Sufism has come to mean a wide range of beliefs that center on the quest for personal enlightenment in the union with God. Sufis are sometimes described as the mystics of Islam, but Sufism fits uncomfortably in the categories of religions. Technically Sufism is a denomination of Islam, however there are many Sufis that are not Muslims and there are many Muslims that are unwilling to consider Sufism part of Islam. One of the few concepts that Sufis seem to agree on is that all religions offer a path to deliverance or enlightenment and that true God realization, no matter how it is achieved, transcends the boundaries and classification of any religion.
Basically, a saint in any religion is equal to a saint in any other religion because they are stirred by the same Divine source. Initially the term Sufi referred only to those who had achieved God realization, but it has since come to be practical to anyone who follows that particular spiritual path.
In the eighth century, a mystical sect of Islam began which combined the mystical traditions of the Greeks, Buddhists and Hindus with traditional Islamic faith. Concepts found in Sufism can be found in a great many near-death experiences too which have been reported. Sufism is known as "the Way of the Heart" and the "Way of the Pure." It is a means by which one can move from the lower level of self to rise to the Divine Light that penetrates the entire universe. This light concept is common to many other religions as well. According to Sufi tradition, there are many ways to rise, but the essence of the path to God is to find yourself. As the Sufi saying states, "Know yourself, know your Lord."
SPIRITUALITY- PATH OF ASCENSION
The aim of every spiritual teaching is to ultimately present a greatly accelerated path to the highest station that is the ascension. In reality the teaching towards the path of ascension is a occurrence and largely based on guided imagery teachings. Ascension is the main aim and attainment of the spiritual path which means that we are no longer in need of experiences at the human level. For our lasting progress towards higher levels of consciousness we develop a spiritual light body through our ascension work. Presently ascension teachings focus mainly on guided imagery to open, balance and widen the chakra system and assemble a light body.
A key feature of the path is a process of initiations (stations/ makaam) as a measure of progress on the spiritual path. These initiations are to take place in our higher energy bodies and may or may not be remembered with our normal body consciousness. While there are some variations, the basic requirements for passing the five initiations before ascension may be described as follows.
Spiritual Awakening.
Purifying the body (learn to work with the energies and control the etheric body).
Purifying and controlling the emotions (developing a higher emotional body).
Purifying and controlling the mind (develop a higher mental body).
Submitting the will to Divine Guidance.
Selfless work for the greater good of humanity.
Ascension.
INITIATION
An initiation in the physical body takes place in the form of tests and rituals or they appear to be incorporated as special situations in our normal life. The third initiation requires us to have good control of the mental, emotional and etheric forces. A difficult situation or nearly a impossible mission may have been given to one. To overcome this without much outside help, one needs to use the mind constructively to guide the emotions in a positive way, release all negativity, especially be free of the fear of death and also learn to direct the life-force energies. While for most of those who make progress from the conditions reportedly will have profound spiritual experiences.
ASCENSION AND THE MYSTICAL PATH
The relationships of the various initiations as stated above in the mystical path are all correlated. Opening with the spiritual awakening, the first three initiations are related to the period of purification. In contrast to the yoga system of purification, which concentrates strongly on controlling the life force energies, the mystical path does not address the life-force body directly. However, this level is purified indirectly by removing emotional energy blockages and by learning to control the emotional energies, which in turn direct the life-force energies. Thus Illumination is the first major initiation and is the result of purifying and learning to control the mind and developing a higher mental body as the requirement for the third initiation. The fourth initiation will be passed after waking from the dark night of the soul and the fifth initiation is the result of the unitive life.
Here the ascension teachings portray largely a magical or go-getter path in contrast to the knower-based mystical path. A combination of both may in some ways be easier to follow than either one of them on its own. The harshness of the mystical path can be to a great extent eased and progress speeded up by following the guided imagery, while present day’s teachings seem to neglect the purification and control of the emotional and mental bodies that feature so importantly in the mystical path.
AN INTEGRATED SPIRITUAL PATH
Travellers on the spiritual path have very little help and guidance on spiritual pathways and have to be extremely careful with wrong guidance which will simply lead ones path alone in the darkness of ignorance.
What formerly could only be expressed as beyond your understanding mysticism can now be understood if guided rightly. If the right guidance and understanding is given than this makes it much easier for us to come to the stage of illumination instead of being bogged down for years in emotional misery, which is the case for most mystics.
In the following, I want to give some helpful information on the various stages of the spiritual path and on the different mechanism and tools that you may incorporate into your individualised approach. The path of yoga, Meditation, working with energies, healing the emotions and the mind and so on which can help one to develop the ability to discern and know what is right for you. You can do this by keeping your highest goal in mind and asking your inner or higher guidance for help.
BE CAUTIOUS of getting sidetracked by psychic abilities or happenings. Developing psychic abilities can be interesting, but is no more spiritual than material, emotional or mental activities. However, psychic activities can be more deceptive than other activities. Most psychic happenings take place on the astral level. Spirit entities operating on this level commonly are less spiritually developed than someone on the spiritual path and often give misleading or mischievous information. They also love to imitate or pretend being a high spiritual entity or even God.
Certain sects and cults commonly have astral counterparts (Jinn’s) that nourish on the devotion of their followers and try to tempt possible solutions or money making gimmicks. But these astral entities are more dangerous because they are usually hidden from our awareness and their intentions and methods may not be clean. I would advise one to be wary of visions and voices as these commonly come from a lower level and tend to lead the spiritual seeker off track. They will disappear when moving the consciousness higher into more spiritual regions. The only thing that protects us from being used or misled by lower spirits is the purity of our consciousness.
AWAKENINGS
Do not worry wondering whether you already had a spiritual awakening and are now on the spiritual path or not. Just continue keeping your goal in mind, you will quite naturally be attracted to what is important and right for you.
While in the beginning it is helpful and necessary to read quite a bit from different sources, later it is better to read as little as possible. By continuing to read a lot you remain at the intellectual level and that hinders the development of intuitive abilities. Instead keep the subject in mind about the information, ask your guidance for help and trust that the right book will fall into your hands when needed. Even then, you may not need to read the whole book but quickly find what is important for you.
One of the deviations on the spiritual path are the many books available. If you do not control yourself, you can easily become addicted to reading and spend the rest of your life reading interesting books on spiritual and related matters instead of really doing what needs to be done. Therefore, move quickly through the information phase and start the real work. Whenever you really need additional information, your spiritual guidance is likely to let you unexpectedly find it.
If you are a practising member of a religious denomination, you do not need to be concerned that the spiritual path may be incompatible with your religious beliefs. Instead, you may expect that it will increase your faith. If you discover a contradiction or incompatibility here or there, put it on the sill for the time being. Remember, the spiritual path does not have any doctrines. Any writings about it are personal opinions that you do not need to accept. On the contrary, walking the spiritual path means finding your own insights and personal relationship with God.
PURIFICATION OR CLEANSING
The purification period does not need to be a time of misery and suffering as it has been for the mystics. Instead, it can be a time of adventure and discovery. The greatest adventure is to discover yourself. By removing biological, emotional and mental blockages, you will become healthier and happier. The main fun of the spiritual path is the whole long and interesting journey of getting there.
In addition to purifying, we also aim to strengthen and balance each level to achieve an overall inner as well as outer harmony. We may say that we move to sanitise and spiritualise all aspects of our Self.
THE BIOLOGICAL LEVEL
While many great spiritual teachers have not placed much emphasis on the body, they however purified it just as a part of their spiritual quest. A 40-day fast towards the path is recommended in the biological level.
Furthermore, we have to work hard on purifying our bodies to get to the point where every spiritual seeker started. Therefore, it has advantages for the later work on the higher levels if we start with sanitising the biological level. For this I recommend:
The Basic Cleanse. This may be repeated from time to time.
Adopt a predominantly raw-food diet with plenty of fresh green.
Regular outdoors activity, yoga, stretching, shaking, walking and swimming.
Sanitise your teeth, bedroom and workplace (Cleansing of your chakras).
THE LIFE FORCE ENERGY LEVEL
The main feature of the life force energy level is the etheric body, the life force part of the chakra system. This level determines the basic health of our body and how energetic we are. This is the energy of healing and manifestation.
In order to manifest something, we need to do energy imagery. This is the basis and the principle of all genuine magic. An important part of our work at the etheric level is learning how to accumulate and direct life force energy.
The most important principal to understand is that energy follows thought. Therefore, they require the assistance of the emotional or feeling level, which is sandwiched between the two. For learning to accumulate and direct energies I recommend that you practise the method so that you are able to feel the energy flows, you may also try using them in healing and other manifestations.
If you are so inclined, you may in addition also acquire and use any of the various guided ascension and chakra meditations process.
THE EMOTIONAL LEVEL
For most travellers this will be the most difficult and possibly painful level to cleanse but it will also be the most rewarding.
The important steps in healing our emotions are:
Removing emotional blockages and traumatic body memories.
Overcoming addictions and cravings.
Learning to freely feel and express our emotions without hurting others.
Using meditation and guided imagery to develop a higher emotional body by surrounding ourselves with positive and uplifting feelings and emotions.
Using suitable beliefs and mental awareness to react positively to daily events.
1. Emotional Cleansing
Especially emotional release, past life regression, regression therapy and the Emotional Freedom process.
Whatever the method, when an emotional event from the past is made conscious, it either ceases its damaging effects on its own or can now be dealt with in a rational way.
Some of the main hidden emotions that we need to uncover and release are fear, guilt and resentments. These block the flow of life-force energies and make us vulnerable to lack of energy, diseases and aging. The main remedies, after making a suppressed emotional memory conscious, are unconditional love, understanding and forgiving ourselves and all others.
On this level you do not need to clean out all hidden negative emotional memories that would probably be impossible. However, you should aim to uncover and remove all those factors that interfere strongly with the flow of life-force energies in your body, with your emotional health, enjoyment of life and also with your ability to make clear and neutral decisions.
The most important emotional event to discover and release is commonly our last death experience. This often is at the root of our present health or social problems. To discover and overcome this try regression therapy.
2. Overcoming Addictions and Cravings
For many, overcoming their addictions and cravings may seem to be the hardest task of the spiritual path. This can be best overcome with the Emotional Freedom method, guided imagery, prayer, affirmation and cleansing periods with a very high fluid intake.
In addition, we may also be addicted to or have cravings for certain activities or objects, such as sex, gambling, entertainment, expensive dresses, jewellery or antiques. Again, the activity or object is not the problem, but rather the attachment to it, the desire for it that controls us rather than we controlling it. The most important step is in acknowledging that we have a problem in this area.
3. Free-flowing Emotions
Freely expressing our emotions is the first step in learning to feel our emotions when they arise instead of suppressing them. However, it is preferable to develop the skills to react appropriately whenever the situation arises because then we can also be an example to others.
Marriages and other close relationships are ideal opportunities to learn communicating. If free expression is not always possible, then arrange a fixed time when you can freely express your thoughts and feelings. It is important that only one speaks without interruption until he has said everything he wants to say and then the other replies also without interruption.
4. Generating Positive Feelings
After emptying ourselves of negativity and learning to acknowledge and express our feelings and emotions, it is equally important to fill and surround ourselves with positive and uplifting feelings. Ideally this will come as a obvious result of habitual meditation and through focusing on spiritual feelings during our daily activities.
In addition, it will be beneficial to send feelings of forgiveness, appreciation and love to anyone whom you may have hurt or who may have hurt you in the past.
Finally, learn to carry the loving feeling that you can now generate in special situations over into your normal daily activities. You can do this by training yourself to carry this loving or joyful feeling in your heart wherever you go or whatever you do. Whenever you see or meet someone, you can embrace that individual with the warm feeling in your heart. This is especially important and effective for improving relationships with people who do not seem to like or appreciate you.
5. Reacting Positively
After learning to remain centred in the self-generated positive feelings of our heart, we still need to learn to react positively and appropriately to the many frustrations of our daily lives. This can come only by letting ourselves be guided by a spiritual belief system. After adopting a spiritual philosophy of life it will be much easier to see everything that happens to us as a test of our progress on the spiritual path.
Every day we have many little tests. It is alright to feel a burst of anger or just look for an inner or outer reason why it happened. It does not matter too much how we react, as long as it is appropriate. If we do feel a burst of anger, then it is appropriate to feel it and not try to rationalise it away. But after having felt the anger, we should not remain stuck in it but use our mind to get out of it. However, it would not be appropriate to suppress any stirring of anger.
The basic rule is to feel and express whatever emotion comes up, but then to modify it according to our understanding of the situation from a spiritual point of view. Our emotional reactions are a reflection of our beliefs and the more spiritual these become, the more positive will be our reactions. The ideal is that we can express our feelings naturally in a way that is a positive example.
THE MENTAL LEVEL
Our mind is the most important level to heal because here we make the conscious decisions that affect all other levels. As with the other levels, our aim is to free ourselves of negativity and developing positive aspects instead. A well developed higher mental body is a precondition for the third initiation. We build this higher mental body by practising abstract creative and intuitive thinking such as by thinking about the purpose of life or existence or the nature of God.
In order to free yourself of negative beliefs and thoughts, you must first recognise them when they occur. As an example, you may watch someone passing by and having a critical thought about her, mentally apologise to her and just wish her well. It is alright to observe, just refrain from uninvited judgments, especially of a negative kind.
Another important aspect in controlling our mind is to refrain from talking about other people, especially about common friends, relatives or acquaintances. This leads to gossiping, judging or criticising and would delay progress on the spiritual path.
THE LAW OF MANIFESTATION
Any kind of worry is negative, whether you worry about your finances or your health or about a child or someone else. Worry or concern is a form of fear and that is the opposite of positive expectations and faith. To a large degree we shape our own future by what we expect. Our inner self tries to manifest what we expect. Our expectation acts like a magnet to attract and draw the expected event into our outer reality. If we worry about anything, we expect a negative outcome and help to make it come true.
Therefore, our key lesson to learn at the mental level is to know what we want and then without wavering expect it to manifest sometime in the future. Except where timing is essential, it is best not set a definite time limit. If we want to use magic to help our expectation to manifest, we can use energy imagery. The critical factor then is our unwavering faith until the expected event appears.
This brings us to the next important step, to know what to manifest. It is said that we should be very careful with our wishes because they might come true. That means that we are usually ignorant about the hidden implications of a fulfilled desire. Often there is a spiritual or karmic price to pay. We may delay our spiritual progress or even take on a karmic burden of another individual whom we try to help. We may still have certain karmic obligations to fulfil in this lifetime and it would be damaging to our spiritual progress trying to delay or avoid their consequences.
Often an incarnation with the specific purpose to reach ascension in this lifetime starts already with a severe handicap and is intentionally filled with difficult and possibly tragic karmic events. These tests need to be passed before reaching the high goal. The greater the handicaps, the greater the victory if we are able to overcome them. When we are progressing on the spiritual path bad things do not just happen to us by accident. Therefore, we really do not need to worry; whatever happens to us is good in that it helps us to reach our goal.
Every unfavourable event, whether karmic or not, gives us a chance to proof ourselves. We need to pass tests on every step of the way to make sure that we have learned our lesson; otherwise the lesson has to be repeated over and over again. To come close to such a worthy goal as illumination or ascension, we must be able to pass the lion test in one form or another.
What all this means is that it is not advisable on the spiritual path to use magic power, lightly to avoid obstacles and make ourselves an easy life. If we are successful, we may just have evaded a test and will have to wait for another test to be arranged. Another way of saying this is to go with the flow of your life and do the best you can, rather than always trying to make things happen according to a preconceived plan.
PURE INTENTION
Another thing to watch out for is the motive for our actions. While it is important that we try to do the right thing, it is even more important that we have a pure motive. Being pure at heart means having pure motives. However with all this focus on purity and doing the right thing, it is easy to fall into the old habit of suppressing what we perceive to be negative within us rather than transmuting and overcoming it. Suppressing creates new blockages and brings us back where we started. Rather we have to acknowledge and integrate all parts of our personality into a single conscious unit. Only when we are fully conscious of our negative parts can we successfully transform them.
SPIRITUAL MASTER
If you habitually act like a spiritual master, then you are a spiritual master. Never mind a few mistakes or wrong decisions. Nothing better than our own mistakes to learn from. You still have many years ahead of you to learn doing the right thing most of the time.
In fact, when you have reached a level where your motives are basically unselfish, then you do not need to be too concerned about making the right decision. Just trust your intuition or inner guidance. Whatever you choose will usually be right. Right and wrong only disappear if you look at life or your path as a fascinating adventure and do not mind what it brings you, if you are not attached to outcomes.
MIND TOOLS
Prayers, meditation, studying Holy Scriptures, visualisation or guided imagery are commonly used. All of these are very useful. In addition regression therapy, relaxation, affirmations and centring.
A good way to remain centred is to use a silent mantra or Zikr.
THE SCIENCE OF SPIRITUALITY
One of the main aspects of the spiritual path is the development of a higher mental body or the capacity for abstract, creative and intuitive thinking. This is the tool for opening and developing the forehead chakra and may be seen as a precondition for the third initiation or illumination.
Remember, the real purpose is not to gain any knowledge or to make a judgement about believing or not believing the theory, instead it is all about developing your own ability of abstract creative and intuitive thinking in order to develop a higher mental body.
SELF-SACRIFICING SERVICE
Selfless service is the practical expression of our spiritual consciousness. Working as a healer, or writing a self-help book, or working as a carer for a disabled person, or giving money to charities may either be done out of compassion to help others. There is nothing wrong with helping others and at the same time not expecting to receive a benefit for oneself. The purer our motive, the more we act out of a feeling of universal love or compassion rather than for personal gain and the more is it an expression of genuine spiritual consciousness.
OUTLOOK
We know that we make good progress on the spiritual path if in our daily life and especially in difficult situations we display more and more the spiritual qualities of compassion, devotion, faith, forgiveness, harmony, high ideals, joy, kindness, openness, patience, self-responsibility, serenity, tolerance, unconditional love, understanding, wisdom and a gentle love for All That Is.
Another way of assessing our progress is by how well we are able to unite the male and the female characteristics within our personality and manifesting each characteristic as the situation requires. Are we able to be a good leader as well as a good follower, a master as well as a servant? Can we display the male characteristics of boldness, fierceness and power as well as the female qualities of gentleness, kindness and yielding? Do we know how to be strong in our beliefs but also open to change?
The illumination experience is an act of grace, a gift of your spirit that will come when you least expect it. Waiting for it is a sure way of postponing it because patience is one of the early virtues we have to learn.
The same applies to ascension for which one has to work hard by doing plenty of meditation. The opening of the heart chakra to universal love and a life of service to overcome suffering is the real ascension work.
You do not need to actively look for good deeds to do or for your future field of loving selfless service. Just continue doing whatever needs to be done at each moment and especially continue purifying yourself at deeper and deeper levels. At the right time your mission will be revealed to you. By now you become increasingly competent to handle anything life throws at you or to play any role that you choose or are obliged to play.
Looking back on the path that you travelled so diligently, you may ask yourself "What Path?" and wonder if there ever was a path or only a figment of your imagination. In reality there was nowhere to go and nothing to do to get there. All you did was to change your perception and your attitude. You know now that you are a great spirit having a temporary experience in a body. Nothing really changes by gaining or losing a body. As a spirit you can always choose to be joyful or sad, peaceful or loving or anything else you want to be. That is spiritual mastership.
Note: Any writings are personal opinions that you do not need to accept. On the contrary, walking the spiritual path means finding your own insights and personal relationship with God.
Gulshaa Begum
Chairperson
Divine Abode
International Sufi Festival India
Website: www.isfiajmer.com
News & Updates:
ISFI 2012
Divine Abode
Al Ikhlas Gallery
Sufi Music Concert 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Dhikr and Love
The Sufi follows the path toward God mainly by means of love. In contrast, one who is not in love with God to this degree will not see what is so awesome about existence. Hence, by remembering God's forgotten reality and beauty, Sufis reawaken the flame of their love for God. It is remembrance that makes the heart grow fonder. In a nutshell, this is the relationship between dhikr and love.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Gossip, Backbiting, Complaining, Slandering
In the Holy Quran, the ability to speak and communicate is regarded as one of the greatest blessings that God has given to mankind. Through this ability, people express their views, beliefs, ideas, and thoughts. People can employ this God-given power of speech anyway they wish; they can do it thoughtfully, knowledgably, and with faithful care, or under the cloud of heedlessness, guided by selfish desires and Satanic temptations. Unfortunately, most people today pick the later one, becoming unmindful of what they say and do. For example, there is hardly a single meeting somewhere that goes by without some sort of gossip, backbiting, complaining, or slandering. This sinful and profitless behavior has become so widespread that most people accept it as normal and socially tolerable (of course, so long as they themselves are not mocked or criticized). Moreover, and on the contrary, people who posses this disease maintain that this sort of behavior is harmless, somehow adding to the color of life: they believe it "good entertainment." However, God warns in the Holy Quran about the incorrectness of this kind of behavior, labeling it as abhorrent as "a person eating the flesh of his dead brother." Therefore, anytime a person forgets or lowers his/her guard and falters into heedlessness, Satan right away senses the situation and drives the person to speak meaninglessly as much as possible, with no aim other than to cause harm and injury to others. Satan's wish being to fill the person's record with shameful acts, resulting in great despair and torment in the hereafter.
For this reason, and as a remedy to this great disease of heedlessness, in this month's Soul Booster, Mawlana Faizani focuses our attention on the only way to find salvation from this abhorrent behavior: he calls us back to the remembrance (Zikr / Zikir) of Allah using our tongues and hearts. By praising God's most beautiful names at all times and in all situations, He empowers us to find and adopt the type of speech and style of behavior most pleasing to God and hence perfectly suited to the situation in which we find ourselves.
The Solution: Putting one's tongue to proper use
Feeling excessive temptations in the heart is an indication of Satan's domination over a person's inner and is a major cause of the breakdown in a person's reasoning and thinking abilities. The resulting instability of such a breakdown paves the way for the person to react more offensively and vengefully. While overcome by such instability, a person engages in vile behaviors, without first taking into account the consequences and outcomes of their words and actions. Because according to Islamic philosophy, the heart is the initial source for decision-making, logically it follows that in the long-term the necessary and wisest route is to busy oneself in purifying, fortifying, and making sound this critical spiritual element (i.e., the heart). By healing the heart, a person thereby permanently eliminates the chances of this organ's misuse by Satan, who since the beginning has been plummeting humanity into the pits of harmful, inhumane, and frequently destructive behaviors.
Though one way to stay away from gossip, meaningless talk, backbiting, and slandering is to remain silent and speak only during matters of importance, the more effective way is to engage our God-given tongue, a powerful and beneficial appendage, in the remembrance (Dhikr) of Allah. The human tongue is a great blessing from Allah and if used properly can be a means to attaining great spiritual benefits and heights in paradise. To misuse the tongue for meaningless talk and to destroy virtues is a great loss indeed. Through countless Hadith and in the verses of the Qur'an, humanity is shown the way on how to defend and safeguard themselves against egoistic desires and Satanic temptations. For example, the Qur'an informs us with the following:
"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of God: for without doubt, in the remembrance of God do hearts find satisfaction."
This verse clearly reveals that if a person were to engage his/her tongue in the remembrance (Dhikr) of Allah by mentioning His glorious names, the resulting light and blessings that emanates therefrom will bring peace and satisfaction to his/her heart, safeguarding the person against doing any type of prohibited action, and removing from within the excessive Satanic temptations and abundance of unwarranted egoistic desires and longings. Furthermore, the remembrance (Dhikr) of Allah enhances the person's spiritual perception and enables him/her to perceive Almighty Allah as Present, Observant, All-Knowing, All-Hearing, Exalted and Absolute in His infinite names and in His attributes. One perceives Him everywhere: in the hidden and in the open, in public and in private. If through the remembrance of Allah a person obtains this certainty about Almighty Allah's Greatness and Presence in both his mind and heart to the extent mentioned above, then that person will undoubtedly find the strength to abstain from all egoistic behaviors and other evil temptations. That person achieves a life of greater purpose, greater understanding, greater virtue, and greater joy; that person becomes conducive to the benefit of one and all!
— by Mawlana Faizani
from the book, Daleelul Zakireen or Reasonings for those Remembering
Monday, November 14, 2011
Art & Photography Festival in Ajmer
The Al Ikhlas Gallery, The Movement of the Triangle was inaugurated by
Mr Rajesh Meena, SP Ajmer during the International Sufi Festival India
2011 which was held in Ajmer on the 21-27th Oct 2011. The gallery held the 7 day Art & Photography exhibition displaying
Digital Paintings by Michael Templin, Germany, Sacred Art by Gulshaa
Begum, Mughal Paintings by Vijay Singh Chauhan, Mandana with
Calligraphy by Sanjay Sethi and Mystical Photography by Deepak Sharma.
The other artist who participated was Meenakshi Mangal, Chandni Jain
and Alka Sharma by a display of Mandana and Rajasthani Folk Art. Many dignitaries attended the 7 day exhibition. The display of Islamic
Calligraphy and Sufi Art was also a part of the most talked about
exhibition in Ajmer. The main highlight of the gallery is its sequence
of the mystical sacred art which is one of the rare arts ever in the
history of the world. The Ikhlas collection, therefore, is an important historical as well
as sequential time-line of the entire movement of sacred art in the
country. As one of the largest such repositories of Sacred art
anywhere in the world, it is one of the most significant links for
anyone with an interest in Sacred art – whether art-lovers,
collectors, academicians, scholars, researchers.
Sacred Art is a reflection of the deep hidden Divine Design of
universe. It is by nature a reflection of light, order, beauty,
mystery, meaning, cohesiveness, oneness, and natural, joyful wonder.
To the extent that we have the inner Eye of wisdom to see, the art
becomes a lens through which we know ever more clearly, aspects of
divinity, within and without. – says Gulshaa Begum
At its very beginning, the Ikhlas motto was to establish a museum of
the sacred art .Entire collections of the sacred art of the mystic is
compiled, restored, archived and made available for global spectators.
As a result, the extensive list is recognized for its quality of
artworks. Extensive exhibition – part of its ongoing efforts on shedding new
light on, of course, the well-established artists and their genres,
but also on the lesser-known but equally talented painters and
sculptors – is a measure of the seriousness of Ihklas’s effort of
concentrating not just on the names of Indian artists familiar to all
art-lovers, but also those artists who deserve their space on the same
platform providing the perfect stage to revive the ancient culture of
Sufi art in the country. This meant re-discovering the great artists
of the century, many with proven track records who had been allowed to
descend into anonymity.
Al Ikhlas Art Gallery will be committed in bringing together the most
determining works of artists from all over the world, all of whom are
represented at Al Ikhlas, to their associates, the important and
diverse schools and groups spread throughout India, to artists of more
recent vintage with their own, established track records.
Al Ikhlas Art Gallery, unlike most others, owns more than 500 objects
in its entire, exhaustive collection. It is, simply, the most
important institution for 20th century sacred art not just in India
but around the world. For regular updates on events and festivals follow
www.sufipaintings.blogspot.com or visit our website
www.sufipaintings.com
To participate or visit write to sufipaintings@gmail.com
Mr Rajesh Meena, SP Ajmer during the International Sufi Festival India
2011 which was held in Ajmer on the 21-27th Oct 2011. The gallery held the 7 day Art & Photography exhibition displaying
Digital Paintings by Michael Templin, Germany, Sacred Art by Gulshaa
Begum, Mughal Paintings by Vijay Singh Chauhan, Mandana with
Calligraphy by Sanjay Sethi and Mystical Photography by Deepak Sharma.
The other artist who participated was Meenakshi Mangal, Chandni Jain
and Alka Sharma by a display of Mandana and Rajasthani Folk Art. Many dignitaries attended the 7 day exhibition. The display of Islamic
Calligraphy and Sufi Art was also a part of the most talked about
exhibition in Ajmer. The main highlight of the gallery is its sequence
of the mystical sacred art which is one of the rare arts ever in the
history of the world. The Ikhlas collection, therefore, is an important historical as well
as sequential time-line of the entire movement of sacred art in the
country. As one of the largest such repositories of Sacred art
anywhere in the world, it is one of the most significant links for
anyone with an interest in Sacred art – whether art-lovers,
collectors, academicians, scholars, researchers.
Sacred Art is a reflection of the deep hidden Divine Design of
universe. It is by nature a reflection of light, order, beauty,
mystery, meaning, cohesiveness, oneness, and natural, joyful wonder.
To the extent that we have the inner Eye of wisdom to see, the art
becomes a lens through which we know ever more clearly, aspects of
divinity, within and without. – says Gulshaa Begum
At its very beginning, the Ikhlas motto was to establish a museum of
the sacred art .Entire collections of the sacred art of the mystic is
compiled, restored, archived and made available for global spectators.
As a result, the extensive list is recognized for its quality of
artworks. Extensive exhibition – part of its ongoing efforts on shedding new
light on, of course, the well-established artists and their genres,
but also on the lesser-known but equally talented painters and
sculptors – is a measure of the seriousness of Ihklas’s effort of
concentrating not just on the names of Indian artists familiar to all
art-lovers, but also those artists who deserve their space on the same
platform providing the perfect stage to revive the ancient culture of
Sufi art in the country. This meant re-discovering the great artists
of the century, many with proven track records who had been allowed to
descend into anonymity.
Al Ikhlas Art Gallery will be committed in bringing together the most
determining works of artists from all over the world, all of whom are
represented at Al Ikhlas, to their associates, the important and
diverse schools and groups spread throughout India, to artists of more
recent vintage with their own, established track records.
Al Ikhlas Art Gallery, unlike most others, owns more than 500 objects
in its entire, exhaustive collection. It is, simply, the most
important institution for 20th century sacred art not just in India
but around the world. For regular updates on events and festivals follow
www.sufipaintings.blogspot.com or visit our website
www.sufipaintings.com
To participate or visit write to sufipaintings@gmail.com
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Nizamuddin Aulia
Nizamuddin Dargah is the dargah (mausoleum) of one of the world's most famous Sufi saints, Nizamuddin Auliya. Situated in the Nizamuddin West area of Delhi, the dargah is visited by thousands of Muslims every week, and sees a fair share of Hindus, Christians and people from other religions. The tombs of Amir Khusro and Jehan Ara Begum are also located within the Nizamuddin Dargah complex, and Inayat Khan's tomb is just around the corner
Sultan-ul-Mashaikh, Mehboob-e-Ilahi, Hazrat Shaikh Khwaja Syed Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya (1238 - 3 April 1325) , also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, was a famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in the Indian Subcontinent, an order that believed in drawing close to God through renunciation of the world and service to humanity. His predecessors were Hazrath Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Bakhtiyar Kaki and Fariduddin Ganjshakar. In that sequence, they constitute the initial spiritual chain or silsila of the Chisti order, which is widely prevalent in India and Pakistan. Nizamuddin Auliya, like his predecessors, stressed upon the element of love as a means of realisation of God. For him his love of God implied a love of humanity. His vision of the world was marked by a highly evolved sense of secularity and kindness. It is claimed by the 14th century historiographer Ziauddin Barani that his influence on the Muslims of Delhi was such that a paradigm shift was effected in their outlook towards worldly matters. People began to be inclined towards mysticism and prayers and remaining aloof from the world Nizamuddin Auliya, had more than 600 disciples who were further allowed to have disciples under them so as to spread the message of love and humanity to as much as possible! It was Nizamuddin’s heightened sense of equality and humanity that made people inclined towards mysticism of Sufism . The place where he lived for more than six decades is now a shrine and is visited by people from diverse background all year long. Early Life
Nizamuddin Aulia was born to in 1238 AD in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh (east of Delhi). When Nizamuddin was a little boy of five, his father passed away and his mother brought him to a school where he learned to recite the holy Quran. In a short time, he achieved quite a mastery over it. By the age of twelve, Nizamuddin had studied Arabic grammar, traditions of Prophet Mohammad, and had become distinguished in the commentary of Quran, Islamic jurisprudence, mathematics and astronomy. His sharp wittedness and understanding had earned him the title of a Debater. It was during the eighteenth year of Nizamuddin that he travelled from Badayun to Delhi. Accompanied by a firm believer of Bada Farid’s teachings, Musamma Ayuz, who said nothing but praises for him; Nizamuddin’s faith in Baba Farid began to reach new heights. Career
In the year 1257, Nizamuddin went to Ajodhan (present Pakpattan Sharif in Pakistan) and became a disciple of Sufi saint Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakkar, commonly known as Baba Farid. He lived in the company of Baba Farid, who had now become his spiritual guide, for seven months and a few days before returning to Delhi where he ascended the throne of Khilafat-e-piran-e-Chisht or the Caliph of the Chishti Sheikhs. After residing for a few days in Delhi, Nizamuddin felt that he needed to move away from the crowd and thought of withdrawing himself to the desert. It was then that he received a revelation that he should take up a residence in a village outside the city, Ghiyaspur. It turned out to be perfect place untouched by the noise and chaos of the city life. Thus, he built his Khanqah, and lived there for more than sixty years without changing his residence. The Khanqah is visited by many people till date. Nasiruddin Chiragh Delhavi, spiritual successor of Nizamuddin Aulia; Amir Khusro, the most loved disciple of his master; Aqi Seraj, Burhanuddin Gharib, Jalaluddin Bhandari, Syed Mahmood Kashkinakar, Ajan Fakir, and Syed Ahmed Badepaa were the few disciples that reached spiritual heights among the 600 that Nizamuddin had. Key Beliefs
As opposed to the belief that merger with God is possible only after death, Nizamuddin believed in embracing God within this life by cleansing the soul and destroying the ego and that it was possible though considerable efforts involving Sufi practices. He did not much bother about the theoretical aspects of Sufism but focused on practical aspects like having complete trust in God, turning away from distinctions made on the basis of social and religious status, being generous to the needy and oppressed, and holding an uncompromising attitude towards all form of social and political oppressions. Death
It was on 3rd April 1325 that Nizamuddin died because of a four months long illness and was buried in Ghiyaspur itself. His shrine, the Nizamuddin Dergah is located in Delhi and the present structure that stands over it was built in 1562. The place is visited by people from all faiths through the year.
References :www.iloveindia.com, http://en.wikipedia.org
Sunday, September 11, 2011
By living the dream, you transform the world.
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate irrelevant reality, an inner
path enabling a person to discover the core of his/her being; or the
“deepest values and meanings by which people live. Spiritual practices
are intended to develop an individual's inner life; spiritual
experience includes a association of a larger authenticity, yielding a
more complete self; with other individuals or the human community;
with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm. It is a source of
inspiration or orientation in life. It can include belief in
immaterial realities or experiences of the transcendent nature of the
world. The path of spirituality leads to Self Realization Self-Realization – is nothing but the consciousness of our complete
&inseparable union with God, which also means that the ego-self has
come to identify itself so evidently, & sensibly that it is no longer
run by the Shadow. When one is in the Illumined State there ceases to
be any more inner or outer excitement. The personal ego-self has
surrendered fully & willingly into the loving grip of the Soul
Illuminated souls are the being who has become Self-Realized and
serves humanity; a being who has raised his/her vibration to a
continuous occurrence of light. These self realized souls/ beings are the great Spiritual Masters who
come and go at will from the earth plane without the Birth//Death
cycle. These spiritual Masters have worked with mankind throughout the
centuries. Historically, Jesus, Prophet Mohammed ( s.a.a.w), Gandhi,
Martin Luther King and countless others have realized the suffering
that greed and domination inflict on the world. They have responded
courageously. Through their words and deeds, they have challenged and
dismantled influential, rigid systems by presenting - and living - a
different worldview. By living the dream, you transform the world. Most significantly, we must share our love and spirituality freely,
even in public. The reality is this: society is dying from the lack of
love and strength, not the lack of possessions or money. Money isn't
life. We can breathe life back into our societies by expressing love —
allowing the soul to shine through us — in as many relationships as
possible. In short, we can support Social progress by raising
awareness about the damage that our financial and marketing
institutions are causing; create and support evolutionary models and
structures; and surpass our fear of "being different" and love
fearlessly. The reason we feel "different" is because so many others
like us are afraid to express that characteristic in public. If
everyone who felt this way expressed it freely, we would see that we
are not so different: the media culture has convinced many that our
nature is something other than it is. In reality, those whose hearts
are sedated are different.
However apart from these Sufi Masters there are few other illuminated
being who have contributed to the cause of Humanity : Syedina Ghous-ul-Azam is not only known as the greatest of all
helpers, but was also a great preacher, a great educationalist, a
great moralist and a great doctor of Muslim law. He was the glory of
the learned and the light of Islam; the Spokesman of theologians, the
Interpreter of men of spiritual knowledge, the unique Leader of
Leaders; the Leader of nations; the Chief of the chiefs; the Succourer
of men and the Jinn; the Reviver of Religion; possessed of very high
and perfect spiritual knowledge; and hailed as the Honour of Religion Rumi a 13th-century Persian Muslim poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi
mystic. taught about the science of Islamic spirituality, of which the
best known form remains the Sufi tradition in which a spiritual
master or Pir transmits spiritual discipline to students. The general
theme of Rumi's thought, like that of other mystic and Sufi poets of
Persian literature, is essentially that of the concept of tawhīd –
union with his beloved (the primal root) from which/whom he has been
cut off and become aloof – and his longing and desire to restore it.
Rumi also believed passionately in the use of music, poetry and dance
as a path for reaching God. For Rumi, music helped devotees to focus
their whole being on the divine and to do this so intensely that the
soul was both destroyed and resurrected. It was from these ideas that
the practice of whirling dervishes developed into a ritual form. His
teachings became the base for the order of the Mevlevi which his son
Sultan Walad organized. Rumi encouraged Sama, listening to music and
turning or doing the sacred dance. In the Mevlevi tradition, samāʿ
represents a mystical journey of spiritual ascent through mind and
love to the Perfect One. In this journey, the seeker symbolically
turns towards the truth, grows through love, abandons the ego, finds
the truth and arrives at the Perfect. The seeker then returns from
this spiritual journey, with greater maturity, to love and to be of
service to the whole of creation without discrimination with regard to
beliefs, races, classes and nations. Khwaja Shamsuddin Muhammad Hafez-e-Shirazi (1325/1326 – 1389/1390),
was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of
Persian poetry (Divan) are to be found in the homes of most Iranians,
who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to
this day. His life and poems have been the subject of much analysis,
commentary and interpretation, influencing post-Fourteenth Century
Persian writing more than any other author. Gautama Buddha was one of the great enlightened ones. He taught
detachment and the middle way. The Buddha represents the wisdom
energy. Ascended 2500 years ago, Buddha "gave it all up" to find
meaning in life and the reason why some suffered so much. It was
during a meditation under the Bodhi Tree that he received
Enlightenment. Buddhism was formed out of his Teachings. Lord Krishna incarnated 5000 years ago as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Born as a cowherd boy, Krishna displayed his perfect divinity
with the all attractive features of wealth, power, fame, beauty,
wisdom and detachment. He was a slayer of demonic tyrants and
enchanted all with the music of his flute. Krishna is believed by some
to have reappeared as Lord Maitreya in modern times. Twin Flame /
Divine Complement / Twin Ray: Lakshmi .Also known as: Krsna, Vishnu,
Embodied as: Krishna, King Rama, Vamana, and Parasurama
Sri Ramakrishna A devotee of the Divine Mother as Kali, Ramakrishna
(1836-1886) is widely revered as one of the greatest Hindu saints
known for his great devotion, he experimented intensively with other
religious paths, including Christianity and Islam. He taught a
universal love and understanding of all religions Maitreya, whose name is derived from the Sanskrit maitri, meaning
universal love, is known to Buddhists as the embodiment of loving
kindness. Some believe this planetary master was Krishna, and that he
inspired the life of Jesus. Maitreya is a Buddha, working diligently
behind the scenes to enlighten humanity and birth the age of light.
Lord Maitreya was an incarnation of Krishna. He works to enlighten
humanity and bring in the new Golden Age. He is the head of the
Spiritual Hierarchy and is often called the "Master of Masters". He
has served this position for 2500 years.
However a spiritually based world culture is the height of Social
Evolution — a description of Heaven on Earth. Here, we have
personified the true soul of humanity. Love of creation and the love
of truth, rather than the love for money, produces the most beautiful
things with the deepest insights. Money cannot create art, beauty,
inspiration, truth, or genius.
path enabling a person to discover the core of his/her being; or the
“deepest values and meanings by which people live. Spiritual practices
are intended to develop an individual's inner life; spiritual
experience includes a association of a larger authenticity, yielding a
more complete self; with other individuals or the human community;
with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm. It is a source of
inspiration or orientation in life. It can include belief in
immaterial realities or experiences of the transcendent nature of the
world. The path of spirituality leads to Self Realization Self-Realization – is nothing but the consciousness of our complete
&inseparable union with God, which also means that the ego-self has
come to identify itself so evidently, & sensibly that it is no longer
run by the Shadow. When one is in the Illumined State there ceases to
be any more inner or outer excitement. The personal ego-self has
surrendered fully & willingly into the loving grip of the Soul
Illuminated souls are the being who has become Self-Realized and
serves humanity; a being who has raised his/her vibration to a
continuous occurrence of light. These self realized souls/ beings are the great Spiritual Masters who
come and go at will from the earth plane without the Birth//Death
cycle. These spiritual Masters have worked with mankind throughout the
centuries. Historically, Jesus, Prophet Mohammed ( s.a.a.w), Gandhi,
Martin Luther King and countless others have realized the suffering
that greed and domination inflict on the world. They have responded
courageously. Through their words and deeds, they have challenged and
dismantled influential, rigid systems by presenting - and living - a
different worldview. By living the dream, you transform the world. Most significantly, we must share our love and spirituality freely,
even in public. The reality is this: society is dying from the lack of
love and strength, not the lack of possessions or money. Money isn't
life. We can breathe life back into our societies by expressing love —
allowing the soul to shine through us — in as many relationships as
possible. In short, we can support Social progress by raising
awareness about the damage that our financial and marketing
institutions are causing; create and support evolutionary models and
structures; and surpass our fear of "being different" and love
fearlessly. The reason we feel "different" is because so many others
like us are afraid to express that characteristic in public. If
everyone who felt this way expressed it freely, we would see that we
are not so different: the media culture has convinced many that our
nature is something other than it is. In reality, those whose hearts
are sedated are different.
However apart from these Sufi Masters there are few other illuminated
being who have contributed to the cause of Humanity : Syedina Ghous-ul-Azam is not only known as the greatest of all
helpers, but was also a great preacher, a great educationalist, a
great moralist and a great doctor of Muslim law. He was the glory of
the learned and the light of Islam; the Spokesman of theologians, the
Interpreter of men of spiritual knowledge, the unique Leader of
Leaders; the Leader of nations; the Chief of the chiefs; the Succourer
of men and the Jinn; the Reviver of Religion; possessed of very high
and perfect spiritual knowledge; and hailed as the Honour of Religion Rumi a 13th-century Persian Muslim poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi
mystic. taught about the science of Islamic spirituality, of which the
best known form remains the Sufi tradition in which a spiritual
master or Pir transmits spiritual discipline to students. The general
theme of Rumi's thought, like that of other mystic and Sufi poets of
Persian literature, is essentially that of the concept of tawhīd –
union with his beloved (the primal root) from which/whom he has been
cut off and become aloof – and his longing and desire to restore it.
Rumi also believed passionately in the use of music, poetry and dance
as a path for reaching God. For Rumi, music helped devotees to focus
their whole being on the divine and to do this so intensely that the
soul was both destroyed and resurrected. It was from these ideas that
the practice of whirling dervishes developed into a ritual form. His
teachings became the base for the order of the Mevlevi which his son
Sultan Walad organized. Rumi encouraged Sama, listening to music and
turning or doing the sacred dance. In the Mevlevi tradition, samāʿ
represents a mystical journey of spiritual ascent through mind and
love to the Perfect One. In this journey, the seeker symbolically
turns towards the truth, grows through love, abandons the ego, finds
the truth and arrives at the Perfect. The seeker then returns from
this spiritual journey, with greater maturity, to love and to be of
service to the whole of creation without discrimination with regard to
beliefs, races, classes and nations. Khwaja Shamsuddin Muhammad Hafez-e-Shirazi (1325/1326 – 1389/1390),
was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of
Persian poetry (Divan) are to be found in the homes of most Iranians,
who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to
this day. His life and poems have been the subject of much analysis,
commentary and interpretation, influencing post-Fourteenth Century
Persian writing more than any other author. Gautama Buddha was one of the great enlightened ones. He taught
detachment and the middle way. The Buddha represents the wisdom
energy. Ascended 2500 years ago, Buddha "gave it all up" to find
meaning in life and the reason why some suffered so much. It was
during a meditation under the Bodhi Tree that he received
Enlightenment. Buddhism was formed out of his Teachings. Lord Krishna incarnated 5000 years ago as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Born as a cowherd boy, Krishna displayed his perfect divinity
with the all attractive features of wealth, power, fame, beauty,
wisdom and detachment. He was a slayer of demonic tyrants and
enchanted all with the music of his flute. Krishna is believed by some
to have reappeared as Lord Maitreya in modern times. Twin Flame /
Divine Complement / Twin Ray: Lakshmi .Also known as: Krsna, Vishnu,
Embodied as: Krishna, King Rama, Vamana, and Parasurama
Sri Ramakrishna A devotee of the Divine Mother as Kali, Ramakrishna
(1836-1886) is widely revered as one of the greatest Hindu saints
known for his great devotion, he experimented intensively with other
religious paths, including Christianity and Islam. He taught a
universal love and understanding of all religions Maitreya, whose name is derived from the Sanskrit maitri, meaning
universal love, is known to Buddhists as the embodiment of loving
kindness. Some believe this planetary master was Krishna, and that he
inspired the life of Jesus. Maitreya is a Buddha, working diligently
behind the scenes to enlighten humanity and birth the age of light.
Lord Maitreya was an incarnation of Krishna. He works to enlighten
humanity and bring in the new Golden Age. He is the head of the
Spiritual Hierarchy and is often called the "Master of Masters". He
has served this position for 2500 years.
However a spiritually based world culture is the height of Social
Evolution — a description of Heaven on Earth. Here, we have
personified the true soul of humanity. Love of creation and the love
of truth, rather than the love for money, produces the most beautiful
things with the deepest insights. Money cannot create art, beauty,
inspiration, truth, or genius.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Divine Abode further collaborates with Kashmir Society, International center for Kashmir Sufism
Divine Abode is pleased to announce its further collaboration with Kashmir Society, International center for Kashmir Sufism along with the existing Interfaith Foundation, India .Dr. Farook Renzu Shah the chairman of Kashmir Society says" Its a honour to be a part of this great progress. we are indeed very happy to collaborate with Divine Abode. The festival will be a grand platform for bringing together all the community around the globe conveying the message of the true sufi spirit of peace, harmony and oneness.
The first edition of the International Sufi Festival India 2011, will be held in Ajmer on the 21-27th Oct with the mission and aim of spreading the message of " Love All, Malice None.
The chairperson of Divine Abode Ms. Gulshaa begum says" The festival is free for all. This festival does not belong to any organisation or any individual, the festival belongs to all the people who are a part of this grand mission. You can avail the passes by sending us a email at festivals@live.in. We would request each one interested to attend the festival to kindly make a effort to be a part of the festival and support us in making the event a great success.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Posters of International Sufi Festival India 2011
Be a part of the festival. For information or passes write to festivals@live.in
--
Gulshaa Begum
Chairperson
Divine Abode- Al Ikhlas( The Purity)
International Sufi Festival India News & Updates:
Divine Abode- Al Ikhlas( The Purity) http://divineabode2011.blogspot.com
http://prdivineabode2011.blogspot.com
http://sufifestivals.blogspot.com
http://gulshaabegum.blogspot.com
http://sufifestival2011poster.blogspot.com
http://sufimusicconcert.blogspot.com/
http://sufifestival.blogspot.com
http://sufifestivalajmer.blogspot.com
--
Gulshaa Begum
Chairperson
Divine Abode- Al Ikhlas( The Purity)
International Sufi Festival India News & Updates:
Divine Abode- Al Ikhlas( The Purity) http://divineabode2011.blogspot.com
http://prdivineabode2011.blogspot.com
http://sufifestivals.blogspot.com
http://gulshaabegum.blogspot.com
http://sufifestival2011poster.blogspot.com
http://sufimusicconcert.blogspot.com/
http://sufifestival.blogspot.com
http://sufifestivalajmer.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
JOURNEY TOWARDS THE BELOVED
STIR YOUR SOUL
Time spent sitting with a mystic or healer can lead to a relationshipwhere you might establish your express line to god. How does one
improve one’s relationship with god? How to develop infinite
compassion… how to use prayer, devotion and faith on the face of
suffering and yet go through the process of sacred waiting. It is important to know that having a direct line with god is like
having the admittance of his private number which is not available to
all. However this can be developed over a period of time on the path
of mysticism. To get connected onto this direct line one needs to pass
the various tests that are levied on the entity. The direct line is
not for the ego, or for the self rather it is to set you free. It is not about achieving some height of personal enlightenment. It is
the line of communication that has many characteristics that change
the nature of one’s relationship with self, ones relationship with god
and ones relationship with others. It is all about learning to sit in
the between and know the deep mysteries which is hidden in the
universe. Either one can be a mystic seeker or one can reach the direct line
through a mystic/ healer. That is the way it is. Everyone cannot be on
a direct call. At times you can speak through an operator. Learning
about the sacred healing relationship and training involves learning
the language of god. This language takes many forms and understood as
the sacred language of god. However language cannot express the
totality of the sacred communication. If one sets in the proper
perceptive, language makes its contribution in making the novice. It
is understood by all mystics that language can take any form, to fit
any person with any situation or within any culture. Such is to be
expected from compassionate and infinite sacredness. There is always a mystery in the sacredness. God is the infinite
sacred mystery. To begin the journey, involve yourself in the stirring
of the soul. The key to the countless mysteries of the land of the
mystifying. Drive into the land of secrecy to know the true
mysticism. Written By Gulshaa Begum
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Spirituality- Surrender
There are so many things we must all release, and it often seems like
an unconquerable and endless task. Fortunately, there is a way to
swift and wide-spread releases so it is not necessary to specify or
remember every last item to be released. It is all done through the
process of surrender. To become free from the pain and limitations of
life, you must release the past, and meditation coupled with a
surrender is the way. When you first hear that you are to surrender, you might feel
threatened for you remember the use of that word in warfare in which
the side that loses surrenders. Like many people surrendering, losing
their homes and being banished to the wilds and desert regions.
However, the surrender I am talking about doesn't mean giving up your
power or anything else. It is not resignation. It is actually
expanding into a greater empowerment - surrendering to something
greater. Here's how it works... It does not mean surrendering to an 'unknown mystery. When you
surrender to God, you are surrendering to the Infinite, not the
finite. The will of God can only be for your greater good. By that I
mean greater life, greater love, greater happiness, greater abundance,
greater expression, in fact, as much life as one can conceive will
become a part of that person's experience. As you keep your mind
focused on the greatest good you can conceive, that is what unfolds
for you more and more. The Law of life is this, God and the Universe tend to multiply and
expand our gifts because in so doing God and the Universe expands Its
own experience, Its own pleasure, Its own love, Its own feelings of
fulfillment, joy, ecstasy, etc. So when you surrender, you are
surrendering to more and more of what life can be. Many people think
they are supposed to be happy with less and think they are
surrendering to less. Surrender means "taking no thought" and watching as the "Red Sea" of
obstacles parts before you. Yes, obstacles melt, and the hand of God
goes before you to straighten out all the crooked places. You stay
focused on your highest good, and you are taken care of. Surrender is trust to the highest power. It is letting go of
controlling "how" life will manifest for you, but knowing it is always
the expansion of Good. Surrender is releasing how we thought things
should be, to make room for the greatest good imaginable. So go through your life and give up, release and fully surrender
everything you can think of; this is the art and science of surrender.
Surrender every person, every possession, every feeling, every hope,
every desire, everything you like and don't like. Include: your body,
your need to be right, your dreams, your fears, your gray hair, your
fat stomach, your anger, your mind, your mortgage, your mate, your
fear, your need to be enlightened, your discouragement, your children,
your friends, your enemies, your debts, your lacks, your limitations,
your impatience, your mind, and your life. Then affirm your highest
ideals which is the natural unfolding of your True Self. Hold to those
ideals regardless of outer circumstances, and the world of illusions
will melt and a greater reality will unfold around you.
an unconquerable and endless task. Fortunately, there is a way to
swift and wide-spread releases so it is not necessary to specify or
remember every last item to be released. It is all done through the
process of surrender. To become free from the pain and limitations of
life, you must release the past, and meditation coupled with a
surrender is the way. When you first hear that you are to surrender, you might feel
threatened for you remember the use of that word in warfare in which
the side that loses surrenders. Like many people surrendering, losing
their homes and being banished to the wilds and desert regions.
However, the surrender I am talking about doesn't mean giving up your
power or anything else. It is not resignation. It is actually
expanding into a greater empowerment - surrendering to something
greater. Here's how it works... It does not mean surrendering to an 'unknown mystery. When you
surrender to God, you are surrendering to the Infinite, not the
finite. The will of God can only be for your greater good. By that I
mean greater life, greater love, greater happiness, greater abundance,
greater expression, in fact, as much life as one can conceive will
become a part of that person's experience. As you keep your mind
focused on the greatest good you can conceive, that is what unfolds
for you more and more. The Law of life is this, God and the Universe tend to multiply and
expand our gifts because in so doing God and the Universe expands Its
own experience, Its own pleasure, Its own love, Its own feelings of
fulfillment, joy, ecstasy, etc. So when you surrender, you are
surrendering to more and more of what life can be. Many people think
they are supposed to be happy with less and think they are
surrendering to less. Surrender means "taking no thought" and watching as the "Red Sea" of
obstacles parts before you. Yes, obstacles melt, and the hand of God
goes before you to straighten out all the crooked places. You stay
focused on your highest good, and you are taken care of. Surrender is trust to the highest power. It is letting go of
controlling "how" life will manifest for you, but knowing it is always
the expansion of Good. Surrender is releasing how we thought things
should be, to make room for the greatest good imaginable. So go through your life and give up, release and fully surrender
everything you can think of; this is the art and science of surrender.
Surrender every person, every possession, every feeling, every hope,
every desire, everything you like and don't like. Include: your body,
your need to be right, your dreams, your fears, your gray hair, your
fat stomach, your anger, your mind, your mortgage, your mate, your
fear, your need to be enlightened, your discouragement, your children,
your friends, your enemies, your debts, your lacks, your limitations,
your impatience, your mind, and your life. Then affirm your highest
ideals which is the natural unfolding of your True Self. Hold to those
ideals regardless of outer circumstances, and the world of illusions
will melt and a greater reality will unfold around you.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Quote of the Day
"Behind me is infinite power, before me is endless possibility, around me is boundless opportunity."
Sunday, August 7, 2011
News Release - Divine Abode
Divine Abode is pleased to announce its collaboration with Interfaith Foundation, India towards the forthcoming International Sufi Festival India 2011. Further to this we have tied up with Marwah Studios, A Creative Enterprise and Nai Duniya, Urdu Weekly India.
We sincere thank our Hospitality Partner: Swad Ri Dhani
And above all Divine Abode is most appreciative of the initiative taken by Mr.Rajesh Bhargav for supporting the International Sufi Festival India 2011 as its Venue Partner.
We also thank all our esteemed patrons:
Temple of Understanding, India
National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) - New Delhi
Kashmir Sufism Society, Srinagar, Kashmir
Judah Hyam Synagogue - New Delhi
Rai Foundation – New Delhi
Reesha Foundation, New Delhi
Anjuman Moinia Fakhria Chishtia Khuddam Khwaja Sahib Syedzadgan,
Dargah Sharif, Ajmer, Rajasthan
Aradhana Tents & Decorators
Hotel Data Inn
Ajmer Property & Builders
Bangladesh Guest House
Lok Kala Sanstha
Mudra Theatre
Thinking Space, Real Estate & Investment
Movement of the Triangle - Sacred Art Gallery
for their support in making this concept a reality.
Thanking You
Sincerely,
Gulshaa Begum
Founder- President
Divine Abode- Al Ikhlas( The Purity)
International Sufi Festival India
News Release- International Sufi Festival India 2011
Divine Abode is pleased to inform its collaboration with Interfaith Foundation, India for the forthcoming International Sufi Festival India 2011 to be held in Ajmer on the 21-27th Oct 2011. Further to this Divine Abode is pleased to announce its media partners - Marwah Studios, A creative enterprise and Nai Duniya, Urdu Weekly, India.
Official Release as on 7th August 2011
Divine Abode- Al Ikhlas( The Purity)
International Sufi Festival India
International Sufi Festival India 2011
A Project by Divine Abode in collaboration with Interfaith Foundation, India
In October , Ajmer will be hosting Ajmer’s first World Sufi Festival, with the aim of capturing positive messages about peace and love that have been around for centuries and recognized in the east and west. These messages are often conveyed through arts and culture.
The International Sufi Festival India 2011 is a yearly festival that will take place in Ajmer, Rajasthan. It brings together performers and artists from around the world.
Divine Abode, is a non profit organisation which is currently organizing the event to promote International Peace & Oneness. The festival aims to capture and project the messages and spirit of Sufism. Sufism is a mystical way of life, which emphasizes the unity of all religions. It plays a part in the lives of people of all religions and the festival will greatly promote this by helping to better understand where we have come from and what we have in common. It will highlight the importance of treating all countries with fairness and respect and bring to all people more understanding of our heritage and history.
The festival promises to be an entertaining and enchanting week with events inside and outside. It’s from 21st Oct 2011 to Oct 27th 2011 with lead up events including workshops for the community. The festival itself will showcase performers, artists, crafts, fashion, poetry, from the local area, India and abroad, encircling both the traditional and modern around the Sufi theme. Workshops and presentations are also given with discussions of Sufi themes
Be a part of the Prestigious Event.
Host: Divine Abode, a Spiritual registered Organisation
About the organiser: Ms. Gulshaa Begum , a Entrepreneur, Internet Visionary, a Trained Fashion Designer & Visual Merchandiser, her Passion Towards Art, and Compassion Towards Humanity... a Mystic on the path. Healing and Counselling is a part of her existence.
Gulshaa Begum hails from a family of Sufi Saints. She is dedicated to the blessed work of Hazrath Gulsha Qadri Chishti. Her ancestor a Sufi Saint from the Northern Frontiers of Afghanistan, who travelled across the Indian sub- continent and later settled down in Southern Indian Coastal Region. The Dargah of the blessed saint is situated in South Kanara.
Gulshaa Begum was blessed to experience a spiritual awakening which opened up her experience of God's reality. This profoundly transformed her life, and after this experience she was able to feel God's presence everywhere, and came to understand from within the meaning of the teachings that had so eluded her earlier. The difference between religion and spirituality allowed her to discover her own experience of God's reality, and from this inner experience, to understand and embrace not only her own religious background, but all religions.
Collaboration: Interfaith Foundation, India
Interfaith Foundation, India, was setup as a registered charitable and non-profit Public Welfare Trust in 2004 with its registered office at R-265 B, Greater Kailash I, New Delhi, with a vision of the world of togetherness, brotherhood, cooperation and united efforts for the common good of human kind – a world in which men stumble not, in which they walk straight and live for each other- a world free from ignorance, poverty, superstitions, darkness, exclusiveness, fundamentalism and obscurantism - a world in which people are free to profess and practice the tenets of their respective faiths which ought to unite mankind as the children of one Supreme Reality, living in peace and happiness.
To achieve its goals, Interfaith Foundation, India, has been organizing conferences, discussion meetings at important venues and disseminating knowledge regarding the commonalities among world’s major religions through printed materials. The founder President, Dr M M Verma is an eminent scholar of Interfaith, known nationally and internationally; having organized and addressed more than forty national and international conferences – from New York to Nagasaki; having seven published works to his credit. The VIPs associated with Interfaith Foundation, India, in advisory capacity are : Air Chief Marshall N C Suri (Retd.), Swami Shantatmanada (Ramakrishna mission) Prof. Tahir Mahmood (former member, Law Commission GoI), Dr Mohini Giri (President, Guild of Service), Dr J S Neki (renowned Sikh Scholar) Ezekiel Issac Malekar (Rabbi), M K Kaw (former Education Secretary, GoI), among others.
For details regarding Conferences, Events and Published Works along with Photo gallery. Please visit the website: www.interfaithfoundationindia.com
Venue Partner: ATD & Divine Abode
Media Partners: Marwah Studios, A creative enterprise
Nai Duniya, Urdu Weekly India
Hospitality Partner: Swad Di Dhani
Monday, July 25, 2011
Expectations
Having expectations of support and sympathetic will lead only to
disappoint, anger and frustration. By letting go of expectations, you
become more stress-free and go with the flow. Work on yourself and
learn to understand yourself more, more so than putting energy and
effort into the other person - trying to transform them, convince
them, etc. The path is about you, not them.
disappoint, anger and frustration. By letting go of expectations, you
become more stress-free and go with the flow. Work on yourself and
learn to understand yourself more, more so than putting energy and
effort into the other person - trying to transform them, convince
them, etc. The path is about you, not them.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The First Edition of ISFI-2011
Divine Abode in Collaboration with
Temple of Understanding - India AND Interfaith Foundation - India
Presents
INTERNATIONAL SUFI FESTIVAL INDIA 2011
A project by Divine Abode (NPO). Towards International Peace, Harmony and oneness through the Sufi Culture
Date: 21-10-2011 to 27-10-2011
Venue: Rajhans Vatika, Ajmer (Raj).
Al Ikhlas, Ajmer
Event Partner: Showfest Productions
Media Partner: Marwah Studios- A Creative Enterprise
Venue partner: Rajhans Vatika, Ajmer
Divine Abode, Ajmer
Hospitality Partner: Swad Di Dhani, Ajmer
Hospitality: Bangladesh Guest House, Ajmer
For Regular updates and information kindly check our blogs
http://sufifestivalajmer2011.blogspot.com/
http://www.sufifestivals.blogspot.com/
Gulshaa Begum
Founder- President
Divine Abode- Al Ikhlas( The Purity)
International Sufi Festival India
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
WHY DON'T MUSLIMS EAT PORK?
Definition of Pig as per Merriam Webster's Dictionary:
- a: A young domesticated swine not yet sexually mature; broadly: a wild or domestic swine b: an animal related to or resembling the pig
- a: Pork b: the dressed carcass of a young swine weighing less than 130 pounds (60 kilograms) c: Pigskin
- a dirty, gluttonous, or repulsive person
- a crude casting of metal (as iron)
- slang : an immoral woman
- slang usually disparaging : Police Officer
In order to understand why it is prohibited one must first appreciate the manner in which the animals are slaughtered.
In order for an animal meat to be classed as Halaal (made permissible) it must undergo the manner prescribed:
This method of slaughtering animals consists of a swift, deep incision with a sharp knife on the neck, cutting the Jugular Veins and Carotid Arteries of both sides but leaving the Spinal Cord intact.
This results in automatic total blood loss of the animal and no injuries to any of the vital organs. This method if performed correctly is painless for the animal.
Advantages of this method results in:
- A cleaner meat (no blood) - This is because Uric Acid is abundantly found in blood can lead to several harmful diseases. Some of the diseases are llisted below:
- Arthiritis - Can lead to Gout
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Diabetes
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Uric Acid Stone Formation
- Many others
The Animal does not feel any pain - as Dr. Zakir Naik quite rightly pointed out “the swift cutting of vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerve of the brain responsible for pain. Thus the animal does not feel pain. While dying, the animal struggles, writhers, shakes and kicks, not due to pain, but due to the contraction and relaxation of the muscles deficient in blood and due to the flow of blood out of the body”
No injuries to any of the vital organs of the animal.
Known Medical Facts about the Pig:
Medical Science finds that there is a risk for various diseases as the Pig is found to be a host for many parasites and potential diseases.
As we've already discussed Uric Acid in the blood, it is important to note tha the pig's biochemistry excretes only 2% of it's total uric acid content, the remaining 98% remains as an integral part of the body.
New studies show that Pig's Milk is Red and not White, also that pig's meat could carry harmful disease / bacterial easily.
- The Pig's anatomy shows that it does not have a neck, there is an internal jugular vein which is unreachable and therefore cannot be slaughtered in the Islamic manner
Other Facts:
The Pig is a filthy animal, no farmer can guarantee any pig hasn't eaten any rats, own excrete or any other body waste during the time which is not supervised.
It is important to note that Islam not only forbids pork meat but it forbids all meat of all those animals who eat their own or some one else's body waste; the most commonly known animal in this category is the Pig or Swine whose meat is commonly known as Pork.
Interestinly the Bible also forbids the flesh of swine in Levictious Chapter 11, verse 8.
Therefore no matter how clean the farms and environments on which it is raised may be, the pig is not by nature a clean-living animal. It often plays in, and even eats, its own excrement. Due to this and its biological structure, the pig produces much higher levels of antibodies in its body than other animals.
In addition, far higher levels of growth hormone are produced in the pig compared to those in other animals and human beings. Naturally, these high levels of antibodies and growth hormone pass across to and collect in the pig's muscle tissue. Pork meat also contains high levels of cholesterol and lipids. It has been scientifically proven that these significant amounts of antibodies, hormones, cholesterol and lipids in pork represent a serious threat to human health.
Article Source: http://www.truthexposed.co.uk/Why%20do%20Muslims%20not%20eat%20Pork.html
Thanking You
Sincerely,
Gulshaa Begum
Founder- President
Divine Abode- Al Ikhlas( The Purity)
International Sufi Festival India
Saturday, June 4, 2011
THE JOURNEY
Sufism is seen as a spiritual path of self knowledge that leads to a knowledge of the Divine. God is Love and can be seen by the "eye of the kernel", not by logical intellectual knowledge or theological customs. The outward form called religion is a mere shell which hides the core inside it. The kernel is the Truth, the Sufi's goal on his spiritual embarkment.
The various stages (Maqamat) and states (Ahwal) begins with repentance when the seeker finds the Spiritual Teacher. The teacher (Sheikh, Pir) accepts the seeker as his disciple by the ritual of initiation when he imparts his grace, gives him strict ascetic rules to follow and a certain secret word for meditation. The disciple's path is one of continuous struggle against his lower soul. He passes through a number of spiritual stations and states clearly defined by various Sufi teaching.
The different Sufi stations:
1. detachment from the world (zuhd).
2. patience (sabr).
3. gratitude (shukr), for whatever God gives.
4. love (hubb).
5. pleasure (rida) with whatever God desires.
However linked to these stations are specific moods / emotions (ahwal) such as fear and hope, sadness and joy, yearning and intimacy, granted to the pilgrim by God's grace for a while with the goal of leading him to on to Ma'rifah (esoteric knowledge), Mahabbah (Love) and to the ultimate goal which is annihilation of personality and unity with God.
Beyond this stage the Sufi then enters the state of Baqa', or perseverance in God. He returns from his state of intoxication (Sukr) back into the world completely transformed - reborn.
The Sufi path has three ways: Makhafah, the way of fear of God leading to purification. Mahabbah, the way of love leading to sacrifice. Ma'rifah, the way of intuitive knowledge leading to Enlightenment.
Gulshaa BegumDivine Abode
Sunday, May 15, 2011
International Sufi Festival India 2011
We are delighted to inform you that our event - International Sufi Festival India - has just been published on MyRajasthanInfo.com. The event can now be enjoyed by all future visitors to the website, to check it out just click the link below:
http://www.mydestination.com/rajasthan/events/7393896/international-sufi-festival-india-21-october-2011For your cordiality, trust & whole-hearted support,
Thanking You
Sincerely,
Gulshaa Begum
Founder- President
Divine Abode- Al Ikhlas( The Purity)
International Sufi Festival India
Website:www.thesufifestivals.com
Blog: www.sufifestivals.blogspot.com
Mobile:+91 9414259240
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