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and what happened after Rawlinson had mailed some Schuonian photographs to Sedgwick.
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One painful difficulty when among devout Muslims and those Muslims sincerely practicing Tassawuf is that parties to discussions follow a precise and mannerly pattern of debate--adab--what is often translated as 'courtesy' but what could be called verbal knightliness in the very finest sense of that word.
But this dignity can put discussants in great anguish and difficulty if there is a pattern of disconduct on the part of a trusted teacher and the problem of adab becomes yet greater when evidence is presented that a trusted and honored teacher behaved in ways so very much in violation of good manners and sunnat that even to think about such matters induces shame and to discuss it is considered potentially sinful.
That means that the worse the pattern of misconduct the greater the sense of shame in those who retain a sense of holy honor---and the greater the chance that they may stay silent, increasing the risk that a pattern of misconduct will go unspoken, uncorrected and that sincere students may, in this zone of silence, walk into a harmful situation being perpetrated by someone whose misbehavior triggers shame in onlookers.
When Irwin and others were searching, they lacked information. At least when we drive our automobiles on the highway, the state transit workers will put out orange cones and stand with signal flags to warn of potholes and upcoming road work by which one must slow down and drive with caution.
On the highway to God, if there are deep potholes and full of carrion, we need knights of Allah, to emulate Antar and, willing to stand with banners to guide travellers away from lethal road traps.
Those who ignore the warnings and fall in--that becomes their woe. But at least the knights of Allah did offer the warning and make a final choice possible.
We know not how long each of us is to live.
It is only kindness and truth to warn of road traps, for all of us are travellers.
Another way to put it.
There is a difference between privacy and secrecy that plays favorites.
It is very difficult, even for a seasoned practitioner, to settle the mind when in group or dharma center that has put itself in a situation of discord or that is diverting a lot of energy into keeping secrets that would rightly bring it into severe public disrepute.
Access to a teacher should not be at whim of the teachers wife, or some favorite gate keeper who is volatile. There are many stories of just kings whose reigns ended in misery because the king did not know that he had an unjust vizier who concealed patterns of injustice and failed to allow the oppressed to appear before the king.
Schuon and 'Indian Days"
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