Sufis



Sufi Gnostic Work. The father of modern Sufism as we know it, was Hazrat Ali (599 to 661), the nephew of the Prophet Mohammed. While it was due to Mohammed's efforts to reunite the externalised, fragmented, teachings of Abraham (Jewish and Christian teachings) that Islam formed, it was Hazrat Ali who stabilised the ancient esoteric teaching of Zoroaster and Abraham as the inner method of the Sufis. At its deepest point Sufism is well beyond all outer religion.

The Sufis succeeding Hazrat Ali, through secrecy and in spite of persecution from the outer religions, preserved for 500 years the inner teaching, until a remarkable but hidden influence appeared in 12th. Century Europe with the purpose of regenerating the forces behind the Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions. This influence specifically initiated the formation of the Rosecrucians in Europe. Under this same hidden influence, the Sufi tradition flourished in the 12th. and 13th. Centuries producing the great writer teachers: Jelaludin Rumi of Afghanistan, 1207 to 1273, (wrote "Couplets of Inner Meaning"); Attar of Nishapur, 11?? to 1229?, (wrote over 100 books including "Parliament of the Birds"); and Hakim Sanai of Afghanistan, 1069 to 11?? (wrote "The Walled Garden of Truth"). Also notable were Al Ghazali, 1058 to 1111, (wrote on psychology and philosophy including "The Niche for Lights"); Bahauddin Naqshband 13?? to 1389, (founder of the Naqshbandi Sufis); while the teachings of Ibn el Arabi of Spain, 11?? to 1240, infused the Christianity prevailing in Western Europe. Typically those Sufi teachers operating in areas where Islam was strong, necessarily taught strictly within that religious context. Whenever geographical or sociological conditions allowed, they shook of the outer trappings of religion and taught directly. Though many Sufis are unable to free themselves in this way and persist in demanding the connection with the Muslim religion, this is just a product of their attachments and only serves as an unnecessary constraint to themselves and all who train under them. It will hold them back when they approach the higher levels of inner refinement.

Zikhr, 'to remember' is the central method of Sufism. Externally it is practised as remembrance of God through silent or group chanting. Internally it is practised as 'Self Remembering', a strong awareness that issues from the Deep Mind (not to be confused with the relatively superficial awareness that appears when all thoughts subside), centred on the heart and directed towards the Beyond (Divine). This practice is supported by restraint of the body's desires. The aim of the practice is the complete destruction of the personal self or ego, allowing a merging with the Divine. Every teaching talks of Love, the Sufis more than most. Sufi Shaikhs contribute to and can draw on an energy field called 'the Sufi pool of love'. But the superficial concept of love as understood in normal life is far from what is meant. When the Minds are stimulated to act from below - the outer world - the motive, however hidden, is self-centred. When stimulated from above - the Spirit - the action is motivated by universal concern for the evolution of consciousness in all forms, which is Love.



The Heart. Because the deep emotional world is the centre of a persons inner life (between the etheric and the deep mental) Sufi concentration is centred on the Heart. There are 5 points of concentration in the chest of which the first is the tip of the physical heart - 4 fingerwidths under the left nipple. By concentrating on this point within themselves with the intention of connecting to the same point within their student, the sufi teacher is able to enter the inner-world of the student's Soul, experience the strengths and weaknesses, then give individual advice as to the inner-work that student needs in order to proceed on the path. While there is a formal procedure most teachers use for establishing this contact, at a later stage for the more advanced teachers it is accomplished, even at a distance, by a simple effort of directed will.



Interesting Study of the Heart's Energy Field HeartEnergyResearch