Value of Customs By Connie Zareen I think there is more magic available in the world than there has ever been. It just takes the right kind of eyes to see it. Today, when the mystic climbs the mountain of self-knowing, he has a far greater perspective with which to see the wonders of the world -- even of the universe and of time itself. The magic of our modern perspective is that we know about molecules, quantum particles, galaxies, psychology, archeology, and sociology. The realization that all is one covers huge territory in the heart and mind of an educated person. Because we know of history and psychology we can see how it is a shared experience to be a human being. We are individuals, yes, but our experience of life is one. We evolve as a race by the cultivation and growth of culture. When this is realized, magic can be consciously cultivated in groups of people as they meet. Like the beautiful poem about Kabir: To whom shall I go to learn about my beloved? Kabir says: As you may never find the forest if you ignore the tree So he may never be found in abstractions Magic is found between people. Humanity as a whole is composed of people. To love you have to love a person. We can’t just love humanity as a whole, because that becomes an abstraction, and then it is only in the head. An abstraction doesn’t inspire a true sincerity of heart. Love, harmony and goodness are things that happen between people. Relationship itself can be grown and nurtured like a garden. Conversation and peace grows between us when we cultivate it, like harmonizing a field between us. The cultures of the world all have many beautiful customs that help us to cultivate the magnetic field that exits between us as human beings. These traditions all arose from the wisdom of the individuals who brought them to us. The beauty of these customs, after they are established in a culture, is that they can be practiced by people who have not taken the time or energy to reach higher states on their own. Without spending tremendous effort, the majority of people in a culture are able to benefit from the wisdom of the ages when they practice their customs. Customs aren’t necessarily going to do the trick for us any more. Today’s world requires more effort and alertness because many of our customs are no longer serving their purpose, and new customs have not arisen to take their place. To some this is a scary and dangerous situation. But as modern and educated people we have all have the urgent inspiration of an authentic self that is interested in creating a future of beauty; a future that is full of life and profound possibilities. We have the opportunity of seeing our conditionings as being not as useful as they used to be. From the point of view of enlightenment, this is a really good thing, because it means it is time to stop our endless waiting. It’s a great incentive to get on with our most important spiritual work. In fact, not moving forward from our conditionings is causing quite a crisis in the world. It even looks desperate to some! From the point of view of the ego, we are in quite a helpless situation. But we have more available to us than the small views of the ego. The authentic part of our being has the energy and interest to jump into this new adventure with a kind of hope that has never before been expressed. It is something we can cultivate together, and our ability to cultivate it consciously is unprecedented in history. This movement from the ego to the authentic self can be a movement that seeks out the beauty of all past customs, learns to truly understand them from a heightened perspective, and preserves the beauty of the past in a great coming together in the future. Alhumdulillah!