A community listens to local extension workers as they shell maize by hand in the Gangachara upazila of Rangpur district, Bangladesh.

 

Everybody is involved in production. Women work in both the weeding and harvesting of maize.

 

Credit: CIMMYT/Sam Storr

A Love Non-Distracting

 

آں دم کہ دل بعشق دھی خوش دمے بود

درکار خیر حاجت ھیچ استخارہ نیست

 

O what a blessed moment it is for the heart,

when the pain of love for the Almighty is granted to it.

 

Maulana Rum (ra)

 

The month of the Urs Mubarik of Maulana Rum (ra) began on the 14th of December. It is celebrated for a month in Konya. I had posted the video for Ghaus Pak’s (ra) Urs only a few days earlier. I thought I might take some time off but I was leaving for Karachi for a month. I decided to at least do the narration and record the kalam before I left. I thought I might be able to do the rest from there.

 

I gave it my everything but sadly it didn’t happen. In the days just before, I had a class with Qari Sahib in which he told me a hadith. All the ahadith are spectacular. All aspects of Nabi Kareem’s life are extraordinary, most of all in the layering effect of his words and actions. Each read is unique in what it reveals. The Quran and the hadith are in fact precisely from where the Sufis inherit the impact of their words, in both poetry and prose. Each word is written as if for the individual reader alone!

 

“Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) was sitting with his companions one day when Hazrat Bilal (ratu) came to see him.

 

“You came yesterday as well Bilal,” he said to his beloved Muazzen (the one who gives the call for prayer), “but you don’t have to come every day. Know that separation from the one you love increases the affection between you.”

 

As always Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique was listening intently to the words of his Master. The next day when the afternoon came and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ratu) had not arrived, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked about his whereabouts.

 

“I saw him working in the field,” someone said.

 

The next day again Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (ratu) did not come. Again Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) asked where he was and was given an answer by whoever saw him last.

 

On the third day when he came, the Prophet (peace be upon him) turned his face from him.

 

It was the sunnah of the Beloved of God (peace be upon him) to always maintain eye contact with the one who came before him, until the person averted their attention elsewhere. It was also his sunnah to never retract his hand when in a handshake until the other person withdrew his first.

 

His manners never ceased to amaze me. What must he have thought of this world in which we barely lift the eyes to acknowledge anyone’s presence, before shooting it back toward a phone, a tv, a tablet, even a book. And important people hardly ever want to come near them, much less touch another’s hands. Holding on to them till they were withdrawn, pre-COVID that is, was a near impossibility.

 

Siddiq e Akbar (ratu) immediately went to his side and said, “May my parents be sacrificed upon you, O Messenger of God, are you upset with me?”

 

The Prophet of God (peace be upon him) asked his why he had not come to see him. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (ratu) told him that he had heard what he had said to Hazrat Bilal (ratu), so was trying to follow his advice.

 

“That advice was for Bilal,” Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) said, “not for you. When you are around me, my focus upon my Lord intensifies. And when you are away from me, in wondering where you are, my concentration upon my Lord becomes distracted.”

 

“Wow,” I thought!

 

The hadith floored me. For many days after and even now, I think about how I never experienced a love of any kind in the world that enhanced my focus on God. Maybe my mother in the sense that I was dutiful and all my acts of obedience were unquestioned but I wasn’t aware of it as bringing me closer to God. Otherwise all my “loves,” platonic and otherwise, distracted me from Him. For starters, they caused delayed and hurried prayers, if not causing me to outright miss them.

 

It would happen the most with friends. I was always worried about missing out on some joke or conversation happening without me. We met so rarely now. Sometimes as I sped through my recitation, I would tell myself, "I should be with my guests so it’s ok to go fast." But in my heart I knew it was all excuses. I had been told what the conduct commanded was by Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) when the Azaan sounded.

 

Hazrat Bibi Ayesha (ratu) narrates: When the time of the namaz came, the Prophet of God (peace be upon him) would disconnect from us, as if we didn’t know each other at all.

 

I started to wonder if a person existed for me in the remainder of my life that would be like Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (ratu) was for the Prophet (peace be upon him). I knew of the enhanced effect upon the heart, intensifying its attention towards God in the company of a Spiritual Master but in this case Hazrat Abu Bakr (ratu) was the disciple. He was a childhood friend, then a Companion.

 

The hadith made me want to ask for a love, a first love, that would be a cause for focus upon my Lord, take me closer to Him. I knew it wouldn’t be coming from wealth or children, people’s general go-to for happiness.

 

For the Quran says as often as it was a blessing, it was a trial. The word most alerting to the two was startling; “fitna.”

 

إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيم

 

Indeed, your wealth and your children are but a trial for you,

whereas with God there is a great reward.

 

Surah At-Taghabun, Verse 15

 

So I began to wonder, was it even possible?

 

In the days before Karachi, I had started working with some local orphanages situated in the outer neighborhoods of Lahore. It was an entirely new thing for me. In my life I had had different kinds of experiences when it came to working with different community-based organizations, doing charitable work. I had even done it for money (in a job) post 9/11.

 

At the time I was living in New York and I worked with what was mostly the Muslim-Arab population in Brooklyn and Queens whose lives were permanently altered by the disaster. The work was easy. I used to present cases for financial assistance on behalf of mostly the disaster-impacted women before various Charities, mostly Christian.

 

Some of them had a rule to not help Muslims at all, deeming them to be the cause of the catastrophe but most were not only sensitive but also extremely generous. My salary that year in 2001 was less than what I had made post-college, 10 years earlier, working at a management consulting firm but the work was the most meaningful of my life up to that point.

 

Other than that I had tried to do things as I learnt them from the Friends of God. Feeding the hungry has topped my list since I started it a few years ago, courtesy of Ghaus Pak (ra). Other things had been the usual for Pakistanis; helping an indigent family with a marriage, paying for a child’s tuition, taking care of someone’s medical bill, buying blankets in the winter and distributing clothes seasonally. It was a little bit of everything that a lot of people did.

 

Then earlier this year for the first time in my life I made the intention to “honor” the orphan as the Quran instructs. To that end in the fall I visited three orphanages in Kaana on the day of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) birthday. One of my rich friends, after hearing about the trip, offered to adopt one of the orphanages. It was an excellent idea since it didn’t seem anyone might adopt a child. There were no babies. The youngest child was five.

 

All three orphanages were run by people who lived in the neighborhood and were by no means of wealth. No foundations, no NGOs. There reason for starting the work was personal concern for the children or to give the blessings of the work to a family member who had passed away. One of the women who had started what was a shelter for widows and their children was in her early 30s. She wanted to send the reward of her effort to her younger brother who had passed away from cancer recently.

 

She was married and had three sons of her own, the eldest of whom was 15. She told me laughingly she had developed diabetes because of the stress of the work, not knowing how each month’s needs would be met. All three orphanages relied on the generosity of family friends or posted their needs on their social media accounts which were then met by "the kindness of strangers."

 

I told my friend. If she was going to take over the running of the place then the point should be to elevate the standard of living for the children, not just maintain it. Stressfully or otherwise, they were already sustaining themselves. The houses were old, the living was cramped. There were 4-5 kids in a single room which was small. Hot running water was scarce. There was no room dedicated to play or study. There was no room at all! My friend agreed and they were off. That’s the thing about being rich, I noticed. Things happen overnight!

 

Appliances, including a tv, a washing machine, a microwave, gas heaters, mattresses, blankets, a set of clothes, socks and shoes arrived the next day. Someone was assigned to look for a bigger home. The donor wanted to paint the new place, get new furniture. Make it nice. I was the middleman so to speak. If there was any concern on either end, I communicated it to the other party. Both sides were excited and happy. We will see what happens.

 

For my part I wanted to hang with the kids. To that end I planned a day in the park. It was November. Lahore was in a corona hike but the sun was gorgeously warm and the days bright and sunny. The parks were empty, schools were closed.

 

Along with a young man, Saad, I arranged for a picnic in Model Town park, the nearest one to the orphanage that was the newest of them all having just opened their doors in July. There were 18 kids. I had once before gone to the house to teach them Pictionary. I thought we had given them the game but that turned out to be wrong.

 

I had arrived with a white board and markers of all colours, only to realize that we had to wing it. But the kids ended up writing words for the other team to draw and it was a hilarious afternoon. Then I only interacted with the older boys and girls. Saad was playing Jenga with the little ones. On the day of the picnic, I had thought of games for everyone to play together beforehand.

 

Playing with a child is not for all adults. I know few who can do it with their own children. It’s a natural skill and it cannot be acquired. Saad brought a couple of frisbees and a badminton set. When I arrived at the park with Qari Sahib, my only invited guest, the kids were still on their way. Qari Sahib and I decided to walk around. It was a gorgeous day. The grass was soft and green, the trees majestic. It was my first time there. I’m a Jinnah Gardens fan and being a creature of habit always end up there.

 

A little while later the kids arrived in their bus. I waved to them from where I was and all 18 of them made a dash for me yelling, “As-Salam Alaikum Aapi.” It was definitely a giant group hug with no social distancing possible, unless I planned to sprint away from them. Which would have been weird as hell!

 

First we played Tag and Hide n Seek. Then L.O.N.D.O.N which is a game we used to play as kids in the boarding school. I had wondered once if it had anything to do with the rich being obsessed with the city for the remainder of their lives?

 

The game could be played anywhere. One person stood near a wall, in this case tree, and yelled the spelling of the word while the others ran towards them. As soon as the word was uttered and the person turned around, everyone had to freeze. Then if they could make them laugh or move, they had to move back to the starting point. The goal was to reach the wall. Become the person yelling L.O.N.D.O.N.

 

Making all 18 of them laugh turned out to be easy. Even the ones who bent their heads all the way down to avoid eye contact or covered their mouth with their little hands. With lightening speed I went from one child to the next, making some dumb crack that made them giggle.

 

Then the little kids spotted some rides in one side of the park so we all moved there. The rides were rundown and not fast at all but everyone wanted to try them. There was a jumping castle and some went there. Qari Sahib and I started played frisbee.

 

Lunch arrived. We sat in a huge circle on the grass and starting eating our boxes of rice, half biryani, half zarda. It was yummy. While we sat there I asked Qari Sahib to tell the kids something about Ghaus Pak (ra). It was the 11 of Rabu Thani, the day of his Urs (death anniversary). It was a deliberate choice to come on that day. I wanted to mark my happiness of the celebration with a supposed good deed. Qari Sahib didn’t say much, only one line. Ghaus Pak never told a lie in his life.

 

I decided to tell the kids the story of him as a child when he was going away from his mother to study. He was in his teens. His mother had stitched his money in a hidden pocket under his shirt. He was in a caravan but traveling by himself. In the night the caravan was attacked by dacoits. The robbers asked everyone, one by one, if they had any money.

 

When they came to him, the boy replied in the affirmative. The robber searched hum but could not find anything so repeated the question. Again Ghaus Pak (ra) said “Yes.” When they still couldn’t find anything, he turned his shirt over and showed them the pocket with his coins. The robbers were amazed.

 

“Why are you telling us this when you know we will take it from you?” they asked.

 

He simply replied, “Because my mother told me never to lie.”

 

I looked at the kids as I related the incident in Urdu. They listened intently to each word like a child does when being told a story. I didn’t know the end.

 

“So what happened then Qari Sahib?” I reverted to my teacher.

 

From outside the circle he uttered a single line, “They repented. And gave up being robbers.”

 

After lunch we all played frisbee. Some were better than others. I noticed how the older children were gentle and kind with the younger ones. When a little boy couldn’t finish their food or stopped eating, an elder boy would be told to help them and they did. When a little girl, who had taken her shoes and socks off to play on the grass, couldn’t put them back on and I just stared at her, an older one ran over to help her without being asked.

 

There was no tantrum, no fights, no arguing, no tears, not even a raised voice. Not even when someone was doing something another kid wanted to do. In my life and circle of society, I had only always seen that if a younger child wanted something an older sibling or cousin possessed, all they had to do was wail and the older kid was immediately ordered to hand it over. There was not a single sound in all the hours we were there that was the sound of being upset.

 

The kids all called the woman who ran the orphanage with her husband “Mama.” I thought it was striking. I had expected it would be “Aunty” or “Khala” or something. Anything that created a degree of separation, marked that they were not hers. She was not entirely theirs. She had two children of her own, a boy and a girl, who were 14 and 15. But they all called her “Mama.” I guess that’s how she took care of them.

Her tone was gentle, her demeanour soft. When they first arrived she told me she had almost not come.

 

“Why?” I asked.

 

“My foot was hurting so much,” she said, “I couldn’t even step on it. I don’t know what happened. So I told the children today you go without me and next time I will come with you.”

 

Then she smiled. They were all around her hearing her relate the story.

 

“’No, no they said to me. We will not go without you Mama.’

 

Then they said a prayer for me and look, here I am. No pain at all anywhere.”

 

The kids were all beaming.

 

It was Friday. Qari Sahib had already missed all the calls to prayer to go a Mosque. I suggested he lead us all for Zuhr right there. That’s when I found out that half the kids were Christian. Me and a couple of the girls lined up behind a few boys. After the prayer, the kids spotted some jungle jim structures in another side of the park and ran over.

 

I wanted to read the rest of the prayer so I found a quiet spot. It was then that I thought maybe I might like to ask God for something. When a king celebrates a happy occasion, gifts are given to the entire kingdom. It was a big day indeed and I kept thinking of Ghaus Pak (ra). What Qari Sahib had said about him in the class from the day before which had been dedicated to him: “Ask Allah for things, for what you want Ghaus Pak (ra) says. For it is in the Quran:

 

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ

 

And your Lord says, “Call upon Me and I will respond to you.

 

Surah Al-Ghafir, Verse 60”

 

That afternoon taking in the sun while I prayed, I wondered if I should ask for that love finally that didn’t distract me. But In the past, whenever I asked for things I got them so quickly, I was now careful to ask. Mostly because a few times in the course of my life, as soon as my wish had been granted, I had myself destroyed what I had received, kicking it in the face. Sometimes within days of receiving it. The insanity of the action had once given me a nervous breakdown. Now I was hesitant.

 

Setting the matter aside, I decided to head home. We had been in the park for over three hours. I went up to some of the kids who were closer to me to say goodbye.

 

“I’m going to leave now,” I said waving and smiling at them. “I’ll see you guys next time.”

 

They all waved and smiled back at me. Then one little kid, who must have been five, turns around and not even looking at me, quietly says, “Khiyaal se jaana Aapi.” Which just means “Get home safely Aapi,” the term of endearment being the word for an elder sister.

 

I let out a laugh. It was so funny to me that a child as young as that was telling a 50 year old to do anything safely. I left with Qari Sahib. For the next several days, I couldn’t get that line out of my head. I told everyone I met the story. Each person was visibly moved. One friend of mine who never ever cries burst into tears. But they all said the same thing; the child wanted me to be safe because I had been kind to her and she wanted me to be alright so perhaps we would meet again.

 

But every time I heard people say that my heart disagreed with them. If someone had asked me what I had given and received that day, if I were to weigh the two, I would have said, “I gave my time, my emotional energy, my physical energy. I gave some money, I taught the kids something. I played with them. I prayed with them.” And what did I get in turn? “I got four words from a child.”

 

I felt that way because it was not a prayer, yet it felt like an utterance of a prayer. But even more than that because it was a prayer way beyond her years. I have been lucky enough to receive prayers from many in my life. Some out of love, some out of gratitude. Never did a prayer sound so beautiful to my heart than the one I heard that day.

 

The nisbat, association, of the orphan child with the Beloved of God (peace be upon him) who was an orphan himself is the most intense of all. I had noticed that almost all the Auliya e Karaam, the Friends of God, shared that nisbat with him. They lost their fathers in the early years of their lives, if not before birth.

 

I told my friends who had adopted children to always tell them who they shared the most painful part of their identity with. As often as they could. There always came the time when they might wonder who they belonged to at birth and when the pain from that loss or the sadness of not knowing them would set in, it would be a balm. Like no other, in fact, if you were able to tell yourself that the one you were similar to, so distinctly, in a way that hardly anyone else in the world was, was the reason the Universe existed.

 

In the weeks that followed I planned different activities with the children and my attachment to them started becoming more intense, especially with the little ones. As did theirs. In those days I was reading Al-Fath Ar-Rabbani, the discourses of Hazrat Ghaus Pak (ra). In one of his sermons he explained to me why the loves of the world are so distracting. The world itself is just a distraction.

 

Huzoor Pak (peace be upon him) said, “Visit the sick and participate in funerals for they will remind you of the Afterlife.”

 

Ghaus Pak (ra) says that the purpose of these words is to highlight that humans run from the thought of their life after death and make the world and all in it their beloved.

 

“But the price of that love, superficial, is that soon, there will come between you and the same world, obstacles which, without your say, will be out of your control. What you are happy about will be taken from you and instead of happiness, suffering will prevail.

 

People will only steal your heart, your faith, your goodness and make you a “mushrik” because you will associate them with God and become forgetful of Him. And if you cannot do without material things, then ask Him for them and not others because what Allah dislikes the most is when even the meager wants of the world are asked of others instead of Him.”

 

It was in the days I was in Karachi taking in the sun for hours a day before returning to Lahore where it would not appear for another month or so, that I started writing my piece for Maulana Rum (ra). In my reading, I came across a story in the Masnavi in which he explained the concept of asking for anything, even in the world, from Allah alone.

 

In the time of the Prophet Dawood (as), the story of the man who wanted his livelihood without working.

 

All day long he prayed and pleaded to God for only one thing, “Dear Lord, grant me livelihood from the Unseen and without the hardships of working and earning.” His prayer became well known amongst the people in the area and they resented him for it. They labeled him as lazy and worthless but he was unaffected by their attitude of condescension towards him.

The one who seeks will ultimately find; Allah listens to everyone’s prayers and fulfills their ask.

 

One day the door of his house flung open and a large cow burst in. The man was elated. He grabbed the cow, took it to the butcher and had it cut up for the meat. When the owner of the animal came searching for it and found his cow dead, slaughtered, he let out a wail.

 

The man told him not to create such havoc. “For years I have been asking Allah to grant me rizq and now my prayers have been answered.” Livid, the owner grabbed the man. First he beat him then took him before the Prophet Dawood (as) to have him punished and to seek justice.

 

The owner stated his case, then turned to the man asking the Prophet (as) to ask him why he committed such a crime. The man simply said, “All my life I have never touched the property of another. I have never stolen anything. I have never given trouble to a soul in the city. For several years now it has been my practice that I have prayed to God to grant me livelihood without having to toil for it.

 

Every man, woman and child in the area knows of this prayer of mine. After years my voice was heard. The cow came into my house. When I saw it my heart was ecstatic. I knew my prayers were answered so I took it to the butcher and had it slaughtered it to express my gratitude to The One who sent it to me.”

 

Addressing the accused, Hazrat Dawood (as) said, “Give a better argument for what you have done. From what is being said, it is clear you neither bought the cow nor was it given to you by its owner.”

 

Upon hearing his words echoing the sentiment of everyone else surrounding him, the man turned his face towards the sky and pleaded, “O Knower of the pain in my heart! Reveal to Your Prophet the truth of my words so he can become aware of the reality.”

 

His cries were so full of anguish, Hazrat Dawood’s (as) heart was deeply affected. He told the owner of the cow he would render his decision the next morning.

 

When the two reappeared before him the next day, the Prophet (as) said to the owner, “Do not pursue your matter with this man and forgive him. Allah has granted you a cover for your sins. Be grateful for that veiling and exercise patience.”

 

The owner was astounded. “This is justice? Your sense of fairness is famed from the Earth to the skies, yet for me you give such an unfair pronouncement?”

 

The second time he addressed him, Hazrat Dawood (as) said, “Give your wealth to this man. Otherwise all that you have done which was unjust will be revealed and you will be vilified.”

 

Again the man let out a cry and continued his protest. The Prophet (as) once again asked him to reconsider; “O unfortunate one! Stop this spectacle before it is the cause of your own demise. What you have sowed is only what you are reaping.”

 

The words had no effect on the owner of the cow. The people watching also became bewildered. They could not understand why the Prophet (as) was siding with the one who took another’s property, whilst leashing anger towards the one who was clearly the victim.

 

Finally Hazrat Dawood (as) decided that the matter could no longer remain a secret as he had tried so hard for it to be for the sake of the owner. He took them to a tree near the bank of a river. Then pointing towards it he said, “A man was killed her by his servant a long time ago. After the murder, the slave took all his wealth and deprived his family and the orphan children of their rightful inheritance. At the base of the tree lies the bloodied knife that he used to commit the crime and on it are etched his initials.”

 

Upon his command, the land was dug up. A skeleton and the knife was found with the owner’s initials. When he saw it he started trembling. The people watching the scene were shocked and with deep humility, they came before their Prophet. Removing their caps from their heads, they expressed their apologies to Hazrat Dawood (as) for letting doubt enter their hearts.

 

“We became blind and did not hear what you said. And this despite that we have seen so many miracles by your hand. Mountains spoke to you, saying, ‘take me in your hand to fight Talout.’ So you took three rocks and a sling and destroyed the armies of the enemy. The three stones became hundreds of thousands and decimated all. Your hand melted iron to make armour. The mountains echoed the sound of your reading of the Zabur. The hearts of many opened to God because of you.”

 

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ مِنَّا فَضْلًۭا ۖ يَـٰجِبَالُ أَوِّبِى مَعَهُۥ وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ ٱلْحَدِيدَ

أَنِ ٱعْمَلْ سَـٰبِغَـٰتٍۢ وَقَدِّرْ فِى ٱلسَّرْدِ ۖ

 

And certainly We gave Dawood (as) great favours from Us. “O Mountains! Sing with him the praises of God. And likewise, you the birds.

And We made iron soft for him. Instructing him to make full coats of armour.”

 

Surah Saba, Verse 10-11

 

According to the law which the owner was insistently demanding be applied, he was sentenced and the man was given his entire wealth.

 

It was not the first time I had come upon the story. I had read it once before when I was living in New York. I was 30. Then of course I had no clue about the nafs and the havoc it wreaked in my life. Then it had just me reflect on my sources of livelihood.

 

All my life I had strange jobs, if I even had them at all. I use the word “strange” because nerds like me are usually career focused and on some trajectory of “success.” But my mother’s death derailed all that when I was 26 and I never got back on track. Mostly after that I earned next to nothing. But for one reason of another, I lived a life of ease.

 

When I had read the story then I had cried because I felt like the man who was praying for livelihood for years whilst not working. But I had not even prayed for that. I guess someone else might have prayed for me. That was what came to my mind then. Coming upon the story 20 years later, Maulana highlighted something entirely different for me.

 

I kept going back to the lines of not asking anything of people. It was exactly what I had just read from Ghaus Pak (ra) that God disliked it. It was about to play out before my eyes.

 

Whilst in Karachi I desperately wanted something from my host. My friend, her sister, was leaving for Scotland and I wanted to move back into the room I always stayed in.

 

The problem was my host had converted the same room to her own. She had a super early routine of getting up at 6 am with machines whirling to make smoothies and I didn’t want to be near the noise for the entire trip. I’m an insanely light sleeper and I was there for another few weeks. I meant to ask her if it was possible but was hesitant even though the thought was making me miserable inside. Then I read the line and it had a two-fold effect on me.

 

The first made me focus on what I wanted which was so petty, I felt ashamed even asking for it from God. Two, it made me rethink if it was even necessary. I decided to give it a pass. But that night I ended up thinking about it anyway. Each time I woke up, the same thing played in my head like a tape running on repeat. It created agitation for me precisely because I knew how superficial it was. After all the decision to not ask had already been made.

 

The next day I was sitting in the sun reading when my friend walked into the room and announced, “I’ve decided to move out of that room you want and give it to you.” I was so shocked by the words that I just raised my hands in the air and uttered the verse, “Alhamdolillah e Rabb ul Alimeen.” She burst out laughing.

 

Later in the evening I asked her why she changed her mind. What she said was the exact same thing I had been feeling. My reason for not asking her for the room was exactly her reason for giving it to me.

 

“I have done this before. Become fixated on a shallow aspect of life that doesn’t warrant the fixation. The trials I have faced after have been so difficult for me that I just thought to myself, ‘I’m giving her the room man. I can’t even take a chance of dealing with what test comes for not doing so. For being stuck on something so stupid!’”

 

I love those moments. When two people, who are on their own spiritual quests, meet at the same point. Glance at each other acknowledging the moment and then move on. It’s intense and it’s lovely. It happens to me with a couple of my friends in my life a lot.

 

Maulana (ra) writes the Masnvavi in the style of the Quran. A story starts in one place, continues elsewhere and finishes in a third. A few days later I came upon a continuation of the story where the “batin” of the story was explained. It was totally unexpected!

 

“The owner of the cow is your nafs, the ego. It has made itself your lord and master. The one who slaughtered it is your aql, the power to reflect. It becomes hostage to the ego and prays for blessings from the Divine without struggling for them. But the price of receiving that blessing without trial is the killing of the ego, for it is the root of all wrongdoing. And it is impossible without a guide.”

 

رزق جانی کے بری با سعی و جست

جز با عدل شیخ کو داؤد تست

 

How can you ever gain blessings from your own struggles and endeavours,

without the assistance of the Spiritual Master who intervenes for you like Hazrat Dawood (as)?

 

نفس چوں با شیخ بیندگام تو

از بن دندان شود او رام تو

 

When your nafs, your ego, sees you in the footsteps of your guide, it will have no choice but to become obedient to you.

 

صاحب آں گاؤ رام آنگاہ شد

کز دم داؤد او آگاہ شد

 

The owner of the cow, the nafs, submitted when he heard the decision of the Prophet (as), the decision from The Unseen.

 

عقل گایے غالب آید در شکار

بر سگ نفست کہ باشد شیخ یار

 

The aql, your powers to reflect, will only conquer the enemy, your ego, in this battle,

when you are accompanied by your Sheikh.

 

Overtly, the story didn’t just, hopefully permanently, adjust my overt, namely to not rely on people for things. What it reminded me of otherwise as well was that all livelihood and all blessings were always and only received as a kindness and mercy from God. Nothing could be claimed as deserved. Not for an act of goodness nor for devoted worship. Like the story of the man who prayed for 500 years and then died.

 

When he appeared before God, he wanted that worship recognized for his own self, not realizing he was allowed it by God in the first place.

 

Begin excerpt “The Softest Heart”

 

When it came to love for Allah, Iblis demonstrated, without doubt, that worship alone was an insufficient expression of love. No wonder he didn’t try to deter it in others. The hadith that further made the point most beautifully was this:

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “My friend Gibrael (as) came to me and said, ‘O Muhammad (peace be upon you), I swear by the Authority who has sent you as the Message of Truth, there was a servant of God named Abdullah who prayed for 500 years on the top of a mountain in the sea. Sprout from it sweet water for him and a pomegranate tree bearing him fruit every night.

 

He performed ablution from the water and ate the fruit, then prayed and asked Allah his Lord that when the time would come for his death, may he die in the position of prostration and be raised such. And his body does not decompose nor does any creature defile it. And so it was. And we (the angels) used to pass by him when we ascended and descended from the Heavens and we knew that on the Day of Judgement and when he will be raised and brought before Allah, He will say, “Let My Servant enter Heaven by My Mercy.”

 

So the man will say, “But my Lord God, what about my worship?”

 

And Allah will repeat, “Let My Servant enter Heaven by My Mercy.”

 

So the man will persist, “But my Lord God, what about my worship?”

 

So Allah will proclaim, “Count My Blessings towards My Servant against his actions.”

 

And it will be found that the blessing of (mere) sight exceeded the servant’s worship of 500 years and still were remaining the many bounties granted him by Allah.

 

So Allah will say, “Take My Servant towards Hell.”

 

The man will cry out, “By Your Mercy, send me to Heaven.”

 

He will be brought back before Allah who will then say, “Who created you out of nothing?”

 

“You did, My Lord God.”

 

And Allah will say, “Who gave you the strength to pray for 500 years?”

 

“You did, My Lord God.”

 

“And who sprouted for you atop a mountain sea sweet water from bitter and pomegranates, which only grow once a year, every night from a tree the entire year? And you asked for your soul to be taken while you are in prostration and it was done?”

 

Again he will answer, “You did, My Lord God.”

 

So God will respond, “This is My Mercy and by My Mercy I made you enter Heaven and the angels were ordered, ‘Take My servant to Heaven’ for you are a good servant.”

 

And so he will be delivered to Heaven.

 

Hazrat Gibrael (as) said to me, “O Muhammad (peace be upon you)! Verily each and every thing is by the Mercy of Allah.””

 

End excerpt “The Softest Heart”

 

Yet the Quran says, in its overt read of the verse, that the purpose of the creation of both Man and Jinn is exactly that: worship.

 

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

 

And I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me.

 

Surah Ad-Dhariyaat, Verse 56

 

It was the Friends of God who explained to me that “ibadat,” worship, is not the mere execution of ritual. It is the practice of gaining “ma’rifat,” recognizing God.

 

Ghaus Pak (ra) explains it this way: “The nafs, the self is “zahir” (overt). The “qalb,” the heart within the heart, is “batin” (the inner being). Love is allowed for the nafs, (between the nafs and nafs) but not for the “qalb,” the inner heart. The zahir is allowed to love but not the batin. The batin and the qalb are made so as to only fall in love with God, be occupied by Him.”

 

All types of loss were experience by the “nafs” in its overt existence. Therefore in the verse in which Allah directs us to be patient when a loss is incurred and grateful for a bestowing, it is because the “qalb” should not affected by either. It reacted with sadness and joy regarding the world, only because we had allowed the love to enter the space that was set aside only for God.

 

لِّكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا۟ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍۢ فَخُورٍ

 

(Know this), so that you may not despair over whatever has escaped you,

Nor exult over whatever good has come to you.

For God does not like any of those who, out of self-conceit, act in a boastful manner.

 

Surah Al-Hadid, Verse 23

 

It struck me how Iblis lay in waiting just to nudge people towards waywardness in both states. When one was unhappy because of the loss of something, he suggested sin as a distraction, encouraging the self-pity. When a person was happy because of what they had been bestowed with, he nudged towards sin to celebrate it. When God wanted patience for the first and gratitude for the second, he suggested wrongdoing. And most of us went along with it.

 

For what did Iblis want more than anything was for us to emulate him, rather than those who are chosen to show the path leading to God. The same Iblis who himself forgot everything he had been bestowed by the Grace of the Divine when refusing to do that which he was commanded to. Although he apparently remembers every single moment of his life to this day with the deepest nostalgia, he remains insistent on his defiance and never apologizes for it.

 

The Waking of Hazrat Amir Muawia (ratu) by Iblis to say his prayers.

 

Hazrat Amir Muawia (ratu) was asleep one day when he was awakened by someone. When he looked around he saw no one. Then he noticed a man skulking behind the door. He asked, “Who are you?” The man replied, “The world knows me. I am unfortunate Iblis.”

 

Hazrat Amir Muawia (ratu) asked him sternly, “Why have you woken me?” He responded, “The time for prayer is about to pass, O Amir.” Then he quoted the Prophet of God (peace be upon him),

 

عجلوا ألطاعات قبل الفوت

 

'Complete your worship before it (its time) expires.'

 

You should run to the mosque before you miss it.”

 

Hazrat Amir Muawia (ratu) retorted, “You can never want such a thing so as to guide someone. You came in like a thief and now you tell me you are a well-wisher? Why would I believe a thief and then one who claims he wants to benefit me?”

 

Here Iblis uttered the words revealing his envy:

 

‘Once I was ranked amongst the angels and walked the path of obedience willingly. I was the knower of Divine Secrets and a companion of the ones who lived near to Allah’s Throne. As travelers roam wherever they might go, the love of the homeland never leaves them. Who has ever forgotten their first love?

 

I have also drunk the waters from the rivers of The Divine’s Blessings and I have also walked in the Gardens of His Pleasure. He placed His Affection upon me as well, looked upon me with Favour. When I was a child, who fed me and guided me? He did.

 

Once I too was a lover of His Entity and Essence. If then that mighty Ocean of His Generosity rejected me, so what? When the heart is separated from what it once loved, then it learns to value the days where there was union.’

 

تا دهد جان را فراقش گوشمال

جان بداند قدر ايام وصال

 

When the separation from Him softly reproaches, then one is nostalgic for days passed.

 

Whether it was “kufr,” refusal or whether it was “imaan,” believing, both were made by that Power and both belong to Him.”

 

Hazrat Amir Muawaia (ratu) remained unmoved. “What you say is true but you have no part in it anymore. You misguided countless before me. You are fire, yet you expect me to believe you will not burn me? Who has not been deceived by you?

 

Because of your cunning, the nation of Nuh (as) is still burning in regret. You caused the destruction of the nation of A’ad, drowning them in punishment and grief. The people of Lut (as) were stoned because of you.

 

You have created countless trials for Mankind. Firaoun, the philosopher, scholarly, his powers to reflect were blinded by you. Abu Lahab became ignorant because of you. Abul Hikm was rendered Abu Jahal because of you. You are the ocean of deceit, people but a drop. Answer truthfully. Why would you wake me to pray?”

 

Iblis replied, “Oh man of despair! You do not accept the truth despite a 100 arguments. My fault is only that one bad deed has made me renowned for sinfulness. The truth is that if you had missed your prayer, nothing of the world would have remained of value before your eyes.

 

Tears of pain and loss would have been shed. Such crying, this softness of the heart, this intense pain and sadness, would have become the reward of a 100 prayers. I did not want you to let out the sigh that would gain you the deep appreciation of Allah.

 

Remember the man who arrived at the Mosque late and was told by the congregation leaving it that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) had already said the last “salam.” The young man sighed so deeply, the sound of it shook the listeners’ hearts.

 

One of them said to him, ‘Give me your sigh and take the blessing of my prayer.’

 

The man accepted his namaz and presented his sigh to me in turn. The sigh was filled with such humility and submission, the one who traded his prayer for it attained a higher rank and more. A voice of the Unseen said to him in a dream, ‘In your trade, you have received the best of life, so rejoice!’

 

Your fear, O Amir, of The Divine and my envy are the reason I woke you. I woke you from the fear that your cries of repentance would burn me with jealousy. I am the envier of Mankind. I can never want anything good for them. In this envy I did what I did. I am the enemy of humans. How can I want that any benefit comes to them?”

 

Hazrat Amir Muawia (ratu) listened to his words then said to Iblis, “Now you have told the truth, O thief. In reality, you do not want that I humbly plead before my Lord with sincerity, that I weep tears of regret and repentance because the rank of that sighing and distress is more dear to Allah than anything else.”

 

ﮐﮧ ﺑﺮﺍﺑﺮ می ﮐﻨﺪ ﺷﺎﮦ ﻣﺠﯿﺪ

ﺍﺷﮏ ﺭﺍ ﺩﺭ ﻭﺯﻥ ﺑﺎ ﺧﻮﻥ ﺷﮩﯿﺪ

 

In equal regard holds The Almighty,

the tears of the sinner, repentant, and the blood of the martyr.

 

Now the story of the man who prayed for 500 years revealed another layer. It was no wonder Iblis didn’t care about prayers offered endlessly. For so many they became the cause of smugness. But repentance, he would give anything to prevent a human being from admitting fault or shedding tears over wrongdoing before God. That is what he was really envious of because he knew he would never do that himself.

 

But both the zahir and batin are essential for living in the world.

 

Maulana Rum (ra) says that without the zahir there is no “shariat,” the laws of Jurisprudence and the world is useless. Prayer and fasting are overt practices to express love for God and deemed essential. For even those already friends engage in the giving of gifts to express the friendship and deepen it. Hidden love is revealed through the giving of gifts.

 

And as Uzair says in one of his lectures on the verse of the purpose of creation, our presentation begins from before the break of dawn at Fajr to the darkness of the night at Isha. All worldly activity, be it working, eating, sleeping, is interrupted again and again to make that appearance before God.

 

It was the first time in my life I began to think; if my appearance became one of a gift from my end, as flawed and distracted as it may be, if I thought of it as Maulana says, as my gift of love, before my Lord, what effect would that have on my essence?

 

I am a giver of gifts. I have turned hearts that were entirely indifferent towards me through that giving, most easily when the gifts were in the form of my words. If my prayer became a gift, what would happen then?

 

Whilst in Karachi, I worked on refining the translation of the narration and the kalam for my video with Qari Sahib. For all my other videos the narration had been from one Friend of God, the poetry another. This time both were by Maulana Rum (ra). And why not? Who else had written something that was called by scholars of Islam, the Quran in Farsi, as his Masnavi was.

 

The video started with a verse on Allah marking His Hand as the hand of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The ayat was revealed in the incident of the Suleh Hudaibiah.

 

ۚإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ

 

Indeed those who pledge allegiance to you, O Beloved (peace be upon you), actually pledge allegiance to Allah.

Allah’s Hand is placed over theirs.

 

Surah Al-Fath, Verse 10

 

The narration I had chosen referenced the verse as well. Maulana had written several couplets on the instances in the Quran where Allah had said that His Beloved’s (peace be upon him) hand was in fact his own. I share just one below, the case of the throwing of the dust:

 

وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمَىٰ وَلِيُبْلِيَ

الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَاءً حَسَنًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

 

And when you threw (a handful of dust), it was not your act, but Allah's (act), in order that He might test the Believers by a gracious trial from Himself.

For verily, Allah is He Who hears and knows (all things).

 

Surah Al-Anfal, Verse 17

 

But Allah doesn’t have a hand. He is Nur, Light. Yet the words are making His Beloved’s acts His Own as one and the same and Maulana (ra) uses the words Ma Ramayta Id Ramayta in his Masnavi on 15 different occasions.

 

ما رمیت اذ رمیت احمد بدست

دیدن او دیدن خالق شدست

 

“When he threw, it was if Allah threw” with the hand of Ahmed,

Seeing Him is the same as the Seeing of God.

 

It was then that I wondered what Uzair had said about Maulana Rum (ra). I had not heard him speak about him in an entire lecture myself. Upon searching, I found a short 15 minute piece by him on Maulana from 2019. And I can’t say my heart didn’t miss a beat when he started his talk with exactly the same verse that began my video.

 

Uzair: “Inspired by this performance (that preceded his speech), I want to say something about the relationship between the Spiritual Master and the disciple as I have found it to relate to the Masnavi for myself. And that is why I chose this verse to begin.

 

'Indeed those who pledge allegiance to you, O Beloved (peace be upon you), actually pledge allegiance to Allah.

Allah’s Hand is placed over theirs.'

 

The first 18 couplets of the Masnavi are also called the foreword. And the first couplet. which you might be familiar with, is this:

 

‌کند بشنو این نی چون شکایت می

کند از جدائی ها حکایت می‌

 

Hearken to this reed forlorn, breathing, even since 'twas torn

From its rushy bed, a strain of impassioned love and pain.

 

And the 18th couplet is:

 

محرم این هوش جز بےھوش نیست

مر زبان را مشتری جز گوش نیست

 

No one knows the secret of this except the lover.

It is a special language only certain ears can hear.

 

In the first couplet Rumi says the neh, the reed, wants to say something, it wants to express something. And in the 18th he says, the only one who knows this consciousness is the one who is himself unconscious, as only the lover is.

 

When the Sufis discuss these beginning verses in their inner circles, they say the first letter “ba” in the first word “bishnu” is the “ba e Bismillah,” In the Name of Allah! And the letter “meem” in the 18th in the first word “mahram” is the Muhammadan Reality. So it is the journey from Allah to His Beloved (peace be upon him).

 

In those same 18 verses, Maulana describes amazingly the seven stations of Man which must be explored. The first is that of a person who is worldly, who is in fact living their life like an animal. From there he travels and reaches the stage where a teacher, a guide, takes his hand so that he moves from the animal kingdom towards an awakening. This is the second station.

 

From the awakening he moves to the third station of" ishq," love. Then from love he reaches towards “khuloos,” sincerity. From sincerity he moves to land in “qata,’” where he becomes cut off from worldliness and all things material. And then there is the 7th station which is the “maqam e tahhur”, the state of bewilderment, where the love reaches perfection, completion.”

 

Needless to say I was surprised to learn that the second stage was the connection with a Spiritual Master. I thought that was something that came in the end sometime. Those of us who were made disciples at a young age by our family, sometimes only as a result of their sheer insistence, suddenly appeared lucky. Without knowing it we at least arrived at the doorstep of stage two, even if sometimes we deprived our own selves by refusing to enter it willingly.

 

Uzair: “I am choosing to speak on these 18 verses that can be explored any number of ways. Although as a Qadri I can be dry,” he smiled, “for a change I am choosing the emotional approach. Hence the verse:

 

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ

 

Indeed those who pledge allegiance to you (O Beloved), actually pledge allegiance to Allah.

Allah’s Hand is placed over theirs.

 

Surah Al-Fath, Verse 10

 

It is the incident of Suleh Hudaibiah when some of the Companions are upset as to why the truce from their end was being made with such accommodations that favoured the infidels. Why was such an agreement being signed? So Huzoor (saw) is sitting under a tree and he says, “Take a bay’at, a pledge of alliegiance, on my hand.”

 

And the Companions do so saying that they will never turn their backs on him, they will never leave him, they will never betray him. Come death or anything else. Allah is so pleased by this promise they make to His Beloved that the verse is revealed upon his heart; “Those who have made this pledge to you” and “innama,” without going into grammar deeply, means “only and only” and “in reality” or “in actuality,” they have pledged their allegiance to God and not to you and it was His Hand upon theirs and not your own.

 

Hazrat Shahubuddin Suhrawardy (ra) says for in his tafseer of the instance that Allah is not found by those who search for Him. He is a non-material Being. But the “bay’at,” a pledge of allegiance to a Spiritual Master, is a thing that if you take it, you can find the Hand of God.”

 

Subhan Allah!

 

“It’s a very subtle reference. That is why these people are iconic. He is saying that you can fast and pray and perform Haj but you will not find Allah’s Hand. But if you give your hand in the hand of the one chosen by Him, you will place your hand in His Hand.”

 

At this point Uzair quoted a hadith:

 

“Although authentic, it is not commonly related and you will see why.

 

ومَن مات وليس في عُنُقِه بَيْعَةٌ مات مِيتَةً جاهليَّةً

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever dies without a “bay’at” around his neck, dies a death having known nothing.”

 

The words reminded me of a story from the Masnavi about the instruction given to Imam Ali (ratu) by Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him). I had translated an entire section of it in “The Softest Heart.” As I read it, I decided to translate the rest of it.

 

“The advice from Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) to Hazrat Ali (ratu) that every man seeks closeness to Allah through some form of obedience. And that he should seek His Closeness through the company of the wise and special friend of His so that he reaches his goal quickly and leave all others behind.

 

Continued at www.flickr.com/photos/42093313@N00/50819754552/in/datepos...

   

Hypothetical Intensification and Revitalization of an Arterial Road

 

Densification et revitalisation hypothétiques d'une artère principale

 

Disclaimer: By downloading this image I agree to give credit in legible (minimum 8pt) text adjacent to the image as “Copyright Queen's Printer for Ontario, photo source: Ontario Growth Secretariat, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing”.

--

Avis important: En téléchargeant ces images, j’accepte de faire figurer la mention suivante en caractères lisibles (minimum 8 pt) à côté de l’image : « Droit d'auteur : Imprimeur de la Reine pour l'Ontario, photographie obtenue auprès du : Secrétariat des initiatives de croissance de l’Ontario, ministère des affaires municipales et du logement ».

 

Yosemite Winter Fine Art Landscapes! Sony A7RII yosemite National Park Winter Snow! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography! Ansel Adams Tribute!

 

Follow me on Instagram! instagram.com/45surf

 

John Muir: "When I reached the [Yosemite] valley, all the rocks seemed talkative, and more lovable than ever. They are dear friends, and have warm blood gushing through their granite flesh; and I love them with a love intensified by long and close companionship. … I … bathed in the bright river, sauntered over the meadows, conversed with the domes, and played with the pines."

 

"Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life."--John Muir

 

"I would advise sitting from morning till night under some willow bush on the river bank where there is a wide view. This will be "doing the valley" far more effectively than riding along trails in constant motion from point to point. The entire valley is made up of "points of interest." --John Muir on Yosemite!

  

Follow me on instagram for more!

 

instagram.com/45surf

 

Had a great time waking up at 5 AM every day to shoot tunnel view and then driving around down in the valley to Half Dome, Bridalviel Falls, Cook's Meadow and the glorious Cook's Meadow elm tree, Sentinel Bridge, Valley View, Swinging Bridge, and more! Yosemite winters are made for black and whites, and Ansel Adam's ghost haunts the brilliant landscape scenery!

 

The most epic "Ansel Adams" view is tunnel view where one can see El Capitan, Bridalviel Falls, and Half Dome over magnificent trees, snow, rising fogs, and breaking mists. Enjoy!

 

Been busy traveling and shooting landscapes and working on my books The Golden Hero's Odyssey about the golden rectangle and divine proportion I use in a lot of my compositions! Also working on my physics book on Dynamic Dimensions Theory! The equation dx4/dt=ic is on a lot of the 45surf swimsuit and shirts and all! :)

  

Follow me & 45surf!!

www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology/

 

www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken

 

instagram.com/45surf

  

My fine art landscape lenses for the A7RII are the Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens ! Love the Carl Zeiss and super sharp Sony Glass!

 

Winter fine art landscapes!

 

Epic Yosemite valley village winter snowstorm!

 

Yosemite Winter Fine Art Landscapes! Sony A7RII yosemite National Park Winter Snow! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography

 

 

I recently received the first printed copy of the book that contains all the images from my 365 Project. If you are interested in acquiring your own copy, you can check it out on Blurb.

Women’s group leader Kalpon addresses men and women in the community.

 

Local NGO Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Services works through farmer federation groups. In this community, belonging to marginalised ethnic minority, there are separate women and men’s groups.

 

Through these groups, members receive training on agriculture, or can operate saving cooperatives to invest in new innovations.

 

“We began home gardening through the group, and now we want to begin on a larger scale,” said Kalpon. They hope to buy their own seeding machine with saved income.

 

Group secretary Shotna (second from left), adds: “Before we women only cooked, but now we are learning a lot about agriculture, early marriage and healthcare.”

 

The community has already seen a decline in early marriage, while the group, most of whom do not own land, are also discussing the wage disparity for agricultural work.

 

Credit: CIMMYT/Sam Storr

The rumors further intensified when an insider confirmed about Molly Quinn Boob Job. You can download Molly Quinn Boob Job for desktop background that is an awesome collection of wallpaper high resolution. FREE download Molly Quinn Boob Job was posted in %ktzdate% from category Plastic Surgery....

 

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A farmer tends a long-term on-farm conservation agriculture trial for a rice-wheat-mungbean cropping system in Rajshahi district, Bangladesh. The trial compares different combinations of strip tillage or conventional tillage wheat and puddled, non-puddled or direct-seeded rice to see which system produces the best results in the long term.

 

Credit: CIMMYT/Sam Storr

As Lokiten’s men advanced inland on the Isle of Lost Souls, their skirmishes with various outlaws intensified by the day, until finally, scouts reported sightings of an enormous, glasslike construction that sprouted from the very ground of the mystical island and burnt with a powerful, seemingly unfueled flame. Reasoning that this strange temple had to be what the locals where defending, Lokiten ordered an advance on the mysterious altar, where they camped, intent on awaiting allied Roawians before moving further on. Fittingly naming the location Scorchridge Pyre, they had just begun fortifying the gentle slope when large hosts of goblins were spotted in the surrounding swamplands. Then, the attacks soon began.

 

As the day grew into evening and another wave surged upon the battered defenders, Lokiten finally admitted that they were all growing too weary to fight on. As the first breaches began breaking open in the thinning shield wall, he turned at the sound of a sudden, shredding screech. From the darkening sky, pale, monstrous terrors on wings had begun descending unto the hilltop. Detaching himself from the bloody fighting, he dropped his shield and helmet and began marching determinately uphill. Feeling a strange, new connection to what he dizzily reasoned had to be the very mind of the Pyre before him, he knew that he somehow had to extinguish the great flame. In the hope, that seeing their relic destroyed would break the enemy’s morale and make them give up fighting the staunch Lenfels that still stood between the Pyre and its guardians, he hurried through the noisy chaos of the battle.

--

Yep, it's cliffhanger time, because I'm just annoying like that ;)

My entry for the second phase of the running contest in the LCC

The Great Terror

 

In 1935, the NKVD was ordered to expel suspected counter-revolutionaries, particularly those who had been aristocrats, landlords, or businesspeople before the October Revolution.[362] In the early months of 1935, over 11,000 people were expelled from Leningrad, to live in isolated rural areas.[362] In 1936, Nikolai Yezhov became head of the NKVD and oversaw this intensification.[396] Stalin instigated this intensification of repression, which was rooted in his own psychological compulsions and the logic of the system he had created, one which prioritised security above other considerations.[397]

 

Stalin orchestrated the arrest of many former opponents in the Communist Party: denounced as Western-backed mercenaries, many were imprisoned or exiled internally.

 

By late 1937, all remnants of collective leadership were gone from the Politburo, which was controlled entirely by Stalin.[402] There were mass expulsions from the party,[403] with Stalin commanding foreign communist parties to also purge anti-Stalinist elements.[404] During the 1930s and 1940s, NKVD groups assassinated defectors and opponents abroad;[405] in August 1940, Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico, eliminating the last of Stalin's opponents among the former Party leadership.[406] In May, this was followed by the arrest of most members of the military Supreme Command and mass arrests throughout the military, often on fabricated charges.[407] These purges replaced most of the party's old guard with younger officials who did not remember a time before Stalin's leadership and who were regarded as more personally loyal to him.[408] Party functionaries readily carried out their commands and sought to ingratiate themselves with Stalin to avoid becoming the victim of the purge.[409] Such functionaries often carried out a greater number of arrests and executions than their quotas set by Stalin's central government.[410]

 

Repressions further intensified in December 1936 and remained at a high level until November 1938, a period known as the Great Purge.[397] By the latter part of 1937, the purges had moved beyond the party and were affecting the wider population.[411] In July 1937, the Politburo ordered a purge of "anti-Soviet elements" in society, affecting Bolsheviks who had opposed Stalin, former Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries, priests, former soldiers in the White Army, and common criminals.[412] That month, Stalin and Yezhov signed Order No. 00447, listing 268,950 people for arrest, of whom 75,950 were executed.[413] He also initiated "national operations", the ethnic cleansing of non-Soviet ethnic groups—among them Poles, Germans, Latvians, Finns, Greeks, Koreans, and Chinese—through internal or external exile.[414] During these years, approximately 1.6 million people were arrested.[415] 700,000 were shot, and an unknown number died under NKVD torture.[415][416]

 

Stalin initiated all of the key decisions during the Terror, personally directing many of its operations and taking an interest in the details of their implementation.[417] His motives in doing so have been much debated by historians.[415] His personal writings from the period were—according to Khlevniuk—"unusually convoluted and incoherent", filled with claims about conspiracies and enemies encircling him.[418] He was particularly concerned at the success that right-wing forces had in overthrowing the leftist Spanish government,[419] worried that domestic anti-Stalinist elements would become a fifth column in the event of a future war with Japan and Germany.[420] The Great Terror ended when Yezhov was removed as the head of the NKVD, to be replaced by Lavrentiy Beria,[421] a man totally devoted to Stalin.[422] Yezhov was arrested in April 1939 and executed in 1940.[423] The Terror had damaged the Soviet Union's reputation abroad, particularly among previously sympathetic leftists,[424] and as the Terror wound down, so Stalin sought to deflect responsibility away from himself.[425] He later claimed that the Terror's "excesses" and "violations of law" were Yezhov's fault

This 19 story hotel's downtown location intensifies its attraction. Spectacular views of the St. Johns River, Main Street Bridge, or the Jacksonville skyline are available in there rooms. Guess access amenities perfectly suited to their needs—business or leisure, the hotel has you covered. An unforgettable experience is in store when you experience, first-hand, their authentic hospitality, exemplary on-site amenities, attentive service and much more. Expect great things in Jacksonville when you stay at Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, the best hotel in the city for convenient, comfortable accommodations.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

 

www.hotelmanagement.net/design/jn-a-hvs-design-renovate-h...

 

jacksonville.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/our-hotel.html

 

www.emporis.com/buildings/118948/hyatt-regency-jacksonvil...

After dropping The Boss off at the Grimsby Curling Club recently, the rain intensified in the Western sky. Looking across the parking lot to the neighbouring industrial building (Handling Specialty Mfg Ltd) I could see that all the elements were various shades of blue rending the image as a monochrome(albeit in blues) image. During the post-processing I elected to format the image as a panorama aspect ratio, doubtless a subconscious result of watching some Nick Carver YouTube videos (www.youtube.com/@nickcarverphoto ). This image is being initially posted on a Monday and hence is a Monochrome Monday image (sort of). - JW

 

Date Taken: 2023-04-05

 

(c) Copyright 2022 JW Vraets

 

Tech Details:

 

Taken using a hand-held Nikon D7100 fitted with a AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm 1:3.5-5.6 lense set to 52mm, ISO280 (Auto ISO), Matrix metering, Daylight WB, Shutter Priority mode, f/5.0, 1/125 sec. PP in free, Open Source RAWTherapee from Nikon RAW/NEF source File: set final image size to be 9000px wide, crop to a 2:1 aspect ratio to get a panorama look, apply Tone Mapping at default levels, use the Graduated Neutral Density/GND tool to darken the sky a bit more and get its tonality closer to that of the building, slightly darken overall by setting Exposure Compensation to EV-0.20, use the Shadows/Highlights tool to bring out the detail in the dark blue bin, slightly increase Contrast and Chromaticity in L-A-B mode, slightly increase Vibrance, apply a little noise reduction, very slightly sharpen (edges only), save. PP in free Open Source GIMP: slightly increase overall contrast and brightness, do NOT sharpen, save, add fine black-and-white frame, add bar and text on left, save, scale image to 6000 px wide, sharpen, save, add fine black and white frame, add bar and text on left, save, scale image to 3000px wide for posting online, very slightly sharpen slightly, save.

Geomagnetic activity has intensified again as Earth passes through a region of strong magnetic fields in the wake of the CME that arrived last night. NOAA magnetometers are reporting renewed episodes of strong G3-class and severe G4-class storming on Sept. 8th. More Info at www.spaceweather.com/

Spacecraft

Cassini Orbiter

 

Instrument

Imaging Science Subsystem - Narrow Angle

 

Enhanced version (intensification)

 

Image Credit :

NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/Thomas Thomopoulos

 

Map : credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Released: March 27, 2006 (PIA 07782, 07783, 07784)

 

"These color maps of Jupiter were constructed from images taken by the narrow-angle camera onboard NASA's Cassini spacecraft on Dec. 11 and 12, 2000, as the spacecraft neared Jupiter during its flyby of the giant planet".

 

www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia07784-cassinis-best-maps-of-ju...

 

(+2 in comments)

 

4/31

 

The theme for today is candy, and I kinda based this off of the York Peppermint Patty commercial I saw the other day.

 

gotta love Michigan, yesterday there was no snow, and today there is about 3 inches of fluffy, white, cold snow. It added a good background look to my pictures though.

المتظاهرون المتضامنون مع فلسطين يدعون إلى السلام وإنهاء الاحتلال الإسرائيلي والفصل العنصري

 

I was deeply shocked when James Cleverly, the UK's foreign secretary, was asked specifically about Israel's intensified blockade of Gaza. He didn't say anything critical about Israel's recent decision to stop all electricity, fuel, food, and water from going into the area.

 

لقد صدمت بشدة عندما سُئل جيمس كليفرلي، وزير خارجية المملكة المتحدة، على وجه التحديد عن الحصار الإسرائيلي المكثف على غزة. ولم يقل أي شيء ينتقد قرار إسرائيل الأخير بوقف دخول الكهرباء والوقود والغذاء والمياه إلى المنطقة

 

twitter.com/OnlinePalEng/status/1711471826692436328

 

There are more than two million people living there, and this brutal form of collective punishment is clearly a war crime which threatens the lives of all of them. As is the round the clock bombing of some 2000 targets over just four days.

 

ويعيش هناك أكثر من مليوني شخص، ومن الواضح أن هذا الشكل الوحشي من العقاب الجماعي يشكل جريمة حرب تهدد حياة الجميع. جريمة حرب خطيرة أخرى هي القصف على مدار الساعة لنحو 2000 هدف في غزة خلال أربعة أيام فقط

 

The Gaza Strip is a small densely populated area which is only about one quarter the size of London. As of 10 October, over 900 residential units and 70 industrial units have been destroyed, including the deliberate targeting of some residential apartments without prior warning, and as a result the bombing has already killed 185 Palestinian children, 120 women and seven journalists.

 

reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/israe...

 

Netenyahu, Israel's prime minister, has called on Palestinian civilians to flee the air strikes he has unleashed which is reducing much of Gaza to rubble. However, the two neighbouring states, Israel and the Egyptian dictatorship of Fatah Abdul El-Sisi, have sealed the borders, making any attempt to escape the strip suicidal.

 

When Goav Gallant, Israel's Defence Minister, announced the intensification of the siege, he added that "we are fighting against human animals," phraseology often favoured by genocidal regimes. The United States and Britain, which have effectively given the green light to these brutal measures of collective punishment, are now clearly complicit in this war crime, and in Israel's war of aggression against the two million Palestinians who live on this tiny strip of land.

 

For years Gaza has been under what the UN recognises as Israeli occupation, since Israel controls everything that is allowed in, and regularly acts, every few years, to cripple the city's infrastructure with air strikes, so that even before these latest attacks, only 10% of Gazans had access to clean drinking water while the level of anemia among young children was 59%.

 

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4391478/

 

No right minded person would not also condemn the brutal and horrific Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians, but we have to understand that terrorism can not be eradicated by continuing, intensifying and expanding the 75 year long occupation. It is the crime of illegal occupation which encompasses and leads to (though that's not the same as justifying) the near inevitability of violence.

 

Many Palestinians feel they have no other real, long-term way to resist the Israeli armed forces and a tiny number of them resort to unacceptable, irrational, terrible, and counterproductive acts of terrorism against innocent Israeli civilians. We should rightly condemn all such violence, but it's unlikely to stop without an end to the occupation.

 

It should not be forgotten that 248 Palestinians, 40 of them children, had been killed by Israeli soldiers during the first nine months of 2023 prior to last Saturday, but these deaths attracted almost no attention in the Western media.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMIZTiN-TrE

 

Meanwhile, Palestinian homes continue to be bulldozed to make way for new illegal Israeli settlements and when Netenyahu addressed the UN General Assembly in September he displayed a map of the Middle East with an "Israel", outlined in blue, which clearly included within it all of the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, a de facto way of announcing their annexation.

 

www.commondreams.org/news/netanyahu-map

  

Back in August 2015 Dublin City Council announced that it was intensifying its Anti Litter Campaign in an effort to deal with the serious problem of illegal dumping in parts of the North Inner City. At the time an Irish Business Against Litter report declared that certain areas in the North Inner City continue to be seriously littered with the area ranked 39th out of forty nationwide in respect of cleanliness. In 2018 it was reported that the North Inner City was ranked as 37th out of forty.

 

Set up in 1996, Irish Business Against Litter is an alliance of companies sharing a belief that

continued economic prosperity - notably in the areas of tourism, food and direct foreign

investment - is contingent on a clean, litter-free environment. As part of the IBAL Anti-Litter League, An Taisce monitors towns independently and in accordance with international grading standards. Visit www.ibal.ie for further information.

Hastings Beach.

(DINA1 666) 1. Continue with the simple breathing exercise you are now doing. It is of value to youin producing inner alignment and the harmonising of your bodies.2. Then, by an act of the will, withdraw the consciousness into the head and there visualise the inner radiant sun, formed by the merging of the lesser life of the personalitywith the radiant light in your soul.At the very centre of this life see the Self,the inner Christ or Buddha.Then focus your thought, without effort or strength, in thiscentre.(DINA1 714) Stage I. Little Chelaship. This stage is so definitely exoteric that many people have left it far behind. The first indication that a man has reached that stage (from the angle of the Master) comes when the "light flashes out

" in some one life; thereby the attention of the Master is attracted to the person. It might be said that the preface to the Master's interest falls into four parts and it is only when all four are found present together and simultaneously that this happens:1.The aspirational intent of the man upon the physical plane suddenly succeeds in enabling him to make a soul [page 714] contact. The moment that that takes place the

light in the headis momentarily intensified. (DINA1 676)

Stage IV. Chela on the Thread. Into the dark the life proceeds. A different voice seems to sound forth. "Enter the cave and find your own; walk in the dark and on your head carry a lighted lamp." The cave is dark andlonely;cold is it and a place of many sounds and voices. The voices of the many sonsof God, left playing on the playground of the Lord, make their appeal for light. The cave is long andnarrow. The air is full of fog. The sound of running water meets the rushing sound of wind, andfrequent roll of thunder.Far off, dim and most vaguely seen, appears an oval opening, its colour blue

. Stretched athwart this space of blue, a rosy cross is seen

, and at the centre of the cross, where four[page 676] arms meet,a rose. Upon the upper limb, a vibrant diamond shines,within a star five-pointed.The living soul drives forward towards the cross which bars his way to life, revealed and known. Not yet the cross is mounted and, therefore, left behind. But onward goes the living soul, eyes fixed upon the cross, ears open to the wailing cries of all his brother souls.

Stage V. One within the aura Out into radiant life and light! The cave is left behind; the cross is overturned; the way stands clear.The word sounds clear within the head and not within the heart. "Enter again the playground of theLord and this time lead the games." The way upon the second tier of stairs stands barred, this by thesoul's own act. No longer red desire governs all the life, but now the clear blue flame burns strong. Upon the bottom step of the barred way he turns back and passes down the stairs on to the playground, meeting dead shells built in an earlier stage, stepping upon forms discarded and destroyed, and holding forth the hands of helpfulness. Upon his shoulder sits the bird of peace; upon his feet the sandals of the messenger. Not yet the utter glory of the radiant life! Not yet the entering into everlasting peace! But still the work, and still the lifting of the little ones.(EOH 48) 1. The seed of mind was implanted in some of the aspiring animal-men by the Hierarchy,and these animal men became human beings, of a very low order to be sure, but still men. They were"sparked," if I might so express it, and a

point of light appeared where before there was none.Before there was only a diffused atomic light but no central point of light withinthe head, and no indication of the higher centres. These individuals, along with the more advanced humanity which came to the planet in Atlantean times (having individualised elsewhere), constitute the most advanced humanity of our present period. They represent culture and understanding, no matter where it is found, or in what class or race.(EOH 170) The Hierarchy and humanity are at last en rapport. This is the higher reflection or correspondence to what goes on within the consciousness of a human being who—having reached the stage of discipleship—is at the point of blending the light of the personality(as it is expressed through the ajna centre and its externalisation, the pituitary body) and the light of the soul(as it is, in its turn, expressed [Page 170] by the light in the head, or by the head centre and its externalisation, the pineal gland).(EOH 273) We come now to the second stanza, with its direct references to human attitudes and recognitions. For decades, I, as one of the spiritual teachers, along with many others, have sought to awaken all to the fact of Light—light in the world, light coming from the plane of desire (called the astral plane quite often), light illumining science and human knowledge, the light of the soul,producing in due time the light in the head. You have been carefully taught that the right use of the mind in meditation and reflection will lead to the correct relation of soul and personality, and that when this has taken place, the light of the soul.The reference in this second stanza ignites or fosters the light in the head and the man reaches the stage of illumination is to the more extended idea of the relation of humanity (the kingdom of men) to the spiritual Hierarchy (the kingdom of God). When these two are more closely aligned and related, light will break out among the sons of men as a whole, just as light breaks out in the individual aspirant.(ITI 160) In the physical body there are certain most interesting reactions. These fall into two main groups: First, a stimulation to an intense activity, which has a definite effect upon the nervous system,and secondly, there is frequently the

appearance of a light within the head, which canbe seen even when the eyes are closed, or in the dark.

(ITI 169) When we arrive at the physical level of consciousness and of the reaction to the illumination which is streaming down into the brain, we have two predominant effects, usually. There is a sense or an awareness of a light in the head

, and frequently also a stimulation to an activity which is abnormal…A second effect, as we have seen, is the recognition [Page 170] of the light in the head. This fact is so well substantiated that it needs little reinforcing. Dr. Jung refers to it in the following manner:"...the light-vision, is an experience common to many mystics, and one that is undoubtedly of the greatest significance, because in all times and places it appears as the unconditional thing, which unites in itself the greatest power and the profoundest meaning. Hildegarde von Bingen, a significant personality quite apart from her mysticism, expresses herself about her central vision in a quite similar way. 'Since my childhood,' she says,

'I always see a light in my soul, but not with the outer eyes,

nor through the thoughts of my heart; neither do the five outer senses take part in this vision....The light I perceive is not of a local kind, but is much brighter than the cloud which bears the sun. I cannot distinguish in it height, breadth, or length....What I see or learn in such a vision stays long in my memory. I see, hear, and know at the same time, and learn what I know in the samemoment....I cannot recognize any sort of form in this light, although I sometimes see in it another light that is known to me as the living light....While I am enjoying the spectacle of this light, all sadness and sorrow disappear from my memory....'…This light in the head takes various forms, and is often sequential in its development. A diffused light is first seen, sometimes outside the head and, later, within the brain

,when in deep thought or meditation; then it becomes more focussed and looks, as some express it, like a radiant and very brilliant sun. Later, at the centre of the radiance, a

point of vivid electric blue appears (perhaps the "living light"

referred to above) and from this a golden pathway of light leads out. This has sometimes been called "the Path," and there isa possibility that the prophet was not speaking merely symbolically when he said that "the path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more until the day be with us."In this light in the head, which seems a universal accompaniment of the illuminative state, we have[Page 172] probably also the origin of the halo depicted around the heads of the illuminati of the world.Much investigation remains to be done along this line, and much reticence and prejudice has to be overcome. But many are beginning to record their experiences and they are not the psychopathics of the race, but reputable and substantial workers in the varying fields of human endeavor. The time may shortly be with us when the fact of illumination may be recognized as a natural process, and the ligh tin the head be regarded as indicating a certain definite stage of co-ordination and of interplay between the soul, the spiritual man, and the man on the physical plane. When this is the case, we shall have brought our human evolution to such a point that instinct, intellect and intuition can be used at will by the trained and fully educated man, and the "light of the soul" can be turned upon any problem. Thus the omniscience of the soul will be manifested on earth.(ITI 215) Sixth: The high grade intellectual personality, with its focus of attention in the region of the pituitary body, begins to vibrate in unison with the higher centre in the region of the pineal gland.Then a magnetic field is set up between the positive soul aspect and the waiting personality which is rendered receptive by the process of focussed attention. Then the light, we are told, breaks forth, and we have the illumined man, and the appearance of the phenomenal [Page 215] light in the head. All this is the result of a disciplined life, and the focussing of the consciousness in the head. This is, in its turn, brought about through the attempt to be concentrated in the daily life, and also through definite concentration exercises. These are followed by the effort to meditate, and later — much later — the power to contemplate makes itself felt (ITI 251) The hands should be folded in the lap, and the feet crossed. If the western scientist is right when he tells us that the human body is really an electric battery, then perhaps his Oriental brother is also right when he says that in meditation there is a bringing together of negative and positive energy,and that by this means we produce the light in the head.Therefore, it is wise to close the circuit.(ITI 255) In mental types, or in the case of those who have already some facility in "centering the consciousness" in the head, it is the brain cells which become [Page 256] over-stimulated, leading to headaches, to sleeplessness, to a sense of fulness, or to a disturbing vibration between the eyes or at the very top of the head. Sometimes there is a sense of blinding light, like a sudden flash of lightning or of electricity, registered when the eyes are closed, and in the dark equally as in the light.

When this is the case, the meditation period should be reduced from fifteen minutes to five, or meditation should be practiced on alternate days, until such time as the brain cells have adjusted themselves to the new rhythm and the increased stimulation.(GAWP 3) Intuition is light itself, and when it is functioning, the world is seen as light and the light bodies of all forms become gradually apparent

. This brings with it the ability to contact the light centre in all forms, and thus again an essential relationship is established and the sense of superiority and separateness recedes into the background.Intuition, therefore, brings with its appearance three qualities:Illumination. By illumination I do not mean the light in the head. That is incident a land phenomenal, and many truly intuitive people are entirely unaware of this light. The light to whichI refer is that which irradiates the Way.

It is "the light of the intellect," which really means

that which illumines the mind and which can reflect itself in that mental apparatus which is held "steady in the light." This is the "Light of the World," a Reality which is eternally existent, but which can be discovered only when the individual interior light is recognised as such. This is the "Light of the Ages," which shineth ever more until the Day be with us. The intuition is therefore the recognition in [Page 4] oneself, not theoretically but as a fact in one's experience, of one's complete identification with the Universal Mind, of one's constituting a part of the great WorldLife, and of one's participation in the eternal persisting Existence.(LOS 180) 1. Enlightenment. The light in the head, which is at first but a spark, is fanned to a flame which illumines all things and is fed constantly from above. This is progressive (see previous sutra), and is dependent upon steadfast practise, meditation and earnest service.(LOS 180) Illumination The gradually increasing downpour of fiery energy increases steadily the "light in the head," or the effulgence found in the brain

in the neighborhood of the pineal gland. This is to the

little system of the threefold man in physical manifestation what the physical sun is to the solar system. This light become seventually a blaze of glory and the man becomes a "son of light" or a "sun of righteousness." Such were the Buddha, the Christ, and all the great Ones who have attained.(LOS 210) The secondary meaning has of course direct reference to the work of the kundalini or serpent fire at the base of the spine as it responds to the soul vibration (felt in the head, in the region of the pineal gland, and called "the light in the head

"). Mounting upward, it burns out allobstructions in the spinal etheric channel and vitalizes or electrifies the five centres up the spine and the two in the head. The vital airs within the ventricles of the head are also swept into activity and produce a cleansing, or rather eliminating effect therein.(LOS 228) 52. Through this, that which obscures the light is gradually removed.The first result is the gradual wearing away, or attenuation of the material forms which hide [Page228] the reality. This does not mean the wasting away of the forms but the steady refining and transmutation of the matter with which they are constructed so that they become so purified and clarified that the "Light of God" which they have hitherto hidden, can shine forth in all its beauty inthe three worlds. This can be demonstrated as literally true upon the physical plane, for through the work of purification and the control of the life currents the light in the head becomes soapparent that it can be seen by those who have supernatural vision, asradiations extending all around the head, thus forming the halo so well known in pictures of the saints. The halo is a fact in nature and not just a symbol. It is the result of the work of Raja Yoga and is the physical demonstration of the life and light of the spiritual man. Vivekan and a says, speaking technically (and it is good for Western occult students to master the technique and terminology of this science of the soul which the East has held in trust for so long):"The chitta has, by its own nature, all knowledge. It is made of sattva particles, but is covered by rajas and tamas particles, and by pranayama this covering is removed."(LOS 253) 5. As a result of sanyama comes the shining forth of the light.There are several terms used here by various commentators and translators and it might be of interest to consider some of them, for in the various interpretations will come a full understanding of the Sanskrit terms.Briefly, the idea involves the conception that the nature of the soul is light, and that light is the great revealer. The yogi, through steady practise in meditation, has reached the point where he can at will,turn the light which radiates from his very being, in any direction, and can illumine any subject. Nothing can therefore be hid from him and all knowledge is at his disposal. This power is therefore described as:[Page 253]1. Illumination of perception. The light of the soul pours forth and the man on the physical plane, in his brain consciousness, is thereby enabled to perceive that which before was dark and hidden from him. The process may technically be described in the following concise terms:a. Meditation, b. Polarization in the soul or egoic consciousness,c. Contemplation, or the turning of the soul-light upon that which is to be known or investigated,d. The subsequent pouring down of the knowledge ascertained, in a "stream of illumination" into the brain, via the sutratma, the thread-soul, silver cord, or magnetic link. This thread passes through the mind and illumines it. The thoughts engendered in the automatic response of the chitta (or mind stuff)to the knowledge conveyed, are then impressed upon the brain and the man, in his physical consciousness, becomes cognizant of what the soul knows. He becomes illumined.As this process becomes more frequent and steady, a change takes place in the physical man. He becomes more and more synchronized with the soul. The time element in transmission recedes into

the background and the illumination of the field of knowledge by the light of the soul and the illumining of the physical brain,

becomes an instantaneous happening.The

light in the head increases in a corresponding degree and the third eye develops and functions. On the astral and mental plane a corresponding [Page 254] "eye" develops,and thus the ego or soul can illumine all the three planes in the three worlds as well as the soul realm…(LOS 291) 3.Awakening the light in the head so that the aspirant can become a radiant centre of light and illumine all problems, and through its light see light everywhere.6. This effected, the fire at the base of the spine, dormant hitherto, will be aroused and can proceed upward with security,blending ultimately with the fire or light in the head, and so pass out, having "burned out all dross, and left all channels clear" for the use of the ego.(LOS 292)

This light is in the nature of an internal radiance, its position is in the head, in the neighborhood of the pineal gland, and it is produced by the activity of the soul.A good deal of discussion has been aroused, by the term"central organ" associated with this light. Some commentators refer this to the heart, others to the head. Technically neither of them are entirely right, for to the trained adept the "central organ" is the causal vehicle,the karana sarira, the body of the ego, the sheath of the soul. This is the middle of the "three periodical vehicles" which the divine Son of God discovers and utilizes in the course of his long pilgrimage.(LOS 293) In the science of yoga, which has to be wrought out and mastered in the physical body the term "central organ" is applied to the head or the heart, and the distinction is one of time primarily.The heart in the earlier stages of unfoldment upon the Path is the central organ;

later it is the organ in the head where the true light has its abiding place.(LOS 305) With these five, the aspirant is primarily concerned. The centre called the spleen was dominant [Page 305] in Lemurian days but is now relegated to the domain of the fully functioning and therefore automatic centres, and has sunk below the threshold of consciousness.The centre between the eyebrows is the

one through which the light in the head is cast upon things"subtle, obscure, hidden or remote"and is a result of the unfolding of the head and heart.(LOS 315) 2.Those who have attained self-mastery can be seen and contactedthrough focussing the light in the head.This power is developed in one-pointed meditation.This is a paraphrase of a very general nature, but gives the exact sense of the terms employed. In the twenty-fifth sutra we considered the nature of the light in the head. Here it might briefly bestated that when the

aspirant is aware of the light in the head, and can utilize it atwill, turning its radiance upon all that he seeks to know, the time comes when he can not only turn it outward on to the field of knowledge wherein he functions in the three worlds, but can turn it in wardand direct it upward into those realms wherein the saints of God, the great "Cloud of Witnesses" walk.He can, therefore, through its medium, become aware of the world of the Masters, Adepts and Initiates and thus contact them in full waking consciousness,registering those contacts with his physical brain apparatus.Hence the

necessity of becoming aware of one's own light, of trimming one'slamp and of using the light that is in one, to the full. By use and care, the power of the spiritual light grows and waxes and develops a dual function….here are two inferences here which have nothing to correspond to them in modern thought. One is,that there is a light in the head; and the other, that there are divine beings who maybe seen by those who thus concentrate upon the 'light in the head.' It is held that a certain nerve, or psychic current, called Brahmarandhra-nadi, passes out through the brain near the top of the head.In this there collects more of the luminous principle innature than elsewhere in the body and it is called jyotis—the light in the head.And, as every result is to be brought about by the use of appropriate means, the seeing of divine beings can be accomplished by concentration upon that part of the body more nearly connected with them.This point—the end of Brahmarandhra-nadi—is [Page 315] also the place where the connection is made between man and the solar forces."It is this light which causes the "face to shine" and is responsible for the halo depicted around the head of all saints and Masters and which is seen by those with clairvoyant vision around the head of all advanced aspirants and disciples .Dvivedi also gives the same teaching in the following words:"The light in the head is explained to be that

collective flow of the light of sattva which is seen at the Brahmarandhra which is variously supposed to be somewhere near the coronal artery, the pineal gland, or over the medulla oblongata. Just as the light of a lamp burning within the four wallsof a house presents a luminous appearance at the keyhole,so even does the light of sattvashow itself at the crown of the head.This light is very familiar to all acquainted evens lightly with Yoga practices and is seen even by concentration on the space between the eyebrows. By Samyama (meditation) on this light the class of beings called siddhas— popularly known in theosophic circles as Mahatmas or high adepts—able to walk through space unseen, are immediately brought to view, notwithstanding obstacles of space and time."33. All things can be known in the vivid light of the intuition.There are three aspects of knowledge associated with the light in the head.First, there is that knowledge which the ordinary [Page 316] man canpossess, which perhaps is best expressed in the word theoretical. It makes a man aware of certain hypotheses, possibilities and explanations. It gives to him an understanding of ways, means and methods, and enables him to take the first step towards correct ascertainment and achievement. This is true of that knowledge which Patanjali deals with. By acting upon this knowledge and by conforming to the requirements of the intended investigation or development, the aspirant becomes aware of the light in the head.

NOAA’s GOES West satellite captured this GeoColor limb view of the powerful winter storm system that’s expected to intensify Wednesday, March 13, 2019, before sweeping eastward across much of the Central U.S.

 

Blizzard warnings are already in effect from northeastern Colorado into southeastern Wyoming and across western Nebraska and southwestern South Dakota, according to the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center (WPC). Heavy rains, severe thunderstorms, isolated flooding, heavy snow and blizzard conditions associated with this storm could lead to “extremely dangerous” travel conditions. In the areas mentioned above, the WPC warns that visibility will drop to near zero during the height of the storm.

 

“You risk becoming stranded if you attempt to travel through these conditions,” the WPC tweeted.

 

As of 11:16 a.m. 1,417 flights within, into or out of the United States were canceled, according to FlightAware.com. Denver International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were among the airports most affected by the impending storm with more than 1,000 and nearly 140 cancellations respectively.

 

Parts of the southern and central High Plains, which are on the southern side of this storm, are expected to experience very high winds with sustained speeds of up to 30-40 mph and gusts of over 60 mph.

 

This GeoColor enhanced imagery was created by NOAA's partners at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. The GOES West satellite, also known as GOES-17, provides geostationary satellite coverage of the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, the Pacific Ocean, Alaska and Hawaii. First launched in March 2018, the satellite became fully operational in February 2019.

Trebarwith Strand as the sunset oranges intensified to red.

Clouds begin to encompass Hallett Peak and the rest of the Continental Divide as a summer's storm intensifies mild alpine morning near the Storm Pass Trailhead - Rocky Mountain National Park, CO via 500px bit.ly/2uRV85x

Viewed from Harbour Bridge pylon - enhanced with Intensify Pro

The powerful flow of North Cascade waterfalls makes the Skagit River an excellent hydroelectric resource. The cascades are intensified by a combination of climate and steep terrain, with heavy precipitation, glaciers, and snowfields providing a constant, year-round flow to the watershed.

 

The 300-ft Gorge High Dam was completed in 1961, turning this section of the Skagit River into Gorge Lake. A short distance upstream are two larger dams and impounded lakes: Diablo and Ross. Gorge Dam fine-tunes the flows from these reservoirs, providing a key link in the hydropower system for Seattle City Light.

 

The river’s flow turns huge turbines in the powerhouse 2.7 miles downstream, generating electricity that travels through high-capacity transmission lines from these remote mountain lakes to power Seattle and western Washington.

 

www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2CYA5_gorge-dam-overlook?gu...

 

Photo of Gorge Dam captured alongside State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, via Minolta MD Zoom Rokkor-X 35-70mm F/3.5 lens and the bracketing method of photography. Skagit River and Gorge Lake. Ross Lake National Recreation Area. North Cascades Region of the Cascades Range. Whatcom County, Washington. On the first day of May 2016.

  

Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-100 * Aperture: F/8 * Bracketing: +1 / -1

Panarama shot with my 6s, four movie posters at Ichigaya Station, Tokyo. Definitely could have used some optical stabilization. Edited in Photos for Mac, using Intensify and Noiseless extensions

 

Like the intensification here!

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Processing: Lightroom, Intensify Pro

 

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As Chinese New Year approaches, thousands of lantern makers in China are hard at work. The making of the lanterns is a 500-year-old tradition in China.

This is the season when bright new red lanterns are hung up in streets, houses and businesses.

 

While most Chinese are preparing for the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) celebrations, the lantern-makers' work is intensifying.

 

The tradition began in the early part of the Qing Dynasty (1663-1796). The story goes that Emperor Qianlong passed through the village of Tuntou, in Northern China, on an inspection tour.

 

The lanterns being made there impressed him so much that the Emperor made Tuntou's craftsmen his official palace lantern makers.

 

The village has been home to China's most famous lantern makers ever since.

 

The Spring Festival is the most sacred holiday of the year for Chinese. A massive annual migration sees millions crossing the country to reach their ancestral homes.

 

One of Tuntou's lantern makers, Zhang, says the lantern is the symbol of this annual reunion: "Everyone likes to raise the lanterns for the spring festival and other festivals, when they have happy thoughts," he said.

 

"It signifies the reunion of people. When new year comes or people have a happy event like a wedding, they want to hang the big, beautiful red lanterns."

 

The village leader, Su Junping, says the lanterns bring luck to those who buy them - just as they have brought prosperity to his town.

 

"Because the red lantern is a symbol of luck, wherever it is hung, that place will be prosperous and flourishing."

 

Around 1,300 families in Tuntou make lanterns. Together they produce almost six million lanterns a year, supplying markets across China, Asia and beyond.

 

The town brings in a massive 120m Renminbi Yuan (approximately $14.5m US) in revenue from the sales.

 

Besides being symbols of luck and prosperity, the lanterns have a religious function as well.

 

According to one widely-held belief, the lanterns are crucial in lighting the way for China's household gods and goddesses on an important annual mission.

 

Lantern seller Qin Yongcheng said: "The lantern is for sending the Kitchen God in every family to go to see the Jade Emperor and make a good report for the family - so that the people on earth can have a good harvest next year and make more money.

 

"In order that the Kitchen God doesn't get lost on the way back, people hang the lanterns so that he can find the door."

 

Tuntou's lanterns still adorn the nation's most ceremonial locations. Beijing's Tiananmen Square is being kitted out with Tuntou lanterns in readiness for Chinese New Year's eve on January 27.

 

Two enormous lanterns will hang from massive frames in front of Chairman Mao's portrait on Tiananmen Gate.

 

After Chinese New Year's day, the Spring Festival celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival, starting on the 13th day of the new year.

 

The Lantern Festival has historically been associated with fertility rites.

 

Some historians also connect it to celebrations commemorating China's liberation from Mongol rule in the 14th century.

 

In today's China, it is the one time of the year when people can take a break from their daily routines and hope for luck and prosperity in the coming year.

 

Source: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1998/chinese_new_year/...

Goderich, Ontario, Canada. I set my camera with a custom white balance, and a deliberate under-exposure, to intensify the colours that were already present. There were birds flying constantly over the water, so I managed to get a few in this photo.

This photo was taken from Zurich's Zoo. I used Intensify app to enhance the chameleon colors.

Hypothetical Intensification and Revitalization of an Arterial Road

 

Densification et revitalisation hypothétiques d'une artère principale

 

Disclaimer: By downloading this image I agree to give credit in legible (minimum 8pt) text adjacent to the image as “Copyright Queen's Printer for Ontario, photo source: Ontario Growth Secretariat, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing”.

--

Avis important: En téléchargeant ces images, j’accepte de faire figurer la mention suivante en caractères lisibles (minimum 8 pt) à côté de l’image : « Droit d'auteur : Imprimeur de la Reine pour l'Ontario, photographie obtenue auprès du : Secrétariat des initiatives de croissance de l’Ontario, ministère des affaires municipales et du logement ».

 

At ~9:45PM,a line of thunderstorms formed over Cheyenne and intensified to severe levels. Lightning and thunder was continuous for 1 hour. Sat in garage on the back of my Ford pickup and recorded this storm with a Nikon d3500, 329x8s, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 @ f/5 and 15mm, iso 200.

 

My iPhone was located on my driveway light which can be seen flickering when it captured a lightning flash (recorded ~3000 frames using iLightningCam2 app before memory in the smart phone was exceeded in an hour). Also, note the moon in clear skies at the beginning.

 

Radar depiction showed another strong storm moving in from the south but when it did, the energy of the entire storm complex weakened. I only received 0.05" of rain.

 

Thunder was a continuous roar but not loud and there was very few cloud to ground lightning strikes (this being one of them: www.flickr.com/photos/79387036@N07/48210180221/in/photost...).

Yosemite Winter Fine Art Landscapes! Sony A7RII yosemite National Park Winter Snow! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography! Ansel Adams Tribute!

 

Follow me on Instagram! instagram.com/45surf

 

John Muir: "When I reached the [Yosemite] valley, all the rocks seemed talkative, and more lovable than ever. They are dear friends, and have warm blood gushing through their granite flesh; and I love them with a love intensified by long and close companionship. … I … bathed in the bright river, sauntered over the meadows, conversed with the domes, and played with the pines."

 

"Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life."--John Muir

 

"I would advise sitting from morning till night under some willow bush on the river bank where there is a wide view. This will be "doing the valley" far more effectively than riding along trails in constant motion from point to point. The entire valley is made up of "points of interest." --John Muir on Yosemite!

  

Follow me on instagram for more!

 

instagram.com/45surf

 

Had a great time waking up at 5 AM every day to shoot tunnel view and then driving around down in the valley to Half Dome, Bridalviel Falls, Cook's Meadow and the glorious Cook's Meadow elm tree, Sentinel Bridge, Valley View, Swinging Bridge, and more! Yosemite winters are made for black and whites, and Ansel Adam's ghost haunts the brilliant landscape scenery!

 

The most epic "Ansel Adams" view is tunnel view where one can see El Capitan, Bridalviel Falls, and Half Dome over magnificent trees, snow, rising fogs, and breaking mists. Enjoy!

 

Been busy traveling and shooting landscapes and working on my books The Golden Hero's Odyssey about the golden rectangle and divine proportion I use in a lot of my compositions! Also working on my physics book on Dynamic Dimensions Theory! The equation dx4/dt=ic is on a lot of the 45surf swimsuit and shirts and all! :)

  

Follow me & 45surf!!

www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology/

 

www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken

 

instagram.com/45surf

  

My fine art landscape lenses for the A7RII are the Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens ! Love the Carl Zeiss and super sharp Sony Glass!

 

Winter fine art landscapes!

 

Epic Yosemite valley village winter snowstorm!

 

Yosemite Winter Fine Art Landscapes! Sony A7RII yosemite National Park Winter Snow! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography

[Dangerzone intensifies]

With these lovely streamers beginning to flare up behind me on the northwestern horizon as I was inexorably headed southeast towards Whitehorse, I had a strong sinking feeling of movement in the wrong direction!! The night of Feb. 27, near Christmas Creek, Yukon.

20 sec. exposure on Fuji NPZ800 film, Praktica EE3 camera, 18mm f3.5 Sigma lens.

(the red road and snow is, of course, a product of my tail lights.)

Photographed August 1994 : Mamiya C220 + Mamiya SEKOR 80mm/2.8. ILFORD FP4+ dev'd in ILFORD ID11 (1+1,8min,20*C) & selenium intensified.Negative was illuminated on a light box and 'scanned' with an iPad mini using the FilmScanner app. Image was then processed in Flickr.

17 NOV 12

 

Admittedly I fell asleep closer to 6 in the morning and with lack of sleep, if I do dream, they tend to intensify and become strange. This one I couldn’t shake after I woke up, so I wrote it down.

 

The start of my dream placed me in a playground. Not really strange because I’d just been looking at photos that I’d shot in a playground before I fell asleep, but this time I was standing in a group that was facing a line of children and off to the right there were giant smoke stacks. The children each had a number, one through twelve. The lady who looked like she was straight out of 1955, was calling the numbers, one, three, twelve. The children came forward. I remember one of them was really small with big coke bottle glasses. They were whimpering, but she said, these are the numbers they need. They began to be led away as we all looked on in horror, but she brought them back, and said, that this was the wrong number, she needed the real 12, and the kid with the coke bottle glasses was pushed back in line. Then a whistle blew and they alerted everyone that the war was over, that was it. They weren’t needed anymore.

 

Like a jump cut, in the next scene I was on my grandmother’s farm. Everyone was an adult now. I guess a friend was yelling at me how he’d been through hell in that Auschwitz, but the guys on the farm were telling him it was just an experiment, and it wasn’t real. My friend was traumatized and so was I. He kept shouting, look at these numbers, look at them, but the other guys were telling him it was just drawn on with sharpie, it wasn’t a real tattoo.

 

We went inside to take a shower, but all the rooms for some reason had skulls and carcasses all over them partially displayed and partially discarded like bad meat. The other guy said he could not take a shower in the other room with all the bodies after what he’d been through. I tore through the house looking for another shower, but the other one had more parts strewn all over the room. I was screaming too now that I couldn’t do it and starting to go through PTSD.

 

Jump cut and someone said, you see this key. It starts the war. She was in a lab coat and smiling. I can never really say faces in my dreams, just bodies. She walked over with her red key with two prongs and demonstrated turning the key and turned to us and smiled. I screamed at her not to turn it, but she said pulling it out that they’d never had to use it except once when someone tried to set it off but that was unfortunate.

 

Jump cut, I was on a walkway with what seemed like a bunch of students. I felt like it was the end of summer and people were coming back to school but I didn’t really recognize the woody platform. One of my friends dressed in full African garb was coming down the veranda with a security guard and this lady who said she did promotions was going to protect his interests. I tried to say hi, but I couldn’t get close to him. I turned around and there were stanchions and a line of people coming over to see him and kiss his hands. I remember thinking it was like Coming to America and all he needed was some women throwing rose petals beneath his feet. He did not look happy which was odd because he was the happiest bubbliest person I knew, but the mass of people just came in kissed his hands and left. There was a shorter line for those paying 8$ for a picture. They took the picture, but they came out on the big screen like big blurry thumbs with little dots for eyes.

 

***You know, the last thing I was doing before bed was working and looking through months worth of my files, some long forgotten, and facebook. FB explains how my friend ended up in my dream, the thumbs have to do with a picture of my finger I was editing, the lab coat another image of myself, and the playground, I’ve mentioned before. The line of people, Nicki Minaj fans lined up for her perfume release, the promotions lady, a mixed up version of an episode of “Misfits,” and the PTSD scene from watching “Children of the Corn,” two days ago b/c one of the characters had Vietnam flashbacks. I had no idea where the Auschwitz part came in to play, but I’d been watching “American Horror Story” on Wednesday, and in it one of the characters accuses the actual sadistic doctor of being an SS doctor, and they show all these horrible pictures. She was actually suffering from post-partum depression and thinks herself to be the grown up version of Anne Frank, even going to far as to tattoo numbers on her arm. I really should stop watching that show. I’m not a horror fan by any means, but it’s like this enormous psychological horror sci fi train wreck that I cannot turn away from. Last episode one of the characters, a doctor, was literally wearing a head he made out of skin and the teeth of a client’s girlfriend. I keep screaming, how do they allow this on tv?!? To be fair…it is…cable…

You often wonder how things you see or experience effect you, and sometimes I guess they come out in the wash of your dreams. Most of the programming and especially movies tend to be on the darker side of life. I’ll never forget the Netflix evaluation of my queue which said they had picked the next crop of movies for me based on my like of sadistic films. Holy sh*t I thought! Then I thought, why would they say that, but sure enough, looking through the list, a LOT of dark comedy, shows like CSI, Dexter, American Horror, dark sci fi stuff. And then I thought, if I’m ever involved in any sort of police case, when they confiscate my computer, they are going to point to this list of films as a reason for my behavior---oh geeze!!!! I need to start watching more cute kitten television. By the way, how adorable is that show Animal Planet. I’m not into anthropomorphizing pets or anything, but even I couldn’t resist the cutesplosion.

 

Watching the rainbow intensify over the bay in Astoria Oregon

- while beautifully intensifying what's left...

A family sits in their flooded home after Cyclone Amphan raged through Munshigong the night before.

 

Tropical cyclone Amphan intensified rapidly in the Bay of Bengal to become a “Super Cyclonic Storm” – the equivalent of a strong Category 4/weak Category 5 on the Saffir Simpson scale. It weakened ahead of landfall on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 as a very severe cyclonic storm (strong Category 2 equivalent), bringing dangerous winds, storm surge and flooding to coastal areas of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. At least 658,000 people were evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha before the cyclone struck. Amphan impacted densely populated areas, including the Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta) at a time when restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been in force, thereby complicating disaster. The strong winds and the pounding rains have left the city inundated making the city’s already vulnerable urban poor more vulnerable. CRS and Caritas will implement a joint response to Cyclone Amphan. A joint emergency response team has been established to support response efforts including immediate needs such as temporary shelter, access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.

 

21 May 2020 Day 2

 

Photo by Amit Rudro for CRS/Caritas Bangladesh

A crime-smashing neighbourhood policing operation is underway in Brinnington as local teams work to disrupt illegal activity, arrest criminals, and take action where the public wants.

 

Launched on November 10, the operation is utilising resources from across the force to ensure a broad range of crime is tackled – from drug-dealing to anti-social behaviour and driving offences.

 

The work come as part of our commitment to delivering a first-rate neighbourhood policing service to the people of Greater Manchester.

 

Since Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson took the helm of GMP in May 2021, there have been 500 fewer burglary victims each month, a quarter-reduction in vehicle crime, and a doubling of arrests to more than 70,000 a year.

 

Every area of GM has neighbourhood tasking teams to proactively tackle crime, neighbourhood crime teams to bring offenders to justice, neighbourhood policing teams to patrol our streets and ensure community safety, and a prevention hub to solve problems and reduce crime.

Anyone encountering an issue within their area can expect neighbourhood police officers to take action – whether that’s acting on their intelligence to knock through doors or proactively patrol known hotspots.

 

Any immediate emergency will likewise be rapidly dealt with: our call handlers pick up on average after just four seconds.

In the two weeks since our work began in Brinnington, we have already secured fifteen arrests for offences including possession with intent to supply, failing to appear at court, dangerous driving, and weapons offences.

 

Approximately £17,000 in suspected illicit cash has been seized, two kilograms of heroin with a street value of around £200,000, and twelve bladed articles.

 

Thousands of pounds worth of cannabis has been taken off the streets, in addition to twelve vehicles, including two e-bikes.

 

The operation, which runs until the end of the month, has seen specialist teams from across GMP take part. From our traffic units to monitor the illegal and unsafe driving to our drone unit being used to track and trace off-road bikes.

 

Our knife crime teams have also deployed for patrols along hotspot areas and transport hubs, while Operation Vulcan has lent its problem-solving expertise to enhance our crime-tackling output.

 

While the work has been numerous in nature and exhaustive in planning, much of the action has been taken directly on the back of the feedback of Brinnington’s residents.

 

Some months ago, we undertook a survey within the community, asking people what more they wanted and where they wanted action to be taken. This operation has done exactly that.

 

Intelligence and engagement drives our work and is the beating heart of neighbourhood policing: all tip-offs will be acted upon and all aids in our policing.

 

Chief Inspector Clare Ryle, from GMP’s Stockport Neighbourhood Team, said: “The work in Brinnington is the definition of what neighbourhood work looks like. Acting decisively on what communities want to disrupt criminality, gather intelligence, and punish those who break the law.

 

“While the intensification runs until the end of the month, it is by no means an end to the action. The work has seen multiple arrests, kilos of dangerous drugs seized, and deadly weapons taken off the streets.

 

“By gathering intelligence through this action, we can continue to put officers and resources where needed and ultimately provide the best policing service for the people of Brinnington.

 

“Additionally, working closely with partners to ensure long-term sustainable solutions can help provide strong foundations for Brinnington for years to come.”

 

Cllr Dan Oliver, Cabinet Member for Public Protection at Stockport Council, said: "We are committed to making our communities safer alongside Greater Manchester Police.

 

"Our neighbourhood officers work tirelessly across Brinnington,

engaging with residents, tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, and providing support.

 

'The action taken so far shows the real difference proactive policing and enforcement make in our communities.

 

“We know how much people value safe, welcoming neighbourhoods and feeling proud of where they live. The strength of community spirit in Brinnington cannot be understated and by bringing services together and working closely with local people, we are responding to issues more effectively and helping our communities to thrive.

 

“I would encourage all residents to share their concerns and work with local officers, to make Brinnington a safer neighbourhood for everyone.”

 

You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.

 

Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.

 

You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.

 

You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk