Spirit Matters Winter 2012

Balance is the keynote of spiritual attainment Hazrat Inayat Khan

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What’s in the Winter issue?

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Letter from Nuria, SMIA’s national representative

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‘The Heart: Symbol of life’s journey’ - some personal reflections by Azim Smith

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‘We give thanks for the blessing of winter’ – a poem by Michael Leunig

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‘Pain and Suffering’ – a personal reflection on the winter retreat by Azad Daly

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Winter Retreat 2012 & Balance - reflections by Nuria Daly

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Sacred Reading: Balance – by Hazrat Inayat Khan

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Homily for the Universal Worship on Balance - by Nuria Daly

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Readings for the Universal Worship on Balance

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‘The Fairy of the Dawn’ Part 5 – by Nuria Daly

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Upcoming events

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Contacts

A message from the editor Dear friends Welcome to the winter issue of Spirit Matters. We have another beautiful photo from Azad gracing the frontcover this season, though I must admit that it doesn’t seriously reflect an Australian winter. I recently read a Scandinavian novel set in the north of Sweden where it was minus 28 degrees – I can’t even imagine what that’s like, and reflected upon the easiness of our Brisbane winters of 20 degrees above zero! Ok, it did get colder than that, but not much, and perhaps somewhere in Australia it is snowing now.

Thank you to the contributors to this issue – the photographers of flora and the winter retreat – Azad, Nuria, Shakti, Fatma and Erol (sorry, I’ve got confused about whose photos are whose) – and the writers, Azim, Azad and of course, our devoted author Nuria. I hope you enjoy reading the thoughtful reflections that came from the recent winter retreat in Melbourne as much as I did, and that you find the readings and homily on ‘balance’ inspiring.

Snuggly warm wishes to you all, Sakina

Spirit Matters - Winter 2012

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Letter from Nuria, SMiA’s national representative

Spirit Matters - Winter 2012

Photo: ‘Amberley’ by Azad Daly

Beloved Sisters and Brothers Well this is the winter season and all the preparations for our winter retreat have been taking place. As we usually self cater for the winter retreats this can be a large undertaking, especially as we lengthened the retreat to make it cover three full days from Thursday afternoon 21st June til Sunday afternoon 24th June. We were very lucky to have got the venue for the winter solstice as it fitted in very well with the topic of Balance – we were at the extreme end of the summer / winter solstices with the equinoxes in between thus the whole year is a process of moving from one season to another.

Asuda was ‘in charge’ of organising food, and as like all of us, who were born during or just after the war, we have an inherited fear of not having enough!

We prepared, cooked and shopped the markets to the point that there was an abundance of fresh, delicious nourishment with all dietary requirements and tastes met.

On the Tuesday before the retreat, we in Melbourne experienced an earthquake – it was 5.3 on the Richter scale, with the epicentre about 100 kms away and 15 kms deep. It caught us all surprised and unprepared, as Melbourne is not supposed to have earthquakes. Apparently there is one about every 200 years, as I discovered. This meant that when it happened, the whole house shook for about 30 seconds, it came as a complete surprise and it made me think about how quickly death could come and take us – suddenly and totally unprepared. Azad was watching TV with his headphones on and so when his big leather armchair shook, he thought that it was me behind him shaking it (I wouldn’t have been strong enough to do that) and got up to growl at me.

It was very funny – I was in another room talking to a friend.

At this time too I was aware that Murshid Nawab was putting together the reports from all the national representatives in the world, in preparation for meetings at summer school in Holland – the other extreme in the cycle of summer and winter activities.

It made me think about our Sufi sisters and brothers throughout the world, some of whom we know but others remote and unknown. Indeed it is difficult, at times, to properly connect with all our sisters and brothers in Australia too. There are some who receive this Newsletter who we only sometimes write to, like Chaman-Afroz in the remote west of Ireland, Rashida in Fremantle WA, Helena in Mudgee NSW, and Habiba in Tasmania. I know that some of them are saving and

planning to come to future retreats here. Shakti came to our winter retreat and it takes her almost five hours to get to Melbourne from Queensland door to door – in that time we could get from Northern Ireland to Istanbul! However Murshid tells us that he is always close and accessible when we tune in to him. It is good to remember this when we feel abandoned or alone. The Divine is closer to us than our jugular vein.

We have some mureeds from Australia attending International Summer School, and we have some who will be attending the retreat at the Dargah in India this November. This always makes me wish and hope that one day I will again attend these retreats, one more time, before I get too old to travel. Murshid Hidayat is a real inspiration in this way.

So I will tell you all about our winter retreat in another article in this newsletter. Azad and I are travelling to Europe again this year in mid August and returning to Melbourne early in October. In late September I am attending a reunion of radiography students from the class of 1963 in Derry (N. Ireland).

There were eight of us originally but now only seven survive. I can’t quite think of my fellow students of those days as ‘elderly’ but as one of them told me – ‘well I am nearly seventy’. I have to admit to being quite shocked, as I have had no contact with them since we were twenty odd and so to me they are still that age. It will be fascinating to discover what they have made of their lives. Even finding me was a stroke of luck: they knew me by my first married name, but as luck would have it, my ex mother-in-law has the same first name as me, so when they searched for me, they found her. She is in her early 90s and I have always kept in touch with her, so she was able to tell them all about me and give them my address here in Australia. There is a lesson in this isn’t there? – It pays to keep in touch with people in our lives as you never know what will come up in the years to come.

May I wish you all a very warm, cosy and peaceful winter, With love,

Nuria

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The Heart: Symbol of life’s journey Some personal reflections by Azim Smith Now the Soul turns to God .This could be seen as the two lines of each side of the heart curling around to approach each other.

To draw a heart, we begin with a dot.This dot is called in Sanskrit ‘Bindu’: the origin and source of the whole being.

From this dot, two lines separate.This may be seen as the soul separating from the source.

“We come Spinning out of nothingness , scattering stars like dust We coming spinning out of nothingness , The stars line up and form a circle and in the centre we dance.“ Rumi Why this separation?

The Hindus say that the creation is the dream of Brahma. God ,the Lover wanted to know His own nature.

“Every being is created for a purpose and the light of that purpose is already kindled in his soul.”

Sa’di Whilst the creation has a purpose and the separation creates a capacity or Akasha, the Soul feels the separation.

“Harken to the reed flute, how it complains Lamenting its banishment from its home: Ever since they tore me from my osier bed My plaintive notes have moved men and women to tears.”

Rumi As life’s journey progresses, these feelings are more keenly felt.

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.”

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

Rumi

Spirit Matters - Winter 2012

“O God, give me light in my heart and light in my tongue and light in my hearing and light in my seeing and light in my feeling and light in every part of my body and light before me and light behind me.

Give me I beg You light on my right hand and light on my left hand and light above me and light beneath me.

O Lord make light grow within me and give me light and illuminate me.”

The Prophet Every step the soul takes toward God is reciprocated as both sides of the heart approach each other.

“There are lights which ascend and lights which descend.

The ascending lights are the lights of the heart; the descending lights are those of the Throne.

The false self is the veil between the Throne and the heart.

When this veil is torn and a door opens in the heart, like springs towards like.

Light ascends toward light and light descends upon light and it “is light upon light.”

Koran 24:35

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Never be without remembrance of Him, for his remembrance gives strength and wings to the bird of the Spirit. If that objective of yours is fully realized, that is “Light upon Light”.

“What are ‘I’ and ‘You’?

Just lattices In the niches of a lamp Through which the One Light radiates ‘I’ and ‘You’ are the veil between heaven and earth; Lift this veil and you will see how all sects and religions are one.”

Shabistari Once the soul has turned to God, the approachment must continue.

“No mirror ever became iron again No bread ever became wheat No ripened grape ever became sour fruit Mature yourself and be secure from a change for the worse.

Become the Light.”

Now the Sufi endeavours to take the straight path towards God. “The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you Don’t go back to sleep You must ask for what you really want Don’t go back to sleep People are going back and forth across the doorsill Where the two worlds touch The Door is round and open Don’t go back to sleep.”

Rumi The culmination of the journey, represented by the two lines joining, is the reunion of the soul with its source.

“God is Love and the whole universe is made of this, whose symbol is the greeting and the kiss.“ Hazrat Inayat Khan

We give thanks for the blessing of winter

by Michael Leunig We give thanks for the blessing of winter: Season to cherish the heart.

To make warmth and quiet for the heart.

To make soups and broths for the heart.

To cook for the heart and read for the heart.

To curl up softly and nestle with the heart.

To sleep deeply and gently at one with the heart.

To dream with the heart.

To spend time with the heart.

A long, long time of peace with the heart.

We give thanks for the blessing of winter: Season to cherish the heart.

Poem offered by Ananda Hogan Downloaded from: http://www.visual-voice.net/aperture/?p=2509

Spirit Matters - Winter 2012

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On Pain and Suffering Reflections from the Winter Retreat by Azad Daly One of the most persistent and timeworn questions is “Why does a Loving God allow so much suffering and pain in the world?” C.S. Lewis writes that this problem, that is, pain and suffering, is “atheism’s most potent weapon against the Christian faith!”

There really is no easy answer to this question – in fact there is no certain answer at all; the answer we can have is a belief that whatever the problem or the extent of the pain, faith, regardless of any religion or belief system, is the only response that can be given. Oscar Wilde has a much more, and dare I say it of Wilde, prosaic way of describing it, when he wrote: “There is something terribly morbid in the modern sympathy with pain. One should sympathise with the colour, the beauty, the joy of life. The less said about life’s sores the better.”

Which is all very well, but of not much comfort to someone who feels almost totally overwhelmed with pain and the associated suffering it brings with it. But should we be? The reason that I write about this is that it was, at times, brought up, in one way or another at our Winter Retreat in Melbourne; we had five or six mureeds, who had been ill, myself included, and were in various stages of recovery. The one certainty about life, other than death, is that every single person on this planet will experience some form of pain, at some time, in their lives.

So what, if anything, is to be done? I looked in Wahiduddin’s website to find some sources and I found this book called The Wedding of Body & Soul – Embodying Your Life’s Purpose and I found some interesting thoughts – amongst many others – on ego, pain and suffering! Unfortunately I can’t do justice to this, in this article, so I suggest that you look it up on the website.*

Neverthless, I will cherry pick some salient points or paraphrase some of its content; perhaps some people may like to give them some thought.

The opening chapters talk quite a bit about the Divine Presence. In Chapter Two we read: “that the ego, the little self, is an aspect of our nervous system which is excellent at protecting this sacred temple which we call the human body. However, one’s

Spirit Matters - Winter 2012

life easily goes astray when one learns to rely too heavily on the ego, rather than primarily relying upon the inner guidance of that still small voice of Divine Presence which resides in the depths of one’s own heart…. The purpose of one’s life is to be a conscious instrument of the Divine Presence.

However when one is too preoccupied with the chatter and drama of the ego, then life’s purpose will remain obscured. In order to be consciously in harmony with Divine Presence in every moment, one must find ways to rise above excessive preoccupation with the ego.”

The opening paragraph in Chapter 3 is headed ‘Excessive Preoccupation with “I”’: “The dysfunctional condition of the ego all revolves around our reactions to situations, and involve excessive preoccupation with “I”, “me” or “mine”…my thoughts…my wants … my opinions…my preferences…my regrets…my anger…my needs. Excessive reactions to situations revolving around “I”, “me” or “mine” often create severe suffering for everyone involved and greatly limit one’s ability to enjoy either the beauty of life or the wonders of the Divine Presence.”

Further on the point is made that the soul should be seen rather as a verb than a noun because it is an ongoing process or activity of God. “When the Prophet was asked, ‘What is the soul?” He answered in two words, Amir-i Allah, which means ‘an activity of God’.” (Spiritual Liberty, Hazrat Inayat Khan)

So if we keep this idea of the soul as an ongoing activity of God – (see Expansion of Consciousness Gathekas 49, opening paragraph on soul) we can indeed begin to see the human condition and our pain and suffering in a new light. However let’s go back to our previous source material which states that “…armed with this thought that the soul is an ongoing activity of God, we begin to understand that the soul is an active manifestation of Divine Presence, and that it is an ongoing process.”

In other words we must focus and concentrate on this Divine Presence every minute by making ourselves fully aware of this gift and making full use of it. We must banish the idea or preoccupation of “I” and all selfish thought and allow ourselves to be

Page 7 “capable instruments of the Divine Presence” in any given situation and in every single moment of our lives.

“In order to pursue the deep cleansing which is required to rise beyond the chatter of the self-centred ego, one must be able to concentrate on the work at hand.”

“Some people say ‘I must get rid of this pain before I make changes in my life,’ but, in fact the opposite is often true, and it may actually be necessary to make major changes in one’s life before the cause of the pain can be fully relieved.”

The point is then made that a lot of the problems in our life are actually caused or magnified by our own outlook or viewpoint on life and a change in this outlook can effect a wondrous change in us. The author says that the body is a vehicle that the soul uses while here on earth and just as we put on a shirt to go outside, the soul clothes itself in the human body. With the passage of time we gradually forget that this is really the case and we come to imagine or accept or identify with the body - “I am this body” and “I am having this pain” or “I am troubled”. Remember how Murshid Nawab was quoted at the winter retreat as once saying that we could, when we stand in front of a mirror, see the soul as the reflection in a mirror, which is untouched by anything that we, that is, our body does; which is quite at odds with what I was brought up to believe in as a child.

And as regards the suffering we feel that we are burdened with, the author writes: “To rise above the suffering in life, we must see from a new point of view. We must engage life as instruments of Divine Presence, instruments which have been sent into this world for a divine purpose. If only we will permit ourselves to see from this viewpoint, then all of life is transformed. Yes, the body may have some pain. Yes, the body may have some troubles. But that cannot stop us from fulfilling our mission on earth as instruments of Divine Presence … unless we allow it to.”

Please note that if you’re suffering severe emotional problems or severe bodily pain, you may need to seek competent psychiatric and/

or medical help in parallel with your own inner work, so that you will be able to successfully quiet the mind and enter into intensely focused concentration. That is, if the pain is too severe for you to achieve quietude and highly focussed concentration, then you’ll need to seek additional help to ameliorate the pain while you begin to make the changes which will harmonize your body and soul in the light of Divine presence.

Now all of this will require a lot of hard inner work but the rewards would be enormous. If we have managed to get the pain to a tolerable level, or even better, we can then look at the suffering that is often associated with pain. He writes: “There is a difference between pain and suffering.

Pain is a response of the body’s nervous system, while suffering is our resultant reaction to the situation.

Suffering occurs when we resist ‘what is’. As one reduces the resistance to ‘what is’, so too the suffering is diminished…”

“Remember, it is not ‘my pain’, it is just the pain. Yes the pain is real, the body is sensing something needs attention, but suffering is not necessary. None of us want to have pain, but when it arises, what shall we do?”

“With practice and intention, one can learn to reduce or entirely eliminate suffering, regardless of the pain. It is not always easy to rise above the influence of the pain, but the rewards are well worth the effort.”

Now it is pretty obvious that this inner work is a very big task indeed and probably a lifetime’s work. But the promise and the reward that it offers, and holds, is a very big prize or reward and well worth the effort. It also provides a response, when the perennial question is asked of a Sufi ‘What is your task in life?’ The answer is to “complete one’s self, a task left unfinished by God.” Enough said!

Hopefully all who attended the Winter Retreat will carry away some of the practices and put them into their daily life. I also hope that they will approach the Element Breaths with a greater understanding of this practice and the importance of rhythm, not only in this exercise, but also in all breathing exercises.

The vast majority of the material used in this article can be found in Wahiduddin’s Website: The Wedding of Body and Soul – Embodying Your Life’s Purpose. I suggest that you read Chapter 2 – ‘Making room for the Divine Presence’ – as it explains the working of the Ego in a clear and concise way.

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Winter Reteat 2012 & Balance Reflections by Nuria Daly A very wise teacher once told me that a retreat begins as soon as a participant decides to attend; so I think my retreat began quite some time ago, actually after spending an afternoon with Asuda planning food and catering. Asuda gave me lists of food to bring and what dishes to make. She would take care of everything else – which she did, and I thank her for this! Soon I started to make a heap of all sorts of things in our spare room. This grew steadily – you would be surprised how much is needed for a retreat and fortunately the only thing I forgot to bring was the candle snuffer.

The teachings for the retreat and indeed everything else seemed to flow towards me effortlessly. About a month before the retreat I was ill in bed with a mild flu, and so took the opportunity to find readings for Universal Worship for the retreat.

The sacred scriptures lay on the bed around me and without any difficulty the readings simply came to me. Within an hour I had all the readings which, I thought, were absolutely perfect for the topic of Balance. Perhaps it happened like this because I was not using mind, but was coming from another place – open and empty. Having found the readings so easily, the Homily just seemed to write itself.

We had 15 full time attendees and 3 parttime, and this was a good group. On the first day of the retreat, which was the winter solstice, it was already dark and raining very heavily before people arrived. Fortunately the rain soon stopped and we were able to unload our luggage and boxes of foodstuffs during this break in the weather. Later on the rain returned with a vengeance along with a high wind.

Spirit Matters - Winter 2012

It was soon apparent that many people were stressed, burdened and anxious as they arrived. Once again I felt very calm, and not my usual worried self at the beginning of a retreat. I only say this as it was all so unusual and I felt so very Blessed and supported.

Many of the group had been ill and were in recovery mode, some were dealing with great pain, as well as the pain and suffering of loved ones. Some, in addition to that, were also supporting elderly parents with various stages of dementia, and illness of other family members. How is it that there is such pain and suffering in the world?

About a week before the retreat we had been invited to a day of Spirituality in Art, in Amberley and although I am usually not ‘into’ art I was inspired by one painting. The artist Victor Majzner had painted a series of pictures based on the beautiful Song of Songs in the Torah (Old Testament). Each picture had a poem especially written to accompany it, by Deborah Masel who was very ill and dying at the time of writing the poems. Victor told us that he would take each painting to Deborah as she lay in bed and she would hold them to her heart and let the feeling and words come to her. Then she put that feeling into to these poems. Victor then incorporated the words of the poem into the painting, mostly quite subtly. The painting I was drawn to was called ‘On the turning point of Prayer’; it was based on verse 7:1 of the Song of Songs.

The painting depicts a (shower block) gas chamber not unlike the one in Auschwitz where the human fingernail scratches on the walls are still visible. A concrete, cold impersonal tomb, leading the viewer to the tunnel (oven) where the train tracks that delivered Jews to their extermination end.

Where was God in the Shoah? This question is continually debated. And yet as suggested by the Song of Songs, God dwelled amongst the Jews as

Page 9 promised by His covenant. This is hinted at by the menorah located in the ‘oven’ of the gas chamber.’

Out of the shower heads in the picture flow the words of the poem, and the small oven at the back of the painting almost glows with the light of the candles, the Divine Light. God was there in the midst of all that suffering. We have to believe that, even in the darkest and most evil of places that God is with us. The poem is very beautiful: ‘Yet there’s a yearning in the light that’s leaking through the dawn trickling from its rivers to the oceans of our fears in a universe that’s turning on the yearning point of prayer and God is hidden there inside the inside of His ever-changing world.’

Terrible and difficult things happen in the world, but it is how we deal with them, what our attitude and beliefs are, that make us who we are and define our path. Blame of any sort does not help – things just happen and not because we necessarily deserve anything that comes to us – either good or bad. This was clear in the teachings. It is when things are out of balance that ‘bad’ things happen.

I had brought this book of ‘Painting the Song’ by Victor Majzner & Deborah Masel with me to the retreat for all to see. Perhaps the meaning of this is that the Divine Presence is always with us, if we but recognise it.

The next ‘issue’ we were confronted with was the balance between repose and action in our lives. This manifested itself in the kitchen!

There were some dedicated workers who were reluctant to leave their kitchen tasks to get to

Spirit Matters - Winter 2012

our sessions on time, so some of us looked at what keeps us in the Kitchen of Life and away from our much needed repose and practices.

On the positive (for me), I really appreciated Malik, who arrived at the retreat with all the ingredients (many more than usual) for making endless pots of winter chai (Indian spiced tea).

As I am rather addicted to chai and usually only allow myself one a day, this led me to an overindulgence, where I must admit to having five mugs of chai for breakfast one morning. There was certainly an abundance of wonderful ‘soul food’ for winter! But meant that the demands on the kitchen ‘elves’ were probably too much – out of balance.

From my own experiences in a group many years ago, some of us, including myself, were always in the kitchen. Why? Well I discovered that kitchen duties made me feel useful, made me look good, allowed me to hide and not interact too much with my fellow participants and to do what I was reasonably good at, namely cooking.

All ego of course! One day our leader banished all the ‘old’ kitchen hands from the kitchen and

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made the others take over. It was amazing – they were very creative in their duties and were not held to the ‘proper’ way of doing things. We, who were now not in the kitchen, took longer to settle but eventually we were able to find repose. We found it much harder than the others.

So once this was addressed there was more balance and the retreat did indeed bring us all (I hope) into a place where we could be ourselves in a very natural way, and benefit from the retreat teachings.

I felt that as a group we achieved much.

From the emails and phone calls that were received afterwards, this has been borne out.

I would like to express our thanks to all who worked in the kitchen – the cooks and the dish washers – to Malik for his wonderful Chai tea. Our thanks go to everyone who contributed in many other ways to make the retreat a success.

I would like to thank all who participated; I do know it was hard work but, in the short and long term, it was well worth it.

Thank you to the happy retreaters who are captured on film and appear on this page - and of course to the photographers - Nuria, Azad, Shakti, Fatma and Erol.

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Sacred Reading - Balance

by Hazrat Inayat Khan Man must also consider, before starting on his journey, whether he has learned all he has desired to learn from this world. If there is anything he has not learned, he must finish it before starting the journey.

For if he thinks, ‘I will start the journey, although I had the desire to learn something before starting’, in that case he will not be able to reach his goal; that desire to learn something will draw him back. Every desire, every ambition, every aspiration, that he has in life must be gratified. Not only this, man must have no remorse of any kind when starting on his journey, and no repentance afterwards. If there is any repentance or remorse, it must be finished before starting. There must be no grudge against anybody, and no complaining of anyone having done him harm, for all these things which belong to this world, if man took them along, would become a burden on the spiritual path. The journey is difficult enough, and it becomes more difficult if there is a burden to be carried. If a person is lifting a burden of displeasure, dissatisfaction, discomfort, it is difficult to bear it on the path. It is the path to freedom, and to start on this path of freedom, man must free himself, no attachment should pull him back, no pleasure should lure him back.

Besides this preparation one needs a vehicle, a vehicle in which one journeys. That vehicle has two wheels, and they are balanced in all things. A man who is one-sided, however great his power of clairvoyance or clairaudience, whatever be his knowledge, yet is limited; he cannot go very far, for it requires two wheels for the vehicle to run. There must be a balance, the balance of the head and the heart, the balance of power and wisdom, the balance of activity and repose. It is the balance which enables man to stand the strain of his journey and permits him to go forward, making his path easy. Never imagine for one moment that those who show lack of balance can ever proceed further on the spiritual journey, however greatly in appearance they may seem to be spiritually inclined. It is only the balanced ones who are capable of experiencing the external life as fully as the inner life; to enjoy thought as much as feeling; to rest as well as to act. The center of life is rhythm, and rhythm causes balance.

On this journey certain coins are necessary also, to spend on the way. And what are these coins?

They are thoughtful expressions in word and in action. On this journey man must take provision to

Spirit Matters - Winter 2012

eat and drink, and that provision is life and light. And on this journey man has to take something in which to clothe himself against wind, and storm, and heat, and cold; and that garment is the vow of secrecy, the tendency to silence. On this journey man must bid farewell to others when starting, and that farewell is loving detachment; before starting on this journey he has to leave something behind with his friends, and that is happy memories of the past.

We are all on the journey; life itself is a journey. No one is settled here; we are all passing onward, and therefore it is not true to say that if we are taking a spiritual journey we have to break our settled life; there is no one living a settled life here; all are unsettled, all are on their way. Only, by taking a spiritual journey you are taking another way, one which is easier, better and more pleasant.

Those who do not take this way will also come in the end: the difference is in the way. One way is easier, smoother, better, the other way is full of difficulties; and as life has no end of difficulties from the time

Page 12 one has opened one’s eyes on this earth, so one may just as well choose the smoother way to arrive at the destination at which all souls will sometime arrive.

By ‘inner life’ is meant a life directed towards perfection, which may be called the perfection of love, harmony, and beauty; in the words of the orthodox, towards God.

The inner life is not necessarily in an opposite direction to the worldly life, but the inner life is a fuller life. The worldly life means the limitation of life, the inner life means a complete life. The ascetics who have taken a direction quite opposite to the worldly life, have done so in order to have the facility to search into the depths of life; but going in one direction alone does not make a complete life. Therefore the inner life means the fullness of life.

In brief, one may say that the inner life consists of two things: action with knowledge, and repose with passivity of mind. By accomplishing these two contrary motions, and by keeping balanced in these two directions one comes to the fullness of life. A person who lives the inner life is as innocent as a child, even more innocent than a child; but at the same time wiser than many clever people put together. This shows as a development in two contrary directions.

The innocence of Jesus has been known through the ages. In his every moment, in his every action, he appeared to be as a child. All the great saints and sages, the great ones who have liberated humanity, have been as innocent as children and at the same time wiser, much more so, than the worldly-wise. And what makes it so? What gives them this balance? It is repose with passiveness. When they stand before God, they stand with their heart as an empty cup;

Spirit Matters - Winter 2012

when they stand before God to learn, they unlearn all things that the world has taught them; when they stand before God, their ego, their self, their life, is no more before them. They do not think of themselves in that moment with any desire to be fulfilled, with any motive to be accomplished, with any expression of their own; but as empty cups, that God may fill their being, that they may lose the false self.

Therefore the same thing helps them in their everyday life to show a glimpse of the quiet moment of repose they had with God. They show in their everyday life innocence and yet not ignorance; they know things and they do not know. They know if somebody is telling a lie; but do they accuse that person? Do they say, ‘you are telling a lie’? They are above it. They know all the plays of the world, and they look at them all passively; they rise above things of this world which make no impression on them.

They take people quite simply. Some may think that they are ignorant in their world-lives, that they take no notice of things that are of no importance. Activity with wisdom makes them more wise, because it is not everybody in this world who directs his every action with wisdom. There are many who never consult wisdom in their action; there are others who seek refuge under wisdom after their action; and very often it is then too late. But the ones who live the inner life all direct their activity with wisdom; every moment, every action, every thought, every word is first thought out, is first weighed, and measured, and analyzed before it is expressed. Therefore in the world everything they do is with wisdom, but before God they stand with innocence; there they do not take worldly wisdom.

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Homily for the Universal Worship - Balance

by Nuria Daly There are many ways of finding and being in balance.

Everything in the world contains its own opposite – that is how we understand things, like light and darkness, inner and outer, good and evil, spiritual and material – and it is the balancing of these opposites which we need to work at. The only thing that is beyond opposites is the Divine essence, and this is why we are unable to comprehend this Unity from within the manifestation that we are part of.

Murshid’s words from the Gayan are used here to illustrate these points: All things have their opposite, except God; it is for this reason that God cannot be made intelligible.

Hazrat Inayat Khan

In the Buddhist scriptures we read about the great general Simha, who goes to the Lord Buddha and asks him about action in the world and the doctrine of inaction. Clearly this is an issue for all of us who are trying to balance being in the world and being spiritual. Buddha says ‘He who struggles in the interest of self, so that he may be great or powerful, or rich or famous, will have no reward, but he who struggles for righteousness and truth, will have a great reward, for even his defeat will be a victory.

He who moderates himself and, extinguishing all hatred in his heart lifts his down-trodden adversary up’ and says to him, ‘Come now and make peace and let us all be brothers,’ he will gain a victory that is not transient success, for its fruits will remain forever.

‘Great is a successful general, O Simha, but he who has conquered self is the greater victor. He whose mind is free from the illusion of self, will stand and not fall in the battle of life. He whose intentions are righteousness and justice, will meet with no failure, but be successful in his enterprises and his success will endure. Struggle then O general, courageously; and fight thy battles vigorously, but be a soldier of truth and the Tathagata will bless you.’ So even a general is blessed when he does battle with his ego, and it does not really matter what we are or do in life as long as we can hold this balance and follow the right path.

In the Bhagavad-Gita we are told that if we are equipoised between happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, we are dear to the Lord. This shows that an extreme of anything is not good – it is not being in balance, even extremes of happiness are not good.

It is like standing in the middle of a see-saw and keeping each end equally off the ground. If one end

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is up, it will always come down again. I like the word equipoise here as it really shows how we should be equally poised between two opposites. Poised means ready for action – not relaxed. To be balanced or equipoised in our lives, in everything we do, takes energy, insight and understanding. We have to be truly in the moment to be able to do this.

In the story of the Lord Rama and Sita, the demon king’s two brothers repeatedly warned him of the disastrous consequences of his kidnapping Sita the consort of Rama and advised him to return Sita to Rama. He completely ignored all their pleadings and eventually declared war against Rama.

Though he was aware of the unrighteous attitude of his elder brother, the one brother finally yielded because of his attachment to and love for his brother and his race. The younger brother on the other hand was a very pious and devout soul. He was not able to accept the wrongful or dishonourable ways of his brother and continued expressing his concerns, trying to change his brother’s attitude. However the demon king never accepted, considered or even listened to his brother’s views. Eventually the extremely egoistic king got so angry with his youngest brother that he exiled him from the country. This gives the hint that it is the ego which lures us into wrongful ways.

When we understand the situation from the point of view of others, we get a clear picture. This youngest brother then took refuge at Rama’s feet. In the war that followed both older brothers were killed and Sita was regained. Of the three brothers the youngest was the only one who could create a balance between his worldly and spiritual dharma. He was able to be worldly from within the spiritual realm, rather than being spiritual from within the secular world.

In the Zoroastrian scripture we are told to live in harmony with truth and justice, the opposite of which is falsehood, illusion and the ‘lie’. The lie that we are told to beware of is the illusion of self, of power and greed as opposed to the truth, which is the reality of Unity of Being. Zoroaster is the chosen guide who will judge – he sees the truth. All the great prophets have come with the same purpose

Page 14 – to guide us on the path of truth and not to allow ourselves to become attached to the things of the world.

The idea of balance is so important, as we can see in the last four readings. The balance of how we see our lives in the backdrop of the world we live in.

How a great general can live a spiritually balanced life even in combat – of action and inaction, how a ‘demon’ prince can live a balanced and upright life regardless of his birth, his country and his kin: he could see right from wrong and make a decision of how to act regardless of consequences. In this case he lived to take a high position, while the other ‘demons’ perished. This is a balancing act with the ego and the Self, and finally the balance between Truth and living that Truth, versus the Lie or illusions that the ego tempts us with. It is so hard to see the truth when the Lie can be attractive – we can make such amazing excuses for behaving badly. As Murshid says: A truth that disturbs peace and harmony is worse than a lie.

In the Jewish reading we are told that God has made the good and the bad – that we can’t change anything or know what will happen in the future, so when times are good, we should be happy. Things change! We are further told not to be over righteous, or over wise, or indeed to be over wicked or over foolish. Why destroy yourselves; why die before your time. Finally we are told that the man who fears God will avoid all extremes. In other words extremes of any sort are ‘bad’ and that if we avoid extremes we come closer to God. In being extreme we destroy ourselves and thus die before our time. It is another way of understanding the Sufi admonishment ‘Be in this world, but not of it’. That is supreme balance.

The essence of today’s Message is balance.

Perhaps not to be is to be without your being

Th se ank nd y in ou g in to th Az is ad po fo em r .

Pablo Neruda

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In the Christian scripture love is spoken about rather than fear – we are told to be sincere in love – how can one be insincere if the love is real. We are told to honour others above ourselves – which is what real love is. It is interesting that we are also told to keep our spiritual fervour in serving the Lord, rather than using this fervour on others. This is part of balance – the secular life from within a spiritual perspective.

We are told to bless, not curse, to be hospitable, to share with people in need, to practice hospitality, to have empathy with others and to live in harmony and peace with one-another. These are really rules to live by and the outcome of living these rules is harmony and peace. To do this we have to balance our own wants, our small reactive self, with the good of others. If we really did this there would be no wars and no conflict and in our personal lives there would be peace and harmony.

Balance is the keynote of spiritual attainment

In the Koran Allah tells us that He has caused the Book and the Balance to come to us with the apostles and clear tokens. So balance is indeed the keynote of spiritual attainment.

The example of IRON is used, where it has advantages for mankind as in tools, like the plough or the hammer but which can be negative as in the sword when used to kill. Each thing or even concept can be used for good or for bad. So everything in life can be used for good or for evil and we have to use our judgement and balance for the good of All. It is a bit like herbs which can be used as medicine or as a poison – it depends on the dose. Like Warfarin which can be a rat poison, but which has helped Azad’s heart to heal and function after his Ablation.

Balance is truly the keynote of Spiritual attainment. It is fundamental to everything that we do in our lives.

Perhaps not to be is to be without your being, without your going, that cuts noon light like a blue flower, without your passing later through fog and stones, without the torch you lift in your hand that others may not see as golden, that perhaps no one believed blossomed the glowing origin of the rose, without, in the end, your being, your coming suddenly, inspiringly, to know my life, blaze of the rose-tree, wheat of the breeze: and it follows that I am, because you are: it follows from ‘you are’, that I am, and we: and, because of love, you will, I will, We will, come to be.

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Readings for the Universal Worship - Balance Provided by Nuria Daly We read from the World scriptures on the Subject of Balance .

We read from the Hindu scriptures.

He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me. One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, selfcontrolled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me – such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me. We read from the Buddhist scriptures

But he who is victorious should remember the instability of earthly things. His success may be great, but be it ever so great the wheel of fortune may turn and bring him down to dust. However, if he moderates himself and, extinguishing all hatred in his heart lifts his down-trodden adversary up and says to him, ‘Come now and make peace and let us be brothers,’ he will gain a victory that is not transient success, for its fruits will remain forever.

Great is a successful general, O Simha, but he who has conquered self is the greatest victor. He who has conquered self is more fit to live, to be successful, and to gain victories than he who is the slave of self.

Struggle then, O general, courageously; and fight thy battles vigorously, but be a soldier of truth and the Tathagata will bless thee.

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We read from the Zoroastrian scripture

The better path can neither be seen nor chosen Because of these deceitful Decrees (of the Worshippers of Falsehood) Therefore have I come to you all as the chosen Guide appointed by Ahura Mazda to judge between these two opposing parties.

Let us live in harmony with Truth and Justice.

O Ahura, You offer that harmony To each of these two contenders By means of Your hidden Fire and Truth in keeping with your Decrees.

O Mazda, With your very own mouth and tongue Proclaim this to us for our enlightenment.

Thus I will convince all the living (regarding true faith).

We read from the Jewish scriptures Ecclesiastes 7 13 – 18

Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked?

When times are good, be happy; But when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.

Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.

Page 16 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these; A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

Do not be over righteous, Neither be over wise – Why destroy yourself?

Do not be over wicked, And do not be a fool – Why die before your time?

It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.

The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.

We read from the Christian scriptures Romans 12 9 - 18 Love must be sincere.

Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

Be devoted to one-another in brotherly love.

Honour one another above yourselves.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Share with God’s people who are in need.

Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Live in harmony with one another.

Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.

Do not be conceited.

Do not repay evil for evil, be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

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We read from the teachings of Islam Sura 57

We have sent our apostles with the clear tokens, and we have caused the Book and the balance to descend with them, that men might observe fairness.

And we have sent down IRON. Dire evil resideth in it, as well as advantage, to mankind! God would know who will assist Him and his apostle in secret. Verily, God is Powerful, Strong.

We read from The Gayan

A truth that disturbs peace and harmony is worse than a lie. All things have their opposite, except God; it is for this reason that God cannot be made intelligible.

Balance is the keynote of spiritual attainment. The essence of today’s Message is balance.

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The Fairy of the Dawn A Roumanian Fairy-tale with a Sufi and Jungian interpretation

by Nuria Daly PART 5 (continued from Part 4 in Volume 16, issue 1) Next morning Petru feeds his horses well with corn and takes them to the well to water, so it is clear that our inner ‘spirit of guidance’ and will needs to be nourished, before this last great stage of the journey. Venus calls out to him from her window to stop, as he is ready to start, as she still has some more advice for him. He is to leave one of his horses there with Venus and only take three. Three is the number of forward movement and symbolises overcoming duality, so this is an appropriate number of horses for him to take. Four is a more solid static number. She tells him to ride slowly until he gets to the fairy’s kingdom, then dismount and go on foot.

To go on foot means more freedom of movement, but also indicates willing service and humility or reverence. On the return journey he is to see that his three horses stay on the road, while he walks. But above all he must never look the Fairy of the Dawn in the face, for she has eyes that will bewitch him, glances that will befool him. She is hideous!

It takes Petru two days and nights travelling through flowery meadows, to reach the palace of the Fairy of the Dawn. It was, neither hot nor cold, bright nor dark and Petru did not find the way a step too long. He saw the most beautiful splendid white castle which dazzled his eyes. The castle represents spiritual testing and something difficult to obtain. What is to be attained is enlightenment, as the symbolism of the Dawn is about illumination. In Buddhism it is also the clear light of the void and in Christianity it is the advent of Christ bringing light to the world.

He jumped down from his horse and began to play on his flute as he walked along. He had hardly gone many steps when he stumbled over a huge giant who had been lulled to sleep by the music of the flute. This was one of the guards of the castle.

Interesting the comment here that Petru stopped to measure him! This gives some insight to our / his analytic mind. We too have to measure the beings / things we need to overcome and then aid us. In a sense he gets the measure of the giant.

Before him were many strange and terrible creatures and dragons all stretched out before him fast

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asleep. Then he came to a river of milk and precious stones and pearls. The river ran around the castle.

Milk is from the Mother Goddess and is the food of divinity for the gods – divine nourishment. Milk has also to do with initiation rites and ceremonies. The pearl is a lunar symbol representing the power of the waters, cosmic life, and denotes birth and rebirth.

Petru has to get over the river but how?

This is another barrier to cross and it seems by the symbols that this is done by powerful initiation rites, ceremonies and ritual. This is a very important process and he is getting toward the end of his journey. He decided to wake the giant but every time the giant woke up he tried to pick Petru up as if he was a fly.

Fully awake the giant was dangerous to very small Petru.

The giant here means the brute forces of nature, or primordial power and forces. What Petru does is use this force to his advantage to get across the river. To do this he has to do battle with the forces first. The giant owns that he is beaten at last and begs for mercy. The giant it seems to me is not as scary and difficult or perhaps dangerous as Petru’s other combatants and this whole scene has a different feel to it. I think that this scene is an enactment of a powerful ritual, something like the Freemasons, so that when after a while Petru tied up the two little fingers of the giant with his handkerchief and then drew his sword, it is purely symbolic. I suppose that with his little fingers tied up he would be unable to pick Petru up, on the other hand if we hold our hands with the two little fingers together we have two attitudes of prayer, one with the hands facing one another, and one with the hands together open and facing heavenwards. Petru promised to fight the giant fair and square if he would then take him over the river. The fight with the giant took a long time (3 days and nights), until in the end Petru was on top with the point of his sword to the giants throat. The giant gave up and agreed to take Petru to the other side of the river. Petru bound the giant’s left hand to his right foot, tied a handkerchief round his mouth, to prevent him crying out, and another round his eyes, and led him to the river. Again this binding of the hands to feet seem to be symbolic of this same ritual, which is in effect, to get Petru to the ‘other side’ of the river.

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Once they reached the bank the giant stretched one leg over to the other side and, catching up Petru in the palm of his hand, set him on the further shore. Petru then played on his flute and put the giant to sleep again. The flute and the music of the flute indicates harmony but can relate to extremes of emotion – the flute of Krishna is the ‘voice if eternity crying to the dwellers in time.’ It can also relate to seduction. The flute is one of the instruments (like the veena) which is very conducive to meditation. Listening to this music can certainly transport you to altered states like sleep! When we get down to this level of the ‘collective unconscious’ we are using the right side brain – the part of us which is feeling and emotion, so certain music transports us to this realm. When this happens the left brain goes to sleep or dormant so to speak. While in this space and dealing with some of these sleeping giants whose aid we really need, we have to be quick and powerful enough to awake the giant and use it to our own ends – this is also a great battle for us. We have to harness its power so it does not hurt or hold us back in the task we are on.

Even the fairies who had been bathing a little lower down heard the music and fell asleep among the flowers on the bank. It shows here that when we put the left brain to sleep, as it were, we are also putting beautiful and wondrous parts of ourselves to sleep. In the collective unconscious live the gods / archetypes; there is no room there for the human part of ourselves – we lose our humanity in a sense when we enter this realm. Petru wonders how, if the fairies are so beautiful, why then should the Fairy of the Dawn be so ugly?

Now he was in the wonderful gardens but everyone and everything was asleep. He passed through the courtyard into the castle itself. It was an amazing place of gold and jewels and the stables where the horses of the sun were kept were more splendid than the palace of the greatest emperor in the world.

Petru went up the stairs and walked quickly through the forty eight rooms until he comes to the forty ninth – seven times seven! As we have said before: seven is the number of the universe and the number of completeness – a totality. It is also the number of the Great Mother, so Petru has to traverse this spiritual and temporal reality which is the realm of the Great Mother.

In the middle of the room is a very old well and by this well slept the Fairy of the Dawn, the Great Mother / feminine principle herself. As Petru looked at her the flute dropped by his side and he held his breath. When he actually sees her he is completely

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mesmerized and does not notice her beauty or otherwise, only the atmosphere of the divine feminine principle, which could overwhelm him. This is probably the reason why he was told not to look at her.

Near the well was a table on which was bread made from doe’s milk and a flagon of wine.

Milk indicates feminine nourishment, as well as gentleness and meditation. It was the bread of strength and the wine of youth, and Petru yearned for them. This is clearly a ritual symbolic meal like the Christian communion, with the bread relating to the resurrection. He looked at the Fairy of the Dawn sleeping and a mist came over his senses.

The Fairy opened her eyes and looked at him, and he lost his head still further in other words he loses himself when she looks at him – but he managed to remember the flute and with a few notes sent the Fairy to sleep again. He kissed her three times. He then laid his golden wreath upon her forehead, ate a piece of the bread and drank a cupful of the wine, and this he did three times over. So he performed a very crucial ritual here at the well of the fairy of the Dawn. This is where he attains enlightenment or illumination. The fairy herself has a very passive role although she is so powerful. I wonder if we could see this in relation to the drop in the ocean. We as drops find ourselves losing our ‘dropness’ and becoming one with the ocean – a total unity of Being with the Divine. If we lose ourselves in this process and get merged with the One completely, we are not able to get back to our real realm of consciousness. The fairy has to be put to sleep at this stage, so that he does not get so drawn in that he cannot function.

This leads to madness.

Then he draws water from the well and vanished swiftly.

As he passed through the garden it now seemed different - more fresh and beautiful than before and this was because of the three kisses he had given the Fairy of the Dawn. Now he rode as fast as longing and at length dismounted, leaving his horses by the roadside went on foot to the house of Venus. When we approach Venus we must always come on foot, ourselves alone, with humility – not on a horse.

As fast as longing is a lovely phrase – longing drives us to the beloved and Venus is the Beloved of man. She is the Goddess that has been repressed and disparaged by humans since the advent of Christianity. When we repress and ignore the Gods and Goddesses within us, they come

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back to us in a very negative form, even as diseases.

Venus knew he was coming and welcomed him. He held out the flask containing the magic water and gives it to her.

As he was leaving she called him back to warn him: ‘Beware of your life; make friends with no man; do not ride fast, or let the water go out of your hand; believe no one; and flee flattering tongues. She tells him that he holds something very precious and gives him an enchanted cloth to help him – whoever wears it cannot be struck by lightning, pierced by a lance, or smitten with a sword, and arrows will glance off his body. Venus helps when we recognise her and do her honour and pay homage to her. Petru brought her the water of life and of beauty and regeneration: he has done this within himself in his own psyche and will therefore do the same in the world when he returns to his own realm.

Petru now rides off and consults his treasure box to find out how things are at home. The emperor was now totally blind, and Florea and Costan were trying to persuade him to give the government into their hands. But the emperor would not, saying that he did not mean to resign from government until he had washed his eyes from the well of the Fairy of the dawn.

The brothers had found out from Brischa that Petru was on his way home bearing the water. They set out to meet him intending to take the magic water from him and claim as their reward the government of the emperor and his empire.

Petru does not believe the box and throws it on the ground, breaking it into pieces. He has not taken in the warnings of Venus not to trust anyone and also he is still naive and does not want to believe anything bad or negative about his brothers. I think that many on the path of the heart have this innocence or naivety in them.

Now Petru is on his way home – he hears his brothers calling him. His horse tells him to go on otherwise things will go badly for him, but Petru wants to see what is going on and has forgotten the warning given him by the Goddess of Thunder. When

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he sees his brothers he jumps off his horse and goes to embrace them. His horse stood by hanging his head sadly. When we ignore the inner voice of guidance however well meaning this ignoring may be, there is a part of us which does feel ashamed and we hang our heads metaphorically.

The brothers try and persuade Petru to give them the water to carry, but Petru naively tells them what the Goddess of Thunder said and about the magic cloth she had given him. Both brothers realise the implications of the cloth, and now know there is only one way to kill Petru. He has shown them his weakness as well as his strength, so they know exactly what they must do to get rid of him. They try to coax him with flattery to have a drink of water from a stream, so that they can then drown him.

The end comes suddenly. The horse neighed; Petru knew what it meant and did not go with his brothers. He went home to his father, cured his blindness, and the brothers were never seen again.

He has avoided the trap and comes into his Father’s kingdom to make it his own. The Emperor was old and ready to give it to the bravest of his sons – the only one who had done the inner work and journeyed far into the unknown to come back with the water of life and light. And so his eyes laughed for evermore.

Petru had to return into the world of consciousness – we all do. This is where we live but we bring with us the knowledge and experience that we have gained in that inner space.

This story is really a tale for the masculine process of enlightenment, but there is much to be learned from this by women too. Many women these days are almost forced to be ‘animus’ driven just so that they can compete in this world, and many are trying to re-discover their feminine side.

So in this way perhaps we as women can also find sustenance in this story.

THE END

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THE SUFI MESSAGE OF BALANCE & HEALING A celebration of 102 years of the Sufi Message of Love, Harmony and Beauty in the west.

“My body, heart and soul radiate the healing spirit of God.” “Balance my life, that I may know and act right.”

4pm Fri 14th to 12 noon Tuesday 18th September, 2012 At The Chevalier Resource Centre

collect all that is good and beautiful

November 5-12, 2012 An eight-day retreat at the Dargah of Hazrat Inayat Khan, New Delhi, India Under the guidance of Murshid Nawab Pasnak When a person is absorbed in self, he has no time to build his character; but when he forgets himself, he collects all that is good and beautiful. This is the key to the whole of life, both to worldly success and to spiritual attainment.

The angels were made to sing the praises of the Lord; the jinns to imagine, to dream, to meditate; but man is created to show humanity in his character.

1 Roma Ave, Kensington, Sydney NSW 2033 (Parking onsite).

—Hazrat Inayat Khan—

The retreat will be guided by experienced leaders of the

This retreat on the theme of building character is for mureeds of Hazrat Inayat Khan; some experience with the teaching style of the retreat guide is recommended. Each day involves both group practice and suggested individual exercises. The retreat is limited to fifteen places.

Sufi Movement in Australia and include a focus on healing and balancing our lives.

Cost: $480 includes retreat, meals, accommodation, linen and parking.

For further information please contact: Hamida - 02 9387 5263 m 0420 302 739, hamida.janice@yahoo.com Or Shakti - cgenn@bigpond.com

REGISTRATION To register, please email participant name and phone to Shakti, cgenn@bigpond.com and you will receive program, map, dietary needs & next of kin contact forms.

Please pay deposit $50 by 10th August, full payment by Friday7th September 2012 to Commonwealth Bank, Brandon Park Branch, Sufi Movement in Australia Inc, BSB 063 587 Account number 10251994,

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Cost, Deposit and Accommodation: The retreat fee is INR38,000/-, or the equivalent, with 50% due upon registration, and the balance payable upon arrival at the Dargah. The fee includes food and accommodation for ten days (the retreat plus two days extra) staff gratuities, a contribution to the Staff Welfare Fund, and a donation to the Dargah.

Additional contributions and donations are of course welcome.

Extra days of accommodation can be arranged at a modest cost.

Accommodation will be either in the Dargah retreat house or a nearby guest-house. Food and lodging are simple, Indian style, but most rooms have western style toilets. Please note that during the retreat, accommodation can only be provided for retreat participants; those planning on further travel in India with friends or family should arrange to meet them before or after the retreat.

Arrival: When planning your travel, please be aware that because of staff holidays we will not be able to accept guests at the Dargah before November 1st.

Health and Visas: When planning your trip, remember that all foreigners require a visa to enter India; a simple tourist visa is usually the easiest to obtain. Also, you may wish to discuss your trip with a doctor or travel clinic.

Registration and Information: Currency regulations in some countries may make it difficult to transfer a deposit, in which case please let us know. To register, or to request further information,

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE Nuria Daly Phone: 03 9561 4861 Email: irenenuriadaly@hotmail.com VICE-PRESIDENT Celia Genn Phone: 07 5494 0724 Email: cgenn@bigpond.com SECRETARY Sabura Allen Phone: 08 9533 4658 Email: sabura.allen@med.monash.edu.au TREASURER Azad Daly Phone: 03 9561 4861 Email: roddydaly@hotmail.com INTERNATIONAL SUFI MOVEMENT CONTACTS GENERAL REPRESENTATIVES 24 Banstraat, 2517 GJ The Hague, Netherlands Phone: +31 70 3657 664 Email: sufihq@xs4all.nl GENERAL SECRETARIAT 78 Anna Pulownastraat, 2518 BJ The Hague, Netherlands Phone: +31 70 346 1594 Email: sufiap@hetnet.nl SUFI MOVEMENT WEB SITES International: www.sufimovement.org Australia: www.smia.com.au

REGIONAL CONTACTS AND REPRESENTATIVES ACT Talibah Josephine Lolicato Phone: 02 6297 5107 Email: loliavec@ozemail.com.au NSW – GRAY’S POINT Kafia Airey Phone: 02 9525 0137 Email: kafia@optusnet.com.au NSW – NEW ENGLAND Karim and Bahkti Parkhurst Phone: 0429 996950 Email: sitaramanzil@bigpond.com NSW – SYDNEY Hamida Janice Phone: 02 9387 5263 Email: hamida.janice@yahoo.com NSW – ROCK VALLEY Zubin Shore Phone: 0478 679 533 Email: zubinshore@gmail.com QLD – GLASSHOUSE MOUNTAINS Celia Genn Phone: 07 5494 0724 Email: cgenn@bigpond.com TASMANIA Habiba Aubert Phone: 03 6223 6085 VICTORIA – MELBOURNE Nuria Daly (details above) EDITOR, Spirit Matters Sakina Kara Jacob Phone: 0448 839641 Email: klsjacob@gmail.com