Let this be a warning.

Do your background research - which means using that much-maligned critical thinking.

Or, if you give an oath of allegiance to someone who calls themselves a Sufi teacher, you could become one of that person's feudal serfs.

If the leader is from a foreign country, you could without knowing it, become part of a power struggle in a foreign country and your donations might indirectly support the pir, sheikh or murshid's political activities, or pay immigration fees for a multitude of the leader's relatives. And for wedding expenses and college education of a multitude of relatives who may despise you, the Western devotee, for being soft and corrupt--while glad you are giving wealth to their powerful uncle.

A leader may claim that to be Sufi is to be apolitical. That is not so. Claim tax exempt status, buy property -- you're involved in politics. ANd those who do pay tax are indirectly subsidizing you. That too is to be involved in politics.

Sufis led armies. Some were frontier warriors.

Nile Green: Sufism: A Global History

In Pakistan, certain sufi leaders have been allied with local landholders and some are landowners themselves, with many in debt bondage.

Sufi Saints and State Power: The Pirs of Sind, 1843-1947 - Sarah Ansari ...In this book, Dr Sarah Ansari examines the system of political control ... its power
base and the mechanics of the system of control into which the Pirs were drawn ...
books.google.com/books/about/Sufi_Saints_and_State_Power.html?id... - Similar pages

Quote

"Using a wealth of historical material and in-depth interviews, the author looks at the development of the institution of the pir, its power base and the mechanics of the system of control into which the pirs were drawn. The overall success of the political system depended on the willingness of the elite to participate and Dr. Ansari argues that it did indeed work in Sind. This enabled the British to govern while allowing the pirs to adapt to colonial rule, and later independence, without serious damage to their interests."

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2015 08:54AM by corboy.

In many a spiritual biography, we hear of how a guru, roshi or sufi master will be arbitrary in giving attention. You may have given years of service and be ignored. A youngster just in off the street may be given fulsome attention, much to the puzzlement of onlookers.

At other time you will suddenly be given the leaders full attention.

All this is readily rationalized as the action of an enlightened or higher plane of realization individual whose actions can never be judged by lowly beings such as ourselves.

But, there is quite another way of looking at this, a mundane explanation.

Anab Whitehouse in his book The Sufi Lighthouse notes this phenomenon.

(Quote)'Baba' means spiritual father, and the phrase 'Baba juice' is a term I have coined to allude to the trance-like state of ecstasy, liberation, contentment, and sense when they are in the presence of a fraudulent Baba. It is a very pleasant state of consciousness to be in, but it is not a spiritually
constructive condition, in fact, quite the opposite.

"Patterns of attitude formation, motivational networks, and habits tend to be rooted in what operant learning theorists refer to as a variable, intermittant schedule of reward contingencies. That is, something of a rewarding nature
occurs in conjunction with a certain kind of activity but in subsequent life experiences, such rewards may occur infrequently, if at all, but one continues wiht such activity in the hope that such a reward will be forthcoming.

"Once established, such learning linkages are very difficult to break, the gambler who rolls the dice one more time, the addict who seeks to recreate the first high...the seeker who longs for a return of an earlier feeling of ecstacy, well-being, peace, innocence, purpose and meaning that occurred in relation with the meeting of a given 'teacher' are all potential examples of the principal of varient, intermittant reinforcement contingency in action,
(Unquote)

Anab Whitehouse The Sufi Lighthouse p 265-266


[books.google.com]


Corboy speculation: Drugs addicts may find themselves able to give up and seemingly "recover" from their addiction to drugs if they find ecstacy in a "Baba-Juice" society, especially if surrounded by very many who have also given up addictions and substituted addiction to the presence and idealization of a Baba.

But they remain in bondage.

To quote the rock song,

Meet the New Boss ( The Bliss Baba)
Same as the Old Boss (the drug dealer)

The addictive drugs and the bliss technologies mastered by generations of gurus affect the same brain pathways and receptors.

(Get and read Memoirs of an Addicted Brain by Marc Lewis if you want to learn more about how this works. )

One who shifts from the drug life to the devotee/Baba servitude life will have replaced the drugs addiction with a process addiction.

The neurological comforts are the same -- but without fear of legal repercussions. One can put on a shirt and tie, and re-enter society. But
it is similar to methadone maintainance, except one lines up to enter the guru's darshan hall, and there are no mandatory piss tests.

The underlying fragily of self and personal trauma which made drug relief so attractive will remain unexamined if a suffering person abandons drugs but uses Baba bliss and spiritual rationalization to side step genuine inner exploration.

A cosmology of evolution/devolution along the 7 alleged planes of human evolution, eradication of samskaras or nafs cannot repair the injured sense of self coherance. One will remain trapped either using drugs for an illusion of self repair, or use a Bliss Baba guru and live in a group centered on a Bliss Baba for an illusion of self repair.

If one cannot separate oneself from the guru or live apart from the society centered upon that guru, this signals that ones inner self remains broken,
and the Baba Juice is providing temporary relief but not actual healing.

Persons in this predicament persons may, in their servitude and gratitude remain bound to this bliss Baba scene for years, and be easily kept submissive for fear of being ejected.

If the issues that underlay their addiction were to be examined and healed--this would end their servitude to the Baba and lead to genuine citizen emancipation.

A Bliss Baba guru dependent upon the adoration and servitude of followers has also an injured self and is as addicted to the devotees as the devotees are addicted to the Bliss Baba.


In the old days, people might be able to visit a Sufi shrine once
or a few times in a lifetime. Or, if fortunate, once a year.

Many of these shrines had rituals and celebrations featuring trance music
and dance. (eg the shrine of Lal Shah Baz Qualandar in Sehwan-Sherif in
Sindh, in Pakistan. One common song is "I am Intoxicated With (the)
Qualandar'

In Empires of the the Indus, author Alice Albinia described visits to these
shrines. One of her Sufi friends, a man with an acute awareness of social justice said that he loved the music and festivities, yet was painfully aware
that these were distractions for the poor who were in debt bondage to the
feudal landowners who were hand in glove with the Pirs and Murhids who controlled the Sufi shrines. Yet he admitted, what other option was available for those who were poor. So the same wonderful music and trance that gave ecstacy kept the feudals in the feudal mindset and mallaeable.

Now, have a look at ourselves, fortunete enough to have been born into participatory democracies.

The Murshids, Pirs, and Sheikhs may only know how to treat us as feudals.

Find a way to love God, but as a citizen.

Not for nothing was Musa (Moses) listed as one of the Prophets.

Dont become a feudal to a Sheikh, Pir or Murshid, adore God.

Today, with affluence and ease of transportation and communication, one
can increase exposure and dosage of such experiences, stay in contact with the guru or Baba much more intensively than ages past.

And in today's money economy, gurus and Baba's may become more greedy, especially if they see the glittering decor enjoyed by other gurus and sheikhs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/2018 09:43PM by corboy.

[www.elephantjournal.com]

At most, in cultures where some Muslims join a tariqa to deepen their commitment to Sunnat, there is no need to change room decor in an expensive manner.

At most, one may have a photograph of one's pir, murshid, or sheikh, but the emphasis is the love of Allah.

Tassawuf unless it is degenerate is not about magic or karma or seeking a good
rebirth.

Sheikh 'Alawi who founded the Alawiyya at Mostagnem, Algeria was formerly
in a snake charming sect, the Aissawa, and became proficient.

(No small thing, for venomous snakes were and remain a terror to many. If one
lives at ground floor in a dirt room with rush mats, snakebite is a constant
threat.)

So the story goes, a visitor accosted al 'Alawi and said, "I will show you (a snake)that is bigger than this and far more venomous and if more venomous and if you can take hold of it you are a real sage. I mean your soul, which is between the two sides of your body, Its poison is more deadly than a snake's and if you can take hold of it and do as you please with it, you are a sage indeed."

The word Buzidi used here for the soul was nafs, which refers to the lower soul,
rather than the ruh, the higher soul."

[books.google.com]

This shiekh did not tell al'alawi to dress in white, decorate his rooms in
white, place white or yellow roses in his rooms or bring expensive presents to the Darawi sheikh.

This means if you are invited into a Sufi order, beware if you discover
excessive attention to room decor, and to mere fancy living and music.

This is interior decoration, mnipulation of externals, materialism.

At worst, it is a regression to magical thought.

Instead of love of God and fear of departing from God, it is replaced with
sentimentality and fear of inviting frowns from the leaders and their
favorites.

And one must not grovel to a pir, murshid, or sheikh, intrigue for the persons
favor, fear his or her displeasure. Or, if a musician fret and fume that
you are barred access from the tariqas private recording studio.

For there should be no private recording studio -- competition for studio
recording slots is a travesty--one should love and care about God, not
whether one gets access to the leader or a good recording slot in the
recording studio at the leader's palace!

The renunciate Sufis fled royal courts. They did not create royal courts with themselves as rajas.

Ibn Battuta in his Travels, told of one renunciate Sufi, reputed holy, whose presence at court was demanded by the Indian ruler, Sultan Tughluq
Mohammed, in the 14th century.

"But the most serious problem for Ibn Battuta was his friendship with a Sufi holy man. This holy man refused to have anything to do with politics and tried to live a religious life. He snubbed the Sultan and refused to obey the Sultan's commands.

"In retaliation Muhammad had the holy man's beard plucked out hair by hair, then banished him from Delhi.

"Later the Sultan ordered him to return to court, which the holy man refused to do. The man was arrested, tortured in the most horrible way, then beheaded."
[webcache.googleusercontent.com]

And no pir, murshid or sheikh should be regarded as God or a channel for God.

Some thoughts on room decor. Some affluents who call themselves Sufis fall
into this trap.

This is less likely to be a problem in the Muslim world.

But in the west, where all sorts of incongruous elements are slushed together
by types who do not live as Muslims and live by something that they call Sufism
but that would not be recognized as such by Muslim Sufis, some very strange
things can occur.

Such as intrusion of magical thought, even into the matter of room decor.

Some noted how Frithjof Schuon put far too much emphasis on decor and staging
as far back as the 1930s and 1940s -- even to the point of dressing in
moroccan garb and staging dhikr in rooms with moroccan decor.

It is worth remembering that 'Al Alawi's Sufi order was transmitted in authentic
form, by Muslim sailors and that it was these working class men who
brought the tariqa to Cardiff, UK. They could afford only the essentials --
not souveniers from the Marrekech or Algiers souqs.

But in the West, incongruous elements and distractions may creep in
and more attention may be paid to room decor and the oscillating whims
of a merely human leader than to God.

Watch out for excessive emphasis on room decor. Thats not God but the eccentricities of a leader and community.
--
Some religions, such as Anthroposopy (a theosophy derivative based on dogma of Rudolf Steiner) have the belief that structuring environment and even choice of colors brings desirable astral forces into the material world, and exposes even non Anthroposophists to good karma that increases their chances of a fortunate rebirth.

Persons at the higher levels of Anthroposophy feel entitled to keep what they believe a secret from non Anthroposophists while doing what they can to invite non Anthroposophists into Steinerian designed environments, such as biodynamic gardening projects and by representing Steinerian schools (aka Waldorf schools) as actually being non sectarian, so as to bring in children and parents who would otherwise refuse if they were told candidly and completely the full beliefs of Steiner's religion and its system of rank ordering human persons.

If a psychotherapist beliefs in Anthroposophy or a belief system with similarities to it, such as elitism and a belief that room environments and colors (walls, furniture, decor) designed to the specifications of that religion bring good karmic influences and perhaps a fortunate reincarnation to clients who have no knowlege of that religion and would not agree with its tenets, I suggest this is wrong and for several reasons.

*If one does believe in karma or astral forces, it is unethical to surround an unknowing client with talismans reminders of your worship sanctuary space. This is to do magical operations without a client's consent. Persons who take magic seriously and ethically would consider this wrong.

And..clients who grow up in secret ridden families will sense zones of secrecy at a non verbal level. This will trigger re-enactments of their family dynamics which will subvert the process of therapy.

* It is unethical to surround a non believer with reminders of your religion, whether its to draw down vitalizing astral forces, or remind you which plane you are on and which planes you hope to evolve or devolve up to or down into . If your religion or magical system are truly vitalizing you should have the inner resources that you can maintain a therapy room that does not contain of your worship sanctuary or coven. What you have in your private office should be sufficient to vitalize you.

*To impose your or your guru or magus' or churches decor specifications upon the waiting room and therapy room is to contaminate patient space with your private beliefs.

*A therapist should have the personal maturity to select clothing to his or her personal preferences and professional decorum. If one must dress in certain colors so as to draw down astral influences, confine that to one's worship space. Dont bring that into the therapy room. Magical thought is of a different type than what is needed for the work of licensed mental health practice, which is based on science and the principles of falsifiablity.

* It is not possible for a therapist to remain at adult level if he or she is in a therapy room designed to the specifications of a guru, prophet, or magus who claims to be at a higher level of realisation than the therapist. It is worth asking how a therapist can give full adult attention to a client if the therapy room is filled with cues designed to trigger associations with states of mind and--possibly trance--associated with one's religion or magic circle. Especially if the affiliation is a secret the therapist keeps from clients and not from other clients who are in on the secret.

*The therapist should have the maturity to hold and contain self integrity so that he or she can remain adult and grounded in a workspace (the therapy room) that does not contain remainders of his or her religion. It is quite all right for the therapists private office to have reminders of his or her religion, but the therapist should have the maturity to be able to function at adult and professional level without contantly being on the psychic teat of a belief system that requires dependance on external cues.

If the belief system ranks people hierarchically according to spiritual attainment or alleged lack thereof, how can a therapist who has attained some degree of rank in that belief system feel full and true empathy for a client who is seeminly at a lower level in the hierarchy.

An earlier post but worth repeating.

[forum.culteducation.com]

A group that claims it is of God but in practice functions like an elite social club, with a vetting process word of mouth referrals, a dense unspoken network of businesses and an air of glossy country club mystique -- that is a travesty.

By contrast, entities such as the British House of Lords, Parliament clubs such as Whites, Boodles, the Atheneum, the Skull and Bones at Yale, the DAR, or The Bohemian Club out in California -- those are worldly, oriented towards the powerful and for the elite.

The latter are known hang outs for the powerful and influential -- so attract
scrutiny and accontability from the citizenry and from the media.

A licensed psychotherapist must never recruit for a lodge, whether
Sufi or not.

Even allowing subtle or not so subtle 'hints' to leak into sessions via decor
and dress subverts boundaries.

If a therapist finds it oppressive to keep silent on his or her spiritual
commitment, then deactivate one's license as a clinician and get licensed as
a pastoral counselor/chaplain on behalf of ones faith.

Someone licensed as a psychotherapist must not use his or her practice to legitimize or disguise a long term prosltyization project.

He or she must never display pictures of gurus or murshids or masters,
nor decorate the consultion room in such a way as to mimic the appearance
of the worship sanctuary. A therapist should be adult enough not to require
constant reminders or refuelling from visual reminders of religious commitment.

Many clients come from secret ridden families. A therapist who is hiding
a secret commitment to a lodge and a 7th plane guru or pir is enacting the role
of secret keeper with the lodge or tariqa being the dysfunctional family.

Clients from secret crippled backgrounds may pick this up via unconscious
nonverbal hints and silences. Therapeutic process will be subverted; such
a client and such a therapist may risk bonding but it will be the reenactment
of a bond formed by shared secrecy, not by therapeutic rapport.

People often come to therapists in states of regression or crisis. It can be
tempting to try to stabilize oneself by taking on interests or religoius beliefs hinted at by a therapist.

So one test of a therapists faith is to keep that faith within his or her heart
but no trace of it visible in the consulting room. Ultimate trust in God
is to respect a client's autonomy and not leak cues from the therapist into the
therapeutic encounter.

Finally, a therapist should not wear jewelry that is excessively expensive
or hints at power or rank. A simple wedding ring is permissible. A rosary, a
ring that seems more like that of a grand vizier or master mason--no.

A therapist must maintain boundaries for purposes of privacy. A therapist's
beliefs (or none) must never leak into discussions.

A therapist must never have a proponderance of clients who are also lodge members, and that same therapist should have a rich array of professional associations that have no connection with his or her lodge, tariqua, mosque,
church, sangha, coven, or synagogue.

[forum.culteducation.com]

A basic rule of thumb for evaluating any Sufi sect, lodge, or leader.

Simplicity.

Simplify.

Declutter. That is all. This is in common with the best practices of
any religion.

Joining should not require a long, oppresive vetting process. You should
not feel as though you are joining the CIA.

Dont allow anyone to pressure you to reveal your shame ridden
secrets.

If so, demand to know about confidentiality. What if you later
realize you want to leave this sect?

If you have confided shame ridden secrets about your life, you may
be afraid to leave for fear of this being used against you.

Suppose a pir or murshid or sheikh demands letters from each disciple
reporting inner progress?

Who has access to the letters if the leader dies or becomes incapacited?

What if you are told to reveal intimate details of your finances or sex
life?

This kind of information can be abused later on.

No reputable group should ever, ever demand this of you.

And if you are both married, no religious leader, however holy has any
right to pry into your marriage or tell you whom to marry or whether to have
children, or how many.

Your position in the sect should NEVER depend on being married, staying
married, and should never depend on whether you have children or
remain childless.

Persons who are single or married and childless should not be
pressured to give more service to the sect than those who do have
children.

Children and marriages should never be neglected just to service
the whims, crises or needs of a religious leader.

No prying questions should ever be asked of your finances.

Anne Marie Schimmel's sourcebook, Mystical Islam, remains a good place to start.

The early Sufis rejected the affluence of the early Muslim urban scene.

In modern parlance these early Sufis were back to basics people. They
were critical of pomp and circumstance, wary of the frills and consumerism
that urban life and new class divisions brought into Muslim life after conquest of the Levant and of Persia. To balance this, the proto - Sufis emphasized
the renunciate aspects of Mohammed's life and those aspects of the Koran
which criticized wealth. These persons were not bumpkins. They had culture.

But they were concerned that greed and wealth were eroding bonds between God
and neighbor.

Later Sufis, scholars, exposed to Greek Hermetic texts, portions of Greek Platonism, Neoplatonism, oraltraditions about Persian religions, created more complex theosophies, spiritual hierarchies, making Sufi practice more and yet more complex, making masters more and more important as gatekeepers. Theories of
reincarnation crept in, making masters important as mediators for those
fretting about whether to have a better rebirth -- say, getting to Harvard
in one's next lifetime. (Am being satirical here)

These are beautiful systems, glittering palaces of the mind.

One had to have had an elite level education to access such "teachings".

These bring the worry -- am I missing something?

This later development created glorious art, but added complexities.

Some Sufi sects turned into gentlefolk's clubs.

Then, in the late 19th century, Westerners and some Western educated Indians and Persians, influenced by Madame Blavatsky's books began collaborating and
in creating Westernized or Universal Sufism, systems so complex, that a master was rendered perpetually necessary.

Simplify, simplify. Trust that G-d didnt create us just to throw us into
a maze and leave us vulnerable to frowning giggling tyrants with luxurious whims.

Focus on God and neighbor.

Musa/Moses is considered one of the Prophets of Islam, and he spoke truth to
Pharoah. Moses cannot be dismissed as one avatar among many.

One must not become slaves to a pir murshid, or sheikh, for that
is a travesty.

And...your neighbor should be the entire Ummah, not just your tiny little
sect; and if you are a humanistic Sufi, your neighbor is all *all of humanity, not just your sect mates.

Seek favor from G-d, instead of fretting about what level of realization
or plane you're at.

Never allow the pir or sheikh or murshid to become a distraction from G-d.

No need to change your address to where the pir, murshid or the sheikh resides.

Dont let your sect become focus of a micro economy, a patronage network of real estate agents, florists, realtors, body workers, interior decorators, therapists.

That is a travesty.

Great art is created only by facing the full range of life, not by hiding
in a gated community.

G-d is everywhere. The old Sufis wandered all over the world, set up hospitality centers in rough areas. They had apprenticeships, then were
sent forth or called forth. They didnt spend their entire lives suckling at the teat of a Pir, Sheikh or Murshid.

Many visitors were poor and could afford only occasional journeys to a lodge, tekke khanq, or langar.

The rest of the time one had to get the crops in, or the cattle counted each
day.

Beware a sect which multiplicaties of fears or doctrines. You should not become afraid of jinns or radiation.

Your life should not become clotted with worries about staying in favor,
busy work supporting the sect or busy work cleaning the sect's buildings or its
school, or fussingwith yet another concert, yet another choir production, yet another theatrical production yet another lecture one must, must must attend at risk of losing favor.

One should not find one'self fretting endlessly about flower arrangements
or pruning.

And if one has a garden, one should not encounter peer (or Pir)pressure to plant
only certain types of flowers or colors.

If you happen not to like roses, no need to have roses just because you
are a Sufi.

Suppose you love bromeliads or pitcher plants? There's a whimsy,
a Dr. Seuss vibe to them. Enjoy them. Dont ditch your bromeliads or hide
them when the Pir visits.

The fractal beauty of certain cacti? G-d created those too. Have them in your
house if they're what please you.

Venus fly traps? Amazing. No need to hide your appreciation for VFT's just
because you are in a Sufi tradition.

No need for a new wardrobe. In the lands of its origin, Sufis wore what clothing
they had. Some were so grungy that one servant wrote, "Oh Lord, how filthy
thy friends are!"

Central Asian Sufis looked almost rastafarian -- long ringlets, tall
hats lined with fleece, scraggly beards patched clothing, tall
staffs, some with concealed weapons, due to the dangers they lived with.

No need to adapt a new form of interior decoration of your room or office.

Just declutter. Dont copy cat a Pir a sheik, etc.

G-d created variety.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2014 12:04AM by corboy.

If you are losing a friend or relative to a sect, whether it calls itself Sufi
or anything else, consider this:

Your relative may have been indoctrinated to believe that all other
religions are inferior precursors and that their sect is the only
true religion. They may fear your amazement and ridicule.

Your friend may be instructed to misrepresent the sect in public and feel
ashamed to have done so.

Your friend or relative may have revealed shame ridden secrets, not only about
themselves but even about you and the family as part of their initiation process into the sect. They may feel ashamed to face you if as part of
initiation they tattled that some relative is head of an important family
business, or that one of your friends has important connections in the US
government or military.

If your friend was told to confess all past misdeeds he or she may have
confessed to illegal activities and now be terrified of blackmail.

Suppose the two of you did very, very *stupid cruel* things when in college
together.

Your pal may have revealed his or her misdeeds and if you shared in those
misdeeds, may have blabbed about you. Now the friend, having become
an initiate, may fear to face you.

Which--is what a very controlling group wants. To estrange new initiates
from their friends and families outside the group.

Your friend or relative might have been pressured to spill the beans, not only about themselves but about you about family businesses and connections as part of "initiation". They may dread you will disown them if they dare tell you.

Have they been through some set up where they've been told to fear an
impending apocalypse that only the master knows about and they cannot reveal
to you?

You may wish to let your friend know that even if they have given intimate
information about you or your family, you will still love them. And you
remain concerned for them.

Let them know if anything happens, they can always stay at your place.

That is the most powerful thing you can offer. That you are ready to offer
a sanctuary, an alternative if, later, they want to leave.

Repeat: let them know that through you, they have an alternative, a way out.

MEAN THIS.

However, as long as they remain in the group, do not give them money. It will
only keep them valuable as members to the group. If they need to leave,
do prepaid plane tickets, instead of giving money directly.

If they stand to inherit large sums, discuss setting it up as a trust so that
at most they get income but cannot inherit the principal. If these persons
are not married, arrange the trust so that they will have no access to it
if they marry, or if they marry in the next 5 years. (Only if this is legally feasible)

This will thwart or discourage the group from arranging a marriage between
an established group member and a newer recruit who is potential heir or heiress to a large estate.

If the group tends to arrange marriages between Americans and foreign nationals, contact the US State Department or ICE and request advice
on behalf of your friend or relative.

No true Sufi group should ever have this.

Your mind should be for G-d, not the property of some Pir, Murshid, Avatar or Sheikh. Beware of shirk -- substituting a human being for G-d

(Quote)

[forum.culteducation.com]

Gurumayicould also just be sick of all those people and wanted to be able to get away from them, while still keeping hold of the organization. Who knows, if Gurumayihas not been seen, she could even have had face-lifts, and then just do whatever she wants.

But installing herself in their psyche's using advanced techniques, and then vanishing without saying anything is very very diabolical.

She knows if she tells them what she is doing, then it kills the mystery and power. A True Believer might think she is in other dimensions.. (Unquote)

and

(Quote)But the happy story is people can deprogram themselves and do a Guru UNINSTALL. Just do the opposite of what they did before. Kick her out of the body using imagination and self-hypnosis meditation, over and over. Reverse all the processes.

(Unquote)

If you encounter this, run. It isnt part of any Sufi/tassawuf practice at all.

The Fear Exercise. This isnt from any Sufi tradition. It is from Werner Erhards
Landmark Education program. If it shows up in a context labelled sufi, RUN.

[forum.culteducation.com]

[forum.culteducation.com]

A group may claim to be apolitical.

Friends, if you are tax exempt as a spiritual non profit or church -- that is political. It also means secular tax payers are indirectly subsidizing you.

If you own property, thats politics.

If one negotiates to build extensions of one's tekke and one must get permits
and haggle with neighbors, that too is political.

Refusing to take an interest in the persecution of saliks and the bombing
and vandalism of Sufi shrines in Pakistan, India due to upsurges in Islamic and Hindu fundamentalist bigotry -- (without these communities the west would never have heard of sufism)--ignoring all this while sniffing perfume and writing sugary music for one's upscale clique -- that isnt being apolitical.

Thats just re-enacting pre-1789 Versailles.

One percenters.

And within the court at Versailles, there were yet more elite sub sections.

Louis XIV created Marly -- only courtiers with a very special invite could
accompany him to Marly.

Most famously, Marie Antoinette created her special coterie at Petit Trianon
and her private, exquisite cottage, to which only her very most intimate
friends were invited.

That is the spirit behind such exclusiveness.

It is the lower, craving soul that craves hierarchical distinctions.

Spiritual one percenters quite happy to be indirectly subsidized by those
who have no spiritual pretensions and pay secular income tax.

Writing off the anguish of the world as a necessary cosmic purging that
is part and parcel of the Kali Yuga -- that, children is derived
from Blavatsky's theosophy, and isnt part of older teachings of tassawuf
at all.

Kali Yuga is a Hindu concept later taken up and given special emphasis in
Blavatsky's system and those derived from it.

Blavatsky's books had a huge circulation in the late 19th and early 20th
century and were quite influential world wide, including in India.

Sufism properly named, originated in the context of Islam and there,
one has one God, not a series of gods, and we have just this world and
a Last Judgement.

Kali Yuga is not part of Islam as properly understood.

To use the name Sufism properly, one must regard it as deepening
commitment to the pillars of Islam.

Robert F Burton, in his book from the 1840s, Sindh and the Races that Inhabit the Valley of the Indus, has a long chapter on tassawuf.

He noted how many practices once Hindu became incorporated into festivities
at sufi festivals.

Burton described how in more orthodox parts of the Islamic world, a proverbial
statement was,

"Oh thou returner from Hind (Hindustan/India) -- renew thy Islam!"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2014 11:54PM by corboy.