Dearest Family,
Thanksgiving - Gratitude - to all, especially those of us who celebrate the Holy Day. Blessings on all your family gatherings and blessings to all, with the feeling of deep gratitude for each of you and for our precious family and Lineage stream.
It seems appropriate to dedicate this note to our dear Murshid Wali Ali, who has transitioned out of this body.
What a treasure Murshid Wali Ali has been to our entire Sangha and the world and to me. From his dedicated service living with Murshid Sam and being his Esoteric Secretary to standing by and with Pir Moineddin in transmitting the treasury of guidance and teachings we received from Murshid Sam and the lineage, for being a guide to so many, and a friend to us all.
We first met in May-June1969 in Colorado Springs at Pir Vilayat’s first sufi camp in the US. There were about 35 people, 20 of whom were Murshid Sam’s mureeds. I had come from New York City, knowing in my heart that in July I would move into community with Baba Ram Dass in Franklin, New Hampshire.
By far the biggest feature of the Colorado camp was the introduction to the Dances of Universal Peace. As the camp came to a close, Wali Ali and another mureed of Murshid Sam's named Ayesha invited me to come to San Francisco to meet their teacher! I had time before my journey to Ram Dass and came to California, met Murshid and the dances under Murshid.
By October 1969, the New Hampshire experiment was complete and I was back in the Bay Area and becoming Murshid Sam’s mureed. After Murshid’s passing in January 1971, Wali Ali somehow was the anchor for San Francisco and I joined in support of Pir Moineddin as anchor in Marin County. Nearly all of the mureeds at the time lived that close.
I remember making one for the first journeys out of the Bay Area to Oregon with Wali Ali and Shirin to begin to share the treasures we received and were still receiving from Murshid Sam.
Wali Ali’s steadfastness in standing with and supporting Pir Moineddin was remarkable. And 30 years later when I was empowered to be the Pir, I felt the same steady support, friendship and guidance from my brother Wali Ali.