November 2019 Message

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.

Since our last letter, my journey to Sarasota Florida was a delight with some 80 folks showing up for the retreat and before the retreat I was able to enjoy the “heaven of birds”, some pics below!

Naturally we share Thanksgiving blessings with you and all your relations, what many of us consider to be our best American holiday.

Beginning December come join me in Maui for a Sufi retreat.

There are a few more days of early bird pricing for the Annual Sufi Sesshin in January.

Our India Journey is slowly filling up for February. As part of our pilgrimage we will be attending the three day URS Festival with many glorious musicians at Hazrat Inayat Khan's Dargah. I will also have a chance to give a Raga Offering on the URS day Feb 5, 2020 at the Dargah.

There are some changes for our Morocco Journey, Even though the flyer had you contacting our family in France to register and inquire, now we are taking that over so all inquiries and registrations should come to me. A new flyer will be out soon.

For this month’s text I offer you two short pieces by Hazrat Inayat Khan that I found extremely deep in our approach to our Path. One is the teachings on the God Ideal and the other an amazing interpretation on the biblical “Story of Lot”

With all love and gratitude,
Shabda

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Wazifa Practice

Recite 101x YA RAQIB

43. Ya Raqib (yaa ra-ḲEEB)

Ar-Raqib combines the qualities of protection and watchfulness. Its meaning of “watching over”
integrates two concepts: to watch the stars until the dawn comes, and to watch a baby while it is sleeping. Ar-Raqib means to fully give loving attention, and at the same time to possess the inner quietude that makes real concentration possible. The best technique for learning to concentrate is to awaken loving interest for the object of concentration and to use this love as a focus for one-pointed attention. Concentration can best be held and grow within the context of caring for what we love.

From Ar-Raqib comes muraaqabah, an advanced Sufi technique of concentration that begins with hush dar dam, watching the breath. Ar-Raqib brings expanded awareness of the inner world, taking one beyond the physical into the metaphysical. Repetition of Ya Raqib is helpful in attaining focus in your concentrations.

To hear the pronunciation: Ya Raqib

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TEXT and COMMENTARY to STUDY

This month we have two short pieces by Hazrat Inayat Kahn:

The Path to God

The Story of Lot

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1aRisingTide Sarasota Sufi Retreat