Let it go!

Yesterday was a tough day not due to some external situation but mainly due to my own irritability and anger. I have been working on my academic project for months now and with lot of effort I was able to come up with the final draft, which was also approved for submission; just few days before submission deadline when I looked at my work I realized that it was “my worse writing ever!”

Naturally I was lost, angry and clueless. I meditated and prayed really got down on my knees, I needed some inspiration just one cue- but nothing happened.

It was in that moment I realized that whatever creative I do whether painting, blogging, working or cooking (yes I do cook) it all happens to me. I don’t really do anything myself, some kind of energy comes in giving me all the directions and dictations and I simply follow them. Of course, my intellect and thinking is involved but its only vessel through which creativity passes from.

It is not only with me but whenever you do anything that turns out to be peaceful, yielding desirable results & giving you immense joy; that is in reality the work of Higher Power who has chosen you to become the vessel for His creative work.

Whether it is a great scientific discovery, splendid painting, amazing dress design, great presentation at work, wonderful school project or the delicious dinner you cooked for your family; that is always God behind the scenes working through you exhibiting His divine presence and creativity.

And all we need to do is tune ourselves on that receiving frequency & Voila! magic happens.

Coming back to my mood, I came home with the same annoying attitude and started to fight with someone in my mind for something that happened ages ago. With the same hostility burning in my mind, I felt asleep.

Just when I reached a point of half sleep and half-awake condition I saw the image of a man almost bald, in some yellowish clothing bursting with laughter. It seemed that he was laughing on me, the angrier I became the joyous his laughter grew.

In that semi-dream state I thought who the hell is he, why is he taking my situation so lightly. This is my life and I have some serious issues and this bald guy is laughing.

Then an unseen soft voice whispered, “let it go…”

I suddenly woke up and within a second my anger was gone, energy level was restored, and I was perfectly fine.

What happened? Was that a dream? I didn’t know but it was a real and absolutely vivid image. Vivid image of who? Oh my goodness it was the image of alive Laughing Buddha.

I recalled seeing his picture somewhere, so I searched the internet trying to find what I just saw and there it was.

The only difference was that I didn’t saw still photography but real and alive laughing Buddha sitting in bright daylight beside the river.

He was laughing at me, and on my condition, conveying me the message that “you are taking your problems too seriously, let them come and go. Laugh on them, laugh at your mind which is making nothing into something.”

As time passed I even forgot what I was angry about, and today I am smiling. Who knows maybe soon I might also began to laugh whole-heatedly at my own problems.

Some of my friends would say that how can a Muslim see Buddhist monk in her dream, to all of them I shall say that “faith is a room with many doors”.

Allah speaks to us in many ways, He can show us His presence and guidance in any form He chooses. Since it was the most easily understandable way for me to catch His message “laugh it out…. let it go Sonya!”, so Allah selected this particular image, because He is the Knower of all that there is and He is able to do all things....

Sonya Syed. (Day 513)