Keep the Pond Clean

In this discourse Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) describes how people gather together to be in the presence of God, but they bring and hold on to the baggage of their minds.  Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) compares the Fellowship to a pond, where people come to wash themselves and, in the process, dirty the water. If we come to the pond with the intention to quench our thirst, if we are thirsty for God, we must not blame those who dirty the water. Nor should we declare the water too dirty for drinking. Instead, we must push aside the scum and quench our thirst with the good water. It is natural for the pond to have dirt in it—maya will always be part of this world. Furthermore, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) points out that we also must clean our inner pond of bad qualities. He is asking us to look at ourselves instead of others and discard all qualities that are not from God. If we can do that, the Fellowship will thrive, and each of us will grow closer to God.