Manifestation of a Supreme Power in the Film Baraka

According to the ancient Sufi word, Baraka is translated to mean, "A blessing, or as the breath, or essence of life from which evolutionary process unfolds." Based on this definition, the film Baraka unfolds the natural essence of a "Supreme Power." It also unveils the spectacular nature of such a "Supreme Power" with awesome manifestation in the film.

First and foremost, the music from the Monks of The Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery lends lineage to this manifestation in the film. The lineage goes back to the birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama by Queen MÄyÄ and King Suddhodhana in 563 BCE. Prince Gautama manifested himself in the body of the Great Buddha, who helped many across the world to find peace through meditation and following the breath. He presented to the world his philosophy of the breath as a sustaining force in life.

The film also manifests the essence of a "Supreme Power" as the creator of the universe by the following: a) it shows natural landscapes; b) dedicated people praying; c) picturesque volcanoes; d) spectacular waterfalls as a cleansing power; e) natural forests; f) magnificent mountain ranges with snow glaciers; and, g) a variety of bird flying in unison. Some of the shapes resemble the "Garden of the Gods" in Colorado and the naturalness of God's creation. The beginning of time and its continuous development is tracked in the film which shows the beauty of earth and sky. The beauty of the rainbow flowing from above the earth and the setting sun are all manifestations of a "Supreme Power" in the film.

Additionally, the name Baraka and its relationship to a "Supreme Power" is further extends in the following areas based on its interpretation across the globe:

1. The principle of Judaism in that Berakha (Baraka) is a blessing that is usually recited in Jewish religious ceremonies.



2. Baraka in the essence of Islam and the Arabic language has influenced parts of the cradle of civilization and languages such as: Swahili, Urdu, Persian, and Turkish. The spiritual meaning of Baraka in these civilizations relates to the wisdom and blessings from God in the Sufi context.



3. Baraka also means "May the blessings be" or just "Blessings be" which is a Sufi expression used in Eckankar. This is the religion of light and sound of God, which is a major religious tradition in the Punjab area of northern India.



4. Baraka additionally means "Blessing," which is a spiritual power one believed to have possessed in the following languages: a.) Arabic, which is one language member of the West Semitic group of the Semitic subdivision of the Afroasiatic family of languages; b.) Swahili, a Bantu language spoken in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Congo-Kinshasa; and c). Urdu, the official tongue of Pakistan, which is one of the 15 languages recognized in India.

Furthermore, the Mala Beads used by various individuals in the film manifests the "Supreme Power." The Mala and the Rosary are similar. They both relate to the sacred nature of religion and its extension of spirituality. Many Christians and Islamic practitioners have classified the Mala Beads as the prayer beads. The Mala signifies a rose, a garden of heavenly garland which has the ability to move the believer into the heart of the garden while offering blossoms to the deity. Counting the beads brings the individual into the divine presence of a "Supreme Power," and unleashes the inspiration of spirituality in the soul similar to the Christian Rosary.

Additionally, the power of the word "OM," which is voiced in the film, tunes the entire human race with the music of the Divine. It brings the soul in direct contact with the in-dwelling and all-pervading reality of a "Supreme Being." Chanting the sound "OM" (pronounced "Aah-ooo-mmm") from which the universe flows is considered as the original source of all language, the one eternal syllable in which the past, present, and future are simultaneously shown to exist in the film.

The film Baraka also shows pictures of dwellings once lived in by the Anasazi Nation, in New Mexico. Baraka to the Natives could be translated to mean "Life being out of balance." Actually, the words of the Native Americans from the past may have appeared to be a prediction coming to past, which is now one of the manifestations in today's society regarding our quality of life, society's poor conduct in treating others, and the mistreatment and mismanagement of God's creation.

Joseph S. Spence, Sr. (aka "Epulaeryu Master"), is the author of "The Awakened One Poetics" (2009), which is published in seven different languages. He also co-authored two poetry books, "A Trilogy of Poetry, Prose and Thoughts for the Mind, Body and Soul" (2005), and "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul," (2006). He invented the Epulaeryu poetry form, which focuses on succulent cuisines. Joseph is a Goodwill Ambassador for the state of Arkansas. He has completed over twenty years of service with the U.S. Army.

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