May 2017 Message

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 ...

The Mendocino Camp registration is also going well, and I believe that registering now will help you with getting your cabin space.

In early June Tamam and I will join Pir Zia and others for a Sufi Celebration at Omega Institute. A few weeks later I will be joined by Murshida Darvesha in leading the Annual Russian Ruhaniat Summer Camp.

Having shared so much of the Message in New Zealand and Australia, it is clear to me that, as we understand, the one practice Hazrat Inayat Khan gave all mureeds is the Purification Breaths. I would like to add the Purification Breaths as a Daily Mediation Practice for all mureeds, following Hazrat Inayat Khan’s directive to “make a habit of a Rhythmic Breath”.

We are eating daily from our garden, with zucchini just coming in, along with lettuce, arugula, three kinds of kale, broccoli, chard and the summer vegetables well on their way.

Sending all love,

Shabda

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Recite 101x Ya Ghaniyy ~ Ya Mughni

87. Ya Ghaniyy (yaa GHA-neeyy)

Al-Ghaniyy is the source of all being and the source of all ecstasy. It is an indescribably rich container, a treasure house of all existence. Al-Ghaniyy manifests the very essence of existence to every single thing, at all times, and is the one who gives existence to that which has no existence. Al-Ghaniyy is a flowing forth from God's inexhaustible treasure house to all. The Qur'an says, "We found you in want and then gave sufficiency." In the quoted passage, you are fuqaraa' (want) and Allah is ghaniyy (sufficiency).

Al-Ghaniyy is richness and fullness. It is an infinite source that can never be exhausted. Your existence may seem to be empty of meaning, but al-Ghaniyy transforms it and fills it from within. Sufis who sought to become faqeers, giving up everything and especially the clinging of the ego, followed in the footsteps of Jesus, who announced the treasures awaiting the "poor in spirit."

Invocation of Ya Ghaniyy is a remedy for the fixation that there are not enough riches or success in your life. It is a remedy for joylessness, boredom, and meaninglessness. Invoking Ya Ghaniyy calls out for ecstasy and increase of being. This divine Name has an alchemical quality of transforming experience. It answers the existential question, "Why do I exist?"

88. Ya Mughni (yaa muɡ̣ḥ-NEE)

Al-Mughni has an important and complex relationship with al-Ghaniyy (87). Allah causes al-Ghaniyy's rich state to be bestowed on temporal creatures, who then can temporarily act as the embodiments of infinite and inexhaustible ecstatic reality. The source and primary cause of this divine quality is al-Ghaniyy, and the causal manifestation of it is al-Mughni.

The root of al-Mughni means to dwell in one place and rest firm in that. All multiplicity swims around one still point in the primal waters of blessing. Everything gains its existence and movement from this stillness. The root of "dwelling in a place" also has the meaning of being constant in love and affection.

Repetition of Ya Mughni is a remedy for dependence and neediness on another. It serves to give contentment, protection, and guidance from the essence of reality. We recommend pairing it in recitation: Ya Ghaniyy, Ya Mughni. In this way it can serve to bring fullness to the process of actualizing happiness.

To hear the pronunciation: Ya Ghaniyy ~ Ya Mughni

TEXT and COMMENTARY to STUDY

This month we begin reading Murakkabah of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan with commentary by Murshid Samuel Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti). Read Githa Series 1 Number1, pages 1-5.

Click here to download the document.

Murshid Sam's Dargah construction photos:

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