Thursday, January 17, 2008

Working hardly isn’t always productive. A becak driver, for example, works hard by pedaling his becak until sweating and breathing with difficulty, but the result may be insufficient. Working smartly tends to be more productive, not too hard but the result is much more. A lot of people, however, have worked smartly, resulting so much things; all necessities are already available for them, but they are restless and then they misuses drugs or end up in jail. Furthermore, there is another kind of work, which is working sincerely. One who works sincerely will thank God if he obtains much result; if he only gets a few results he will be patient and try again. Any amount he gets from his hard, smart, and sincere workings, he will accept gladly, since her realizes that man can only make efforts, while the results are determined by God. There are some people who had already got much, but still feeling not enough, restless, not eating well not sleeping soundly, made enemy by a lot of people. Meanwhile, some others only get not many, but they feel sufficient, and even can give others. Tranquilly they enjoy results of their efforts, they are peaceful, in harmony with their surroundings and even respected by others.

Earthly Mathematics vs. Heavenly Mathematics.
Based on mathematical calculation, one who has 10 millions rupiah then takes 5 millions rupiah out of the amount will only have 5 millions rupiah left. If he sticks to his habit of giving a half of his money from his efforts to help people in troubles, then according to ordinary mathematical calculation, he will be harder to be rich compared to if he doesn’t have such a habit.

If he will be rich 10 years after with that habit, then logically he will possibly be rich only in 5 years if he doesn’t have such habit of giving money to others. Facts of life, however, often prove different things. People who often give tend to be rich quicker than stingy people whose businesses aren’t running well. Similarly, traders who taking benefits with highest margin often lose in competition with traders who benefits from low margins. Why? Because life doesn’t only depend on earthly mathematics, there are earthly mathematics and heavenly (religious) mathematics. People sticking to mathematical calculation in social interactions will unrealizedly lose a non-technical opportunity whose value is immeasurable mathematically, which is God’s blessing. Blessing here means optimally enjoy the delightment or result. For example, all of 5 millions rupiah are invested without any exception or “leaking”, so that the growth is constant. Meanwhile, not blessed income may be seemed to be much in amount, but not optimally used since most of it taken for unnecessary things.

Heavenly mathematics teaches us that our belongings are God’s endowment. God commands man to work hard and God will give in accordance with His will based on heavenly mathematics. Zakah, for example, actually means “pure” and “to grow” so that people who are regularly paying sufficient zakah will have belongings that are pure (free from the poor’s negative comments) and his heart will also be pure (free from mathematical greediness). Philosophy of zakah is that in our belongings there is right for others (the poor), who are asking for or too shy to ask for. If the zakah isn’t paid, then it means the rich person abuses right of the poor. Zakat also means to grow, so that belongings whose zakahs are paid will grow in amount and meaning healthily. Is this logical?

God teaches us a lesson through trees. A tree whose twigs and leaves regularly cut will grow beautifully with a certain pattern, since from the twigs cut new fresh leaves will grow. If the tree is never cut, then the tree will still continuously grow but not beautifully and without any pattern and can become a haunted big tree. A generous rich person is usually intimate with his surroundings, beloved and respected by people surrounding him. A stingy rich person is like a haunted tree, people will be afraid to approach him except those who tend to things in connection with shamans and satans.

Universal Wisdom and Local Wisdom
Earthly mathematics teaches us reversed logics. From values of local wisdom (Java’s), for example, there is an idiom “wani ngalah luhur wekasane”, he who dares to give in will be respectable in latter days. According to earthly mathematics, giving in means losing, means weak. According to heavenly mathematics, however, giving in is a power, since only strong people can give in. giving in is different from surrendering. People who give in will usually win later; people who seemingly win are usually will lose. A lot of universal wisdom values are found in holy book’s verses, hadith, and maqalah or wise words. The examples are as following.
Anyone (leaders) who is modest will have his dignity raised by God and anyone (leaders) who is arrogant will be toppled by God (man tawadla`a rafa`ahullah, waman takabbara wadla`ahulla—hadith of Prophet Muhammad) Love your lover not excessively, possibly he or she will be the person you hate most at the latter days, and hate your enemy not excessively, possibly he or she will be the person you love most at the latter days (al Gazali).

Things you like may have bad impacts on you, and things you hate may have good impacts on you (Al Quran) If you sit in back row and then people ask you to move to the front, it is better than you directly sit in the front line, but then others ask you to move backward since the seat had been located for someone else (Isa al Masih).