ONE DAY as I was having a cup of tea outside a small hotel in Istanbul, I noticed that the street was named Dervishlersokak, which means “alley of the dervishes.” At that very moment, a man pulling a cart stacked high with sacks of chickpeas passed by, a single man carrying the kind of burden [...]
I was talking with a friend here in Kauai who is doing some important research in what I call the “matrix”. He said, “The work I want to do now for society can best be described as de-programming.” It struck a chord in my own heart as I realized that on the Sufi Path we [...]
March newsletter: The Joyous Disciplines of Dervishood, visiting Chishti saints in India, and upcoming events in London...
HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome to the new monthly newsletter where we will share the latest news, articles and messages from our teachers and international community. How do we follow the path of the saints in these times? And exploring the joyous disciplines of dervishood. . .
Reflection on September’s theme: The false self (nafs) will never be satisfied; so strive with God to be near to Him. For most of our lives we live with our self (nafs) in charge, calling out to God whenever the nafs gets a bit shaken. It is when we fall and get broken that we [...]
Reflection on August’s theme: The more the mind and heart become still, the more we can trust in God. The state of my mind has always been quite frenetic. Over the years I have struggled with presence and meditation. It always seems that the quieter I try to become, the more active my mind becomes. [...]
Reflection on July’s theme: Be cleansed of shallow idolatries; affirm the Real. Ya Haqq. Alhaqqah, Mal-haqqah, Wa Maa adraka mal haqqaqah. Oh the Laying-bare of the Truth. How awesome that laying-bare of the Truth. And what could make thee conceive what the laying bare of the truth will be? [Surah 69: Al Haqqah] As we [...]