April 2019 Message

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.

Two weeks later so happy to return once again to the beautiful Hawaiian isle, Kauai, and share a Sufi Retreat with our Hawaii family.

And I know many of us will share the Annual Jamiat Aam Gathering at Murshid Sam’s Dargah at Lama Foundation May 30-June 2.

Our dear friend, Mirabai Starr was here a week ago giving a presentation on her new book, Wild Mercy. At the reading we reunited with our old friend, colleague and great Theologian, Matthew Fox. We shared stories and dinner.

You may remember Matthew Fox was excommunicated by Pope Ratzinger who objected to his feminist theology calling God “Mother” and for writing the book Original Blessing, to refute the idea that this creation manifested as the result of a sin!

At least 25 years ago he came to Mendocino Sufi Camp and introduced the Thursday Night Cosmic Rave, which we have celebrated every year since. I invited him to come back to Mendocino along with my son Ammon, who was the DJ that same year. And I just received a message from Pakistan from our friend Pir Asim Maharvi Chishti that he also is planning on returning to Mendo Camp this year!

There are still a few weeks to get in on the Early Bird discount for the Mendocino Sufi Camp.

Much love,

Shabda

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Wazifa Practice

Since this month's reading (see below) in the Githa Ryazat Series II is all about the practice and benefit of KASAB lets add that to our monthly shared practices.

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KASAB

Breath in-4 counts    hold-8 counts       out-4 counts

Repeat Mentally:

Ya Shafee     AllahAllahAllahAllah      Ya Kafee

1 2 3 4        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8          1 2 3 4

5x In Left Nostril       Hold            Out Right Nostril

5x In Right Nostril     Hold              Out Left Nostril

5x In Both Nostrils    Hold            Out Both Nostrils

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Recite 101x YA DHAL JALALI WAL IKRAM

84. Ya Dhal Jalali wal 'Ikram (yaa DTHAL ja-LAA-li WAL 'ik-RAAM)

All manifestation of power (al-Jalal) as well as all manifestation of beauty (al-Jamal) come from God's absolute essence. The first word, "Dhal" of this Name, is the same as dhat (or zat), which means the absolute essence. Dhal is the utterly transcendent source of the ceaseless flowing of divine manifestations.

It is the source of the flow of divine strength, al-Jalal, into everything everywhere, without distinction. In accord with Arabic grammar, when using "Ya" we say Ya Dhal Jalali wal 'Ikram; without the "Ya" the name is slightly different: we say Dhul Jalali wal 'Ikram.

The 'Ikram in this Name is a most beautiful or jamali quality. It means the unconditional and loving generosity of God that fully manifests into everything. It is an intensive form of al-Karim (42). 'Ikram adds emphasis, making it incomparably kind and generous, noble and giving. Paired, as they are in this Name, al-Jalal and al-'Ikram express the omnipotent strength and incomparable divine generosity that are present in the absolute essence of all, and harmonize them. The balanced combination of qualities in this great Name produces balance.

Ya Dhal Jalali wal 'Ikram is recommended as a useful practice for all who are out of balance in relation to strength and its proper use. It is similarly effective when people may not be able to set appropriate personal boundaries, as a result of being out of balance in the sphere of generosity.

To hear the pronunciation: Ya Dhal Jalali wal 'ikram

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TEXT and COMMENTARY to STUDY

This month we continue working with the Githa Ryazat Series II with Commentary by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti). Read and reflect on the development and purification of the breath, Numbers 7-8, pages 27-36. Click here to download the document.

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1MatthewMirabaiShabda Matthew Fox and Mirabai Starr with Pir Shabda