April 2022 Message

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.

End of May I return to Europe to help our Living Peace group put on an event at the International Peace Palace in the Hague called “Water for All” ( I believe the website and Facebook will be updated and be much more clear in the near future).

Distinguished Spiritual Leaders along with Earth Stewards, Water scientists, and Educators from around the world, including my Tibetan teacher H.H the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche, will bring together the water from 18 different rivers as a way to demonstrate Oneness and begin some creative Water projects. Here is a quote I wrote for the event:

"As we entered life on this plane, our dear Mother Earth has provided Her Living Elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether to make up the clothing of our bodies. And by far, our bodies are mostly made of Water. Now all the elements, especially Water are Living Presence and resonate with our love, gratitude, and care. The water that flows through each and every one of us is part of that Grand Being of Water, and our living relationship with Water and our dedication to Her Purity is what all life on this precious planet will depend on.”

I am looking forward to being with some of you at Lama Foundation for the return of the Lama Sufi Sesshin at the end of June and then at the Southwest Sufi Community for the returning Annual SSC Sufi Camp in mid-August. And I am delighted to be joining the Beyond Initiative 2022 DUP Turkish Caravan on September 12-24 organized by Arjun Jorge Calero. Our dear Murshid Allaudin Ottinger will also be there to present.

For our next Wazifa practice, let us invoke the names of Divine Guidance YA MULHIM ~ YA HADI ~ YA RASHID.

Much love,

Shabda

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Wazifa Practice

Recite 101x

YA MULHIM ~ YA HADI ~ YA RASHID

Ya Mulhim (yaa MOOL-him)

The inner guidance that comes to one directly from the source without intermediation.

94. Ya Hadi (yaa haa-DEE)

Al Hadi is the most general and inclusive Name of divine guidance. It means the source of all guidance, and its guidance is for the whole of humanity, or a whole community of people. In societal terms, al-Hadi manifests in canonical guidance from a holy book and a structured religion. Repetition of Ya Hadi is especially recommended at the stage when the spiritual wayfarer is ready to actualize insights, to walk their authentic walk in life, to function in an integrated way, and to become a part of a spiritual community.

Al-Hadi is an invitation to remember God (dhikr) and to remove the coverings over our heart (kufraan) that cause forgetfulness. It offers the light of guidance that illuminates the way for humanity to overcome self-delusion, anger, and panic and to find the broad and balanced road, the straight way that offers patience and hope, and is life-giving water,

hady(un). Al-Hadi represents an advanced stage in the process of awakening to guidance. It should be considered as part of a cluster of Names including ar-Rashid (98) and al-Mulhim. See Chapter 24, Names of Guidance.

98. Ya Rashid (yaa ra-SHEED)

Ar-Rashid is the state of unerring guidance that is infinitely, and in an unlimited way, manifesting into each and every thing. The word for the one who is constantly evolving so that they can manifest this state is Murshid (mu-ra-sha-da). Ar-Rashid brings an established and clear consciousness that balances inner experience and worldly life.

To discern and communicate a wisdom that addresses the specific needs of individual souls, the quality of divine guidance must be brought into a particular focus. Ar-Rashid is the emanation of guidance that has the clarity and capacity to discern and communicate healing wisdom to all types of human beings. It brings hope to humanity, while its opposite, ghayy, leads to despair.

Ar-Rashid offers the nexus of balance between the unstructured nature of inner inspiration or guidance (ilham) and the structure of formal guidance (hudaa). Because of its quality of clarity, Ya Rashid can effectively be paired in repetition with several Names, including Ya Matin (54), Ya Hadi (94), and Ya Mulhim. See Chapter 24, Names of Guidance, and the teachings on the diamond body of awareness in Chapter 20, In Quest of Wisdom; Chapter 22, God's Omniscience; and Chapter 23, The Ground of All Knowing.

To hear the pronunciation: Ya Hadi ~ Ya Rashid

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Text and Commentary to Study

This month we begin reading Incense From Roshis, by Murshid Samuel Lewis

Read pages 1- 10

Click here

to download the document Incense from Roshis

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PHOTOS

The view from my room at the German Retreat Center