First of all, a genuine thank you to Rashid Mughal for saying in 20 words, i.e. “You meandered on and on, while both listener and reader expected you to make your point, and make it quick” which earlier he said in 849 words. Brevity does improve the message, and I accept that it could have improved mine, as it improved Mr. Mughal’s. Of course, as befits a pompous person, he says “both listener and reader” when the only person he can comment on is himself. So Mr. Mughal, if you were only to change “both listener and reader” to “I”, you would take a step forward in your spiritual evolution. Many people (perhaps a majority, perhaps everyone) may agree with you, but you are not entitled to speak on behalf of others – you can only speak for yourself. If you choose to respond again, I will not be responding any further to you – unless you improve your manners. Even though what you have read may make you think that you are a sage, your behaviour is genuinely antisocial (Stage I) on many occasions. And by the way, it is the rare person who can totally shake off all vestiges of earlier stages, even though one is generally (or sometimes) in a later stage of spiritual growth    

Now to another point that Rashid raised, which was “why don't you prove me wrong by telling FOTH members what you know about the Mysteries of Mysticism”. I have no interest in proving others wrong, but wanted to comment on what I know about mysticism. First, I believe that true mystical experiences tend to be personal and close to one’s heart, and hence they are difficult to talk about in public. The “wounds” that we undergo in life – and which have the potential to lead to psycho-spiritual growth – are not public, and one often does not wish to make them public. So, even the experience about Kuwait that I mentioned in my paper is something that I have not written about earlier. 

However, I wish to say something about my move to Canada. I took early retirement from IBM in 1995, and we designed and built a house (our dream house) in the best possible location in my favourite city in Pakistan – Lahore. My intention was to live out the rest of my life there, as an independent management consultant. Since I had plenty of time to read, one thing that caught my eye was Huntington’s article (later a book) called the “Clash of Civilizations”. Contemplation of his thesis, commentaries on it, as well as some personal experiences lead me to conclude that some sort of a “clash” (perhaps it is preferable to call it “clash of cultures” or “clash of haves and have-nots”) would take place. My decision to move at the age of 55, when I had no economic or social need or desire to move, was the result of my insights and conclusions. I wanted my children and myself to become “global citizens” while we still had the opportunity to do so. Were my insights “mystical”? I don’t know. Many of us would have had the experience, or would have heard of others having the experience, when we know something about a loved one, even though the beloved is far away. I think that is a mystical experience. What do other FOTH members think?  

And may I also request that we be respectful to each other? Anyone who has an interest in mysticism would know that respect is essential in relationships, sharing and authentic communication. I realize that I have been not completely respectful towards Rashid Mughal, and have responded to him in kind. That is intentional. I believe that disrespectful behaviour should not be tolerated. Rashid of course is intelligent enough to know that he is disrespectful. So his rudeness is intentional. I believe he needs to be “broken” before he gets “blessed” any further (this, of course is a personal opinion of mine) 

My best wishes to all of you

Masud