heart beat Love inward and outward Sufi Ruhaniat International Summer 2009 Vol XXVII

Transcription

1 heart beat Sufi Ruhaniat International Summer 2009 Vol XXVII Love inward and outward

2 Sufi Ruhaniat International Toward the One, the Perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty, the Only Being; United with all the Illuminated Souls Who form the embodiment of the Master, the Spirit of Guidance. We aspire to support the awakening of hearts and the relieving of suffering, helping human beings unfold their soul s purpose and live harmoniously. The Sufi Ruhaniat International was founded by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis shortly before he died in We are in the stream of the ages-old wisdom lineage of Sufism brought to the West in 1910 by Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, , under the title The Sufi Message of Spiritual Liberty, and his disciple Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti). This work was continued by Hazrat Pir Moineddin Jablonski, the spiritual successor of Murshid Samuel Lewis, who guided the Ruhaniat from 1971 until his death in It continues today under the guidance of Pir Shabda Kahn, the successor of Pir Moineddin. The Invocation of Hazrat Inayat Khan states: Toward the One, the Perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty, the Only Being; United with All the Illuminated Souls, Who Form the Embodiment of the Master, the Spirit of Guidance. In accord with this invocation, we affirm our desire for unity of heart with all spiritual seekers on all paths toward God. Celebrating diversity within unity, we affirm our unique heritage and universal spiritual transmission through the life and work of Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti. This connects us principally to the Sufi lineage of Hazrat Inayat Khan, but also many other Illuminated Souls, known and unknown to the world. This transmission includes blessing streams from Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti s many teachers, only some of whom are named here: Swami Papa Ramdas, Mother Krishnabai, Nyogen Senzaki, Sokei-an Sasaki, Sufi Barkat Ali, and Mata-ji Ruth St. Denis. The Ruhaniat family is composed of sincere mureeds (formally initiated students) who tread the path of initiation and discipleship, seeking the truth of the inner life through personal practice and direct experience just as the disciples of Christ, Buddha, the Divine Mother, Mohammed, and other illuminated souls, known and unknown, have done through the ages. Because Sufism is based on experiences and not on premises, we affirm the preciousness of an initiatic relationship of spiritual transmission between initiator and mureed. It is a fundamental principle of the Sufi Ruhaniat International that each mureed have an initiator to serve as friend, guide and reality check. This primary initiatic relationship provides a living matrix within which student as well as teacher may develop in character and spiritual experience. Further activities of the Ruhaniat include an Esoteric Studies program, the International Network for the Dances of Universal Peace, the Dervish Healing Order, the Service of Universal Peace and ministerial training, Spiritual Psychology and Soulwork, Ziraat, and many other inspired teachings of the leaders and lineage holders of the Ruhaniat. Many contemporary tools are available to help us in our personal and spiritual growth. At the same time, we represent a tradition that has its roots in prehistory. The sacred practices and teachings that have arisen from diverse climes and cultures have been carefully cultivated and prepared for us to be planted in the soil of today s heart. We aspire to serve humanity in experiencing love, harmony, and beauty, by embodying the unity of religious ideals, and by working for the awakening of humankind to the divine light and power that is the essence of every human being. From Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Objects of the movement: 1. To establish a human unity with no consideration of caste, creed, race, nation, or religion. Differences produce inharmony and cause all miseries in the world. 2. To spread the wisdom of Sufis which has been until now a hidden treasure, it being the property of humankind which does not belong to a certain race or religion. 3. To attain that perfection where mysticism remains no more a mystery, which relieves the disbeliever from ignorance and the believer from falling victim to hypocrisy. From Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti (Murshid Samuel L. Lewis) Our work is to spread the knowledge and love and light of God. By stressing the positive, the affirmative, the true, we help ourselves and all humanity. From Hazrat Pir Moineddin Jablonski Aspirations for those on the path: Deepen your compassion. Love the wounded places in you that need healing. Open yourself to the grace of illumination. Give freely of your joy. Share your neighbor s burden. Through all these avenues, discover your Soul. May all beings be well! May all beings be happy! Peace, Peace, Peace. 2 HeartBeat Summer 2009

3 Contents On Love, Sufi Thought Seven by Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan... 4 From Bestowing of Blessing on love by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis... 5 Excerpts from The Bowl of Saki by HIK with commentaries by Murshid Sam... 6 Where Adam and Eve Made Love by Saadi Shakur Chishti... 9 Love, Inward and Outward by multiple contributors Iran and The Feather of the Simorgh by Elias Amidon Two poems: Initiation; Guide by Mirabai Wolf Willow Forty Years with Jaman Love on the Path of Commerce by Najat Roberts The Holiest Shrine in Iran is in Mashad by Mansur Johnson The Inayati Family: Just How Big Are We? By Aslan Scott Sattler Morning Prayer by Mary Flowers Remembrance by Khushi Tanveer Sufi Ruhaniat International Financial Report 2008 by Boudewijn Boom Sufi Ruhaniat International Board of Trustees Meeting Theme for Winter 2009/2010 Issue Available Ruhaniat Publications Make a Donation of $1001, Support the Ruhaniat Cover: Elements No. 1: by Murad Sayen and Internet Addresses Sufi Ruhaniat International website Webmaster: Abdul Shaffee Ballinger admin@ruhaniat.org Sufi Ruhaniat International secretary: Amrita Skye Blaine Ruhaniat@mail.com Dances of Universal Peace website Dervish Healing Order Website International Network for the Dances of Universal Peace INoffice@dancesofuniversalpeace.org Living Stream Preservation Project: Boudewijn Boom Ruhaniat@mail.com Pir Shabda Kahn s site Ruhaniat Publication orders: SufiRuhaniat@gmail.com Service of Universal Peace sup@zianet.com Spiritual Psychology info@sufisoulwork.org Ziraat: Vakil Forest Shomer ziraat@olympus.net, OurSohbet listserve subscriptions (Ruhaniat & DHO members) please Malik Roggendorf MLKRoggen@aol.com About this publication HeartBeat is now distributed as a PDF file only. There is no print version. Bismillah, er-rahman er-rahim We begin in the name of Allah, Who is Mercy and Compassion Published twice a year, we present diverse views from our community and include inspiring thoughts from our heritage. The strength of the newsletter depends on contributions from the community. Please make submissions for articles in electronic form (preferably via ), and contact us for best method of submitting ads and graphics. Copyright by individual contributors, all rights reserved. Editor: Amrita Skye Blaine PO Box 51118, Eugene, OR ruhaniat@mail.com Editorial Assistance: Boudewijn Boom Every effort has been made to secure permission to reproduce the images in this issue. Any additional copyright holders are invited to contact the editor so that proper credit can be given in future issues. Sufi Ruhaniat International 3

4 On Love, Sufi Thought Seven by Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan There is One Moral, the love which springs forth from self-denial and blooms in deeds of beneficence. There are moral principles taught to mankind by various teachers, by many traditions, one differing from the other, which are like separate drops coming out of the fountain. But when we look at the stream, we find there is but one stream, although it turns into several drops on falling. There are many moral principles, just as many drops fall from one fountain; but there is one stream that is at the source of all, and that is love. It is love that gives birth to hope, patience, endurance, forgiveness, tolerance, and to all moral principles. All deeds of kindness and beneficence take root in the soil of the loving heart. Generosity, charity, adaptability, an accommodating nature, even renunciation, are the offspring of love alone. The great, rare and chosen beings, who for ages have been looked up to as ideal in the world, are the possessors of hearts kindled with love. All evil and sin come from the lack of love. People call love blind, but love in reality is the light of the sight. The eye can only see the surface; love can see much deeper. All ignorance is the lack of love. As fire when not kindled gives only smoke, but when kindled, the illuminating flame springs forth, so it is with love; it is blind when underdeveloped, but, when its fire is kindled, the flame that lights the path of the traveler from mortality to everlasting live springs forth; the secrets of earth and heaven are revealed to the possessor of the loving heart, the lover has gained mastery over himself and others, and he not only communes with God, but unites with Him. 4 HeartBeat Summer 2009 Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan

5 from Bestowing of Blessing on love by Murshid Samuel Lewis Jesus has said, Love ye your enemies. This is very different from saying, Hold thoughts of goodness about them. The more attention paid to these enemies, the greater the difficulty in maintaining one s own peace of mind. There is psychic loss whether one holds thoughts of goodwill or of ill will; either kind of thought takes away the feeling of the Divine Presence. Mushid Samuel Lewis Love expresses itself in feeling which may give rise to thought, and spiritual love includes the light of intelligence which often produces inspiration. So the mind benefits from the heart-attitude. To love an enemy or to love the enemy may be interpreted to mean to love so much, to have such a deep feeling of love that all thoughts of any enemy, all thoughts or ideas of enmity will find no room in the consciousness. When the heart is immersed in the ocean of love, there is no longer thoughts of an enemy, there is no longer even thought of self. Sufi Ruhaniat International 5

6 Excerpts from The Bowl of Saki with Commentaries by Murshid SAM April 4 To give sympathy is sovereignty, to desire it from others is captivity. Ishk Allah. Sympathy is God Himself, there is no difference. When one gives out sympathy, one is expressing God; one has found God whether conscious of it or not. But when one desires it, one has not found it, the search is not complete. This sympathy is the very root-force of the Universe and when one comes to the heart of it which is found even within the human heart all keys to all mysteries are found. There is no lost key to mysteries other than love and sympathy, and to look for anything mental or magical or evocative is lost effort. By removing the ego in love and sympathy, with love and sympathy the Golden Key becomes one s possession. July 16 The heart of every person, both good and bad, is the abode of God, and care should be taken never to wound anyone by word or act. If there were not some good in the human heart, life in the physical body would be impossible because the blood would be carrying poison to every cell and muscle and gland. We even see some strange deaths called heart-failure or given other names which result from psychic poison impregnating the physical body. Every harsh thought of man immediately affects two fluids: the vital fluid or energy called prana which flows in and out with the breath, and the Universal Life-Love Essence which holds the very earth together, which is the heart energy. The harsh thought through prana affects chiefly the mind of another, for it is directed toward such a one; but such also is the nature of prana, so also does the exhalation of the breath operate that it touches the mental body of each person in its course and whatsoever it gives to another it gives to oneself. But the effect upon the heart-energy, which may be considered as the Universal Life-Force, is to strike every human being upon earth, even to affect others upon earth and those in the unseen. The proper use of this heart-energy is called Ishk by the Sufis, Karuna by the Buddhists and Agape in the New Testament, which can be translated as selfless love. There is a difference here in that thoughts affect chiefly the thinker and the thing or person concerned in the thought, whereas the feeling affects the whole cosmic body of Adam, Universal Man. In this, by our feelings and attitudes, we either raise or lower the whole humanity. So when Jesus Christ said, Love ye one another, when Mohammed taught in Qur an that Allah created us from clots of blood, it was in reference to the fact the great truth of existence of the Universal Love-Energy. The Master, the Saint, the Bodhisattva places their consciousness in this great stream, in this ocean of love, and by sending forth their thoughts of loving-kindness they benefit the whole humanity. When these thoughts are individualized they reach a few; otherwise they reach many. This is the reason for silence on the part of sages. 6 HeartBeat Summer 2009

7 July 17 We should be careful to take away from ourselves any thorns that prick us in the personality of others. The heart contains all notes, consequently it can harmonize with any other heart. When there is disharmony, it is a head condition; no matter how justified that disharmony, still it is related to nufs. God in the Supreme Essence contains all goodness and badness or none; that is to say God is the Perfection of quality, never its extension no matter how great the extension be. God is not multitudes, or largeness, but infinite, and this infinite qualification escapes comprehension of finite mind. If the spiritual aspirant keeps the breath in Fikr, if the talib holds the heart in Ishk, it is impossible to be unfavorably affected by others. One is either united with all souls or not so united. This does not mean condescension to others. It means either change yourself to become harmonious to that person, or else with all the force at your command to drive the evil spirit out of the other and make them whole. The use of this power is not contrary to Ishk if it heals another. July 20 Every blow in life pierces the heart and awakens our feelings to sympathize with others; and every swing of comfort lulls us to sleep and we become unaware of all. Ishk, the life current flowing through the heart and permeating the blood, touches all souls. This is a marvelous law, that many people, often harsh and unsympathetic, upon suffering great pain then begin to show sympathy and love towards others. This is because of the very nature of Ishk, Ishk which knows neither self nor not-self. So when heart is in Ishk it shows loving-kindness to all, not recognizing differences. This is the ideal condition of the traveler. July 21 A study of life is the greatest of all religions, and there is no greater or more interesting study. What is religion? It is that which unites man and God. And what is that? It is Ishk. Is Ishk love? Is Ishk life? Is Ishk light? It is none of them and all of them. Without comprehension of Ishk we cannot understand light, we cannot understand life, we cannot comprehend love. Knowledge of Ishk is called Ilm by the Sufis. This is the truest and highest knowledge there is, which may be called Love-Knowledge not knowledge of love or love of knowledge but the absolute Union of the two. This is the study and the religion in the truest sense of the terms. July 23 Warmth melts, while cold freezes. A drop of ice in a warm place spreads and covers a large space, whereas a drop of water in a cold place freezes and becomes limited. Repentance has the effect of spreading a drop in a warm sphere, causing the heart to expand and become universal, while the hardening of the heart brings limitations. This shows the operation of Ishk. The expansive effect of Ishk, altering coarser vibrations into finer ones, creates what is called spirit. Spirit and matter are one, but the force of Ishk is lessened as it is removed from its source, which is the Throne or Heart of God (Arsh). Through Ishk ice melts, flowers grow, animals gain strength and all power of man comes. So to conceive that Allaho Akbar has one effect and Ishk Allah has another is blindness, except that Allaho Akbar seems to touch the physical body quicker and the heart more slowly while Ishk Allah touches the heart more quickly and the physical body more slowly. But in the end they meet, the purpose is the same the» Sufi Ruhaniat International 7

8 spiritualization of the field of endeavor. When the Divine Breath and Divine Efflux touch a sphere, they bring life, love, power and inspiration, breaking all hardness of heart, mind or body. July 25 Our spirit is the real part of us, the body but its garment. One should not find peace at the tailor s because the coat comes from there; neither can the spirit obtain true happiness from the earth just because its body belongs to earth. Ishk keeps the parts of the body together, unifies the mind, coordinates the body, mind and heart. Ishk brings joy and Ishk leads to peace. Ishk may be found in matter and yet out of matter. Without Ishk there could be no matter, yet the existence of Ishk is not dependent on matter. The spiritual life is the life in and of Ishk, in other words, of love. This is true herenow, heretofore and hereafter. The word Logos which appears in the New Testament is nothing but a variation of Ishk, only it includes in its meaning Sound, Breath and Intelligence. The best translation for Logos is Intelligence in Sufi terminology, Ilm. November 18 The soul of all is one soul, and the truth is one truth, under whatever religion it is hidden. Ishk (or love) unites one to another. One does not regard the fingers as having any reality apart from the body. So the life in one is that which unites one to another. Life is impossible without holding some relation to plant, animal or human. We are all interdependent, showing that the reality in us is greater than any conception we may hold. Without Ishk we would not be. Yet Ishk is force not personality and it is not dependent upon personality. That person which is the source of Ishk is none other than God or Allah or Brahma or Darmakaya. This knowledge is vouchsafed to no one so long as that one is considered apart from all others. December 25 Love is as the water of the Ganges; it is in itself a purification. Heart heals heart. Heart may contract or expand. Its expansion is caused by Ishk; this brings healing and joy and this joy touches every corner of the Universe. The lover is as the sun which radiates energy everywhere. This cannot be explained; it is the nature of love, it is the quality of Ishk, it is the Sifat of God. 8 HeartBeat Summer 2009

9 Editor s note: The following chapter is reprinted from The Tent of Abraham: Stories of Hope and Peace for Jews, Christians and Muslims by Joan Chittister, OSB; Murshid Saadi Shakur Chishti, and Rabbi Arthur Waskow (Beacon Press, 2006). In the book the authors retell and offer contemporary commentary on the stories of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar from the standpoint of the three traditions. Translations from the Qur an are by the author unless otherwise noted. We identified for Abraham the site of the House and told him: Do not associate any thing, thought or idea with the One Reality when you pray; and sanctify my House for those who circumambulate it or stand up or bow or prostrate themselves there. Sura 22:26. Where Adam and Eve Made Love The climax of the story of Abraham in Mecca comes with his third visit when, according to Islamic tradition, he and Ishmael build the Kaaba. This time when Abraham arrives, Ishmael is home trimming arrows, preparing to go hunting again. Abraham tells him of God s command to build the Kaaba and Ishmael offers to help. A divine messenger in the form of a cloud or wind shows them the site. As they dig, they find the foundations of an older shrine, built by Adam. Here pre-islamic and non-orthodox Biblical traditions knit themselves together with the story related by the Qur an and in the hadith. In the larger Islamic story, as told by various commentators, 1 1 For instance, in the 11 th century traditional collection Tales of the Prophets by Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al- Kisai, translated by W. M. Thackston, Jr (1997). by Saadi Shakur Chishti (Saadi Douglas-Klotz) Saadi Douglas-Klotz Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise when they were tempted to ignore God s command not to eat grain from the Plant of Eternity (a change from the Biblical Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil). They are tempted by Iblis (a rebellious angel), who said that eating the grain will make them eternal. This telling of the story seems to reflect an early suspicion of agriculture as providing a false sense of security. A nomad traditionally depended upon grace of the divine realm for survival. After Adam and Eve leave Paradise, they are separated for hundreds of years, each mourning their joint mistake as well as their separation from each other. According to one story, Adam lands in India and his tears turn to musk, while Eve lands on the coast of Arabia and her tears turn to pearls and coral. The wind carries their voices to each other, which causes them even more sorrow and longing. Finally, when they have repented enough, God reunites them in Mecca. First they circumambulate and then make love inside the original Kaaba. These older, evocative stories become part of Islamic tradition when the Qur an describes Abraham and Ishmael rebuilding the Kaaba. According to this story, the famous Black Stone in a corner of the Kaaba was first a brilliant white, brought by Adam from paradise. The angel Gabriel carries it to Abraham from India, but in subsequent generations it turns black during disputes over who owns the shrine. As Abraham and Ishmael build the Kaaba they pray:» Sufi Ruhaniat International 9

10 O Sustainer, accept this service from us, for you are the illumination of all seeing and all knowing. Our Nurturer, teach our children and us how to surrender to Unity, so that we may become a community bowing to the sacred in all. Show us the places where we can celebrate the rites appropriate for us. Return us to the rhythm that is ripe for us, for You are the One who returns us to the rhythm of Reality with unrestricted mercy and love (Sura 2: ). On a mythic and psychological level, these stories communicate important wisdom from the past: the overreaching of Adam and Eve trying to attain immortality; the softening power of their tears; the power of their longing for each other; and the birth of sacred space, where surrender to the divine combines with deep love for another person. It may be difficult for us to peel back the layers of our modern intelligence to understand the importance of story, sacred space or shared community ritual today. The deeper, more symbolic side of nature and creation has been replaced by a utilitarian view, which sees nature as an object to be used rather than as a living being communicating a sacred reality of equal value to our own existence. Likewise, ritual and story become something nonessential, at best hobbies, at worst a waste of time in our secularized, flatland existence. Time shortens and becomes embodied in to-do lists instead of pulsing in rhythm ahead of and behind us to allow us to connect in feeling with those who have gone before us and those who come after. Reflected on another level, immediate political and economic events and strategies become the only things actually valued as reality. In this culture, even a spiritual story can be manipulated like an object, which serves to bolster various fundamentalist political agendas. We can mourn the loss of a shared mythic story as another layer of paradise lost. At the same time, we are witnessing a gradual increase by everyday people in the developed world for those less fortunate than themselves. We are also witnessing increasingly forceful demands that Western political leaders factor compassion into their economic equations. However, we are still far from acknowledging, as many holy books say, that our God and your God are one there is only one shared Reality. Here we may need to put the word God into quotation marks for modern sensibilities and translate it as the source and meaning of what we value in life. The only problem with this is that the words source and meaning do not evoke any feeling in the human heart. A sense of numinous reality within, underneath and interpenetrating everyday life, does. Perhaps humanity s future survival depends on our rediscovering the ability to feel something strange, old, awe-inspiring and meaningful at the same time something of more than ephemeral value. It could mean valuing what is being lost due to environmental destruction. It could lead to imagining that we are walking where Adam and Eve walked, making love where they did, circumambulating a shrine not made of stone, but revealed when we blow away the errors of ages and see the foundations of our shared human heart emerging from the dust. 10 HeartBeat Summer 2009

11 Love, Inward and Outward Report on the 2009 Jamiat Ahm in Prescott, Arizona had explained the phrase Jamiat Ahm as the Ruhaniat s annual family reunion, yet before the I event I had no idea how accurate that was! I reconnected with so many beloveds who live in my heart during the great gaps between the times we see each other, basked in the teachings by the elders, ate such lovingly prepared meals, swam in the music and singing, and slept so well in a tent with a heater provided by the camp manager! The magic and joy were palpable, and I give the credit not only to everyone who attended but especially to the Prescott Dance and Sufi circle who organized the event. An event always carries something of the energy of the organizers, and the perfection of this event was a powerful reflection of the ease, competence and grace of those who came together to organize it. I have such gratitude to them for so thoroughly and thoughtfully creating the container for us and holding us with such love through the weekend, and I carry with me their example of how to come together to create something of such preciousness. Ya Shakur! Sky Majida Roshay Welcoming and accommodating hosts, harmonious and inspiring leadership, the pure joy of connecting with Sufi family whether long time friends or new; and the auction...who knew charitable giving could engender so much laughter! It was truly an experience of the whole community being held together in the heart of the Beloved for three days. Majid Middlebrooks photograph by Shakura Sufi Ruhaniat International 11

12 On one of the afternoons when we met in the building with three walls, I was feeling chilly and I wanted to stand where the sun could warm my body, so I stood outside the open wall, looking into the room. I described my experience of that afternoon to Ardvisura. She took the threads and wove them into a poem... Louise Jacobus Here in arid Arizona in an open sided building, one of our master teachers teaches, speaks of souls and wazifa, while a hushed hundred or so, listen. The wind whisks around us, outside the prayer flags flap and flutter, dance with a sudden flurry, a snap and ripple of sounds and brightly colored fabric. The wind blows crisp across the land as I stand near a pillar at the edge of understanding. The breeze moves the flags and carries my thoughts close in, where beside the mighty fireplace, Wali Ali ends his talk. He settles there into presence, his head tilting gently inward, like a figure in a fresco, held in contemplation and holy resonance. I notice then, as his voice stops, the wind dies down. Stillness comes to settle all around. The flags hang quiet. The breeze has left and in its place, in the midst of living life, the world comes to find a fine and perfect balance, a beautiful serene bright stillness. We are, as nature, interwoven in truth. All action resolves into this one still point of profound focus. by Carol Ardvisura Griffin, May, 2009 inspired by Louise Jacobus description of the 2009 Jamiat Ahm 12 HeartBeat Summer 2009

13 On Hosting This Year s Jamiat Ahm by Yaqin Lance Sandleben Like other great gatherings, this one began with Abraham, Abraham Sussman, that is. At the 2007 Jamiat Khas, Abraham asked me if Prescott would like to host the 2009 Jamiat Ahm. I felt the immediate spark, like the first time I heard the name, Sufi Sam. I knew this was something to follow up on, to learn about, to experience. When I returned to Prescott, I began spreading the idea among our circle, officially known as Prescott Peace Dances and Sufi Circle. Others also felt the spark, and the spark began to smolder. It took a few months of talking, asking questions, and getting feedback before we decided by consensus (our way of working) to take on the task. As the Sufi sage said, it was like shooting an arrow at a target we could not see. About fifteen years ago, some Prescott residents began attending the Mendocino Sufi Camp. At the same time, and independently, a zikr circle began at the home of a Sufi Order initiate, and a couple of other locals with musical talent started hearing the call of the Dances of Universal Peace. It wasn t long before these three streams crossed, feeding each other. Like other circles, we formed a group to support the dances and Sufi activities, and began inviting teachers for weekend retreats. Our community grew. In the days when there were few opportunities for spiritual practice outside of traditional Christian churches in our conservative cowboy town, the Dances flourished. Also like other circles, we went through growing pains, working with the nafs and shadow, and finding opportunities still to this day to practice rising above distinctions and differences which divide. We have used agreement by consensus, and speaking and listening, as beneficial techniques. We are not affiliated with any one Sufi organization as our circle includes members of 3 Inayati lineages, as well as another Sufi lineage. Belonging to a lineage is not a requirement of participation. Love is, however. It seemed like when we were ready, then came the request to host the Ahm. We had never hosted a residential retreat and saw this as an opportunity to expand our capabilities. We each began to carve out our work territory, with much overlap. We discussed possible themes and settled on Love Inward and Outward strengthening love towards ourselves, embodying it, and spreading it out into the world. For most of us, this was rather like the old story, I asked God for strength, and God sent me barbells. In the preparation for and hosting of the retreat, we were tested in unique ways, and the experience itself became a profound lesson for us in manifesting love inwardly and outwardly. For our location, we found a camp owned by a Christian church but run by a family that resonated with our inclusive spirituality and had a special appreciation for the deepening that can happen at a retreat camp. They rose with grace to the challenge of our various dietary requests, which resulted in menus quite different from their usual church camp fare. Though they might not use the term themselves, they were karma yogis. The week the camp began, a cold front swept through Arizona. We were shivering as we moved tables, chairs and beds in preparation for our guests. We built a fire as we decorated the main hall. It began to snow lightly, but when people began to arrive, we were ready. With the fire crackling in the fireplace, hot chai steaming, and warm cookies just out of the oven, we welcomed our much anticipated guests, happy that over 100 people were coming from across the country to our home! We did a lot of work before and during the retreat, but when that first dance began, when we felt this large and cozy group dropping in our purpose was fulfilled. Our dear teachers Murshid Wali Ali and Murshida Leilah Be, with contributions from Pir Shabda and Murshida Asha Greer, used teachings and practices that took us all deeply into the theme in» Sufi Ruhaniat International 13

14 ways that were beyond our hopes. The teachings ranged from connection to the infinite, to working with the inner planes. The music soared, the dances deepened, the baraka flowed. Each day grew warmer and sunnier, as if to reflect the growing light of the retreat. There was a humorous incident at the beginning of the Ahm that summed it up for me. We were discussing the schedule when classes would start, what were the mealtimes, what was the meditation time, when was raga, when would the tea ceremony occur, etc. Asha, without looking up, pointed to a shiny circular object hanging above the fireplace. Thinking it was a clock, she said, let us synchronize ourselves to that time. Instead of a clock, it was a beautiful, burnished bronze relief of a lion laying down with a lamb and the word Peace on it. Indeed, let us synchronize ourselves to Peace. With Love, Sheikh Yaqin Lance Sandleben and the rest of the Prescott Peace Dances and Sufi Circle Board: Majid Barbara Swain, Pati Jablonski, Taqi Bruce Tribby, Armaiti Nancy Ethridge, Barakat Carolynn Bryan, and Daniel Wasserman photograph by Quan Yin Lynne Williams Murshida Asha Greer, Murshid Wali Ali, Sheikh Vakil Shomer, Pir Shabda Kahn Sheikha Darvesha MacDonald, Murshida Leilah Be 14 HeartBeat Summer 2009

15 Iran and The Feather of the Simorgh Letter From the Road, #36 by Elias Amidon, June, 2009 would like to step back for a moment from the I compelling drama occurring now in Iran to look at this drama with a long-view question in mind: what does it tell us about the evolution of human Shahnameh, written 1,000 years ago by Ferdowsi, the most beloved of all Persian poets. The story goes like this: a baby was abandoned on a mountainside. His cries were heard by Demonstration at Azadi (Freedom) Square, Tehran, June 15, 2009 societies? What does the conflict in present-day Iran reveal about what is seeking to be born on a global scale in the way we humans relate to each other? To aid us in this long-view, let us turn to a story that is told in Iran s great national epic, the the Simorgh, the benevolent winged deity of vast powers, who raised the baby as her own. When the time came for the young man, now called Prince Zal, to rejoin the human world the Simorgh gifted» Sufi Ruhaniat International 15

16 the prince with three feathers which he was to use if he ever needed her help. And so it happened upon returning to his kingdom that Prince Zal fell in love and married the beautiful Rudaba. When the time arrived for their first child to be born, Rudaba s labor was prolonged and terrible. She was near death when Prince Zal summoned the Simorgh for help. The Simorgh appeared and instructed Zal to trace one of the feathers across Rudaba s belly. He did so and thus saved Rudaba and the child, and the child grew up to become the greatest of all Persian heroes, Rostam the world brightening one. Rudaba s Labor I trust Ferdowsi will forgive me for suggesting that the story of the birth of Rostam may serve as a parable for what is occurring in Iran and indeed throughout the world in this period of human history. Rudaba s and Iran s long labor will not come to an end until the cycle of human violence comes to an end the cycle that reacts to violence and injustice with more violence and injustice. For thousands of years this cycle has recurred, preventing the birth of that which we long for: the possibility of living together in kindness, tolerance, and peace. This possibility is the world brightening one. It is humanity s Rostam: no longer a singular male hero battling injustice, our Rostam is no less than the birth of the capacity to relate to one another with open minds and open hearts rather than from rigid positions. The seas of people now marching in Iran are seeking to end the long agony of Rudaba s labor. They are responding to the regime s oppression not with violence but with nonviolent civil disobedience, and, in many cases, in silence. This kind Elias Amidon of profound nonviolent action is the Simorgh s feather being traced on Rudaba s tormented belly. Its inherent gentleness is the only response that can release her from her long labor. It takes enormous courage to face oppression with kindness, to put a flower in the muzzle of a gun. If Iranians can maintain this courage they will change the course of history, joining the recent nonviolent movements that have toppled dictatorships in places like the Philippines, Serbia, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Nepal, and elsewhere. A recent study has shown that of the 67 transitions from authoritarian regimes to more democratic governments over the past few decades, these changes were catalyzed not through foreign invasion, and only rarely through armed revolt or voluntary elite-driven reforms, but overwhelmingly by democratic civil society organizations utilizing nonviolent action and other forms of civil resistance, such as strikes, boycotts, civil disobedience, and mass protests. (Stephen Zunes) The Simorgh s feather: resilient and tender, its magical touch is the heart of the Golden Rule, the heart of the activism of Gandhi, King, and Mandela, and the heart of the teachings of all the great prophets of humanity. It is the refusal to react to violence with violence. What Can We Do? Two months ago during our journey through Iran we met a man named Ali working in a bazaar in the city of Shiraz. Ali was a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, intensely proud of Iran and its central place in human history. We have been an important part of the growth of civilization, he said, but now we are stranded. Our minds are stranded. We cannot communicate with or travel freely in the world. People think we are terrorists look around you, do you see 16 HeartBeat Summer 2009

17 terrorists? We are stranded, and no one knows who we are. I think of Ali and wonder if he feels less stranded at the moment, with so much of the world s attention turned toward the events in Iran. TV, radio, newspapers, the Internet, Twitter, Facebook in countless thousands of ways people around the world are taking part in the touch of the Simorgh s feather as we bear witness to the nonviolent actions in Iran. Just as it is for every nonviolent movement, the role of the witness is crucial. The whole world is watching! we cry, calling forth the power of shame that is heaped upon the perpetrator when an injustice is witnessed. This shaming is a curious thing, since it gets its power from an innate ethic within us the British were shamed by having the world witness them beating Gandhi s salt marchers, just as America was shamed by the publication of the photos from Abu Ghraib. The ruling clerics in Iran know that when they are seen butchering protesters any claim the Islamic Revolution has of benevolence becomes a lie. So what can we do, far from Iran? We can pay attention. We can be at the other end of the tweets and the YouTube videos. We can be the watching world as the Iranians marching in the streets silently confront the guns of the military. In this way we can act in solidarity with all Iranians the protesters and the ruling clerics and the Ahmadinejad supporters and the military helping all of us come to the aid of the world brightening one that is being born. A Note About Our Encountering Iran Journey, October 5-19, 2009 At this time the group journey we are planning to Iran in October is still scheduled to happen. Of course, our ability to get visas from the Iranian Foreign Ministry depends on what happens in the coming weeks, and upon their comfort with welcoming foreign travelers at this time. Currently there are 4 places still available for this trip. You can find a description of the Encountering Iran journey at encountering-iran.pdf. You are most welcome to join us. Elias Amidon is Pir of the Sufi Way, one of our brother-sister Inayati orders. If you would like to receive the occasional Letter from the Road, the sign up form can be found at Sufi Ruhaniat International 17

18 Initiation by Mirabai Wolf Willow I am shown the entry to the initiatory path but I don t know which side of the door I am on Am I looking at what is before me or am I looking over my shoulder? Does one walk back and forth over this threshold throughout one s life? Or is there one door and then another and another and another Is initiation an entry point a place in linear time and space? Or is it a spontaneous moment of deep desire to awaken and then another and another like flashes of lightning reaching for the ground? Mirabai Wolf Willow July 16, 2008 Guide by Mirabai Wolf Willow Reach for me, please Let your radiance wash over me Let me see myself in your eyes In eyes that see none but the One August 12, HeartBeat Summer 2009

19 Forty Years with Jaman Love on the Path of Commerce A Response to lines of an Alapa from the Vadan of Hazrat Inayat Khan by Najat Roberts, June, 2009 ( Alapa Extemporization: A divine word in the form of advice. ) Word of Inayat: Is love pleasure, is love merriment? No, love is longing constantly, love is persevering unweariedly. Commentary: Some days this is actually work. I am weary, longing for more time with Jaman. I stay the course, finding what I need to do to keep me busy while he is working, often away from home. I persevere and find a twenty year career while he is ever working, doing his job and that of others when needed. He gets it done! He helps others find jobs through his national network of contacts. Wow! How does he do that? We find compromise to satisfy the longing. We squeeze in a movie or an early dinner out if I can separate him from his computer or his Blackberry. (Is he doing tassawuri Barack Obama?) It was easier when it was just a simple cell phone. Is love merriment? It helps! Jaman makes a point of making me laugh every day. Laughter gets us through. Word of Inayat: Love is hoping patiently. Commentary: Will he be home on time? Will that blessed Blackberry ever be turned off? It dingalings constantly and he seems wired to it. Will he remember to feed the cats before he turns on the game if I am not here? Oh, I realize they will badger him into it soon enough. Will he stay awake long enough for us to have a few minutes? Maybe not, but at least he is here, asleep in his chair. We laugh before the evening ends. Word of Inayat: Love is willing surrender Commentary: I have been following this man around the western states for over forty years. Surrender? Certainly that is what it is. I want romantic comedy, he wants adventure. We see the adventure movie first, then the comedy. Occasionally it is the other way around. He goes to China, I stay home.» Sufi Ruhaniat International 19

20 There have been a series of homes. I manage to learn the art of selling and buying homes to keep up with his career moves. He is on the path of commerce, a one-man traveling sales force. Surrender is the only option. And we laugh a lot. I mention homes, and he says, Now you have all five of the Great Lakes. * We laugh some more. Word of Inayat: Love is regarding constantly the pleasure and displeasure of the beloved, for love is resignation to the will of the possessor of one s heart. Jaman and Najat Commentary: His grandmother said the three keys to a long-lasting marriage are: Love, Trust, and Compromise in that order. Don t mess it up. I guess we don t, at least not so far. I will sell and buy the homes, if you trust me, I say. I ll cook your favorite dinner if you do the dishes. Then I ll shop, if you cook my favorite meal. We laugh and make fun of the sharing of household tasks. There are cats that provide endless hours of entertainment in their feline way. It turns out his grandmother did also say, It s good to laugh. Word of Inayat: It is love that teaches man: Thou, not I. Commentary: Whatever floats your boat, dear. Oh, we are moving again? I thought we were done with moving. Where are we going now? You are going to China again? Okay, the next adventure awaits us. There is an ongoing comedy of things that break when he leaves home for a business trip. What will break this time when he is gone? The water main blows out at the street twice; then there is the water softener, shooting jets of water to the garage ceiling. An upstairs toilet leaks through the floor. And who can forget the time the water heater loses its bottom? Meanwhile those pesky landscape irrigation leaks never seem to end. I go into preventative maintenance mode. Thank God I learn to be the family plumber! Laughter gets us through. Word of Inayat: Love that ends is the shadow of love; true love is without beginning or end. Commentary: That is for sure. It s been nearly forty-two years and I cannot remember much about the time before I became we. It is an eternity, and the laughter reverberates throughout, bouncing from place to place, an echo with no beginning or end. Laughter keeps the love alive, and the other way around. *His apparent non-sequitur is an acronym mnemonic device for remembering the names of the lakes. 20 HeartBeat Summer 2009

21 The Holiest Shrine in Iran Is in Mashad by Mansur Johnson It s really in God s hands whether I get in. And Murshid s too. I brought the robe. My intention is pure. We will see. Personal journal, September 22, What can I write during the 20 km ride to Ferdowsi s Shrine in Tus about the foreigner, me, who entered the Holy Shrine on Friday? From the air at night Mashad looks like what it is, a city with a shrine at its center. The hub of lights is the Shrine complex, and the four main streets radiate like spokes from the center. When we got back from Nishapur, I requested that Hassan stop at my hotel. He was pumped to ramrod my visit without a break, but I had to dress properly. In my luggage for the last month was Murshid s robe, bestowed on me in the late 60s. (I am assuming knowledge by the reader of this Murshid, my Sufi teacher, a member of the Qadiri, Naqshabandi, Sowarwardi, and Chisti Orders of Sufis, a man who associated with Sufis in Egypt and Pakistan, and introduced Sufi Dancing to the United States. I spoke about him in an earlier chapter, Romans and Sufis in Paris and Morocco. ) The robe was fabricated by one of Murshid s female disciples to his specifications; it had to be green, which Murshid said was Mohammed s color. It was a light green, similar to Abbas wife s pea soup colored coat. At the time I received this robe, part of me, full of Zen stories about the bestowal of the teacher s sacred objects on the most able student, thought it had monumental significance, while another part saw the bestowal of the robe merely as recognition that I had been his secretary and chauffeur. Whichever or neither, I valued this robe over the years and was guided to bring it to Iran. Hassan was somewhat amused when I emerged from the hotel wearing Murshid s robe, because it didn t fit. I m not sure how tall Murshid was, but the sleeves of his robe were several inches above my watch band. Lengthwise, the robe that brushed the top of Murshid s shoes, ended about mid-calf on me. My light-weight purple sweatpants, which I wore under his robe, were snugged down to my faded white sneakers. On top I wore under the robe a black t-shirt, since black in Iran is the color of the turbans worn by clerics who are descended from Mohammed. My Film in Arizona hat, emblazoned with the Arizona seal (a gold star with red and yellow striped emanations on a blue background), I wore backwards on my head. I had one homemade olive wood tashbih (set of 99 prayer beads) around my neck, and I carried another, which I used whenever I wasn t performing necessary functions, like checking my cameras before we could go in. Hassan explained that this camera practice had been instituted after 1994, when an explosive device had been detonated inside the Holy Shrine, which, perhaps, had been hidden in a camera. Since then, No Cameras Allowed. I had Hassan take my picture in front of one of the entrances to the Holy Shrine, the Haram-e Motahhar-e Imam Reza, a name which encompasses everything located within the holy circle. The guidebook informed me, this large circular walled island in the centre of Mashhad contains two mosques, three museums, 12 lofty eivans or halls (two of them coated entirely with gold), six theological colleges, two main and two lesser courtyards, several libraries, a small post office, a book shop,» Sufi Ruhaniat International 21

22 darkening his face with cork. I was envious of Byron who spent days reconnoitering the compound. The gold dome within the complex, that I could see out the window at the end of the hall at my hotel, was never seen up close. But then, Byron wished to study the architecture, while I only want to visit the Holy of Holies. photo by Mansur Johnson 2009, all rights reserved Mansur Johnson in front of the shrine and many other religious and administrative buildings. Beneath the complex is a vast cemetery [where] to be buried near the Emam is an honour. I was indifferent to all but the part off-limit to non-muslims, the Holy Shrine. The Holy Shrine itself is strictly closed to non-muslims (except under exceptional circumstances, with the special permission of the religious authorities), but it is not generally a problem to visit the rest of the complex. You will have to dress extremely conservatively and behave yourself impeccably... (IRAN, p. 228) At the next entrance, we were denied admittance. But Hassan talked, and a phone call was made. Permission was granted to enter and walk around. That was all. Someone came with us. We were in, but not far enough. Robert Byron got in too by disguising himself with native clothes and It was Abbas in Shiraz who had concluded I was a dervish, although he pronounced it dar VISH. You are darvish, he said after he saw me walking with my tashbih in the shrine of Imam Reza s brother. Webster s defines dervish as a member of a Muslim religious order noted for devotional exercises (as bodily movements leading to a trance). Do you do prayers? he asked, seeking to find out what kind of believer I might be. 22 HeartBeat Summer 2009

23 We don t follow Shariya, (the Muslim practice of saying prayers five times a day), I answered him. We just repeat Allah and La il la ha el Allah, Mohammedar Rassul Lillah. It means, There is no God but God, and Mohammed is his prophet. It s the affirmation of faith for Muslims. Repeat that phrase before witnesses, and one may become a Muslim, which, incidentally, means, one who submits to God. As we walked through the first large courtyard I began with Hassan, Isn t there somebody we could talk to about going deeper, about possibly visiting the Holy Shrine. Hassan engaged our guide in conversation as we walked through an inner courtyard, and weaved between two buildings into another courtyard. We found ourselves outside the ground floor office of the Shrine police. Before we entered, a group materialized from somewhere, and I m chanting La il la ha el Allah, Mohammadar Rassul Lillah over and over in an audible whisper, driving Hassan to distraction. Just tell them I want to go in and repeat zikr, (La il la ha el Allah), I council Hassan to assist with his negotiations. But he was not answering me, and it was OK because he was very busy talking. It was necessary to remove our shoes to enter. A man with a white shirt and dress trousers was behind a desk; there was a uniformed police officer, and two others in the room. I sat silently in a chair before the desk while Hassan spoke for me, in what I would characterize as aggressive tones. He was back and forth on his cell phone, speaking to someone on the other end. After what seemed like a terribly aggressive tirade, I spoke in heart-centered Spanish to Hassan. Con calma, (Calm down) I said soothingly. Con calma (Take it easy; you re being too aggressive). Suddenly it was finished. I say, Thank you, to the authorities gathered in the office with no idea what the outcome is. Hassan is still aggressive when he finally addresses me. Put on your shoes, he tells me. Hassan excuses himself to get a drink. I still don t know the outcome. We can go in, he reports. I m worried about going in with Hassan. With his leather hand wallet and pacing manner, he looks just like a tour guide, not a devotee. When we first entered, a sweet pair, one tall and one short, of roving Shrine police approached. Hassan said they asked if I was Muslim. He told them yes. They reminded him it was Friday, said the International Office is closed, and that they couldn t allow me inside. Hassan gave them the number of the Security Office, and suggested they call to verify that we had permission. They went away. After checking our shoes, Hassan cautions, Just go up to the cage, which I understood to mean, Just go up to the window with decorative lattice work. There s a basketball court-sized room, which has the cage-like windows with diamond spaces, which separate this outer chamber from the Holy of Holies. I wasn t paying attention to detail, so I ll resort to the guidebook, which says, The tomb box in the Holy Shrine is 10m long with stunning gilt edges, and is enclosed in a large gold latticed cage. Pilgrims ritually touch or even kiss the cage, often then retreating into a pitch of near frenzy. The shrine built over the tomb has a shimmering gilded cupola and single minaret and a vast tiled eivan. Do not attempt to enter the Holy Shrine unless you are a Muslim, and can prove it (probably in Farsi [Persian] if asked. (IRAN, p. 230) I want to go in, I answer Hassan. I m worried for you if you go. I suspect he s really worried about himself. He s the imposter here. I find a place outside the cage, outside the inner sanctum, and do a little fikr of the zikr, mentally repeating La il la ha el il Allah Hu. Then I tell him, You wait for me here, I m going in. He s worried and frightened for me, but he agrees.» Sufi Ruhaniat International 23

24 Surrounding the bier, which is in the cage the guidebook writes about, must have been a crowd about four or five deep. The energy was a bit hysterical. I had no reason to push through the crowd. It could be dangerous if someone recognized me as a foreigner. The energy was the kind of frenetic energy that could manifest Hassan s worst fear, and inspire a mob to tear me apart if something set them off. I moved through the crowd and found a place against the wall, marble walls, marble floors, mirror work above the wainscoting up to and covering the ceiling. Crystal chandeliers hung down. Giant blowers situated on massive square pillars blew in fresh cool air from vents. The noise of these blowers was so loud, appreciation of the inner sound was blotted out by external mechanical noise. After another 33 times fikr of the zikr against a wall near the inner tomb, I found Hassan. Let s go, I said succinctly. Walking away the hysteria died down, and I saw I could circle an area inhabited mostly, but not entirely, by women. I tell Hassan, Sit here, and I m going to walk around. It is after my first time around that I see Hassan pacing with wallet in hand, and I become worried that his behavior will call attention to me. You look more like a tour guide than a devotee, I tell him. Please go outside and wait for me. Only then does he sit. Next time around, I see Hassan sitting chastised against the wall. At last he looks like a devotee, but with a pained look on his face. When we leave, there is another encounter with Security. The Door Keeper, who was busy reading Holy Qur an when we passed, followed us to the middle of the courtyard, which was just outside the Security Office, on our right. Hassan said the man apologized when he repeated that we had permission and for him to ask at the office if he didn t believe him. Since I promised to keep Hassan s secret, I would be unable to tell Abbas (of Tehran) why the Holy Shrine only came in third in the atmospheric sweepstakes, behind the Shah Cherag Mosque and Hafiz s Shrine in Shiraz, but in front of Ester s Tomb in Hamadan, Saadi s Monument in Shiraz, and, lastly, Daniel s Shrine at Susa. Another factor in the Holy Shrines third place finish was the roar of the blowers; modern technology detracted from the sanctity of the place, which, without the noise, should be humming from the devotional energy of 12 million visits a year. Epilogue Abbas will meet me tomorrow DAY 14 at the airport in Tehran, and chauffeur me to the Archaeological Museum, where I will seek an interview with the Director for the purpose of viewing the Hasanlu Bowl; I see the Director, and he denies my request because he is about to ship the Hasanlu Bowl to a museum in Belgium. We find the Carpet Museum, where I will violate regulations and photograph several carpets. There is an excellent lunch, which I will praise with false indignation, I had to wait two weeks to get a lunch like this! I have some time back at the hotel before an early bedtime to contemplate from the roof the former U.S. Embassy across the street, renamed by Iranian student radicals, The Den of Spies. I will await a midnight wake-up call, which never comes; nevertheless, I will be at the airport three hours before a 4:15 flight to Istanbul on DAY 15, where Abbas, hoping to get all my spare rials, fails to bring change, as agreed, and only has a U.S. 10 dollar bill. In addition, he lies, and tells me not to change 30,000 rials ($3.75) because I ll need it inside, which I accept, imagining there is a Departure Tax. Still and all, I get his $10 with another 30,000 rials ($4.75) and six more U.S. dollars that I happened to be carrying. He didn t count on that. Inside, spending 29,000 rials on a can of pistachios for Marianne, I am amazed that Abbas cared so little about what I think of him that he d ruin his reputation with me for a few rials. 24 HeartBeat Summer 2009

25 I also wonder if the new pen from me in an envelope for his daughter will be delivered, or whether three chapters of Travels with Marianne published folio-style, which he rolled up before walking away without changing expression, or saying Thank you, were deposited in the first garbage can? Cultures clash, and I am left to stew about it. The flight leaving Tehran is one half hour late. Some passengers did not pass passport control, and their luggage has to be removed. Thank God, I am free to leave. It has been a remarkable trip. Pages , Travels with Marianne, by Mansur Johnson 2009, All rights reserved. Mansur Johnson phone/fax mansurjohnson@hotmail.com Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan on horseback Sufi Ruhaniat International 25

26 The Inayati Family: Just How Big Are We? by Aslan Sattler, June, 2009 On September 13, 2010, it will have been 100 years since Inayat Khan left India to spread the revolutionary notion of the universality of the spiritual ideal, and to call forth a new era of spiritual liberty based upon the awakening of humanity to the divinity within. Enjoined by his murshid Mohammed Abu Hashim Madani to spread this Sufi message to the western world, Inayat Khan left India on September 13, He spent the next 16 years traveling among three continents, tilling the soil of the human condition and planting these seeds of wisdom to the best of his ability. In 1926 he returned to India and, after a brief illness, he died there on February 5, 1927 at the age of 44. Hazrat Inayat Khan s life touched thousands as he traveled through the United States, England, central Europe, Scandinavia and Russia, teaching and initiating mureeds onto the path of the Sufi Message and into the Family of Universal Sufism. After his death, the Inayati family tree experienced the emergence of several distinct branches, each based on Hazrat Inayat Khan s teachings yet unique in their identities and subcultures. For decades many of us in the Ruhaniat have known the Sufi Order and the Sufi Movement as two other branches of this family. For various historical reasons, interaction between these orders became somewhat compromised, and as families do over time, we grew apart. About ten years ago in Europe a significant event occurred. Members of the Soefi Contact, a branch of the Inayati Family located in Haarlem, Netherlands, met with the International Sufi Movement and put forward the idea of creating an umbrella organization that would embrace the entire Inayati Family. The purpose of this loosely organized structure would be to help the various orders get to know each other better and enhance our ability to continue bringing Hazrat Inayat Khan s vision into being. This idea was next presented to the Ruhaniat, and shortly thereafter the Federation of the Sufi Message was born. Other Inayati Orders were contacted. The Fraternity of Light soon joined the Federation. The Sufi Order International is currently on the threshold of joining. The Sufi Way, while not joining the Federation, has consistently interacted with the organization since its conception. Last year the Federation Council promoted a simple project that proved quite informative. We realized that we didn t have a good idea of the current size of the Inayati Family nor of the extent of its geographical distribution, so we set out to gather that information. Membership data was gathered from the 5 orders primarily involved with the Federation, asking only for the current number of initiates and their geographic location by country. For those living in the USA, we also asked for membership by individual state. The information was then collated via Excel spreadsheets, and a Google Earth file was created to better display the distribution of Federation mureeds around the world. The results of this endeavor are noteworthy and it is the purpose of this brief article to share them with you. A Brief Summary: Total Number of Mureeds represented: 9, 188 Total Number of Countries represented: 52 Total Number of States represented: 50 (Includes D.C., but not N. Dakota) 26 HeartBeat Summer 2009

27 Federation Membership by Nation ISM = Intnl. Sufi Movement SRI = Sufi Ruhaniat Intnl. SOI = Sufi Order Intnl. FOI = Federation of Light SC = Soefi Contact ISM SRI SOI FOI SC Total Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bosnia-Herzegov. 4 4 Brazil Canada Chile 7 7 Columbia Costa Rica Croatia 1 1 Czech Republic 5 5 Denmark 1 1 Ecuador Egypt 1 1 Estonia 8 8 France Germany Greece India Ireland 1 1 Israel Italy Japan 3 3 Jordan 1 1 Kenya Latvia Lithuania 1 1 Malaysia 3 3 Mexico Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria 5 5 Norway Pakistan 10 10» Sufi Ruhaniat International 27

28 ISM SRI SOI FOI SC Total Peru 1 1 Philippines 1 1 Poland Russia Singapore 1 1 Slovenia 1 1 South Africa Spain Sri Lanka 1 1 Suriname Sweden Switzerland Turkey 2 2 Ukraine 1 1 United Kingdom United States Total Countries: Total Mureeds: 1,243 1,708 6, , HeartBeat Summer Federation Membership by State in USA States include Washington, DC. So it s possible to have members in 51 States. Totals by State SRI SOI ISM FOL AK 9 AK 3 AK 5 AK 1 AK AL 24 AL 1 AL 23 AL AL AR 54 AR 20 AR 34 AR AR AZ 110 AZ 30 AZ 80 AZ AZ CA 852 CA 347 CA 479 CA 26 CA CO 122 CO 38 CO 84 CO CO CT 58 CT 7 CT 51 CT CT DC 17 DC DC 17 DC DC DE 3 DE DE 3 DE DE FL 201 FL 16 FL 181 FL 1 FL 3 GA 63 GA 7 GA 56 GA GA HI 108 HI 77 HI 31 HI HI IA 11 IA 4 IA 6 IA IA 1 ID 25 ID 18 ID 7 ID ID IL 77 IL 19 IL 57 IL 1 IL IN 16 IN 8 IN 7 IN 1 IN KS 43 KS 19 KS 20 KS 4 KS KY 11 KY 2 KY 9 KY KY LA 20 LA 4 LA 16 LA LA MA 242 MA 23 MA 218 MA 1 MA MD 86 MD 6 MD 79 MD 1 MD ME 56 ME 6 ME 50 ME ME MI 66 MI 7 MI 59 MI MI MN 51 MN 14 MN 33 MN 3 MN 1 MO 85 MO 64 MO 7 MO 12 MO 2 MS 3 MS MS 3 MS MS MT 31 MT 21 MT 10 MT MT

29 Totals by State SRI SOI SMI FOL NC 107 NC 28 NC 78 NC NC 1 ND ND ND ND ND NE 7 NE NE 7 NE NE NH 58 NH 8 NH 50 NH NH NJ 58 NJ 11 NJ 44 NJ 3 NJ NM 152 NM 50 NM 99 NM 1 NM 2 NV 18 NV 3 NV 15 NV NV NY 490 NY 28 NY 460 NY 2 NY OH 122 OH 14 OH 63 OH OH 45 OK 16 OK 9 OK 7 OK OK OR 305 OR 179 OR 121 OR 5 OR PA 82 PA 12 PA 70 PA PA RI 29 RI 4 RI 25 RI RI SC 16 SC 5 SC 11 SC SC SD 1 SD SD 1 SD SD TN 24 TN 3 TN 19 TN 2 TN TX 188 TX 17 TX 171 TX TX UT 14 UT 9 UT 5 UT UT VA 132 VA 46 VA 86 VA VA VT 98 VT 4 VT 94 VT VT WA 369 WA 88 WA 278 WA 3 WA WI 66 WI 18 WI 48 WI WI WV 7 WV 1 WV 6 WV WV WY 2 WY 1 WY 1 WY WY Unknown 18 Lost Addr 18 Lost Addr Lost Addr Lost Add #States: 50 # States: 45 # States: 50 # States: 16 # States: 7 #Membr: 4823 # Membr: 1317 # Membr: 3384 # Membr: 67 Membr: 55 It is of note that these numbers do not include those members of the DHO who are not initiated in the Ruhaniat, members of the Sufi Way, Sufism Reoriented or the International Network for the Dances of Universal Peace. The information reflects membership data gathered between May and August Pir Elias Amidon of the Sufi Way responded, The Sufi Way its headquarters in France is thriving as a small organization dedicated to the ineffable task of providing opportunities for spiritual awakening, along with some opportunities for service to the world. While it maintains its identity as an initiatic tariqah in the Inayati tradition, it understands itself to be a training ground rather than a membership group. As a result it cannot reliably count its initiates since it understands initiation as a living process that cannot be counted. It currently has students and mureeds in nine countries. As the World Turns: The Traveling Sufi One advantage of having family in other states and countries is that when we travel we can make contact and enjoy each other s company. For example: Traveling to Ohio this summer? Want to hook up with some Sufis while you re there? Well, Ohio has over 100 Inayati initiates, including 45 from the Fraternity of Light, 63 from the Sufi Order and 14 from the Ruhaniat. You can get more specific information by contacting the secretaries of the orders involved, using the information provided below. The Orders websites contain further contact information should the secretarial contact information become outdated. Sufi Ruhaniat International: Secretary: Amrita Skye Blaine, ruhaniat@mail.com» Sufi Ruhaniat International 29

30 International Sufi Movement: Membership Secretary: Safa Hull, General Secretary: Shaikha Hamida Verlinden, Soefi Contact: Secretary: Johannes Molenaar, Backup contact: Kadir Troelstra, Fraternity of Light: Secretary-Trustee: Teresa Grant, Moinuddin Clarke, President, Sufi Order International (pending Federation member): Secretary General: Suhrawardi Gebel, Sufi Way: Contact: Dahan Bakker, For the past ninety-nine years the Inayati Family has grown and grown, spreading the transmission of Hazrat Inayat Khan across the planet. It s important that we keep in touch with each other as we continue to do this work. We need each other. May this information help us do so more easily. An electronic version of the Federation database including the Google Earth file showing the global distribution of the Federation may be obtained by contacting Aslan.Sattler@gmail.com. Please put the word Sufi somewhere in the subject line. source unknown 30 HeartBeat Summer 2009

31 Morning Prayer by Mary Flowers, January, 2009 awaken this morning to find in my bed, on my cushion, I floating in the air around me, the multi-colored threads of yesterday s longing. Carefully, I gather and weave them together in a prayer shawl of today s intention. Wrapping it around me, I dress for the feast of union. I will bow again, sit again, pray again, walk again. Today, like yesterday and tomorrow, I place my deepest desire for union with you, Beloved, and for the awakening of self and all beings in the palm of my heart. Thus, I begin to gather the ingredients for our feast. Our feast, you say? Oh, yes, you are invited, too. Please come. Mary and Tara and Jemanja, along with a host of deities and dakinis, have already arrived and taken their places round the great table. Come, and bring your friends, too. We ll offer our sacred appetite and feast upon the Beautiful Names, Savoring their flavor in our mouths, Turning their sound as they begin to turn us, Swallowing their exquisite resonance and listening as the heart plays them, Dissolving and disappearing into the Great Light, Until only threads remain To be gathered together on the morrow And woven once more into a prayer shawl Of Love s longing to love her Self. Sufi Ruhaniat International 31

32 Remembrance By Khushi Tanveer Announcing the new Sufi Remembrance Website! This is meant to be a virtual memorial site where members of all of the Orders derived from the inspiration of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan, can share memories of Beloveds who have walked in the footsteps of our Sufi Master and who have crossed over to the unseen realms. The Remembrance website is set up in blog format. There is a personal page for each mureed who is known to have passed on. Their page is indexed alphabetically by first name within their primary sufi order. Each page has a place for comments. You, members of the Sufi community, are invited and encouraged to visit the site, and post memories of those whose lives have touched you. The initial page information for many mureeds is scanty. Sometimes there is just a name, which calls out for biographical information, pictures, dates of birth and death. Anything you might have to contribute to anyone s page is most welcome. To view the website, go to The homepage instructs you how to use the website. You can search for anyone by name in the search box, or click on an Order to find someone. Once you arrive at a person s page, scroll down to the Leave a Memory box and enter your posting. When you are finished, click on submit comment. All submissions are moderated. After submissions are reviewed and approved, they will appear on the site. One day in September 2007, I received an from a friend in Belgium letting me know that a Dutch mureed had passed on. Karima s death touched me deeply. I had met Karima only once, in My husband Shaffee and I had traveled to Europe to attend the first Sufi Ruhaniat camp to be held on that continent. We were casting about for a ride from Holland to Germany, and Karima volunteered to transport us. It was a drive of several hours, and so we had plenty of time to get to know each other as we sped along the autobahn in her tiny car, packed to the gills with people and luggage. During the camp we spent some lovely heart time together, and again, after camp, Karima transported us back into Holland. So it was with great sadness that I learned that a heart condition brought her to her death. I remember thinking,... Karima is going to pass into oblivion and no one will remember her. Two weeks later during the first day of a retreat, I found my thoughts returning again to Karima. There was a moment during the wanderings of my mind when I was struck with the inspiration to create a repository to share memories of mureeds who have passed from this plane to the next. The 32 HeartBeat Summer 2009

33 Guidance was very clear: the remembrances were to be for all mureeds who trace their spiritual inheritance to Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan. Khushi Tanveer With this Guidance I realized that this place of Remembrance would allow our entire Inayati community to memorialize our teachers, and our brothers and sisters on the path, assuring that a whiff of the perfume of all of these Beloveds would waft on through some unknown amount of time. Now, more than eighteen months later, it gives me great joy to share with you the manifestation of that Guidance. I had never attempted to create a website prior to this, and so there was a steep learning curve. But the power of Guidance is strong, and I persevered, even through long fallow periods of despair of ever being able to master WordPress! It is my greatest hope that you, members of this blessed community will visit the Remembrance site, and tarry long enough to share memories of those dearest of souls who have touched you with their Being. The Remembrance Project Najat Robert s tashbi Sufi Ruhaniat International 33

34 Sufi Ruhaniat International Financial Report 2008 Income: $208,815 Investments $5,863 Publications $8,979 Investment Tithes $25,000 Mureed Contributions $82,256 Gifts & Tithes $35,206 Jamiats $3,024 Restricted Funds $48,487 Expenses: $286,205 Employee Payroll $28,978 Wali Ali Stipend $17,500 Offices $17,447 Contributions & Donations $21,059 Activities $24,503 Pir Stipend $38,700 Publications $22,169 Health Insurance $11,653 Living Stream $24,736 Restricted Funds $79, HeartBeat Summer 2009

35 SRI Liquid Assets 12/31/2008: $118,393 "In The Garden" Fund $8,250 Restricted Funds $13,592 Ruhaniat Assets (unrestricted) $96,551 The financial picture of the Ruhaniat changed significantly in December 2008 when we learned that the investment of the Endowment fund was lost. This was due to the collapse of the Madoff funds where it was invested. Additionally, we lost a significant income stream from tithes from a Madoff-related investment vehicle. The Ruhaniat was depending on this income for a number of its activities. The trustees adopted a budget for the first 6 months of 2009 supporting only the basic needs of the organization and this has been extended for the rest of With the support from its members this budget is so far being met. The generous response of our community in this difficult time is appreciated beyond measure and allows the mothership to remain afloat. However, the level of support is not yet enough to start adding back expenses for activities that were halted. The pie-charts show the income and expenses for 2008 and because of the significant changes are not indicative for In recognition of the financial blow to the Pir, the board voted to support him without reduction in compensation or benefits for The secretariat and treasurer are being maintained. The archivist position was defunded. Wali Ali took a 33% cut and retained the use of the Mentorgarten for his family. Shabda s assistant s time was cut in half. Wali Ali s assistant volunteered to volunteer until such time as the financial picture might provide support for that position. The two California office expenses were cut in half as well. The contract with Axiom to develop and host the archives website was renegotiated. Jamiat Ahm and Jamiat Khas gatherings continue to have support. The Mureed Emergency Fund continues to be effective to support mureeds in emergencies. The guarantee that $5,000 will be available each year in this fund is still in place. Donations specifically for this fund also keep coming in.» Sufi Ruhaniat International 35

36 There is strong support from the membership dedicated to the Hope Project as well, allowing us to continue to share in this service in India. The renewed website was recently launched. The beautiful re-publication of In the Garden with Murshid Sam is now available from our secretariat. The trustees are committed to adopt a balanced budget for Pir Shabda has agreed to take a pay reduction of $5,000 in that year and Wali Ali has foregone his health insurance for the second half of this year and ongoing as necessary to meet this budgetary commitment. Sufi Ruhaniat International Board of Trustees Meeting Toward the One United With All The Board of Trustees met via conference calls on April 1 & , with Pir Shabda presiding. 1-Apr-2009 Conference Call BOT Members Attending: Pir Shabda Kahn, Tansen Phillip O Donohoe, Abraham Sussman, Asha Greer, Basira Beardsworth, Fazl Terry Peay, Karim Baer, Jammalluddin Akhbar Ira Zunin, Yasmin Germaine Haut, Diana Lyon. Others Attending: Boudewijn Boom, Samia Bloch, Farrunnissa Lila Rosa. The meeting opened with the Invocation at 1:05 PM ET. Pir Shabda expressed thanks for everyone attending and offered that we aspire to follow Inayat Khan s advice to be resigned to the past, holding fast in the present, and hopeful for the future. 1. Bylaws Change: It was discovered that previously-approved text had not been added to the current version of the Ruhaniat Bylaws. This text stated that Board members may not serve on the Board longer than 2 consecutive 3-year terms, but could return to the Board after a hiatus of 1 year. After discussion, the Board agreed to also include this amendment: If after 2 consecutive terms the Board member is deemed by the Pir to be necessary to the Board, the Pir may choose to keep the member on the Board for a longer time. The Board must approve this action by a majority vote. After more discussion, the Board decided to meditate on this change and discuss in next week s conference call. 2. Financial Report: As previously agreed, the Board reviewed the greatly reduced 2009 budget to consider whether any changes in direction were needed to keep the organization on track. Boudewijn noted the mureed contributions are down from last year, and recommended keeping the budget as approved, which would still result in a net $14,000 deficit for the first half of There s not a sufficient income stream at this point to support adding anything back into the budget. Any additions would result in a greater than $30,000 deficit for The Board discussed at length options for applying for grants to create additional revenue streams. Grants are often approved only for special projects or for start-up funding, and the Living Stream archive project now with no 2009 funding was brought up as a good candidate, as it could possibly fit in both 36 HeartBeat Summer 2009

37 categories. The Board also discussed a 2nd mortgage on Khankah S.A.M. as a possible revenue stream. At Pir Shabda s request, the Board reconsidered reinstating the funding for giving The Ruhaniat Companion to new mureeds. It was agreed to begin providing a PDF file to all new mureeds by , along with information on how they could order a hardcopy version for the cost of production, shipping, and handling. The meeting was adjourned at 2:12 PM ET with throwing our arms up into the sky and saying Ya Hu! 8-Apr-2009 Conference Call BOT Members Attending: Pir Shabda Kahn, Abraham Sussman, Samia Bloch, Asha Greer, Basira Beardsworth, Fazl Terry Peay, Karim Baer, Jammalluddin Akhbar Ira Zunin, Yasmin Germaine Haut, Diana Lyon. BOT Members Absent: Tansen Phillip O Donohoe. Others Attending: Boudewijn Boom, Farrunnissa Lila Rosa. The meeting was convened at 1:05 PM ET with saying the prayer Nayaz. 1. Financial Report, continued: A proposal to continue the budget in its current form for a maximum of 6 more months, through end of calendar year 2009 was passed by consensus. A proposal for the Board to commit to creating a balanced budget starting in January 2010 was also passed by consensus. It was agreed that Pir Shabda s stipend would be reduced by $5,000 for 2010, noting that for 2009 he needed steady support after his own financial losses. The Board again discussed options for tapping existing assets such as Khankah S.A.M. for new revenue sources; for example getting a loan against equity or opening a credit line, all as interim measures while we rebuild our income stream. The Board approved a proposal to set up a task force to examine all options for establishing income streams from existing assets. Boudewijn, Samia, and Pir Shabda will serve as the task force, with Fazl and Jammalluddin Akhbar to advise as needed, and will present options and recommendations to the Finance Committee. Selling any real estate will not be considered as an option. 2. Grants: Asha noted that Retha Sophia Wright, who has written grants professionally, has volunteered to apply for grants on behalf of the Ruhaniat. However, the current Ruhaniat mission statement should be revised to be simpler and clearer in order to facilitate grant writing. Karim, Yasmin, Diana, and Asha will draft a new mission statement for Board and Murshid Council approval. Asha will work with Retha Sophia to be sure she has the information she needs for writing the grants. 3. Bylaws Change: The Board agreed to stand by their decision to include new text in the bylaws, see Topic #1 from 1-Apr meeting, above. By Pir Shabda s request, Abraham was asked to serve another term on the Board, and agreed to do so. 4. Mureed Packets: The Board revisited the decision to not fund sending The Ruhaniat Companion to new mureeds, citing needing to look at the long-term strength of our lineage. It s not really that big of an expense, and the mureed packets include a spiral bound Companion, back issues of Heart- Beat, and a CD of one of Pir Shabda s talks. Based on 2008 actual expenditures, this expense is approx. $2,000 per year, with two-thirds of that going for overseas shipping. The Board voted to reinstate sending mureed packets to new US mureeds effective immediately, with non-us mureeds receiving the information electronically.» Sufi Ruhaniat International 37

38 5. Board Member Terms: The Board is delighted that Asha has agreed to remain on the Board for a second term, and Abraham has agreed to serve a third term. Board Member Term Last Board Meeting PW Contact* 1. Pir Shabda permanent member 3 rd contact Diana 2 nd term Spring Fazl 1 st term Spring Yasmin 2 nd term Autumn nd contact Jammalluddin Akhbar 2 nd term Autumn Basira 1 st term Autumn Karim 1 st term Autumn Tansen 2 nd term Spring Asha 2 nd term Spring Abraham 3 rd term Spring st contact * Three members of the Board serve as contacts with Peace Works International to review minutes and stay current on goings-on. 6. Upcoming Jamiats and Federation Gatherings: Jamiat Ahms are open to all Inayati mureeds and their significant others, as well as to members of Dance circles. Jamiat Khases are open to all Inayati mureeds who are teachers, or on the track to be teachers by approval of their guide; spouses by prior approval. Federation meetings are open to the invitees of each participating Inayati lineage. Future dates and locations are: 2009 Jamiat Khas, Brotherhood Retreat Center near Seattle WA: Murshids Council, Oct 25-28; Jamiat Khas, Oct 28 - Nov 1; Board Meeting, Nov 1-2 (Sunday 2-6 PM and 7:30-9 PM, and Monday 9-12 noon) Urs Celebration, Dargah of Hazrat Inayat Khan, Delhi, India: Feb 5-6, hosted jointly by all Inayati lineages Jamiat Ahm, Arcata CA: April Federation Retreat, IONS Retreat Center, on the border of Sonoma and Marin Counties, CA: Apr 28 - May 2 (planned to be more of a camp, open to all) Jamiat Khas, Summit Center, Brown Summit NC: Murshids Council, Nov 7-10; Jamiat Khas, Nov 10-14; Board Meeting, Nov (Sunday 2-6 PM and 7:30-9 PM, and Monday 9-12 noon). 7. Ruhaniat Officers, Concentrations, and Committees: Pir Shabda Kahn Spiritual Director Amrita Skye Blaine Secretary Boudewijn Boom Treasurer Jammalluddin Zunin Chief Financial Guide Concentration Head(s) Esoteric School Wali Ali Meyer Dervish Healing Order Saul Barodofsky Khilvat Asha Greer Service of Universal Peace Mariam Baker, Khadija Julia Goforth, Khabir Kitz Ziraat Vakil Forest Shomer 38 HeartBeat Summer 2009

39 Function/Committee Member(s)/Representative(s) Murshids Council Pir Shabda Kahn, Mariam Baker, Saul Barodofsky, Leilah Be, Saadi Shakur Douglas-Klotz, Khadija Julia Goforth, Asha Greer, Khabir Kitz, Fatima Lassar, Wali Ali Meyer, Kamae Amrapali Miller, Gita Sophia Onnen, Allaudin Ottinger Ethics Council Abraham Sussman, Saladin Palfrey, Zubin Goldman Finance Committee Boudewijn Boom, Fazl Terry Peay, Munir Peter Reynolds, Jammalluddin Akhbar Ira Zunin, Samia Bloch Five-Year Plan Committee Munir Peter Reynolds, Tansen Phillip O Donohoe, Jammalluddin Akhbar Ira Zunin, Yasmin Germaine Haut Fundraising Committee Yasmin Germaine Haut, Karim Baer Living Stream Committee Abraham Sussman Youth Council Asha Greer, Yasmin Germaine Haut, Diana Lyon, Latifa Rosado Siraj Council Mariam Baker, Saadi Shakur Neil Douglas-Klotz, Azima Lila Forest, Khadija Julia Goforth, Najat Patricia Roberts Web Committee Abdul Shaffee Howard Ballinger, Basira Beardsworth, Asha Greer, Yasmin Germaine Haut, Pir Shabda Kahn European Community Liaison Tansen Phillip O Donohoe, Abraham Sussman Hope Project Representatives Richard Cuadra, Quan Yin Lynne Williams Media Committee Yasmin Germaine Haut, Munir Peter Reynolds, Abraham Sussman Khankah S.A.M. Liaison Samia Jennifer Bloch Ruhaniat Publications Liaison Abraham Sussman Ruhaniat Publications Visioning Committee Saul Barodofsky, Basheera Zorn, Amrita Skye Blaine, Boudewijn Boom, Saadi Shakur Neil Douglas-Klotz, Pir Shabda Kahn, Wali Ali Meyer, Munir Peter Reynolds The meeting was adjourned at 2:20 PM ET with all saying Ya Hu! Respectfully submitted, Farrunnissa Lila Rosa Recording Secretary Theme for Winter 2009/2010 Issue The theme for the next issue of HeartBeat magazine is Change. What changes? What remains the same? We invite personal, intimate, whole-hearted responses, included at the discretion of the editor. Sufi Ruhaniat International 39

40 Available Ruhaniat Publications In the Garden just released!! This is the redesigned re-publication of a 1970 s classic, made new with Murshida Fatima Lassar s beautiful drawings. It includes many stories of Murshid Sam, some of his writings, and poetry. Eight hardbound copies still available: $30 plus $5.00 shipping in USA, $7 to Canada, $12 overseas. It is available in soft cover as well: $16.95 plus the same shipping charges as above. Saladin CD set Samuel Lewis s epic poem Saladin takes us back to the historical moment of the Crusaders invasion of the Middle East, and the life of Saladin, a great twelfth century Muslim Sultan. Through his chivalry and spiritual realization, Saladin invites the resolution of religious conflict, and in so doing, reveals the mystical depths of Islam. This poem invokes spiritual guidance as a foundation of human morality. It is most relevant today as a model for tolerance and Peacemaking. Read by Wali Ali Meyer, it is accompanied by contemporary Sufi music. 4CD set $33 plus $2.50 shipping Ziraat Reader A compilation of papers, essays, practices, commentaries, and inspirations on Ziraat, illuminating our experience of Self, of God, through understanding the Essence in the rhythms and manifestations of Nature. Spiral bound. $20 plus $5.00 shipping River of Guidance CD an interview with Pir Shabda Kahn In this wide-ranging interview, Pir Shabda chronicles with depth and heart his immersion into a multifaced life, reflections on his teachers, and the essence of the spiritual journey, including musical excerpts as performer, zikr leader, and teacher. CD $15 plus $2.00 shipping Living Harmony CD The Ruhaniat & Friends Live in Madison. Recorded during the Jamiat Ahm Wonderful Zikr and Dance music and songs. A portion of the sales of this CD supports the Hope Project. CD $15 plus $2.00 shipping SRI Esoteric Papers CD This is an upgrade CD to the first version from The CD now includes all of Murshid SAM s commentaries on HIK plus around seventy other esoteric papers. The Sufi Order International has given us permission to include The complete works of Hazrat Inayat Khan for which we are deeply grateful. The PDF files are indexed and searchable on the CD. Also included is the Ruhaniat Companion (formerly the Mureed Manual ). Available in three levels: Gatha/Githa (1-6 th ), Sangatha (7-9 th ), Sangitha (10 th ). Please specify your level of initiation when ordering. CD $101 plus $2.00 shipping. Upgrade if previously purchased: CD: $15 plus $2.00 shipping. Your purchase supports the Living Stream Project. 40 HeartBeat Summer 2009

41 Greeting Cards Beautiful greeting card with gold-foil, embossed Ruhaniat heart and wings. Blank inside. Box of six cards and envelopes $12 plus $2.50 shipping Box of twelve cards and envelopes $22 plus $3.50 shipping To order one item from inside the USA, please send check or credit card info with your order to: Sufi Ruhaniat International P.O. Box Eugene OR To order more than one item or from outside the USA, please contact the Ruhaniat for shipping cost first: Make a Donation of $1001, Support the Ruhaniat, receive this wonderful painting of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan Murshid Khabir Kitz has made a wonderful offer: if someone makes a donation to the Ruhaniat of $ , they can receive the portrait of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan that Khabir painted. The original painting is egg tempura on a panel, and is 18" by 24" (45 cm by 60 cm). Sorry, this offer does not apply to generous donations already made... Contact the Secretariat at ruhaniat@mail.com, or phone if you are interested. Sufi Ruhaniat International 41