People and Frankincense

Hugging a Frankincense Tree - Salalah Oman

As we do, from time to time we wonder about life, and the extraordinary things that enter our minds while we gaze into thin air. I enjoy indulging in deep thoughts of the ways we are all connected and how all religions and spiritual teachings guide us to deal with life, society and how to connect to ourselves and the Divine. By showing love, compassion and tolerance creates a positive environment in our lives and society. Then why all the nonsense thats comes with religious values in today's time which have such negative outcomes. I guess its the way people perceive what they have been taught, read and experienced of life. The biggest contribution to religious conflicts is those that interfere from outer nations by paying backhanders to leaders which causes divide and conquer. With too many separations, branches, sects and divisions created over a millennia of time by all religions can be a positive outcome as it not only confirms what the scriptures say about such times, but also it gives us in today's society a broader mind to seek knowledge and perceive the world differently as everyone believes they are right. However they all think their path or way is better or correct than the other and the ego of that belief itself is the essence of disbelief. The vast amount of knowledge there is in the world is too much for one to comprehend in our limited minds. However, there is a way to understand all the knowledge and beyond and thats through the heart.

The best knowledge is living life itself and when you connect with everything life will teach you how life is. And this is how we see it:

Lets imagine, The Divine created the earth as one big Frankincense tree. The tree came into existence when the Big Bang of trees occurred and created many species of trees. Then the Divine instructed the Angels to go and tap the tree allowing the Divine beauty pour its knowledge, it's wisdom and healing powers through the tree in a form of a milky white liquid. The milky white liquid represents the sperm wiggling its way to giving life. As the sap pours out from the tree it gradually grows and takes form. This process takes around 2 weeks. Just like a baby growing though its forming stages in the womb over 9 months. The milky white tree sap produces all different kinds, sizes, smells and colours of the resin. Just like the same looking sperm cell create all the different colours and races of babies around the world. The quality of wind and direction, changes the properties of the resins, just like being born in different environments and countries. Once the resin is fully developed it drips out from the tree landing to the ground. Just like a baby enters the world. All the resins live among each other, happily sharing each of their properties to the other. They learn that they are known as Frankincense, just like we are known as Humans. The Divine with its infinite knowledge and wisdom asked one of its Angels lets call it Gabriel, to collect the resins and separate them into all their different colours, sizes and healing properties. The angel immediately started to work, creating a wide variety of grades. The grades represent all our religions, cultures, spiritual paths and ways of life. Just like the resins every religion has different properties. The Angel reported to the Divine that the task has been carried out but was intrigued to know why separate all the resins when they have for years been living together as one. The Divine said “ they are growing in numbers, and I know what you know not” As all the grades were separated and time went by, they lived in their own jars, similar to how we formed communities and countries. Then the Angel came to visit them again for the third time and noticed the smell of each grade and frequency is different whilst some with more properties than others. The Angel knew the Divine wisdom behind it all. The Divine created and separated the resins to see how they continue to purify, heal, connect, awaken and release people with their aroma and not forgetting they were once a mixed sack of resins. Its the same way we was created in different tribes, cultures and faiths, to bring out the beauty of life and people, so we can prosper and learn from one another. To make us interact and learn what each other's properties ( ways of life) are without judgement, and to learn what skills we can contribute to life, without causing harm. Every Frankincense resin burnt, the smoke reaches the heavens , just like every prayer. Like the resins, we all came from the same tree and got graded into different nations and cultures.

And unto thee have We revealed the Scripture with the truth, confirming whatever Scripture was before it, and a watcher over it. So judge between them by that which Allah hath revealed, and follow not their desires away from the truth which hath come unto thee. For each We have appointed a divine law and a traced-out way. Had Allah willed He could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath given you (He hath made you as ye are). So vie one with another in good works. Unto Allah ye will all return, and He will then inform you of that wherein ye differ.

Chapter (5) sūrat l-māidah (The Table spread with Food) Verse (5:48)

Then the Divine created the beetle the would over time make the tree become extinct. By eating the sap, laying its eggs, and interfering with the trees way of life. Lets say the beetle is Satan causing corruption on earth. The Tree has almost 30 - 40 years left to survive if not taken care off, just like humans we too have 30-40 years left unless we change the way we think and live.

We are all like resins who are produced from the Frankincense Tree, a pure milky white sap formed, tapped, traveled sold, traded moving with life patiently waiting for one day someone to take a piece and burn it to release the beautiful soft aroma trapped in a hard coating. In the same way we are waiting to release ourselves from all the Negativity ,(egos, suffering, jealousy, hate and greed) that builds up to create a hard heart. When we do finally burn those characters off only then can we smell the Divine beauty that's deep within us. The Frankincense smoke creates a positive feeling in the atmosphere , the smoke is like our thoughts drifting in the air. If our thoughts are positive the air will smell sweet.

As humans we forget that we all came from the One tree, the tree of life. The tree that produces such a magnificent natural wonder with many colours and odours, and we are one of those resins, Whether we are just the mixed grade which is like the general person who really has not much of any belief, or the citrus and black which could be the good and bad religious persons, or the large mix, which is like the ones who are open to all faiths and accepts everyone, or like the amber and orange which are the different spiritual paths and teachings one lives by, or the yellow and lime which represents the people that are content, clear and live with and knowing their purpose, or the royal which reflects our Kings and Queens and those of similar status around the world, or the green which are people such as those that have experienced the highest level of Divine connection like the prophets messengers, Yogis, gurus and saints, and those that have left a legacy on earth. Or we could be like the tree bark that represents all the criminals on earth but still has a hint of sweetness when burnt

In the end, we all have that sweet aroma like the resins which is our belief and faith in doing goodness. Unlike the resins, we have free will and it is our free will what we choose. Be like the resin, who's mission is to add a bit of love and positivity in someones life as everyone of us is waiting to release that positivity into the air.

In comparison we are all a bunch of saps from One Tree. The Tree of Life. Free Your Senses