MODELS of INNER DEVELOPMENT the Four Elements
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Understanding the Concept of Islamic Sufism
Journal of Education & Social Policy Vol. 1 No. 1; June 2014 Understanding the Concept of Islamic Sufism Shahida Bilqies Research Scholar, Shah-i-Hamadan Institute of Islamic Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190006 Jammu and Kashmir, India. Sufism, being the marrow of the bone or the inner dimension of the Islamic revelation, is the means par excellence whereby Tawhid is achieved. All Muslims believe in Unity as expressed in the most Universal sense possible by the Shahadah, la ilaha ill’Allah. The Sufi has realized the mysteries of Tawhid, who knows what this assertion means. It is only he who sees God everywhere.1 Sufism can also be explained from the perspective of the three basic religious attitudes mentioned in the Qur’an. These are the attitudes of Islam, Iman and Ihsan.There is a Hadith of the Prophet (saw) which describes the three attitudes separately as components of Din (religion), while several other traditions in the Kitab-ul-Iman of Sahih Bukhari discuss Islam and Iman as distinct attitudes varying in religious significance. These are also mentioned as having various degrees of intensity and varieties in themselves. The attitude of Islam, which has given its name to the Islamic religion, means Submission to the Will of Allah. This is the minimum qualification for being a Muslim. Technically, it implies an acceptance, even if only formal, of the teachings contained in the Qur’an and the Traditions of the Prophet (saw). Iman is a more advanced stage in the field of religion than Islam. It designates a further penetration into the heart of religion and a firm faith in its teachings. -
A-Fourth-Way-Cusack.Pdf
C. M. Cusack, “Fourth Way / The Work” Forthcoming in: E. Asprem (ed.), Dictionary of Contemporary Esotericism Preprint manuscript of: C. M. Cusack, “Fourth Way / The Work”, Dictionary of Contemporary Esotericism (ed. E. Asprem), Leiden: Brill. Archived at ContERN Repository for Self-Archiving (CRESARCH) https://contern.org/cresarch/cresarch- repository/ Feb. 5, 2019. The Fourth Way / The Work The tradition of the Greek-Armenian esotericist and spiritual teacher George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (c. 1866-1949) is known by a variety of names, the most common of which are “the Work” and “the Fourth Way”. The first is derived from Gurdjieff’s insistence that work and “conscious suffering”, which he terms the Fulasnitamnian principle, is the path to developing a kesdjan body, also called a higher-being body, which is a kind of soul (Thomson 2003, 29). The second is derived from Gurdjieff’s principle that three spiritual ways connect to the three human brains, or centres of being. He linked the way of the fakir (Sufi ascetic) with the sensory centre; the way of the monk (Christian renunciate) to the emotional centre; and the way of the yogi (Hindu ascetic) with the intellectual centre (Ouspensky 1971 [1957], 97-99). From 1912, when Gurdjieff emerged as an esoteric spiritual teacher in Moscow and St Petersburg, to his death in Paris in 1949, the teaching was transmitted orally to small groups of pupils. On two occasions Gurdjieff founded the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man (Tiflis 1919 and Paris 1922-1924). He also conducted large-scale public demonstrations of the Movements or sacred dances, a method of teaching that was aimed at harmonising the three centres and growing a soul that he introduced in 1919, and taught sporadically in later years (Azize 2012, 307-308). -
An Investigation Into the Prevalence of the Hindu Yogas in Sufism
1 AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PREVALENCE OF THE HINDU YOGAS IN SUFISM By Jalaledin Ebrahim M.A. Ph.D (c) http://jalaledin.blogspot.com Introduction With the recent proliferation of translations into English of the love poetry of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi and Hafez, Sufism, which is the esoteric or mystical dimension of Islam, has been widely considered, in the popular literature, a “ bhakti ” tradition, in which, “the aim of bhakti yoga is to direct toward God the love that lies at the base of every heart” (Smith, 1991, p. 32). On further investigation, a deeper appreciation of Sufism can be gained by comparing and contrasting the combinations (or lack thereof) of the Hindu yogas in the paths of several renowned Sufi Masters, such as Mansur Al- Hallaj (d. 992), Jalaluddin Rumi (d. 1273), Hafez (d. 1389), and Ibn al-Arabi (d.1240), who was known as the Shaykh al-Akbar, the greatest Sufi Master and the Seal of the Saints. 2 This paper seeks to explore the paths of these Sufi Masters within the framework of the four Hindu yogas and their relationship to the “stations of the heart” presented by a Sufi sheikh of the Jerrahi Order, Dr. Robert Frager, (1999) in “Heart, Self and Soul: The Sufi Psychology of Growth, Balance and Harmony.” Frager explains the contribution of Hakim al-Tirmidhi (d.ca. 932) to the theory of Sufism’s “four stations of the heart”: the breast, the heart, the inner heart and the innermost heart. Each of these stations houses a light. “The breast is the home of the Light of Practice of the outer forms of any religion. -
The Online Fourth Way School G
Awakening begins when a person realizes that they are going nowhere and they do not know where to go. — G. I. Gurdjieff the online fourth way school G. I. Gurdjieff, circa 1930s circa G. I. Gurdjieff, “All accumulated vibrations create a current. This current brings the force of love. Real love is a cosmic force which goes through us. If we crystallize it, it becomes a power — the greatest power in the world.” “The growth of conscience consists in the growth of the intellect and the growth of superior emotions which accompany it — religious, moral, aesthetic.” — G. I. Gurdjieff The Online Fourth Way School Email: [email protected] (530) 908-2410 www.GurdjieffLegacy.org The Online Fourth Way School The School (est. 1992), born in the direct lineage and esoteric tradition of The Fourth Way, is a seminal teaching of spiritual evolution in the Technological World-Time, the “Son of Man,” that confronts and challenges our very Identity. The School offers the perspective and practices enabling the student to recapture the true meaning and purpose of human life, and ends the ever-increasing soulless waste of our attention, energy, time taken in the unconscious misuse of Technology in all its forms. Unique to this rich and practical teaching of self- evolution is that instead of seeking to change our life we are taught how to rightly observe and use it. Nothing is to be believed, everything is to be verified. Able to observe how our past lives our present, the student slowly frees themselves from false personality and begins to strive to live from essence, what they truly are. -
The Old Woman and the Eagle
The Old Woman and the Eagle Text copyright © 2002 by The Estate of Idries Shah by Illustrations copyright © 2002 by Natasha Delmar Idries Shah ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to Hoopoe Books, PO Box 381069, Cambridge MA 02238-1069 First Edition 2003 Second Impression 2005 Published by Hoopoe Books, a division of The Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge ISBN 1-883536-27-8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shah, Idries, 1924- The old woman and the eagle / by Idries Shah ; illustrated by Natasha Delmar. p. cm. Summary: A Sufi teaching tale from Afghanistan about an old woman who insists that an eagle must really be a pigeon. ISBN 1-883536-27-8 -- ISBN 1-883536-28-6 (alk. paper) [1. Folklore--Afghanistan.] I. Delmar, Natasha, ill. II. Title. PZ8.1.S47 O1 2002 398.2’09581’02--dc21 [E] 2002068666 Visit www.hoopoekids.com for a complete list of Hoopoe titles, CDs, HOOPOE BOOKS DVDs and parent/teacher guides. BOSTON nce upon a time, when cups were plates and when knives and forks grew in the ground, there was an old woman who had never seen an eagle. One day, an eagle was flying high in the sky and decided to stop for a rest. -
The Reality of Being: the Fourth Way of Gurdjieff Pdf, Epub, Ebook
THE REALITY OF BEING: THE FOURTH WAY OF GURDJIEFF PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Jeanne De Salzmann | 336 pages | 16 Dec 2011 | Shambhala Publications Inc | 9781590309285 | English | Boston, United States The Reality of Being: the Fourth Way of Gurdjieff PDF Book Attention and Will Our attention is subject to our will. Return to Book Page. It gives several exercises, one of which was quite revealing for me. To learn to see is the first initiation into self-knowledge. He spoke of music as having a sort of objective power that could be felt in the same way a snake responds to the music of a snake charmer. Are Humans Actually Aliens on Earth? Upon his return, he penned a series of books that would become the foundation of his spiritual practice: The Fourth Way. Community Reviews. There are a couple of unique practices but very few given, mainly in gathering attention such as in focusing on body parts and intoning 'I am' etc. It is a complete transformation of the quality of my thinking. De Salzmann, xviii. The French institute was headed for many years by Madam de Salzmann — a direct pupil of Gurdjieff. Views From the Real World. By Gaia Staff. For those who seek to understand the meaning of human life in the universe, he said, the aim of the search is to break through to this stream, to find it. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. Gaia Staff 2 min read. These cookies do not store any personal information. Has A. I do not have the attention necessary to confront all these impressions and reactions. -
Transcendent Philosophy an International Journal for Comparative Philosophy and Mysticism
Volume 11. December 2010 Transcendent Philosophy An International Journal for Comparative Philosophy and Mysticism Editor Transcendent Philosophy Journal is an academic Seyed G. Safavi peer-reviewed journal published by the London SOAS, University of London, UK Academy of Iranian Studies (LAIS) and aims to create a dialogue between Eastern, Western and Book Review Editor Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism is published in Sajjad H. Rizvi December. Contributions to Transcendent Philosophy Exeter University, UK do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or the London Academy of Iranian Editorial Board Studies. G. A’awani, Iranian Institue of Philosophy, Iran Contributors are invited to submit papers on the A. Acikgenc, Fatih University, Turkey following topics: Comparative studies on Islamic, M. Araki, Islamic Centre England, UK Eastern and Western schools of Philosophy, Philosophical issues in history of Philosophy, Issues S. Chan, SOAS University of London, UK in contemporary Philosophy, Epistemology, W. Chittick, State University of New York, USA Philosophy of mind and cognitive science, R. Davari, Tehran University, Iran Philosophy of science (physics, mathematics, biology, psychology, etc), Logic and philosophical G. Dinani, Tehran University, Iran logic, Philosophy of language, Ethics and moral P.S. Fosl, Transylvania University, USA philosophy, Theology and philosophy of religion, M. Khamenei, SIPRIn, Iran Sufism and mysticism, Eschatology, Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Art and Metaphysics. B. Kuspinar, McGill University, Canada H. Landolt, McGill University, Canada The mailing address of the Transcendent Philosophy O. Leaman, University of Kentucky, USA is: Y. Michot, Hartford Seminary, Macdonald Dr S.G. Safavi Center, USA Journal of Transcendent Philosophy M. Mohaghegh-Damad, Beheshti University, Iran 121 Royal Langford 2 Greville Road J. -
The Fourth Way: Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff Free
FREE THE FOURTH WAY: TEACHINGS OF G.I. GURDJIEFF PDF P.D. Ouspensky | 446 pages | 10 May 2000 | Random House USA Inc | 9780394716725 | English | New York, United States Fourth Way | George Gurdjieff | Be Community The Fourth Way refers to a concept used by George Gurdjieff to describe an approach to self-development learned over years of travel in the East [1] that combined what he saw as three established traditional "ways," or "schools" into a fourth way. The term "The Fourth Way" was further developed by P. Ouspensky in his lectures and writings. Posthumously, Ouspensky's students published a book entitled Fourth Waybased on his lectures. According to this system, the chief difference between the three traditional schools, or ways, and the fourth way is that "they are permanent forms which have survived throughout history mostly unchanged, and are based on religion. Where schools of yogis, monks or fakirs exist, they are barely distinguishable from religious schools. The fourth way differs in that it is not a permanent way. It has no specific forms or institutions and comes and goes controlled by some particular laws of its own. It always has some work of a specific import, and is never without some task around which and in connection with which it can alone exist. When this work is finished, that is to say, when the aim set before it has been accomplished, the fourth way disappears, that is, it disappears from the given place, disappears in its given form, continuing perhaps in another place in another form. Schools of the fourth way exist for the needs of the work which is being carried out in connection with the proposed undertaking. -
In Search of Being: the Fourth Way to Consciousness Free
FREE IN SEARCH OF BEING: THE FOURTH WAY TO CONSCIOUSNESS PDF Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff | 208 pages | 08 Jan 2013 | Shambhala Publications Inc | 9781611800371 | English | Boston, United States DailyOM - In Search of Being: The Fourth Way to Consciousness by G. I. Gurdjieff Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Learn how In Search of Being: The Fourth Way to Consciousness enable JavaScript on your browser. NOOK Book. Home 1 Books 2. Read an excerpt of this book! Add to Wishlist. Overview Are we able to say that life is governed by a group of conscious people? Where are they? Who are they? We see exactly the opposite: that life is governed by those who are the least conscious, by those who are most asleep. Provocative ideas such as these have attracted generations of thoughtful people to the methods of self-study and inner work devised by Gurdjieff, one of the most radical spiritual teachers of modern times. According to Gurdjieff, the wars raging at this very moment are nothing more than millions of sleeping people trying to annihilate millions of other sleeping people. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such as thing as progress and evolution as long as humanity remains asleep. Two hundred conscious people could change the whole of life on the earthGurdjieff says. If we want to become those conscious people, we must learn how to change ourselves. -
LEGACY of CHRISTIANITY.Pdf
LEGACY OF CHRISTIANITY The Origins of Christianity Certain esoteric teachings suggest that the Christian religion existed before the birth of Jesus Christ. G.I. Gurdjieff, for instance, claimed that the origin of Christianity was in ancient Egypt. In talks with his students he offered a very different history of Christianity than the traditional view of scholars and clerics: “Many people think that the outward form of worship, the rites, the singing of canticles, and so on, were invented by the fathers of the church. Others think that the outward form has been taken partly from pagan religions and partly from the Hebrews. But all of this is untrue. The question of the origin of the Christian church is much more interes- ting than we think.” The Christian church, the Christian form of worship, was not invented by the fathers of the church. It was all taken in a ready-made form from Egypt, only not from the Egypt that we know but from one which we do not know. This Egypt was in the same place as the other but it existed much earlier. Only small bits of it survived in historical times, and these bits have been preserved in secret and so well that we do not even know where they have been preserved. It will seem strange to many people when I say that this prehistoric Egypt was Christian many thousands of years before the birth of Christ, that is to say, that its religion was composed of the same principles and ideas that constitute true Christianity. Special schools existed in this prehistoric Egypt which were called ‘schools of repetition.’ These schools were taken as a model for Christian churches – the form of worship in Christian churches almost entirely represents the course of repetition of the science dealing with the universe and man. -
The World of the Sufi
Books by Idries Shah Sufi Studies and Middle Eastern Literature The Sufis Caravan of Dreams The Way of the Sufi Tales of the Dervishes: Teaching-stories Over a Thousand Years Sufi Thought and Action Traditional Psychology, Teaching Encounters and Narratives Thinkers of the East: Studies in Experientialism Wisdom of the Idiots The Dermis Probe Learning How to Learn: Psychology and Spirituality in the Sufi Way Knowing How to Know The Magic Monastery: Analogical and Action Philosophy Seeker After Truth Observations Evenings with Idries Shah The Commanding Self University Lectures A Perfumed Scorpion (Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge and California University) Special Problems in the Study of Sufi Ideas (Sussex University) The Elephant in the Dark: Christianity, Islam and the Sufis (Geneva University) Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study: Beginning to Begin (The New School for Social Research) Letters and Lectures of Idries Shah Current and Traditional Ideas Reflections The Book of the Book A Veiled Gazelle: Seeing How to See Special Illumination: The Sufi Use of Humour The Mulla Nasrudin Corpus The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin The World of Nasrudin Travel and Exploration Destination Mecca Studies in Minority Beliefs The Secret Lore of Magic Oriental Magic Selected Folktales and Their Background World Tales A Novel Kara Kush Sociological Works Darkest England The Natives are Restless The Englishman‟s Handbook Translated by Idries Shah The Hundred Tales of Wisdom (Aflaki‟s Munaqib) THE WORLD OF THE SUFI An anthology of writings about Sufis and their work Introduction by IDRIES SHAH ISF PUBLISHING Copyright © The Estate of Idries Shah The right of the Estate of Idries Shah to be identified as the owner of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. -
Experiential Learning
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ‘He who tastes, knows’ Proverb Indirect and Impact Teaching In many spiritual traditions a teacher will often act in ways which seem inexplicable to ex- ternal observers or even their own students. In reality the teacher is trying to guide the seeker to an intuitive perception of a wider and deeper reality: “For when this wise and deeper world opens, everyday life, even the most trivial thing of it, grows loaded with truth. After all, is not life itself filled with wonders, mysteries and unfathomable possibilities, far beyond our discur- sive understanding.” A teacher may use unusual or indirect methods to provoke a sudden shift in the disciple’s consciousness in order to reveal a wider perspective and understanding: Tokusan was a great scholar. Learning that there was such a thing as Zen ignoring all the scriptures and directly laying hands on one’s soul, he came to Ryutan to be instructed in the doctrine. One day Tokusan was sitting outside trying to see into the mystery of Zen. Ryutan said, ‘Why don’t you come in?’ Replied Tokusan, ‘It is pitch dark.’ A candle was lighted and handed over to Tokusan. When the latter was at the point of taking it, Ryutan suddenly blew the light out, whereupon the mind of Tokusan was opened. Hyakujo one day went out attending his master Baso. A flock of wild geese was seen flying and Baso asked: ‘What are they?’ ‘They are wild geese, sir.’ ‘Whither are they flying?’ ‘They have flown away.’ Baso abruptly taking hold of Hyakujo’s nose, gave it a twist.