Seventh Heaven

Revenge.. sounds sinister.

Retribution… sounds so elegant

Poetic justice… sounds so complete.

Different words, yet they begin and end at the same focal point.

When I look back at my life, I really do not have much to complain about. It has been a normal, happy life. Fulfilling, satisfying and rewarding. I think of myself as an evolved human being.

Yet… sometimes I see some dark spots in the white horizon of my memories. Those memories of broken trust, of planned inflicted hurt, of anger, of harm – especially of friends who have tuned foes. If I could get a second chance, I would have either not ever been friends with them, or would never have trusted them so much.

But I know that life does not give you second chances. You don’t write in your life’s book with pencil and an eraser to rub whatever you like and re-write history. You are given a permanent marker. The marks can never come off, can never be erased. They can fade with time, but they can never really go away.

You have to move on, and move on you must. You cannot control the events that happen in your life, but thankfully, you can control your own reactions to those events.

I have to admit that sometimes I find myself wishing that all those people who have hurt me should suffer – either at my own hands or at someone else’s. I am a human being and I suppose I am exhibiting a very normal trait of being one. I have an ego – and whenever my ego gets hurt, it demands retribution.

I know this vicious cycle – I have been warned of it by many older, wiser people. It leads to nothing, but pain, and more pain and more pain. I know it is not easy fighting with your own ego. But I believe that just like diamond cuts diamond, only ego can fight a fair battle with ego. Everything begins and ends with ‘me’ – or ‘khud’.

As Allama Iqbal wrote…

Khudi Ko Kar Buland Itna

Ki Har Taqdeer Se Pehle Khuda Bande Se Khud Ye Poochhe

Bata Teri Razaa Kya Hai...

[Aim for the stars… Aspire for such heights that before creating every destiny, God should Himself ask you what YOUR wish is]

And…

 Tu Shaheen Hai..Parwaaz Hai Kaam Tera

 Tere Saamne Aasman Aur Bhi Hain

 Isi Roz-o-Shab Mein Ulajh Kar Na Reh Ja

Ke Tere Zamin-o-Makaan Aur Bhi Hain

 [You are the falcon, your passion is flight

And you have more skies to transcend

Lose not yourself in the cycle of days and nights

Within your reach you have more feats to accomplish]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For someone who wishes to soar in the great blue skies, I feel my anger is nothing but an unnecessary baggage that hampers my flight, that weighs down on my wings. So, I let go today. Of the anger, the hurt, the pain. To fly high. Unhindered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Source of the translation : http://sufizen.com/poetry]