of the society gradually. Hazrat Shah Sufi Khandaker Ramizuddin, a humanist and spiritual teacher, visualized that the living standard of the downtrodden is required to be raised up to the mark to make the nation glorified. ramiZan.org are engaged in serving the cause of the slum dwellers with a view to making them worthy members of the society. It is also need to mention that Road Construction & Electricity Facility has been incorporated with organizations own cost of money, labor, land. The work is going on in a few nearby slums and many people have indirectly benefited from our action programme. We feel such a work has to be done with the spirit: 'Serve man as God.' This working idea will help server come closer to those being served. Overall environment in the slum has now started changing for the better. The dwellers are being interested in improving their life-style and living standard with a hope of becoming useful members of the society.
Medical Service ramiZan.org Medical Service Centre for the poorer section of the Society. It was founded very recently with only general medicine service the medical centre has now been offering facilities for treatment in more than 10 departments like Dental, ENT, Eye, Skin, Gayne & Obstetrics, Cardiology, Medicine etc. with a few test departments like X-Ray, ECG, Pathology with computerised blood test etc. It has taken initiative to services to thousands of patients who are examined by qualified doctors and a good number of poor patients are provided with free medicines. During natural calamities and special occasions the mobile medical service resumes its work effectively for the cause of the rural poor. Our medical service depends entirely on the contributions from the generous public as well as from the benevolent donors. To run the work smoothly and on high levels we are in short of funds. Many times we badly face shortage of funds towards purchasing medicines, equipments and other requisites. The service may be extended further if funds are forthcoming generously.
Educational Work Holding the ideal - 'Man-making and character-building' - of Hazrat Shah Sufi Khandaker Ramizuddin, children Educationional program is going on. So, many students are given the facility of studying at partial cost and many are given the facility of full-free studentship. Because of solvency all related action cant standardized. Therefore, the glory of the initiative is going to be lost. This is possible only when the donor organizations and the well-wishers come forward to extend their helping hands. We wholeheartedly expect that with the help of everybody very soon the initiative will be able to bring back its lost glory.
Spiritual & Cultural Work
ramiZan.org has been engaged in performing religious programmes and various spiritual disciplines so as to help grow the spirituality of its monks, devotees, and other aspirants. Here the emphasis has been given more to lead a life of sacrifice and spirituality through worship, prayer, meditations, selfless work. All its activities are open to all irrespective of caste, creed and nationality. It has been conducting discourses, seminars, various cultural programmes, to nourish the human faculties and facility to strengthen intellectual level of man and so forth.
With a view to developing the human inner faculties more stress has been given here to the studies of scriptures, practices of various spiritual disciplines, meditation, chanting hymns, prayers etc. every day. And discourses, seminars and talks on different topics viz., religion, philosophy, science, learning in different fields of education, culture are regularly held throughout the year. Besides, the birth anniversaries of Hazrat Shah Sufi Khandaker Ramizuddin and other devotees, extending over a few days, when learned and scholarly people of different faiths use to take part in the discussion on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, Sri Krishna, Lord Buddha, Prophet Mohammed, Sri Chaitanya and other great souls during the year as its special features.
In the campus as a symbol of religious plurality and harmony propagating the idea: 'As many faiths, so many paths'. This centre has now become a place for the congregation of the people of all faiths. To rouse divine feelings among the people of different temperaments, ideology spreading festivals, which include along with cultural functions, have been performed during the years. All its celebrations are attended by a large number of people comprising devotees, distinguished people, friends and admirers of all communities.
CELEBRATIONS AT A GLANCE
Under the cultural programmes seminars and discourses on art, culture, philosophy and various topics of current affairs and also on the life and teachings of the celebrated souls of different faiths are held within the campus and also outside during the year. Distinguished speakers have been always invited to speak on all the occasions here. Cultural functions are being also observed regularly. There is a commodious building known as Balam Khana provided with a library and an auditorium accommodating about 500 persons.
Besides, the monastic members are often invited to participate in the discussions on different subjects like religion, philosophy, different fields of learning and culture organized by different organizations. There is a magnificent Wood House and a Garden House as a seat of culture and spirituality that has been offering a place for enjoying peace and serene atmosphere. All its cultural and spiritual programmes have been attended by a large number of devotees, admirers, and people of different walks of life belonging to all faiths.