Category Archives: Comparative Religion

Comparative Religion, Psychology, Spiritual Practice, Sufism, Uncategorized

Three States-Manifestations of the Divine

1 Comment

From time to time on the spiritual path one has a really strong, even overwhelming, ‘hal’ that shakes us to the very core.Read ,for example,the story of Eckhart Tolle if you want a specific example of this.Although these states are essential and life-changing ,they may not be the most important aspect of the path overall.

There are three more subtle states that I have been encountering on a regular basis recently that people may  more easily be able to relate to than than the ‘blasted away” state of Mr.Tolle. I call them 1) ‘the shabd”;2) the Pristine state and 3_) the Love. Let’s go over them one by one.

  1. The ‘shabd’ or the Divine sound current.This state has been most accurately portrayed by the Sikhs and specifically by the Santmat or Radhaswami of Beas movement.It involves a subtle sound current that is directly connected to the Divine.I believe the satsangis,as they are called, use this current to help their adherents ascend to the higher ‘heavenly stations”.Although it is perhaps best defined by Santmat ,it is in fact available to all spiritual seekers regardless of their practice.And it is a sign they are on the right path.Stay with it and your spiritual state(hal) improves step-by-step
  2. The Pristine State: This state has several characteristics.The objects of visual perception suddenly become clearer(pristine).The mind empties(no perceptible thoughts).And the feeling becomes light and peaceful.All is well in the best of all possible universes.Sweet!P.S. I find it is most available at the time after the sun has set although it can occur at any time of day or night.
  3. Love: Probably the most overused word in the English language outside of the ‘f’ word lol.This love can be directed to almost any object-people,places,things.There’s the love of the partner,the love of the child,the love of the parent ,the love of a pet etc,.etc.Of course the greatest love is the love of God but actually that is a misnomer since the love of God is Allah’s love for Himself. He is the ‘mujqallib al qulub” the controller of hearts .Without His ithan(permission) you cannot love anyone or anything. So consider every love experience a gift from your Lord. When you get to experiencing the love of Allah for His entire Creation ,you will have arrived! But until then you can be thankful for any experience of love that you have since all Love is made of the same substance.It only varies in intensity and breadth.
  4. So try recognizing and riding these three different wave forms and tell me how you are doing,if you wish.Have a good and spiritually uplifting day.And thank God for anything and everything positive in your life.This is NOT good karma.It is Mercy and Compassion.We don’t really deserve any of it!It is all Generosity on His part.
Comparative Religion, Spiritual Practice, Sufism

That’s Why I prefer Sufism-2

Leave a comment
(Responding to a defender of the Satsangi spiritual path)Interesting that you avoid any references to Islam,Peter.And yet as surprising as it may seem to some modern people some if not most of the answers to being balanced are there.For example,in reference to the Kirpal Singh model of meditate in every possible moment I substitute the erxample opf the Sahhabi ,I believe it may have been Abu Dhar who was reproached for spending every day fasting and every night praying.He was corrected for not giving his wife and his family their rights.The Prophet saws said to him: This is not our way ,Abu Dhari.We stand in prayer and we sleep:we fast and we eat.This is the way of moderation” I.e.The Middle Way.”


The problem with approaches like that of Sant Mat and other Hinduistic ways is not only that of the modern world vs. traditional societies.There is a deep-seated metaphysical,theological error contained within it.If our only purpose in existence is to meditate and join with the Absolute(Nibbana,satori,samadhi,moksha or whatever else you like to call it)why were we created in the first place?! The Light and the Knowledge existed before us and will continue to exist for eternity.Or as the Sufis say God is Self-sufficient.He doesn’t need us or our practices! I believe Ramana Maharshi said something to the same effect-that it doesn’t matter whether we get enlightened or not,the Light continues to exist.But his thought was not complete because he couldn’t answer the question of the purpose of our individual,separate existence- a serious problem for the Non-dualists.
Comparative Religion, Modern Living, Spiritual Practice

That’s Why I prefer Sufism!

1 Comment

(In response to a miraculous healing story connected with Kirpal Singh) Impressive stories and I have no reason to challenge their veracity.However,after having treated and known personally several people who follow this way coming from Bawa Sawan Singh and usually known as Radhaswami or Santmat ,I can tell you that there is an important flaw in this spiritual teaching-something not uncommon in many of the Indian subcontinent transmissions .It is unbalanced in the direction of otherworldliness and the rejection of the needs of our embodied souls in this world.The disciples are taught to follow essentially a vegan diet which does not suit many people and even the naturopaths let alone regular doctors consider unhealthy.Secondly they are strongly encouraged to be celibate.They will vehemently deny this but if you read the writings of Kirpal Singh and other teachers in this lineage it is very clear.They are taught that sexual activity destroys the ‘ojas’ and thus one’s spiritual energy.The vast majority of us are not like Baba Sawan Singh or Kirpal Singh for that matter but have basic bodily needs.Denying these needs leads to couple break-ups(even if the individual is able to maintain his asceticism,often the partner becomes resentful) and sexual activity unbecoming to anyone on the spiritual path let alone satsangis.This is a parallel phenomenon to the Catholic priests who became pedophiles because their ‘normal’ sexual needs were repressed.The amount of suffering thus created is considerable.

Comparative Religion, Sufism

Man created in the image of God?!

Leave a comment

Most of us raised in the West were taught that man was created in the image of God? Where did that come from?Well,here it is Genesis 27: God created man in His own image,in the image of God He created him.

I always scratched my head in confusion when I heard that.It didn’t make any sense.And it led to nonsense like that famous painting of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel with an image of God as an older bearded man and a man(i’m not sure whom ) trying to touch him. Anthropomorphism at its worst.And some current sadly misled Muslims of the Salafi type also think God has a hand or sits on a chair! Estagfirullah. God has no form and nobody as we know it.He is beyond time and space and limits.

So what is that statement about in the Bible? An inspiration came.This is another error of translation or at least a very poor wording of the original phrase.It should read:God created man as a reflection of Himself (a pale reflection,no doubt).So man has certain characteristics ,like will and choice and speech, that are similar to the Divine Will,Choice and Speech although much less perfect and precise.In that way,he resembles God.The analogy that might best fit  here is the sun and the moon.The moon also has light but it is reflected light.And the moon also occupies space but it is much more limited than  the sun.

Now there is another likeness here that is even more mysterious.The Quran tells us in Surat 32 .9 that Allah breathed into man of His Spirit (or Soul). So there is an inner connection between our deepest being and the Essence of God.The Sufis call that the secret(sir) and it represents the deepest level of spiritual realization.Hope that clarifies for you what has long been a puzzling issue for me.

Comparative Religion, Modern Living, Sufism

Dunniya(The world)

1 Comment

From latest nde report()Dec.2016)

“It was clear to me that as wonderful as this heaven was there are many things you can only enjoy on earth. Such as swimming in water, holding hands, soft fur of a pet, sex, kissing, warm wind, FOOD, and so much more.” Intriguing.I’ve actually thought about this before.I’m still digesting it.Perhaps that’s why we are encouraged to work on our zuhd(asceticism) and learn to disconnect from aspects of dunniya(worldliness)- because we will not find them on the other side.That in no way detracts from the magnificence of the heavens.It just puts things into perspective.More contemplation needed on this one.Salaams,Ibrahim.

Comparative Religion, Modern Living, Psychology

Materialism and Mentalism-The Two Scourges of the Modern World

1 Comment

There are two grave epidemics going on in the Modern World.They are Materialism and Mentalism.You could also say Desire and Ideology.Alternatively you could identify them with the Market-place and the University. But, however you conceive of them, they are suffocating our vitality- like the toxic algae suffocate our northern lakes.

Materialism is not limited to greed.It includes an entire way of thinking that is focused on the concrete as opposed to the subtle.Some of the keywords you will run into include ‘proof’, ‘evidence-based’, ’empirical data’ ‘measurable’.These are also keywords that lead to excessive stress in the workplace(read productivity) and overly complicated legal processes( read thorough and exhaustive).This way of relating to reality has penetrated deeply into the fabric of our society so much so that most people take it for granted without questioning it.

Nor is ‘Mentalism‘ limited to ideology.It is an entire philosophy of being that posits abstract thought as the highest pinnacle of human achievement.It can lead to total despair as in the case of the Existentialist philosophers recommending suicide as the only honorable option.It can also easily lead to oppression and war.Look,for example at Castro’s Cuba( based on Communist ideology) and America’s invasion of Iraq( based on spreading democracy).Although materialism is sometimes questioned, this is almost never true for Mentalism.Almost everyone takes it for granted.The better the Thought the closer to truth. Really?! I don’t think so.

So,what is the alternative,you may well ask? The alternative,and this is the essence of the Sufi approach,is the Way of the Heart.In this way,you purify the heart by struggling against both desire and abstract thought. Once you embark on this path, you notice that you begin to’ see’ and ‘hear’ more clearly.Gradually you begin to notice ‘serenity’ appearing. And from this serenity comes Love.Aha! Peace and Love! But not the hippie version-the real thing!This is not the love of a particular person or place or activity but rather a Universal Love that is no longer dependent on particular objects.Rather it has become a state of Being- the Sufis call it ‘hal’ (state)or more precisely ‘maqam’. It is your inner station! May Allah guide us all to this most noble of Goals.

Comparative Religion, Islam, Spiritual Practice, Sufism

The Purpose of Life

1 Comment

The Purpose of Life

Hamza Yusuf, the well-known American Islamic scholar, looks into the question of life’s purpose via the Quranic text. He concludes that there are three main purposes, which he defines by the Arabic words Imarat, (cultivation),Khilafat(stewardship)  and Ibadat(worship).The first term Imarat is somewhat ambiguous. What kind of cultivation? Does this refer only to agriculture, which seems unlikely, or to personal cultivation? Since this idea was new to me as a purpose of life, I looked into the Quranic references and came to the conclusion that what it is really about is something like ”maintenance” not dissimilar to the goal of the ecological movements we see arguing for sustainabilty or the Native America ideas about honoring and caring for the Earth. If that is indeed the case, then it is really contained already  in the idea of khilafat. So we are left with two purposes-Ibadat and Khilafat.

Khilafat, that some Quranic translators translate awkwardly  as vice-regency, is a very important concept. Broken down to its essence, it means that man has a managerial role in the Universe .In simple terms we could say God is the Boss and we are the Managers ,answerable to him. Clearly, we are not doing a very good job of this- as we witness environmental pollution and destruction on a scale never seen before on the planet. We, alone, are responsible for that.

The term’ ibadat’ is often translated as worship. But the root word a-b-d is related to service. And there are hadith that mention that service to man is an elevated form of worship. So ,in this term, we have service to man and duties towards God ,two distinct entities but also inter-related ones.

Now if we switch gears and look at the nde (near-death experiences) literature, we get a somewhat different picture. If we take an over-view of the nde accounts, we would come to the conclusion that there are three major purposes to life- learning to love, acquiring fundamental knowledge, which could also be termed ‘understanding’ or ‘wisdom’ and realizing one’s mission in life. That, too, makes perfect, intuitive sense.

Now these two models, at first glance, appear to be different but they are not really contradictory. The Quranic analysis tends to look at the outer aspects while the nders are reporting more of the inner aspects.This is not too difficult to understand as the Islamic scholars, almost by definition, are looking mostly at the outward.

If we now take the Sufis, who are the people of the inner, they begin to understand and unravel the inner Quran. And so they, the Sufis, speak regularly and systematically about love and knowledge .In that way they bridge the divide and complete our understanding of the purposes of life. Briefly stated here are the purposes: Behave well towards your fellow man and your environment, honour your Lord, cultivate Love and seek knowledge. Ah! As I am a stickler for complete understanding, my heart is now,finally, at peace.

N.B Please notice, here, that two erroneous views that are popular nowadays have not been mentioned. The first is the viewpoint promoted by the Hindu-Buddhist traditions that the purpose of life is to attain enlightenment. If you think about this one carefully it makes no sense! That we come from nothing and return to be nothing without anything else being accomplished in the interim is an absurd idea. Yet that is exactly what the Buddhists are proposing. The way I understand this distortion is that the Indian religious traditions are imbalanced in the direction of the other-worldly. They see no point to relative existence, except to escape from it back to where we started.

The other erroneous position is even more popular in the modern world. It says that the purpose of existence is to enjoy oneself and have a good time. Another absurdity but in this case imbalanced in the direction of worldliness. With all the suffering that life entails (the Buddhists got that one right!) and all the tests, how could the purpose possibly be enjoyment?! I can still remember Sheikh Nazim, the Sufi teacher I spent most time with, commenting on a New Age group dancing to rock music in the Swiss Alps: ”They think they are free” he said, “but they are like fish in a net”. Well-spoken, Sheikh. That is the net of dunniya (worldliness).

So I urge everyone to stay on the straight path (of virtue) and the Real Middle Way (of faith and moderation).May Allah help us all!.

Comparative Religion, Sufism

The Reality of Allah

1 Comment

(From IANDS- nde of the month)

I had Hodgkin’s disease and was on chemotherapy. I had bad pulmonary toxicity, severe anemia, and fluid around my lungs and heart. I went into respiratory failure while lying alone on the sofa one Saturday morning. Everything, including me, dissipated– became like mist– and I could see beyond the mist, although I wasn’t really seeing anymore.

It was more like knowing what was beyond the mist that made up my body, the sofa, the room, the universe– everything. I slowly realized that these things were insubstantial and that there was only one reality and I could sense the reality behind the insubstantiality of matter. The reality was very strong, overwhelming in fact, and singular. It had consciousness. It was alive. And it had personality– it had characteristics. These were obvious: kindness, joy, love. It was as approachable and immediately lovable as a kitten.

It was clear that the reality was interacting with me, that its attention was directed toward me, although I had the sense that it looked at everything simultaneously in the same way. The reality was not bound by time. Strangely, neither was I. The quality of its attention was like that of a new mother holding her long-awaited firstborn child– love, joy, delight, fascination, indulgence. I got the sense that it was pleased to be perceived.

I did not feel separate from that reality. I felt myself coalesce with it and realized that I had always been embedded within it, bathed in it, cradled by it. As I melted, I was deeply ashamed to have so profoundly underestimated the love and joy of the reality. I wanted to give it something.

I told it that I was sorry to have underestimated its kindness and that I wanted to give it something, anything. I would even go back if it wanted me to, for the tiniest reason at all. I said this because it was the biggest sacrifice I could think of, never ever wanting to feel separate from the reality again, snuggled up so safely and so joyfully in it, I had no desire for anything else ever again.

Time had no meaning. The fog re-formed and rebuilt the world. Gently, I was back in my body. I cried for weeks.

We,the Sufis,call that Reality Allah.That or any translation (Dieu, God,etc.) thereof is its proper name! And the state is called ‘fana'(the annihilation of the small self in the Greater Self)