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SeyedMostafalrzmayeshTHETEACHINGSOFA,,.' ,i"ST]FIMASTER@rghSufiSocietySirnoDownloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
THETEACFIINGSOFASUFIMASTERDr. SevedMostafa AzmayeshDownloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
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Specialthanks toMr. Mohammad Dananie,Mr. StevenRoushakes,and Dr. Ali RezaAnalouei for their contributionsandwithout whom publication of this book would nothavebeenpossible.Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
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Contentslntroduction13What is theWay of the Sufi?.'l /1The Truth Lies in Your HeaftA Little Technique151617l7l82022I-essEgotistical,More Altruistic1ALAThe Way of the Parrot25Backto the Basisof SufismThe MysticalTeachingMethodHow DoesOne RecognlzeanAuthenticSchool?Whatis the Goal?.Reci piento r Conte n t'/Sheikh Kamell-29L a stMin u tes. . .U ncleHass a n 's31The Mystcry of DeathaaJLDeathis a DreamWithoutReturn.35The Night Brings Counsel3s3739What Will Becomeof UncleHassan?4lThe Aftermath of the VoyageR e a lit y. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4L.Ti m e D oesn o t Havean IndependentThe Astral VoyagesSchoolis FinishedHave a Nice Trip, Uncle HassanDownloaded from https://www.holybooks.com4547
The Nights of the Month of Ramadan1. The Two DoorsA Few Words on Sufl Astrology5355562. The Bird in a Cage593. The MerchantAnd His Parrot65The Sym bo ls.694. The Two Worlds(visibleandinvisible).7IDreamor Reality74The Beyond.745. The Interpretationof Dreamsl76. The Old WanderingMusician83CommonLanguageor CollectiveMemory?7. The Post-PhysicalWorld8691WhatAbout Reincarnation?.Y5The Dangersof IdealizingReincarnation98The One Way of the Two Doors998. The Pre-PhysicalWorld101The Broken Taboo1029. EscapingDeathSuicide10.Realityand Illusion105106107The Shadowand the Bird108The DeludedCuckold109The InfluencedProfessor.110The Elephantin The Dark .111I l . M editati on .Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.comll3
9The ContestBetweenthe Chineseand RomanArtists . 1 1 612.Explanationof the PrincipleofNegation119There is No Derv'ishin the Worldr20The MinstrelandtheTurkishEmir .t2l124.C om m entary127TheArab from the Desertand the Caliphof Baghdad. r29131Mowlana'sMessage13314. An Allusion to the Principleof Negation135andthe Navigator.15.The Grammarianr3916.M an in the Imageof God.140.The Deceptionof Resemblancet41The Oil Merchant'sParott4317.The Lion in the Desertandthe Bowl of Milk.143The Cow that Becamea Liont45The Lion'sMeal .13.SoulDoctors18. Wealthand Poverty.r4719.Thirty Birds: The Questof the Simorght4915115320. Ali, Son of Abu Taleb21.ZekrThe InfluenceofZekr22.Fekr155159Majnoonand the Doctor160The Unity of the Lover and the Beloved16023. Moragebeh(Meditation)Quarantine- Self-Evaluationof Our ActionsMohassebehDownloaded from https://www.holybooks.com163163165
1016724.Hozeh25. Closingof Schoolsof Mysticism. 16926.TheTruthAboutJihad.David and Goliath17317527. Nafs177The Distinction BetweenJihads178Creature.28. The Storyof the Two-Headed181Publisher'sNote:Although many of the personalpronounsused in this bookare masculine,they are not intendedto excludewomen.The Sufi teachingsare inclusive of all humanbeings.Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
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i3IntroductionEveryoneis familiar with the whirling dervishes;more likely, everyone at sometimehas seena film on Turkey and its folklore, where itis impossibleto ignore danceof the dervishes,dressedin long whitewhirling to the monotonousrhythmrobesand high felt headdresses,of a hauntingmusic.Someknow that the dervishesare originally mystics of the MiddleEast,whoseroots areto be found in Islamic culturein a broad sense.But very few know the real philosophyof the dervishes:the way ofthe Sufi.Somethink Sufismis an Islamic sect,which for them makesit suspiciousand frightening.Othersthink it is just anotherEasternreligion,Hinduism;orsuchas Zoroastrianism;Yet, Sufism is neithera sectnor a religion.Sectsare recognizedby two main characteristics,easy to identify,which should stir suspicion:proselytism,that is, a constantsearchfor new followers, and a tendencyto extort money from followers.Thesecharacteristicsgo together:the more followers there are, themore money flows into the funds and into the pocketsof leadersorthe so-calledgurus.Sufism by no meanslooks for new followers, though postulantsarevery welcome.To follow the way requiresno financial investment.Thesetwo argumentsshould clear Sufism from any doubt or suspi-Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
74TheTenchingsof n Sufi MasterCould it be a religion?A religionis charactercion of sectarianism.izedby dogmas,a set of beliefs officially established,to which thefollower must adhereto be a memberof the "church" or community.Sufismpreachesno particulardogma,exceptthe greattruthsthat arethe basisof all religiousbeliefs:the belief in the existenceof divinity, of an invisible world, and of the immortality of the soul.Unlike the mosque,the Sufi's gatheringis opento all people;everybody can go in the circle of a Sufi Master as an observerwithoutchanginghis religion. If you areChristian,Jewish,Buddhist,or evenif you have no religion, your entranceto a Sufi gatheringis not refused.Sufi circlesarenot exclusivelvfor Muslims.What is the Way of the Sufi?Sufism is a set of personalpractices- though rarely practicedcollectively in small groups * designedto help the follower develop hidden and unexploitedcapacities,with the goal of developing knowledge of the self and the visible and invisible world,and guiding the seekeror "traveler" along the spiritual path, andultimately acquiringtruths of his existenceand a certainvision ofthe world.lAn enormousprogram!I This definition is very close to the definition of yoga. The wordyoga is most often misused nowadays, as it is generally used to definerelaxation exercises.The Sanskrit definition of the word is "union." Realyoga has the purpose to produce the union of body and soul, the union ofthe human being with the divinity and the universe. To reach this goal,yoga, like the Sufi way, requires many years of exercisespunctuated withsuccessive spiritual stages that are always under the responsibility andDownloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
fhe 'Tt:nchingsof a Sufi Master15The Truth Lies in Your HeartThe basepostulateof Sufism.as with all mysticism,is that thereisno needfor blissful faith in a supposedtruth, as advocatedby dogmatic religions.All answerslie within the self, deep in the heart.Sufismteachesthe followerwho sincerelyseeksthe truthto developthe capacitiesto discoverfor himself the answersto his existentialquestions.of any beliefThus,he drawshis own truths,independentimposedor imprcssedupon him sincechildhood.Haveyou ever askedyourselfwhy you areChristian,for example?Most likely,95o would simply respondthat they were born in theU.S.A. or in Franceinto a Christianfamily. If you were born in theMiddle E,ast,you would probablybe Muslim; or Buddhist,if youwere born in Tibet! To what degreeare you free to chooseyourreligion?Unlessyou are converted,an exceptionalcase,you simply follow the religion of your parents,which mingles with thetraditionsof your country anil of your surroundings.When you thinkabout it, fiom a slight distance,you realizethe nonsenseof religious wars.Takethe next step and go directly to the higher level and startwithspiritualmatters.What'sessentialis to havethe will to progressonthe way of esscntialevolution,to bccotnebetter,more experiencedsu rv eillanc e of a c o m p e te n t g u i d e o r " n ta s tet" w ho know s, havi ngexperienceclit himself .As a matter clf fact, who r.r'ouldhave the eccentricidea to start alone, without equipment, without training and without a map, to climb a dangerous and unknown glacier? Such a persoll n'ould be foolish; he wouldn'thave a chancein a million to reach, intact, the top of the mountain to havea glimpse of the other side. Only with the professional help of someonewho knows the traps, the places to rest and the short cuts, can he be sparedfrom failure or even from death. This is a warning to amateurs! Meditateon this parable.Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
t6The 'feac,\ingso.io Strfi Mssterand wiser.This will resultin your time on eartlibeingpositive.But we are going too quickly.Back to the Basisof SufismThus,a Sufi doesnot needto believein the existenceof nonhasan explanation,cause(andvice versa).A humanbeingcandevelophis souluntil heattainsthe knowledgeof what we call God (thoughwe do not reallyknow what this is). The only limits to an adequateleaming methodare to be found in our own capacitiesand in our personalwork.Let us linger fbr a while on thesetwo fundamentalpoints.Eachindividualhasa uniquecapacity.Althougheveryonehasa chanceto developthe soul,we mustadrnitthat,in this field, asin all of nature,equalitydoesnot exist. Somepeoplehave a small bicycle and mustmakean enoffnouseffort to clirnb the mountainpath.Othersarebornwith a big motorcyclethatwill carrythemto the top without effort - ifthey are carefulnot to fall into a precipice.This is the reasonwhy theSufi way is individualized.Eachpersonpracticesaccordingto his ownnatureand capabilities.Teachthe rnotorcyclistto pedal,and he willnot get far. Teachthe cyclist to staft a motorcycleengine,and he willgo nowherelThe type andrhythmof practicesassignedto eachpersonshouldbe adaptedto their actualstateof mind andtheir aptitudes.Thisis why collectiveteachingis practicallyforbidden.Personalexerciseor work shouldbe diligentand persisting.it is nota questionof exhaustingoneselffor hours,but of practicingregularly eachday for months,evenyears,beforeany perceptibleresultis felt. Hereagain,only the Sufi master,basedon certainsignsseenin meditationand in the clreamsof the seeker,may evaluatetheseeker'sprogresson the way to self-fulfillmentandthe developmentof his faculties.Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
of a SufiMssterTheTenchingst7The Mystical Teaching MethodThe one who sincerelyseeksthe way to substantialdevelopmentindeedproducesaroundhimself waves,wavesperceivedby the teacherand wavesthat show the seekerthe techniquesof esotericself-interrogation.The teacherwill appearat the right time in the life of theseeker.As with any other profession,the postulanton the way to a substantial developmentmust go through a systematicand well-organizededucation.The authenticityof the mystical way is provenby its educationalmethod.If a mystical schooldoesnot function accordingly,it is not authentic.In each school,only a certain number of personsare authorizedtoteachthe technicalpracticesof Sufism.How DoesOne Recognizean Authentic School?The link or connectionto an ancientand well-establishedstructure,basedon a seriousphilosophicaltradition, is the main proof of theauthenticityof a Sufi school.A true Sufr educationalsystemnever imposesany dogma or beliefandneverrequiresa renouncementof personalreligiousconvictions.It is not basedon religion but on spirituality and metaphysics.The teachernever expectsmoney,neither for his teaching,which isstrictly individual,nor for his spiritualhelp.Thosewho sell paranormal abilities, such as clairvoyants,may very well have a real aptitude,but cannotbe recognizedas Sufiswith authenticteachingmethods. This indicationis all-importantand illustrateshow to avoid theclaws of so-calledgurus leadingmercenarysects,and how to avoidfalling under the spell of unscrupulous,self-proclaimedmagi. GodDownloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
TheTeachingsof a SufiMaster18knows they are numerousand dangerous!Finally, the studentwill also recognizethe authenticityof a schoolby thedeepandmeticulousteachinghe is given,aswell asby certainsignsperceivedin dreams.The real spirirualadventurebeginsas:the seekerbecomesa traveleron the path to his own intemal developmentand unity with his ownspirit,the universe,and God.What is the Goal'/Looking at the deflnitionof Sufism,we find a doublepurpose:(1)personaldevelopment;(2) knowledgeof the self and of the visibleand invisibleworld.becausepersonaldevelopIn fact, both purposesgo owledge.canbementtion that perfectly capturesthe Sufi goal: essentialevolution.This requiresan explanation:We human beings are not what we think we are. In reality we aremuch more than what we think we are. Indeed, we each identifyourselveswith our physicalbody,which wasborn sometimeagofroma father and a mother,somewhereon this earth.This physicalbodywill die someday,as it is the ultimatedestinyof all living creatureson this ear1h.Whenwe declare,"l am John,"u'e think of our physical person:its history, its liealth, its financial difficulties, its happyfamily life, and everythingthat constitutesa daily life. This John with his environmentthroughbecausewe call him so- comrnunicatesthe five senscsof liis physicalbody:he seeswith his eyes,hearswithhis ears,smellswith his nose,tasteswith his mouth, and useshishands,or other parls of his body, to touch things. Thus, for him, theto his five senses.universeis exclusivelymadeof what is accessibleDownloaded from https://www.holybooks.com
of t Sufi MssterTheTeachings79If a soundis inaudiblefor his ears,for exampleultrasound,it is defined as non-existing,whereashis dog will perfectlyhearand run tohis master when John blows his ultrasoundwhistle, although thisvery whistle producesno perceptiblesoundfor us humanbeings!Allthis is to say that many things exist that remain inaccessibleto thehumanbeingsbecausethey are outsid
The Sufi teachings are inclusive of all human beings. Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com. t7/6/ t)I ) Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com. i3 Introduction Everyone is familiar with the whirling dervishes; more likely, every-one at sometime has seen a film on Turkey and its folklore, where it is impossible to ignore dance of the dervishes, dressed in long white robes and high felt .
