of Nekounam, (Session 105 Chapter on Remembrance Eleventh Lecture)
This present work constitutes a scholarly and academic redaction and reconstruction of the lectures delivered by Nekounam, , focusing on the elucidation of a segment of the Manzil al-Sirn by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari. This treatise, adopting a mystical, psychological, and philosophical perspective, scrutinises the impacts of lifestyle choicesparticularly eating and sleeping habitson the mental and spiritual faculties of the human being.
Gluttony (al-shab), identified as a principal barrier to intellectual and spiritual growth within mystical literature and especially emphasised in the present lectures, is treated with particular attention. As articulated in the phrase, the fourth is satiety, for it arouses desires, engenders arrogance and excess, impairs perception and vision, blocks the pathways of understanding and illusions, and invites the whispers of Satan and delusions
, gluttony not only inflames base desires but also engenders negligence, arrogance (al-bur), and intemperance (al-isr). It deprives the mind of the capacity to apprehend sublime knowledge and, by obstructing the channels of comprehension and inspiration, ensnares the individual within satanic temptations. From a psychological standpoint, gluttony, by increasing the metabolic burden on the body, diminishes cerebral blood flow, resulting in lethargy and sluggishness. Just as a stomach laden with food acts like a heavy burden on the travellers shoulders, impeding his progress, so too does the mind, under the weight of such a burden, lose its agility and keenness.
| Key Insight: Gluttony, by stimulating sensual desires and augmenting negligence, dulls perception and understanding, obstructing the channels of inspiration. This phenomenon stands as a dam against the pure stream of knowledge, preventing the individual from attaining transcendence. |
From the vantage point of cognitive sciences, excessive food intake can disrupt cerebral function by elevating blood glucose levels and exerting strain upon the digestive system, thereby diminishing the brains ability to process information effectively. This analysis aligns with the lectures emphasis on the blocking of the path of understanding. Gluttony not only exhausts the physical body but also shrouds the spirit in the fog of heedlessness, as if the lamp of knowledge were buried beneath a layer of ash.
Excessive sleep, akin to gluttony, is identified as another impediment to contemplation and spiritual elevation. The phrase, the fifth is sleep, which causes laziness in obedience, clouds the senses, endears inactivity to the soul, engenders forgetfulness, kills the human heart, and degrades it to the ranks of other animals
, underscores the deleterious consequences of oversleeping. Excessive sleep induces sluggishness and dulls the faculties of perception. It acts like rust upon the iron of the soul, depriving the mind of its capacity for swift and agile motion. Oversleeping weakens memory and consigns the spiritual heart to death, relegating the individual to the lower strata of animality.
From the perspective of neuroscience, excessive sleep can disrupt hormonal balance and reduce the activity of neurons implicated in memory processes. The lecture stresses that prolonged and deep sleep weakens intellect and sensory faculties, depriving the individual of mental productivity. For instance, a person who studies for five hours but sleeps seven hours may have squandered much of their effort, as extended sleep is akin to water spilled upon written pages, erasing the acquired knowledge. Conversely, balanced and segmented sleep, resembling a clear spring, refreshes the mind and maintains it primed for learning.
| Key Insight: Excessive sleep, by clouding the senses and weakening memory, leads the individual towards lethargy and indolence, depriving the spiritual heart of vitality. This phenomenon acts as a chain binding reason, rendering the path towards transcendence arduous. |
Gluttony and excessive sleep, as two principal obstacles along the path of thought and transcendence, exert negative influences on both body and soul, barring the individual from accessing sublime knowledge. By stimulating base desires, dulling the senses, and weakening perception, these phenomena block the pathways of understanding and inspiration, entrapping the human being in heedlessness and lethargy. Liberation from these impediments necessitates movement towards equilibrium in eating and sleeping, so that mind and spirit may, like a liberated bird, soar freely towards the heavens of knowledge.
The lecture delineates three pivotal elements as the outcomes of profound contemplation: the curtailment of desires (qar al-amal), meditation upon the Noble Quran, and the reduction of five things (<em;qulla khamsa umr). Curtailing desires signifies liberation from the bondage of material cravings and concentration upon spiritual objectives, enabling the individual to traverse the arduous path of spiritual journeying with lightened burden, akin to a traveller unencumbered by superfluous baggage. Meditation upon the Quran, like a light in darkness, illumines mind and soul, guiding towards divine knowledge. The reduction of five matters, encompassing diminished social interaction, material desires, worldly attachments, gluttony, and excessive sleep, each acts as a fetter upon the souls feet, hindering progress towards transcendence.
From the perspective of positive psychology, contemplation of spiritual texts such as the Quran fortifies mental health and enhances motivation and goal-setting. The curtailment of unnecessary social interactions frees psychological energy, enabling concentration on spiritual priorities. These practices resemble a gardener pruning superfluous branches, preparing the mind for growth and flourishing.
| Key Insight: Profound contemplation, through curtailing desires, meditating upon the Quran, and diminishing biological and psychological impediments, directs the individual towards balance and transcendence. This process, akin to alchemy, elevates the self from the earth to the heavens. |
A salient point in the lecture is the emphasis on moderate eating and sleeping as natural fruits of thought: Moderate eating and moderate sleeping are fruits of contemplation.
When the mind is deeply engaged in thought, bodily needs such as eating and sleeping naturally diminish, as if the soul, like a bird released from the cage of the body, soars towards the firmament of knowledge. Philosophically, this diminution results from the predominance of rational and psychic motions over material and temperamental drives. When the brain, as the centre of thought, activates, the stomachseat of temperamentrecedes in activity, and appetite and sleep accordingly decrease.
From the neuroscientific viewpoint, gluttony increases digestive strain, reducing cerebral blood flow and leading to somnolence and diminished concentration. Conversely, purposeful moderate eating reduces metabolic load, liberating the mind for cognitive activities. Balanced moderate sleep, if properly managed, enhances mental productivity. For instance, a person dividing sleep into short segments, akin to a gently flowing spring, keeps the mind refreshed and prepared.
| Key Insight: Moderate eating and sleeping, like the fruits borne by the tree of thought, liberate the mind from excessive burdens and guide it towards agility and acuity. This equilibrium is the key to unlocking the doors of knowledge. |
The lecture addresses the influence of sorrow and contemplation on the diminution of appetite and sleep: When one is sorrowful... their appetite becomes blind... their sleep is disturbed.
Sorrow, characterised as a state fixated upon the past, and contemplation, understood as prospective thought, are both intense mental activities that redirect the body's energy towards the brain, thereby overshadowing physiological needs. This phenomenon, akin to a river reversing its course towards its source, disrupts the equilibrium of temperament and diminishes both appetite and sleep.
From a psychological perspective, sorrow or rumination activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, resulting in elevated cortisol secretion that disturbs appetite and sleep. Future-oriented contemplation, conversely, by focusing on planning and creativity, channels psychological energy towards lofty objectives. The lecture delineates sorrow as a deleterious and energy-wasting state, whereas contemplation is portrayed as constructive and progressive. This distinction, much like the difference between a quagmire that ensnares and a path that leads to ones destination, illuminates the journey of spiritual progression.
Profound contemplation, like a beacon along the path of spiritual progress, guides the individual towards balance and transcendence. The curtailment of desires, reflection upon the Holy Quran, and the mitigation of biological and psychological impediments constitute the fruitful outcomes of this fertile tree. Moderation in eating and sleeping, as natural consequences of contemplation, liberate the mind from superfluous burdens and direct it towards divine knowledge. The differentiation between sorrow and contemplation steers the individual towards constructive foresight and away from the rumination of the past.
The lecture emphasises the paramount importance of the quality of sleep and nutrition: The quality of sleep and food is exceedingly significant.
The quality, rather than the quantity, of these elements profoundly affects cognitive and spiritual performance. Heavy and inappropriate foods resemble dark clouds that obscure the mental sky, diminishing cognitive capacity. Quality sleep, akin to crystalline water that cleanses sediment from soil, consolidates information within memory.
From a nutritional science standpoint, light and easily digestible foodssuch as fruits and vegetables low in fibredemand less energy from the body, thereby freeing the mind for cognitive activities. Quality sleep plays a critical role in deep thought through the enhancement of memory and learning. The lecture advises abstention from heavy and residue-laden foods that congest the stomach and induce constipation. Such foods, much like unnecessary burdens on a journey, impede progress towards ones destination.
| Key Insight: The quality of sleep and nutrition, like a mirror reflecting truth, prepares the mind to receive exalted knowledge. Light foods and balanced sleep are the keys to mental agility. |
The lecture acknowledges differences in nutritional requirements contingent upon ones role and responsibilities: A scholars nourishment must differ from that of a non-scholar.
Scholars and mystics, due to their intense mental exertion, require lighter foods and more regular sleep, whereas manual labourers may necessitate high-calorie diets. This differentiation resembles the diversity of tools in a craftsmans workshop, each designed for a specific function.
From the perspective of personalised nutrition, diets must be tailored according to individual lifestyles and needs. A scholar whose mind resembles a bustling factory cannot subsist on heavy foods in the manner of a labourer engaged in physical toil. The lecture critiques societal negligence of these distinctions, which results in inappropriate nourishment for scholars, thereby depriving their minds of agility.
The lecture highlights the impact of the sleeping environment on the mind: As much as possible, a scholar should never sleep without exposure to the sky.
Sleeping in an open environment with fresh air liberates the mind from obscurity and lethargy, akin to a breeze sweeping dust from a mirror. Enclosed and warm environments disrupt sleep and precipitate chaotic dreams, as if the mind were imprisoned amidst heavy vapours.
From sleep science, environments with adequate ventilation and moderate temperature enhance sleep quality and aid in stress reduction and improved concentration. The lecture recommends that scholars avoid sleeping in closed spaces even during winter, so that their minds remain as clear as a cloudless sky, prepared to receive divine inspirations.
| Key Insight: The sleeping environment, like a fertile bed for cultivating knowledge, must be pure and open. Sleeping in fresh air frees the mind from obscurities and guides it towards divine inspiration. |
The quality of sleep and nutrition, as foundational biological pillars of cognition, play a pivotal role in intellectual and spiritual growth. Light and digestible foods liberate the mind for cognitive engagement, while quality sleep consolidates learned knowledge. Variations in individual nutritional needs and the influence of the sleeping environment underscore the necessity of personalised biological regimens. This equilibrium, analogous to the precise tuning of a musical instrument, prepares the mind to perform the melodies of divine knowledge.
The lecture critiques fasting during Ramadan, citing excessive eating at Iftar and Sahur and diminished productivity as factors contributing to social stagnation. This critique serves as a caution to the gardener who, instead of pruning redundant branches, weakens the trees roots. Overeating during these times resembles torrential rain washing away the soil, disrupting physical and psychological health. The reduction of economic and social activities during this month resembles a city plunged into slumber, indicating poor management of diet and sleep regimes.
From a sociological viewpoint, decreased productivity during Ramadan may result from lifestyle imbalances. The lecture advocates promoting moderation and light eating rather than unbalanced fasting, so that society, like a well-tuned machine, continues to operate efficiently.
| Key Insight: Unbalanced fasting, accompanied by overeating and reduced productivity, leads society towards stagnation. Moderation and light eating are the keys that unlock health and vitality. |
Citing the phrase فَلْيَقْتَصِرَ الطَّالِبُ عَلَى الْحُقُوقِ وَيَتْرُكَ الْحَظُوظَ, the lecture advises that the seeker of truth must observe the rights of the body and eschew hedonism. The rights of the body, analogous to the essential needs of a traveller, must be fulfilled, whilst unnecessary pleasures, like superfluous burdens, should be relinquished. This balance demands the dexterity and precision of an artist.
From ethical and psychological perspectives, respecting bodily rights entails fulfilling essential needs without excess. Avoidance of hedonism frees the individual from the bondage of transient pleasures, directing them towards higher aims. The lecture emphasises that moderation does not imply severe hunger but rather the avoidance of overeating and the observance of balance.
The critique of fasting and the emphasis on respecting bodily rights underscore the necessity for lifestyle reassessment in pursuit of balance and vitality. Moderation in eating and avoidance of hedonism liberate one from biological and psychological hindrances, leading towards knowledge and transcendence. This balance, like a harmonious melody, synchronises body and soul in unified motion.
This volume, through the scholarly compilation of the lectures of Nekounam , examines the impact of lifestyle on cognition and spiritual transcendence. Overeating and oversleeping, as principal impediments, cloud the senses and weaken perception, obstructing access to divine knowledge. Conversely, balanced moderation in eating and sleeping liberates the mind from excessive burdens, opening pathways to understanding and inspiration. The quality of sleep and nutrition, individual nutritional variations, and the sleeping environment all demonstrate the necessity for personalised biological regimens. The critique of fasting and emphasis on bodily rights guide the individual towards equilibrium and vitality. This work, like a guiding light on the path of spiritual progress, invites the reader to reflect upon lifestyle and progress towards transcendence.
In conclusion, it is hoped that this scholarly compilation, preserving the authenticity and profundity of the original lectures, will serve as a valuable contribution towards the promotion of mystical and scientific knowledge among researchers and seekers of truth.
| Supervised by Sadegh Khademi |
