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To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.sufi,alt.islam.sufism,alt.religion.gnostic,alt.consciousness.mysticism,talk.religion.misc,talk.religion.newage From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (haramullah) Subject: Sufism Date: 23 Dec 1997 22:00:26 -0800 49971219 aa2 assalam alaykum, my kin. Shaik Khafidasks the real questions: # 1) What is Tasawwuf? "tasawwuf" is typically translated "sufism" or "Sufism" and compared with numerous phrases intending synonymous meaning, such as 'method of achieving gnosis/love' (ma'rifa/mahabba), and 'spiritual actualization' (el-ihsan). it is also given many characterizations in a social light, such as 'those who abide with the Truth' (al-haqq), 'Companions of the Bench' (the Sufis alive during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh), etc. as I have understood it (mostly through books about it, but also in discussions with sufis and a few direct meetings with sufis), it seems best to categorize sufism as a type of esotericism or mysticism, often associated with the religion or way of Islam, that focusses quite specifically upon a body of poets and teaching traditions ('orders') congregated about its name. the composition of what is included within sufism (or indeed 'Sufism', which I leave as a term for Islamic sufism) appears to depend upon the needs of the community and student who become involved, though it may be roughly said to include the roles of guide (sheikh/murshid) and seeker (murid) and aim at the liberation and integration of the seeker in question. methods of instruction may differ greatly, but they tend to focus on instructional stories and direction through a course of varied behaviors leading to a maturation of spirit or consciousness (not dissimilar from a variety of other mystical systems). there are even traditional descriptions of levels of such maturation rendered by sheikhs and authors in the community. Stuart Litvak writes: The essentials of Sufism are people, place, and materials; that is, the students and their teacher, the locale (the community), and the teachings. The Teaching -- what transpires when these elements are correctly aligned -- is probably most fundamental, but this is not generally recognized. ... Sufism begins with the human mind. Anyone who says, "It is all so indescribable, but I just feel what you mean," is unlikely to profit by Sufism. For Sufis are working, are carrying out an effort to awaken a certain field of consciousness by means of an approach which is specialized, not fortuitous. Sufism does not trade in airy- fairiness, mutual admiration, or luke-warm generalities. When the "bite" disappears, so, too does the Sufic element from a situation. The con- verse is also true. Sufism is not directed to a section of the commmunity [sic] -- for no such section exists -- but to a certain faculty within individuals. Where this faculty is not activated, there is no Sufism. It contains "hard" as well as "soft" realities, discord as well as harmony, the sharp brightness of awakening as well as the gentle dark of a lulling to sleep. [NOTE: Idries Shah, _The Sufis_, New York; Dutton, 1964, p. 21.] ... While the teacher is essential, it is noteworthy that not all Sufis officially teach. In fact most do not. Those Sufis who do teach have the proclivity. In addition, they will teach only when the desire to teach is absent. This is one distinctive criterion that separates the true teacher from the bogus. ----------------------------------------------- _Seeking Wisdom_, by Stuart Litvak, Samuel Weiser Inc., 1984; pp. 56-8. [my comments] ________________________________________________ Insan-i-Kamil writes: Sufism is the teaching as well as the fraternity of the Sufis, who are mystics sharing the belief that inner experience is not a department of life, but life itself. Sufi means 'love'. In the lower reaches the members are organized into circles and lodges. In the higher -- *sakina* (stillness) -- form, they are bound together by *baraka* (blessing, power, sanctity) and their interaction with this force influences their lives in every way. Sufism is a way of life, believed by the members to be the essence and reality of all religious and philosophical teachings. It leads to the completion of mankind and womankind, through the instititions of discipleship, meditation and practice. The latter is the 'living of reality'. Wisdom or completion, according to the Sufis, is to be distinguished from intellectualism, scholasticism and the like, which are merely tools. The Path teaches to what extent these tools can be used; and also how to amalgamate action with destiny. 'Sufism', says a teacher, 'is the Path taken by Sufis in their actual living and working according to a form which is not like other forms: which leads them to the full develop- ment of their mental, physical and metaphys- ical powers. They are organized initially in groups under the guidance of a Guide (teacher) until the relationship which is self-perpetuating is established. 'The Fraternity is called the Brotherhood, the Order, and the Way, or Path. It may be called the Building, on the analogy that something is being built by the association of the members. The Teacher is called a Master, Sheikh, Sage, Knower, Guide, Leader, Ancient, or Director. The Disciple is called a Directed One, Devotee, Lover, or Postulant....' ------------------------------------------- quoted in _The Way of the Sufi_, Idries Shah, Arkana Books, 1990; pp. 294-5. ___________________________________________ # 2) When did Tasawwuf came about? since the character and boundaries of what constitutes sufism are so ambiguous, any discernment as to its origin and status are necessarily based on prejudice and favor. from one perspective it comes about in every moment and passes away. from another it has always been around (as the process of maturation or mysticism). from another it came about in a very particular, historical place and time and originated the core of a popular religion (Islam). often people enjoy taking a rather literal or linguistic approach, attempting to isolate the usage of the term 'sufi' or 'tasawwuf'. sometimes they will attach a specific significance to the word itself and identify when that particular referent originated. typically (as with many mystical congregates contained or espoused by the religious to which it is affiliated) sufism is identified with Islam and the stories and principles attributed to the history of this religious tradition. whether this extends into a cultural past and other traditions such as Buddhism, as is often done by academics, or into religious history to the patriarchs of Judeochristianity, appears to depend on the interests of the speaker. some attempt to apply a universal quality to their characterizations. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh says: There are religions and religions, but Sufism is the religion -- the very heart, the innermost core, the very soul. Sufism is not part of Islam; rather, on the contrary, Islam is a part of Sufism. Sufism existed before Mohammed was born, and Sufism will exist when Mohammed is completely forgotten. Islams come and go; religions take form and dissolve; Sufism abides, continues, because it is not dogma. It is the very heart of being religious. You may not ever have heard of Sufism and you may be a Sufi -- if you are religious. Krishna is a Sufi, and Christ too; Mahavir is a Sufi, and Buddha too -- and they never heard about the word, and they never knew that anything like Sufism exists. Whever a religion is alive, it is because Sufism is alive within it. Whenever a religion is dead, it shows only that the spirit, the Sufi spirit, has left it. Now there is only a corpse, however decorated -- in philosophy, metaphysics, in dogmas, doctrines -- but whenever Sufism has left, religion stinks of death. This has happened many times. This is happening already almost all over the world. One has to be aware of it, otherwise one can go on clinging to a dead corpse. -------------------------------------------- _Journey Toward the Heart: Discourses on the Sufi Way_, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Harper and Row, 1976; p. 3. ____________________________________________ contrast this type of language to that from Stoddard: Sufism is the spirituality or mysticism of the religion of Islam. Mysticism makes its appearance, as an inward dimension, in every religion, and to attempt to separate the mystical element from the religion which is its outward support is an arbitrary act of violence which cannot but be fatal to the mysticism, or spiritual path, concerned. In the present century, however, the attempt to do precisely this has been made repeatedly, and time and time again we are offered a Vedanta (or a yoga) without Hinduism, or a Zen (or something purporting to be such) without Buddhism. In recent times nothing has suffered more from this vain procedure than Sufism: in a variety of forms and in many parts of the Western world we are now offered a Sufism without Islam! One might as well try to purvey human life without a human body! To be sure, the body (though made in the image of God) is corruptible and mortal, while life is invisible and immortal. Nevertheless, as far as we in this world are concerned, it is only in the body that life finds its support and expression. So is it also in the case of mysticism or spirituality: this is the inward or supra- formal dimension, of which the respective religion is the outward or formal expression. One cannot be a Benedictine without being a Christian, or a Sufi without being a Muslim. There is no Sufism without Islam. -------------------------------------------- _Sufism_, William Stoddard, Paragon House, 1985; p. 19. ____________________________________________ # 3) Why did Tasawwuf came about? cause-effect origination is difficult to use in the case where even the temporal source is disputed and variable. it is possible sufism was directed by the will of the divine to manifest in the world, or that it was a natural outgrowth of human development, or that it was a local response to eternal, universal human need. # 4) Who were the first practicians of Tasawwuf? where we go now with response of course depends on the predilections of the speaker and listener. in this case the listener is someone who is sitting before a keyboard and monitor, reading words on the monitor's screen, the speaker in an almost identical orientation. it is a kind of 'public speaking' as via the radio, going to those who may or may not have any relation to me. who were the first practitioners of Sufism? obviously the Prophet Muhammad, his devout followers, and those of the Muslim Sufi 'Golden Chain' after Ali. some also suggest that Adam, Mosheh (Moses), Ibrahim (Abraham) and possibly Issa (Jesus) were precursors in the Sufi Way. who were the first practitioners of a central core mysticism to all religions? this is of course lost to the observation of historians. humans who existed long before any kind of social religious tradition developed undoubtedly engaged in these types of intense Teacher/Student relationships and assisted one another to spiritual maturity. # 5) Where did Tasawwuf first existed? Sufism first existed in the region of Mecca, a city in West Saudi Arabia if one identifies Muhammad as the first Sufi. if one goes back to Judeochristian patriarchs then it depends on which one takes as the 'first' and could be quite difficult to locate depending on where 'Adam' might be thought to have existed. # 6) Why is there a need to be accepted into a sufi order in order to # practice Tasawwuf? there isn't. this is a prejudice of those who are members of the orders or the misunderstanding of those who have little connection to sufism. there are 'wandering sufis', for example, who have no formal connection to the Orders. again, significance of terms determines the response. if 'a sufi order' becomes an ambiguous and informal group or body of initiates into the mysteries of the self, then even those who have never known one another could be said to be 'of the same order', implying a unification of aim and approach. # 7) What is the role of a Syaikh in a sufi order? # 8) What is the role of a Mureed in a sufi order? these were covered well above. the translations of the terms (Guide and Seeker or Student respectively) provide a clear indication of the role. seldom is it explained that the sheikh never ceases to *be* a murid -- that the teacher has not ever stopped being a student. # 9) What is the difference between a genuine sufi order and a false one? the central focus of the false order will become the members of the organization, the power and attention focussed on the sheikh and upper echelon rather than dispersed for the benefit of attention to the individual members and their development. basically the quality of instruction or maturation is the predominant difference. # 10) How many genuine sufi orders are there? just as there is an ambiguity as to the significance of the term 'sufi' and who ought be identified as such, so also is there an ambiguity about an order's "genuineness". some will point to the traditional ascription of lineage and the Golden Chain (a kind of pedigree). others will make note of the geographical origins of the sheikh or order. perhaps others will attest to the materials (sometimes secret!) which are used for instruction or compose the core study of the community. and still others will witness to the depth of purity of the sheikh, the level of awareness and composure of the community members, or the challenge (and therefore the reward) offered to the dedicated who enter into the company. as has already been stated, some suggest there is only really one sufi order, and that this is informal, not distinguished by social categories or labels, and initiated by the divine. Frank Gorin : # Is there is fact a need? # Must one (I) put on the wool to see through the wool? the need may well be there for some. it is difficult to taste a ripe mango by looking at it from afar. may peace be with you, haramullah tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com -- (emailed replies may be posted); http://www.hollyfeld.org/~tyagi; 408/2-666-SLUG join the esoteric syncretism in alt.magick.tyagi; http://www.abyss.com/tokus
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