Independence

Today is Malaysia's independence day. My thoughts on independence is that true independence can be achieved by ridding oneself of temporary worldly desires (knowing how impossible this is, one settles for a sufficient amount of interdependence). As one gets older, there is very little pleasure that one gets from the world, knowing that one will leave it soon. My concern has gravitated to what else good deeds that I can do while I still breathe. I have to make peace with all the imperfections that I have while hoping to improve myself from day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute. I hope that everyone else can also live with whatever imperfections that I have, too.

As part of my attempts to improve, I try to be conscious of the good things that I do. Made small good changes wherever I can and hopefully it will stay that way. Found apps made by Greentech Apps Foundation useful. I have recommended it to my other half and will also recommend to everyone else too. I have installed their apps for Al-Qur'an, Hadith and Hisnul Muslim on my phone.

Having deepened my expertise in theoretical physics, I guess this would be a major area that I could put my good deeds in. It will not benefit the society at large but I know that it is needed here as the theoretical physics community in the country is a minority. As such, I see what I do as fardhu kifayah. Whatever difficulties that we go through in pursuing this field, I hope it can be counted as good deeds. One should also be cautioned with matters that could spoil the good deed nature of its acts. This is perhaps the most difficult because it involves the ego with all its failings. It is quite easy to associate one's ego with the capability of overcoming the technical difficulties that are there in theoretical physics and that its pursuit is that of fulfilling the ego. On this, I am reminding myself and othersof the slippery slopes or boundaries between praiseworthy knowledge and blameworthy knowledge as expounded by al-Ghazali. May we be guided always.