March 2023 Message

Dearest Family,

So much has transpired since I last wrote. At the beginning of March, we had a very successful Sufi Sesshin at a beautiful new location that served us well, the Bishops Ranch! That was followed a few days later by Murshid Wali Ali’s Memorial Celebration and then four days later I left for Mother India!

Returned home Monday and leave Friday for Colombia for a large Sufi Camp at Atlantida Ecovillage.

Gladly the Sufi Sesshin passed with no spread of covid. It was skillfully guided by Murshida Leilah, Murshid Rahmat, Sheikh Gayan, and myself, along with great support from Khalifa Waduda and Sheikh Latif Burdick. We plan to use the same site again March 2024.

Golden Temple in Amritsar

The journey to Mother India was to attend the “Water for All” conference at the holy site of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. It is a known fact that the cornerstone for this center of the Sikh world was placed by the sufi saint Mian Mir, who Murshid Sam had a deep connection with. Further, one of the contributors to the Sikh Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib is Khwaja Baba Farid, who is also in our own silsila.

Opening Water Conference Raga----LINK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viCc5V7n1jI

I was invited to open the proceedings of the Conference with some Raga.

The spiritual leaders presented around the theme of Loving Kindness, Compassion, and shared Universal Responsibility for our care of the planet, fellow human beings and naturally WATER.

Group at Conference

Then the scientists and engineers talked about all the challenges and current programs and projects, especially focused on the locale we were in - the Punjab - which literally means five rivers. The Punjab is the main “bread basket” for Mother India.

Living Water For All

We learned about the effects of farming, the use of water from rain collection, reservoirs, canals, and groundwater, and the methods of repair and resilience in caring for the water and the land.

Naturally, in my few days before and after the conference, I went birding to the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary and the Okhla Bird Sanctuary both in and about Delhi.

Rooftop Room HIK Dargah

While in Delhi I was grateful to stay in a rooftop room at the Dargah of Hazrat Inayat Khan.

HIK Dargah

Murshid Syed Abu HashimShrine

For those of you who have been there, there have been some significant changes. What was Dr Farida’s apartment was dismantled and made into a shrine for Hazrat Inayat Khan’s teacher, Murshid Syed Abu Hashim Madani. Further there is a small shrine/tribute to Noorunisa Inayat Khan in the corner of Inayat's Dargah.

Dr Farida and Ghulum Rasool Dehlvi

Just after returning to the Dargah from Amritsar the sacred month of Ramadan (fasting during the daylight hours) began. First there were fireworks. Then in the middle of the night sirens would go off - every day - to wake us for breakfast before sunrise. When the time came to break the fast every evening another siren would go off. It was very special to share the first Iftar (breaking the fast) at the feet of the new shrine to Syed Abu Hashim Madani with Dr Farida, who has been managing the Dargah for likely 30 years and my mureed and Islamic scholar Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi.

Ramadan prayers HIK Dargah

In the past the Dargah of HIK has been called a “white man’s Dargah” as few people from the community would come and enjoy the peaceful presence of the place. A delightful change was to see likely 100 people from the community come for Ramadan evening prayers and Taraweeh - recitation of the Quran - every evening.

In the months ahead I will lead a Sufi Sesshin Retreat along with Murshida Darvesha and Sheikh Gayan at Lama Foundation June 28 - July 2. Mendocino Camp is also starting up again and I will join July 16 - 23. August 14-19 I will present at the Parliment of World Religions in Chicago and September 19-24, along with Murshid Allaudin, lead the Sufi Camp at the Southwest Sufi Community.

As Spring slowly unfolds in the Northern Hemisphere, for our next wazifa let us recite the trio of waziaf connected with creativity and manifesting beauty. Ya Khaliq, Ya Bari, Ya Musawwir.

Much love,
Shabda
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Text and Commentary to Study

This month we continue reading Hazrat Inayat Khan's Gatheka on Mental Purification with commentaries by Murshid Samuel Lewis and Murshid Moineddin Jablonski

Read and contemplate Chapters 2 & 3, pages 14-33.

Click here to download the document

Mental Purification Commentary

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Upcoming Events and Teachings

Sufi Retreat at Atlantida Ecovillage, Columbia April 2-9

Lama Sufi Sesshin June 28-July 2

Mendocino Sufi Camp July 16-23

Save the Date

Southwest Sufi Community Sufi Camp September 19-24

guided by Pir Shabda and Murshid Allaudin Ottinger

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Wazifa Practice

Recite 101x

YA KHALIQ ~ YA BARI' ~ YA MUSAWWIR

11. Ya Khaliq (yaa ḲḤAA-liḳ)

Al-Khaliq is the only one who creates. It is the active, dynamic source of creation, and the continuous activity of creation. There is no beginning to it and no end, nor any rest in the middle. Every moment reveals al-Khaliq in action, as well as the fruits of the action. A variation of al-Khaliq's root means to measure a piece of leather or any material and see that it is beautifully proportioned in design before cutting it and sewing the pieces together.

Prior to anything being made, al-Khaliq is the one who imagines all the possibilities. It is the innate disposition of God to imagine the universe. Metaphorically, it is like imagining all the possible letters that might be written with the ink in a bottle. Al-Khaliq is reflected in human beings, and as a consequence we have the innate ability to imagine the beloved.

12. Ya Bari' (yaa BAA-ri’)

Al-Bari' is the originator of individuation. Continuing with the metaphor of leatherworking mentioned above, al-Bari' would be the act of cutting out the individual pieces of the design that has been measured on the leather. While it is the beginning of individuation, nevertheless it still remains in the condition of creation before physical manifestation. Al-Bari' defines the realm called jabarut, where we find the origination of the divine Names. It is how they exist. They are still not manifested in physical form, but they are individuated as potentialities.

What God creates is well proportioned and in a manner free from inconsistencies, faults, blemishes, defects, and imperfection. The nature of al-Bari' is to make the universe like that. On a personal level, it can mean to free yourself from any unclean thing, to become free from guilt, and to become pure of soul. The healing aspect of al-Bari'-to remove or free oneself from disease-is also an important part of the meaning of this divine Name.

13. Ya Musawwir (yaa mu-ṢOW-wir)

Al-Musawwir is the one who continuously shapes the heart and continuously shapes all things. What it creates is not left for even a breath. This Name completes the creative activity described above with Ya Khaliq (11) and Ya Bari' (12). The individually cut out pieces of leather are now sewn together and made into a three-dimensional form.

Of these three Names of creation, al-Musawwir is the one that moves closest to material objects in the universe. But it doesn't yet fully manifest into the visible, sensible world, the world described by az-Zahir (74). Al-Musawwir continuously and increasingly goes toward that final manifestation. Nevertheless, the individuation process has been completed and the infinite is given a finite shape-in just the way, as it is said in the scriptures, that Adam is created in God's own image and likeness.

To hear the pronunciation: Ya Khaliq ~ Ya Bari' ~ Ya Musawwir

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PHOTOS

Pir Shabda, Ghulam Rassool, Dylan Smeder and Tahir Hussain at the Dargah of Bibi Fatima Sam