Scripture In The Heart

On a journey from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, one of friend who is from Bali  ask: "What is your holy scripture?". When it was answered by scripture in the heart, he smiled politely. To be honest, a lot of people try to find solution in holy scripture. Some even have to pay very expensive price going to a place very far to find the cool holy scripture. And it has been recorded in the diary of many seekers, few who find coolness and softness in holy scripture. 

Curing the Soul

Whether because of these factors or other factors, many new generations begin to distance themselves from ceremonies, holy places, holy scripture. In Bali for example, there are some younger generation who ask critical questions about ceremony.

And to be sincere,  of course there is meaning behind ceremony. But the ritual can cure the soul longing to go home, when the sacred teachings that are stored behind ceremony understood properly.  Just as a simple example, before someone begin to learn the sacred books seriously,  Balinese  elders suggested one to conduct mewinten ceremony. Sort of cleaning up one's mind, heart and soul in order to open the soul of sacred book,  because only the pure can open the pure.

One of the stage in this mewinten ceremony, diciple must taste all the flavors. From sweet, sour, salty, bitter, etc. The message is simple, only those who have passed all the flavors (success-failure, elevated-demeaned, rich-poor, etc.) can sit peacefully on the top of all flavors. After spending years of time taking the same distance to all flavors of life, then one can possibly become the friend of holy book. If one still hungry to excessive wealth, praise, recognition, and at the same time hate poverty, curses punishment, it's hard to imagine that there is friendship with holy scripture. It is as hard as imagining that water can become the good friend of fire.

Outside cloth can be replaced within minutes, the hair can be shaved   in  a  few  moments, the ceremony can be held in one day, the house can  be renovated in short time, but to make the mind, heart, soul quietly sitting on top of all the flavors of life take long years of deep practice. In the story of many holy Masters of the past, it takes more than one life. And all of these holy Masters spending most of energy on inner cultivation. Only through inner cultivation soul can possibly cured.

Scripture of Great Self

The unique characteristic of digging down inside is simple, layer by layer one unlocking the secrets of what Ramana Maharsi referred as the Self. There have been too long human life are miserable in a small and stunted self. Small and stunted self is the thing that preventing one  to see God in every creation. As well as hindering the soul to return back home. Sometimes someone asked the difference between the small self and the Great Self. Recognizing small self is easy, look inside when one is abused, insulted, betrayed. When there is burning anger,  at the same time one is pulled by a large magnet of revenge, that is small and stunted self.  It makes one separated from the rest of the world. The small self  built  walls.  The stunted self wants life which is safe and comfortable free from the disturbance of others.

The Great Self is far from being small and stunted. It is without walls, without fire of rage. It is very similar to what was shown by the island of Bali after the terrorist bombing. The island of Bali protected the feeling, emotion, psychological situation of Balinese. As a result of it, not even a single small stone was thrown to the others shrine. Despite the long list of Balinese suffering after the bombing, Bali still considered as one of rare peaceful place in the world. Some of the international media even put Bali as one of the best tourist destination in the world. The message is simple, sadness, grief are not fuel of anger, it is a moment of connection. Only with such perfectly balance and calm mind in the face of sadness, then all the walls of small and stunted self collapse. At the same time, it gives birth to the Great Self.

In the community of the Great Self, there is a simple phrase: "when one begins to be able to love those who harmed, that's the sign of the Great Self was born".  While most people are homesick and missing home of soul, the one who discovered the Great Self is free from longing for home. Most of these holy people have ever left a message like this: "No need to go anywhere, no need to be somebody. Just be opened, here in this heart there is holy scripture. Holy scripture which is specifically written for oneself alone". In the gathering of Great Self, it is common that everyone talk like this: "one who can not find holy scripture in the heart, it is not suggested to search it some where else" . And quiet different to the common holy scriptures that can be easily shared, discussed, this scripture of the heart is very hard to be explained by using ordinary language.  As hard as explaining the taste of banana to ones who never eat banana. That's why Lao Tze wrote: "One who knows do not speak. One who speaks do notknow".

Resting in Service

Not all of the Great Self are interested in wearing holy cloth.  Some  decided  to wear ordinary clothes, common  language, regular job. The only difference is the depth of service to others. Like Nelson Mandela who appear to be politician but totally dedicate life to the others,  similar to Muhammad Yunus who got nobel peace prize  in the midst of Bangladesh poverty. Borrowing the touching message of Mahatma Gandhi: "Losing oneself in the service of others". In the language of this simple and humble article, once the walls of small and stunted self collapsed, then Great Self was born. And the only rest is rest in service.

The basis of action is simple: "Conforming outside, perfectly pure inside, provide hands to help". Outside be like the ordinary citizen. In the depth of the deep decorate the heart with touching service.