“Last year we were fighting out to the North beyond the Great Wall, and this year we’re fighting far out in the West on the Kashgar river. We’ve washed our blades in the streams of Parthia, and grazed our horses amid the snows of Tian Shan. But the beacon fires are always burning. The marching…Read more Li Bai: The Sword
By Paul Salahuddin Armstrong Many things in life we have no control over. Even those things we do, we often only have control within certain parameters. So why seek to control everything in life and demand everything goes according to our preconceived expectations? Some people do this, others do not... The ones who don't tend…Read more Learn to Ride the Currents
To be really on this Path you have to have humility: if you judge others, pushed down the stairs you'll be!If heart flies too high from this Way you'll fly away: one can't hide, what is inside out will be, all will see!Even that long white bearded one, looking O so wise, if he breaks…Read more Humility
Salam alaikum and Jummah Mubarak! I read and discuss the chapter, “The Knowledge of this World” from the book, “The Alchemy of Happiness” by Imam Al-Ghazali, pages 29-34 in my edition of the book. In this chapter, Imam Al-Ghazali highlights the difference between needs and desires, and cautions against chasing unchecked our desires, as these…Read more Friday Reflections 12.02.2021
The Master said, “The ancient scholars learned for themselves; the present scholars learn for others.” (The Analects 14:24). In this verse Confucius points out that scholars in ancient times and in his his time had different motivations towards learning. This can be interpreted along the lines that in ancient times learning was more for personal…Read more Why Do You Learn?
Paul Salahuddin Armstrong 