Encounter With Mr Shu Ming at Putrajaya Mosque

Encounter With Mr.Shu Ming at Putrajaya Mosque

Dear Matrix Friends,

Last night 29 November 2006, we are blessed by Allah Taala to welcome a visit by Mr Shu Ming from Beijing, China. He got a twin pair of sons, one now studying Brisbane and another at England. Who brougt him to Master Izi Tea Hut in western Lake of Zhuhai ? How old is this seeker who dared to Travel on the Express Path or Rail that eventually lead him to a Lake ?. 'Master Izi, are you free tonight, we got a friend interested to talk about Buddhism, Sufism and Tao ?".

Just to flash back. Around Asar time, my little Ronin son Athaillah was despatched to Az-Zahra to sharpen his Sword of Manhood. Where ? In Big Bang Galaxy or Garden of the First Step where many rich fuqara once tasted the White Rabea Jasmine Tea. It Was sold in Makkah and Madinah. Imagine if Mr Shu was caught by someone at the Putrajaya Mosque (Malaysia capital city) while following the Maghrib prayer just like Taiji movements. He did not Fatihah, neither he know about anything of Quran in arabic. Our architect friend Mr.Lua wanted to leave him at the mosque as-Souq walkway while we rushed to join the Maghrib prayer. The old 15 years Proton full of Sagacious Blue Cliff Records had to be parked at the Dataran Bourlevard facing majestically the Prime Minister Green domed office facing the northen direction. Do Mr Shu overhelmed by this unexpected sights ? He only twice to Malaysia many years ago, very short stopover at Kuala Lumpur and to Malacca visit the renowned Admiral ZhengHe muzium.


After doing the Purification by Water at the lower level, we quickly went up to join the prayer. We abandoned the idea of leaving Mr.Shu at the mosque entrance. He passed the Main Gate of Peace easily. Nobody checked him or us. Now he prayed between two friends in the gloriius company of the faithful believers. Even the residents of Putrajaya also not always willing took the long 3km detour around the lake to pray in this beautiful mosque, almost floating at the lakeside, shimmering in the early night. We just forgot to collect our Shoes which we left at the Right side of the mosque when wanted to Stream out after enjoying the cool lakeside view at the left wall of the mosque.


Master Izi commented-" Many seekers in haste to get enrolled at the Dailin Nur College forgot to wear the proper Shoes.Some still wear their expensive useless Bally or Culdini or Nike shoes..where the muddy Path to the college will teach them the first lesson in Humility. Walk in the Mud and Wet fields. Second lesson, dont carry a Big Bagge of your worldly belongings. Each student individual huts only measured 4 feet x 8 feet ! Four in one of the chinese tonal meanings (SHI) is Death ! And another meaning of Eight (FATT) can also means- Blessed/Prosperous !.


In all above mix of stories, characters and events, what STAND OUT as the most RADIANT PATH and PURE SOURCE OF OUR DRINK ? Master Izi insights into the 28th Letter of Shaykh Darqawi which the fortunate fuqara managed to jolt down two weeks ago are as follow :

a. How you will ever LEARN if you as students dont bring along your PEN and NOTES !

b. If you manage to remember all the bits of wisdom, how long you can HOLD IT ?

c. We dont talk about those fuqara who are LOST, ABSENCE or FEAR TO COME.

d. Shaykh Darqawi ask us to KNOCK on ONE DOOR, my questions are which TEA HOUSES and which DOORS to knock ? In Masjidil Haram in Makkah, there are about 30 DOORS or more, not even the seasoned Hajjis and Hajjah can remember HALF of its NAMES. What more to enter or passing through.

e. Many seekers speak about Shuyukh and Awliya in the East and West, when a few passing by through our GARDENS and BACKYARDS, we cannot RECOGNIZE ! Those who RETREATED to the MOUNTAINS, dont ask me. Go, make your CLIMBS.

f. Many fuqara dig big HOLES, make NOISES and abandon it a FEW DAYS LATER.

g.Some of the students who sit with me many years are STILL UNRIPE. They afraid to EXPOSE to the sulights of TAO, I CHING, ZEN and CHUNG YUNG. They ask questions to expect easy and quick answers. How mistaken. My durian TREE still not yet flowering.

h. If people FIGHT you because of or over a NAME, POSITION, POWER or KNOWLEDGE, then throw all those THINGS into the LAKE. If they STILL want it, go take a PLUNGE.

i. At the end of this 28th Letter, it speak about DRINK and GIVING OUT DRINKS. If my students dont like TEA, why in the first place, they come to get ENROLLED ?

j. What happens to the ENCOUNTER of Mr. SHU MING and Mr.LUA that night.? We heard that he is GIVEN THREE BOOKS...for LIFE STUDY. Allahu akbar. We sang a VERSE of LAKAL HAMD and make DOA for him before Mr. Lua take him to the STATION to JOURNEY ONWARD and RETURN TO CHINA SOON.


We like to end with a verse from the Divine Book –First Chapter of al-Baqara :

“ Those who possess light of iman

and those who suffered exile (make hijra or travel for truth and openings)

and fought ( jihad- strove and struggled, wage war on self and enemies)

in the Path of Allah – they have the Hope or Reward of Mercy of Allah

and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful “



Recorded and posted

by the advice of Abu Zhulixin

Attendant of Dailin Nur Institute

The Tea Hut Discourse on Stilllness (Yin-Shade)

THE TEA HUT DISCOURSE
ON STILLNESS ( YIN –SHADE)

Last week we are blessed by Allah Taala to be invited and hear the discourse of Master Izi, the founder and sagely caretaker of Dailin Nur Tea Institute, Miyazaki Prefecture situated in South east of Kyoto, Japan. He asked one of his Malaysian student Zuigan to read several passages from the renown modern sufic text – The Hundred Steps written by a contemporary Darqawi Sufi Master from the West – Shaykh Abdal Qadir as-Sufi which he personally met and granted the special idhin or permission to revive the old decayed and remnants of Zen Shobozenbo school in the East.

Master Izi other close associates and occidental Japan scholars in the early 1970s are T.Izutsu, D.Suzuki, Dr.Sachiko Murata, Nakura Nakajima, Narushi Kawabata and Eka Kurashowa. Here are the excerpt of discourses that jolted down and retype again by petit Masako San :

One – Between Madness and Stillness

Sidi Zuigan read the text from page 38 of The Hundred Steps :
“ Sufism or the Path begins as a madness; its middle is a science (specific knowledge);
its end is stillness”. In arabic, it is junun, funun and sukun.

Master Izi commented – ‘How are we going to define what is madness in our society today ? Do we had to rely on descriptions by medical doctors, the psychiatrists and the psychologist like Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Boss, RD Laing and Eric Fromm ? Or we can learn from the famous sufic metaphor of madman Majnun and his lover Layla ? In the European, we also had the Italian version of Romeo and Juliet. Is madness relative to what we want to see and what destruction or confusion it brought on its initially unsuspected encounters ? Eric Fromm book got its famous title as ‘The Sane Society’. The great German thinker philosopher F.Nietzsche who finally succumbed to madness had written several brilliant books such as – Thus Spoke Zarathustra (A book for everyone and no one), Ecce Homo , Beyond Good and Evil, The Gay Science and The Wanderer and Its Shadow. How we wish to walk, travel, listen and response to Zarathusra sagely sermons !

“One can be silent and sit still only when one has arrow and bow (long reach);
otherwise one babbles and quarrels. May your peace be a victory !
I do not spare you, I love you from the deep heart, my brothers in war ! “

It is destroyers who set snares for many and call it STATE: they hang a sword and a hundred desires over them. The state is the coldest monster. Coldly it lies, too and this lie creeps from its mouth: ‘ I , the state, am the people !’. Now open your ears, for now I shall speak to you of the death of peoples.

In wickedness, the arrogant and the weak man meet. But they misunderstand one another. I know you. Here the metamorphosis, your spirit becomes a lion; it wants to capture freedom and be a master in its own desert. A light dawned on me : I need companions, living ones.

Sidi Zuigan read on : “ Kufr itself is a madness, a refined one because it cannot see itself wrong. The state as told by Nietzsche will be manipulated by later forces to bring destruction upon mankind, no religions can hold against this tribe called democracy and free market capitalism. Their power lies in a magic formula. A Ring of Niuebeliung as subtly depicted by Wagner”.

The Quran warned us : ‘ they have eyes but cant see, they have ears but cant hear and they have hearts but cannot perceive…the divine command/realities’. When it was told –don’t spread destruction on the earth (la tufsidu fil-ardh), they answered- we only intend good action (islah) or progress and development ! They treat mankind as equal, one man one vote..the way to mass madmen and to bring down the elites, nobles and sagely rulers, kings and sultaniyya !

The science fiction film- MATRIX – unfold this deception, entrapment and freedom that the hacker hero Neo must submit, learn, deceive, fight and discover the mystical power from Oracle, Morpheus and Trinity in order to escape and defeat the forces of agent Smith and the vast network of Matrix simulated world that none can break out, except death and transformation of self subtle Qi.

So what the next step this Path opens up to the seeker ? The faqir has now entered into the arena of contemplation and its fruits. Hal (spiritual lights) does not come from event, or from outside or from feelings, or from nafs in any of its modalities (appearances that distract the seeker).

The faqir must learn to move with its motions as the sailor changes sail with the winds. Do not tell what comes on the heart to others..he can only report this inner experiences to his Shaykh or to a recognized one among the salihun. Hal put in motion what was still, then it calms it and finally gives it rest. These are the effects of love (from Allah and His Awliya). Now only now, can we talk about love for the first time. (Matrix must fall in love with Trinity to realize his folly and subtle feelings and be free from it)

Master Izi says- ‘ One cup of real Tea refresh the spirit. Two cups of drink will indicate the host is appreciating your travel, your struggle, your trust and friendship’ . Zen masters take elaborate preparation to set up a tea hut meeting with guests, always with several tea attendants or disciples to serve and take notes of exchange of knowledge and wisdom of Tao’. No weapons are allowed inside the tatami tea hut and the tea pot, cups, boiled water and some cakes are arranged to indicate each guest/host ranks.

Shaykh Abdal Qadir as-Sufi further elaborated about this seeker ‘warid-refreshing experience’: “ It is the lights from the Absolute Lord of Majesty and Generous Gifts ( Dzal Jalali wal Ikram ). He may still think it flows from him to existence, but in truth, flows over existence that engulfing him. All actions becomes his actions, all other have his spirits. This is the first dissolution of the barriers of separation. He is temporarily without time, space melts, and he tastes from the Sea of Oneness “.

Nietzsche says in Thus Spoke Zarathustra : “ Shatter, shatter the good and just ! O my brother, have you understood this saying too ? Do you flee from me ? Are you afraid. Do you tremble at this words ? Now you shall be sea farers, brave, patient seafarers ! The sea is stormy ! “.

We go back to topic on The Stillness of Hundred Steps –Sukun (page 98). This stillness is the heart of the Wali, is not a state, but his condition, filling him both in jihad and in contemplation ! He may taste the excitement of battle (or war) but his stillness (marifa) rules him and he drinks the vision of the Face and he glorifies Allah. Oh what praise and what glorification may pour from the heart of a man (like this- a perfected one )

Master Izi commented : “ What a poor copy of box office films heroes like Neo, Jet Li Hero, Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings, James Bond, Brave Hearts, Hidden Tiger and Crouching Dragon, Dances With Wolves, BenHur, Genghis Khan and poor elected Popes and all dead canonized Saints. Once time they were burned and hanged alive when they challenged the church powers. Now the Modern State bestow the highest awards to its most loyal, richest, obedient politicians and senile citizens..some pothomously (after many years of death- ghosts titles) for contributions to the State (almost sacred/supreme entities, legally cannot be changed except by force and revolution and wars). This is the opposites of madness and stillness (enslavement of life in our current society where the billions and trillions of false wealth and banking power elites hold mankind in ransom and enthralled).

They have only one ENEMY, that is a free man that will bring their RULE and STATE to pieces. Or we don’t need them. We survive, we hide, we speak language of separation and gatheredness, we trade, we teach, we submit, we lose small wars but prepare for Big War, we do zikir and Ismul azim. Some in the seat of powers, some trained in elite groups and mergers warfare, some teach in universities, some get annihilated and some returned with robes of honour.

The People of Wisdom
The people of this Wisdom, call it Islamic Zen or Tao of Islam or I Ching of Tawhid or The Middle Path or Sufism, The Life Transaction, The Straight Path… some of them have retreated to mountains, others became rulers and scholars, imams and shuyukh, some are rich in their poverty, mighty in their helplessness, some exiled and cast out, some moved in the sea of sensory and the sea of meanings. Do you want to become a Warrior in His Path ? Are you satisfied with what the State offers ? Are comfortable in your High Offices ? Are you still not Rich enough ? Set out.

“ If you seek power or renown or reward from men by this Noble Path then knowledge that is has in it nothing but sorrow for you. One who knows that will be content with with tajrid (stripping away) and rich in it, a king even if Allah puts him in rags, as he will remain a faqir (one of the poor in the Tariq) even if Allah robes him in the robes of a king.

Every king dies like a faqir while every faqir dies like a king. The sufi is universal. He has reduced and then eliminated the marks of selfhood to allow a clear view of the Cosmic Reality. “
He has rolled up the cosmos in its turn and obliterated it. He has gone beyond.

It is the self chosen pattern of life one has adopted in order to deepen knowledge until one reaches one’s own source, one’s spring of life, to drink of the Water of Illumination.

Shariat is submitting.
Tariqat is handing over.
Haqiqat is victory.

It is coming out from the safe place of ordinary existence into the alien existence of search. It means the abandoning the autobiographical project of fame and fulfillment, for the self/nafs has become for the seeker, an enemy..until it is transformed into its luminous reality which is pure spirit-ruh.

The time is short. It must be seized. Cut through !
Breaking norms is the Path. Its fruits are witnessing and illumination.

The Darqawi Way fuqara are sober as they are majestic/beautiful. They are beggar /kings as they are warrior/saints….what more do we want and desire ? “ Wake up Sidi Zuigan ! , take this empty tea cups away and bring in the lotus moon-cakes from Xi-an and the dragon red fruits from Mr. Malik’s Bandung highland farm !. Masako San, lift up the left bamboo window for morning sunlight to enter ! Mr. Shuyu Min and Ridha Lua, we sincerely hope you may visit us again next summer.

Shaykh Abul Abbas Mursi said :
‘ It is difficult to reach a Teacher. It is easy to reach Allah (vast sign/indications leading to such men and friends of Allah). The pleasure of life is only in the company of the fuqara-they are the sultans, the masters and the princes’ (Madinah Press 1998) .

Dailin Nur Tea Hut 5th December 2006.

The Bamboo Koans For Chinese Seekers

First Bamboo Koan : A Quarter, Half and One Sufi

A Quarter Sufi speaks to Half Sufi while traveling through the Zen Forest of Schizuan Province. Look, we put to test :

“ Don’t believe in that One Sufi ahead of us from the West”. Two wandering Eastern sufi who happen to pass nearby heard this remark at the road junction of Lu Xun and scolded the quarter, half and one sufi , “ All Sufis are charlatans, beware ! From North and South, they pretend to drink the Tea of Ecstasy, while the Oolong and Pue erh Tea leaves still not dried in the Summer”.
Three sufi are too much and too heavy for my words to carry.
Exposed. Broken. Collapsed. What more to understand ?

(Rabbi habli hukman wa ahiqni bis-salihin)

A woodcutter non-sufi who still alive today recounted this events to Master Izi and he ordered tea hut attendant Zuigan of Eastern Lake Precint of Kuang to record this in the Blue Bamboo River Koans Collection.

Abuzhuli xin Commentary :

Many seekers are being called travelers of the Path,
but no one can claim to be a full sufi yet.
A traveler may arrives or get lost on the Way.

The Forest of Dunya is never kind to travelers
who enter it without a tested Guide.
Without a Weapon of Tawhid.
Without a Light of Discrimination-Furqan.

Buying sufic books and reading many old jawi
or Arabic kitab/texts of commentaries cannot help one
to see in the night of modernists anti-sufi.

On daytime the goats from the University Farms
will attack and chew up the green books
because they are very hungry and not trained well
by their Masters and Dukturs who prefer to feed
them with spiritual empty grasses
and syllabus from the Orientalist wastelands.

Neo-Hsue Tou Verses

Nizami Mountain collect clouds
Shattari Mountain pour the rains
Half falls north of River Osama Abuya
Half falls into Bayan and Reformasi Valley
Others may be stuck at Pondok Madrasah

(Wa man yataqqi’Llah yaj-allahu makhraja
Wa man yataqqi’Llahu yaj-allahu furqana
Inna Awliya Allahu la khaufun
alaihim wa la hum yahzanu)

Do not say I have not warned you
A sufi a zen a monk still a name
Forest, desert and mountains
They cheat people most time
Or make them fight in politics

Sichuan Lu Xun Pur Erh
The Tea of China never Smells
Three sufi will make loud Noise
One solitary wali sat facing a city Wall
Music and drums they sell Tariqats

Dr. Abdad ar-Rauwi is my Friend
Leave all books journal and papers
Took the Sun burning Path
Where Universities cannot teach
Tea Hut or Tea Shop, most welcome.

Dr. Fuad Yeoh got Three Degrees
With envy I wrote it with gold
Master in Engineering and BA
Quranic studies from Yarmuk
Islamic Ph.D from Aberdeen !

He leave all and he possess all
Children and wives full of energy
Chinese, Malay and Maghrib
Wisdom and light shines through
Still remember the Night of Melawati
(La Syarqiyya wa la Gharbiyya
Kaukabun dhurriyun …Nurun alan nur
Yahdi’Llahu li-nurihi man yasyaau
Wa Allahu bi-kulli syain Alim)

We ask Allah ,the Majestic, the Exalted to
Enlighten our hearts and life journey…

Second Koan : Many Doors of A Tea Hut

Sufism is a science of madness and stillness.
It depend where you are and how rich you are.
Ha ha ha , only the poor speak this Way.
Dust, dust..kuntu turaba . A sufi hut had many doors,
why none dare to seek, travel and make a visit ?
To enter and drink Tea is another matter.

To test, we put this question to you :

Master Dogen asked his students one day in the assembly hall – who got a new sms today ? Where does he built his Dailin Nur College ? Do the Japanese Government approved his spiritual teaching overseas ? How many students from Granada, Weimar, Zurich, Cape Town, Jakarta, Bandung, Johor Bharu and Penang recently get enrolled for an eight weeks course in Blue Heiddegerian Studies and to organize an seminar called ‘The Time of I Ching ‘ ?

Here is the Maxis Message from Dr. Abdad Rawi of Penang University, Grey Rock Garden (Taman Batu Uban lah) former chief editor of Nusantara Journal received on 8.00pm dated 2 of Dec. 2006 :

‘This piece of koan need fathom.
When the door opens, whirl follows you.
You cross the line, feel that touch on the shoulder
by one that beckons.
The cups are there all the time
Perfumed wine waiting for the lips

The second whirl arrives and the touched
Shoulder warming up to a larger circle.
The flirting fire ambers till dawn
The whispering hearts need no filled cup now.

Another door yonder closing in
Sufi doors opens more of whirl,
cup , touch, heart and wisper.

Suddenly Master Izi attendant Masako San brought an old message jumbled up in Chinese mandarin from our old Melawati garden Companion Dr. Muhammad Fuad Yeoh, Deputy President of Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (Macma) after a quick translation by Sidi Zuigan…it is decided to be included in this Blue Bamboo Collections as follow :

‘Traveller has not been endowed with the honour
to enter any of Master’s doors for the chosen only
is able to taste and be intoxicated by Master’s spirits, wisdom, aura and fun.
It is not a question of fear but simply to whom the bounty the Almighty grants .
For which Traveller unfortunately is not one ‘.

Attendant Sidi Zuigan Commentary :

We are extremely thankful to Allah Tabaraka wa Taala this blessed morning where two of our long time Companions and ardent readers of Zen and Sufism send us their warm greeting of peace beside penning out new koans for all of you ! You shall not forget to record this in your diary.

When you finished this short course, go seek and pay visit and respect to them on my behalf.
My old bones and feets not strong enough to make travels to Malaysia, Indonesia, Europe or Africa this winter.

Bow three times to this two wise scholars, we feels that their Islam and Sufism are our true ally and will transform our future Way and revive the lost Wisdom !

Attendant Yung Ming Versify thus :

To sit in sunlight or to sit in shade
It doesnt matter the sun is East or West
This light from the blessed oil and Olive
From the star, the lamp and niche
Allah guides to His light whom He will
One man enrich a whole community

Let wage war against Number and Papers
O Sages of China and Nippon let appear!
The Time of Spring is here. A Tea Hut.
One traveller falters, ten will comes !
Once the door shut, the hut is gone !

By order of Master Dogen and Master Izi

Oh my new readers and are you my friend now
Do you understand that this Path under your very foot
Path that leads to Makkah and Madinah
A blessed sanctuary and an illuminated city.

Make your journey oh seeker, you will see wonders !
May i lend you the Haji Abu Zhulixin Journal of 2004
Thirty three days full of dusts, sweats and lights
Names, embraces, kisses and doa/prayers you never forget
in your life..where we received oud green Dalailul Khayrat

Where we pray and do zikir at top of Jabal Syubaykah in Makkah
Where we met Sidi Muhammad al-Kuryn of Damascus,
Sidi Abu Bakar ad=Darqawi from his father izin of Fez
Sidi Abdullah al-Mouneni of Meknes and his doa and
recitation from heart the Salawat Shaykh Ibn Mashish :

Oh Allah, we cannot thank You
by our every breath
and every glance and
every letters and words
we put forth and what is lost
and unwritten.

Alhamdulillah wa syukriliLlah.



Zuigan Added Another Jambu Koan No.Four:

Kill one, two will appear
Endgame you win and nobody lose
Bow four time times before retreat
Bow three times to cut off your enemy
Still we owe him two bow… ha ha what ?

Our venerable and wise Master Izi commented :

Confucius says the more one attack the false systems, the stronger it will becomes.
Democracy is a multi-headed monster. You cannot weakened it by blowing up buildings, Shooting the presidents and leaders. It merely make the government more repressive and curtailing its citizen freedom.

What is our endgame – to put our trust in the Economy, the Government, the Law and the Free Market and the United Nation ? What a pity people cannot see beyond the paper money and number currencies as real wealth, a source of power ? The usurious system that make money grow itself by a mathematical sacred formula –interest rate, compound interest and credit based derivates…will destroy this planet and enslaved its population…we are just another numbers and economic unit of consumer, producer or customer to the market and production system.

Bowing four times is the Islamic fardh night prayer of Isyak consist of 4 (ruku/rakaat) bowing and 8 sajda (prostration face touching the ground). After this late night prayer, normally the muslims can retire peacefully to bed, to sleep or to continue doing extra nawafil prayer, to do extra Quranic recitation or various zikirs…to polish the heart, deepen the slave yearning and supplication to the Generous and All Hearing Lord . Some fuqara will do extra salawat –prayers on the Prophet in various forms. The most famous and lengthy salawat compiled is the Dalailul Khayrat by Shaykh al-Jazuli, a sufi master from the Shadhilyya Path in north Africa. Millions of muslims and Sufis/fuqara still reciting some part of this old texts everyday, every week or every month or every joyful occasion like marriages, births of children, aqiqah, celebrating the Maulid and Awliya annual gatherings etc.

Bowing three times refer to rakaat of Mahgrib prayer, very important to seek protection of Allah for the beginning of the night from evils of shaytans, whisperings and whatever harms from creation that Allah Taala created and in His Knowledge and Power.

There are endless enemies among mankind also. Those who are jealous and envy and hypocrisy and direct enemies among the kafirun. The muslims still owed another prayer consist of two rakaat/bowing….that is Salatul Fajr or Subuh in the morning before sunrise as commanded in the Quran. As-salatul fajri kana masyhudan. The Angels of Daytime begin to record the affairs of the day after exchanging duties with the Angel of the Night from maghrib time.

(reproduced from Blue Diary of Zuigan dated Nov.2006)