tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70576421947470512002011-09-16T22:45:15.981-07:00Welcome to our Sufi Wisdom Sutras Blog. Please feel free to post a question, to comment on discussions posted, and to check out the calendar of events happening locally and abroad. Notice the links feature that offers extensive information on Sufi related topics.Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.comBlogger761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-53355051080304960382011-09-16T22:45:00.001-07:002011-09-16T22:45:16.114-07:00

God alone deserves all love, and the freedom of love is in giving it to God. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The one thing to rely upon is God's favor. Do not build either on your study or on your meditation, although they both help you. But you are dependent on God, not even on your murshid. Seek Him, trust Him. In Him lies your life's purpose, and (in) Him is hidden the rest of

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Devotion to a spiritual teacher is not for the sake of the teacher, it is for God. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan In the history of the great and holy beings of the world the greatest and the most blessed have been the devotees. ... devotion teaches one virtue; sincerity, earnestness, the sense of duty: all different virtues come by devotion. A person who is devoted to anyone in

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The first step towards forgiveness is to forget. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan In order to learn forgiveness man must learn tolerance first. And there are people whom man cannot forgive. It is not that he must not forgive, but it is difficult, beyond his power to forgive, and in that case the first thing he can do is to forget. The first step towards forgiveness is to forget.

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It is the fruit that makes the tree bow low. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Spiritual attainment is not a thing to be brought before people to prove that it is real, or as a show. What is real is proof in itself, what is beyond all price or value does not need to be made much of before people. What is real is real, and the precious is precious in itself: it needs no explanation,

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Love is the divine Mother's arms; when those arms are spread, every soul falls into them. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The Sufis of all ages have been known for their beautiful personality. It does not mean that among them there have not been people with great powers, wonderful powers and wisdom. But beyond all that, what is most known of the Sufis is the human side of their nature

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One virtue is more powerful than a thousand vices. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan There is a Gujerati saying, "By the virtue of one, thousands may be saved, liberated; by the vice of one, thousands may be lost." This is what is meant when it is said that Christ saves his followers from their sins. By the goodness of one, thousands may be benefitted and by the evil of one a whole

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Happy is he who does good to others; miserable is he who expects good from others. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan To what does the love of God lead? It leads to that peace and stillness which can be seen in the life of the tree, which bears fruits and flowers for others and expects no returns, not even thanks in return. It serves, and cares for nothing else, not even for

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There is no source of happiness other than that in the heart of man. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Man seeks happiness in pleasure, in joy, but these are only shadows of happiness. The real happiness is in the heart of man. But man does not look for it. In order to find happiness, he seeks pleasure. Anything that is passing and anything that results in unhappiness is not

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Self-pity is the cause of all life's grievances. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan: If one studies one's surroundings one finds that those who are happy are so because they have less thought of self. If they are unhappy it is because they think of themselves too much. A person is more bearable when he thinks less of

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Joy and sorrow both are for each other. If it were not for joy, sorrow could not be; and if it were not for sorrow, joy could not be experienced. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan: Life is differentiated by the pairs of opposites. If there was no pain one would not enjoy the experience of joy. It is pain

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He who has spent has used; he who has collected has lost; but he who has given has saved his treasure forever. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The tendency to doubt, to be depressed, the tendency towards fear, suspicion and confusion, the tendency to puzzle -- where does it all come from? It all comes from the thought of getting something in return: 'will another

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The giver is greater than the gift. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan: Besides having one's (own) wish granted, the joy of giving another (person) happiness, that itself is greater than a wish granted, if one has risen to that plane of human evolution when one can enjoy pleasure with the pleasure of another,

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A pure life and a clean conscience are as two wings attached to the soul. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan A pure life and a clean conscience are as bread and wine for the soul. A pure life is the term used to express the effort of man to keep his spiritual being untainted by the false values of the worldly life. It is the constant search for the original

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We can learn virtue even from the greatest sinner if we consider him as a teacher. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The question now arises how to attain to this prayerful attitude in life. In the first place, for those whose prayer is one of praise, if their whole life is to assume a prayerful attitude, they must carry this praise and gratitude into the smallest details of

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Love is the best means of making the heart capable of reflecting the soul-power and love in the sense of pain rather than of pleasure. Every blow opens a door whence the soul-power comes forth. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The heart of man is like a globe over the light of the soul. When the globe is dusty,

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Our thoughts have prepared for us the happiness or unhappiness we experience. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan All our possessions, all that we collect in life, all these things which we shall have to leave one day are transitory; but that which we have created in our thought, in our mind, that lives. A person thinks, '

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The use of friendship for a selfish motive is like mixing bitter poison with the sweet rose-syrup. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan A friendship used to carry out one's aims and objects in life through the love and kindness of a friend is only business. The unselfish friend is the pure one, and it is such a friendship

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All the disharmony of the world caused by religious differences is the result of man's failure to understand that religion is One, truth is One, God is One; how can there be two religions? Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan God is one, the Truth is one. How can there be two religions? There is one religion, the only

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'God is love'; when love is awakened in the heart, God is awakened there. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Life's light is love; and when the heart is empty of love, a man is living and yet not living; from a spiritual point of view he is dead. When the heart is asleep, he is as though dead in this life, for one can only

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The control of self means the control of everything. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Self-control is the most necessary thing to be learned; a person may have great spirituality, illumination and piety, but in the absence of self-control this is nothing. Self-control also is the way of happiness and peace. ... No

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Every man's path is for himself; let him accomplish his own desires that he may thus be able to rise above them to the eternal goal. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The sages have said, 'Rise above the earthly motives. Accomplish all you wish to accomplish in life, whatever be the motive, and then that itself will lead

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So long as a man has a longing to obtain any particular object, he cannot go further than that object. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan As a man's ideal is, so is his state of evolution. The man who is only interested in himself is very narrow and limited, whereas the man who has expanded his interests to his family and

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Discussion is for those who say, "What I say is right, and what you say is wrong." A sage never says such a thing hence, there is no discussion. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Once I was with a sage whom many people went to see. He pleased them all, and he was not fond of disputing or discussing, because to a sage

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Every man's desire is according to his evolution; that which he is ready for, is the desirable thing for him. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan There are really two journeys. There is the journey from the goal to the life in the world, and there is the journey from the life in the world to the goal. And both journeys are

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The perfect life is following one's own ideal, not in checking those of others; leave everyone to follow his own ideal. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Religion in the East is not made into a thing apart from one's life, as in the West where business, profession, and other things on the one side of life, and going to church one day in the week on the other side, together

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The realization that the whole life must be "give and take" is the realization of the spiritual truth and the fact of true democracy; not until this spirit is formed in the individual can the whole world be elevated to the higher grade. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan A child should know the moral of give and take; it must know that it should give to others what it wishes

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Insight into life is the real religion, which alone can help men to understand life. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Say to yourself, 'My ideal, my religion, my desire is to please my Lord before whom I bow my head. So when I am before anyone, I am before my Lord, my God. I must take care always to be considerate and thoughtful, lest I hurt my God.' That is the real religion.

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God is the ideal that raises mankind to the utmost height of perfection. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan An ideal is something to hope for and hold on to, and in the absence of an ideal hope has nothing to look forward to. It is the lack of idealism which accounts for the present degeneration of humanity in spite of all the progress it has made in other directions. There are

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When we devote ourselves to the thought of God, all illumination and revelation is ours. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The whole aim of the Sufi is, by thought of God, to cover his imperfect self even from his own eyes, and that moment when God is before him and not his own self, is the moment of perfect bliss to him. My Murshid, Abu Hashim Madani, once said that there is

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The afterlife is like a gramophone; man's mind brings the records; if they are harsh, the instrument produces harsh notes, if beautiful then it will sing beautiful songs. It will produce the same records that man has experienced in this life. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan One characteristic of the mind is that it is like a gramophone record: whatever is impressed upon it, it

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Unity in realization is far greater than unity in variety. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan What keeps the soul in perplexity is the threefold aspect of manifestation, and as long as the soul remains puzzled by this, it cannot arrive at the knowledge of the One. These three aspects are the seer, sight, and the seen; the knower, knowledge, and the known. In point of fact

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Those who have given deep thoughts to the world are those who have controlled the activity of their minds. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan He is thoughtful whose mind is directed by his will, whose mind fulfills his intentions, whose mind is under the control of his intention. ... Only those who have controlled the activity of their minds have given deep thoughts to the

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No man should allow his mind to be a vehicle for others to use; he who does not direct his own mind lacks mastery. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Our minds need to be dusted and swept just as much as our houses, and this we do by meditation and concentration, which wipe away all wrong impressions. We must be masters of our own minds as well as our houses, and not allow them

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The truth need not be veiled, for it veils itself from the eyes of the ignorant. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The soul, absorbed in its child-like fancies in things that it values and to which it gives importance, and in the beings to which it attaches itself, blinds itself by the veils of its illusion. Thus it covers with a thousand veils its own truth from its own eyes.

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When souls meet each other, what truth they can exchange! It is uttered in silence, yet always surely reaches its goal. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Truth comes to man's soul, and yet truth is not the exclusive property of creed, caste, or race. We are all the children of God, the Father-Mother Spirit of all that exists. And we ought to have such a feeling of brotherhood that

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Every passion, every emotion has its effect upon the mind, and every change of mind, however slight, has its effect upon man's body. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Different conditions and the changes that take place in the world have their effect upon the mind, and the different conditions of the mind have their effect upon the body. As bodily illness makes man irritable,

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To make God a reality is the real object of worship. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The first and principle thing in the inner life is to establish a relationship with God, making God the object with which we relate ourselves, such as the Creator, Sustainer, Forgiver, Judge, Friend, Father, Mother, and Beloved. In every relationship we must place God before us, and become

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Every moment has its special message. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Every step in evolution makes life more valuable. The more evolved you are, the more priceless is every moment; it becomes an opportunity for you to do good to others, to serve others, to give love to others, to be gentle to others, to give your sympathy to souls who are longing and hungering for it.

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Sleep is comfortable, but awakening is interesting. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan There are some who are content with a belief taught at home or in church. They are contented, and they may just as well rest in that stage of realization where they are contented until another impulse is born in their hearts to rise higher. The Sufi does not force his belief or his thoughts

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The aim of the mystic is to keep near to the idea of unity, and to find out where we unite. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan When people say that they distinguish between right and wrong by their results, even then they cannot be sure if in the punishment there was not a reward, or in the reward a punishment. What does this show us? It shows us that life is a puzzle of duality

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Knowledge without love is lifeless. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The loveless heart may have all the religion and all the knowledge, yet it is dead. As the Bible says, "God is love." God is in the heart of each person, and the heart of each person is the highest heaven. When that heart is closed by the absence of love, then God is closed. When this heart is open, God is

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The soul is first born into the false self, it is blind; in the true self the soul opens its eyes. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Our greatest enemy is ourself. All weakness, all ignorance keeps us from the truth of our being, from all the virtues hidden in us and all perfection hidden in our souls. The first self we realize is the false self. Unless the soul is born again it

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The wave realizes "I am the sea", and by falling into the sea prostrates itself before its God. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Prayer has been taught by all religions in different forms: by bowing, by prostrations, by recitation or chant. As soon as man begins to feel the immanence of God in nature, he begins to prostrate himself before that Being, calling his limited self

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Our success or failure depends upon the harmony or disharmony of our individual will with the Divine Will. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan It is the Divine Will that is manifested throughout the whole universe, which has created the whole universe; and it is part of the divine will that manifests itself through us. Everything we do in life is governed and directed by that power

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-5970766153451233442011-04-17T15:45:00.000-07:002011-04-17T15:45:13.748-07:00

It is the surface of the sea that makes waves and roaring breakers; the depth is silent. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The bubbles are to be found on the surface of the sea. The depth of the sea is free from bubbles. The commotion is to be seen on the surface, the depth of the sea is still. The mind is the commotion of that something that is within us, that something which

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-55061939919420466652011-04-15T07:21:00.000-07:002011-04-15T07:21:16.630-07:00

The great teachers of humanity become streams of love. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Forgiveness is a stream of love which washes away all impurities wherever it flows. By keeping this spring of love, which is in the heart of man, running, man is able to forgive, however great the fault of his fellow man may seem. One who cannot forgive closes his heart. The sign of

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-77029091439637777062011-04-14T11:52:00.000-07:002011-04-14T11:52:32.884-07:00

Man is the picture of the reflection of his imagination; he is as large or as small as he thinks himself. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan All works of art and music and poetry come from imagination, for imagination is the free flow of mind, when the mind is allowed to work by itself and bring out the beauty and harmony it contains. But when it is restricted by a certain

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-53838064403506514052011-04-13T09:19:00.000-07:002011-04-13T09:19:09.973-07:00

He who wants to understand, will understand. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan In India it is considered a great sin to awaken anyone who is asleep. If a man is asleep, do not wake him; let him sleep; it is the time for him to sleep; it will not do to wake him before his time. Thus a mystic understands also that a person who is taking his time to wake up must not be awakened to

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-19066055272614006782011-04-12T07:36:00.000-07:002011-04-12T07:36:54.325-07:00

The ideal of God is a bridge connecting the limited life with the unlimited; whosoever travels over this bridge passes safely from the limited to the unlimited life. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan There is a side in man's being - call it spirit - which remains unsatisfied with all that one has attained in one's lifetime. The satisfaction of the spirit, which is the deepest

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-22763731815443294292011-04-11T09:28:00.000-07:002011-04-11T09:28:52.113-07:00

It does not matter in what way a person offers his respect and his reverence to the deity he worships; it matters only how sincere he is in his offering. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Bowl of Saki, April 11, by Hazrat Inayat Khan The forms of worship of all the different religions are necessarily different. It depends upon what one is accustomed to, what is akin to one's

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-44073285414829346612011-04-08T12:23:00.000-07:002011-04-08T12:23:47.147-07:00

As the light of the sun helps the plant to grow, so the divine Spirit helps the soul towards its perfection. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The Spirit of Guidance is a plant that grows and blossoms when it meets with response and care; and when it is watered by the rainfall of divine inspiration it blooms in the light of the divine sun. The Spirit of Guidance is the light of

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-39659469096923660862011-04-06T09:59:00.000-07:002011-04-06T09:59:35.508-07:00

As one can see when the eyes are open, so one can understand when the heart is open. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Every name and every form speaks constantly, constantly makes signs for you to hear, for you to respond to, for you to interpret, that you may become a friend of God. The whole purpose of your life is to make yourself ready to understand what God is, what your

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-76718820727968298122011-04-04T10:12:00.000-07:002011-04-04T10:12:31.263-07:00

To give sympathy is sovereignty, to desire it from others is captivity. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Although sometimes it gives a tender sensation in the heart to say, 'Oh, how poorly I am', and it is soothing to hear from someone, 'Oh, I am so sorry you are not well', yet I should think that one would prefer if another thing were said in sympathy, namely, 'I am so happy to

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-7337029450165773982011-04-03T19:35:00.000-07:002011-04-03T19:35:43.483-07:00

Life is a misery for the man absorbed in himself. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The more living the heart, the more sensitive it is; but that which causes sensitiveness is the love-element in the heart, and love is God. The person whose heart is not sensitive is without feeling; his heart is not living, it is dead. In that case the divine Spirit is buried in his heart. A

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-1141639602591970062011-04-01T09:13:00.000-07:002011-04-01T09:13:07.840-07:00

When one praises the beauty of God, one's soul is filled with bliss. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan "Why does God need praise from me? Who am I that I should offer Him praise?" True, we can never praise Him enough; never can our praise be sufficient, but our souls are blessed with the impression of the Glory of God whenever we praise Him. The soul could praise God every

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-68041997627219315332011-03-31T08:29:00.000-07:002011-03-31T08:29:26.736-07:00

Even to utter the name of God is a blessing that can fill the soul with light and joy and happiness as nothing else can do. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan In the East, religion is sown in the heart of the child from birth, no matter to what religion he may belong. The invocation of the name of God becomes a daily custom, which he consciously or unconsciously repeats in

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-4913809822856592662011-03-30T12:10:00.000-07:002011-03-30T12:10:55.518-07:00

We can never sufficiently humble our limited self before limitless perfection. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan I have seen with my own eyes souls who have attained saintliness and who have reached to great perfection; and yet such a soul will stand before an idol of stone with another, with a fellow man, and worship, not letting him know that he is in any way more advanced

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-86251716436367558902011-03-29T07:40:00.000-07:002011-03-29T07:40:07.644-07:00

According to his evolution, man knows truth. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Every person's desire is according to his evolution. That for which he is ready is desirable for him. Milk is a desirable food for the infant, other foods for the grown-up person. Every stage in life has its own appropriate and desirable things. When one realizes the ultimate truth, one comes to

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-23795697173418784662011-03-28T16:27:00.000-07:002011-03-28T16:27:22.425-07:00

Until the heart is empty, it cannot receive the knowledge of God. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan When a person comes to take a lesson on any subject, and he brings his own knowledge with him, the teacher has little to teach him, for the doors of his heart are not open. His heart that should be empty in order to receive knowledge is occupied by the knowledge that he already had

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-9968088444818026082011-03-24T10:28:00.000-07:002011-03-24T10:28:41.779-07:00

The first sign of the realization of truth is tolerance. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan A soul shows the proof of its evolution in the degree of the tolerance it shows. The life in the lower creation shows the lack of tolerance. The tendency of fighting with one another, which one sees among beasts and birds, shows the reason at the back of it, that intolerance is born in

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-66821433372939943442011-03-23T11:00:00.000-07:002011-03-23T11:00:33.014-07:00

All earthly knowledge is as a cloud covering the sun. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Truth is the very self of man. Truth is the divine element in man. Truth is every soul's seeking. Therefore as soon as the clouds of illusion are scattered, that which man now begins to see is nothing but the truth which has been there all the time. He finds that the truth was never absent;

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-70635322480798224322011-03-22T09:43:00.000-07:002011-03-22T09:43:18.614-07:00

There is one Teacher, God Himself; we are all His pupils. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan According to the Sufi point of view there is only one teacher, and that teacher is God Himself. No man can teach another man. All one can do for another is to give him one's own experience in order to help him to be successful. For instance if a person happens to know a road, he can

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-48312311482253309952011-03-21T07:58:00.000-07:002011-03-21T07:58:31.607-07:00

Our soul is blessed with the impression of the glory of God whenever our lips praise Him. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan There is a necessity for praise in prayer, praise of the beauty of God, for man must learn to recognize and praise the beauty of God as manifested in all His creation. In this way he impresses beauty on his soul, and he is able to manifest it in himself,

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-1128849187105060562011-03-19T09:17:00.000-07:002011-03-19T09:17:16.896-07:00

It is the sincere devotee who knows best how to humble himself before God. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan There are many different feelings which have an influence upon us, and which give a feeling of joy, of exaltation, but there is no sentiment greater or more effective than the feeling of bringing one's faults and weaknesses before God to ask for His pardon. To become

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-86038421288855442512011-03-18T08:28:00.000-07:002011-03-18T08:28:44.262-07:00

Prayer is the greatest virtue, the only way of being free from all sin. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan The first aspect of prayer is giving thanks to God for all the numberless blessings that are bestowed upon us at every moment of the day and night, and of which we are mostly unconscious. The second aspect of prayer is laying our shortcomings before the unlimited perfection of the

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-24291978626888129522011-03-17T07:19:00.000-07:002011-03-17T07:19:12.605-07:00

Verily, he is victorious who has conquered himself. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Our greatest enemy is ourself. All weakness, all ignorance keeps us from the truth of our being, from all the virtues hidden in us and all perfection hidden in our souls. The first self we realize is the false self. Unless the soul is born again it will not see the kingdom of heaven. The soul is

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-91462495672823479512011-03-16T07:36:00.000-07:002011-03-16T07:36:55.647-07:00

At every step of evolution, man's realization of God changes Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan There is a time when toys are treasures. But the child who cries for a toy comes to an age when he gives it away. And at every step in a man's evolution the values of power and position and wealth change in his eyes. And so as he evolves there arises in him a spirit of renunciation

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-52143859178773392582011-03-15T20:41:00.000-07:002011-03-15T20:41:02.002-07:00

Until man loses himself in the vision of God, he cannot be said to live really. Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Man wrongly identifies himself with the physical body, calling it 'myself.' And when the physical body is in pain he says, 'I am ill,' because he identifies himself with something which belongs to him but which is not himself. The first thing to learn in the spiritual

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-86737721588254626082010-10-15T15:48:00.001-07:002010-10-15T16:02:15.710-07:00

»Man´s greatest need today is for the exploration of the human personality, in order to find there the latent inspiration and power upon which to build the whole structure of his life. For life means not only to live, but to ennoble oneself and reach that perfection which is the innate yearning of the soul. The solution to the problem of the day is the awakening of the consciousness of humanity

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-38000627273122398152010-10-15T14:10:00.001-07:002010-10-15T14:10:48.841-07:00

Love itself is the healing power and the remedy for all pain.      Bowl of Saki, October 15, by Hazrat Inayat Khan Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat KhanThere is no greater power than love. All strength comes with the awakening of love in the heart. ... If there is any protecting influence in the world, it is no other than love. In all aspects of life, wherever we find protection, its motive

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-14499533059671439272010-02-24T06:40:00.001-08:002010-02-25T13:57:03.108-08:00

FANA  by Michael Gest for CSUChico class on the Ecstatic Poetry of Jalal uddin Runi The life style of fana which is lived by mystics, is a point of view, about where you find value in life. This point of view is called living from the view point of another ego rather than your own. All of us live somewhat in the ego of our mother and or father. In Mevlana’s teachings in the

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-92146926467485117662010-02-23T09:47:00.001-08:002010-02-23T09:47:09.578-08:00

A Dervish’s Dream For IranFebruary 22, 2010Several years ago the friendliness, sincerity, and the pure faith of the Gonabadi dervishes attracted me and, with the grace of God, I became a dervish. My dervish sisters and brothers have for years been under pressure in Iran, and we have tasted bitter discrimination for the crime of simply being dervishes. Can you imagine what it is like not to have

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-63145693580431516242010-01-26T03:06:00.000-08:002010-10-15T15:59:16.720-07:00

Please look below at my calendar and the schedule of classes in Sacramento, San Francisco, and Chico. Also India and other special events Click on the Read More button. India: Delhi for Murshid's URS from Feb 1 to Feb 7. Then Kashmir from Feb 7 to Feb 14th. Be sure to check with me for exact the schedule which may change due to weather in Kashmir. Also I'll be in Bangalore for two days

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-15573908050743239412010-01-15T23:06:00.000-08:002010-01-15T23:06:26.834-08:00

In The Garden with Murshid Sam has been Reprinted!Monday, 22 June 2009 15:52Font Size  Beloveds, We are very happy to announce a new printing of the book In the Garden with Murshid Sam, our first offering from the newly formed Ruhaniat Publications. The book has been completely redesigned with beautiful new graphics by Murshida Fatima Lassar and a new introduction by Murshid Wali Ali Meyer. The

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-74026329897658156872009-12-08T10:33:00.000-08:002009-12-08T10:38:33.147-08:00

Murshid's Beloved, Thank you for the question about Sacred Trust.  I guess I use this phrase.  I'm not aware of it.  But certainly it is part of my every day, almost every moment.  I would say that the closest meanings are from two perspectives: a personal looking out, and a personal looking in.  The personal looking in is the most intimate and might be likened to what my teacher, Murshid Sam

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057642194747051200.post-61896322604867187772009-12-08T09:41:00.000-08:002009-12-08T09:43:10.523-08:00

Dear Michael,You have referred to the phrase, "Sacred Trust" several times in conversation. What does it mean and what does it have to do with my life?

Michael Gesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06050526233555329266noreply@blogger.com0