Pure philosophy

Sufism is a very interesting philosphy. Came across it during Eng exam.

"The clear bead at the centre changes everything.
There are no edges to my loving now.
I've heard it said, there's a window
That opens from one mind to another
But if there's no wall, there's no need
For fitting the window, or the latch."

I'm sure all the people who read this blog with some decent level of English can completely understand what this poem's trying to say. =) If you don't you phail at English, seriously.

EDIT: After Zhang proved to phail at English, I decided to put it here anyway.

My interpretion of what it's trying to essentially say is that interpersonal relationships shouldn't be one-sided like what we're doing now. Why should we use windows that only show a partial view of something when you could just take off the whole wall? You can understand a person completely that way. There is no reason for people to keep things to themselves and show things to others, for it is for no reason than to keep your reputation. (Sufism is anti-materialistic status btw). Why care about reputation and status? It is useless.

Look at the next poem which talks of similar things:

Take someone who doesn't keep score,
Who's not looking to be richer, or afraid of losing,
Who has not the slightest interest even
In the own personality: They're free.

Put it in the context of what is written above. What is materialistic status ultimately? It is decided by others, not you. What say do you have in such matters? You change yourself. Why change yourself to suit their views? It is a restricted life. You live life to please others? Then that is a pathetic life you lead, and that is the life society today leads.

The next one was a story. I can't remember the first few words, so it's paraphrasing for the first few words.

A person hit a worker on the back of his neck. Just as he was about to turn around and hit him, the first person asked him, "Before you hit me, answer this question: That sound: Was it made by my hand or your neck? "The pain I am feeling does not give me leave for speculation. These things are all right to worry about if you're feeling no pain."

The message here is more abstract, so I'll just put it here. It's useless to speculate over something and not do anything at all. Analysis is uesless if no action is taken. IOW, stop thinking if you aren't working.

Aah, Sufism really never goes old. =)