Beloved Family,

We completed celebrating Murshid Sam’s URS last night where a large group gathered here in the San Francisco Bay Area, home of the Dances. We danced and sang and shared stories about Murshid Sam and Tawwaba shared some history from the making of the just-released biography of Murshid, Sunrise in the West.

Most people in the USA have already received their Special Edition Hardcover of Sunrise in the West and now the book is also available as a softcover on Amazon and bookstores. We are working on getting the book into International markets, which is prohibitive because of shipping and customs. We are still hoping many of you will participate in the Special Edition offering, which goes a long way to helping recoup the enormous expense in manifesting this treasure for posterity. 

Like so many of us, my heart is tuned to the world’s turning around so many ways of human suffering. Since it is the season of the URS of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, his words are resonating in my heart; “Love toward All, malice toward none.” I invite us all to rededicate our breath to loving kindness and compassion in action for our fellow human beings, for all that is living, and especially changing our behaviors to manifest deep respect and care for Mother Earth.

Beloved Family, 

Holy Days greetings! 

It has been a busy time since my last letter. After thoroughly enjoying Washington State, hosted by Khalid and Kim Kramer, and leading a retreat there right after Thanksgiving, Tamam and I traveled to Maui to lead a retreat there, be with our Maui Ohana (sangha) and enjoy the warm climes.

We continue to keep our heart focused on the immense suffering around the world sending loving kindness and compassion to the best of our ability in all directions. 

At the same time, we feel enormous gratitude for the opportunity of having human birth and the many gifts that have been bestowed upon us.

The Biography of Murshid Sam - Sunrise in the West - is finally arriving to the distributor Dec 14th, after leaving the port of India more than a month ago. It is our hope that deliveries of the Pre-sale will begin by the end of the year. Also, within a short time it should be delivered to Amazon, etc. for availability to the public! 

Beloved Family,

Greetings from a welcome rainy Monday in California!  We just completed a deep three days of a Jamiat Khas Leaders Zoom Retreat with some 190 folks registered from 17 countries.

Even though we as a family are a speck in the big picture of Unfolding Reality, my heart is warmed and inspired to continue to aspire to loving kindness and compassion toward all and feel that there is strength and value to our family’s common efforts around the world.

Naturally, we wish for active peace not only in the Middle East, but everywhere, especially where anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim racism are widespread. We oppose hatred and condemn fundamentalism - including in each and all countries. 

Having completed a month of reciting wazifas for protection lets now invoke a practice Maitreya led at the JK retreat - YA MUJIB - that all prayers are heard and answered - which also encourages us to be good “listeners”!

Beloved Family,

Our hearts and eyes are crying at the state of the world, how we as humans behave to other humans. It certainly feels so much more immediate and important to intensify our efforts for cleaning our own hearts, practicing loving kindness and compassion and awakening to our True Nature.

Many of you know that my elder sister, two of her three children and 8 grandchildren all live in Israel, and many of you have been writing me to ask if they are OK. They are! They are all shaken up, especially the kids, with school closed and air raid sirens and bombs exploding every day all around them. 

Murshid Sam wrote this in a letter to me: “A Sufi is one who sees from the point of view of another as well as of themself.” My practice is to attune to everyone in the terrible conflict, to be the Israeli, and the Hamas fighter, to be the bomber, to be the bombed, to be the kidnapper and be the kidnapped, the rapist and the victim. May we all find our way to true inner and outer Active Peace and learn to live in harmony.

Beloved Family,

Harvest season here in California, gradual Summer into Fall, and the Jewish New Year (September 16-25, 2023); all are upon us!

For me, the Jewish New Year harkens the sufi practice of Muhasiba - self-examination, taking account. 

As many of you know, there is a ten day period in-between Rosh Hashanah (literally “head of the year” or “first of the year), 10 days later culminating in Yom Kippur (literally the Day of At-one-ment). These 10 days are known as the 10 days of T’shuva (literally to turn - from the same root in Arabic - tauba ). These are 10 days of mercy and forgiveness, days dedicated to repentance, to examining one's conscience and, specifically, to amending one's ways.

Beloved Family,

I want to start with a message mainly for the locals. We have our monthly Zikr Circle this Thursday, August 10^th at 7:30PM with special guest Ramona. She is our main Dances of Universal Peace leader in Iran and her group gathers once a month in countryside of Iran with some 100 folks to share the Dance! I will ask her to share story about her experiences and the extraordinary challenges she faces to share the Dances!

Sheikh Muiz will also be a guest, as well as Zardusht van Wert who is heading up the Murshid Wali Ali Archive project, pulling together all of Wali’s writings, letters, videos, talks, photos, etc. If you have anything you feel would be of value to put in the archive please write <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>. And to add to these riches, Pirani Tamam's new book, Across the Difficult, was just released and we will get to hear a few words from her. At a later date we will have her present at a Ruhaniat Family ZOOM Gathering.

A few weeks ago, we had a powerful 49th Mendocino Sufi Camp. I had felt the fragility of coming back after three years off, also because of the aging of many in the Mendocino Sufi Camp family. I am delighted to report that the next generation of leaders showed up with grace and strength, along with many children, and I now feel this treasured once a year rhythm will live on.

Beloved Family,

We had a deep and rich retreat at Lama Foundation/ Murshid Sam’s Dargah and in a few days, we return to Mendocino Sufi Camp after a three-year pandemic hiatus. Of the previous 46 Mendocino Camps I have attended 45 of them. 

I am learning a dance that Sheikh Latif taught us at the last California Sufi Sesshin which comes from the words of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, which we can all reflect on and use in our daily life:

           Everyday, think as you wake up

           Today I am fortunate to have woken up

           I am alive, I have a precious human life

           And I am not going to waste it Oh Oh

Tears naturally arise whenever I tune into the feeling of gratefulness for this incredibly rich life that is still unfolding, with such extraordinary teachers, friends, and community all around the world and the precious Dharma flowing into our efforts to awaken and relieve suffering.

Beloved Family,

Greetings from a very cool spring where I live!

As I begin another adventure to Lama and Murshid Sam’s Dargah for our Sufi Sesshin, I can feel how much the isolation of the pandemic has changed our habits and comforts. Unlike most of you, I have been traveling all around the globe for a year already, but I can certainly feel humanity's need to stretch and re-train our preferences around in-person community closeness and affection.

As I travel, I feel the great privilege and opportunity to spread what we all know to be true - as Hazrat Inayat Khan has written: "All the disharmony of the world caused by religious differences is the result of humankind’s failure to understand that religion is One, truth is One, and God is One; how can there be two religions?” How can we become skillful in sharing this clear Truth - the Universality of Religious Ideals. And further, that religion is a vehicle to connect humans and the Divine - it is not the Destination, which is One.

Expanding from Universality is the realization that all humanity, all living things, all Nature, all universes are made of the same shared fabric - Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. This brings us to reflect on impermanence, inseparability, insubstantiality and interdependence, all enormously deep and complex marvels.

Beloved Family 

May greetings of the Heart to you all!  

I would like us to reflect on a teaching often given by H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama: 

Warmheartedness leads to a healthy mind. Peace of mind allows us to sleep soundly. I’m not talking about the benefits of the next life or of finding God, but of being a peaceful person with a calm mind and a warm heart here and now.

At a recent Buddha’s Birthday Celebration, H.H. the Dalai Lama said:

The more we become acquainted with a concern for the welfare of others, the more we will regard others dearer than ourselves. We will recognize our inter-dependence on each other and will remember that all 8 billion people in the world today are same in wishing to be happy and to avoid suffering. Therefore, on this special occasion, I urge my spiritual brothers and sisters to be warmhearted and lead a meaningful life, to be dedicated to the welfare of others. Warmheartedness is key to peace and harmony in the world.

I invite us to reflect, how would it be if we were more warmhearted when we were alone. We can consider how warmheartedness would improve our relations one on one. Next we can meditate on how we are now when we enter a group, and how bringing more warmheartedness might improve both our own condition and those around us. Lastly, how do we become more skillful on bringing warmheartedness to all beings in all realms. 

Beloved Family

With great joy I share the news that Physicians of the Heart has been translated and published in Spanish as Médicos del Corazón and is available on Amazon!

So much gratitude to Sylvia Fiba Muriillo who did the initial translation, to Akbar Matias Man for editing and Jelaluddin Hauke Strum for being our book designer once again! With German and Spanish translations published, next likely is French and then Portugese!

As you can imagine we had a wonderful gathering in the evergreen country of Colombia at nearly 6000 ft, about 3 hours outside of Cali at Ecovillage Atlantida. Bravo to our hosts Arjun Jorge, his mama Ana Maria, his partner Jessie, and one of the managers of Atlantida, Jami, for making it all happen. 

The retreat was attended by some 170 people, mostly from South America but also with folks from France and Israel and a few of us from North America. Most everyone was under 45 years old! I felt Murshid Sam beaming with Joy as the dances and sufi practice are spreading far and wide. 

Dearest Family,

So much has transpired since I last wrote. At the beginning of March, we had a very successful Sufi Sesshin at a beautiful new location that served us well, the Bishops Ranch! That was followed a few days later by Murshid Wali Ali’s Memorial Celebration and then four days later I left for Mother India! 

Returned home Monday and leave Friday for Colombia for a large Sufi Camp at Atlantida Ecovillage.

Gladly the Sufi Sesshin passed with no spread of covid. It was skillfully guided by Murshida Leilah, Murshid Rahmat, Sheikh Gayan, and myself, along with great support from Khalifa Waduda and Sheikh Latif Burdick. We plan to use the same site again March 2024.

Dearest Family,

Greetings of the Heart as the days are gradually getting longer here in the Northern Hemisphere! 

We had a beautiful retreat in Costa Rica, which is also a heaven for birds. Now I am getting ready for many events in a row. 

We start with the Sufi Sesshin, March 5-10, then Murshid Wali Ali’s Memorial Celebration, March 12. Next is India with our Living Wisdom Council putting on an event at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on and around World Water Day, leaving March 16 and returning March 27. Lastly a journey to Colombia April 1 - 15, for the Atlantida Eco-village Retreat.

Dearest Family,

It has been raining for the last two weeks but today is a clear sunny day! We and our home are fine, but we make prayers for the many people who are suffering, both here and naturally throughout the world. Our “drought” is over, our reservoirs are full and our gardens are ready for spring! 

For the first time in three years we had joyful in-face meetings both for our monthly Zikr Circle and for Murshid Sam's URS. There were torrents of rain on the URS evening with a few of us braving the storm. We were regaled with personal stories of Murshid Sam by Murshid Shahabuddin, Sheikh’s Fazl Peay and Farid Watson, along with me. Hopefully, we will send out a link to a video of the stories in the future.

I begin travels this Saturday to lovely and warm Costa Rica, where we'll have a retreat in the mountains with rich bird life all around. If you intend to join the Sufi Sesshin in Healdsbug this year it would be wise to register soon as there are a limited number of beds. 

Beloved Family,

Blessings on Winter Solstice, and Summer Solstice to our Southern Hemisphere family, welcoming the festival of Lights - Hanukah, and the blessings of the gift through Mary of the birth of Jesus!

What a blessing to have been given the gift of life in order to awaken to our ‘birthright,’ our True Nature, the overcoming of the adaptive false notion of a separate self and gradually awaken to the Oneness of All Being! Along with the gift, as we become of aware of the immensity of the treasury of Being, we can feel the responsibility of dedicating our lives to Realization and naturally relieving suffering in all directions.

Each of us will have a special gift, unique to us, in the way we can serve the Message of Spiritual Liberty. For sure we all have a responsibility of loving care to our home, our planet, our neighborhood, our fellow beings and our bodies, our minds and the Infinite.

Certainly, one secret in having a buoyant attitude while we make our way on the Path filled with what could be perceived as obstacles but are really opportunities is gratitude. As we approach feeling gratitude for all that comes our way, we are filled with a sense of joy and sympathy.

Dearest Family,

Thanksgiving - Gratitude - to all, especially those of us who celebrate the Holy Day. Blessings on all your family gatherings and blessings to all, with the feeling of deep gratitude for each of you and for our precious family and Lineage stream.

It seems appropriate to dedicate this note to our dear Murshid Wali Ali, who has transitioned out of this body.

What a treasure Murshid Wali Ali has been to our entire Sangha and the world and to me. From his dedicated service living with Murshid Sam and being his Esoteric Secretary to standing by and with Pir Moineddin in transmitting the treasury of guidance and teachings we received from Murshid Sam and the lineage, for being a guide to so many, and a friend to us all.

We first met in May-June1969 in Colorado Springs at Pir Vilayat’s first sufi camp in the US. There were about 35 people, 20 of whom were Murshid Sam’s mureeds. I had come from New York City, knowing in my heart that in July I would move into community with Baba Ram Dass in Franklin, New Hampshire.

By far the biggest feature of the Colorado camp was the introduction to the Dances of Universal Peace. As the camp came to a close, Wali Ali and another mureed of Murshid Sam's named Ayesha invited me to come to San Francisco to meet their teacher! I had time before my journey to Ram Dass and came to California, met Murshid and the dances under Murshid.

By October 1969, the New Hampshire experiment was complete and I was back in the Bay Area and becoming Murshid Sam’s mureed. After Murshid’s passing in January 1971, Wali Ali somehow was the anchor for San Francisco and I joined in support of Pir Moineddin as anchor in Marin County. Nearly all of the mureeds at the time lived that close.

I remember making one for the first journeys out of the Bay Area to Oregon with Wali Ali and Shirin to begin to share the treasures we received and were still receiving from Murshid Sam.

Wali Ali’s steadfastness in standing with and supporting Pir Moineddin was remarkable. And 30 years later when I was empowered to be the Pir, I felt the same steady support, friendship and guidance from my brother Wali Ali.

Beloved Family,

Greetings of the Heart! After three very busy weeks at home after the journey to Turkey I Leave Saturday for a 8 days to the Heartland - Kansas City area for the first in face Murshid Circle gathering since the beginning of the pandemic followed by an in-face Jamiat Khas Leaders Retreat.

If you missed it I wrote a long article on my Journey to Turkey in the RUH NEWS and you can find it here 

<https://conta.cc/3T9XmXn>

Having led two years of the Ruhaniat Family ZOOM Gatherings I would like to venture in to having a Mureeds ZOOM Gathering focusing more on practices and approaches to the Path. Please join us on Thursday, November 10th at 11 AM PST. Naturally, everyone in our Sufi family is welcome. We will gradually figure out a regular rhythm. (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85926951198?pwd=RnlrTk1zbDBNbzV4dUpJc24yVGdndz09)

Had some very tender visits with Murshid Wali Ali. He is living with advancing dementia at Elder Ashram, an exceptional assisted living Memory Care Center. I will do my best to visit him regularly as long as possible. Even though his memory of current events is nearly all gone, some older memories are still accessible, and as his friend of some 53 years, we have much to reach back to. So much gratitude to Sabura for being the main anchor of love and care during this period and to Murshida Fatima for her generosity in paying for his first year of care at Elder Ashram.

Beloved Family,

Greetings from the Heart of Turkey. We have completed the Caravan and now a week more at the Conference of the Birds Festival in the mountains of southern Turkey.

At one point we were 140 people from 27 countries!

I am composing a detailed letter about our journey to the whole Ruhaniat family so will not include that here!

Tonight we begin the Jewish New Year, followed by the 10 days of Atonement. I suggest we do the same practice suggested by these Holy Days, YA HASIB YA TAWWAB, as we have done every year for this month.

I return home Oct 3!

Much love,

Shabda

Beloved Family, 

Heartfelt greetings to our beautiful family near and far. It is always so moving to feel our hands being held from so many places on our spinning blue-green planet! 

Southern New Mexico, which is where our Southwest Sufi Community is, has been blessed with an overabundance of monsoon rains, swelling creeks and making roads muddy. So muddy that we had to cancel the SSC Summer Retreat which was scheduled for last week! I was sad to not be with many of you who had committed to travel to be together and enjoy all the new improvements on the land, including the new Dance Pavilion Temple.

Now my sights are set on three weeks in Turkey, where East meets West, starting September 10! We will Caravan through sacred places and with people in Turkey, have a Dance Leader Training, especially for the many people attending from countries where the dances have yet to go, and lastly, participate in the festival/retreat Conference of the Birds!

Beloved Family,

Let us all make prayers of protection and healing for the many people still contracting covid ~ YA SHAFEE YA KAFEE!

With the extreme heat wave sweeping our country and Europe, it urges us to become participants and contributors to reversing climate change and be part of living sustainably on our beautiful blessed shining planet that we all share. As the Essence enters the form we call our bodies, it borrows what is needed to make a physical body from the elements, earth, water, fire, and air, all from the body of Mother Earth. Our bodies are in resonance with the natural world as we are all made out of the same material. 

This understanding should move us to feel an intimate relationship with everything which is alive since we share the same body. Further, just as we are motivated to take care of our “own” bodies, now we feel the responsibility and privilege to take care of our larger body, Mother Earth, in all Her manifestations. Once we feel and experience this great connection it will guide us and inspire us to wholesome actions to take care of “the GreaterOurSelf”.

Beloved Family,

Greetings and Blessings of Light on our Western Hemisphere Summer Solstice!

Returned from the “Water for ALL” Peace Conference at the International Peace Palace in the Hague, Netherlands. The first event was a boat ride on the Rhine with spiritual leaders from around the world, scientists, engineers, and educators, with some sufi music. “Drink with the Beloved" opened the event and was followed by the scientists and engineers presenting on water projects, all the while enjoying the nature of the river.

The next day was at the International Peace Palace where we ceremonially mixed the water from 18 different rivers and we poured our love and heart stream in the One, with the aspiration to manifest care for the One, especially to the element of Water! It ended with all signing a Water Peace Pledge.

Then a “day off" to go birding in the marshes and water ways of Holland! Lastly, I led a retreat at the Sufi Center right by the Peace Palace where Hazrat Inayat Khan had taught in his time. Thanks to Saki Lee, Noor Helweg and Malika for making it happen.

Beloved Family,

As I write to you, I am feeling time shortened as I leave in a few hours to teach in Tucson through Saturday, then Sunday fly across the pond to the Hague for our International Peace conference “Water for All” at the International Peace Palace, back home in a week. I will be teaching on Friday, June 2, at the Sufi Centre in the Hague, please join if you are close!

Last week I had the privilege of traveling to Washington State, hosted by Khalid Paul Kramer, photographing Eagles! Pictures below!

Just as the warmth, kindness, and compassion of your being affect those directly around you, we can infer that the same warmth will spread to all parts of our being, all manifestations. Some of us have a longer reach with those we can touch, but we all have the opportunity, starting with exactly where we are.

Looking forward to being with many of you at the Lama Sufi Sesshin at the end of June. If any of you are coming and are willing to help with broadcasting some of our sessions live, please let me know. Mid-August we will dance, sing and be together at the Southwest Sufi Community under the new temple/Dance Pavilion that is just being finished. 

In September I will join Murshid Allaudin Ottinger for the “Caravan” in Turkey!

Beloved Family,

Greetings and Blessings on Earth Day! May our living relationship with that which provides us our bodies and the ability to live increase and may our sacred trust of the Care for the Planet continue to unfold.

Leaving California on March 29th for a week of teaching in Germany and another in the Czech Republic was met with warm hearts and snow! It was a delight to sing and dance once again. A little like getting back on a bike after a long hiatus. Accessing the Rolodex of remembered knowledge of all the melodies and movements to the Dances unfolded slowly.

Did my best to have a daily walk in nature which was challenging on the days when the snow was deep or the rain too strong. Naturally, I wanted to meet the local birdlife.

Beloved Family,

Welcome to Spring (or Fall for the Southern Hemisphere)!

YA FATTAH YA FATTAH YA FATTAH!

Naturally, our hearts are heavy with the senseless killing of civilians and wanton destruction of property and living things on this small blue-green spinning globe that we call home.

YA RAHMAN YA RAHEEM! YA SHAFEE YA KAFEE!

All our worldwide problems, environmental, political, racial, gender, prosperity inequality, and all wars and conflicts are the result of human ignorance, greed, pride, jealousy, and lack of self-worth. It is natural therefore that the solutions at their core rely on human beings practicing Loving Kindness and Compassion, to which we dedicate ourselves. Don’t misunderstand, this doesn’t mean we don’t take appropriate actions, but it does speak to the manner in which we act.

On a hopeful note, the fruit trees are blooming, vegetables on their way to providing sustenance, the birds are mating and nesting, all providing an atmosphere of new beginnings.

Beloved Family,

Greetings to each of you as the world is experiencing the grim shadow of a region and what seems like a useless war with so much suffering! My heart cries tears of sadness for all involved, from the innocent citizens of Ukraine to the political victims and perpetrators and all the living beings and plants whose lives will be interrupted or end due to this ego-driven conflict.

It emphasizes the extraordinary importance of transforming ourselves and educating all who we can of the necessity for our actions to be governed by Loving Kindness and Compassion. Let us all commit again and again to challenge our own wounds and unskillful actions that hurt others and create strife and serve to relieve suffering and bring joy wherever we can.

All of this is unfolding and overshadowing what seems to be the gradual decrease of the long shadow of the pandemic we have all lived through these past two years. Thank you all for your generosity to the Mureeds Pandemic Fund which served many people and brought some slight relief from financial suffering and gave all who received a warm feeling of the blessing of being in a worldwide community.

I have slowly begun to travel again. Near the end of January, I was supposed to teach in Costa Rica for the locals. That never manifested but I went to Costa Rica anyway along with a dear friend/birder/biologist/ornithologist Kara Nelson Hagedorn, hosted by our dear friend PamAllah Dussault who is currently living in Costa Rica and spent 8 days traveling through different ecosystems and meeting our winged friends in one of the most biodiverse countries of the world. Obviously, many pictures are below!

Beloved Family,

January greetings of the Heart!

Even though we had some disappointment in canceling the in-face Murshid Sam URS Celebration for obvious reasons, I was very touched to see so many people attend the ZOOM Celebrations from around the world. If we factor in that many were attending with two or more people, there was likely 350 on the ZOOM! We heard new stories about Murshid Sam from some of his mureeds that most of you had never met before. You can find the recording in the same place as all the other Ruhaniat Family ZOOM Gathering recordings.

According to our seasons, we have been pruning the fruit trees, the roses, the fuchsia, the hydrangeas, and putting chicken manure over all the vegetable beds and fruit trees! Spring is around the corner.

We had a wonderful encounter with our Red-tailed Hawk friend Blanca. After catching a rat in our backyard we brought it to where Blanca lives to offer it to her. I suggested to Tamam she holds it by the tail in the air and in an instant Blanca flew down and powerfully and very delicately grabbed the rat! (picture below!)

Beloved Family,

Solstice Greetings ~ either the shortest day in our Northern Hemisphere or the longest for those in the Southern Hemisphere! Holy Days Blessings and Happy New Year 2022!

From the profound writings of Murshid Sam:

201SURAS ON BREATH

7. Christ is born when God’s breath enters man’s nostrils and he is crucified when man’s thought enters his mind. Therefore Christ was born in a manger, meaning the heart, but he was crucified at Golgatha, the place of the skull, which means the abode of thought. Christ’s two birthplaces, Bethlehem and Galilee, mean respectively, the house of breath and the place of elevation; that is to say, the physical body and the sphere of the heart. The crown of thorns around Christ’s head are the thoughts of man which prevent the Divine Being within himself from functioning.

Naturally sending prayers for protection, safety, and excellent health as we enter the next chapter in the pandemic we are all living through. 

The unfolding of evidence of the spread and severity of omicron has put into question the need to cancel events that are planned for in-person retreats in 2022. From my side, no choices have been made so far but I am in contact with Dr. Larry Brilliant, my dear and famous epidemiologist friend. We agreed that in the next 10 days when he has more evidence and data, we would have a chat.

The plans most in question are a local in-person Celebration of Murshid Sam’s URS on January 15th and the resurgence of the Northern California Annual Sufi Sesshin planned for March 11-17, 2022, at a new retreat location in Cobb, California called Mandala Springs.

From a Northern Hemisphere perspective, it is natural that we celebrate the birth of Wisdom at the ‘darkest time’ in the form of the birth of the Prophet Jesus. It feels so hopeful and optimistic that Spring is coming around the corner, the days getting longer and as we compost the leaves of winter the newly enriched soil will support new growth and vitality. Inshallah!

Beloved Family,

Hope the changing of seasons is treating you well. For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, may we each find the deep well of gratitude for all that we have been given in this precious life.

We are gradually gearing up to start teaching in-person in 2022. Hopefully, the world situation will support the wisdom of my choices. We start with a local Celebration of Murshid Sam’s Urs, which will also have a Zoom component.

March 11-17, 2022 we are planning an in-person Sufi Sesshin at Mandala Springs Retreat Center in Cobb, California. Still don’t know what protocols we will use, but likely there will be a need for everyone to be vaccinated or recently tested.

Beginning in April off to Germany for the Jamiat Ahm Gathering followed by teaching in the countryside of the Czech Republic. 

It is likely we will also have a Mendocino Sufi Camp in 2022 and a retreat at the Southwest Sufi Community from August 16-21, 2022.

Beloved Family,

Where we live it has been a drought for the past year but this week the storm door opened and we have had rain ALL week with more to come, YA SHAKUR! The trees, the plants, the birds all join in Thankfulness!

As we all know Hazrat Inayat Khan brought us the inspiration of prayers to recite, much like the Muslim tradition of daily prayer that he grew up with, but the prayers he brought in my case are in my mother tongue, English. I would like to offer that for the next month we practice the prayers Pir, Nabi and Rassoul  daily. In a sense, we are calling on the Guide, the Inner Teacher, and the Messenger. For those who speak other languages, I hope these are translated into your language.

Beloved Family,

Equinox Blessings! We have made the turn of the Jewish New Year and the turn of the season where for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere the days shorten into Fall and for those in the Southern Hemisphere the days lengthen into Spring.

We have been harvesting apples, pears, and figs; peaches and plums are long gone, and we await the persimmons to ripen.

Just an hour ago a beautiful mature Coopers Hawk visited for an hour hanging out and thoroughly enjoying our waterfall. Felt very fortuitous as I prepared to write you.

And naturally, we make aspirations that we are turning seasons on the covid pandemic and we can slowly move to a life where we can share physical space with more confidence. Please know the Ruhaniat still has a Pandemic Fund and you can apply here.

Beloved Family,

Greetings to our family around the world as we begin the change of seasons and the Jewish New Year!

Aside from keeping very busy with our Ruhaniat unfolding, Tamam and I had our 60-year-old roof replaced and enough solar panels along with a backup battery put on the new roof to be energy independent. It was two weeks of noise and dust but now we are all complete!

I have postponed beginning our local Zikr Circle until it feels safer.

In the Jewish tradition, starting with ~ Rosh Hashannah - Jewish New Year -(September 6, 2021) until Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement ~ (Sept 15, 2021), we have what is known as the 10 Days of Tshuva, with the tenth day known as the Day of At-one-ment. 

Dearest Family,

Greetings of the Heart from California! 

Having experienced and attended the Mendocino Sufi Camp 46 years in a row, I am aware that this week marks the second year we are skipping that rhythm, which has always felt nearly as consistent from year to year as sunrise every day! 

I know it is the same all over the world, so many rhythms upset, that it behooves us to emphasize our attention to making a habit of a rhythmic breath. This lineage root practice not only brings stability but also Limitless Freedom!

As a world, I can feel us taking several steps forward, one step back, forward and back, in the unfolding of the pandemic, our unfolding into a more public life, in our consideration of sustainability for our planet and with our human relations. It is my sincere hope that all the difficult events, especially the dramatic weather patterns unfolding throughout the world, will wake humanity and our governments up to the fact that we need to ACT NOW to begin to turn around global warming, pollution and all the other vectors needed for a healthy planet.

Beloved Family,

Greetings and Salutations to each and every one of you all around our precious world!

Our first in-face Sufi Retreat in Nevada City went very well. Thanks to our hosts and all who served to make it a reality. We actually danced outside with agreement from all present and then went inside for the talking/teaching part of the retreat. You can find the video of the teaching segment here.

As the pace of covid changes around the world, each of us in our own way needs to find what works for us in engaging with our families, our friends, our work and the world. Without question, we will find people whose views differ from ours, maybe even irritate us. This is the perfect opportunity to make everyone our teacher who has come to polish the mirror of our Freedom. In response we can breathe in the irritation and breathe out loving-kindness, knowing everything has come as our teacher to help us Liberate in all situations so that our Liberty is no longer based on circumstances. 

Beloved Family,

As our Northern Hemisphere days get longer and longer, I am arising earlier every day for morning practice and enjoying the fragrance and quietude of the dawn. My morning practice routine includes Invocation, healing breaths and breathing practice, wazifa and zikr recitation, Raga practice, and meditation.

June 19, I will lead my first in-person day-long retreat since early 2020 in Nevada City. Being vaccinated I feel quite safe but realize there will be unvaccinated people among us who are potentially at risk. We will do our best to learn from the event. Perhaps dancing outside and then sitting for talk inside with open windows, asking those unvaccinated or all to use masks. 

For sure it will be educational, not only for what methods of safety protocol to use but to deal with all the feelings that will arise.

Please join us for the virtual URS celebration of my music Guru Pandit Pran Nath b Nov3, 1918 d. June 13, 1996.

Our backyard continues to be a source of beauty, support for birds and wildlife during our drought, and a generous vegetable and flower garden. This month, just after dusk we had a very beautiful and large powerful Bobcat visit our waterfall, picture below.

Beloved Family,

Greetings of the Heart from California!

While much of the world is slowly making progress in slowing down Covid and returning to a more normal lifestyle, our family and all those in Mother India are suffering greatly and need our prayers. YA SHAFEE YA KAFEE! The Ruhaniat Pandemic Fund has been sending money to our colleagues in Mother India for food and supplies distribution.

Our annual Ruhaniat Jamiat Aam begins tomorrow. Normally this is a residential retreat in some part of the U.S. or other country but because of circumstances this year it is a virtual gathering. How remarkable that we have over 400 registered attendees from 26 countries! What a privilege to be in such a rich mandala of our worldwide community.

Our vegetable garden is fully planted, with chard and kale, broccoli and cauliflower, peppers and zucchini, tomatoes and artichokes, potatoes and peas, and a large variety of fruit trees.

Beloved Family,

Greetings of the Heart from Springtime in California! The birds are doing it, the fruit trees are blooming, most of the vegetables have been planted in the garden and the warm clothes are slowly being abandoned for tee shirt and shorts! And delightfully, two Mallard Ducks have moved into our backyard, coming and going, making love in the pool. We have affectionately named them Michelle and Barack - pictured below!

What a sweet milestone to know we have been meeting through the Ruhaniat Family ZOOM Gathering for a complete year and this Saturday marks the beginning of the2nd year featuring Murshida Asha. Last week’s call with our First Responders was very tender, and if you missed it, you can catch the recording here.

Making friends with Life, making friends with adversity is our constant companion as mystics. Anytime we feel that if the world would change to what we want, we will be happy, then as Hazrat Inayat Khan’s says, “This is an inexperienced expectation”. Found this quote on Facebook today by the great Tibetan master, HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche:

“ If you cannot yet feel love and compassion for those who treat you badly, it is a sign that your mind has not been fully transformed and that you need to keep working on it with the increased application.”

Beloved Family,

With the blessing of living in Northern California, we can feel Spring easing her way into our lives and the resurgence of fresh green leaves and flowers, with sweet fragrances all around. Amazingly, the Avocados and Bananas survived our mild winter. Lots of greens have been planted in the garden along with some other vegetables.

I am pleased to have received my first Vaccine and was deeply moved at how well organized and how many people were volunteering to serve me and my community. I am also acutely aware that of the 7+ billion people on our planet, many countries have still not been able to offer the privilege of receiving a vaccine if you want one. Tamam receives her second vaccine Saturday.

Saturday, Feb 27th is also Pir Moineddin’s 20th URS which for me personally marks the beginning of a new yearly cycle beginning my 21st year in service as the Pir of our precious Ruhaniat. Thank you all for your support and prayers for this privilege to serve.

Beloved Family,

Since this is my first letter of 2021, I wholeheartedly make aspirations for a profound increase in Realization. In 2021 I pray for the waning of the pandemic, with an increase of Loving Kindness and Compassion being our guideposts, prosperity and excellent health for all, and the fulfillment and unfoldment of our Life’s Path.

I began the year with a two-week solitary retreat, always a blessing to have quiet time to dive deeply. Murshid Sam’s main message to me was to remind us that we are a “practice” lineage. We are encouraged to continue to dedicate ourselves to the rigorous application of our ideals through recitation, music, contemplation, and meditation as well as bringing our ideals into everyday life.

Beloved Family,

Greetings of Love and Blessing, for NOW, Festival of Lights ~ Chanukah, Winter (or Summer) Solstice, Christmas, and the birth of the Messenger! 

Naturally, we also send prayers and aspirations for you and your loved ones for good health and protection during the pandemic. 

May the New Year further Limitless Freedom for all beings!

January 1- 14, I will be on a solitary retreat and unavailable. If you have time and space to do something similar, I encourage you to do so. 

I will spend time with wazifa and Zikr recitation with most of the practice focusing on meditation, entering the natural swing of the breath, making friends with whatever arises without an agenda, and gradually deconstructing the notion of a separate self. The same we do every day of our lives on the Path.

Beloved Family,

What a privilege to be writing to my family and be able to say in the same sentence, Blessings on the approach of winter, and Blessings on the approach of summer, as we span both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere!

And as the world turns her face to different angles to receive the Sun’s rays, we make aspirations for the world that all those who wish can have a vaccine by late spring and then gradually we can return to a life which includes singing and dancing with our family, people can return to work, children to school, and in general, be able to express affection in a more visceral way.

Beloved Family,

Hope this reaches you all in good health and spirit! 

Those of us in the US especially feel the precarious and important moment in our history with the upcoming elections, the change to our Supreme Court, along with the light shining on racial, gender, religious and income inequality, and the clarion call to slow down the abuse to our environment. All this in the midst of a pandemic affecting the whole world.

I believe this implores us all to connect with our potential for contribution through a compassionate heart and an easeful swing of the breath amplified by steady daily practice.

Beloved Family,

Greetings and Salutations to all of you around the world from California! 

I know many of you have been watching the news of the devastating fires along the West Coast of the US, California, Oregon, and Washington. Prayers for protection go out to all affected, those who lost their homes and belongings, all living beings, and especially to the first responders and firefighters on the front lines.

Speaking for those of us in the Bay Area, we were stuck indoors for a week with super bad air quality and now the sky is clear blue, and air quality excellent. Hoping Oregon and Washington will follow very soon and also have clean air. Having been homebound, going out for a walk brings a new appreciation and gratitude.

Beloved Family,

Sitting this morning, the following melody and words washed through my heart, "The storm is passing over, the storm is passing over, the storm is passing over, Hallelujah! “ For likely 25 years Deborah Thomson has led a Gospel Choir at the Annual Mendocino Sufi Camp and this was one of the songs we all loved.

Making prayers and aspirations for excellent health for each of you, your extended families and our Ruhaniat Family!

Jelaluddin Rumi’s words, “Be like melting snow, Wash yourself of yourself,”  have been guiding me. With no-self, where can the dust alight! 

Here it is so clearly expressed by H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

The everyday practice is simply to develop a complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions, and to all people, experiencing everything totally without mental reservations and blockages, so that one never withdraws or centralizes into oneself.
This produces tremendous energy which is usually locked up in the process of mental evasion and a general running away from life experiences.

What powerful guidance for our entire lives.

Beloved Mureeds and family,

Breathe in and breathe out! 

I imagine that this is a rocky time for many of you just as it is for me. There is a settling and then there are more waves and more settling. Certainly, previous life blows have given me a capacity to weather storms, which it feels like we are in. I am hopeful that we will come through this even more resilient and better able to serve the Message.

Naturally, we can apply my favorite mantra: “This is how it is right now!” And apply it not only to our Ruhaniat family storm but also to dealing with Covid-19, Black Lives Matter, and the potential devastation to the environment of the planet that provides us life and sustenance. As I have been taught, the Dharma is forever!

Beloved Family,

Greetings of a warm embrace during this trying time for humanity on our precious planet!

I encourage us all to reinvigorate our daily practice to give us the stamina and stability to ride the waves of the world's difficulties and the changing emotions and experiences which are arising in our hearts.

Naturally, I have no travel schedule but have had the privilege of teaching online. I just finished a 7-week course for the Shift Network with some 350 students. The shift course as a recording will be available, likely within a week, to people who register, either paying the fees they request or through the Shift Network’s very generous scholarship program. So, if you want to follow the course and can’t afford it, just ask for a scholarship. Inshallah, I will offer another course for Shift sometime in the future.

Beloved Family,

Greetings of the Heart as humanity slowly tries to reimagine itself and find wise ways of carrying on! Prayers and blessings of support to the large sections of humanity who are suffering.

It has been a delight meeting with some 300 folks in our worldwide family every other Saturday. Even though we are not singing and dancing in our usual manner, in another way I feel this has all brought us closer.

On our last Ruhaniat Family ZOOM GatheringI spoke about "Coherence" "Resonance" "Cooperation" "Entrainment" is what is being called forth for the worldwide community of Lovers of Love. 

One way to understand coherence as a scientific phenomenon, is that when systems - energy - molecular movement - are in harmony and rhythm, they have the ability of organizing their same elements that are out of harmony. Science has demonstrated that when you place "coherent water", where all the molecules are dancing in rhythm, next to "incoherent water", the coherent water transforms the incoherent water!

Beloved Family,

Sending my deepest prayers and aspiration for each of you, your families and relations, and all beings for well-being, outer and inner, in this time of crisis for humanity.

Having temporarily lost the ability to meet together, dance together, be together physically, I am so grateful that in this period of history we have the tools of virtual meeting available to us. I am particularly enjoying our bi-weekly Saturday Ruhaniat Family ZOOM Gatherings, Holding Hands in Virtual Space across the globe, and hope you will continue to join us for those gatherings (recordings of previous gatherings in the link). The next one is Saturday, May 2, at 11:00AM PDT.

It gives me joy to know that as people in Delhi experience what it is to live in a place without smothering smog, it will be more difficult for them to go back to “life as it was,” now that they have seen the possibilities. And the same is true the world over. We have seen the possible and it is time to investigate how to change.

Six months ago, the Shift Network, likely the largest “online” school on our planet reaching over 170 countries, asked me to teach a course for them. And now with the current circumstances, I feel so grateful to the Spirit of Guidance for making it happen!

Many of you have attended the free events that led up to my course which begins Tuesday, April 28th at 11:00 AM PDT, which does cost money but is also available for free on scholarship for those who need it. Just apply! This past Tuesday I did a free Q & A to lead up to the course and so far, it has been viewed by 9241 people! May the Message of God Spread Far and Wide!

Naturally, our local Zikr Circle is suspended until further notice and the same is true for retreats and camps in general. I would imagine this to be the case until we have a vaccine.

Beloved Family,

First, our prayers and aspirations for good health and wellbeing go out to each of you, to your families and loved ones, to your extended communities and to all beings in all realms.

As we retreat in place to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic, our Mother Earth is getting a much-needed break. From more than 20,000 planes in the sky on any given day, there were almost none. From roads and freeways clogged with rush hour traffic day in and day out, the roads are almost empty.

The Earth's lungs are rejuvenating, as is the water, the soil, and the air. it is no surprise that this very difficult flu affects the lungs, mimicking how our planet's lungs have felt.

The pandemic is showing humanity the way to Universality, which is the calling card of our lineage an practice. The pandemic knows no boundaries, borders can stop it, it touches every age, every race, it doesn't affect one religion over another, it has no gender preference and so on. In the way let us pray it shows us and humanity the way to our unity and interdependence. 

As most of you like know, we felt under protection as we caught the last plane out of Morocco when our Pilgrimage was cut short by the need for us all to shelter in place. I feel deep gratitude for being allowed back home to shelter with Tamam and be able to serve our community from my very comfortable and well-connected home, YA SHAKUR! 

Beloved Family,

We had a deep and wonderful Pilgrimage in Mother India and now I am so happy to be back home for a few weeks before departing for Morocco!

We began our Pilgrimage invoking the greatness of women Sufi masters who though less well known made great contributions to humanity. With the women in the lead, we
went to the shrine of Bibi Fatima Sam, just a short walk from our guest house! She was a mureed of Baba Farid Ganjshakar and in his circle of senior teachers. One day one of
the male senior teachers become jealous of her and went to Baba Farid saying, “How can you have a woman in our senior circle?” Baba Farid replied, “When the lion(ess)
comes out of the jungle you had better run, you won’t have time to tell whether it is a male or female lion!” So she became known as the lioness of Delhi!

My co-leaders were Sheikha Dakini Warrior and Khalifa Waduda Welsh! Many thanks to you both for holding the post so beautifully. We sang and danced Sufi songs whenever
we got a chance-- at the women’s shrines, at the Khankah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, at Humayun's Tomb, at Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia’s Dargah, and naturally at Hazrat
Inayat Khan’s Dargah!

Beloved Family,

We had a deep and rich Sufi Seeeshin with nearly 100 folks passing through our Meditation and Zikr Temple! Keep an eye out for Shafee publishing the records of the talks that were given throughout the week, a short Raga Offering I made accompanied by Murshid Rahmat- vocals and Tambours, and new friend and extraordinary musician, Johnathan Kay on Esaraj. 

Over 100 people joined us in celebrating Murshid Sam's URs on January 15th at Dominican University in San Rafael, CA. Pictures below. 

Six more days until I fly to Mother India and join a group of pilgrims to the URS Celebrations for Hazrat Inayat Khan. And a month later another group of pilgrims will travel to Morocco. In each case, as a group of (mostly) American Sufi Pilgrims, we will do our best to be ambassadors of Loving Kindness and Compassion. Another delight is that we are always like a flash mob, I can begin any of 50 zikr and mantra melodies and everyone will be able to chime in! 

If you are considering joining our Moroccan Pilgrimage, please do so ASAP!

Beloved Family,

Deepest wishes of Loving Kindness and Compassion for all of you and all beings and
our dear Mother Earth as we in the Northern Hemisphere feel the inner blessings of the
Winter Solstice. 

As a way of invoking Light during this time, I offer us the wazifa practice of YA NUR ~
YA MUNAWWIR - making the Light Manifest within and without!

Blessings to all of you during what is family time for most, the celebrations Christmas
and Hanukah and other holy observances! It makes me smile that Murshid Sam would
often quip "Jesus Christ - YES, Santa Claus - NO!"

Beloved Family,

Just returned from a marathon 11 days of teaching and meetings at Fort Worden in Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, a place of rare beauty, with deer roaming freely, eagles and hawks in the sky, expansive water and mountain views. And next Wednesday I travel to Israel for a week to be with my blood family after my sister's major successful surgery.

First the Murshid Circle met, followed by the Jamiat Khas Leaders Retreat, where I initiated our very own Dr Rahmat Moore as a Murshid. Also initiated Malik Braun as a Khalif and Daniel Wasserman as a sufi guide - YA FATTAH and blessings to each of them to serve the Message with beauty and grace!

We also had the good fortune to have Post Neshin Jelaluddin Loras, head of the Mevlevi Order of America with us for the whole retreat and in an evening Zikr we all turned together!

After the leaders retreat the Ruhaniat Board of Trustees met for two days.

Beloved Family,

I would like to add a practice for us all to do for this period:

As we just began the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and the 10 Days of Atonement until Yom Kippur, the Day of At-one-ment let us practice Ya Hasib ~ Ya Tawwab.

Much love,

Shabda

Beloved Family,

Welcome to the Fall, or, as I was just in the Southern Hemisphere in Chile, welcome to Spring!

So much has unfolded since I last wrote you. In August I traveled to Fazal Manzil, Hazrat Inayat Khan’s family home in Suresnes, a suburb of Paris, and taught a weekend retreat. We were a small group of 15 people, so the teachings and experience felt very intimate and deep.

I flew to Spain and then taught a 6-day retreat in the countryside near Zaragoza, Spain, with the support of Sheikha Lakshmi Tamariz from Cuenca, Ecuador, along with our wonderful hosts Juan Nuraddin and Pegah. What a deep delight to share the Dances and the teachings for my first time teaching in Spain with some 70 folks, mostly from Spain. I initiated three new mureeds there, Elvira Bello, Bertram Doll and Celia Alonso Masfarner. Please welcome them!

Beloved Family,

Yesterday we harvested our Rainbow Corn from seeds given to us by Master Gardener Greg Schoen from the Southwest Sufi Community!  Harvesting grapes will be next! See pics below!

Last weekend we stayed with Latifa Nur Brenda Crane in San Luis Obispo. "Shall I invite the local Sufi community over to my living room for an evening together?" she asked. We sang and shared with 35 people that night!

The next day we visited with Yarrow, one of the long-time dance leaders in the area and his wife Kara. Amazingly, Kara adopted a Red Tail Hawk that had been shot in one wing some twenty years ago, and now continues to nurture "Sunshine".

Beloved Family,

Just returned from a very sweet 45th Annual Mendocino Sufi Camp with some 160 folks of all ages. And before that I was in Russia for the 16th Annual Russian Ruhaniat Sufi Camp along with Murshid(a)s Halima and Abraham.

Being with our Russian family was very rich and I especially enjoyed being with the children, some of whom were regulars at my early morning Raga Class and played music with us in the Dance Circle.

Today’s “Bowl of Saki” is:

Our spirit is the real part of us, the body but its garment. One would 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. 

Beloved Family,

Since our last letter I have had the pleasure of teaching on Kauai, sometimes called the Garden Isle. What a joy to offer the Message in such a place of beauty!

And I just returned from Lama Mountain and Murshid Sam’s Dargah where some 65 pilgrims enjoyed the Jamiat Aam Gathering. Murshida Asha regaled us with stories from the early days of Lama and Murshid Sam’s visits there, Murshida Mariam connected us with the Divine Feminine and the flow between Murshid Sam’s and Murshida Vera’s Dargahs. Murshida Darvesha brought the “clear sky” of understanding the Nature of Heart Mind and Being and Sheikh Gayan gave us profound teachings all through his storytelling style with his Djembe.

We joyfully empowered Waduda Wendy Welsh, our Ruhaniat treasurer as a Khalifa. And please welcome new mureed Sean Regner - picture below

Thanks to the hard work of Inayat Tal, the video of my Raga Concert, April 20, 2019, at the Garden of Allah is now up on YouTube. <https://youtu.be/jIwoG4BpC6E>

Beloved Family,

Just back from a successful journey to the Federation of the Sufi Message Harmony Gathering in Charlottesville which was filled with harmony, sweet friendships and some excellent presentations. Here is a link to the unedited talk I gave at the Federation Gathering.

From Charlottesville we traveled to Richmond VA and offered an evening presentation with Pir Zia Inayat Khan at the new Inayati Order center called the Astana.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure offering a Morning Raga Concert at the Garden of Allah, a home where I lIved for 7 years and the same place I met my Indian Music Guru, Pandit Pran Nath! We are working on the video of the concert and should be able to send a link in the next Constant Contact letter.

We also went out to University of Davis, CA where Tamam presented on all her research on the “Mothers of Islam”!

Now my travel schedule is once again picking up. Off to Kauai in a week for a Sufi retreat, then two weeks later I’ll be at the Lama Foundation for the Jamiat Aam at Murshid Sam’s Dargah. In middle June, I go across the pond to Russia for our Annual Russian Ruhaniat Summer Camp.

Beloved Family,

Greetings of love and gratitude as Spring is slowly making herself known. Our garden is in full bloom with lots of vegetables either ready to eat or coming along.

I have had the rare opportunity to be home since my visit to Boulder, now a month, which has afforded me the opportunity to control my diet and loose 20 lbs. so far!

With much anticipation, I will offer a Morning Raga Concert at the Garden of Allah this Saturday April 20 at 10:45AM, a home where I lived for seven years, where Murshid Sam taught, where the Sufi Choir rehearsed twice a week, where Tamam and I first lived together and then married 43 years ago, and where I first met my Indian Raga Vocal Music guru Pandit Pran Nath in 1972,

In a few weeks I travel to Charlottesville, Virginia for the 20th Anniversary of the Federation of the Sufi Message Harmony Gathering, May 2-5, along with or very own Murshid(a)s Asha, Sauluddin and Aslan, with Pir Zia Inayat Khan, Murshida Nuria Sabato and many others. There is still time to register! The next day, Monday I travel to Richmond, Virginia, to the new Inayati Headquarters, the Astana, for an evening event and  dialogue with Pir Zia.

Beloved Family,

Spring Equinox Blessings! Hope to celebrate with some of you tonight at our Zikr Circle!

So pleased to be back from India where we had plenty of adventures. It was especially moving to bathe in the confluence of the three sacred rivers, the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati in Allahabad at the Kumbha Mela during the auspicious time with millions of other pilgrims!

Further, traveling with my Tibetan Guru, HH the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche is always a privilege and absorbing the beautiful teachings he gave is transformative. Our Peace Pledge Pilgrimage traveling family also included other luminaries like Mohanji, Swami Chitanand Saraswati, Sadviji Bhagawati Saraswati, Inuit elder “Uncle” Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq, Dr. A.K Merchant, Syed Salman Chishty along with premier educators and water scientists.

While in Delhi we had a conference at the Bahai Lotus Temple on “Spreading Loving Kindness and Compassion” and at Hazrat Inayat Khan’s Dargah on “Bringing Loving Kindness and Compassion into Childhood Education” Here are the links to HH the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche’s talk at the Bahai Lotus Temple. Part 1 Part 2

Beloved Family,

I travel to Mother India this Monday, Feb 11, to once again join my colleagues of the Peace Pledge Pilgrimage group. We will be pilgrims at the Kumbha Mela, then at Hazrat Inayat Khan’s Dargah, followed by the Ganges in Rishikesh and lastly at the spiritual home of HH the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche, Palpung Sherab Ling Monastic Seat. 

Our efforts will be to spread the message of Loving Kindness and Compassion. Our involvement will be through Childhood Education, meeting with politicians, working on sanitation projects and clean water projects.

Please keep us in your heart and make prayers for safety and the blessings of spreading the Message!

We had a deep inward Celebration of Hazrat Inayat Khan's URS here in Northern California, hosted by the Inayat Order. I gave a short Raga Offering at the event which Sierra was kind enough to film. https://youtu.be/cHVjH3bS9So

Beloved Family,

Abundant Blessings for the New Year! I honestly and profoundly feel so much hope for each of us and for the world and all sentient beings! 

We began the New Year with many of you from many different places and countries with the Sufi Sesshin, especially enjoying the precious time friends and mureeds and with my fellow guides of the retreat, Murshid Wali Ali, Murshids Abraham and Halima, Sheikh Rahmat, and Sheikh Gayan.

We celebrated Murshid Sam's URS in the middle of a powerful rain storm in San Francisco this year. The decorations crew delightfully placed a picture Hazrat Inayat Khan in meditation on the rim of the basketball hoop!

Once again, I travel to Mother India - mid February - this year for our Peace Pledge Pilgrimage Project. We will travel to the Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, be in Delhi at Hazrat Inayat Khan's Dargah and meet with political leaders of India and then to Dharamsala to be at the Monastery of the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche, called Sherab Ling Palpung Monastery. What a joy and privilege for me that my Tibetan teacher of nearly 40 years is now a principal part of our Peace Pledge Pilgrimage group!

Beloved Family,

Just returned from 10 days in Ohio ~ Murshid Circle Retreat, Jamiat Khas Leaders Retreat and the Ruhaniat Board of Trustees once a year in face meeting.

How auspicious that as Murshid Wali Ali and I journeyed to the Retreat Center by car I saw an eagle’s nest on the right side of the road. Our driver kindly turned back so I could photograph her.

Majida Swain and Karim McIntyre were both empowered to be Sufi guides.

Sheikh Vakil Forest Shomer was awarded the annual Sammy Award for extraordinary service to our Ruhaniat family.

The world premier of the 50th Anniversary of the Dance of Universal Peace Video was at the Leaders Retreat. Here it is the link on YouTube for all to view. Please share far and wide; it is deeply moving and spectacular.

Beloved Family,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Murshid Sam b. Oct 18, 1886! We will celebrate him tonight at Zikr in San Rafael!

It was a great joy to be with so many of you at the Mureeds Retreat on the edge of the Pacific Ocean near the Golden Gate. And to have another 50 of you join the ZOOM gathering was delightful and a new experiment for me, which I hope to do again in the future.

At the beginning of November, I will join our annual Murshid Circle Retreat, followed but the Jamiat Khas Leaders Retreat, followed by the in-face Ruhaniat Board of Trustees meeting.

At the end of November I have the joy of teaching in Maui.

Hoping many of you will join us to bring in the New Year at the 16th Annual Sufi Sesshin. If you register soon you will benefit from the Early Bird discount.

Beloved Family,

Just returned from a rich journey to the sacred land of Ecuador (Equator). We had a deep retreat for five days under the blessings and protection of two powerful mountains, the male mountain Imbabura, and female Cotacachi, the larger snow capped volcano. Our hosts Pablo and Gina brought us to one of the most beautiful retreat centers I have ever taught at, and Pablo also served as a co-teacher and principal translator.

I initiated two wonderful new mureeds; please welcome Fariha and Karuna.

After the retreat we adventured to the Antisana at 13,500 feet, watching condors and Cara Cara’s and marveling at the native flora. Then down to the cloud forest at 5000 feet where we saw hummingbirds and amazing tropical birds. We had the privilege of being guided by the top bird protector and expert of Ecuador Juan Manuel Carrion!

Beloved Family,

Just returned from an ambitious and deep Peace Pledge Pilgrimage to Greenland and Assisi, followed by our annual weeklong Ruhaniat Summer School in Northern Germany!

The Peace Pledge Pilgrimage family is a group of spiritual, religious, scientific, education and business leaders that all embrace the Universality of Human Ideals. We want to be an example to the world that beings of different religions, beliefs and approaches to life can treat all beings with Loving Kindness and Compassion. We invite all beings to become Heart Stewards.

Going to Greenland also had the strong message that as the polar Ice Cap is melting it is time that all human beings become Earth Stewards.

On June 19 our Pilgrimage took me from San Francisco to Copenhagen, where I met up with our group of pilgrims. To my delight, my Tibetan guru the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche, along with his 97 year old tutor Gegenla, his Secretary of State Lama Tenam, Lama Paljor and one other attendant all were along! Also on the pilgrimage to Greenland was our very own Vakil Forest Shomer.

Beloved Family,

We make prayers for all the folks being affected by the California fires. Luckily the closest ones to us are about two hours drive and we have little or no smoke in the air. Every morning I have been singing the rain raga - Raga Mian Ki Mulhar

During these warm days I have been enjoying my morning practices sitting outside in our backyard paradise! And this morning a new bird I hadn’t seen before showed up ~ a Western Tanager! (see pic below)

We have also begun harvesting and canning some of the generosity of our vegetable garden.

Looking forward to the Santa Cruz Sufi Camp next weekend and then Ecuador in the beginning of September. And toward the end of the month I will be in Asheville.

Then we have our Mureeds Retreat by the ocean at the Marin Headlands in October.

Beloved Family,

Having just sent a comprehensive letter about my activities to the whole community, this note will be much shorter.

Saturday I am off to the 44th Mendocino Sufi Camp, I always look forward to being together with our local youth family, so many mureeds and friends from near and far.

In August I join the Santa Cruz Sufi Camp Aug 17-19! September takes me to Ecuador and Asheville.

And most importantly hoping many of you will join us at the Marin Headlands for our Mureeds Retreat. Please make our organizers job easy by registering now! 

Much love,  

Shabda

Beloved Family,

Just returned from two weeks of teaching in France. I began in Larouque d'Olmes, in the southwest of France under the gaze of the Pyrenees. The mountains only showed their face a few times, when it wasn’t overcast.

My host was Asherah Dominique Boyer, who also did a magnificent job as my translator and registrar for the retreat. Also hosting was Sheikha Dakini Warrior, her now fiancé Karl Cooper and their daughters respectively Alana Maya and Sky, who had driven down from Scotland.

We met in a beautiful home-retreat center in the countryside with some 40 folks, mostly from the region and Spain, 4 days of dancing and singing, great musicians and Sufi teachings with lots of local fresh French bread and cheese.

Welcome new mureed Julien Jamal Dubois Du Bellay, new Welcome Blessing to Joy Azima Liengaard, new mureed co-guided by Sheikha Dakini, Amaé Emilie Dard. It was delightful to also share my time in France with my Ecuadorian mureed, Mashol, living in Paris for the last 3 years, who leads the Dances of Universal Peace Circle in Paris.

Beloved Family,

What an adventure this life is! Hoping Spring is unfolding her arms to you.

I was beautifully hosted in Portland for the Jamiat Aam. Sheikha Arifa Byron and I were the lead teachers along with many jewels from the Portland community including Sara Pelfrey, Bryn Morgan and Evan Muid Bushnell. On the Sunday afternoon of the Jamait Aam I had the privilege of sharing a Raga Concert, accompanied by Michael Sterling, a wonderful Raga singer who is also a disciple of my music Guru, Pandit Pran Nath. We were joined by his daughter Lucy Sterling on tamboura, Joss Jaffe on tabla and our own Ariel Bushnell on Swarmandal. It was recorded and filmed, and if they turn out well I will post them. You can view my Raga Offering at this years Hazrat Inayat Khan's URS Celebration in Delhi <https://youtu.be/HMFJAQCqHfg>

Spent an overnight at Collins Lake in Northern California and was delighted to see a fledgling Osprey.

Tuesday I leave for France to offer a 5 day retreat in Southern France and then off to the Annual Federation of the Sufi Message Gathering at Fazal Manzil, Hazrat Inayat Khan's family home in Suresnes, a suburb of Paris.

Beloved Family,

Still feeling the glow from our 8-day retreat in the high plains of Colombia at the Ecovillage Atlantida. We were some 200 pilgrims, mostly under thirty-five! The Ruhaniat Sufi Youth Council was very well represented and shared sessions nearly every day. Most all of the South American countries were represented, along with the US, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Estonia, and Turkey!

Lots of torrential downpours around lunchtime! Mostly went walking to see the great variety of birds in the early morning when I wasn’t teaching.

Most amazingly, on our first day out we were greeted with the Darshan of a Yellow Headed Caracara Eagle. And then every time we went walking the eagle(s) visited us.

On arrival at home, looking out our back glass door toward the bird feeder, we had a new visitor we had never seen, a Band-tailed Dove, nearly the size of a hawk, which dwarfed all the other birds on the feeder! I also had time to work hard in the garden along with PamAllah pulling the winter weeds and planting lots of veggies!

Beloved Mureeds,

As Spring Equinox approaches, it is raining here, I know the folks on the North-East have severe snowstorms, our Australian family is coming to the end of their summer, and the light is increasing everyday for our family in Russia and the Baltics! 

This year’s Sufi Sesshin, though smaller in numbers, was very deep and tuned our hearts. Next year we will return to our regular dates, the first Friday of the year for 8 days - Jan 3-11, 2019.

In a time when hypocrisy is so rampant in my country, when fake news is replacing real news and integrity amongst our elected officials is at an all time low, I would like to remind us that our assignment is still the same - to awaken to Limitless Freedom- Spiritual Liberty for the benefit of all beings in all realms. 

As Hazrat Inayat Khan says: “The work of the sufi has nothing to do with any particular religion, race or creed, but just this simple thing, to be able to keep ones rhythm throughout life’s conditions and to be in tune with the Infinite!” 

Beloved Family,

We had a wonderful pilgrimage to Mother India and Hazrat Inayat Khan’s URS. Our pilgrims bonded and took care of each other, with the US, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Latvia and Russia all represented in our group of about 30. Murshida Leilah was a wonderful partner in leading the pilgrimage, and Waduda was magnificent as our Pilgrimage manager.

Please save the date on your calendars ~ Through the help of Rachel Maize, we have reserved the Marin Headlands Retreat Center for a Mureeds Gathering Oct 5-8, 2018. We held Annual Mureeds Gatherings there for 11 years in a row, the last one being 2010. In the past we found it very fulfilling to meet together in this way. A more complete flyer with registration information will be out soon.

We start our Annual 8 day Sufi Sesshin tomorrow and welcome part timers.

Beloved Family,

Winter greetings! With the Sufi Sesshin in late February for the first time, I have had an extended homestay which has been delightful.

Pruned the garden plants, added chicken manure and compost, planted a few fruit trees and enjoyed many walks with friends and the birds!

In 10 days I travel to Mother India with Murshida Leilah and a beautiful group of pilgrims from many countries. A week after my return is the Annual Sufi Sesshin.

Towards the end of March I fly down to Ecovillage Atlantida near Cali Colombia where the last time there were 185 people , 150 of them under 35 years old. For this reason the Ruhaniat Sufi Youth Council has made this retreat the site of the once every two years Ruhaniat Sufi Youth Jam!

In April I have the pleasure of leading a retreat in Nevada City, close to home and then the annual Ruhaniat Jamiat Aam in Portland.

Beloved Family,

Greetings of the Heart as the Winter Solstice approaches! Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Returned from beautiful Maui last night after a lovely retreat followed by a week to enjoy the warm climes, clean air, ocean breezes and our many friends there, including a deep and wonderful visit with my first Spiritual teacher, Baba Ram Dass, who I met in 1968! I lived with him on his fathers land in Franklin New Hampshire in the Summer of 1969.

The Maui retreat took place at the Sacred Earth Assembly, one of the most beautiful retreat centers on our planet, hosted by Blue Mountain and his wife Myriah.

Now looking forward to our Pilgrimage to Mother India with Murshida Leilah as Co-guide and Waduda as Manager beginning February. 

Join us for Sufi Sesshin, which usually begins the first Friday of the year, now is Feb 23-Mar 2, 2018 due to IONS scheduling.

Beloved Family,

The rainy season has arrived in Northern California, a blessing for the land and the end of fire season! Thanksgiving Blessings of profound gratitude to all, even our out of country family.

Last week we had a beautiful gathering of 140 Ruhaniat leaders from around the world at IONS, about 20 minutes north of my home, as well as a successful Murshid Circle Retreat and Ruhaniat Board of Trustees.

Please send love and blessing to Uwais Bernard who was initiated as a sheikh at the Jamiat Khas leaders retreat.

Through the inspiration and help of Rachel Maize, in 2018 we will once again have a Mureed’s Retreat. Before the last one in 2010, we had the Mureed’s Retreat for 13 years in a row! Please block out the dates: Dinner Friday, Oct 5 – Lunch Monday, Oct 8, 2018 at the same residential Marin Headlands location, right by the Golden Gate Bridge and the ocean!

Beloved Family,

Fall greetings! This month I have had the pleasure of being home for much longer than I have in decades! 

We send prayers and support for all our family that have suffered in the recent Northern California fires, that were about an hour North of here. For nearly a week, the air quality, even an hour south of the fires, was so bad, we confined ourselves to our home.

But when the air quality is good I have been sitting outside every early morning before and during the sunrise, doing my practices outside and enjoying all the bird and animal life as well. Some pictures are below.

Thank you for your prayers for Tamam. She now has a clear treatment plan and is gradually gaining strength.

Beloved Family,

I had the privilege of planning and participating in our recent Peace Pledge Pilgrimage to the International Peace Palace in the Hague, Netherlands. Here is a sharing of some of the blessings that transpired. My Tibetan guru, the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche, sent the conference a beautiful video contribution which can be viewed here on youtube

Much love,

Shabda

Beloved Family,

Blessings on the Fall Equinox and Jewish New Year!!!

I just returned from Holland where the Universal Sufi Council sponsored a Peace Pledge Conference, of which I am one of four initiators. The others are Murshid Karimbakhsh Witteveen, 96 year old elder of the Sufi Movement and former Dutch Finance Minister and head of the International Money Fund, Jonathan Granoff, senior disciple of Guru Bawa Muhaiyaddeen and head of the Global Security Institute that is dedicated to ending Nuclear weapons, and our main organizer Brigitte van Baren, Zen teacher and founder of Inner Sense.

Wonderful spiritual leaders from India, Pakistan, Africa, Greenland, Europe and the US joined us, including a mystic Rabbi, the head Imam for India, prominent gurus and Sufi leaders. Further, we were joined by educators Samiur Rahman and his wife Shaista from our Hope Project along with brilliant Pakistani educator Fakhira Najib, water experts from the Netherlands and prominent businessmen and politicians, all promoting bringing Loving Kindness into all our relations. You can see the “Peace Pledge” and sign it at peacepledgeproject.org. My Tibetan guru, the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche, sent the conference a beautiful video contribution which can be viewed here on youtube. The three day conference was capped by a public event at the International Peace Palace in the Hague.

Beloved Family,

We had wonderful 43rd Annual Mendocino Sufi Camp, with all ages well represented and a deep feeling of family and tribe embraced. Welcome new mureed Kahyah Eliyah.

Looking forward to traveling to the Northwest Sufi Camp tomorrow. With deep gratitude for the completion of the dargah, the following week I'll be joined by nine of the Murshid(a)s for the Murshid Sam Dargah Dedication Celebration at Lama Foundation.

Tamam’s health is slowly improving. (If you didn’t receive the letter I sent out two weeks ago, you can find it at the very bottom of this email after the photos.)  Her intense pain from her mild L2 Compression fracture is reduced daily. We are still waiting for a clear diagnosis on the granuloma in her lower left lung, which is the main subject of her healing path. Once we have that there will be a treatment plan.

Beloved Family,

Our Mendocino Sufi Camp starts in a few days and I look forward to being together with so many of you! 

Had a lovely time in Russia with our Sufi family, especially the young folks. Special gratitude goes to my host Ilona, my other translator Victoria and Kabir, our master drummer, who kept me connected to the internet! And please welcome three new mureeds, Aija, Elena and Natasha. Aija lives in Sydney, Australia, is from Riga, Latvia and joined us in the Russian Ruhaniat Summer Camp. Elena lives in Moscow and Natasha is a physician and homeopath, who lives part time in the countryside of Russia and part time in St Petersburg.

After camp we had our traditional reunion, dancing in the park in the center of St Petersburg. Afterwards 20 of us shared a meal at an Armenian restaurant. Kabir noticed there were some microphones and music set up and asked if we could use it.  Someone fetched our instruments from the trunk of our car and we were joined by the Armenian master violinist who managed the music for the restaurant. We ended up jamming together for over an hour. You can see the video on my Facebook page or YouTube.

Beloved Family,

Another whirlwind month of travels began with a fruitful gathering and hosting of the Federation of the Sufi Message at the Abode. Six streams stemming from Hazrat Inayat Khan were present: the Inayati Order, the International Sufi Movement, Sufi Way, Sufi Contact, Fraternity of Light and the Sufi Ruhaniat International. Murshida Mariam and Halima along with Murshid Abraham joined me in representing the Ruhaniat at the Federation. Many friendships were deepened as we continued the work of clearing our hearts from past hurts and developing better ways of supporting each other and sharing resources.

After 10 days back home working in the garden and doing our Sufi administration, it was back to the East Coast for the Sufi Celebration at Omega Institute, joined by Tamam, Maitreya Stevens and Gayan Long. We were able to share the Dances and teachings. Tamam gave a beautiful teaching, especially through poetry, on the wives of Prophet Muhammad and on the Prophet’s daughter Fatima, from her new book “Fatima’s Touch”. For the closing ceremonies many of the musicians got together and we sang and played “Drink with the Beloved”!

Beloved Family,

Even though you received a letter two weeks ago, I send out this once a month letter on the same day as my monthly local Zikr Class, which is tonight, since my schedule is so irregular.

Enjoying home life, except for a short travel for teaching in Southern California. Next week takes me to the Abode of the Message for the Annual Federation of the Sufi Message Gathering, which is being hosted by the Ruhaniat.

The Murshid Sam Dargah construction pictures are simply amazing! It would be wise to register soon if you plan to join on joining us for the Inauguration August 24-27. So many of you have been very generous in your support of the construction, and if you feel moved, we still need to raise approximately anther $150,000. To donate ...

Beloved Family,

Since our last letter, I began my travels by teaching at the Annual Jamiat Aam in Madison WI along with Murshid(a)s Darvesha and Allaudin. After that I had the privilege of providing music for the great Huston Smith’s Memorial, along with other musicians in our family.

Then came three weeks of solid travel, first to Aotearoa - New Zealand and Australia. In Auckland I presented a Sufi evening with lots of Dances, then a three-day weekend retreat on Lake Taupo, which is very much like Lake Tahoe, at the Tauhara Centre. My hosts were Catherine and Nasir Grace and Jamila Cranston-Buckley.  We thoroughly enjoyed the fresh air, expansive views, beautiful birds and a wonderful sangha from all over New Zealand and beyond.

Dearest Family,

Spring Equinox Blessings!!!

So happy to be home for a few weeks before heading first to the Jamiat Aam in Madison and then New Zealand and Australia in the beginning of April.

I’ve been catching up on work and hosting my mureed Tariq and his wife Razia from New Delhi who made their first trip to the US. Work in the garden includes planting all the spring and summer crops before traveling again.

A few months back, Netanel, who is the “Pir” of the Jewish Maimounia Inayati Order which was begun by Reb Zalman Schafer-Shalomi, wrote to us that he had inner guidance to help bring Murshida Rabia Martin more into the limelight of those who made a contribution to the early days of the Sufi Message in the West. He was searching for her gravesite, her Mazar. By chance I found a newspaper clipping (see below) that said where her Memorial was. She died August 31, 1947, three days before my birth! A half a year ago Netanel along with his partner Alia Wittman found the grave. This past Sunday we made a group pilgrimage to her grave about 15 minutes from the Mentorgarten in San Francisco, along with Murshid Wali Ali, Tawwaba and many other beloveds. Having been to Khwaja Moineddin Chishti’s Dargah only a few weeks before we laid a Chaddar (tomb cover) from Khwaja’s place on Murshida Rabia’s Mazar.

Beloved Family,

After a whirlwind three weeks journey I am very happy to be home for a week, before traveling to a Sufi retreat on Kauai!

I thoroughly enjoyed being with our German family at Rahmana’s retreat center HausAnanda about 45 minutes into the countryside near Berlin. Please welcome new mureed Sophia Kimpel. She is a wonderful being who WILL make a difference in this world!

From there I traveled to Scotland, hosted by Maris, whose new name is Dakini, along with her two beautiful daughters Iona and Alana Maya. Murshid Saadi and I shared teachings at Allanton Peace Sanctuary in Southern Scotland.

After Sunday lunch at Allanton, I quickly drove to Edinburgh and flew to Heathrow and Delhi, arriving Monday midday to help facilitate and participate in the Universal Sufi Council Pilgrimage, with distinguished participants from all over the world. Hosted by Murshid Karimbakhsh, 95 year old leader from the Sufi Movement, former Dutch Finance Minister and head of the IMG. 

Beloved Family,

New years Blessings to each of you, your families, friends and all who are in your sphere!

We had a deep Sufi Sesshin retreat, albeit in the midst of one of the strongest storms to hit the Bay Area in the past several decades! Some 80 strong, including mureeds who came from South Africa, UK, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and across the US.

In between the rain at home, joined by some laborers, we just put seven yards of organic compost all over our yard, vegetable and fruit tree beds, and did all the winter pruning before I leave for three weeks of travel.

Beloved Family,

As we approach Winter Solstice and Rumi’s URS, the heavens have opened here where I live with a generous offering of rain, as many of you around the country and Europe and winter places are in for snow and cold temperatures. With a lovely visit to Seattle behind us it is such a pleasure to have an extended period of time at home, until we begin the Northern California Sufi Sesshin.

We continue to make progress on the Dargah, with the Timber Framer well into cutting the corbels and making a model to scale of the dome members. All the stone from India is ready to go when the Spring arrives. We are still awaiting word from Lama Foundation when we will have our Murshid Sam Completion Ceremony, likely around August 23-27, 2017. Donate

Beginning February I’ll be teaching near Berlin and then with Murshid Saadi in Scotland. March begins with a retreat in Kauai, in case you want to find a warm climate during the tail of winter, followed by the Jamiat Aam in Madison WI.

Beloved Family,

It is such a joy to have time at home! My whirlwind travel the last few months took me from Colorado to Maui to Cambridge and the Abode for the annual Murshid Circle retreat, followed by the annual Leaders Retreat and then the Board of Trustees meeting.

And now gradually adjusting to the change of seasons and working hard at home to catch up on administration and our garden.

I can imagine that many of us are reeling from the current election results. My own sense is that if we create disturbing emotions in ourselves because the world doesn’t suit us, we will loose our strength and our peace. That means that even if we have to go into battle, a peaceful, buoyant, relaxed heart is the strongest and most beneficial offering,

So I advise we use one of my favorite mantras “This is how it is right now”, and face the demon, if that is how we experience it, and make friends with it.

Beloved Family,

Just returned from a wonderful time with our Colorado family up in the mountains at around 8000 ft. with the Aspens turning their fall colors. Tomorrow I am off to the Maui Sufi Camp.

I would like us to continue the wazifa practice from last month another week through Wednesday October 12, the last day of the 10 Days of Tshuva (turning) (Awe), known as Yom Kippur, to which YA HASIB YA TAWWAB apply. Then you can switch to the new practice below, 

Our fundraising for the Murshid Sam Dargah Project is going very well. We have raised nearly $700,000 and need another $200,000 to complete the project. We estimate completion in July 2017; just around the corner. The campaign of funding 300 people to pledge $1000 over three years is still very much alive, and we’re hoping many of you can jump in.

Beloved Family,

I invite us all to make aspirations and prayers of YA SALAAM for our dear friend and guide Pir Hidayat Inayat Khan born Aug 6, 1917 died September 12, 2016, for his onward Journey on the Path of Love. He was the Pir of the Sufi Movement, a dear friend to the Ruhaniat, a composer and musician. He initiated me as a Murshid in the early 1990’s. He was a wonderful vehicle of the Message of Love, Harmony and Beauty and we will miss him dearly!

After a whirlwind of travels and teachings at Lama Foundation, Istanbul Universal Sufi Council Conference, Omega Institute Ecstatic Chant Fest, and an evening of Dance and teaching in Cambridge near Boston, I am finally enjoying some days at home.

Looking through some old files yesterday I found practices Murshid Sam gave me in 1970 which included 301x LA ILLAHA IL ALLAH HU daily and I would invite us all to add this to our practices for the month.

Beloved Family,

I’ve been home over two weeks enjoying the garden and the birds, walking, meditating, doing office work and loosing weight!

I had a wonderful time with the Mendocino Sufi Youth Retreat followed by the Mendocino Sufi Camp. We had several special guests at this year’s camp. One was Pir Asim Chishti, a wonderful Sufi from Pakistan whose grandfather knew Murshid Sam. The other was Samiur Rahman, the director of the Hope Project in New Delhi, India, which we have been supporting for the last 40 years. Next year I will take my turn once again as the director of the Mendocino Sufi Camp!

This coming Wednesday I’m off on a long adventure—first to Lama Foundation for our Annual Sufi Sesshin, then to Istanbul for this year’s Universal Sufi Council Conference, then back to Omega Institute Labor Day Ecstatic Chant Fest, leading the Dances along with all the most famous kirtan wallas of the day. Lastly I head to Cambridge, MA with Abraham and Halima for an evening Zikr Wednesday night September 7 at the Friends Meeting Hall before returning home.

Beloved Family,

In a few days our yearly ritual begins, first the 16th Annual Mendocino Sufi Youth Retreat followed by the 42 Annual Mendocino Sufi Camp. I look forward to sharing it with many of you.

There is still time to register for our annual Lama Foundation Sufi Sesshin in August. For the East Coasters, I’ll be at Omega Institute for their Labor Day Ecstatic Chant Weekend. I’ll be leading the Dances joined by Murshid(a) Abraham and Halima, along with Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Fanna-fi-Allah and on. Towards the end of September I make my way to Colorado and October to the Maui Sufi Camp.

I’ve been enjoying the precious time at home, sitting in the garden in the early morning, doing my practices outside, with the birds and the bees and flowers and the trees. Just finished canning Plum Jam, and with tomatoes about to come in more canning and freezing in the near future.

Beloved Family,

In light of the tragic events in Orlando, it becomes clear how important our spiritual practice is. Transforming ourselves and as a result others to embody mysticism, we awaken Love, Harmony and Beauty, as our invocation points out.

Not only do we stand for the Unity of Religious Ideals, that the same message of Realization and Unity is at the root of every tradition, we also offer unconditional love to all beings to the best of our ability.

Steady practice will help us in our service to all beings.

Greetings of the Heart from Scotland! I have been in Europe since May 10th.

Just before leaving for Europe, my Tibetan guru, the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche visited California for the first time in nearly two decades and I had the good fortune to greet him just before leaving the next day.

We had a lovely retreat in the countryside near Berlin where I was able to share teachings on the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah through the translation of our book which came out the week before, picture below!

From there, I traveled back to Berlin and from Wed-Sunday, along with many of our senior Ruhaniat teachers, shared and served at the annual Federation of the Sufi Message Gathering. Almost all of the streams from Hazrat Inayat Khan had a presence, the International Sufi Movement, the Inayati Order (formerly the Sufi Order), Sufi Contact, the Sufi Way and our Sufi Ruhaniat International! We shared Dances and walks, Murshid Saadi and myself made presentations, there was a delightful play that Murshid Nawab wrote. One highlight was the presence of Pir Hidayat Inayat Khan, the 98 year old son of Hazrat Inayat Khan and his wife Aziza.

Dear Family,

It has been a very rich time since I last wrote! We had an 8 day sufi camp at Ecovillage Atlantida at around 6000 feet in the high valleys of Colombia near Cali. Around 185 folks came from all over Latin America, mostly under 35. I so enjoyed the Latin culture and affectionate hearts of all who attended. And one by-product is that Physicians of the Heart is being translated into Spanish.

Welcome to two new Colombian mureeds, Tatiana Samper and Karen Behar.

I just returned from our annual Jamiat Aam, outside of Charlottesville VA, sharing the responsibilities with Murshid(a)s Darvehsa, Asha and Sauluddin, meeting old friends and making new ones.

Dearest Family,

Greetings of the Heart for the Spring Equinox!

Had a wonderful visit in Ashland with great musicians accompanying for the Raga Concert and a sweet community turnout for the retreat.

On Saturday I travel down to Colombia for a weeklong Easter retreat at the Ecovillage Atlantida, meeting old friends and new, sharing the teachings along with Murshida Darvesha.

April takes me to Charlottesville, VA where I share in guiding the Annual Jamiat Aam.

For our next wazifa practice lets recite three wazifas that appear sequentially on the list and all deal with opening the flow, having what one needs on the path and opening the Way, all in tune with the coming of Spring.

For our next text lets study a paper, Githa Dhyana (On Meditation) that was originally thought to be by Hazrat Inayat Khan and later assumed to be Murshid Sam’s writings.

Much love, Shabda

Beloved Family,

Back from Mother India a little less than two weeks and off to Ashland, OR to give a Raga Concert and Sufi Retreat. And I’m so looking forward to traveling down to Columbia, South America in the middle of March to teach Mysticism of Sound & Music with Murshida Darvesha at a beautiful Ecovillage in the countryside near Cali with a very young and large group of devotees and dancers.

Our annual Jamiat Aam retreat for all mureeds and dancers will be in Charlottesville VA in April, where I will be teaching alongside Murshid(a)s Darvesha, Asha and Sauluddin.

If you want to plan ahead I’ll be in Europe for three separate events. First a retreat in Golzow, near Berlin, followed by the annual Federation of the Sufi Message in Berlin for the first time, and lastly in Scotland teaching alongside Murshid Saadi.

For our next wazifa practice, I have chosen from an unusual group called the “opposites”. Ya Muhyi ~Ya Mumit. Invoking God as the only bringer of life and the only bringer of death help us experience the hand of the Sacred in everything, rather than some things good and some things bad, that everything has come in the form of the Friend, that Life is the Teacher. It wouldn’t be uncommon to add YA HAAY at the end to experience that both the temporal life and death are included in the essence of LIFE/VITALITY/EVER-LIVING.

Lastly, I’ll include more photos from India and some local as well.

Much love, Shabda