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Abidance – Finding the Heart and Staying in it

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ABIDANCE FINDING THE HEART AND STAYING IN IT

CONTENTS

PART 1

Guidance to Abidance - The Sufi Path Abiding in the Peace and the Love

Harmonizing the Seven Selves, The Sufi Pathway to Perfect God-Realization

Guidance to Abidance - The Sufi Path The Principle of Health and Education in Islamic Sufism - About Sympathy for the Victim Abiding in the Peace and the Love Abidance!!! "If I could just stay there!" - The Search for Innocence - The Key to Self-Acceptance is to Investigate Rejection - Guilty by Popular Consent - Clearing Guilt and Depression - Understanding Poverty, Failure and Humiliation - "As we believe, so shall it be" - The Myth of Original Sin - Devotion to Separation - Our Standards, Imagination or Truth? - The Key to Success is in you Concept of it - Your Achievements, Are they Really You? - Guidance to Abidance - Stay Where? Harmonizing the Seven Selves, The Sufi Pathway to Perfect God-Realization

PART 2 Prayer of the Prophet

Defining Elements of the Sufi Way

Prayer of the Prophet What is reality? - Mental Purification (Pure God-Realization) is the means and Goal of Islamic Psychotherapy - Knowledge of God through Love and Knowledge of Self Defining Elements of the Sufi Way The Application of a New Vocabulary to Significant Elements of Life - Defining Meanings, and the Definition of "definition" and "meaning" - Understanding Understanding - The Meaning of Reality


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PART 3 What is Sufism

Self-Realization - The Goal, Means and Reality of True Spiritual Healing What is Sufism Disconnected from your personal Truth? - What is Enlightenment? - Principles of Instantaneous Transmission - The Veil of Unity - The Principles and Importance of Spiritual Healing in Islam - The Science of Health, Love and Religion Self-Realization - The Goal, Means and Reality of True Spiritual Healing Feeling Good is Feeling God - Understanding the Nature of Self-Destruction - Suicide, The Ultimate Pain-killer? - Dissolving Illusion, an Alternative to Suicide - Unity is Reality - Acceptance of Death - And the Point is - Self-Realization - The Importance of Self-Realization

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PART 1

Guidance to Abidance - The Sufi Path

Abiding in the Peace and the Love

Harmonizing the Seven Selves, The Sufi Pathway to Perfect God-Realization


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GUIDANCE TO ABIDANCE - THE SUFI PATH The Principle of Health and Education in Islamic Sufism The theme of the earlier writings is pointing out soul discovery (self-realization) as the goal and ultimate point of life, death, accidents, ill health and healing. If this is the case, which I and many other spiritual teachers believe it to be, then all the healing techniques and schools are but parts of the whole of the self-realization movement, which is manifesting in the myriad of enlightenment schools arising around the theme of "Success in life through discovery of the Authentic self". Even though this movement is couched in the phraseology of western materialism and positioning itself to be what it is, a better way to achieve one's goals in life, it is nevertheless a step in the direction of all-out God realization and religious reform. Because, as all the spiritual paths teach, to know the truth of one's self is to know God. Self-realization is a spiritually motivated process, but getting to know the self is getting to know the soul in its innate, unfettered nature, and this is a stated purpose of all religions, and especially the religion of Islam. And nothing could be healthier. Knowing the soul is listening to divine guidance, and divine guidance heals like no other energy there is. Ruchira Avatar Adi Da Samraj says: “Good health and longevity are secondary effects of the fundamental responsibility of a human life, which is devotional surrender to participation in the Divine Reality. Communion with God is naturally regenerative." Islam calls to the Truth of God. It is regretful that the violence of the angry has been allowed to carry the banner of Islam and that the Western media has fallen prey to such an untrue representation. Even though major news broadcasters have done much work to correct that impression, and many in the media are trying hard to give the faith of one fifth of the world's population a fair shot, it's an uphill battle, to say the least. But in spite of the media war it behooves the thinking person to reason clearly about the existence and the reasons for the existence of Islam, and investigate it to one's own satisfaction. Strange as it may seem, material acquisition is not the only purpose for life. And even if it were, discovery of the authentic self, or soul-recognition, would still be the best way to accomplish that success. So self-realization has become a religion in it's own right, with all the enlightenment schools as its congregations, and all the teachers as its


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preachers. And it is obvious to the self-realized that self-realization is a goal of religions, and most assuredly, Christianity. Christ was born realized (the original Indigo child) and invited all to the ways of the realized. And the Sufis claim that Islam is no different in this respect, but that it adds further knowledge from God that was not previously revealed. Not only does it behoove enlightened and self-realized masters to study all religions but, in the light of the Sufis, especially Islam. It is the claim of the second portion of my work that just such a study is the key to "Abidance", which is the word I'm using to indicate the perception of staying positively in the love of God and the realization of the true self. It is the realized self that understands most the need for forward movement and is still on the search for it, even though the first stage of the search has ended, and discovery has been made. The truth of oneself has been found, but now what? As I've written before, we are faced with two choices. One is to move forward and the other is to stand still. Both work, but the latter is fraught with the difficulty of dealing with the memories of the past, which continue to arise even though the truth has been discovered and their illusory power can be dispelled. But we have not totally completed the individuation process until we have separated from the process. We have not separated from the individuation process until we are no longer involved in it. We must then necessarily involve ourselves in something else, but in what? In what way can we become involved that will continue to affirm and confirm the truth and reality of our truths and realities? These are the human questions for seeking guidance from The Real - forward into deeper truth, and away from the struggle against illusions and reactions to "ghosts" and memories from our so-called "past". This is the asking for the "Way to Stay", or Abidance. And in response to this prayer/search for guidance, we are sent religion/guidance. Religion is for everyone and guidance is for each. We are encouraged thereby to complete our detachment from struggling with the enemy by engaging with the Love of the Friend. And with that ends the search for the means for Abidance. Healing is a matter of individuation and re-education. We can un-involve ourselves from the process by juxtaposing ourselves on the "other side" of it, i.e. by realizing our master, as opposed to feeling our victim. We can shift ourselves to being part of the solution, and thereby terminate decisively our continued involvement with being part of the

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problem. We do this by upgrading our commitment to Allah so that it is no longer solely through our commitment to ourselves even though we thoroughly realize that the commitment to ourselves was primary and essential in order to get to the knowledge of Allah. But once having gotten to the knowledge of Allah through the knowledge of our selves by means of the process of self-realization through healing and individuation, we must separate from the process in order to no longer be involved in it. We can only do this by shifting the focus of our attention from ourselves to Allah - from the struggle to leave victimhood by leaving it and entering into mastery. But how can we do this if the only way we know Allah is through ourselves? Simply by coming with our true selves to the aid of Allah and His people, namely the religion of Islam. It doesn't need you but invites your support. You do this by stepping into your mastery of self-realization and soul recognition in surrender, and inviting others to it. By learning and teaching the religion of Islam in the Sufi (Pure) way. That's why the Sufi way is the way of the masters. In the end, it's only the masters that you can teach, anyway. Islam is the religion of the Surrender with which we are all so familiar and in the reality of which we wish so fervently to abide, and it is the guidance we seek, to Allah, from Allah, by Allah and for Allah. But study it, learn it and teach it in the Sufi way, the way of the practice first, the teaching by example, the attaining of mastery before the teaching of mastery. Either we are guided by the struggle with our selves, or we are guided by positive religious and spiritual direction. It's a choice. If we are guided by the struggle we are guided and thereby controlled by our selves. Then do we feel lonely, isolated, unsupported, and un-helped? If we are guided by positive religious and spiritual direction, them we are guided by Allah, free, and supported by that guidance. The therapeutic psychology of Islam, as I've mentioned before, is that of offering the same forward motion for the two groups of people. For the healthy and the sick, the realized and burdened, the victim and the master the medicine and direction is the same, whether we are administering it to others or taking it for ourselves. It is simply the motivation that is different. For the ill and the burdened, the motive is health and enlightenment. For the healthy and enlightened, the motive is staying there by learning and serving, i.e. "Abidance". So it becomes obvious that we must help others to do "this thing that we do" in order to stay "helped" (by Allah) ourselves. So "Stepping Forward into Mastery" is the course to avoid falling back into the "Release from Victim" process. Unless, of course, you want to stay there.


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It's just like the war of liberation. The slaves cannot free themselves, but with the help of the liberators, they can. But once they are liberated what is there to do if their habits are those of slaves fighting for liberty? One solution is to join the liberators and focus on becoming one. So we study and practice their teachings. And we do it out of gratitude. If "Islam" means Surrender, and Surrender is the key to and brings the liberation we have so longed for, then it becomes obvious that we need to know more about the teachings of Islam. So the second portion of this work, the initial writings of which are to be found in the ensuing pages, will deal with the problem of "Abidance" and the classical Sufi response to that dilemma. The teachings of Islam orients our desire to the pleasing of Allah, rather than to the pleasing of our self, which we can never do. Allah can please us but we cannot please ourselves. And we should be pleased with this, as it orients us to the immediately possible and away from the endlessly impossible. It brings us to truth and reality, and away from falsehood and illusion. Learning how to learn It is difficult to learn while we are still fighting the war of liberation. As I will discuss at greater length in another essay, ("Seven Selves - the Sufi Pathway to Perfect God- Realization"), the work of liberation or the experience of surrender and self-discovery is covered in the first four steps of a classical seven step learning process. The understanding of and means to Abidance is provided in the final three stages of that process, which deal with self-education - learning and teaching - learning what to teach and how to teach it. The first half is liberation and experience. The second half is education. The balance is completion. In the first half we must release the control that the mind has over the heart, that we can experience the heart to its fullest and thereby know the Reality of God. Soon after abiding in the reality of God long enough the mind will become a totally clear vessel which will seek, by its own nature, to be full again. At this point we must begin the re-education process by filling it with the holy teachings of Islam, otherwise it will naturally gravitate to the familiar feelings of grappling with and sympathy for the victim.

About sympathy for the victim The master knows that there are no victims, only M.O.'s (Methods of Operation - contrived ways and means of getting what one thinks one needs or wants). But we don't get to that knowledge without direct education.

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MO's are contrived agreements that the self makes with the outside world in order to do what appears necessary to survive. These agreements with the outside world are consciously approved of as temporarily satisfactory and accepted by the soul, with the knowledge that the day will come when they can and will be removed. But the MO's becomes veils to our true reality, concealing it from others and eventually ourselves. We soon become addicted to, believers in and victims of our own self-created MO's, even the MO of being a victim. It is the choices we make that "make" us victims. We may deliberately throw ourselves to the wolves in search of sympathy, which is just another MO for seeking companionship. The underlying motivation for seeking companionship is the desire for self-recognition, which is already provided by the self. It is simply deliberately not focused upon due to a belief that it is not what we are looking for, or will not get us what we think we want. It is thence forgotten. Sympathy for the victim is collusion and does not help the master. Helping the master to emerge is the whole point of the exercise. If we are not detached from the victim within ourselves then we will identify with it in others. This does not help. In reality, we are only trapped by ourselves and by the decisions we've made. When we get to the point of realizing that, we can realize our ability to change our decisions and thereby change our lives. If we cannot help another master emerge from his victim then we are not yet in mastery ourselves. Seeking the direct help and guidance of a realized master for this dilemma is the best thing one can do for oneself and the others around one. Some people are looking for pity and willing to pay for it. Many are those ready to provide it. But underlying it all is the soul's search for freedom, and few they are who can confirm that. -------------- So the absence or presence of mastery is what keeps us in or takes us out of continued involvement with the process of individuation, or "separating" from our "past". But mastery of what, you might well ask? For the Sufis, it is the mastery of the religion of Islam that brings the completion of the knowledge of Allah. And that cannot be had by harboring any resistances to it, but by a whole and open-hearted acceptance of it, which can be acquired by learning from one who has it already. This is why it is taught that the focusing on Allah and the teaching of Islam is the straight way to and in the heaven of our hearts, which is the real life, for it fills our minds with the Truth fro and our hearts with, the Love of Allah.


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Abidance is the second half of the way. Learning about the religion of Islam is the first step of Abidance, for it is the way to walk and stay in the love of Allah, and teaching it is the second, although they go hand in hand. These two stages of self-education are represented by the Arabic words "Radhiyyatan", "Mardhiyyah", Pleased and Pleasing. They are the fifth and sixth stations of the self. We are "pleased" with what we are learning (from Allah) (for it draws us "closer", and because we now know its significance and "how" to learn it), and we are "pleasing" to God and others when we teach it and set other free by means of our teaching. These are the stations of Mureed and Murad, Desiring and Desired. And this part of the work is referred to as "Sulook", or "Seeking the good pleasure of Allah". The completion of the Sulook is the completion of the Self. When Allah is "pleased" with us, we are "pleased" with ourselves. And Allah is pleased with us when we are seeking his pleasure through learning His religion with the intention to teach and pass it on. Students with the intention of the master will succeed. Students with the intentions of the student must change. But enough! Enjoy the essays as they progress through my own discoveries as I plow the way through my own life in an attempt to chronicle, evaluate and disseminate them to my students and readers on the website. In Peace and Love, Salaam and Namaste Ali

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ABIDING IN PEACE AND LOVE - THE WAY TO SUCCESS IN SURRENDER

UNDERSTANDING OUR SEARCH FOR INNOCENCE,

SURRENDER AND SELF-DISCOVERY

ABIDANCE!!! - "If I could just Stay there!" How many of us know from experience that the Peace and the Love is surely there somewhere and wish only that we could find it when we need it or stay in it when we've found it? We all have moments when the self lets go and we catch glimpses of our greater reality. How can we identify that? It feels totally great, like the resolution to ALL our problems. But how can we "capture" it, and where do we find the time? The real question here is "What is the Way to Permanent Abidance in Divine Peace and Love?" Believe it or not, this quest "to Abide Permanently in Divine Peace and Love" is the underlying spiritual motivation for ALL human actions, no matter how we judge them or by what standard.

The Search for Innocence Just as surely as death itself is that abidance, it can be known here and now. But death will be feared if we are still carrying the shame of guilt, for that is what prevents us from experiencing and expressing our innocence. As long as we are claiming it or searching for it, we are not in it or acting from it. What we need is total absolution. The ego will remain as long as there is felt the need to defend. The need to defend comes from feelings of guilt and "worthiness" of punishment from God. These feelings are quickly and effectively annihilated by the true Surrender and acceptance of Islam in the pure Sufi way. It is only through total surrender that the absolution and healing power of peace may be experienced, and it sweeps us directly into the arms of love in which we so desperately long to abide. That is the essence of the Sufi invitation. We are invited by the surrendered and absolved to Surrender and Absolution. Therein lies the bliss that we are seeking, for it is the annihilation of all guilt, fear and shame. And this is what Sufi teaching is all about - inviting you in the Sufi way to Surrender - to "accept" surrender, cleansing and guidance, from the Divine, to the Divine, by the Divine, and in the Divine. We can only offer what we have.


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The Key to complete Self-acceptance and God-realization is to Investigate Rejection So what, again, is the way to permanent Abidance in Divine Peace and Love? I reply, "Self-Acceptance" and God-realization. And the key to complete self-acceptance and God-realization is to investigate rejection, and specifically any motivations for rejection of religion, Islam, or a God Who reveals. And it is to help you with this investigation that the masters of the Sufi way offer their services. We are here to help you with your acceptance and understanding of Islam because we know how important it is, both to you and to society at large, that we come to peace with our selves, religion and God. Peace with God implies accepting all things as from Him, and a fearless willingness to investigate all things as from Him. There is no fear that there is something "not" from Him, somewhere that we should "not" go, a dark closet in which something fearful may lurk. So investigate rejection. In it we find our deeper truth. Investigate it through sensing reactions and feeling resistance. Surrender and listen. Investigate all things inwardly and outwardly rejected. Re-accept yourself, including your "darker" side, over and over again. Investigate what you reject, what you have rejected, and why your reject, because in that is the key to greater self-understanding and acceptance. It is only when we can accept our whole self completely that we can claim the real success of liberation and freedom from our fears. And that's when the real world opens up to us. It is important that we investigate our preferences and their motivations, because - it is easy, and they are the keys to our beliefs, i.e. understanding why we believe the way we do. We definitely prefer to be the way we are and to not be some other way, but why? It is the part of ourselves that we have rejected that holds the greater influence over us. It is true, much as we prefer to not believe that. So investigate rejection, the act, the motivations and the objects. Rejection is the active opposition to acceptance. It is the means by which we block knowledge. We simply "don't want to know", so we reject either through condemnation or aversion. We condemn unwanted knowledge as invalid or untrue, which indicates a prior commitment and prejudice, or we reject by quick aversion, which comes from a recognition that it is true but an unwillingness to hear it, which is also from some inner fear that feels important to keep. So investigate your motives for rejection and re-question their origin and validity.

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Guilty by popular consent Hidden in every frustration is a desire to express innocence. Often the expression of our innocence becomes defensive, but if the necessity for that is not present, then our expression will be simply "of" innocence, and from that, beauty and love is discovered. That is why we like babies, music and inspirational art and literature. They help us to feel and understand our innate innocence. In our early attempts to express ourselves, which were the expression of innocence itself, we have at one time or another been "judged", and we have, in one way or another, felt forced to accept that judgement. That's how we "learn" or are "taught" to get along in a world of harshness, judgement and uninvestigated assumptions. This "education" continues to deeply influence our attempts to express ourselves in our current adult life. Chances are, even now, we're expressing what we think we "ought" to be expressing in an attempt to be or remain popular or prosperous, and suppressing, to the point of total denial, our true feelings, all in the name of and for the sake of an illusion of outward "accomplishment". "This is the way it is done", we believe, so we follow the false religion of faith in lies and deceitfulness in the name of social acceptance for the benefit of material gain. All the while our true selves are rotting and lonely in a prison of our own construction. And we think this is right. Any attempt to liberate our feelings from this oppression is considered socially unacceptable, so we even self-punish ourselves for trying. We tell ourselves that we are bad, before and to avoid anyone else doing it. So we assume the guilt, and think of our inner selves as bad, and our outer selves as "trying" to be good. And then we joyously justify it by accepting the doctrine of "original sin".

Clearing Guilt and Depression Inherent in the reestablishment of our purity and innocence is the joyous freedom from fear of death and the willingness and ability to accept, share and live in the love of God and abide together in a joyous peace. The discovery of this authentic self requires a willingness to recognize and work through our self-imposed limitations as well as our concepts of success. It is the release of our spirit and soul from our driven motivations and the reestablishment of our innate joy and innocence. It is what we all long for. But how to find it and even if we do, how many of us can stay in it all the time? In Islam, as well as other spiritual paths, it is stated that the Divine knows we cannot do it alone and that's why help in the form of revelation is sent. "As we Believe, so shall it Be"


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The Relationship between Belief and inward and outward Reality If it is true, and it is, that "as we believe, so shall it be", why then should we not seek and believe the highest possible? And who is more capable of informing us of the highest beliefs possible than The Divine Oneness of all Unity, the Author of all Creation who understands Divine purpose better that anyone. So accepting the helping hand of Divine revelation is of course the way to walk toward the fulfillment of our personal needs and desires. It may be difficult to understand, but we believe that the rule of logic is that "it IS that way, that's why we believe it is that way." The "IS" in that statement is an objectification, coming from a belief that is, for the most part, accepted without question. "Since that's the way it IS, I would be an obvious fool to question even the most fundamentally and commonly accepted and functional foundations of our human reality, wouldn't I?" It is because of this belief that the real truth remains hidden and reality is referred to as "mysticism". But this is changing rapidly in the American scene. So we are taught to believe that the outward reality comes first, and thence our belief in it. That's our belief and we have never questioned it. We accept, on our own faith, a reality that only appears to us when we look at it. We "objectify" it, prefer it to our feelings, and project it as real. And then partake unquestioningly in our own projection. Starting to feel a little uneasy about this? Does this not prove the truth of "as we believe, so shall it be"? How easy is it for us to change our beliefs? Very! We do it all the time, but never before at the level of our fundamental concepts of reality.

Islam is sent to expose the myth of Original Sin Islam comes as a direct challenge to those "fundamental" yet somewhat illusory and intangible concepts of "materialism as the only way". Islam, the way of the true Surrender, would replace them with something rock-solid, and completely reliable, a direct and transformative revelation from the Lord of the Worlds, the One in Whom we ALL believe, other than Whom there is none. Now you can question this all you want. It will withstand your investigation - but not your derision. So please do not turn away from this message, thinking so highly or little of yourself as to seek solace in the derision of your friends and fellow human beings who are offering you the help that you are looking for. It is because you know it to be true and do not feel worthy of

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it that you turn away. If this were not true, you wouldn't need turn away in derision of anything. But you are worthy, and is not worthiness itself a major issue? So what harm will it do you to accept and investigate Islam, the religion of Surrender, as the truth, in the Sufi way, which is your way? To simply accept that the One true God in Whom we all believe can reveal whatever He wants to whomever He wants whenever He wants. At least accept that as truth. So what truth do you accept? And where can we meet? Are you willing to investigate the validity of your resistances to accepting a Divine revelation? It is only in your acceptance of belief structures that they release their hold over you. There's that word again, "Acceptance". Acceptance leads to full self-realization. And that is a goal worth striving for.

Devotion to Separation The quest for comparative success creates the separation in the mind that causes the acceptance of some things as fitting the pattern, dream or picture, and the rejection of others as not. And that devotion to separation keeps us from attaining the deeper success that all the other successes are designed to produce. Take for example "finding time". Do you have "no time"? Then just how smart do you think you are? No time to rest leads to collapse and loss of more precious time. No time to love leads to no love. No time to take care of yourself means no self. No money to spend on healthy food leads to no money and indebtedness to health "professionals" to take "care" of you. Denial, denial, denial. Endlessly complaining about what we do not have is a constant rejection of what we do have.

Our Standards - imagination, or truth? It's only through permitting the possibility of an "objective truth" in the inward way that we can posit the idea of a genuine standard of truth by which we can gauge the proximity of our imagination. By the standards of outward success, some moves are cool and other flop. Some of us "make it", and some of us don't. It's all comparative, but to what? The contradistinction of success or failure is a common driving dichotomy, and one becomes the standard of the other. So "failure" is the standard of "success", and success is the standard of failure. Which is "real", either or neither? One is always judged by the other, so they are in perpetual opposition, and this leads to the war mentality. Opposition with preference leads to struggle, conflict of interests and war. War, or inner conflict, leads to degeneration, ill-health and destruction.


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A unified self is not in conflict and is established in peace and surrender, which is the basis for health and longevity. Peace is the resolution of differences, and it IS possible. God (Al-llah!) is Peace. God is the Author of the deepest peace, love, tenderness and subtlety imaginable. He also places within us the potential for anger and destruction, which results from our perception of inability to express ourselves innocently and thereby reinforce the resolving power of deep peace and love.

GUIDANCE TO ABIDANCE The Spiritual Psychology of Islam

Islam the Easy Way There is a part in each and every one of us that is already deeply surrendered, believing and faithful, already "Muslim", otherwise the statement that Surrender (Islam) is the Way Back to our True Basic Nature (Ad-Din ul-Fitrah), would not be true. Understanding that "Islam" means "Surrender", and that "Surrender" is the return, through the thick of our fabricated lives, to the authentic truths of our innocence and basically adoring nature, makes it very easy to comprehend and put into practice. "Islam", in Arabic, is a command and means, "Surrender" (to God), pure and simple. This is the real meaning of Islam, and that's why there is a part of us, a quality of our soul, that is already Muslim (Surrendered). The rest of the work is simply in maintaining the recognition and honoring of that part - our souls. The masters of "Abidance" in the Sufi way make it very easy, and say that it takes only a little practice, and a little willingness to explore the validity of the factors in your life that distract you. Abidance requires guidance. Liberation without guidance is fraught with difficulties arising from the past. We simply do not know what to do, and especially in face of the failure of all our best laid plans. Guidance manifests as positive, affirmative spiritual practice and leads to success. So I'm saying do as I have done and do, follow the guidance of the masters to your own. Mastery means in both worlds, because there is no separation. You may not "feel" it, but you ARE liberated and operating under your own steam. So why do you make the choices you make? Freedom from emotional bondage is the underlying motive of even our "bad" choices, and in that light, there are no "bad" choices.

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Stay where? The deep peace and love does not "go" anywhere. We simply choose to explore some interesting looking distraction and end up getting so involved that we forget where we are. Why?

HARMONIZING THE SEVEN SELVES THE SUFI PATHWAY TO PERFECT GOD-REALIZATION

Body - Experience and Surrender - Finding the Peace and the Love Mind - Learning and Teaching - Abiding in the Peace and the Love

Introduction As you have read, it is my assertion that enlightenment without an understanding of religion and especially of Islam as understood by the Sufi masters, flounders without direction at best, seemingly endlessly scratching its own head trying to figure itself out (for the thousandth time). The Sufis refer to the "non-duality" of Advaita and many others of the contemporary "enlightenment" schools as a self-evident existential reality, and not to be dwelt upon for a moment in the light of revelation. I'm a little more tolerant, (hehe) having come from the Western background, and can realize the attainment of freedom from emotional confusion for the creditable achievement that it is. We refer to it as the fourth and estimable level on the standard of perfection described by the Sufis called the seven stages to the perfection of Self-Awareness and God-Realization. From this point, continuing on becomes a choice, and accepting a religion becomes a choice. It is perfectly understandable to want to stay there, and reasonably safe, but "abidance" becomes difficult work without the guidance offered by some form of forward progress. Hence the continued search. It is also my assertion that enlightenment is the natural state of man, needing only to be recognized, by God or a few good people in teaching schools. The work of this recognition is started by only a few at first, but they are sufficient for them who seek, and powerful enough to cause a serious shift in spiritual polarity. Continuing with that understanding, it then becomes direction which is needed and sought, and which, for that very reason, is sent. Hence the Revelation of the Religion of Islam (Surrender) as believed, taught and understood by the Sufis. In response to that felt need for direction that I write the following.


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An Explanation of the Seven Stages to the Perfection of God-Realization The path to the above-mentioned fourth level of understanding and awareness, called "Nafsi l Mutma`inna", the Contented or Fulfilled Self, is well documented in almost all spiritual lore and traditions. It simply exists, the stages are described briefly below, and its realization is the end and goal of most paths. But it is the essential beginning of the Sufi Pathway to the Lord of the Throne. Surrender may be, but until a Pure Faith in the Divine revelation has entered and guides the heart, there is still something to be learned and done. The final three of the seven "stages" on the Sufi path to perfect religious and spiritual understanding deal specifically with the issue of Learning and Teaching Religion. Completing them is the completion of Religion and the manifest perfection of Surrender. Religion is how we believe, and our beliefs influence everything in our daily and spiritual life. And please remember that the doctrine of "no religion" is also a religion, and a form of rejection. That is why it is stated in other writings that the road to perfect self-knowledge and thereby to God-realization includes a thorough investigation of our motivations for rejection of anything. Since the realization of the Holy and Divine Unity and thereby the fulfillment of desire and the end of suffering is nothing less than the truth of our existential reality, it becomes obvious that it is only the beginning of a true spiritual path. When looked at like this it is easier to understand why the success of Islam from the work of the Sufis has been so manifest. Rather than puzzling over enlightenment, what it is and how to attain it and transmit it, it is assumed immediately to be the initial God-given state of man, needing only to be recognized and confirmed as such by affirmation. And therein lies the secret of Instantaneous Transmission. For that reason we have the Shahada, the ritual and religious repetition of the words of truth and witnessing, La ilaha illa 'llah, Muhammadun Rasulullah. It keeps us grounded in the reality. And the person of the Holy Prophet, upon who be Allah's peace and blessings, serves as a central focal point and a grounding example for our personal behavior in this life. And the re-affirmation of our witnessing to the truth and reality of our existential unity is contained in the words "la ilaha illa 'llah", which can be interpreted in many creative ways. Such as, "there is no multiplicity, only Unity", "there is no idol worship because there is only God" "There is no god (as in idol or distraction), only Al-llah! (Unity, The One). But it most basically affirms our

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belief that there is only one God. It is comprises the quintessential and only correct form of denial, that of multiplicity and division, and the quintessential and only perfect form of affirmation, that of the singularity of God. All affirmations of the unity of existence are, in some form or another, an affirmation of the uniqueness and singleness of the Author of that unity, Who IS worthy of worship and gratitude, and Who IS capable of revealing what He wills to whom He will. So belief in and following the guidance of revelation becomes obligatory upon us. This is a self-imposed obligation although, in reality, there is no self to impose or to be imposed upon. So the attainment of absolute clarity is a simple reconnection with our true and natural state. It is the realization of our True Self, and therefore called the pathway of Self-Realization. It IS the Buddha-mind, enlightenment and Nirvana. It is the Fana` of the sufis, the "annihilation" of illusion and the beginning of Baqa`, "abidance" in truth. These are the four selves, or states of being, dealt with on the pathway to realization of the actuality of Surrender. 1. An-nafsil `amarra - The commanding self - the one who will not let go. 2. An-nafsil lawamma - The doubting, self-reproachful self - the dawning of

conscience, questioning and self-investigation - the one who questions the one who will not let go.

3. An-nafsil-mulhama (or aamina) - The inspired, trusting, believing self - the one who no longer questions. The beginning of Surrender.

4. An-nafsil-mutma`inna - Self-realized - the fulfilled, illumined, enlightened, satisfied self. The one who knows, and is, Unity.

This fourth step to perfection is nothing less than the realization of our true selves. It is our only cleared and natural state of being and the beginning of the search for true spiritual wisdom. In a sense it might be said that there is nothing "spiritual" about it at all, in that it has nothing to do with faith and belief but everything to do with simply realizing God, or the perfection inherent in our very existential reality.

Again, Abidance Once the perfection is realized, the problem then becomes how to stay in it. I will now propose the relationship between abidance, intention and intentionality (a new word for being intentional), and the manifestation of intention, learning and teaching. In simple terms, if we intend to stay in it, and do the work of staying in it, we will. And if we truly have it we must cherish it, and that requires us to learn more about it and most definitely teach it to others. What to teach and how to teach it is what you learn from


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the Sufi Masters. It can only be taught directly since, as you will come to understand, the student is the teacher, and the question contains the answer. It cannot be taught by writing about it. So firstly in our quest for abidance we must seek out the teachers who teach it. For it is assumed that from their company and teaching we will find our establishment in it also. It is also understood that there is absolutely no reason why we should try or want to do it alone. One of the signs, and dare I say requisites, of a teacher in abidance is that he or she be inviting to it by teaching about it and the way to it. This will become more clear as we investigate the way to stay in it, through an understanding of the three final stages of self-perfection, called in Arabic An-nafsir radhiyyatan and an-nafsil mardhiyyah, and, as previously mentioned, an-nafsil Kaamila, the perfected or completed self. These last three of the seven stages deal with Belief and Perfection. These stages or states of being are not fully accessible without understanding the fullness of Self Realization described above in "Finding the Peace and the Love" as the result of an intention toward perfect surrender.

Islam, Iman, Ihsan In the Islamic tradition we have yet another way of looking at the stages of development. The first is Surrender (Islam), the second is Belief (Iman), and the third (Ihsan) is the Perfection of understanding and realization found in a balanced incorporation of the two. The first four states of being are dealt with in the category of Surrender (Islam), the way of attainment of realization through physical Surrender. Surrender is the beginning, and the practice that brings the fruits of realization, which are success, health, peace and happiness. The four stages of the self to the realization of Surrender are described above. The next two of the seven, to be described below, comprise the second of the three, our beliefs, that in which we put trust. Faith is the result of trusting in and following guidance. It may be difficult without the realizations obtained from the practice of Surrender. That's why we teach the healing of Surrender first, and that's why Belief is the second half of perfection. There are two stages to it and these are the fifth and sixth stages of the seven. Nafsil Kaamila - The Perfect Being - Perfection is the seventh stage. It is the height of intentionality. It is described as the worship of God through seeing Him. And if you don't, then know that He sees you. Imam `Ali is reported to have said, "I would not worship a God I could not see". The Sufi

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understanding of this description of perfection (Ihsan) is that you are either a gnostic of Allah (`Arif billah), or a seeker on the path (saalik) to being a gnostic of Allah. Parallel interpretations are master or disciple, teacher or student, mureed or muraad, etc.

Jalaal, Jamaal, and Kamaal Kamaal is also one of three words to describe the harmony and balance of the inward and outward realities. The outward life is called the Jalaal, the manifest, the life of hardship and struggle. The inward life is called the Jamaal, the life of beauty and peace. And the Perfection, holding the balance between the two, is called the Kamaal. A deeper understanding of the meanings and origins of "Radhiyyatan, Mardiyyah" can be found in the introduction. I repeat: Abidance is the second half of the way. Learning about the religion of Islam is the first step of Abidance, for it is the way to walk and stay in the love of Allah, and teaching it is the second, although they go hand in hand. These two stages of Abidance through self-education are represented by the Arabic words "Radhiyyatan", "Mardhiyyah", Pleased and Pleasing. They are the fifth and sixth stations of the self. We are "pleased" with what we are learning (from Allah) (for it draws us "closer", and because we now know its significance and "how" to learn it), and we are "pleasing" to God and others when we teach it and set other free by means of our teaching. These are the stations of Mureed and Murad, Desiring and Desired. And this part of the work is referred to as "Sulook", or "Seeking the good pleasure of Allah". The completion of the Sulook is the completion of the Self. When Allah is "pleased" with us, we are "pleased" with ourselves. And Allah is pleased with us when we are seeking his pleasure through learning His religion with the intention to teach and pass it on. Students with the intention of the master will succeed. Students with the intentions of the student must change. The seven stages of the nafs is also a perfect parallel to the development of our outward lives and to a simple educational pattern of children to adults. Stage one corresponds to (approximately) the first seven or eight years of life wherein the demands of the child both must and should be met. In the second seven years he is beginning to realize some autonomy and giving the parents a break, so to speak - still demanding but becoming self-aware. In the third he is learning to believe in himself and in the fourth (21/25 to 28/32) earning self-sufficiency. In the fifth he turns to learning and in the sixth to teaching, and by the completion of the seventh should be a recognized master.


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THE ROAD TO SUCCESS Revelation is to be believed. This is why we are called believers. Revelation reveals what is to be believed - the "truth", so to speak - that by it falsehood, which abounds in this world, may be discerned and avoided. When "the faith" - that which is to be trusted as true - has entered into the heart, then that heart is guided by it, and the person is considered to be "rightly guided", and a guide to others. This is the Essence a Free Sufi Muslim, surrendered and cleared by the Masters of the Way. This is the goal to be striven for. For then you are free - free of your burdensome, tiring self, free of false responsibilities and concerns, clean, innocent and forgiven, teaching and living by the Religion of Choice, Surrendered to the God in Whom we all believe and guided by Religion in the right way. What more could be asked for. It is then and only then that the ways of true success in the world will be opened for you, for it is no longer coming from your will but from Allah's will, which must come to pass, and to which you are completely surrendered. So now let me "reveal" to you the nature of your religion. "I am the Lord thy God. Your lives and provision have been decreed. I want only of you recognition, not that you provide for yourselves. Let Me provide for you, and you worship Me. I have created you for this recognition. There is no way that you "can't" do it, I have built it into the depths of your very being. But there are created many distractions for you to test your will and improve your strength and insight, so many of you "won't", for now. And it is for that choice that I have given you a free will. "Knowing me is as simple as leaving your desires. To guide you in my direction I have sent you a revelation through a prophet perfect in character and understanding, yet human, that you be not discouraged. He describes for you that which you should practice and that in which you should trust, and exemplifies in his being the balance between them, the holding of them both in perfect harmony. He describes for you the religion of Surrender, which is the direct way of knowing Me for each one of you. He describes for you your faith. And He shows you the way to outer peace through inner peace. So believe now in Me and follow the way I have revealed for you. It will lead you out of the suffering of your mortal illusions and into the true life that I have created for you. "


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PART 2

Prayer of the Prophet

Defining Elements of the Sufi Way


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PRAYER OF THE PROPHET "O Allah! Show me all things as they are."

"Allahumma, Ara`ani kullu shay`in kama hiya" This is the constant heart prayer of the true Gnostic and the vocal expression of the essence of the endless, ongoing quest. To know, see, and be in reality at all times is, at least, to be free from the trap of our mental perceptions and it can be done, or at least asked for. This prayer, even though ongoing, is answerable, and here's how I feel the answer. "Things as they are" are never as they seem. We are asking for a direct vision of reality. This certainly implies its possibility. And if the certainty is not granted immediately upon request, it implies the presence of veils, which are also part of the reality, and which must become known and recognized in order to be removed. So now we must accept the reality of "veils". The removal of veils implies the removal of the visual impedances held in the outer, central and deeper regions of the hearts by incorrect or unreal beliefs in "other than" Allah, which are the results of and cause our personal distortions of reality. Distortions in perception are not changes in reality but misguided interpretations, incorrect assumptions and understandings that keep us "out of touch" with it. The singular "cure" for this is the seeking and following of guidance. This search for and following of guidance is called sulook. It is the long-honored process of self-education in the approach to reality, or on the pathway to God, as we like to say. What is Reality? Reality can never be what we "think" it is simply because by the time we get a "mental" fix on it, it has changed and we are left with a flash picture, like a photograph. Our perception of reality is made up for the most part of photos in archive, and the only way we can ever get through it is to posit the existence of a transcendent, objective truth, a goal, and approach it. Otherwise we are left collecting pictures of ourselves, wading through our own archives, destroying pictures. That's why the Zen people teach the phrase, "Zen mind, beginner's mind", because every moment is a new beginning. How, then, can we "trust" anything? You might well ask.


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Reality is quite reliable on its own and neither asks of us nor needs of us any mental participation. It obviously does not exclude such, but the results of mental participation become "reality" too, "our contribution", so to speak. Hence the confusion and difficulty in distinguishing between what is "really" true, and what is just true for a moment. The mind is based on attainment, but the soul is already established in the love of God. Shifting our focus from one to the other is the process of the journey. Self-acceptance (Surrender to the reality of Soul) is what dissolves the illusion of conceptual self. It simply melts in its own reality. "I see who I am and surrender to that", is the first step of "seeing things as the are". Then we come to understand the phrase "The world is but a reflection of how we see ourselves in it."

Mental purification (God-realization) is the means and goal of Islamic Healing So we start in our minds, positing the existence of God, the Divine Being from Whom and by Whom all things emanate. Then we investigate what religions and spiritual paths have to say about such a being. Upon conclusion that such a being exists, we set about our search for means of discovery. And soon we discover the heart of the matter, ourselves. When we realized that the depth of the secrets of reality lies within our own beings, we also realize what lies within the depths of other beings and we set out on our journey in earnest, to be healed and educated by others, and to thereby bring healing and education to others. This necessity and quest for self-understanding is what brings humanity together. We approach those in whom we feel the healing energy and wisdom of truth, peace, love and, and while discovering them on our paths, we ourselves are discovered by others on a similar quest. Among the religions and paths to be investigated, we will come across Islam. We in the West will investigate it in honest hopes that it is not for us but will conclude that there are in it some points of extreme value, particularly in the spiritual Psychology of the Sufis and the pathway to the knowledge of God (Allah) in our hearts. We will discover that there are some genuine masters of this science and that it is alive and doing very well, thank you. We may ignore it for extreme lengths of time, going in many directions and learning many things, but we will likely not forget, and see that all paths lead back to the central focus of the Sufis, Knowledge of God, through Love and knowledge of Self. And eventually, if we are lucky, we may set out on the quest to meet a Sufi Master.

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It is this quest that brings centrality, unity and expansion to human endeavor. And we are all partaking in this quest for absolute security. But reality is seeing things as the are, and illusion is seeing things as we want them to be. This is why it is said that our desires and preferences, and the reasons for them, are what is standing in the way of reality, or our attainment of them. We know our reality in two ways, by what we are and by what we are not. This is not a conceptual objective knowing in the mind but a perceptual, subjective one in the heart. Our reality in the outward can be know by the completion of our surrender, and our reality in the inward can be known by our completion of guidance. This is simple but not easy, and the completion of inward and outward self-education can only be confirmed or even gifted by an already recognized master. This "education" or "seeking of completion in the Sufi way" is called sulook, and the seeker/traveler is called saalik. Completion of sulook is the beginning of traveling along the way but it is the guarantee of sufficiency to complete the journey. It requires a firm belief that all things shown to you by Allah are indeed as they really are. But you must know that these things are shown to you by Allah and not from your self. So that requires maàrifat, recognition by means of a skilled discernment, to distinguish the subtlest differences between the truth, reality and love of Allah, and the projected "realities" arising from the illusions of fear and mistrust coming from the self. Maàrifat, or recognition of truth and reality as distinct from falsehood and illusion, is the first serious step and tool on the way to the completion of self-education. Maàrifat in another form is referred to as "Wisdom", or true "Knowledge of God". I say "true" because there is an abundance of misinformation about God, and the standards to which I refer are deepest esoteric knowledges of Holy Quràn and the wisdom of realities in the hearts of the prophet and his receiving descendants. The prophet said, "I ask nothing of you but that you love my family". So this love for the "Ahli bait", or people of the house of the prophet, is the true love that is the opener and revealer of all the divine secrets of the hearts in which are found all the realities as they are. And without this love, there is no real knowing of all things. We would do well to refine the phrase "Knowledge of God" to Knowledge of Allah" because in that there will be no doubt as to exactly what we mean. And even in that, the "true" knowledge of Allah, or the "truth and reality" of your "knowledge of Allah", comes from the verification by confirmation


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resulting from your actions and behavior towards seeking and being in the presence of the truly aware and confirmed Gnostics of Allah. And all our jealousy and resentment of that fact does not change it in the least. La ilaha illa 'llah! Fa`alan li maa yureed! There is no God but Allah, Doer of what He pleases. There is nothing but blessing in the company of these people, and the overflowing is obvious, and attainable by all.

DEFINING ELEMENTS OF THE SUFI WAY The Application of a New Vocabulary to Significant Elements of Life

in the Sufi Way

Defining Meanings, and the Definition of "definition" and "meaning" The word "meaning" is normally, in English, associated with "definition", but in Sufi terms "meaning" means the experiential Reality to which the word refers, or attempts to indicate. This is why I wish to introduce a new vocabulary to define meanings. "Meanings" means, in that definition, those elements that are or may be experientially meaningful to human individuals, of which I am one. Take for example the classic and now almost comical question, "What is the meaning of life?" and emphasize the word "meaning". "What is the MEANING of life?" We now have a perfect example of how to describe in Arabic, the Sufi concept of "meaning". To "feel" life itself completely and fully and know that it is God Himself Who is making it happen and that that feeling and knowing is feeling and knowing God Himself, is the "meaning of "meaning". "Meaning" means, "what does it mean to ME?" and not only to the "me" that thinks of itself as a separate entity competitive among separate entities, but to the "me" that feels, completely. Permission to feel can only be given by the mind, and as long as the mind has concerns for self, it will never grant that permission because it has other "better" uses for the body that it thinks it controls. This "mind" and its sense of control, whether perceived or not, is the only distinction between the unified and the separate self. To live by the heart and not by the mind is what is meant by Surrender, and it is the goal and essence of the Sufi way, and the original intention and final word of Islam and other real religions. Because real religion is from God and preaches trust in God, and what real trust do we have, and what real benefit from that trust, if we cannot live in our bodies, guided by our hearts, as little children do?

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Experiential meaning and Intellectual Meaning "Meaning" means something meaningful to me as a human soul, a realized person, in a felt way. "Person" has many elements, major among the are Body, Mind, Heart, Soul and Spirit. Secondarily are emotions, feelings, inspirations, ideas and concepts, needs, wants, desires, etc. The primary elements are primary because they apply to our primary obligation, to "Love the Lord thy God with all your body, mind, heart, soul and spirit", and to the rather simple explanation of how we can do that. The secondary elements are important, but present themselves mostly and quite often in the form of impedances to the fulfillment of our primary obligation. Their importance, value and significance will be emphasized since there is nothing in creation without value. Part of why their importance will be emphasized is because without them there would be no struggle and then no adventure or point to life itself. Also that the key to working through these impeding elements is in their appreciation and honor, for they are very useful "survival" tools, and without them we would not have gotten this far. And without them there would be no work. As an analogy, it is sometimes said that God created an erring sinful self solely that His Forgiveness could be recognized and appreciated. All of life is based on a similar duality.


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UNDERSTANDING UNDERSTANDING Learning how to totally understand and comprehend

through the inclusion of opposites "Comprehension" means "total understanding, recognition from all sides".

Understanding "Contradistinction" A complete understanding (comprehension) of some thing or concept must include the acceptance and understanding of its opposite. Things are more clearly "defined" by contrast. It often helps in defining something that it is defined in "contradistinction" to, by means of, its opposite. It is often mentioned in Sufi parlance that God, who can never be described, is more likely referred to by what He is not. Since any attempt to "describe" Him defies satisfaction, He is more easily identified by what He is not. The same is true for understanding our reality. We're closer to understanding it if we can identify and separate any aspect of ourselves that is not "He". This is part of the meaning of "la ilaha illa llah", and more thoroughly described in other writings. However, duality in this sense has a purpose. Comprehension, or complete understanding is attained more easily when definition include opposite. Definition, by definition, means defining something, "objectifying" it, as it were, in contrast to its background, or in contradistinction to its opposite. So in explaining my definitions of meanings, it will serve to explain also what I do not mean, whenever applicable. This is what I mean by "definition by contradistinction".

Understanding Illusion All of the problems of life are about understanding the significance and meaning of illusion. And all solutions arise from the determination of "reality". And while the understanding of illusion can be approximated when recognizably in the midst of it, it can only be clearly observed, defined and comprehended from the standpoint of, and in contradistinction to, its opposite, loosely referred to as "reality". But what is "reality" and how can it be determined except in terms of what is meaningful to us as individuals. So establishing what is meaningful is essential to the determination of reality and the resolution of problems. How can we determine reality while recognizably in the midst of illusion? The answer is, by understanding the meaning and significance of illusion.

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The Value of Illusion Illusion is there to impress itself upon us, to make us understand quite clearly its confusing and potentially harmful nature. Its point and purpose is to make us grateful for respite, any welcome moment in which clarity and peace may come. It is in contradistinction to chaos that we recognize peace. It is in contradistinction to illusion that we recognize reality. In is in search of refuge that we discover sanctuary.

The Objectification of Illusion As illusion becomes more and more identifiable, so does the clarity from which we see it. The more we can "objectify" illusion, the more clear the "subjective" reality of our true, meaningful selves becomes. Identifying illusion is a quality of truth. I call it a Soul-quality, or an inherent, innate capacity wishing to express itself. This explains why one of the mottoes of the Sufi masters is "Harisun `alaikum" "Concerned for you". Seeing us wandering in illusion is painful to them. Not per se, but they can feel the burden of our illusions and in their hearts wish to share their knowledge of reality.

THE MEANING OF "REALITY" The "Reality" of a Sufi Master The "Reality" of a Sufi Master can only be known by one. And yet, "tat tvam asi", "we are all that", the same reality. I am a realized Sufi. I always have been and I was born for it1. At a young age I realized that I needed to complete my education in what it means to be that. This education needed to be both in the completion and clarification of the inward experience and in an ability to express and define the significance of those meanings in a way that would awaken and support them in any other students of this way. As teachers, it behooves us to know both what to teach and how to teach it. The only way I could see to complete that education was to seek, find and sit at the feet of other Sufi masters and

1 "Islam ad-deenul Fitra", "Surrender is the way of and to our primal nature."


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to study their teachings and the teachings of the masters of this way who have gone before and left illumined writings. In that tradition, I am writing this. As such, I must speak to you from my subjective reality in the society of Surrender, and not from my objective reality in a society of comparative contention. How can I presume to explain to you in your language the definitions of what is meaningful to me, who am now nothing more than an archetype of your true self, if I do not do it from that standpoint?2 It is assumed that what is personal to me is personal or at least pertinent to you, since we are all, in essence, One. And how could I accept that in myself if I did not accept the centrality of Muhammad to creation, and upon accepting and verifying that, follow his way to the completion of my path? If I sound a bit like `Ibn al-Arabi, I'm flattered. It's simply because he is universally acclaimed "Shaykh al Akbar", the "Crown of Teachers" in Islamic Sufism (the Society of Surrender), and as such is the mentor and guide for the reasoning intellect of self-realization and the teacher of the elements of Islam (Surrender). And I've had the opportunity to learn from him through a smattering of his writings and a taste of his/our reality. This pathway of educating our inner being is called in Arabic "Sulook", seeking, or the quest. The seeker on this path is called Saalik. The completion of Sulook is a requirement for a mature and verified teacher. I met my Master Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal after spending most of my adult life on this path. I knew immediately that only he could give me the finality that I needed, and when I finally got it, I let him know and he confirmed it in me. The permission he gave me is different only in how I use it from the permissions he gives to other student teachers in his way, as an encouragement by way of verification of inner recognition and potential.

2 Because it is my inward reality that is all that is meaningful to me. It's where I operate from, and whatever outward I have is fleeting and transitory at best, and distracting, leading to catastrophe at worst. It behooves us to take only what is minimally necessary for the passing through this life, and that standard is different for everyone. Some need much to raise children, others need less to simply pass through.

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The difference is simply in meaning. What it means to me is quite different from what it may mean to many other students. The significance of my permission to me is that of the completion of a long and hard-earned educational process and quest, and a completion of the primary obligations of that quest. The obligations of the quest are different for each student depending upon his or her goals, knowledge and expectations, and my sights were on nothing but the highest. From the beginning of my journey, I wanted to be nothing but the best. As soon as I would learn of a further level of quest I would head for it. It was for that reason I quit without reservation a previous teaching post when I first met and saw Sidi. There is an entire esoteric doctrine confirming the unity of the Surrendered community and the centrality of certain teachers, and having studied and understood the truth and reality of this doctrine, it was quite easy for me to determine sufficient validity.

More Preliminaries - On Understanding "Reality" "Reality" has two meanings, subjective and objective, but even the words "subjective" and "objective" have different meanings than ordinarily assumed. So before explaining "reality" I'll explain, cursorily, "subjective" and "objective". Subjective means personal, genuinely and authentically pertaining to me, in my heart, mind, body, soul and spirit. We might all easily agree on this point, but the word "objective" is more radically different than normally assumed. "Objective" has two meanings. It means, from the ego (outward) standpoint, all that is identified in the mind as an object. It includes self as an object and all things objectively identifiable as such. But on the inner plane it refers to a Truth or a Reality that stands, independent of the perception or agreement of person. Objective realities, then, in the Sufi way, are truths that stand on their own merit, identifiable as such to the willing and investigative minds, yet nonetheless independent of them. Such truths are the Existence of God and the Truth of His prophets and revelations. There are more, but they are subsumed in this Primal Objective Reality. These truths stand, as I said, independent of the agreement or disagreement of persons, but not without it. That what we refer to as "objective" reality. "Reality" itself has now two meanings, subjective and objective. The twofold aspect of "objective reality" has been clearly defined but "reality" in the subjective sense has also two definitions. It is the definition of the mind, which is always at variance with other minds, and the definition of soul, which is stated above as what is meaningful to me, the true inner being. The


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first definition of "subjective reality" is simply that which pertains to the personal aspirations and goals of the outwardly oriented individuals. So now I have defined my meanings of the word "reality" in both the inward and outward aspects of a person. And shed some light of clarity upon the meanings of the "inward" and "outward" of the self in the process. Outward is objectively perceivable by the mind, but need not be objectified, even though it mostly is. Inward is not so easily perceived, but exists as an "objective reality" anyway, a truth with no need of verification. Training the mind to perceive, or not, the inward reality is the point of the disciplines offered by Sufi masters. These disciplines cannot be obtained from books, although they may be learned about from them. Only a realized teacher can spot whatever impedances you may have to full realization of subjective truth and objective reality, since it is the nature of these impedances to treasure themselves and hide safely within the self-concept, which is often defined by them. Therefore the object of the quest is really for a teacher, and the real object stays safely hidden in your subjective reality, of which you are only barely aware. This is why the teacher is called "murad", the "desired", and the sincere saalik (seeker) is called "Mureed", the "desirer". The point - contradistinction, comprehension, complete understanding necessitate inclusion of opposites. Therefore how can we have self-realization when we still have preferences? When we are still judging between what is good based upon what we like or feels good to us, and what is bad, based upon what we hate and what feel awful to us. We do not attain sainthood through separation and striving to be away from sinners, or the "reprehensible" in ourselves or in anyone else. Self-acceptance is the true acceptance of all people, individuals, creeds and words. Investigate the words that are absent from your vocabulary. Investigate the difference, if any, between your popularity and your truth. See and accept who you really are instead of focusing so intently on perfection. Accept imperfection, and be joyful.

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PART 3

What is Sufism

Self-Realization - The Goal, Means and Reality of True Spiritual Healing


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WHAT IS SUFISM Sufism is any means by which people become Sufis. The word "Sufi" comes from the Arabic word Safa`, which means pure, clean, complete. It implies having gone through the required personal disciplines of self-purification to attain to our original state. These disciplines are referred to in Arabic as Tasawwuf and that is the origin of the word Sufism. "Sufi" implies being self-realized and confirmed - innocent, pure and forgiven in the eyes of God. It implies, as a result of such realization, a full understanding of, agreement with, and ability to teach, the origin, purpose, goals and central teachings of all religions - to know and love the lord thy God (and yourself) with all your body, mind, heart, soul and spirit. That's what Sufi means. Nothing less is acceptable. Though the word stems from the Arabic, the potential of Sufism - to purify our outward manifest behavior to match our inward spiritual reality- is available in every beating heart, and completely independent of language or religion. This is why Sufis are not interested in conversions. Though religion may be a suitable vehicle for self-purification, self-realization is not dependent upon it, but upon understanding and personal effort. True religion is revealed to assist and guide humanity in our work to reaching the fulfillment of our Divine potential, but that work is dependent upon the quality of the teachers. If the fruit is not sweet, the quality of the water becomes questionable. So religion is dependent upon the self-realized teachers, but self-realization is not dependent upon religion. One who is truly self-realized, however, will understand the origins, purpose and meaning of all religions, coming to their aid with no aversion to any of them on this ground. Most religions are simply the deliverance of a message from God; allowing and insisting that each individual find his own way to the point and goal of that message. In that respect, each religion has its own general parameters for self-purification, and some are stronger in that regard than others. So the degree of personal guidance available in all religions depends upon the level of realization of those who teach them. The point and means of self-purification is very strong in the religion of Islam. A vast but silent majority in the world of Islam believes clearly that without guidance, there is no benefit from religion. It is for that reason that the practices of spiritual purification and reverence for spiritual masters as guides are so evident and have flourished there so well. This is not to say that the goal of self-realization and aid to humanity is not recognized in and


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by all religions and spiritual practices. But the very nature of the Islamic revelation is such a manifestation of Divine Mercy and Guidance as to make the practices of self-purification and personal usefulness easily accessible to all. Indeed, salvation of the soul and humanity is its very purpose. True self-realization is the first fruit and beginning of the spiritual work, and it is a sufficient reward for the effort. Self-realization implies the ability to receive proper guidance from within, to make constructive and rightly guided choices on the pathway through life to success. By making your peace with God you become free of the hindering effects of your inner contradictions and fears, and the totality of your spirit is free to be focused on the matters at hand. Self-realization is the key to true success. All scriptures and spiritual teachings teach this, all religions point to it, and all paths and disciplines have it as the goal. Self-realization is dependent upon Surrender, the Surrender to Truth and the relinquishing of the false and self-created reactionary self that we have used so effectively to get our way in life. It is often feared that the renunciation of our false self is the renunciation of life itself. But the reality is quite the opposite. In the relinquishing of our false selves, with all of their illusory and made-up rules as to how the world is, we re-inherit our true self and begin to live our lives fully in the Divine reality. And in the knowledge of the Divine, everything is real, however temporary it may be, and a reflection of that which is indeed eternal. So the deeds we create in this life will be with us and enhanced, in the next. And this is the living in a life that is independent of, yet supportive of, the life and death of our bodies. This eternality, in the midst of which we may choose to continue to play our personal games, is dependent upon the Will of God alone, and there is nothing we or anyone else can do to change that. This is the message of religions and the understanding to which we wish to surrender. Then our true self will manifest in all it glory and splendor. Then we will understand that God did indeed create us in His own image. But just as God has created us in His own image, we too have done the same thing by creating ourselves, our pseudo-selves, our replacement selves, in reaction to and as a means of coping with the other self-created images and ideologies with which we are met upon entrance into this material plane. Slowly but surely, as we became more and more conscious to the world in which we were born, we made conscious decisions to surrender to coercion and conform to whatever it was that circumstances dictated convenient and practical in what was being taught to us to be the "real" world. We soon came to believe that we are what we have created of ourselves out of our desire to conform and get along. So we quite naturally

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feel constantly disconnected from our original reality, and thrust into the commonly accepted but very paradigmatic (as in artificially created) world of norms that we refer to as our "culture", or "society". But like all cultures that are based upon commonly accepted "material" values, the illusion in which we find ourselves begins to fade. Simply because it is based upon mutually accepted illusions, it slowly becomes apparent to many individuals involved that it really doesn't work, and that its superficial goals will bring no lasting satisfaction. This breeds the overwhelming sense of disillusionment, dissatisfaction, emptiness and depression that is now prevalent everywhere. Hence the decline and fall of empires. Only thing is, nobody will talk about it. Just like in the story of the Emperor's New Clothes. So, do you feel - DISCONNECTED FROM YOU PERSONAL REALITY? Your reality is not what you think it is and you are not who you think you are, but you are never disconnected from it, it's quite impossible. You only feel that way because of how you think and the mind that you think with. Most minds are made up of reactionary realities. "If I say this, I'll get that'", and the like. Have you ever heard of the mystic sayings that life is a dream and the world is an illusion? Life is very real. It is important that you clarify that. Believing in the illusion of the world being as you think it is is what is keeping you from discovering an even better reality - that the world is exactly as you want it to be. You can have what you really want or what you think you want, but the former comes at the expense of the latter, and vice versa. You must become clear on your issues with Life. And in order to do that you must work through them to be in touch with your own personal Reality, for that is from God. And this can be done best and most easily with the help and guidance of a Sufi teacher. People in their minds may feel that they have a choice in this matter and they do, but the choice may not be what they think it is. Realized teachers know how important it is to self-realize, to know the reality, and not just the concept, of God, Love and Self while on this planet and in this life. That is why we write pieces like this. So please recognize the significance and understand the importance of religion in general, the Islamic revelation specifically and Surrender (to Al-llah!, the One-ness). As we become older in anticipation of our departure from this planet, it becomes increasingly important to not be worried about ourselves, as this concern should have been resolved first, but to be able to leave behind a legacy of right guidance for others. Surrender to oneness without the guidance of faith is stagnation, just as belief in religion without


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self-realization, which is the reality and result of true Surrender, is simply division. Millions of Muslims, the silent majority, as I like to say, are very aware of the importance of their religion and are respectful of all religion in general. They understand the importance of a religiously guided and God-realized Sufi teacher, and for the most part consider themselves to be, in one way or another, under the tutelage of one, not always living - and are living the lives of guided students. This belief in and affiliation with the holy people of their time is not idolization but the acceptance of the reality of qualified and religiously sanctified guides as teachers and role models of the highest caliber. The path cannot and should not be negotiated alone. It is incorrect to think, from a disconnected and alienated mind, that you necessarily stand alone and must negotiate your path of life and death by yourself. This would be to reject the eminently practical guidance offered by your elders in the way of life who care and are concerned for you. Allowing our reactions to parenting - that may have arisen as a result of any lack of guidance from our parents - to interfere with our search for a spiritual family and a guide to our own truth can be and is, for the most part, a disastrous mistake. Classical family structure in the Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist worlds includes the spiritual master, as it is well known that children will have reactions to, and emotional disagreements with, their parents. The importance of individuation - self-realization - in the maturation process is well known in the circles of western psychology. It was so well understood and prioritized by spiritual families that it was considered not simply desirable but necessary to send their children, at the proper age, to continue their upbringing and education at the hand and under the guidance of a guru or Sufi teacher. Individuation itself is the work of each individual, but it takes a completely individuated and self-realized master to assist, complete and confirm the process. Just remember this - that all spiritual masters have one. That is the essence of all chains of transmission, whether they be in the martial arts or spiritual and religious studies.

WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT? Enlightenment is the full body realization and acceptance of the oneness of God (Al-llah!) in all His manifestations, and the non-existence of a separate,

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isolated self - that there is no separation, except in the imaginations of the mind. This realization (be not content with conceptualization) of the oneness of God is God-realization in its fullest and the total annihilation of the lower, personally motivated self. It is inevitable, and nothing less is acceptable. It is also Bliss and the realization of Nirvana and all other words denoting the divinity of our reality. Surrender is the source of life. It is not, and cannot be a concept. It must be a complete acceptance of God and Self as a manifestation of Divine Will. It is not the goal of the Work but the beginning. After spending time with God as God is, alone, we will eventually return to our "senses" so to speak, cleaned, refreshed and inspired. This return is the reality of self-realization. We cannot truly know ourselves without knowing God first. So how do we get to know God? By learning, accepting and being guided by divine revelations. And through knowing God, we know ourselves. And we cannot know the Reality of God without including ourselves. So again I emphasize that without the aid and guidance of religion, including and culminating in the Islamic revelation, which includes and accepts all religions, beliefs and people as creations and manifestations of God, there can be only more communities in spiritual isolation, and no real coming together of humanity. Correcting the imaginative mind that sees itself as alone, fearful, self-sufficient, defensive, aggressive and artificially dependent upon all kinds of pleasant and unpleasant relationships, is the work of all spiritual teachings, masters and therapies. It is called by the spiritually aware "resolving our inner contradictions with God". This work leads to a total and perfect Surrender, which is the beginning of spiritual awareness, bliss and real success in the world. In Islam, this work is done, or should be done, by the Sufis. In other faiths, it is the work of the Rabbis, Gurus, Roshis and other spiritual teachers. It is the genuine psychotherapy - the aligning of ourselves with Divine Will. So all sincere therapists should be regularly updated and confirmed by a master, and the process of this "reality check" is already an inherent part of modern psycho-therapeutical discipline. The similarity to the spiritual transmission chains becomes obvious. A Sufi might easily observe that C. G. Jung had attained to true self-realization and recognized the importance of establishing sitting with a master as a significant part of the discipline. I'd like to suggest, and it's becoming popular, that as the spiritual evolution of western culture and the English language progresses, sincere therapists of all persuasions seek their confirmation and further education from a pure Sufi chain, and learn to pass it on to their clients and students. It is the true spiritual essence of their work.


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PRINCIPLES OF INSTANTANEOUS TRANSMISSION and the Essential Role of Permission in the Sufi Way

Instantaneous transmission of self-realization is based upon the knowledge that the reality is already present in each and every living human being. But if one does not recognize it in oneself first, it cannot be transmitted with certainty to others. This knowledge is not always easy to come by but is nevertheless the truth of the matter. One Sufi teacher who knows that and has the permission of the masters of the path to teach it is all that is necessary to help the students to recognize the reality of it in themselves and then pass it along to others. In this way, the Sufi path has lived and spread the reality of the Islamic teaching for generations. Acquiring the permission of a master depends upon many criteria, variable in different circumstances. Essential to that permission is a requisite number of years of experience in Islamic Society, a firm faith in and understanding of the truth and reality of the Islamic revelation, a substantial familiarity with Qur`anic content and esoteric and exoteric meaning, a good understanding of the finer points of Islamic law and the subtler aspects of human development. All of which adds to the necessary ability to teach Muslims and non-muslims alike. It is not unusual that the mere realization of this potential is sufficient to cause a permanent shift of balance in the spiritual structure of the oneness of humanity. Upon such realization the potential for the salvation and unification of many becomes unveiled and this unveiling is the beginning of its realization. Commitment to the work is the first step toward the guarantee of its success. Commitment ensures presence, preparedness and availability, at which point Allah shifts the focus of many from preoccupation with the acquisition of desires to frustration with such and the search for better means. As soon as a realized teacher emerges, the students that he or she is destined to influence begin the search that will lead to his or her discovery. So upon self-realization, discovery of potential and commitment to the work by one person, the help and salvation of many, even the world, is guaranteed. This is the work on the deepest spiritual level, transcending and far surpassing mere 'psychic' communication. Although the truth and reality of this certain knowledge may be and is transmitted instantaneously, in few cases is this ever enough for the full empowerment of a master, a teacher or another master teacher. There are often accompanying gaps in education, experience and knowledge, and even more often dormant emotional disturbances that will arise as hindrances in the course of one's work. These potential obstacles will be perceived by a

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master teacher and allowed to emerge in personal training sessions or designed learning experiences. A mere recognition of them is sufficient for the release of their secretive hold on the student. And what is this certain knowledge? That Allah created us all equal and equally. That the same potential to know and benefit from this truth exists in every heart that beats. That no one is any closer to Allah's Power, Mercy, Love and Forgiveness than anyone else. That is why the power of the name is so universally accepted and taught. Simply saying it is enough to begin the process of realization and healing. Permission is a confirmation that carries with it the certainty of the Sufi lineage. This is necessary for the agitated self (nafs) in that it quells forever the doubting spirit, and for the Soul in that it confirms its unity with the people of unity. As long as doubt exists, certainty cannot carry its full strength. It is often the case that students are given a permission to fulfill their potential but realize in themselves a lack of absolute certainty and the presence of some doubt. These student teachers, if sincere, should seek to extinguish such doubt and agitation by investigating the potential of another teacher in whom it is possible that these doubts do not exist. Among the people of certainty there is no doubt, only immediate recognition. It also helps to study and learn the principles of certainty, written about elsewhere.

THE VEIL OF UNITY Understanding the Role of Religion in Spirituality

Enlightenment without guidance is not enough. And religion without realization is not enough. It takes enlightenment to recognize the point, goal and meaning of religion, otherwise its practice misses its purpose. Similarly, it takes an understanding of the origin and purpose of religion to guide the enlightened, otherwise they stagnate in their own individuality. Individually enlightened masters standing alone in their light without being able to understand and reach out to the religions of the world are only creating cults and even though they claim to be in the Unity they are only creating more illusions of separation by standing alone. It's true that there are as many ways to know God as there are hearts, but God-Realization is not enough and it is only the very beginning. Working


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through our resistances to knowing God is rightly called "The Work". It is the greatest healing and therapy and there are many paths offering themselves as techniques in the way of The Work, showing ways to walk through resistance, overcome doubt and attain to the absolute certainty that is there, waiting joyously for all of us. That is why this absolute certainty is considered to be the goal of most spiritual paths and why there are as many paths as there are hearts to work through. But absolute certainty, gnosis, God-consciousness, ma`arifat, enlightenment, nirvana, heaven, divine bliss, whatever one wishes to call the innate knowing with which we are created, is still only the beginning. All the great and realized Sufi Masters have referred to even this enlightenment as a veil - "The Veil of Unity" - and have sought Al-llah!'s guidance through it, considering it a sin to stop in it even for a moment, much less making it their home. In response to the inner-heart prayer of these gnostics and knowers - "Ihdinas Siratul Mustaqim", "Guide us to the straight path" - we have a Divine revelation, a universal religion of Surrender and seeking Guidance. Religion can only be taught properly by the spiritually enlightened. That is why there is such an emphasis on (and reaction to) Sufism in Islam. It is often noted in Sufi circles that a student without a teacher has his desires for a teacher. It's dificult to see beyond desire from within it. It is similar for a Muslim practicing religion without a community and a teacher. A practice without the benefit of personal reflection often misses the point completely. In the same light, Sufis practicing spiritual purification without understanding the guidance of faith offered by Al-llah! are deliberately casting themselves adrift, severing the rope between their individual life rafts and the mother ship. There is more to the Spiritual message than the work of health and knowing God in ourselves. There is the work of knowing the way through it and of coming together in outward Unity also. Simply adhering to a spiritual master or lineage is also not the Way. In order for the Way to be transmitted it needs to be present in a teacher and accepted by the students, or community. There need be present a teaching that is inclusive of the traditional religious understandings, not exclusive - and a teacher who insists on that inclusion and discovery, rather than on it's exclusion. And Al-llah! is the Real Teacher and the Knower of All things.

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THE PRINCIPLES AND IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUAL HEALING IN ISLAM

In Islamic medicine and healing it is well known that the body is a manifestation of the heart, and that the pains and illnesses of the body are a manifestation of the pains and illnesses in the heart. It stands to reason that until the heart is healed the body will not change its complaints. This is corroborated by two prophetic traditions in which it is said that Allah will not change the state of an individual or people until they change what is in their hearts. And that the heart governs the body, when it is in sound health then the whole body is in sound health. A third tradition going along with this is that there are two states of being, or lands, the land/state of peace and the land/state of conflict/war. In these three traditions and many others the case for spiritual healing is stated clearly. It's increasingly obvious that illness arises from unresolved or suppressed agitation in the self. Something deeply is needing to be expressed and is not finding its way out. At the deepest level and in every individual what is desiring to express itself is soul. Soul wants to make its own music to establish itself and its own vibratory frequency, to send out its signals and resonate with other souls. I'm Here. I'm here. She sings to an empty auditorium. The problem is with the mind. The mind takes itself to be the soul, and in doing so, leaves no room for question. This is referred to as the Unique Mistake - Assuming the Veil to be the Reality. So this is the Wisdom, the Science and the Success of Islamic Spiritual Healing. It is called Ma`arifat ullah - the Wisdom and Discernment of the Divine, the knowing of what is Truly of Value and to be discerned from all else. It is called Ma`arifat, "that which is recognized" (by the recognizers). It is He, the Source of Life and the "Pearl beyond Price". It is the ability to Recognize God and thereby what is good. The only way to be really clear, as to the difference between ego and soul, mind and heart, God and Self, etc. is to be a confirmed knower of truth.


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This is accomplished by seeking out and keeping the company of the True Àrifs, the "Àrifun billah", the Gnostic knowers of Truth. Salvation from the pains of life should be sufficient motivation.

The Relationship between Soul and Self Self-Realization is God-Realization, but it's only a beginning. To be in clear soul-recognition is to be in clear self-recognition. And this is confirmed by being clearly self-recognized in the company of the clearly self-recognized. Once this is done all things are expressed and all other problems become trivial pursuits. Yay! This is the truth of Spiritual Healing. The heart can be healed completely by this method and by this method only. When we, too, have made the Mi`raj (holy journey) of the Prophet to the Throne of Allah and back in the twinkling of an eye, then we too have seen the wonders of the heart and can lay claim to perfect understanding and perfect health. When the spirit is free (of all anxiety concerning doubt), it is whole, healed and flying to its Lord. And the heart is free to mend, and the body will do nothing but rejoice in the music, peace and love from its Soul in truth.

Man àrafa Nafsah, faqad àrafa Rabbah" "Who knows his Soul, knows his Lord."

(Very few make it, and its not enough to save the planet, but we have to do it anyway for our sake and for the sake of those around us. So Islam, Religion, the Real Surrender, is the real issue.) Islam is a very Holy and Divine word. Just contemplating it in an exploration of the richness of its meaning is an exercise in beauty, depth and wisdom. Why have you not read my book? The point of religion is God-realization. What could be healthier than that? Without religion there is no instruction and without instruction there is no education, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that masonry is not sufficient knowledge for a healthy spiritual life.

The Science of Health, Love and Religion People live and die. Life spans are decreed but the work they do and the consequences of their work is based upon the moment to moment decisions they make, once attaining to the age of recognition of self and free will.

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Life is from Allah and as He has written. Death is from Allah as he has written. The choice of the free will is to surrender to Allah the battle for life and simply accept it, allowing it to take its course, or to continue the battle and face the consequences of that decision. I like to compare results and consequences. Surrender brings immediate and long lasting results, continued struggle and investigation brings consequences. So what is it that stands in the way of Surrender but misinformation? It is our job to bring the truth to ignorance and falsehood, but how many people are in denial of even the possibility that there might genuinely be a "truth"? In the search for evidence is the inherent statement that we don't have any. In this is a form of denial that can never be cured except by an awakening or experience in the company of the surrendered. But are we surrendered enough to bring them to it? That's why the quest for truth must never end until satisfactory results are manifest both in the person and in the people around her. The successful life is the surrendered one. This is evident in the call to prayer in which prayer and success are equated. (Salah and Falah). Falah implies success, prosperity and salvation from the woes of the worldly life, which, modern psychology is proving, consists of and endless series of illusions that drive us in our artificial, self-created form from one "success" to another in a never ending stream. There are so many hadith (religious testimonials) in support of this observation. The purpose of struggle is to end struggle. Is this not evident? So why then do we continue the struggle? The real struggle is to end struggle and the end of struggle is in Surrender. In Surrender the natural forces of life are allowed to prevail. The natural forces of life are the dominant ones and the manifestation of a benevolent creation. To accept a benevolent creation is to accept and benefit from that benevolence. That's healing. In the earlier history of Islam, while the European world was in the midst of famine, war, plague and death, the people had no knowledge of such hardships except rarely enough to stimulate their interest in the sciences of Divine health. Life was, for the most part, long and prosperous. The remnants and history of Islamic civilization bear witness to this. It amazes me how far (hopelessly?) behind the western world is, for all its technological and scientific advancement. Yet in the midst of the depth of this ignorance masquerading as enlightenment, there are still people discovering the Divine secrets and working hard to help others to find them and come to them.


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The acceptance and investigation of the Divine sciences is the only way that they will be discovered and this has to do only with the individual's personal quest. They will always remain hidden to the denying mind. They cannot be forced upon anyone, and they cannot be profited from, for it is the very fear of provision motivating the profit drive that stands on the way of their discovery. It is true that the world and secrets of the Surrendered are far away from the probes and investigations of the chronically skeptical. The secret to their discovery lies solely on a single word, intention. When the intention is pure the secrets will be manifest, and until then, not. All of the secrets of health and life are contained in the teachings of Islam and few are the people, even among the followers and students of that faith, who actually seek them out and study them for their intrinsic worth. Concentrating on these studies and these studies alone will bring results. They cannot be mixed, or "utilized" for false or duplicitous intentions. Allah demands of us a whole heart, total Surrender and a complete acceptance of ourselves and our lives. Nothing less will suffice. Obedience brings results. All else brings consequence. In the end we will all be convinced. It is well-known that the purpose of creation is God-realization. For what other purpose would He create? Therefore, the purpose of life is the same and the purpose of death is the same. Of what purpose, then, is death, if one has already accepted it, stepped on the "other side" (and there is no "other side") and come to know and live in the pure light of God thereby? If the mission is accomplished and the lessons are learned, there is no further need for the school of life, illness and death. This is the exact purpose of the Islamic revelation, and the sufis are the healers of the hearts who practice it as it is meant to be practiced. It is out of reach to no one except who chooses to disbelieve. We know that illness is from the promptings of the true soul to wake up and realize. How else are explained the "miracle" science defying cures that do occur regularly? A "Miracle" is from God, and it purpose is to bring the subject to God.

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SELF-REALIZATION THE GOAL, MEANS AND REALITY OF TRUE SPIRITUAL HEALING

An Introduction to the Principles and Processes of Self-Realization

Part I. The Relationship and Centrality of Self-Realization to all Manifestations of Healing On Feeling Good About Ourselves We need to feel good about ourselves. There is no doubt about this, but what about method and meaning? What is the true meaning of "feeling good about ourselves", what is hindering us from the ability, and how can we go about attaining that it and achieving a state of optimum health?

Feeling Good is Feeling God I like to say that feeling Good is feeling God, for God is Good. But it might be easier to comprehend the deeper meaning of this if I reverse it and say that feeling God is feeling Good. So sit quietly for a moment and feel the Good, and know that it is God. Now stay there. Knowing God is not a mental exercise, but "feeling good" often becomes one. And knowing God is not an intellectual discipline. Of what benefit is the knowing of God in the mind if His Presence and Physical Healing Power cannot be felt in, and known by, the body? In order to heal, we have to be able to feel the Goodness of God. In order to feel Good, we have to be able to feel God, and in order to feel God, we have to be able to really feel. But when many of us say that we are feeling bad, it is not at all our true physical perception that we are referring to. It is much more often a mental assessment of our emotional state as caught in between a pleasure and pain based upon the presence or absence of some thing or person. "I feel bad because I cannot help you, or because my car got towed or because my mother died or because my husband left me." Or "I feel good because I graduated, got promoted, married, or a new car." We feel pain. And feeling good is often equated with the absence of pain. Most of us respond to the feeling of pain with painkillers. We are taught to think of it as a disease, an impedance to health, which is quite universally accepted as the ability to produce. And diseases are "cured" with "medicine", the most common of which are painkillers. Basic painkillers are narcotics, inducing sleep, so we put our selves, or some part of ourselves, to sleep with


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painkillers. Being put to sleep is also what happens to irreparably wounded animals. But if we are killing pain we are killing physical feeling itself. And pain is an important and meaningful feeling. We must be willing not only to feel it but also to interpret its message correctly. If we kill the pain we kill the messenger, expressing our own unwillingness to listen. In response, it increases its insistence. So it's obvious that we have (at least) two kinds of feelings, emotional and physical, and that it is somewhat easy to confuse them in speaking. We can distinguish between when we are feeling bad emotionally and physically, but it is quite another matter when asked to distinguish between feeling good emotionally and physically. It's almost as if we have agreed to an unspoken promise not to speak well, think well or feel well of our physical selves, but always to abide on the common ground of an emotional well-being based upon a mutually shared artificial joy or sadness reflecting our standard of material gain. It takes a serious disability for us to take our real "selves" seriously. Why do we have this aversion to thinking well of ourselves? What shame is it we carry to prevent us from truly feeling good about ourselves? It's called pride, but isn't it truth? It's called arrogance, but isn't it real? Why are the realities of our absolutely Divine state so disparaged that we are completely ashamed to claim them? We have been taught to "dis"3 ourselves. The well being of our physical has become a mere tool of our minds of acquisition and mental satisfaction rather that a means to know the reality of God. Does that not prove the existence of Heaven and Hell? Does that not show us plainly that Hell is the consequence of not accepting Heaven as our birthright? Surrender now to the unity and oneness in your heart4 and stay surrendered. We either dwell in God in Peace eternally or we focus on the competitive mental and illusory pleasure of material acquisition and gain, calling it our feelings while in reality denying them. We say we are feeling good when in reality we are covering over how badly we feel. We make up stories and lie, and attempt to conceal from ourselves our own truth. In our minds we are attempting to connect with what appears to us to be some

3 "Dis" means disrespect, disparage, discount, disengage, dislike, discourage, etc. 4 referred to as Al-llah! In Arabic.

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form of reality. We wish to be sure that what we are doing is the right thing. After all it's what everyone else is doing, isn't it? We think we are moving towards a more solid connection with reality but the solid connection we are truly looking for is only with the truth that is within ourselves. We perform this outward search because in the reality of our minds we feel disconnected from ourselves. Our drive to connect is in response to a sense of lack of connection. We imagine a connection that is not there because we cannot realize a connection that is. And that connection is with God - Who is everywhere - and no one can be any farther from God than any one else, except in their illusions. Your distance from God is all in your mind, and it is equal to your distance from your self. But because we've been taught to disbelieve in God, we have lost connection with the means of connection, which is ourselves.

Understanding the Nature of Self-Destruction If we feel bad about ourselves we die. It's plain and simple. If we do not care enough to take care of ourselves we will cast ourselves foolishly into harm's way. This could be any form of aggressive or passive self-destruction from committing suicide to slow death from apathy, alcoholism, depression or drug addiction. It could take the form of alienation from loved ones such as workaholism. There are deeply spiritual roots for self-destruction. Recognition of which roots would go a long way toward creating an environment fostering satisfaction - instead of its opposite - in which people would not feel the need or desire to self-destruct in order to get the attention or find the love that they know they deserve. We need to feel good about ourselves because souls are from the Divine, and as such, command recognition and honor. Each individual soul is a messenger of Peace, Love, Beauty and Wisdom from God. It is obvious that the self in illusion needs to end so that the self in reality will be manifest. That is the point of death, what might rightly be referred to as the end of all struggle and the final liberation. And in that respect death, especially of illusion, is to be longed for.

Suicide - The Ultimate Painkiller? Suicide is a resultant thought and the logical conclusion of the painkiller mentality induced by modern medicine and education. In a western, materialist-oriented society lacking the understanding and recognition of our true spiritual motivations, suicide is a prevalent option of escape from


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the shame and humiliation of a "loser mentality" inflicted upon the emotionally disabled. However, lacking the courage or conviction to outrightly commit suicide, given that it is forbidden in all religion and frowned upon as an undesirable conclusion to life by most societies, it doesn't present itself as a solution to the vast majority of humanity. But it does occur to some and all too many think of it or use it as a viable option. For a far greater number, however, lesser forms, and maybe more prolonged and dramatic, tortuous and vengeful methods of self-destruction appeal. Manifestations of suicide as the ultimate painkiller are different in different cultures. In earlier Japan there was the kamikaze pilots' heroism as the absolution of shame. In Israel and Lebanon there are suicide bombings in hatred and vengeance as the absolution of unbearable anger and grief. And in the West, we have financial frustration and familial vengeance as motivations for suicide, to absolve the pain of isolation and alienation.

Dissolving Illusion - an Alternative to Suicide The reality and identification of any thing is not complete without the inclusion of its opposite. So our definition of feeling good about ourselves is based upon and must include our definition of feeling bad about ourselves and vice versa. In this I refer to a unified dichotomy - resolving two opposite so that neither dominates and both are present. In this is Unity. In this way, our definition of life must be inclusive of death, not exclusive. Defining life as the avoidance or exclusion of death is defining it by its opposite, not by including its opposite. Defining health as the avoidance or exclusion of pain is knowing life to be only pain and sickness.

Unity is Reality You cannot be "in" it and then "out" of it. You can only "feel' separation, but Unity is not about feeling one way as opposed to another. That is separation and in reality there is no separation. Unity is about knowing truth. It is based upon the resolution of opposites and this resolution cannot be understood by rejecting one or the other. It can be understood by accepting and balancing both. Balance cannot be had except with two. Therefore two, or duality, are necessary to understand the balance of and "know" Unity. This necessitates inclusion. It is not based upon exclusion. So instead of running from feeling bad in an attempt to feel good, which is the standard and accepted M.O. in modern western thinking and the basic philosophy of modern "pain-killer" medicine, let's consider the possibility of accepting the feeling bad when we first feel it and using it as a guide to feeling good. It's our Divine right to feel bad, but in that Divine right we

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should feel Good. So are we not feeling good that we are feeling bad? Investigate the source of our bad feeling and it will disappear.

On Transformation - From Struggle to Surrender Health and illness exist side by side in us. It is by accepting that that we can attain our balance, our own unique and individual balance and harmony. It is not by attempting to harmonize with all that is good based upon a judgment that there is an "all that is bad" against which we must maintain a constant fight or from which we must maintain constant flight. It is in an acceptance and understanding of "all that is bad" that a true resolution, and balance and harmony, is established. Harmony exists. It exists in nature and is not based upon exclusion but upon total acceptance. Trees do not reject ants, woodpeckers, or fire. In the animal world there is resistance and surrender, life, illness, aging and death - all in totality and Divine harmony.

Acceptance of Death If we feel bad about ourselves we die. But if we accept feeling bad about ourselves as part of and a key to feeling good about ourselves, we begin to realize what life is all about. It is the same with death. As soon as we stop running from it, it loses its adverse power, the power of our programmed but unreasonable fears, over us and becomes an ally on the road to a fulfilled and satisfying life. As soon as we totally accept our inevitable death and departure from this bodily existence, all fear dissipates and we begin to live the real life as God meant for us to live it. Death is a wonderful ally. The simplest manifestation of this truth is in that it is decreed for us at an appointed time which can neither be accelerated nor delayed. So since we do not know when our appointed time is, we can live in the freedom that life has to offer.

AND NOW TO THE POINT - SELF-REALIZATION So what, then, could be more healing than a completed course in self-acceptance? All the standard healing techniques are now based upon learning to accept and listen to the dis-ease or ailment. Granted it helps to have a genuine knowledge of the true nature and role of diet in healing. We are all good healers because we are not the healers, God is the healer. I have an extensive background in spiritual studies and eastern medical philosophies. 10 years study and practice of homeopathy, 30 years practice


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of Zen Macrobiotics, a complete study of Enneagram, Reiki and. Energy healing, the list goes on and on. And it all leads to and comes from this. How can there be - Success without self-actualization? Self-actualization without self-realization? Self-realization without self-recognition? And self- recognition without self-acceptance? So self-acceptance is the first step or degree toward becoming perfectly healed and healthy. Self-acceptance leads to self-recognition, of both awareness and what arises in awareness. Self-recognition, discernment and discrimination, the ability to determine what is real and what is emotion-based, leads to self-realization, the ability to actually and accurately step outside of ourselves and benefit from divine healing. And when the cup runneth over from that, we have a self-actualization, wherein the self that is true and full of truth comes forth and manifests in correct and profitable ways. Sitting patiently in self-realization is the very act of Zazen, the very truth and reality of Buddhism, the key to understanding Taoism, the basis of Yoga and all Martial Arts. It is the essential practice for the learning of discrimination, discernment, and recognition of truth in all prophetic religions and spiritual paths. Sitting beyond our desire to get up and move is the beginning of fasting and abstaining from motivated action, restraining and thereby identifying our desires, and the first step toward realizing our Divine and natural self, and becoming once again strong, healthy and rejuvenated. The healing of natural forces is the strongest. But we must match our strength, will and determination against our motivations and impulses in order to allow the natural forces to have the dominating influence. How can we sit that long in self-resistance and not come to pure and self-awareness? Oh my God. Doing that in the presence of a realized Sufi master has absolutely got to be the ultimate healing experience, and doing it regularly in company and alone, which should be no different, has got to be the path to perfection. Fasting works, and abstention is the basis of all healing. There are two kinds of self-actualization. One that is based upon giving, which is tiring, fatiguing and taxing upon the body, and one that is based upon receiving and abiding in the divine power of the heart. Illness is now being represented as "that which needs looking into". By that I do not mean standard medical investigation but investigation by a true

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knower of heart. For not only is spiritual healing proving to be an effective means of healing but it is also revealing itself to be maybe the only complete means. Anything that needs looking into may be a potential illness, and all illnesses, even in their subtlest manifestations such as agitation, aggravation or frustration are manifestations of anxiety and need a prepared and investigative and surrendered mind to reflect upon them, source then out and resolve them. Not only is peace necessary as in stop the war, stop the crime and stop the self-punishment, but the perfection of peace in the individual will manifest as perfect health. Jesus, for example, had perfect health, as did all the prophets. Even Job, with the myriad of diseases that he suffered, never complained of imperfection. In that vein it may be realized that everything in nature and even in the strange and complex imaginings and creations of mankind, is indeed perfect. If there were an imperfection - and even that would be perfect - it would be in the whispering of the shaytan that was sent here to whisper into the hearts of men that there is indeed and imperfection to be corrected, and that they must be relied upon to correct it. So if anything is the cause of imperfection, or the false concept of the illusion or belief in imperfection, it is that which, also in the perfection of Divine Wisdom, was sent to create the illusion of imperfection. This is so that those who would choose to be victims and surrender to the illusion of imperfection would have an illusion to surrender to, and that those who would choose to be wise and see through the illusion would have an illusion to see through, and that those who would choose to be masters and reject the illusion of illusion altogether would dwell in a reality upon which they could rely. And it is these who are the truly successful. Herein lies the secret of transformational psychology. For how is it possible to transform anything into anything else except by separating its truth from its illusion? How could lead be transformed into gold if gold were not the reality of lead? How could illnesses be healed if healing were not the destiny - even the point, purpose and reality - of illness? Is it indeed the transformation of illness into health? Are there indeed "two" such entities or are they simply concepts, and thereby interchangeable? Or is there in reality only One, ever fluctuating, ever seeking its own harmony in a world of seeming turmoil causing fear and joy, attraction and repulsion. So what is attractive to us and what is repulsive? Better yet, what are the root causes of our attraction and repulsion? Are they not simply preferences? They are certainly different in everybody. One man's food is another man's poison. Is it possible to be free of preference? Why would we want to? If preference is a manifestation of individual personality, and


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individual personality is that which causes preference and concomitantly gets in the way of acceptance, then wouldn't it be desirable to be able to reside in that part of us that is free? Not there, you say? Wrong, I say. How can illness transform itself into health if health were not there? How can imperfection even exist except upon the establishment of perfection?

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-REALIZATION Surrender is the means to Self-Realization. Self-Realization is a Functional Awareness of Soul, i.e. Soul-Recognition. Soul-recognition is the source of health and healing. Soul is each individual's manifest portion of unlimited divine love. It is maintained by the constant, unfathomable, unending outpouring of divine love that maintains creation and everything in it in perfect, beautiful, seamless harmony. Self, the physical body, is the means by which we perceive Soul, and thereby receive divine love, hence the importance of cleaning it and keeping it pure, for God alone. This purification implies the investigation and removal of the inner causes to not receive divine love that have been planted there by environmental inheritance. Surrender means letting go of the fight, laying down the weapons of war, allowing God's will to unfold as it may, and relinquishment of preference or attachment to outcome. It is most often done upon discovery of a teacher or a path. Enough surrender and your true self will finally emerge. Your true self, or soul, is the means by which your body receives love. Your false self (ego) is the means by which it receives the punishment that it is due in your mind. If you use your body for the accomplishment of artificial goals for the sake of artificial responsibilities, then in effect you are saying that is what this body is for, it is not worth anything else, and that's certainly a form of self-punishment. People will lay their bodies on the line for their ideals, no matter how perverse those ideals may be. The last thing on their minds is the concept of laying down the struggle. They call it "giving up" and will "never" do it. But peace is a requisite for health. A peaceful heart is the absolute requisite for a peaceful body. Without peace there can be no perception of love and it is the perception of love that heals the body, heart and mind. And where does this love come from? What is the means by which we can attain to it and perceive it and receive it? It is not outside of us, so we have to stop

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looking. It's only when we stop seeking that we can feel. As long as we are seeking we're still in our minds and projecting a time or a place when or where we will discover something. But that "something" is not "located" in any place or time. It is not "out there" somewhere to be "found". "The goal is not found by seeking, but only the seekers find it". Soul does not need healing. That would be like saying God needs healing. God does not need healing. God is the healer. It is from God that the energy of love, support and maintenance of the soul comes. So the Soul, created in God's image, and supported completely in its capacity as the highest and most perfect manifestation of God's Self-Recognition, Love and Perfection, does not need healing. It has and is everything we need. But the self needs to discover the soul completely in order to rise to its fullest potential. And it does this by means of dissolving itself in the remembrance of God. As I'm sure you are aware, the Sufis have a fine tradition of perfecting the remembrance of God. And the basics of the myriad techniques developed by them were revealed to us by God during the revelation of His most recent manifestation of what to believe and how to believe it, the religion of Islam (which by the way, means "The Way to Surrender"). Hence it is said in Qur`an

"Surely it is in the Remembrance of God that the Hearts find Peace." This singular phrase is the basis of all Islamic healing, realization and psychotherapeutic techniques, not to mention all of the other estimable social skills that arose as a result of those peaceful years in Islamic history. It is also the ultimate outcome of Western spiritual psychology. Soul-power is the single most constructive, beautifying and life-enhancing creative force in history, and conversely, ego and fear accomplish only destruction. The entire Islamic civilization - the one from which the crusaders, thence the Knights Templar, thence the Masons, thence the modern western world as we know it today learned the simple sciences of architecture, agriculture and irrigation, personal and public hygiene, just taxation and social equity, to mention only a few - was built upon this principle. How then can it not be personally important and socially significant now?

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