About Universal Sufism
The Sufi Message
The two texts below are excerpted from The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, Volume IX: The Unity of Religious Ideals, with minimal editing for gender neutrality.
The purpose of the Sufi Movement is to work towards unity. Its main object is to bring humanity, divided as it is into so many different sections, closer together in the deeper understanding of life. It is a preparation for a world service, chiefly in three ways. One way is the philosophical understanding of life; another is bringing about brother/sisterhood among races, nations, and creeds; and the third way is the meeting of the world’s greatest need...that natural religion which has always been the religion of humanity: to respect one another’s belief, scripture, and teacher.
The Sufi message is the echo of the same Divine message which has always come and will always come to enlighten humanity. It is not a new religion; it is the same message that is being given to humanity. It is the continuation of the same ancient religion which has always existed and will always exist, a religion which belongs to all teachers and all the scriptures. It is the continuation of all the great religions which have come at various times; and it is a unification of them all, which was the desire of all the prophets.
The Sufi Movement is constituted of those who have the same ideals of service to God and to humanity, and who have the ideal of devoting a part or the whole of their life to the service of humanity in the path of truth. This Movement has its groups, the members of which belong to all the different religions, for all are welcome, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis, Muslims. No one's faith or belief is questioned; each can follow his own church, religion, creed; no one need believe in any special creed or dogma. There is freedom of thought. At the same time personal guidance is given on the path, in the problems of both outer life and inner life.
The purpose of the Sufi Movement is to work towards unity. Its main object is to bring humanity, divided as it is into so many different sections, closer together in the deeper understanding of life. It is a preparation for a world service, chiefly in three ways. One way is the philosophical understanding of life; another is bringing about brother/sisterhood among races, nations, and creeds; and the third way is the meeting of the world’s greatest need...that natural religion which has always been the religion of humanity: to respect one another’s belief, scripture, and teacher.
The Sufi message is the echo of the same Divine message which has always come and will always come to enlighten humanity. It is not a new religion; it is the same message that is being given to humanity. It is the continuation of the same ancient religion which has always existed and will always exist, a religion which belongs to all teachers and all the scriptures. It is the continuation of all the great religions which have come at various times; and it is a unification of them all, which was the desire of all the prophets.
The Sufi Movement is constituted of those who have the same ideals of service to God and to humanity, and who have the ideal of devoting a part or the whole of their life to the service of humanity in the path of truth. This Movement has its groups, the members of which belong to all the different religions, for all are welcome, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis, Muslims. No one's faith or belief is questioned; each can follow his own church, religion, creed; no one need believe in any special creed or dogma. There is freedom of thought. At the same time personal guidance is given on the path, in the problems of both outer life and inner life.
The Religion of the Heart
If anybody asks what Sufism is, what kind of religion it is, the answer is that Sufism is the religion of the heart, the religion in which the thing of primary importance is to seek God in the heart of humanity.
There are three ways of seeking God in the human heart. The first way is to recognize the divine in everyone and to be considerate towards every person with whom we come in contact, in our thought, speech, and action. Human personality is very delicate. The more living the heart, the more sensitive it is; but that which causes sensitiveness is the love element in the heart, and love is God. The person whose heart is not sensitive is without feeling. Their heart is not living; it is dead. In that case the Divine Spirit is buried in their heart...The one who takes notice of the feeling of another person with whom s/he comes in contact practices the first essential moral of Sufism.
The next way of practicing this religion is to think of the feeling of someone who is not with one at the moment. One may feel for those who are present, but one often neglects to feel for someone who is out of sight. One speaks well of someone to that person's face, but it is better to speak well of him/her when s/he is absent. One sympathizes with the trouble of someone who is with one at the moment, but it is more praiseworthy to sympathize with one who is far away.
The third way of realizing the Sufi principle is to recognize in one's own feeling the feeling of God, to realize every impulse of love that rises in ones heart as a direction from God, to realize that love is a divine spark in ones heart, to blow that spark until a flame may rise to illuminate the path of ones life.
There are three ways of seeking God in the human heart. The first way is to recognize the divine in everyone and to be considerate towards every person with whom we come in contact, in our thought, speech, and action. Human personality is very delicate. The more living the heart, the more sensitive it is; but that which causes sensitiveness is the love element in the heart, and love is God. The person whose heart is not sensitive is without feeling. Their heart is not living; it is dead. In that case the Divine Spirit is buried in their heart...The one who takes notice of the feeling of another person with whom s/he comes in contact practices the first essential moral of Sufism.
The next way of practicing this religion is to think of the feeling of someone who is not with one at the moment. One may feel for those who are present, but one often neglects to feel for someone who is out of sight. One speaks well of someone to that person's face, but it is better to speak well of him/her when s/he is absent. One sympathizes with the trouble of someone who is with one at the moment, but it is more praiseworthy to sympathize with one who is far away.
The third way of realizing the Sufi principle is to recognize in one's own feeling the feeling of God, to realize every impulse of love that rises in ones heart as a direction from God, to realize that love is a divine spark in ones heart, to blow that spark until a flame may rise to illuminate the path of ones life.
Ten Sufi Thoughts of Hazrat Inayat Khan
1 .There is One God, the Eternal, the Only Being; none exists save He.
2. There is One Master, the Guiding Spirit of all Souls, Who constantly leads His followers towards the light.
3. There is One Holy Book, the sacred manuscript of nature, the only scripture which can enlighten the reader.
4. There is One Religion, the unswerving progress in the right direction towards the ideal, which fulfills the life's purpose of every soul.
5.There is One Law, the law of reciprocity, which can be observed by a selfless conscience, together with a sense of awakened justice.
6. There is One Brotherhood, the human brotherhood which unites the children of earth indiscriminately in the Fatherhood of God.
7. There is One Moral, the love which springs forth from self denial and blooms in deeds of beneficence.
8.There is One Object of Praise, the beauty which uplifts the heart of its worshippers through all aspects from the seen to the unseen.
9. There is One Truth, the true knowledge of our being, within and without, which is the essence of all wisdom.
10. There is One Path, the annihilation of the false ego in the real, which raises the mortal to immortality, in which resides all perfection.
2. There is One Master, the Guiding Spirit of all Souls, Who constantly leads His followers towards the light.
3. There is One Holy Book, the sacred manuscript of nature, the only scripture which can enlighten the reader.
4. There is One Religion, the unswerving progress in the right direction towards the ideal, which fulfills the life's purpose of every soul.
5.There is One Law, the law of reciprocity, which can be observed by a selfless conscience, together with a sense of awakened justice.
6. There is One Brotherhood, the human brotherhood which unites the children of earth indiscriminately in the Fatherhood of God.
7. There is One Moral, the love which springs forth from self denial and blooms in deeds of beneficence.
8.There is One Object of Praise, the beauty which uplifts the heart of its worshippers through all aspects from the seen to the unseen.
9. There is One Truth, the true knowledge of our being, within and without, which is the essence of all wisdom.
10. There is One Path, the annihilation of the false ego in the real, which raises the mortal to immortality, in which resides all perfection.
Adab and the Art of Personality
“At-tasawwuf kullahu adab"
Sufism is entirely adab, or beautiful manner.
Hazrat Inayat Khan gave us guidance for cultivating our relationships with ourselves, one another, and the Divine in his Gold, Silver, Copper and Iron "Rules." Below is commentary by Pir Zia Inayat Khan, of the Sufi Order International, on Copper Rule 2. This and other commentaries by Pir Zia on the Rules can be found at http://www.sufiorder.org/Rules.html
Following Pir ZIa's commentary is an excerpt from "Art of the Personality" by Pir Hidayat Inayat Khan, of the International Sufi Movement. The complete article can be found at http://www.sufimovement.net/personality.htm
Commentary on Copper Rule #2
by Pir Zia Inayat Khan
http://www.sufiorder.org/Rules.html
Our Copper Rule for today is very simple, and that is, “My conscientious self, be polite to all.” I’m reminded of a saying by a very early Sufi, probably of the 9th century, Abu Hafs al-Haddad of Nishapur, who is quoted by Hujwiri in his Kashf al-Mahjub. He says, “At-tassawuf kullahu adab.” Sufism, at-tassawuf, is entirely adab, is entirely beautiful manner.
And he goes on and says, “Sufism consists entirely of a beautiful manner. Every time, place, and circumstance have their own propriety. He that observes the proprieties of each occasion attains to the rank of the holy ones.”
This is an extremely interesting statement because it uproots a lot of our notions about what a spiritual path ultimately means. The emphasis here is not on occult attainments or even on piety, precision in ritual, or doctrine. The emphasis is on manner, the manner in relationship, the relationship to others, the ability to harmonize with a situation.
And so, for Abu Hafs Haddad, the way of spiritual attainment is nothing more or less than politeness. And politeness, he says, is situational. It means that one has to be attentive and attuned to the context, to the individuals who are involved, to the propriety of the moment. And, of course, it is not a manner that is formalistic. It is not an etiquette that can be learned in a formal way. It is an etiquette that flows out of a quality of refined attention.
All of us strive, consciously or unconsciously, for this refinement of manner. But we find, that, although we hold for ourself the ideal of politeness, there are times when we are less polite than we would like to be. And on those occasions, it is usually as a result of feeling overextended. Either we are overburdened with responsibility, with work, and some demand is imposed upon us, and we feel that we are beyond our means. And that is the time when we become most irritable. Or when we don’t have time, when we’re in a hurry, we’re in a rush. That is when politeness lapses. And also when one is overtired, when one is exhausted. These are times when it is almost inevitable that one’s quality of etiquette will be compromised.
The saying “be polite to all” is not only an imperative that we should act politely. What is required here is to establish the conditions in our life whereby politeness can manifest naturally. So if we are perpetually rushed, if we perpetually are anxious about time, about feeling inherently tense over a situation, we are going to be predisposed to a lack of etiquette.
It’s not just a matter of, let’s say, having the training, knowing the difference between what is a refined manner and what is not refined. But it’s also being capable of living up to one’s ideal because one has established a rhythm of life that allows for it, which isn’t to say that there will not be surprises and unexpected challenges and emergencies.
But if one has been able to establish a life rhythm that is natural and pervaded by equanimity, then, even in unusual situations, that equanimity carries over. Whereas, if one’s rhythm of life is disturbed, then even in moments of outer repose and release of responsibility, still the inner anxiety persists. So the essence of politeness really comes from a state of equanimity, of peace within oneself.
And so, one can notice when one is out of that balanced, centered state, and then one knows, that at any moment, one is very likely to act without discretion, to act in a way that is not harmonious with the context.
Excerpts from Art of the Personality
by Pir-o-Murshid Hidayat Khan
http://www.sufimovement.net/personality.htm
For a Sufi, God is not only a heavenly ideal, but God is also a Friend, a Beloved, with Whom one's dealings are as with Lover and Beloved. This explains why all praise is offered to God in thought of the wonders of Creation; and when dealing with one's fellow humans, all actions of kindness and consideration are offered as though to God...
If God is love and if love is sacred, one avoids degrading the value of that sacredness through vain utterances. Love is in itself a revelation for which no study, no concentration, no meditation and no piety is required, once a spark has been kindled. To seek for spirituality without love is a vain search because if spirituality is to be found anywhere it is in the heart, once that kindling spark has grown into a glowing flame, throwing light upon the path once darkened by the shadow of the false ego...
Happiness, which is obviously the longing of every soul, reveals its secret in the knowledge of the True Self, a knowledge forgotten from the first day when at the moment of birth the soul was molded into shape and found itself caught in the net of the false self. Happiness means making the right use of those means which have been granted for the purpose of accomplishing the duties that are expected of us; unfortunately, our vision of right and wrong is not always correct, nor does it always correspond to the vision of others. Happiness means understanding the wants and needs of our physical body, discovering the many mysteries of the mind, and seeking enlightenment of the spirit...
The art of personality is a precious secret in one's life. This art is manifested in all feelings for beauty and for sincerity in thought, speech and action. It is revealed in a considerate attitude toward others and in being aware of the re-echo of all that one does in life, and for which one shall have to account sooner or later...
A human being cannot excuse a negative behaviour, saying, "I was only born as a thorn, so how could I be a rose?" because, unlike a plant, we are all granted the gift of free will. The beauty, fragrance and colour latent in the root are expressed in the rose rather than in the thorn, although flower and thorn are both part of the same plant and have the same root. In the same way, the angelic qualities latent in the human being can be revealed in the beauty and charm of the personality, notwithstanding one's human origin...
...When Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," that message revealed the true secret of the art of personality, understood as the effacement of one's own ego. Knowing that for others it is one's own ego which is most disturbing, one therefore offers them a service when willingly working on oneself. The words, "poor in spirit", illustrate the softening of the ego, which then has a certain charm. This same charm is also seen in persons who have experienced suffering and disappointment. Nevertheless, the true virtue in the softening of the ego lies in one's own initiative taken on the path of self-denial...
The great battle that the wise fight is a battle with the self, whereas an unthoughtful person fights with the egos of others. In these contests, the victory of the unthoughtful is a temporary one, but the victory of the wise is permanent. Nevertheless, when battling with one's own ego it is very difficult to know with whom one is really fighting, because one sees only the limited aspects of the self which together form the illusion of one's own individuality, but when digging deep within the limitations of the self, one might perhaps discover the truth of the real self. It is then that the annihilation of the false self becomes a clear answer to the inner call.
The finer becomes the ego, the less disturbing it is to others, but life's trials become that much harder to endure. A thorn does not harm its likeness, but it can destroy the frailty of a delicate rose. Nevertheless, life is more profoundly lived as a rose, with its beauty, colour and fragrance, rather than as a thorn among thorns. The training of the ego does not necessarily require a life of renunciation, but it is rather a test of balance and of wisdom. Such a training implies the understanding of the reason behind a desire, of what might be the consequences of obtaining satisfaction, of whether or not one can afford the necessary price, and of whether it is a righteous or an unjust desire. Under the spell of a desire, one's senses of justice, logic and duty are muted by the grip of the ego, and in that state of mind one judges according to one's perceived best interests, one reasons from the point of view of selfishness, and one's feelings of duty are darkened by one's all-pervading image of self...
Life could be pictured as a building with doors smaller than one's stature. At every attempt to go through, one knocks one's head against the door-frame, leaving no other device than bending the head when passing through the door. Modesty is not necessarily weakness, nor is it the same as humility, if that is founded upon self-pity. Modesty is a feeling which rises from the living heart secretly conscious of its inner beauty, while at the same time veiling itself even from its own sight.
The Hindu word for religion is Dharma, which means Duty. It could also be understood as consciousness of one's most noble obligations. When attuned to this deep interpretation of religion, one realises that to be religious means to accomplish those duties which have been entrusted to us by Destiny as the purpose of our lives. Therefore, as workers in the cause of Love, Harmony and Beauty, it is our most religious duty to practice the art of personality, so that we might some day become living examples of those ideals, while dancing the sacred dance at the court of Indra, the temple of the Divine Presence found within our heart.
Sufism is entirely adab, or beautiful manner.
Hazrat Inayat Khan gave us guidance for cultivating our relationships with ourselves, one another, and the Divine in his Gold, Silver, Copper and Iron "Rules." Below is commentary by Pir Zia Inayat Khan, of the Sufi Order International, on Copper Rule 2. This and other commentaries by Pir Zia on the Rules can be found at http://www.sufiorder.org/Rules.html
Following Pir ZIa's commentary is an excerpt from "Art of the Personality" by Pir Hidayat Inayat Khan, of the International Sufi Movement. The complete article can be found at http://www.sufimovement.net/personality.htm
Commentary on Copper Rule #2
by Pir Zia Inayat Khan
http://www.sufiorder.org/Rules.html
Our Copper Rule for today is very simple, and that is, “My conscientious self, be polite to all.” I’m reminded of a saying by a very early Sufi, probably of the 9th century, Abu Hafs al-Haddad of Nishapur, who is quoted by Hujwiri in his Kashf al-Mahjub. He says, “At-tassawuf kullahu adab.” Sufism, at-tassawuf, is entirely adab, is entirely beautiful manner.
And he goes on and says, “Sufism consists entirely of a beautiful manner. Every time, place, and circumstance have their own propriety. He that observes the proprieties of each occasion attains to the rank of the holy ones.”
This is an extremely interesting statement because it uproots a lot of our notions about what a spiritual path ultimately means. The emphasis here is not on occult attainments or even on piety, precision in ritual, or doctrine. The emphasis is on manner, the manner in relationship, the relationship to others, the ability to harmonize with a situation.
And so, for Abu Hafs Haddad, the way of spiritual attainment is nothing more or less than politeness. And politeness, he says, is situational. It means that one has to be attentive and attuned to the context, to the individuals who are involved, to the propriety of the moment. And, of course, it is not a manner that is formalistic. It is not an etiquette that can be learned in a formal way. It is an etiquette that flows out of a quality of refined attention.
All of us strive, consciously or unconsciously, for this refinement of manner. But we find, that, although we hold for ourself the ideal of politeness, there are times when we are less polite than we would like to be. And on those occasions, it is usually as a result of feeling overextended. Either we are overburdened with responsibility, with work, and some demand is imposed upon us, and we feel that we are beyond our means. And that is the time when we become most irritable. Or when we don’t have time, when we’re in a hurry, we’re in a rush. That is when politeness lapses. And also when one is overtired, when one is exhausted. These are times when it is almost inevitable that one’s quality of etiquette will be compromised.
The saying “be polite to all” is not only an imperative that we should act politely. What is required here is to establish the conditions in our life whereby politeness can manifest naturally. So if we are perpetually rushed, if we perpetually are anxious about time, about feeling inherently tense over a situation, we are going to be predisposed to a lack of etiquette.
It’s not just a matter of, let’s say, having the training, knowing the difference between what is a refined manner and what is not refined. But it’s also being capable of living up to one’s ideal because one has established a rhythm of life that allows for it, which isn’t to say that there will not be surprises and unexpected challenges and emergencies.
But if one has been able to establish a life rhythm that is natural and pervaded by equanimity, then, even in unusual situations, that equanimity carries over. Whereas, if one’s rhythm of life is disturbed, then even in moments of outer repose and release of responsibility, still the inner anxiety persists. So the essence of politeness really comes from a state of equanimity, of peace within oneself.
And so, one can notice when one is out of that balanced, centered state, and then one knows, that at any moment, one is very likely to act without discretion, to act in a way that is not harmonious with the context.
Excerpts from Art of the Personality
by Pir-o-Murshid Hidayat Khan
http://www.sufimovement.net/personality.htm
For a Sufi, God is not only a heavenly ideal, but God is also a Friend, a Beloved, with Whom one's dealings are as with Lover and Beloved. This explains why all praise is offered to God in thought of the wonders of Creation; and when dealing with one's fellow humans, all actions of kindness and consideration are offered as though to God...
If God is love and if love is sacred, one avoids degrading the value of that sacredness through vain utterances. Love is in itself a revelation for which no study, no concentration, no meditation and no piety is required, once a spark has been kindled. To seek for spirituality without love is a vain search because if spirituality is to be found anywhere it is in the heart, once that kindling spark has grown into a glowing flame, throwing light upon the path once darkened by the shadow of the false ego...
Happiness, which is obviously the longing of every soul, reveals its secret in the knowledge of the True Self, a knowledge forgotten from the first day when at the moment of birth the soul was molded into shape and found itself caught in the net of the false self. Happiness means making the right use of those means which have been granted for the purpose of accomplishing the duties that are expected of us; unfortunately, our vision of right and wrong is not always correct, nor does it always correspond to the vision of others. Happiness means understanding the wants and needs of our physical body, discovering the many mysteries of the mind, and seeking enlightenment of the spirit...
The art of personality is a precious secret in one's life. This art is manifested in all feelings for beauty and for sincerity in thought, speech and action. It is revealed in a considerate attitude toward others and in being aware of the re-echo of all that one does in life, and for which one shall have to account sooner or later...
A human being cannot excuse a negative behaviour, saying, "I was only born as a thorn, so how could I be a rose?" because, unlike a plant, we are all granted the gift of free will. The beauty, fragrance and colour latent in the root are expressed in the rose rather than in the thorn, although flower and thorn are both part of the same plant and have the same root. In the same way, the angelic qualities latent in the human being can be revealed in the beauty and charm of the personality, notwithstanding one's human origin...
...When Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," that message revealed the true secret of the art of personality, understood as the effacement of one's own ego. Knowing that for others it is one's own ego which is most disturbing, one therefore offers them a service when willingly working on oneself. The words, "poor in spirit", illustrate the softening of the ego, which then has a certain charm. This same charm is also seen in persons who have experienced suffering and disappointment. Nevertheless, the true virtue in the softening of the ego lies in one's own initiative taken on the path of self-denial...
The great battle that the wise fight is a battle with the self, whereas an unthoughtful person fights with the egos of others. In these contests, the victory of the unthoughtful is a temporary one, but the victory of the wise is permanent. Nevertheless, when battling with one's own ego it is very difficult to know with whom one is really fighting, because one sees only the limited aspects of the self which together form the illusion of one's own individuality, but when digging deep within the limitations of the self, one might perhaps discover the truth of the real self. It is then that the annihilation of the false self becomes a clear answer to the inner call.
The finer becomes the ego, the less disturbing it is to others, but life's trials become that much harder to endure. A thorn does not harm its likeness, but it can destroy the frailty of a delicate rose. Nevertheless, life is more profoundly lived as a rose, with its beauty, colour and fragrance, rather than as a thorn among thorns. The training of the ego does not necessarily require a life of renunciation, but it is rather a test of balance and of wisdom. Such a training implies the understanding of the reason behind a desire, of what might be the consequences of obtaining satisfaction, of whether or not one can afford the necessary price, and of whether it is a righteous or an unjust desire. Under the spell of a desire, one's senses of justice, logic and duty are muted by the grip of the ego, and in that state of mind one judges according to one's perceived best interests, one reasons from the point of view of selfishness, and one's feelings of duty are darkened by one's all-pervading image of self...
Life could be pictured as a building with doors smaller than one's stature. At every attempt to go through, one knocks one's head against the door-frame, leaving no other device than bending the head when passing through the door. Modesty is not necessarily weakness, nor is it the same as humility, if that is founded upon self-pity. Modesty is a feeling which rises from the living heart secretly conscious of its inner beauty, while at the same time veiling itself even from its own sight.
The Hindu word for religion is Dharma, which means Duty. It could also be understood as consciousness of one's most noble obligations. When attuned to this deep interpretation of religion, one realises that to be religious means to accomplish those duties which have been entrusted to us by Destiny as the purpose of our lives. Therefore, as workers in the cause of Love, Harmony and Beauty, it is our most religious duty to practice the art of personality, so that we might some day become living examples of those ideals, while dancing the sacred dance at the court of Indra, the temple of the Divine Presence found within our heart.
Hazrat Inayat Khan on the Universality of Sufism
(Sufism is often associated with the religion of Islam, which gave Sufism a home for many centuries. Below are comments from The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, Volume IX, pp270-271)
The Sufi message is the echo of the same Divine message which has always come and will always come to enlighten humanity. It is not a new religion; it is the same message that is being given to humanity. It is the continuation of the same ancient religion which has always existed and will always exist, a religion which belongs to all teachers and all the scriptures. It is the continuation of all the great religions which have come at various times; and it is a unification of them all, which was the desire of all the prophets.
The Sufi Movement is constituted of those who have the same ideals of service to God and to humanity, and who have the ideal of devoting a part or the whole of their life to the service of humanity in the path of truth. This Movement has its groups, the members of which belong to all the different religions, for all are welcome, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis, Muslims. No one's faith or belief is questioned; each can follow his own church, religion, creed; no one need believe in any special creed or dogma. There is freedom of thought. At the same time personal guidance is given on the path, in the problems of both outer life and inner life.
The Sufi message is the echo of the same Divine message which has always come and will always come to enlighten humanity. It is not a new religion; it is the same message that is being given to humanity. It is the continuation of the same ancient religion which has always existed and will always exist, a religion which belongs to all teachers and all the scriptures. It is the continuation of all the great religions which have come at various times; and it is a unification of them all, which was the desire of all the prophets.
The Sufi Movement is constituted of those who have the same ideals of service to God and to humanity, and who have the ideal of devoting a part or the whole of their life to the service of humanity in the path of truth. This Movement has its groups, the members of which belong to all the different religions, for all are welcome, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis, Muslims. No one's faith or belief is questioned; each can follow his own church, religion, creed; no one need believe in any special creed or dogma. There is freedom of thought. At the same time personal guidance is given on the path, in the problems of both outer life and inner life.
Teachers and the Meaning of Initiation
As is true of escoteric schools throughout history, a follower of the Sufi path takes initiation with a Sufi guide or teacher. Initiation may be thought of as taking a step forward or as taking "initiative." To take initiation into the stream of Hazrat Inayat Khan, an inquirer or potential student first studies a set of papers by Hazrat Inayat Khan called the Gathekas for Candidates with a teacher.
Teachers
From Essential Sufism, edited by J. Fadiman and R. Frager, 1999, p. 24
Every Sufi teacher has been authorized by his or her own teacher. This is why a Sufi order is referred to as a silsila, a chain. Each order contains an unbroken chain of sheikhs, each trained, initiated, and confirmed as a teacher by his or her own sheikh. This chain reaches all the way back to the prophet Muhammad, and through him to God. There are no self-appointed "masters" in Sufism.
The Meaning of Initiation
Excerpted verbatim from the Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, Volume X, Sufi Mysticism.
There are different kinds of initiation that souls experience. One is natural initiation, a kind of natural unfoldment for which the soul cannot give any cause or reason. It comes to the soul although no effort or attempt is made by the soul to experience it. Sometimes this initiation comes after great illness, pain or suffering. It comes as an opening up of the horizon, it comes as a flash of light, and in a moment the world seems transformed. It is not that the world has changed; it is that the person has become tuned to a different pitch. He begins to think differently, feel differently, see and act differently; his whole condition begins to change. One might say of him that from that moment on, he begins to live. It may come as a vision, as a dream, as a phenomenon – in any of these forms – one cannot determine the manner in which it will manifest.
Another initiation known to the mystics is the initiation that one receives from a person living on the earth. Every mystical school has its own initiation. In the Orient, where mystical ideas are prevalent and are regarded as most sacred, any person who wishes to tread the spiritual path considers initiation to be the most important thing. If a soul such as Jesus Christ had to be baptized by John the Baptist, then no soul on earth can say, 'I have risen above initiation.' Is that then impossible? Nothing is impossible. It may be possible for a person to jump into the water with the intention of swimming to the port of New York, but his life will be more secure if he books his passage with the normal shipping lines. And the difference between these two souls is the same, or even greater – between the one who wishes to journey on the spiritual path by taking initiation, and the other who refuses to do so.
Initiation by a spiritual teacher means both a trust given by the teacher to the pupil, and a trust given by the pupil to the teacher. And the progress of the one who is initiated depends upon how much he gives himself to the teacher's guidance. One might give only a finger, another even a part of a finger, while a third would give his whole hand. That makes a great difference. A pupil says, 'Well, I will give a certain amount of my time and thought to your guidance, will that be enough?' Then the teacher says, 'Yes, if you think it is enough.' In reality, however, it is never enough. Then one might wonder if one would not be giving up one's own point of view in order to follow someone else's point of view; but actually, if one has a point of view, one never loses it. The point of view that one loses is not one's own. By looking at a thing from another person's point of view, one only enlarges one's own. Then, one has two points of view instead of one. If the thought of the pupil happens to be different from that of the teacher, then by taking the teacher's thought, his own is doubled. The pupil keeps his own point of view just the same, only now he has something for his vision from which to make his choice. The horizon of his thought is expanded. But the pupil who closes himself and says, 'I will guard my point of view or it will escape me,' will never derive any benefit from this attitude.
The mystical path is the most subtle path to tread. The relationship between teacher and pupil is too subtle for words to express. Besides, the language of a mystical teacher is always elusive; you cannot, so to speak, pin him down as to his words. You cannot ask him to say clearly that something is so and so, or such and such. If a mystic does so, he is not a mystic, for a mystic cannot do this. The mystic may seem to be standing on the earth, but he is flying in the air. The air cannot be made into a rock, nor can the mystic be made into a gross entity. His 'yes' does not mean the same as the 'yes' of another, nor does his 'no' mean the same as the 'no' of others. The language of the mystic is not the language of words; it is the language of meaning. It is the greatest distress for a mystic to have to use the words of everyday language, which are not his words. He cannot express himself in these words. We find the same in the actions of the mystic. His outward actions will not express to everybody the meaning which is behind them, and that meaning may be much more important inwardly than the action is outwardly.
The teacher, therefore, tests his pupil continually. He tells him and he does not tell him, for everything must come in its right time. Divine knowledge has never been taught in words, nor will it ever be so taught. The work of a mystical teacher is not to teach, but to tune, to tune the pupil so that he may become the instrument of God. For the mystical teacher is not the player of the instrument; he is the tuner. When he has tuned it, he gives it into the hands of the Player whose instrument it is to play. The duty of the mystical teacher is his service as a tuner.
Teachers
From Essential Sufism, edited by J. Fadiman and R. Frager, 1999, p. 24
Every Sufi teacher has been authorized by his or her own teacher. This is why a Sufi order is referred to as a silsila, a chain. Each order contains an unbroken chain of sheikhs, each trained, initiated, and confirmed as a teacher by his or her own sheikh. This chain reaches all the way back to the prophet Muhammad, and through him to God. There are no self-appointed "masters" in Sufism.
The Meaning of Initiation
Excerpted verbatim from the Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, Volume X, Sufi Mysticism.
There are different kinds of initiation that souls experience. One is natural initiation, a kind of natural unfoldment for which the soul cannot give any cause or reason. It comes to the soul although no effort or attempt is made by the soul to experience it. Sometimes this initiation comes after great illness, pain or suffering. It comes as an opening up of the horizon, it comes as a flash of light, and in a moment the world seems transformed. It is not that the world has changed; it is that the person has become tuned to a different pitch. He begins to think differently, feel differently, see and act differently; his whole condition begins to change. One might say of him that from that moment on, he begins to live. It may come as a vision, as a dream, as a phenomenon – in any of these forms – one cannot determine the manner in which it will manifest.
Another initiation known to the mystics is the initiation that one receives from a person living on the earth. Every mystical school has its own initiation. In the Orient, where mystical ideas are prevalent and are regarded as most sacred, any person who wishes to tread the spiritual path considers initiation to be the most important thing. If a soul such as Jesus Christ had to be baptized by John the Baptist, then no soul on earth can say, 'I have risen above initiation.' Is that then impossible? Nothing is impossible. It may be possible for a person to jump into the water with the intention of swimming to the port of New York, but his life will be more secure if he books his passage with the normal shipping lines. And the difference between these two souls is the same, or even greater – between the one who wishes to journey on the spiritual path by taking initiation, and the other who refuses to do so.
Initiation by a spiritual teacher means both a trust given by the teacher to the pupil, and a trust given by the pupil to the teacher. And the progress of the one who is initiated depends upon how much he gives himself to the teacher's guidance. One might give only a finger, another even a part of a finger, while a third would give his whole hand. That makes a great difference. A pupil says, 'Well, I will give a certain amount of my time and thought to your guidance, will that be enough?' Then the teacher says, 'Yes, if you think it is enough.' In reality, however, it is never enough. Then one might wonder if one would not be giving up one's own point of view in order to follow someone else's point of view; but actually, if one has a point of view, one never loses it. The point of view that one loses is not one's own. By looking at a thing from another person's point of view, one only enlarges one's own. Then, one has two points of view instead of one. If the thought of the pupil happens to be different from that of the teacher, then by taking the teacher's thought, his own is doubled. The pupil keeps his own point of view just the same, only now he has something for his vision from which to make his choice. The horizon of his thought is expanded. But the pupil who closes himself and says, 'I will guard my point of view or it will escape me,' will never derive any benefit from this attitude.
The mystical path is the most subtle path to tread. The relationship between teacher and pupil is too subtle for words to express. Besides, the language of a mystical teacher is always elusive; you cannot, so to speak, pin him down as to his words. You cannot ask him to say clearly that something is so and so, or such and such. If a mystic does so, he is not a mystic, for a mystic cannot do this. The mystic may seem to be standing on the earth, but he is flying in the air. The air cannot be made into a rock, nor can the mystic be made into a gross entity. His 'yes' does not mean the same as the 'yes' of another, nor does his 'no' mean the same as the 'no' of others. The language of the mystic is not the language of words; it is the language of meaning. It is the greatest distress for a mystic to have to use the words of everyday language, which are not his words. He cannot express himself in these words. We find the same in the actions of the mystic. His outward actions will not express to everybody the meaning which is behind them, and that meaning may be much more important inwardly than the action is outwardly.
The teacher, therefore, tests his pupil continually. He tells him and he does not tell him, for everything must come in its right time. Divine knowledge has never been taught in words, nor will it ever be so taught. The work of a mystical teacher is not to teach, but to tune, to tune the pupil so that he may become the instrument of God. For the mystical teacher is not the player of the instrument; he is the tuner. When he has tuned it, he gives it into the hands of the Player whose instrument it is to play. The duty of the mystical teacher is his service as a tuner.