Wa Quotes

I love the stars. Because they can't say anything. I love the stars. Because they do not judge anyone.

Written words can also sing.

And over all those sleepy weeks, the dream always ended the same way, with the dragon coming for the princess saying the same words every time.... "Face it, Tally-wa, you're Special.

No, I don't think you understand just how stupid goblins are. Let me give you an example. One of the B'wa Kell generals, and this is their top fairy, was caught caught trying to pass off forged credit slips by signing his own name.

So far Kat has been through all the Wa's she could think of, but Hale hadn't admitted to being Walter or Ward or Washington. He'd firmly denied both Warren and Waverly. Watson had prompted him to do a very bad Sherlock Holmes impersonation throughout a good portion of a train ride to Edinburgh, Scotland. And Wayne seemed so wrong she hadn't even tried. Hale was Hale. And not knowing what the W's stood for had become a constant reminder to Kat that, in life, there are some things that can be given but never stolen. Of course, that didn't stop her from trying.

Frighteningly Beautiful, Dangerously Strong, Breathtakingly Fast. Face it Tally-wa you're special...

man jadda wa jadda, man shabara zhafira

Khusrau darya prem ka, ulti wa ki dhaar, Jo utra so doob gaya, jo dooba so paar. English Translation. Oh Khusrau, the river of love Runs in strange directions. One who jumps into it drowns, And one who drowns, gets across.

Chiron probably wanted me to say, Heck it wa nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast. But I didn't feel like lying.

There is a popular saying in Japan that goes “Tada yori takai mono wa nai,” meaning: “Nothing is more costly than something given free of charge.” THE UNSPOKEN WAY, MICHIHIRO MATSUMOTO, 1988

You’re the only person whom I want to know about me.

Even in the depths of the darkest oceans, some light always pierces through.

Our lives are a battlefield on which is fought a continuous war between the forces that are pledged to confirm our humanity and those determined to dismantle it; those who strive to build a protective wall around it, and those who wish to pull it down; those who seek to mould it and those committed to breaking it up; those who aim to open our eyes, to make us see the light and look to tomorrow [...] and those who wish to lull us into closing our eyes

Our fathers fought bravely. But do you know the biggest weapon unleashed by the enemy against them? It was not the Maxim gun. It was division among them. Why? Because a people united in faith are stronger than the bomb

As much as you can, keep dunya (worldly life) in your hand--not in your heart. That means when someone insults you, keep it out of your heart so it doesn't make you bitter or defensive. When someone praises you, also keep it out of your heart, so it doesn't make you arrogant and self-deluded. When you face hardship and stress, don't absorb it in your heart, so you don't become hopeless and overwhelmed. Instead keep it in your hands and realize that everything passes. When you're given a gift by God, don't hold it in your heart. Hold it in your hand so that you don't begin to love the gift more than the giver. And so that when it is taken away you can truly respond with 'inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon': 'indeed we belong to God, and to God we return'.

If poverty was to be sold three cents today, i can't buy it.

Praise be to God; whose compassion is all-embracing and Whose mercy is universal; Who rewards His servants for their remembrance [dhikr] [of Him] with His remembrance [of them] - verily God (Exalted is He!) has said, 'Remember Me, and I will remember you' - Opening lines from Kitab al-Adhkar wa'l Da'awat of the Ihya ulum ad-Din

The condition of women in a nation is the real measure of its progress.

Why did Africa let Europe cart away millions of Africa's souls from the continent to the four corners of the wind? How could Europe lord it over a continent ten times its size? Why does needy Africa continue to let its wealth meet the needs of those outside its borders and then follow behind with hands outstretched for a loan of the very wealth it let go? How did we arrive at this, that the best leader is the one that knows how to beg for a share of what he has already given away at the price of a broken tool? Where is the future of Africa?

Wa, did I just say fate? I so don't believe in that. Fate is bullshit people force-feed themselves when they're too lazy to carve out a destiny of their own.

I'll come to save you as much as you want. I'll make you fall for me as much as you wish.

Our people think: I , Wangari, a Kenyan by birth - how can I be a vagrant in my own country as if I were a foreigner.

with me,it is 'better never than late

You're like a cat. If I get close, you'll ignore me and go far away. If I get hurt, you'll play around to share the pain.

Walking along the path that she chose, without being affected by others... in this sense, white is her color.... in another sense, it also makes me want to put more colors on her

i was made to protect you and you were made in a wa that it would always be worth the effort.

Belief in yourself is more important than endless worries of what others think of you. Value yourself and others will value you. Validation is best that comes from within.

Dorinpa, Dorunpa. Now you can't lie.

I'm just a stalker.

Definisi epistemologis yang paling tepat untuk ilmu, dengan Allah Subhanallahu wa Ta'ala sebagai sumbernya, ialah tibanya (husul) makna (ma'na) sesuatu benda atau objek ilmu ke dalam jiwa. Dengan memandang jiwa sebagai penafsir maka ilmu adalah tibanya (wusul) diri (jiwa) kepada makna sesuatu hal atau suatu objek ilmu.

She was thinking that the grass really could be greener on the other side of the fence. It depended on who wa standing in the grass. Maybe you had to go take a look

I was born upon the prairie, where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there are no enclosures and where everything drew a free breath. I want to die there and not within walls. I know every stream and every wood between the Rio Grande and the Arkansas. I have hunted and lived over that country. I lived like my fathers before me, and, like them, I lived happily. Para-Wa-Samen (Ten Bears) of the Tamparika Comanches

Stories, like food, lose their flavor if cooked in a hurry.

man jadda wa jada man shabara zhafira

If we want to turn Africa into a new Europe ... then let us leave the destiny of our countries to Europeans. They will know how to do it better than the most gifted among us.’25

Julia taught me what it takes to find your way in the world. It's not what I thought it was. I thought it wa all about-I don't know, confidence or will or luck. Those are all some good things to have, no question. But there's something else, somethng that these things grow out of. It's joy.

Vichwa vitatu vya sururu na chembe tatu za bunduki za Kalashnikov; na alama ya bahati, mafanikio, udhalimu na mwanzo mpya ya msalaba wa swastika, kama alama ya ujenzi na uhalifu wa Kolonia Santita.

I'm actually a hardcore otaku who likes maids more than having three meals a day. And I only read books related to maids. Also, I only visit maid cafes. Of course, I also collect maid figurines. I play games which feature female maids and it turns me on so much. Then I'll wear the maid uniforms and jump in joy. I'll take my leave now.

He carried the Bible; the soldier carried the gun; the administrator and the settler carried the coin. Christianity, Commerce, Civilization: the Bible, the Coin, the Gun: Holy Trinity.

Your own actions are a better mirror of your life than the actions of all your enemies put together.

Msichana wa miaka 18 miaka ya 70 ni sawa na msichana wa miaka 8 leo. Msichana wa miaka 8 leo anayajua maisha kuliko msichana wa miaka 18 miaka ya 70. Tuwape watoto wetu haki yao ya msingi ya kuwa watoto katika siku za ujana wao, kabla hawajawa watoto tena watakapokuwa wakubwa.

This land used to yield. Rains used not to fail. What happened?’ inquired Ruoro. It was Muturi who answered. ‘You forget that in those days the land was not for buying. It was for use. It was also plenty, you need not have beaten one yard over and over again.

Language, any language, has a dual character: it is both a means of communication and a carrier of culture

Being is one thing; becoming aware of it is a point of arrival by an awakened consciousness and this involves a journey.

There are a lot of ways to show our faith and love to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. You pick the ones that are right for who you are right now.

Dychwelyd i wlad eich hynafiaid; gwaed yn galw i waed. Return to the land of your fathers; blood calls to blood.

I half hoped Mr. Pearson would waLk out holding Thomas by the scruff of his neck, still wearing his boxers or pajama pants or whatever the hell a guy like him slept in. But seconds later, when Mr. Pearson emerged, he was red with rage and completely alone. Thomas was gone.

I've always smiled... And matched with everyone around me. But eventually, I realized that there was no one around me anymore. It's not possible to have people like you when you don't even show the real you.

白鳥は 哀しからずや 空の青 海のあをにも 染まずただよふ Shiratori wa kanashikarazu ya Sora no ao umi no ao ni mo somazu tadayou Does not a white bird Feel within her heart forlorn? The blue of the sky The blue of the sea. Neither Stains her, between them she floats.

Usu­al­ly, very ear­ly in the morn­ing. Ger­man la­bor­ers were go­ing to work. They would stop and look at us with­out sur­prise. One day when we had come to a stop, a work­er took a piece of bread out of his bag and threw it in­to a wag­on. There was a stam­pede. Dozens of starv­ing men fought des­per­ate­ly over a few crumbs. The work­er watched the spec­ta­cle with great interest. Years later, I witnessed a sim­ilar spec­ta­cle in Aden. Our ship’s pas­sen­gers amused them­selves by throw­ing coins to the “natives,” who dove to retrieve them. An el­egant Parisian la­dy took great plea­sure in this game. When I no­ticed two chil­dren des­perate­ly fighting in the wa­ter, one try­ing to stran­gle the oth­er, I implored the la­dy: “Please, don’t throw any more coins!” “Why not?” said she. “I like to give char­ity…

Rais wa Tume ya Dunia hakuchaguliwa kuwa kitu katika tume. Alichaguliwa kufanya kitu katika dunia.

Wazazi wetu ni watu wa kuheshimu kuliko kitu chochote. Wanaweza kuona tusipoweza kuona – nyuma na mbele ya tarehe zetu za kuzaliwa.

Behind the hieroglyphic streets there would either be a transcendent meaning, or only the earth.... Another mode of meaning behind the obvious, or none. Either Oedipa in the orbiting of a true paranoia, or a real Tristero. For there either was some Tristero beyond the appearance of the legacy of America, or there was just America and if there was just America then it seemed the only wa[y] she could continue, and manage to be at all relevant to it, was as an alien, unfurrowed, assumed full circle into some paranoia.

[The Quran is] a Revelation sent down by al-'Azeez, ar-Raheem." [Yaseen: 5] The Quran is 'azeez (authoritative) and it's from al-'Azeez. And the Prophet is the most merciful human to ever live and was sent as a mercy to mankind from ar-Raheem. It's the perfect message delivered on the tongue of a perfect Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam).

We designate the spirit of the well as 'she' because in most of her personifications she takes a female form, though not invariably. She appears in many guises - ghost, witch, saint, mermaid, fairy, and sometimes in animal form, often as a sacred fish - and her presence permeates well lore, and indeed water lore generally.

Kuwa tajiri si kazi rahisi. Ukipata milioni ya kwanza utataka nyingine kulinda hiyo ya kwanza. Ukipata ya pili utataka mbili zingine kulinda hizo mbili za kwanza, n.k. Si kazi rahisi. Si kama unavyofikiria. Utajiri haujanipa furaha. Umenipa uhuru. Ndugu zangu ni maskini wa kutupwa. Ningependa kuishi kama maskini mwenye pesa nyingi.

Usalama wa Taifa ni akili si ukali. Kazi yake, au wajibu wake; ni kukusanya, kuchanganua, kudurusu na kuunganisha kwa makini, taarifa nyeti za kijasusi za ndani na nje ya nchi kuilinda Tanzania na watu wake. Ukitaka kuwa na akili kuwa kawaida. Ukitaka kuwa na nguvu kuwa mkarimu. Ukitaka kuwa tajiri kuwa tajiri wa unyenyekevu.

Prescription of the correct cure is dependent on a rigorous analysis of the reality.

So let us do as we always have, and always continue to change the way we think, but let us not change that we do think.

How do you know you're a girl? I'm wearing a frock. And if you take it off? I get cold, so I put it back on. If I was a boy, I don't know what I'd do.

It was so wonderful, I wish . . . time would stop.

the malice of the wicked was reinforced by the weakness of the virtuous;

Bi al-Lughoh na’rifu al-‘ilma wa bi duunihaa kunna fi adh-dhalaam. Dengan bahasa kita bisa menguasai ilmu dan tanpanya kita akan berada dalam kegelapan (kebodohan)

The Bible says that man lying with another man as with a woman is an abomination. I have never lain with a man as if he were a woman. I have no interest in such a thing. If I lie with a woman, it is because she is a woman and I want to treat her as one. If I lie with a man, it is because he is a man and I want to treat him as one.

In any case how many took the oath and are now licking the toes of the whiteman?No, you take an oath to confirm a choice already made. The decision to lay or not lay your life for the people lies in the heart. The oath is the water sprinkled on a man's head at baptism

Every student, no matter how inexperienced or advanced, wa expected to report to the training field at sunrise for a grueling hour of calisthenics. 'Divided we stand,' Simon thought, his stubborn biceps refusing to bulge. 'United we do push-ups.

If you’re destined for each other, the world can end – but at least you’re not alone. It’s better to drown together than to burn alone.

Yet though I must lose my life, fear shall never make me change colour.

He wa so difficult to read, it was frustrating. His thoughts and emotions always seemed to be kept very carefully under wraps. Whereas I felt like I was an open book.

Usiwapoteze marafiki zako wa mwanzo kwa sababu ya ujinga wako, wala usiwaache marafiki zako wa mwanzo kwa sababu ya ujinga wao.

I'll tell you if you kiss me.

The stars are so pretty. It's like they're speaking to us.

He is a prophet and not a poet and therefore his Koran is to be seen as a divine law and not as a book of a human being, made for education or entertainment.

... for I had reached a point in my life when I came to view words differently. A closer look at language could reveal the secret of life.

Gari ya Debbie huchukua sekunde 12 kutoka kilometa 0 mpaka kilometa 210 kwa saa. Huchukua sekunde 10 kutoka kilometa 210 kwa saa mpaka kilometa 0. Ina uwezo wa kusimama haraka kuliko inavyoweza kukimbia.

Nafasi yako peponi itapotea iwapo utamruhusu Pluto (kiongozi wa ahera) akukaribishe bazarai (makao makuu ya ahera) kwa kuchukua maisha yako mwenyewe. Kujiua ni kujipenda zaidi kuliko unaowapenda. Anayejiua hujifikiria zaidi yeye kuliko wengine.

Life, struggle, even amidst pain and blood and poverty, seemed beautiful.

What Waringa tried hard to avoid was looking at the pictures of the walls and windows of the church. Many of the pictures showed Jesus in the arms of the virgin Mary or on the cross. But others depicted the devil, with two cow-like horns and a tail like a monkey's, raising one leg in a dance of evil, while his angels, armed with burning pitchforks, turned over human beings on a bonfire. The Virgin Mary, Jesus and God's angels were white, like European, but the devil and his angels were black.

But I thought she thought he was just a big pile of jobbies?” he said. “I seen her oout walkin’, an’ when he comes ridin’ past, she sticks her nose in th’ air and looks the other wa’. In fact, sometimes I seen her wait aroound a full five-and-twenty minutes for him tae come past, just so’s she can do that.

As she stared at them, Waringa noted that their skins were indeed red, like that of pigs or like the skin of a black person who has been scalded with boiling water or who has burned himself with acid creams. Even the hair in their arms and necks stood out stiff and straight like the bristle of an aging hog.

He [Muhammed] is a prophet and not a poet and therefore his Koran is to be seen as a divine law and not as a book of a human being, made for education or entertainment.

We want no proofs. We ask none to believe us! This boy will some day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is. Already he knows her sweetness and loving care. Later on he will understand how some men so loved her, that they did dare much for her sake.” Excerpt From: Stoker, Bram. “Dracula.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright. Check out this book on the iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M...

Kuna vita za aina mbili zinazopiganwa hapa duniani: vita ya maisha na vita ya dhambi. Unaweza kushinda vita ya maisha (maisha ya raha) lakini ukashindwa vita ya dhambi (maisha ya laana). Kushinda vita ya dhambi ni lazima umkaribishe Mwana wa Mungu Mfalme wa Amani, Yesu Kristo wa Nazareti Aliye Hai, kama Bwana na Mwokozi wa maisha yako.

Surely my mother could do anything to which she set her mind

Unshed tears of an unrequited desire for vengeance are exhausting and require privacy.

I believe that black has been oppressed by white; female by male; peasant by landlord; and worker by lord of capital. It follows from this that the black female worker and peasant is the most oppressed. She is oppressed on account of her color like all black people in the world; she is oppressed on account of her gender like all women in the world; and she is exploited and oppressed on account of her class like all workers and peasants in the world. Three burdens she has to carry.

The present predicaments of Africa are often not a matter of personal choice: they arise from a historical situation. Their solutions are not so much a matter of personal decision as that of a fundamental social transformation of the structures of our societies starting with a real break with imperialism and its internal ruling allies. Imperialism and its comprador alliances in Africa can never develop the continent.

The real battle starts now!

This isn't my story, but hers. In a world full of actors trying to cunningly maneuver themselves into the lead role, she was the star of that night without even trying. She didn't realize it then, and she probably still hasn't. This is a chronicle of her majestic journey through an alcohol-steeped night and my distress at failing to secure the lead role and making do with my existence as a pebble by the wayside. Wise readers, relish both her cuteness and my stupidity; savor the exquisite and subtle flavor of life, not unlike that of almond tofu. I hope you will cheer her on.

Ukiishi Mexico City katika daraja la watu wakubwa na wewe na anasa ni marafiki wakubwa, hutapenda kuendesha gari ambayo kila mtu anaendesha mjini. Nunua gari na kuibadilisha kuwa ya kwako. Lisa aliponunua gari yake huko Ejército Nacional Mexicano, Mexico City, katika duka la Ferrari, aliipeleka Los Angeles kwa marekebisho aliyoyataka. Ferrari haikuwa ya kawaida. Mbali na kinga ya risasi ya inchi nne, Ferrari ya Lisa ilikuwa na mwendo mkali na matairi makubwa kuliko Ferrari za kawaida. Ilikuwa na rangi tatu: nyeusi, pinki na njano zilizokuwa zikibadilika kulingana na hali ya hewa; na kadhalika ilikuwa na breki ya upepo kwa nyuma, katika buti ya aluminiamu, kwa ajili ya kuikandamiza chini wakati wa mwendo mkali, ili isiyumbe sana barabarani. Lisa peke yake ndiye aliyekuwa na gari ya namna hiyo Mexico City nzima.

Sina jinsi. Nguzo ya maisha yangu ni historia ya maisha yangu. Historia ya maisha yangu ni urithi wa watu waliojifunza kusema hapana kwa ndiyo nyingi – waliojitolea vitu vingi katika maisha yao kunifikisha hapa nilipo leo – walionifundisha falsafa ya kushindwa si hiari. Siri ya mafanikio yangu ni kujitahidi kwa kadiri ya uwezo wangu wote; au 'pushing the envelope' kwa lugha ya kigeni.

PERNIKAHAN ADALAH -1- Pernikahan adalah akad atau ikatan. Akad untuk beribadah, akad untuk membangun rumah tangga sakinah mawadah wa rahmah. -2- Pernikahan adalah akad untuk saling mencintai, akad untuk saling menghormati dan menghargai. -3- Pernikahan adalah akad untuk saling menguatkan keimanan, akad untuk saling meningkatkan ketakwaan, akad untuk mengokohkan ketaatan kepada Tuhan, akad untuk berjalan pada tuntunan Kenabian. -4- Pernikahan adalah akad untuk saling menerima apa adanya, akad untuk saling membantu dan meringankan beban, akad untuk saling menasihati, akad untuk setia kepada pasangannya dalam suka dan duka, dalam kesulitan dan kesuksesan, dalam sakit dan sehat, dalam tawa dan air mata. -5- Pernikahan berarti akad untuk meniti hari-hari dalam kebersamaan, akad untuk saling melindungi, akad untuk saling memberikan rasa aman, akad untuk saling mempercayai, akad untuk saling menutupi aib, akad untuk saling mencurahkan perasaan, akad untuk berlomba melaksanakan peran kerumahtanggaan. -6- Pernikahan adalah akad untuk mudah mengakui kesalahan, akad untuk saling meminta maaf, akad untuk saling memaafkan, akad untuk tidak menyimpan dendam dan kemarahan, akad untuk tidak mengungkit-ungkit kelemahan, kekurangan, dan kesalahan. -7- Pernikahan adalah akad atau ikatan. Akad untuk tidak melakukan pelanggaran, akad untuk meninggalkan kemaksiatan, akad untuk tidak saling menyakiti hati dan perasaan, akad untuk tidak saling menorehkan luka, akad untuk tidak saling menyakiti badan pasangan. -8- Pernikahan adalah akad untuk mesra dalam perkataan, akad untuk santun dalam pergaulan, akad untuk indah dalam penampilan, akad untuk sopan dalam mengungkapkan keinginan, akad untuk berlaku lembut kepada pasangan, akad untuk memberikan senyum termanis, akad untuk berlaku romantis dan selalu berwajah manis. -9- Pernikahan adalah akad untuk saling mengembangkan potensi diri, akad untuk adanya saling keterbukaan yang melegakan, akad untuk saling menumpahkan kasih sayang, akad untuk saling merindukan, akad untuk saling membahagiakan, akad untuk tidak adanya pemaksaan kehendak, akad untuk tidak saling membiarkan, akad untuk tidak saling mengkhianati, akad untuk tidak saling meninggalkan, akad untuk tidak saling mendiamkan. -10- Pernikahan adalah akad untuk menebarkan kebajikan, akad untuk mencari rejeki yang halal dan thayib, akad untuk menjaga hubungan kekeluargaan, akad untuk berbakti kepada orang tua dan mertua, akad untuk mencetak generasi berkualitas, akad untuk siap menjadi bapak dan ibu bagi anak-anak, akad untuk membangun peradaban masa depan. -11- Pernikahan, adalah akad untuk segala yang bernama kebaikan !

Vozač je rekao djedu koliko koštaju karte i dok je djed vrlo pažljivo prebrojavao novac - jer je svjetlo u autobusu bilo preslabo - vozač se okrenuo prema putnicima, digao desnu ruku i rekao: „How!“ i prasnuo u smijeh, i svi su prasnuli u smijeh. Tada sam se počeo bolje osjećati znajući da su prijateljski nastrojeni i ne zamjeraju nam što nismo imali vozne karte. Onda smo pošli prema stražnjem dijelu autobusa i tamo sam vidio jednu bolesnu ženu. Oko očiju joj je bilo neprirodno crnilo, a usne su joj bile jarko crvene kao od krvi. Kad smo prošli pokraj nje, stavila je ruku iznad usta i zavrištala: „Wa...huuu!“ Ali sigurno ju je ubrzo prestalo boljeti jer se počela smijati i svi ostali su se smijali. Čovjek koji je sjedio pokraj nje se također smijao i pritom se lupao po nozi. Imao je veliku sjajnu kopču na kravati pa sam znao da su oni bogati i mogu platiti liječnika ako im je potreban.

Times like these, you can't be shy. Crashing the celebrations of a stranger is a do-or-die challenge; a moment's hesitation can be fatal. You have to infiltrate the very heart of the event, practically force everyone to get excited, and destroy their completely justified doubts of Who is this person?

Sex is the strongest force in the universe. Forget about the Grand Unifying Theory, Stephen Hawking, I’ll tell you what it is: women. Aren’t women the strongest sex? What force is more magnetic than that? It’s not just pussy. We’re attracted to women for their energy. We’re attracted to their fluidness, their ability to nurture a baby without even knowing how, to be able to put up with screaming and crying and colic and shitty diapers where men would go, “I’m fucking outta here! I’m gonna go kill me a saber-toothed woolly mammoth an’bring it on home to eat tonight. Wa-haaaaaa!” We don’t have tits; we couldn’t nourish a gnat.

Does rough weather choose men over women? Does the sun beat on men, leaving women nice and cool?' Nyawira asked rather sharply. 'Women bear the brunt of poverty. What choices does a woman have in life, especially in times of misery? She can marry or live with a man. She can bear children and bring them up, and be abused by her man. Have you read Buchi Emecheta of Nigeria, Joys of Motherhood? Tsitsi Dangarembga of Zimbabwe, say, Nervous Conditions? Miriama Ba of Senegal, So Long A Letter? Three women from different parts of Africa, giving words to similar thoughts about the condition of women in Africa.' 'I am not much of a reader of fiction,' Kamiti said. 'Especially novels by African women. In India such books are hard to find.' 'Surely even in India there are women writers? Indian women writers?' Nyawira pressed. 'Arundhati Roy, for instance, The God of Small Things? Meena Alexander, Fault Lines? Susie Tharu. Read Women Writing in India. Or her other book, We Were Making History, about women in the struggle!' 'I have sampled the epics of Indian literature,' Kamiti said, trying to redeem himself. 'Mahabharata, Ramayana, and mostly Bhagavad Gita. There are a few others, what they call Purana, Rig-Veda, Upanishads … Not that I read everything, but …' 'I am sure that those epics and Puranas, even the Gita, were all written by men,' Nyawira said. 'The same men who invented the caste system. When will you learn to listen to the voices of women?

We have reached a stage in evolution which is not the final stage. We must pass through it quickly, for if we do not, most of us will perish by the wa y, and the others will be lost in a forest of doubt and fear. Envy therefore, evil as it is, and terrible as are its effects, is not wholly of the devil. It is in part the expression of a heroic pain, the pain of those who walk through the night blindly, p erhaps to a better resting-place, perhaps only to death and destruction. To find the right road out of this despair civ ilised man must enlarge his heart as he has enlarged his mind. He must learn to tran scend self, and in so doing to acquire the freedom of the Universe.

Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. Katika Biblia, Musa aliitwa mjinga alipokiuka amri ya Farao ya kuendelea kuwafanya watumwa wana wa Israeli nchini Misri; Nuhu aliitwa mpumbavu alipohubiri kwa miaka mia kuhusu gharika, katika kipindi ambacho watu hawakujua mvua ni nini; Daudi aliitwa mjinga alipojitolea kupambana na Goliati bonge la mtu, shujaa wa Gathi; Yusufu aliitwa mjinga alipokataa kulala na mke wa bosi wake, baada ya kuwa ameuzwa na nduguze kama mtumwa nchini Misri; Abrahamu aliitwa mjinga alipoamua kuhama nchi aliyoipenda na kwenda katika nchi ya ahadi, eti kwa sababu Mungu alimwambia kufanya hivyo; Yesu aliitwa mjinga mpaka akasulubiwa aliposema yeye ni Mfalme na Mwana wa Mungu. LAKINI, Musa alitenganisha Bahari ya Shamu na kuwapeleka Waisraeli katika nchi ya ahadi, ambako aliwakomboa kutoka utumwani. Nuhu aliokoa dunia. Daudi alimshinda Goliati. Yusufu aliokoa familia yake kutokana na njaa. Abrahamu alikuwa baba wa imani. Yesu aliyashinda mauti. Wakati mwingine tunatakiwa kufanya mambo makubwa kulingana na jinsi Roho Mtakatifu anavyotutuma, bila kujali watu au dunia itasemaje.

It doesn't happen to me anymore, because a fresh generation of Africans and Asians has arisen to take over the business, but in my early years in Washington, D.C., I would often find myself in the back of a big beat-up old cab driven by an African-American veteran. I became used to the formalities of the mise-en-scène: on some hot and drowsy Dixie-like afternoon I would flag down a flaking Chevy. Behind the wheel, leaning wa-aay back and relaxed, often with a cigar stub in the corner of his mouth (and, I am not making this up, but sometimes also with a genuine porkpie hat on the back of his head) would be a grizzled man with the waist of his pants somewhere up around his armpits. I would state my desired destination. In accordance with ancient cabdriver custom, he would say nothing inresponse but simply engage the stickshift on his steering wheel and begin to cruise in a leisurely fashion. There would be a pause. Then: 'You from England?' I would always try to say something along the lines of 'Well, I'm in no position to deny it.' This occasionally got me a grin; in any case, I always knew what was coming next. 'I was there once.' 'Were you in the service?' 'I sure was.' 'Did you get to Normandy?' 'Yes, sir.' But it wasn't Normandy or combat about which they wanted to reminisce. (With real combat veterans, by the way, it almost never is.) It was England itself. 'Man did it know how to rain… and the warm beer. Nice people, though. Real nice.' I would never forget to say, as I got out and deliberately didn't overtip (that seeming a cheap thing to do), how much this effort on their part was remembered and appreciated.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un, Telah meninggal dunia ibu, oma, nenek kami tercinta.... Requiescat in pace et in amore, Telah dipanggil ke rumah Bapa di surga, anak, cucu kami terkasih.... Dalam sehari, Bunda menerima dua kabar (duka cita / suka cita) sekaligus. Apakah kesedihan serupa cucuran air hujan yang jatuh dan mengusik keheningan kolam? Apakah kebahagiaan seperti sebuah syair yang mesti dipertanyakan mengapa ia digubah? Bagaimana kita mesti menjawab pertanyaan tentang kematian orang orang terdekat? Mengapa mereka pergi? Kemana mereka akan pergi? Memento mori, serupa nyala api dan ngengat yang terbakar. Seperti juga lilin yang padam, bunga yang layu, ranting yang kering, pohon yang meranggas. Mereka hanyalah sebuah pertanda, bahwa semua yang hidup pasti akan mati. Agar kita senantiasa teringat pada tempus fugit, bahwa waktu yang berlalu  tak akan pernah kembali. Ketika Bunda masih muda, sesungguhnya Bunda sudah tidak lagi muda, tak akan pernah bertambah muda, tak akan kembali muda. Waktu telah merenggut kemudaan kita pelan pelan. Ketuaan adalah sebuah keniscayaan, dan kematian adalah sebuah kepastian. Tak ada sesuatu pun yang abadi, Anakku. Ingatan tentang mati semestinya memberi kita pelajaran berharga. Jangan pernah menyia nyiakan waktu. Jangan hilang niat untuk bangkit dari ranjang. Jangan terlalu malas untuk bekerja. Jangan terlalu letih untuk menuntaskan hari. Jangan pernah lupa untuk berdoa. Jangan lalai untuk bersyukur. Jadikan hari ini sebagai milikmu. Ketika semua perkara seakan menggiring langkahmu pada kesulitan, kegagalan, ketidakpastian dan rasa sakit. Pikirkanlah siapa yang akan jadi malaikat pelindung dan penolongmu? Bagaimana engkau akan menemukan eudaimonia? Bagaimana engkau hendak memaknai hidup? Dalam sekejap mata hidup bisa berubah. Waktu berlalu dan ia tak akan pernah kembali. Gunakan kesempatan untuk bercermin pada permukaan air yang jernih. Tatap langsung kedalaman telaga yang balik menatap kepada dirimu. Abaikan rasa sakit dan penderitaan, sebab puncak gunung sudah membayang di depan mata dan terbit matahari akan menghangatkan kalbumu. Cuma dirimu yang punya kendali atas pikiran, hasrat dan nafsu, perasaan dan kesadaran inderawi, persepsi, naluri dan semua tindakanmu sendiri. Ketika kita mengingat kematian, kita tidak akan lagi merasa gentar. Sebab ia lembut, ia tak lagi menakutkan. Ia justru menuntaskan segala rasa sakit dan penderitaan. Ia pengejawantahan waktu yang berharga, kecantikan yang abadi, indahnya rasa syukur, dan kemuliaan di balik setiap ucapan terima kasih. Ia mengajarkan kita bagaimana menghargai kehidupan yang sesungguhnya. Ia membimbing kita menemukan pintu takdir kita sendiri. Apapun perubahan yang menghampiri dirimu. Ia adalah pintu rahasia yang menjanjikan kejutan yang tak akan pernah kamu sangka sangka. Yang terbaik adalah menerimanya sebagai berkat. Apa yang ada dalam dirimu adalah kekuatanmu. Engkau akan membuatnya berarti. Bagi mereka yang paham, takdir dan kematian adalah sebuah karunia, seperti juga kehidupan. Sesungguhnyalah kita ini milik Allah dan kepada-Nyalah kita akan kembali.