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!"
I've been busy since our last letter! My visit to Israel to be with family, especially my
sister, was very meaningful. She is doing well now almost 4 months out from
Esophageal surgery, surrounded by her husband and two local daughters and eight
grandchildren - her son and family live here in California.
And as always it was a delight to be on the beautiful island of Maui with our local family,
in one of the most beautiful retreat centers on the planet. Afterwards Tamam and I
spent time on the "dry side" swimming, walking, meditating and being with friends. We
also had the privilege to visit with my first spiritual teacher Baba Ram Dass, who is now
88 years old and very frail. It was Kirtan Night and I led some Zikr and sang some Raga
for all assembled while enjoying communing with Baba Ram Dass as he became quite
animated with the music.
After the Sufi Sesshin I am looking forward to two sacred pilgrimages, one to the URS
of Hazrat Inayat Khan in India in February and the other to Morocco in March. If you are
considering joining us it would be good to hear from you now.
One last retreat for you to consider is coming down to Colombia for Easter week
at Ecovillage Atlantida to dance and sing with some 200 mostly younger devotees for all
over South America, the US, Spain and often other countries.
Sending all love,
Shabda
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Upcoming Events and Teachings
Jan 3-10 17th Annual Northern CA Sufi Session
Feb 1-10 India Pilgrimage to Hazrat Inayat Khan's Urs
Mar 11-20 Sufi Pilgrimage in Morocco
April 5-12 Ecovillage Atlantida Retreat in Colombia
See Shabda's calendar for more information.
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Wazifa Practice
Recite 101x
YA NUR ~ YA MUNAWWIR
93. Ya Nur (yaa NOOR) ~ YA MUNAWWIR (yaa moo-NOW-were)
An-Nur is the essence of light, luminosity itself. A Qur'anic verse says, "Allah is the light
of the heavens and the earth." An-Nur is the light of every soul and an inherent
characteristic in every pore of your body. Munawwir is a form of the same root and
means the one who illuminates.
It is interesting that the word for "hell" in Arabic is naar, which has the same root as Nur.
What makes it hell is that the burning heat there is lacking in light. That kind of burning
heat is our inner condition if we don't embody God's loving mercy and compassion
(rahma) and instead become full of rage.
Whatever way we may turn, we see the all-pervading light of An-Nur. Even the darkness
shines from within it. All the various forms of wisdom and guidance are expressions of
An-Nur. For example, Nur-ul-Haqeeqah is the light of truth and guidance on the path.
What continues to live on in God when we die is also a legacy of light.
To hear the pronunciation: Ya Nur
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TEXT and COMMENTARY to STUDY
The reading for this month is a compilation of excerpts from "The Unity of Religious
Ideals" in The Sufi Message Volume 9 by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Click to download
The Unity of Religious Ideals
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MAUI SUFI RETREAT
Sacred Earth Assembly
Maui Sufi Retreat
Pir Shabda and Tamam visiting with Ram Dass
Pir Shabda snorkeling with sea turtle
BIRDS OF ISRAEL
Hoopoe
(Leader of the birds in "The Conference of the Birds" by Fariduddin Attar)
Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
Black Stork
LOCAL BIRDS
Red-tailed Hawk
Juvenile Bald Eagle
(our first sighting in our neighborhood in 50 years)
Juvenile Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Black-crowned Night Heron
Giant Egret