Sufism: an inquiry - Vol19.2

Vol.19 N.2 an inquiry

Inspiration, Freedom,

Truthfulness, & Nirvan The Life and Legacy of Shah Maghsoud ®

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Sufism: An Inquiry Vol XIX, No. 2

Find the holy door and knocking Meet the owner dwelling there.

Receive the gift of answering.

Wealth and richness shall be yours When the owner opens up the door.

– Rumi

Sufism: An Inquiry Vol XIX, No. 2

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®

Publisher: International Association of Sufism a nonprofit corporation.

Editor-in-Chief: Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Ph.D. Executive Editor: Nahid Angha, Ph.D. Journal Board: Matthew Davis, Ph.D., Munir Hedges, Elizabeth Miller, Ph.D., Sarah Hastings Mullin, Ph.D., Taher Roybal.

Photography:

Susan W. Lambert

www.SusanWLambert.com

Steve Uzzell

www.SteveUzzell.com

Inside Cover Photo: Steve Uzzell

The various articles in SUFISM: an inquiry represent the individual views of their authors.

SUFISM: an inquiry does not imply any gender bias by the use of feminine or masculine terms, nouns and/or pronouns.

SUFISM: an inquiry is a quarterly journal (ISSN: 0898-3380) published by the International Association of Sufism.

Address all correspondence regarding editorials and advertising to: SUFISM, P.O. Box 2382, San Rafael, California 94912 Phone: (415) 472-6959 email ias@ias.org All material Copyright © 2021 by International Association of Sufism.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication (including art) may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

The publication is published by the International Association of Sufism, a California nonprofit corporation.

The publication of any article, essay, story, or other material herein constitutes neither an endorsement of, agreement with, or validation of the contents of the author’s views expressed therein.

Although the Publisher has made all reasonable efforts in its editing of such material to verify its accuracy, the Publisher takes no responsibility for any inaccurate or tortious statement by the author set forth therein.

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editors’ desk 9.

A Letter from the Desk of the Editor Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Ph.D.

17. Pursuit of Truth

Nahid Angha, Ph.D.

19. Essential Practices: Sedgh Nahid Angha, Ph.D.

21. Selected Teachings: The Truth of Identity Hazrat Moulana Shah Maghsoud

hisotry, inquiry & science 39. The Garden of Light Meditation and Prayer Room:

A Place for Every Human Being Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Ph.D.

27. Brant Cortright, Ph.D., in conversation Sarah Hastings Mullin, Ph.D.

35. Celebrating Humanitarian Contribution Safa Ali Michael Newman, J.D.

36. Mainia Youth Forum wins Sheikh Hasina Youth Award 45. 40 Days: The Alchemy of Tranquiliy

Elizabeth Miller, Ph.D. and Katherine Preston, MFT

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service & the world

33. Women’s Wisdom in Action Service Grant Nancy Roybal

34. Wellness & Wellbeing for Teachers and Families Nancy Roybal

65.

United Nations

poetry 41. from Ghulshan-i-Raz of Shabistari translated by Nahid Angha, Ph.D.

49. Selected Poetry

Reverend Canon Charles P. Gibbs

53. Selected Poetry Dedan Gills

sufi biogrraphy & literature 57. New Publication: Inspirations: Light of Stillnes Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Ph.D.

59. New Publication: Shah Maghsoud Life & Legacy Nahid Angha, Ph.D.

60. New Publication: Nirvan Nahid Angha, Ph.D.

61. In Tribute: Makampostneshin Jelaleddin Loras Karim Payton

71. 99 Names: Al- Ba’ith The Resurrector Sarah Hasting Mullin, Ph.D.

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Letter from the Editor

Freedom and Religion Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Ph.D.

I would like to open the subject of freedom, and to look carefully at our conception of freedom and the source of freedom. When we look carefully, we can understand that freedom is the ability to do as one will and what one has the power to do, while liberty is the responsible use of freedom without depriving anyone else of their freedom. We need to ask ourselves, how are we ready to make freedom happen?

When we say “freedom”, that means “free-from”, so freedom has two sides, always–expression of self and exemption from the power or control of others. Freedom actually is a challenge, based on deep inward longing, quest, practice, and the journey to return to the independent, abstract era of unity that is the origin and birthright of every being. The more knowledge of self, the more freedom, and for sure this energy of freedom should arise from one’s center, not from the outside.

If we look into nature, we cannot find anything that is free–everything is wrapped to the gravity and body of something else; even the cells of the human body are this way. In the physical world, nothing ever can be gravitationally neutral and all is pulled to something else. Take, for example, one molecule of water with its two units, hydrogen and oxygen (H20).

In this combination, under the force of nature, these two elements, H and O have lost their freedom. By itself neither of these elements is able to release itself and achieve freedom; unless by some other power, either from nature or industry, can we free H and O.

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The example of a water molecule helps make it clear to us not only that freedom is a challenge, but that for this challenge we need another power that can override the pull of physicality and force a release. For sure this power should arise from the inside of each element to make them free. To be able to change in this way means that within the history and origin of one’s being, one should have been free, and should carry that essence of freedom within; otherwise, one cannot find it and be free.

Deeply looking in the world of creation reveals that every being is a combination from physics and metaphysics. Without exception, in reality, every being is a combining, a coming together. That is the definition of creation–coming together to create something new. We have to pay more attention to this coming together, particularly to the quality and gravity of it; how those elements that are coming together have almost the same quality and are under and responding to a certain gravity.

Within this phenomenon of combination, freedom, and to be free, cannot really be in nature; it is only philosophy. Therefore, true freedom is only when one element, or one being, can find itself in the abstract. That means no combination, no coming together, no formula. The abstract is beside and beyond the form of every being, and yet it is the background of every being coming together in any stage of physicality. Yet, according to the rule of gravity, the substance of abstract has been wrapped within

so many unlimited waves that are unknown to us; even as it is the essence of our humanity.

When we say mankind, or human being, it is a combination of trillions of cells, and, in addition, unlimited images collect and imprint by our mind and senses, and name “memory”. Within this wrap of physicality and images, the independent, abstract personality or identity of human being remains hidden, wrapped within this dark and heavy castle from which we cannot see even a tiny light as conscious for freedom.

When we study the history of human nations, across time we have been hearing voices crying for freedom, repeating the slogan, “freedom, freedom,” rooted all the way back to the time of the caveman and up to this time. But this freedom human being calls for never happens–for any nation, at any time.

Instead of heeding and answering to this call, history has proven that if anyone among the nations has touched freedom, and sought to reveal its true conditions to society, blinded by illusion, that society comes together and crucifies him.

In all corners of the world people are crying for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of every movement. Individuals call for freedom, but across nations, the one who has to grant this freedom is a government; a group of people coming together has the power to create rules and to govern the conditions of living. That means you cannot say whatever you like; you cannot practice whatever you believe; you cannot do whatever you want. In reality, people

crying for freedom are trying to release themselves from oppressive rules and discipline set by institutional leaders and political parties, and freedom is not bound to that.

There cannot be any nation in our world that is not under these oppression and regulations. And, in the reality of freedom, even if people practice and challenge for freedom from such rule, this is not that freedom which they really need. The glory sun of freedom has been left behind all of these personal illusionary dark clouds and what has been created by those who govern and in the absence of knowledge of our true being.

We need to understand the reality that every human is born free. There is a saying of Amir-al-Momenin Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet: “All people are born free; unless, by their own choice, they choose to be a slave, or choose the way of slavery.” This brings a question–why would a human being choose to be a slave, or choose the way of slavery? This is for two reasons: 1) ignorance about the reality of freedom as a gift from the Creator, or 2) they are part of the group that creates the rules. In the second case, this means that the individual is part of the government that creates the rules, and therefore, is a beneficiary.

The most oppression and regulations that are created to block the reality of freedom are those regulations that have been set by leaders under the name “religion.” Government and religious leaders create series of regulations, disciplines and traditions under

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the name of “religion,” while the truth is obscured and left behind. In its reality and true meaning, religion is rooted to the abstract–to the spring of life, everlasting life. Expression of that life is the essence of every being to be and do. Without life, there can’t be any being.

On the surface, life gets into so many changes and different presentations, but the abstract reality of life always remains pure. Under the title of “religion”, people begin to follow rules, disciplines and traditions enforced under name of an unknown “God”, and are left fearing Hell or pursuing greed for Paradise. Meanwhile, true knowledge for practicing humanity, and practicing freedom, is denied and lost. Understanding and experiencing the value of knowing self, as a treasure of divine quality, and the gateway to prosperity, freedom, democracy, and peace beyond of any human invention, that is the way of religion.

In fact, religion, as a locus of life, is the gift of the Creator to every human being. The presentation and form of human being, in every state and stage of the creation, is because of an under the direction, wisdom, of the locus of life which is the reality of religion.

Holy Qur’an 30:30: So set you face steadily and truly to the religion of unity, the nature made by Allah in which He has created man. There is no altering Allah’s creation. That is the right religion–but most people know not.

Our expectation from religion and following the divine rule should be to achieve knowledge of self, and, by this knowledge, to achieve knowledge of creation.

According to the divine rule, the beginning of religion is knowing self and discovering the substance of the abstract, of unity, within the self. Knowledge of self is the true substance of being, and the way for freedom and to be alive. A further saying of Amir-al-Momenin: The beginning of religion is knowing self, and, with this knowledge, the human being comes to the perfect state to discover unity within the self.

This way of knowledge and discovery is exact–the way and the teaching of the prophets in monotheism by the light of knowledge and their own direct experi-

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ence by practice within their own being, beyond any assumptions of the people after. As the final book in monotheism, Qur’an reminds all people, from all branches of monotheism, to the root and source of religion and practice, with no exception. Sura 3:64: Say: O People of the Book, come to an equitable word between us and you, that we shall serve none but Allah and that we shall not associate aught with Him, and that some of us shall not take others for lords besides Allah. But if they turn away, then say: Bear witness, we are Muslims (submitted).

At birth, mankind, human being, is free. Quickly we learn how to be a slave, first to the natural needs of our body, and then later also to our wishes and desires. Wrapped within the body, as a combination of so many cells, electromagnetic waves and impulses, wishes and desires, how can the human being find the way of freedom, unless he or she is born again?

First we oppress our own self, then, by extension, our society, and all is off balance. We have to feed and nourish our bodies and meet our needs, this cannot be denied, but we don’t have to be a slave to this process. We need a system of education from the beginning that helps us differently to care about our own being and develop knowledge of self, learning to be modest not oppressive.

To understand the answer for freedom, we need to get back again to the saying of Amir-al-Momenin: human being must except him or herself from any other control or power and find new birth along the way of the abstract, of everlasting life, which is the path and gateway of freedom. This teaching appears also in the teachings of Jesus: “Verily I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). True prosperity and freedom are not found in the rules and dictates of governments, political parties and unknown traditions but in the breath and light of knowledge and the heart’s freedom in knowing one’s worth in the design of creation.

the beginning of religion is knowing self

Freedom actually is a challenge, based on deep inward longing, quest, practice, and the journey to return to the independent, abstract era of unity that is the origin and birthrigh t of every being. The more knowledge of self, the more freedom, and for sure this energy of freedom should arise from one’s center, not from the outside.

Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Ph.D., the Editor in Chief of the journal, is the Co-Director of the International Association of Sufism. He is an acclaimed Sufi Master with students around the world, an international lecturer and the author of numerous books including An Introduction to Religion.

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“We shall show them our signs upon the horizons and within themselves until it is clear to them this is Real (the Truth)” Holy Qu’ran 41:53

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The Garden of Light Meditation & Prayer Room

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Join people from around the world in Contributing to the construction and landscaping of this project.

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The world's longest running journal on Sufism 30 years of service toward cultivating peace and understanding in the world Since its founding in 1983, the International Association of Sufism has been proud to be a home for Sufis, spiritual seekers, and people of all kinds devoted to uplifting the quality of humanity around the globe. Over the last three decades, the IAS has been blessed with phenomenal growth and has worked hard to be a leader in a wide range of areas. Among the longest running of its traditions of service is our journal, Sufism, An Inquiry, which we first published in 1987. Since that time, Sufism, An Inquiry has been a living reflection of the dynamic energy and growing global community of Sufis and searchers who are deeply engaged in the work of the IAS. Over 60 volumes, the pages of Sufism, An Inquiry have championed women’s rights and the work of the Sufi Women Organization; published scientific inquiries ranging from the physiology of heart math to the latest findings of astronomers; shared new translations of classic works of Sufi literature previously unavailable in English; offered works by leading psychologists on human development and the spiritual path, reported on human rights and other diplomatic movements ranging from the work of the United Nations to interfaith organizations such as the United Religions Initiative; explored the cultural gifts of world religions diversely embodied around the planet; and provided insight into a wide variety of effective practices for spiritual development. As a whole, the tradition at Sufism, An Inquiry of featuring the work of great teachers, scholars and scientists from a wide variety of global perspectives, historical contexts and fields of specialization runs deep and strong throughout our journal’s history and shall continue to grow far into the future.

Since the time the IAS first began publishing Sufism, An Inquiry, the world has also gone through an amazing transformation full of new opportunities and new challenges. One notable dimension in which the world has changed completely is the world of media under the influence of the internet and high technology. Just as the IAS has been at the forefront of leadership efforts for peace, human rights and equality, religious freedom and international cooperation, critical to meeting the opportunities and challenges of our changing world, today the IAS is proud to announce that it is relaunching Sufism, An Inquiry in a new online, digital format that will make it more dynamic and more accessible than ever to a worldwide population. We look forward to developing video content, mp3 audio files, social interactivity, links to websites with related content, and a beautiful full-color layout. At the same time, we plan to offer the journal, not just online, but in print, in downloadable pdf format, and in other formats readable on e-readers.

To all our readers who have added so much to our community over these many years, we wish to extend our great appreciation for making us part of your life and we extend to you and to all our enthusiastic invitation to journey with us into this new and exciting period of growth for our journal.

We hope you will enjoy this, our inaugural issue in our new online, digital format! Let us know what you think in an email to:sufismjournal@gmail.com.

Peace to you and yours,

Sufism, An Inquiry Editorial Staff, The International Association of Sufism Sufism: An Inquiry Vol XIX, No. 2

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Principles of Sufism

First printed in Dr. Nahid Angha, Principles of Sufism (San Rafael, CA: International Association of Sufism Publications, 1991), p. 7–8.

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The Pursuit of Truth the origins of Sufism Nahid Angha, Ph.D.

The pursuit of truth is the quest for a particular goal, a quest pursued no matter how difficult the path–and for the most important truths, the way may be long and arduous indeed. Tasawouf, or Sufism, is the esoteric school of Islam, founded on the pursuit of spiritual truth as a definite goal to attain: the truth of understanding reality as it truly is, as knowledge, and so achieving ma’arefat. In Tasawouf when we speak of understanding we refer to that perfect self-understanding that leads to the understanding of the Divine.

This very logical principle is based on a saying of Prophet Mohammad: “Whoever knows oneself, knows one’s Lord.”

The origins of Tasawouf can be traced to the heart of Islam in the time of the Prophet, whose teachings attracted a group of schoalrs who came to be called “ahle suffe,” the People of Suffe, from their practice of sitting at the platform of the mosque of the Prophet in Medina. There they engaged in discussions concerning the reality of Being, and in search of the inner path they devoted themselves to spiritual purification and meditation.

The ahle suffe believed that it was the unique human right and privilege to be able to find the way towards understanding the reality of the Divine. As the cognitive tools of ordinary mental logic are limited in their ability to comprehend such a great and all-embracing subject, disputation and all discussions based on language alone cannot open any door to understanding such reality. Instead, such a path of understanding necessitates spiritual striving, the understanding of the knowledge of the heart, in its quest to realize the existence of the Divine. Such an approach separates Sufis from philosophers and

indeed from any other group of scholars whose knowledge is founded upon traditions, words, assumptions, and the imagination instead of the actual and direct understanding of all that exists.

Sufis became the people of the tariq, or the way; their particular goal was to understand the inner teachings of Islam, and find a way to the reality of the self.

The principles of Sufism are based upon the teachings of the Qur’an and the instructions of the Prophet. To a Sufi there is no gulf of separation between all of Being, the Creator, and His creations. That the multitude cannot perceive this fundamental unity is the result of the limitations of the material and physical tools, restricted mental faculties and the dimensional reality that humankind possesses and lives in. If human being were free from the limitations of matter then human being would surely witness this immense and eternal unity of Being. And surely there is a chance for humankind to ascend to such a level of understanding, a pathway that can be followed through purification and meditation to the realization of its achievement.

When one’s heart is purified, the manifestation of the Divine is reflected in the mirror of the heart. Only then may human being ascend from the level of animal nature to the level of the true human being.

Since all the principles that underlie the instructions of Sufis are based on the Qur’an, it is impossible to relate Sufism to any religion outside of Islam. Yet the search for true understanding and abstract knowledge of reality is a universal quest. As long as humanity endures, so too will the search for such understanding continue.

History shows us that every nation and religion has its own way of expressing this universal quest.

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Essential Teachings Along the Spiritual Path

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Sedgh

honesty of heart {Truthfulness}

by Nahid Angha, Ph.D.

from: Angha, Nahid. (1991). Principles of Sufism.

San Rafael: IAS Publications. 56–58. * Moulana Shah Maghsoud, Payam-i-dil, p. 10.

One of the essential preconditions of devotion toward the direction of understanding, the goal of the salek (seeker), is the honesty of the heart.

When the novice, through the instruction of the teacher (who is rarer than the phoenix and cannot be found among the traders in the marketplace of religion), begins to polish his or her heart and rub away the deceit of the changeable accretions of nature, revealing in their place stability and constancy in the house of heart, his or her heart becomes receptive to the subtlest waves of spirituality. This reception and transference of knowledge is the reason why Sufis say that spiritual knowledge is transferred from heart to heart–and not from mind to mind.

Mind, or its physical vessel, the brain, is the receiver of influences which are visible and perceivable by and through the senses insofar as their inherent limitations permit…Heart receives those subtle waves, influences that are on a different level of frequency, one usually hidden from the attention of the senses. The organs of sense understand only those readily apparent events which happen within the borders of common perception. Yet though the senses may be dulled, the heart perceives a different level of waves within a different border and frequency…

Moulana Shah Maghsoud spoke authoritatively: ‘When the energies of your senses, altogether, gather in your heart and do not wish to return, then you will find your “self.” When your Being is nourished by the center of life, you will discover the illuminated face of your “self.”’ With his wisdom he instructed his followers that, “You shall gather and return the scattered energies of the senses to your heart. Remain there, all peaceful and concentrated, and manifest the luminous figure of your ‘self.’ If it breathes onto the elements of your being from the Eternal Soul, then you will step out of the realm of death.”

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Selected Teachings

Hazrat Moulana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha

Translated by Dr. Nahid Angha (1991).

A Meditation: aP yam-i-dil.

IAS Publications, p.10.

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A Sufi sees the truth of his or her identity as clearly as he or she sees his or her face in the mirror.

The righteous one sees the truth of his or her identity as he or she sees his or her face on the trembling water. The misled and rebellious one neither discovers nor will discover. His or her surroundings are the realm of ignorance and loss. The darkness of ignorance diminishes the rays of awareness. Therefore, put the darkness away from yourself. Light the channel between your heart and your mind, and do not let these neighbors remain unaware of each other.

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SELECTED IAS PUBLICATIONS

Inspiration: Light of Stilness Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Shah Nazar Uwaiysi Compiled by Saleh Arthur Scott

Sufi Wisdom: The Collected Words of Sufi Master Nahid Angha Compiled by Arife Ellen Hammerle, Ph.D.

Caravan: Biographies from the Sufism Symposia 1994-2014 Introduction by Nahid Angha, Ph.D.

Illumination of the Names: Meditation by Sufi Masters on the Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God Introduction from the Teachings of Sufi Master Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar Compiled by Glenn Pascall

Seasons of the Soul: The Spoken Wisdom of Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar Compiled by Glenn Pascall & Saana Joy Carey, Ph.D.

Inspirations on The Holy Qur’an

Dr. Nahid Angha and Shah Nazar Seyyed Dr. Ali Kianfar, students of Moulana Shah Maghsoud, 20th Century Persian Sufi Master, are Sufi scholars and masters, with many publications. They cofounded the International Association of Sufism in 1983, to introduce and provide practical applications of Sufism, the mysticism of Islam, and open a line of communication amongst Sufi masters and scholars from around the world.

International Association of Sufism IAS. PO Box 2382, San Rafael, California 94912, USA

ISBN: 0-918437-20-4

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Inspirations on The Holy Qur’an

To bring the wisdom of Islam to the general public, Dr. Kianfar offered exegesis on Qur’anic text through a series of classes entitled: Love and Wisdom through the Qur’an and Hadiths. His teachings and the students’ reflections are compiled in this book: Inspirations on the Holy Qur’an. Dr. Kianfar emphasized the importance of studying this text as a manual for humanity and as a reflection for a reader on his/her divine essence and of spiritual development. He emphasizes that the key to understanding the Qur’an is in how profoundly and reflectively one studies the teachings provided in the Book: the teachings that become a trusted guide for the practitioner who moves towards the stations of selfunderstanding and spiritual awakening.

Inspirations on The Holy Qur’an Introduction by Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar

Introduction by Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar

A Collection of Essays by Sherri Brown • Sarah Hastings Mullin • Munir Hedges Katherine Preston • Amelia Amineh Pryor Bryan Rich • Hamed Blake Ross

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Seasons of Transformation Compiled by Saleh Arthur Scott

Human Self Volume 1: Body

by Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, et.al.

Human Self VOLUME I : BODY Shah Nazar Ali Kianfar

with Mary Toth Granick, M.Ed., MS Arife Ellen Hammerle, Ph.D. Amineh Amelia Pryor, Ph.D. Katherine Preston, MA

series

Reflections

by Arife Ellen Hammerle, Ph.D.

The Book of Self

by Sarah Hastings Mullin, Ph.D.

Show Us the Straight Way: the intimate act of talking to God in Prayer

by Halima Joann Haymaker

Sufism: Self, Path and Guide

by Amineh Amelia Pryor, Ph.D.

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Sufi Gatherings, Uwaiysi Tariqat *Bi-monthly, Novato, CA (* may be online due to “shelter-in-place”)

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PRACTICE AND MEDITATION GROUPS

READING AND STUDY GROUPS

Qur’an Class with Shah Nazar Seyyed Dr. Ali Kianfar Sundays, 3:00-4:00 pm (Pacific Time) Novato, CA (* on Zoom) Visit ias.org/love-and-wisdom for registration details

Amir al-Momenin Imam Ali Reading Group First Sundays monthly, 1:00 – 2:00 pm Novato, CA (* by Skype) Contact Sheikh Salman Baruti

Sufi Meditation & The Journey Reading Group Every other Sunday, 10:00 – 11:30 am Novato, CA (* on Zoom) Call in advance: Dr. Arife Hammerle, (415) 389-6448

Community Discussion Group Sundays, 2:00-3:00 pm Novato, CA (* on Zoom) Contact Safa Ali Michael Newman

Meditation for Mothers Second Mondays monthly, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm (on hold) 14 Commercial Blvd. Suite 101, Novato, CA Pre-reg. required. Contact Dr. Amineh Pryor, (415) 4382-7834 Alchemy of Heart Sufi Meditation Program Last Mondays monthly, 4:30 – 5:30 pm (on hold) 616 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley, CA 94941 Call in advance: Dr. Arife Hammerle, (415) 389-6448

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Sacred Meditation Circle for Women in Santa Rosa First Wednesdays monthly, 11:00 am (on hold) Santa Rosa, CA Contact Halima Haymaker, (707) 953-2013

Stations of the Sufi Path Third Wednesdays monthly, 7:00 – 8:00 pm San Francisco location, CA (* on Zoom) Contact Dr. Amineh Pryor, (415) 4382-7834 Illumination of the Names Monthly on Wednesdays, 7:00 – 8:00 pm Novato, CA (* online) Contact Dr. Leili First

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Heart-based Meditation Thursday evenings, 7:00 – 8:00 pm (on hold) San Francisco, CA Contact Dr. Amineh Pryor, (415) 4382-7834 Sufi New Student Gathering Every other Saturday & by Appointment Novato, CA (* online) Contact Safa Ali Newman, (415) 499-1115

Indicies and Seeds of Transformation Groups One Saturday a month Novato, CA (* on Zoom) Contact Saleh Arthur Scott, (510) 318-0688

Awareness of Breath and Movement Weekly practice group, Saturdays 8:00-9:00 am Novato, CA (* on Zoom) Contact Sheikh Jalal Heery

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Interview

“I think a lot of therapy is really about creating a loving atmosphere, a loving connection, where the person then begins to be held in a loving, affirming place, and their own healing process can begin to emerge again; they can begin to heal themselves.”

A Conversation with Brant Cortright, Ph.D. exploring human health, spirituality and healing,

Brant Cortright, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus with the California Institute of Integral Studies, author, and clinical psychologist. He has written four books, two #1 international Amazon bestsellers: Functional Psychology for Anxiety, Depression, and Cognitive Decline as well as The Neurogenesis Diet and Lifestyle.

Additionally, he is also the author of two books on psychotherapy: Integral Psychology: Yoga, Growth and Opening the Heart (SUNY Press) and Psychotherapy and Spirit (SUNY Press.)

He is a featured speaker at conferences and corporate gatherings on the topics of peak brain performance, cognitive enhancement, preventing cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression. He sees psychotherapy clients in his San Francisco office or online via Zoom.

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His orientation is holistic and integral, and he integrates the two major streams of depth therapy – contemporary psychodynamic and existential-humanistic approaches – together with somatic and functional approaches to psychological healing and growth. He also provides coaching and consultation in the areas of anxiety, depression, cognitive decline and brain health via Skype to people from around the globe. Brant gives workshops throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Dr. Cortright joined Dr. Sarah Hastings Mullin, a psychologist, in conversation to explore a broad range of topics addressing psychology, anxiety, depression, spritiuality, healing, and our humanity.

Sarah: You’ve recently written Functional Psychology for Anxiety, Depression, and Cognitive Decline. I’m interested in your clinical understanding of why people become affected by these conditions.

Dr. Cortright: I’ve been a psychologist for many years, and there is a split in psychiatry and psychology. In psychology we think that people’s difficulties–depression, brain changes, and everything– is the result of unskillful behavior that caused a change in the brain. Psychiatry thinks that depression, anxiety, all these things, are brain diseases that require lifelong medication. So there’s been a split, and the question of what causes the brain changes–is it unskillful behavior, or is it illness of some sort–has been a chicken or an egg sort of thing. For most of my life, I’ve been on the psychology side, thinking it’s unskillful behavior.

Sarah: What do you mean by that, “unskillful behavior”?

Dr. Cortright: If I’m acting unskillfully in my relationship I’m going to feel anxious, I’m going to feel depressed, I’m going to feel stressed, I’m going to feel bad. I’m going to get symptoms of one sort or another. If I don’t have loving and supportive relationships, if my self is fragmented because of trauma, because of early wounding, I’m going to get symptoms. And so, that’s been my explanatory paradigm for most of my life. But recently I’ve begun to think that actually the brain side has a lot to do with this also, and so I’ve begun looking at that. I’ve begun look at how we are psycho-physical beings; we have a brain, and a body, and we have a psychology, or a psycho-spiritual side as well. I began to see how diet has affected my life, has affected my clients’ lives, and has affected my students’ lives in a pretty profound way…So I began really exploring the field of holistic health more and more, and looking at how different brain changes result in depression, anxiety, and other conditions. I began to think it’s not a chicken or an egg thing, it’s a chicken and an egg thing. Unfortunately, psychiatry only has medications that suppress the symptoms, and have to be taken lifelong. It’s a great business model if you’re a pharmaceutical company, but it doesn’t really heal the brain. I’ve been looking at how to heal the brain, how to make the brain stronger. I think there are so many neurotoxins now in the environment that most people experience some degree of

weakening of their brain. It’s like death by a thousand cuts; you don’t feel one or two, or even 30 but after 100 or 200, you begin to feel it. And there are common neural mechanisms underneath anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. The book goes into healing those difficult neurotoxic assaults on brain.

For example, one thing is that there is a neurogenic slowing. We’ve known about neuroplasticity for decades now, but we’ve only known about neurogenesis for the past 15 or 20 years. We used to think that the brain stopped growing when we hit our early twenties, and then it was just one slow die off. Now researchers realize that neurogenesis happens through the entire lifecycle until the end. It turns out that the rate of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, called synaptogenesis–the rate at which the brain is making new connections and new brain cells–has a profound impact on the quality of our life.

When the neurogenic rate slows down, we get anxiety, stress, depression, brain fog, and cognitive decline, and there are many things in the environment that slow down neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. Smog, for example, or the smoke from fires. Smog, these really tiny particles, 2.5-micron particles, they enter into the lungs, enter into the bloodstream, they cross the blood-brain barrier, and they act like little wrecking balls in very delicate neural tissues there creating inflammation.

Glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide in the world, 300 million pounds of it is used in the United States every year, is having a profound impact. The University of California San Francisco did a study in which they found that 93 percent of Americans have measurable levels of glyphosate in their bloodstream. Glyphosate is an antibiotic, so it wipes out the microbiome, which we know is a disaster. It also opens up the tight junctions of the intestines–the tight junctions are what keeps out the bad stuff and lets in the good stuff. When those open up, all this toxic stuff comes in, creates inflammation. The tight junctions of the blood-brain barrier respond to the same molecular signals, so in the case of the blood-brain barrier, those tight junctions also open up, letting neurotoxins into the brain and causing inflammation and oxidation. So we get leaky gut and we get leaky brain.

Inflammation is behind all of the major chronic

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diseases–heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancers, you name it, and also anxiety and depression.

These are highly inflammatory processes. To return back to some of what is in the book, the healthy brain diet has four components: neurogenic, ketogenic (or low-carb), anti-inflammatory and gut-friendly. It turns out that approaching the brain that way increases the neurogenic rate, reduces inflammation, and increases microbial diversity. There are, for example, a number of probiotics that have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression scores by 50 percent. Most people in the West have a decimated microbiome because of the overuse of antibiotics and glyphosate. So the book has a big brain healthy piece, but also a big depth psychology piece, because there are very different psychological processes behind these two things.

The book tries to put those two worlds together; most books are one or the other.

Sarah: What are your opinions around where healing occurs? You also have written about healing spiritually, what is that? Where is that? Is it within an organ in the body?

Dr. Cortright: That’s a pretty big, profound, question. If we think of “spirit” as some vast, infinite Consciousness, Being, Self, that has brought this whole universe into existence, at one level there is only spirit, there is only the divine, and that’s all that exists; we’re all just forms of that. But in this differentiated world, only saints and realized beings experience that. We may believe it to be true, but sadhana or spiritual practice is necessary to actually experience it. And as we are born and grow up, we develop an ego or self that centralizes our experience that we come to identify with. And this ego gets wounded, traumatized, hurt, creating unconscious defenses, contractions, and symptoms. How do we move toward greater wholeness? How do we move toward greater healing, and how do we locate that? Well, when I think of healing, I think of that each being is naturally moving toward greater and greater wholeness, that there’s an intrinsic kind of wholeness movement in everything.

Even though we are fragmented, we are wounded, we’re hurt, we’re divided, nevertheless, underneath it all, the soul, the individual being, the organism, whatever way you look at it, whether the soul level or the organismic level, there’s this intrinsic movement toward wholeness, toward greater and greater growth, greater and greater self-expression, greater

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and greater capacities that are unfolding, and greater and greater integrality, a sense of wholeness. So healing naturally occurs. It’s inbuilt, it’s what we move toward. It’s what the organism naturally does, unless there are interferences with it, such as neurotoxins, such as toxic relationships, such as traumas. Then the question becomes, how do we heal those?

I think of it as we kind of open to the divine’s power of healing, whether we locate that in a healer, in a doctor, in a medicine, it operates in many different levels, and it’s not necessarily on a physical level. At the same time, it’s not necessarily just on a spiritual plane. It’s operating on all of these levels. Spiritual healing can use medicine as a vehicle through which it can work; it can use food; it can use loving relationships. Most healers talk about love, it’s kind of this healing energy.

I think along similar lines that in psychotherapy, for example, we want to create...Carl Rogers talked about “unconditional positive regard.” At the very end of his life he said that he really regretted not being able to talk about love, because that was what we was really talking about, but as it was traditionally taboo to talk of love in the psychotherapeutic relationship, he had to use these other terms. I think a lot of therapy is really about creating a loving atmosphere, a loving connection, where the person then begins to be held in a loving, affirming place, and their own healing process can begin to emerge again; they can begin to heal themselves. We’re not doing the healing; we’re helping create conditions through which the person’s own healing can be unleashed.

Dr. Cortright: Interesting question. The tradition I come out of is Integral Yoga, Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga. In Integral Yoga what Aurobindo did was really bring together the different streams of Vedanta, so different streams of the personal divine and different streams of the impersonal divine. You can look at the world’s religions as being one or the other of these, mostly. And there’s a kind of battle between these, to determine which one is more ultimate–is the divine this vast impersonal consciousness, or is it a vast personal being. What Aurobindo did is say that they are both equal: the divine is equally personal and impersonal; and we have that within us as well. We have the impersonal atman, or buddha nature, nonevolving; and we have a uniquely individual personal soul, which evolves lifetime after lifetime.

In Integral Yoga this personal soul is located behind

the heart chakra. The personal divine traditions tend to do this. In Christianity, Christ pointing to his own open heart. Sufism talks about the heart. Krishna, he exists in the heart of every living creature. Personal divine traditions tend to locate the soul not on the physical plane, not in the physical heart, but on another plane, another dimension. But spatially, in terms of the body, located in the area of the physical heart. In these traditions the idea is to try to connect with the soul, to awaken the soul, to peel away the layers between the ego and the soul, and to have this luminous loving center come forward, to guide our lives more and more.

There are a lot of heart-centered practices in Integral Yoga, and in really every spiritual tradition. Opening the heart is an important part of everything. The impersonal divine traditions tend to focus more on mindfulness, but they have preliminary heart-opening practices, because you can only be as mindful as your heart is open. The personal divine traditions put the emphasis more on the heart, and love, and mindfulness and things like that are maybe more preliminary to get the mind quiet. In these personal divine traditions it’s more about the soul movement. In a sense there can be a physical, spatial focus of this in the heart area, behind the heart. But again, it’s not in 3D, it’s another dimension, is my understanding.

Sarah: You have mentioned these yogic principles of getting into the heart. Are there different experiences that an experienced practitioner would be having with their heart that maybe are not commonly known?

Dr. Cortright: Yes, absolutely. So getting into the heart, there are so many levels. In Integral Yoga, there is this soul that I mentioned behind the heart chakra.

There’s the chakra itself, which is the center of love, and there is a heart in front of that–an ordinary heart of emotion, which is both in the heart area but also extends down into the gut and into the whole body.

In fact, we can talk about the first through the fifth chakras as being the area of emotion. This means that between the tailbone and the throat feeling happen, and it’s where the emotional chakras exist. This ordinary heart of emotion is kind of in the way of this deeper luminous center, and so there’s a lot of psychological work for most people that is important to do as they are making this journey inward, into the heart. I think if you can do them both together, that’s

ideal, but to immediately try to go into this loving center, it so easily leads into spiritual bypassing and other things that can be confusing.

Sarah: So whether a client announces that they’re a spiritual being or not, as you witness the clinical journey, would you say that it follows a very specific pattern–healing–from when someone arrives to when you both ultimately feel like they’ve healed? Is that journey the same for everyone?

Dr. Cortright: In Integral Yoga there is a kind of soul guidance. The soul is the one voice we can really trust inside. And, the ego or the self has many different voices, many possibilities, and sometimes it amalgamates with the soul voice and sometimes it’s very far away from it. Yes, we can take a higher path or a lower path, that would be one way of thinking about it. That teasing out, or beginning to listen, to that soul voice is for most of us a lifetime endeavor; in fact, probably a multi-lifetime endeavor. If it was easy to see that, and listen to that, and hear that, there would be no problems, we could just march on the spiritual path.

But beginning to really listen to that and sharpen our discernment between the soul ‘s “yes” and the ego’s desire, or the soul’s “careful” versus the ego’s anxiety or whatever, that is…in some ways you could see the entire psychotherapy path, or the entire spiritual path, in those terms.

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“Transformation is where that inner state then infuses the outer nature, where there’s actually a kind of physical, cellular, change. It changes the body; it changes the vibration of the body.”

“transformation takes time”

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Sarah: When you were talking before about “getting into the heart”–what have been your experiences, to the degree you’re comfortable with sharing, with things like meditation, contemplation, whether it’s your own experience or what you’ve witnessed from different teachers…

Dr. Cortright: My own sense is that we begin to identify more and more with this luminous center inside, and to be able to feel it more and more; it’s not just an idea. It becomes an increasing center of our identity. When it awakens, it’s very, very far back, it’s very, very deep inside. The idea is to bring it more and more forward, more and more into the outer life, have it transform more and more this egoic existence. That also in my experience is a multi-lifetime endeavor. I know a number of people who I feel like have good connection with that inner being, with that soul, and they are still very much in their outer consciousness also.

The coming forward, that kind of transformation, I think it’s a pretty slow process. Aurobindo talked about that transformation just takes time.

Realization can happen instantaneously, but transformation, where the outer nature gets really infil-

trated, or gets kind of raised up to this vibration, that takes time. So I think that people who are doing that, there has to first be a real awakening of this inner being, or this inner soul. That takes practice, I mean all of this comes down to daily practice. Every day we need to be working with this, it’s not just some realization and then it’s all over, this is an ongoing transformational process that I feel we are just at the beginning of really.

In the tradition I come from there’s a difference between experience, realization, and transformation.

Experience is temporary–we have an experience of the soul, of atman, of Buddha nature. We have these spiritual experience, but they fade. They’re important because they let us see what’s possible, but they’re temporary. They help purify the consciousness. They help keep our aspiration alive and moving us forward, help keep us dedicated to spiritual practice. But they’re temporary. Realization on the other hand is a permanent state. The realization of the soul, the realization of atman or Buddha nature, enlightenment, that’s a continuous state. Transformation is where that inner state then infuses the outer nature, where there’s actually a kind of physical, cellular, change. It changes the body; it changes the vibration of the body.

Sarah: Will you say more about that?

Dr. Cortright: This was Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual contribution–to see that spiritual realization wasn’t really enough to transform the Earth, because there was still so much untransformed outer nature that the spiritual impulse can get deflected, can get obscured, and not be a perfect channel outward. The whole outer nature– body, heart, and mind–needed to really transform to be a fit instrument for the spiritual manifestation to come through. And that transformation involved the body as well. Although the atman and the higher nature was important in that, what made it happen was the soul, because the soul is connected to the body. The atman, Buddha nature, it begins to lose its hold on form here.

It’s spacious, it’s eternally peaceful, it’s blissful, but the soul is what is really connected to this plane. So the soul is the means by which this transformation happens, comes into the body, comes out and infuses the outer nature.

The realization of the soul, and then the coming forward of the soul, really are the critical steps. Really all of Integral Yoga is around awakening the soul and listening to the soul’s guidance–that is the one thing we can trust, that is our evolutionary guide. Everything else is not so trustworthy, but that is a voice we can trust

completely. And it communicates not so much by thought as by feeling, by essential feeling, aspiration.

Sarah: If you were to share with someone who was new on a spiritual path what the role of a teacher is in terms of a guide helping one get to this place where one’s cellular structure is changing, what is that?

Dr. Cortright: That’s a really interesting question– the role of the teacher in a student’s awakening. Sri Aurobindo used to give darshan four times a year, so people would come in front of him and he would look at them and send them some kind of spiritual force.

But he also said that the main driver needs to be your own aspiration, needs to be your own motivation. In some traditions, it’s all through the teacher’s grace.

I had a background in Krishnamurti, who was really down on that kind of thing, and thought everyone should make their own kind of individual effort. I had a friend who went to India, and had a profound experience there, came back and told Krishamurti about it.

The experience had since left him, and Krishnamurti said, you need to do this yourself, you need to turn on the light yourself; if another person turns it on, you’ll turn it off. You need to learn to turn it on by yourself. I think that Aurobindo, although he started doing lots of spiritual force with his disciples, he moved further and further away from that the longer he was at the ashram. Then he just did it four times a year, and would do it as specific healings for students, but more and more put the emphasis on student’s own work; that the student not working was kind of stagnating. I think it just depends on the tradition. Some traditions, teacher’s grace is everything, you just open yourself to that force. Other traditions, there is none of that. So maybe it just depends on the individual person and where they are on the spiritual path, and what they’re drawn Facilitator Bios to. and Program details @

“Really all of Integral Yoga is around awakening the soul and listening to the soul’s guidance–that is the one thing we can trust, that is our evolutionary guide.”

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SWO Report The Women’s Wisdom: Women in Action program launched its Annual Service Appreciation Grants in 2019 by awarding two grants to women and women-led organizations who provide direct service to their communities towards improving the quality of life for women, reducing poverty among women, improving gender equality, or promoting women’s and girls’ right to access education. Sufi Women Organization was gratified to receive their reports of successful efforts, from women planting, harvesting and selling maize; establishing sewing workshops for women and their children; providing mindfulness-based stress reduction training to vulnerable women and girls; and developing skills and flexibility to respond to the needs of women in refugee camps.

Service Appreciation Grant women action

Nominations for candidates for the grant will be solicited and invited solely by the Women in Action program. All candidates must be nominated by a colleague(s) or by an individual(s) who has come to understand the work of the woman or women-led organization. Nominations are open and accepted from March 1st to March 31st each year. Winners will be announced in September of that year. A panel of volunteers review nominations. The awardees receive $500-$1,000 from the program as a grant.

2021 Grant Recipients included: Ruth Nalyanya (left) in support of the Eshirandala Mirembe and Wekhonye Women Group Initiative in Butuya, Kenya, a grassroots-based initiative designed to strengthen the role of rural women in peace-building processes and community development through networking and collaboration, and to promote the dignity of women and girls through sustainable empowerment activities that make them less vulnerable to poverty and gender-based violence. Isabelle Kamariza (center) in support of Solid’Africa in Rwanda, which helps vulnerable patients in public hospitals by providing food, hygienic products and other supportive services. Tecla Namachanja (right) in support of Shalom Center for Counseling and Development in Kenya, which addresses relational, structural and traumatic needs through community social healing circles and circles for relationships building and sustainable livelihood, particularly for widow, youth and the elderly.

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Sufi Women Under the direction of Dr. Nahid Angha, the Sufi Women Organization (SWO), held its semi-annual speaker presentation program, Women’s Wisdom: Women in Action, which honors leaders, activists, and humanitarians. The presentation was our second event of an ongoing discussion in our women’s health series, “Wellness & Wellbeing for Families & Teachers in a Time of Transition.” We were inspired throughout the evening by our panelists who shared their thoughts and insights, and offered their experiences, reflections and tools used in this time of transition.

Wellness & Wellbeing for Families and Educators Women’s Wisdom: Women in Action navigating uncertainty and strengthening relationships

by Nancy Roybal

Dr. Anya Dozier Enos, is an enrolled member in Santa Clara Pueblo and has over 30 years of experience in Indian Education and is Education Development Director of the tribally controlled Santa Fe Indian School. Dr. Dozier Enos stressed the importance of ritual and gathering with family units as a way of healing during the Covid pandemic, which has triggered historical trauma Native Americans carry with them from past pandemics and losses and adds to anxiety and fear in unique ways.

Dr. Shelly Wold received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute and is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. She is the Executive Director at Positive Pathways LLC, a play-based behavioral health agency providing structure and routine for children. She also works with a team of women at Thought Partners providing psychotherapy for adolescents and adults. Dr. Wold told us the importance of utilizing acceptance and commitment therapy to help clients connect to their values to find vitality and move toward a rich and meaningful life.

The Sufi Women Organization, founded by Dr. Nahid Angha and with the efforts and contributions of Sufi women from around the globe, was established in 1993 under the auspices of the International Association of Sufism, a United Nations NGO and recipient of UNESCO’s Ambassador of Peace Award. As a forum for all women, SWO has a long history of supporting and gathering together women from diverse cultural backgrounds who share a dedication to the goal of a peaceful global society, especially with respect to human dignity and the protection and advancement of human rights. SWO’s primary humanitarian goals include women’s rights, equitable access to education and healthcare, and increased understanding and peace between people, regardless of faith, gender, race, or social conditions. Learn more about SWO and becoming a member at: http://ias.org/swo/swo-membership/.

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Honoring Humanitarian Service

International Association At any time of the world, and especially now, having people of service is a blessing, since our human soicety cannot survive without them.

– Dr. Ali Kianfar al Associ rn

Inte

f ism f Su

Annual

by Safa Ali Michael Newman, J.D.

atio

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n atio

of Sufism Humanitarian Award

Dinner

On October 23, 2021, the International Association of Sufism’s held its 20th Annual Inspiration Event honoring Diane Cirincione Jampolsky, Ph.D. (bottom left), the Founder and Executive Director of Attitudinal Healing International, and Aeeshah Clottey (top left) Kokomon Clottey (top right), the Co-Founders of Attitudinal Healing Connection, as well as posthumously Gerald Jampolsky (bottom right), M.D., the Founder of Attitudinal Healing for their humanitarian work and community service. Dr. Nahid Angha, Co-Director, of the International Association of Sufism (IAS), presented each recipient with their IAS 2021 Humanitarian Award as well as a proclamation from U.S. Representative Jared Huffman and Oakland’s Mayor Libby Schaaf.

Dr. Ali Kianfar, IAS’s Co-Director, provided the opening remarks with deep appreciation for the award honorees. Speakers at the event who spoke to the honorees’ achievements and extraordinary service included Amana Harris, Executive Director, Attitudinal Healing Connection, past IAS Humanitarian Award recipient Reverend Matthew Fox, and Andy Alpine, former Publisher of Common Ground Magazine.

IAS expresses its appreciation and deep respect for the life’s work and services of all four of these individuals and their inspiration to our local and global communities. IAS’s Annual Humanitarian Award honors an individual or individuals whose life and work offer a model of engaged creativity and positive contributions to their community and the larger culture.

People feel safe when they come to the circle.

They are free to tell their story.

– Kokomon Clottery

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Mainia Youth Forum wins Sheikh Hasina Youth Volunteer Award

On the occasion of ‘Dhaka: Youth Capital of OIC 2020’ and Birth Centenary of the Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh organized the ‘Sheikh Hasina Youth Volunteer Award 2020.’ About 7,000 participants from 86 countries took part in the competition. The Grand Finale and Award Giving Ceremony were held on December 30, 2021 at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Hon’ble President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Md. Abdu.l Hamid was the chief guest. Hon’ble State Minister of the Youth and Sports Ministry of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Zahid Ahsan Rasel MP presided over the ceremony. AK Abdul Momen, Hon’ble minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Mr. Taha Ayhen, Hon’ble president of ICYF, Mr. Ahmed Mahloof, Hon’ble minister of Youth, Sports and Community affairs of Maldives, Timur Sulemanov, Hon’ble minister of Youth and Sports Ministry of the Republic of Tatarstan under the Federation of Russia were special guests.

In the Environmental Response category, Mainia Youth Forum has been awarded Sheikh Hasina Youth Volunteer Award 2020 for its outstanding effort for the conservation of the environment and resistance to climate change. Mainia Youth Forum is one of the top youth organizations in Bangladesh dedicated to human welfare. It was founded by Sayeed Saifuddin Ahmed Al Hasani, incumbent leader of Maizbhandar Darbar Shareef in 2013, and since then has been keeping a praiseworthy role in the field of social welfare through their diverse programs.

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V ICES

FOR JUSTICE A Department of the International Association of Sufism

Voices for Justice, a youth organization with a multi-religious multi-cultural unified voice to advocate for children’s human rights, was established in 2006.

A group of youth leaders advocating for the rights of children by providing a forum for public awareness through: education, community service, events and programs so that every child and every young adult has the opportunity to fulfill his or her highest potential.

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2022 Campaign in Support of SB1221 Expanded Learning Enhances Student Success California Department of Education Initiative

Take Action and help VFJ reduce the “nutrition gap” in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area!

Millions of children in California qualify for a reduced price lunch or a free lunch meal, however about 4 of 5 children are missing out on meals. Voices for Justice will be donating collections received to a local school that provides services to low income communities. Help Voices for Justice to keep children learning and growing by supporting meal programs. Voices for Justice (VFJ) is a department of the International Association of Sufism, a non-profit, United Nations, NGO-DPI. Donate your contribution of $50; $100; $250; $500; any amount $ to IAS: Voices for Justice: Checks payable to “Voices for Justice” or pay via Credit Card - Number:_______________________________ Expiration date:________________ Your name:______________________________________________________________________________ Your address:____________________________________________________________________________ Phone number:_______________________________ Email:______________________________________ Mail to: IAS/Voices for Justice: 14 Commercial Blvd., Ste. 101, Novato, California, 94949, USA International Association of Sufism is a non profit 501 (3), and your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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Update

The Garden of Light

Meditation & Prayer Room In 2013, the International Association of Sufism began construction on the Garden of Light Praying and Meditation Room in Napa, California, as a service to humanity and a place of welcome. This space stands at the end of the road, as a place where people of any religion, and any nationality, whether rich or poor, whoever they are, can come and find refuge and sanctuary.

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Reflections from Shah Nazar Seyyed Dr. Ali Kianfar

“absolute purity and unity is the substance of praying.”

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The inspiration of Seyyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha and Shah Nazar Seyyed Dr. Ali Kianfar, this project has been under their vision and guidance every step of its creation, staying true to its intended purpose. Dr. Kianfar describes, “This place is a great place for awareness and awakening to the value of life. This value for sure cannot be limited to any special religion, or nation,

time and place. It is rooted to the divine, that means absolute unity and purity. That absolute unity and purity is the substance of praying, so the International Association of Sufism dedicated this place just under one name: Praying Room. This is a place for remembering your own divine value and humanity, to just pray and appreciate this moment of life.”

Oriented toward the qibla, with running water for ablution and a walkway accessible to all, every part of the structure of the Praying and Meditation Room is intended to enable all to easily access the building and enter for contemplation, meditation, prayer, and remembrance of loved ones. Dr. Kianfar emphasizes again: “This place represents the religion of the divine directly, which is with every human being, born with every human being; without any shape, without any form, without any color or name, beyond all language and culture.”

On the dome of interior walls of the Praying and Meditation Room, calligraphy reflects teachings of peace and unity, including the names of many of the prophets in the monothesistic traditions, as well as several of the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah, qualities of Creation, wrapped also within the human being, and toward which a human being inwardly can align and strive. The ceiling also displays a verse of the Qur’an that focuses the human being back to the subject of unity, establishing that this space is not a mausoleum or affiliated structure intended to advance an agenda or particular tradition; it was created in the absence of any ego. The Praying and Meditation Room stands alone in invitation to all who come to find solitude with their own heart and the reality of divinity as they may discover it for themselves. All are welcome to contribute to ongoing development and care of this space.

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Poetry: Shabistari

from Ghulshan-i-Raz (Secret Garden)

Sheikh Mahmud Shabistari (c. 1288–1340)

What kind of heart may proclaim: ‘I am the Truth?’ I asked.

I am the truth is discovering the secrets of all secrets, Who, other than Haqq, may assert such fact?

All particles of Being, like Mansur, drunken or sober, Are Steadfast on Proclaiming such Truth.

Purify your being from all to become like Hallaj, able to declare such fact.

Come to the Secure Valley of Being, To Hear the voice of God from the burning bush.

If it is fitting for a burning bush to claim such voice, Why is it not fitting for the heart of a fortunate being?

From Ghulshan-i-Raz (Secret Garden) of Sheikh Mahmud Shabistari, Persian Sufi Poet of 14th century.

Translated by Dr. Nahid Angha

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Heart-Based Psychotherapy

the INTERPLAY of PSYCHOLOGY & SPIRITUALITY a conference by IAS

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Beyond Identifications II: Heart-Based Treatment of Trauma

by Jamal Granick, Ph.D.

Upcoming Conference (registration is open) March 12, 2022 9am-4pm (on Zoom) Featured Presenters Joseph Bobrow, Ph.D. Turning Ghosts Into Ancestors: The Transformative Power of the Beloved Community Hamaseh Kianfar, Ed.D. The Role of Forgiveness in Healing Trauma Glenn Hartelius, Ph.D. Heart-Located Presence as a Measurable Cognitive Process: Evidence and Implications for Therapeutic Relationship Jorina Elbers, Ph.D. The Resilient Heart: Trauma-Sensitive Approaches to Using HeartMath with Your Client

The Beyond Identifications Team Hamaseh Kianfar, Ed.D. Leili First, Ph.D. Jamal Granick, Ph.D., LMFT Mary Granick, M.S., LMFT Arife Hammerle, Ph.D., LMFT Elizabeth Miller, Ph.D. Katherine Preston, M.A., LMFT Amineh Pryor, Ph.D., LMFT

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Reflection: 40 Days Practice

by Katherine Preston

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Shah Nazar Seyyed Dr. Ali Kianfar introduced the 40 Days Alchemy of Tranquility program in 2007, offering the “40 Days” practice, or chelleh, to the public for the first time. Each retreat has unfolded and revealed a new aspect of human understanding, and the process of becoming more awake and aware of the quality, potential and value of self according to Sufism. Across the traditions of monotheism, the prophets (Moses, Noah, Jesus, Mohammad), and spiritual teachers who have followed and who have completed their own spiritual quest (peace be upon them all), teach that the time period of 40 days holds a special spiritual significance. These wise teachers assure that each of us has the potential to undergo our own 40 days process, wherein we can heal by purification to access untapped wisdom.

The definition of alchemy is the ancient science of the transmutation of base metals into gold, or the power of transforming something common into something special.

The alchemy of tranquility for human beings has the goal of aligning one’s whole system–mind, body and soul–to come into balance and to be unified in one direction. We

can recognize that there is an inextricable connection between the health of the body, mind and spirit, and that the physical system contains its own intelligence.

The body can’t be separated from the wisdom of life; regardless of its particular function, every cell in our body carries the same DNA, the same information, attuned to one source.

Over the past many years of retreats, Dr. Kianfar has introduced and emphasized two networks within the human being. The first is the blood network. This network is rooted in the heart, and has an internal focus, the purpose being purification in service of the heart in order to sustain life. The second network is the central nervous system, which is rooted in the brain and works with the senses to navigate the physical environment. This second system operates as a recording system, organizing and evaluating sensory input. Based on this understanding, there are also two schools. The first is the school of the heart, where the teacher, the student, the subject, the teaching, and the wisdom remain inside and abstract.

The second school is the school of the mind, which includes traditional science, philosophy, theology, and psychology. While learning happens by both schools, the human being will never learn about the heart or divine wisdom within or by the school of the mind.

When a plant begins as a seed, the seed is nourished to extend above the ground to reach the main source of energy, solar energy. If the seed is able to grow in accordance with the conditions of its being, ultimately the seed bears fruit that contains a new seed carrying the original information from the original seed. Dr. Kianfar has taught that this is the same for the heart of the human being. If the divine original seed is not nourished, the qualities of the divine cannot flourish and grow, mature and continue. Therefore, it is essential to develop awareness of our own value, our potential for demonstrating divine qualities, and the importance of our existence and actions.

Through the right practice we can quiet the mind to find that pure, stable point of connection, that original seed, within the domain of the heart and find the pure essence of the self within. This is the process of Purification; this is the alchemy of tranquility. Dr. Kianfar has said, “If we don’t understand the true meaning of practice, we miss the opportunity to be alive.” In this deeply profound teaching, he goes on to say: “The teacher breathes through you and remains in your heart. If your connection with the teacher goes beyond the realm of the physical, you will both continue into eternity.” The ultimate goal of practice is transformation, to exist beyond the limits of time and space–a state of eternal oneness, Unity.

Over the years since 2007, and continuing into the present, each 40 Days retreat has touched upon and ex-

tended teachings on practice and purification. In 2007, Introduction to 40 Days, the first retreat, established the 40 Days practice as a practice for wisdom and the art of living, for healing and balance, and for locating the source of healing within, while the 2008 retreat focused more fully on the Alchemy of Tranquility. 2009 was titled Retreat for Renewal, and focused on the foundation of being and the relationship between the individual, the mind and the environment. The 2010 retreat addressed the hidden mysteries of the human being, and invited participants to ask themselves, Are you ready for practice? This question opened onto the 2011 retreat, which addressed the way of accessing one’s inner wisdom by exploring one’s first relationship, to the source of being.

The 2012 program–Mind, Brain, Self–focused on locating the health and true being of the self, or of a client, beyond a presenting problem. Application directly to the field of psychology was addressed at each retreat, with the 40 Days team of therapists speaking about their own work with clients.

In 2013, the 40 Days Alchemy of Tranquility program explored the relationship between Mind, Body, Spirit, and in 2014, Dr. Kianfar, Dr. Angha and the 40 Days team brought forth a program on The Value of Self. Knowing Self in all of its dimensions was extended into the 2016 program, titled Self, and in 2017 the focus was turned even more directly to the nature and practice of transformation, under the title Transformation Through the Practice and Knowledge of Unity. 2018 brought teachings that emphasized The Root of Security, and 2019 drew these teachings into deepening understanding of the nature, way and necessity of practice. In 2020, the 40 Days program emphasized new teachings on Transformation–as an eternal motion of which human beings are a part–and in 2021 turned focus to Reflection: Mind-Heart, to look into the depth of spiritual teachings revealing to the human being what can be a trustworthy reflection for divine knowledge. Dr. Kianfar emphasized that for reflection there must be the source and the receiver, with nothing between them. He asked, What are the qualities of a receiver that would make it eligible to be a pure reflection of the source?

The 40 Days Alchemy of Tranquility program is based on the ancient recognition that psychology, physiology, and spiritual experience are interconnected dimensions of the whole self. Retreats are open to all, and aim to foster an understanding of one’s attitudes, behaviors and spiritual development, no matter one’s spiritual path, that results in understanding, balance and wellbeing. *More information for the 40 Days Alchemy of Tranquility Program is available at: http://ias.org/ programs/40-days/.

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A very unique opportunity space is limited

Love and Wisdom with Sufi Masters

Seyyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha & Shah Nazar Seyyed Dr. Ali Kianfar

The Alchemy of Tranquility 14th Annual Retreat January 29-30, 2022

www.IAS.org

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“The instruction was truly transformative and answered lifelong questions” - Retreat Participant

Facilitator Bios and Program details @

www.IAS.org/programs/fortydays The 2022 40 Days Retreat will look closely at the deepest dimensions of these two major concepts in spiritual development upon which all of creation is founded. The 40 Days: Alchemy of Tranquility program is led by Sufi Masters Seyyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha and Shah Nazar Seyyed Dr. Ali Kianfar assisted by a team of experienced psychotherapists and educators.

The purpose of the retreat is to reflect on the mystery of being and the physiological, psychological and spiritual principles that constitute our totality. This retreat will be of benefit to those interested in developing a personal practice to increase their own potential as well as for therapists and counselors who would like to increase their capacity to bring presence to their work in order to provide service.

The 14th in the ongoing series of annual 40 Days retreats, this year’s program builds on and continues to extend previous topics and teachings. All are welcome and encouraged to attend, and to look to this journal for ongoing teachings connected with this program and that newly explore the intersection of spirituality and psychology. This program is designed to have relevance to therapists, educators, social workers, healthcare providers, parents, students, and to support all people in deepening their self-understanding and tools for cultivating health, strength and stability.

Santa Sabina Center

“I will definitely be in a more centered, stable, empathic place (mentally, emotionally, physically) so I can be of more use to my clients.”

- Retreat Participant

His Holiness, Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, PhD, a world-renowned Sufi Master and teacher of spiritual practice for over forty years developed the 40 Days Program, and continues to guide its public offering. Dr. Kianfar provides spiritual wisdom and deep knowledge of the psychology of the human being in ways that provide participants with the opportunity to gain full awareness of themselves, and to learn to act in ways that reduce conflict and foster love and wisdom. It is the first time that this highly spiritual practice of purification has been combined with psychological training.

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Flights of Birds The juniper and piñon pine are alive with flights of birds – bluejays, chickadees, sparrows, house wrens.

That I might live as lightly as they.

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Poetry: Rev. Canon Charles P. Gibbs

Into Ever Deeper Water One moment you awoke no longer content to continue treading water.

for the awareness that being truly alive offered only one choice:

You set out for the farther shore that has beckoned you from before time,

set out, one stroke at a time into ever deeper water toward the far unknown horizon where your Self awaited,

patiently, subtly, insistently waiting for your deeper listening your deeper opening,

knowing surely that, growing in the journey, you would arrive and know yourself as your Self for the first time.

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The essence of the human being, regardless of gender or color, time or place, has been regarded as reverent, dignified, and respectful by teachers of humanity. Such magnificence is the gift of Being to humankind, the art of recognizing such magnificence is learned. The foundation of civilization is based on teachings and learning, and the first teacher of any human being, male or female, from any social position or illumination, is a mother. To direct the civilization to a favorable station, one has to rely on the power of a mother, providing that she knows the value of her position. A mother, in fact, is the teacher of all. Underestimating such power and strength, overlooking such magnificence is most unfortunate.

- Dr. Nahid Angha, founder

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“Silence Serene” The morning frosty silent serene The waking sun peeking

between the trees I take in the sweetness of their

silent breath as I kiss the power of the wisdom emanating from the gracious stillness in this moment of their ancient dance

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Poetry: Dedan Gills

Gracious days continue to embrace the joy of my life.

Every color that dazzles my day.

Every sound that shouts and whispers the song of life.

Every caress of turbulent and gentle wind

reveals the presence of God without and within We must give sustenance to what is gentle, kind and loving in this world in order to allow it to grow.

– Dedan Gills

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Susan W. Lambert photography

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Ray of sunshine flies back to the light When it hears: Reutrn to me, from the sun.

One who sees light to light returns, While the flowers and fileds, Must long in vain for light departed.

– Rumi

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New Book Release

an excerpt On Meditation Meditation is an art, wisdom, and the platform for the journey of transformation Inspiration: Lights of Stillness is a unique offering in spiritual literature in the genre of Khalil Gibran`s Prophet. Its Forty Reflections provide insight into many of the existential challenges confronting modernity. Forty points to renewal, to self-rebirth, which is the quintessential theme of Inspiration. The Master, throughout its pages, urges humanity to return to the stillness of heart by dropping the images of thought and the distractions of culture.

Inspiration is structured in a series of 40 questions and answers between student and Master. Compiled and edited by Dominican University Professor, Saleh Arthur Scott, it runs the gamut from knowledge to wisdom, from intention to balance, from yearning to heart, from resurrection to oneness, as well as other meaningful life questions.

The Master, Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar of the Uwaiysi Tariqa, is an author, global speaker and co-founder of the International Association of Sufism and editor of Sufism: an inquiry.

Being heart-bound is the cornerstone of his teaching, it is all that you really need to know.

As he likes to say, “In true meditation the mind dissolves in the center of the heart.”

Readers, upon absorbing the wisdom and knowledge of Inspiration, may expect to experience a deep renewal and transformation of Self in which joy, gratefulness and peace can permeate their awareness and energy. Life becomes more effortless, easy, and still.

“Inspiration is a multi-layered spiritual guidebook, the fruit of Dr. Kianfar’s lifelong surrender to the One. In its wisdom, offered with love, compassion and deep insight, it offers an invitation and accompaniment on a journey into the depths of your Heart, your Soul, your Self. This is the journey of a lifetime...Inspiration: Light of Stillness brilliantly combines wisdom from the world’s spiritual traditions, parallels from contemporary science and the poetic heart of Sufism.”

– Neil Douglas Katz, Author of The Hidden Gospel and The Sufi Book of Life

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The Master said: It constitutes a state of fulfillment, unity, and a central practice essential to cultivate balance. It is sustained by the generosity of love to discover its true essence, which is to unite the totality of self and achieve the centerpoint of being at the horizon of balance between the worlds of unseen and visible.

Meditation originally was rooted in the ancient wisdom traditions. It is expressed differently in various cultures and languages; it can denote reflection, thinking, contemplation, focus, control, discovering, and witnessing. Meditation simultaneously can be considered a state of a practice.

Meditation has made a significant contribution to human civilization, both in spirituality and in science. It often is used to clear the mind and to reduce the effects of many stressors: high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. Similarly, meditation can release endorphins or chemicals to foster positive qualities like compassion, love, and awareness.

Meditation can be viewed as the Gateway to the mystery of existence. It is the anchor of all spiritual practices, including ancient religions. For instance, Shamans meditated in order to perceive and interact with the spirit world, and channel these transcendental energies into the world. Even today’s major scientific discoveries about the hidden dimensions of the universe can be considered expressions of meditation, e.g., Einstein’s relativity.

In science, the mind translates its discoveries into an empirical language based on observation and verification. In spirituality, the moment of meditative knowing is timeless and precise. It consists of a blessed point of connection, and an alignment between heart and mind. This union is beyond the control of the self, and similar to breath. It comes from deep within the soul to transform, to know, and to understand.

In spirituality, meditating with intention, under the guidance of a teacher, can quicken the inward alignment between heart and mind to discover the point of balance. This constitutes a primordial state of human being, a central point of knowledge and wisdom, which has been wrapped within the body of our limited senses, but needs to be unwrapped and discovered.

Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Shah Nazar Uwaiysi, Inspiration: Lights of Stillness, compiled and edited by Professor Saleh Arthur Scott (San Rafael, CA: International Association of Sufism, 2021), p.79–80.

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Shah Maghsoud: Life & Legacy

by Nahid Angha

Shah Maghsoud Sadiq Angha (1916–1980) was a pre-eminent Iranian Sufi master, poet, and scholar of the Uwaiysi tariqat (spiritual order) who remains as one of the greatest masters of Persian literature. Nahid Angha, Ph. D., a Sufi scholar, and the translator and commentator of Shah Maghsoud Sadig Angha’s works, provides the first complete biography of Shah Maghsoud, and the legacy he left behind.

Limited Edition Hard cover $110 US/$137 CAN Paper back $45 US/ $56 CAN

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New Book Releases

Nirvan

by Shah Maghsoud

Shah Maghsoud Sadiq Angha wrote Nirvan as a response to Ghurbat al-gharbiyya (The Recital of the Occidental Exile) written by Sheikh Shihab ad-Din Suhrawardi (d. 1191). Nirvan is an allegorical story of the celestial child, who has journeyed from the timelessness of the Absolute, to manifest in form; and when the time comes he returns to his essence, the Absoluteness from which he is originated.

Nahid Angha offers a new translation and additional commentaries in this edition.

Her first translation

and commentary of Nirvan

was published in 1992.

Limited Edition Hard cover $110 US/$137 CAN Paper back $45 US/ $56 CAN

Photo: Mount Damāvand in the Alborz Mountains, northern Iran

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Sufi Biographies

Mevlevi Order of America

Makampostneshin Jelaleddin Loras

by Karim Payton

Makampostneshin Jelaleddin Loras was born on January 1, 1950 to Suleyman Hayati Dede and his wife, Fereste Hanum at the Mother Dergah and tomb of Mevland Jelaleddin Rumi. His father had taken on the wazifa (spiritual task) of feeding the poor in Konya and acting as the Sheikh of Konya, the spiritual leader of the Whirling Dervishes. He undertook this task at a time when the Sufi lodges were closed by the Turkish government, and devoted his life to preserving the tradition and transmitting it to the West.

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When Jelaleddin was a boy, the training of Semazen (one who turns) resumed with just a few young men. When Suleyman Dede traveled through Europe in the late sixties to introduce the Mevlevi practices, Jelaleddin was one of the Semazen who accompanied him. Then in the late seventies, Suleyan Dede traveled across the United States and Canada, planting the seed of the Mevlevi tradition among the seekers he encountered because, as he told his son, “They deserve it.” An important element of his vision was that women should have an equal place in the Mevlevi Order of America, practicing side by side with men.

Decemeber 16, 1978 was a day when Jelaleddin’s mind would have been filled with the anticipation of the annual December 17 celebration of the passing of Rumi, called Shebi Arus, which means “Wedding Day.” On this one day, the traditional Mevelvi Sema ceremony called Mukabele was allowed in Turkey. Jelaleddin would have been preparing himself to participate in the Mukabele, which means “Coming face to face,” or “Coming face to face with our Creator, as we bow in humility to the highest in each other.”

When Jelaleddin arrived home that day, his father presented him with a plane ticket and a suitcase already packed with his clothes, the Koran and Mesenvi, saying, “Now it is time for you to go to America to tend the seeds I have planted.” In a tradition such as the Mevlevi, there is only one answer to such a command from one’s father, who was also his spiritual Master. The answer is “Eyvallah,” meaning “I accept this as coming from God.” Jelaleddin flew to America, not knowing the language, or knowing anyone well there, trusting only the wisdom of his father and the Grace of God. Jelaleddin then taught the Mevlevi practices at the Claymont School of Continuous Education, a Gurdjieff Bennett school in West Virginia whose Director, Pierre Elliot, was both a student of Gurdjieff and of Suleyan Dede.

This began 40 years in America, learning our ways and teaching the Mevlevi tradition, bridg-

ing ancient and new, East and West. Here is a story which illuminates this adventure. On one visit with Shems Friedlander, who wrote the book Whirling Dervishes, Shems placed headphones on Jelaleddin and played a tape, asking him to guess, “What is this?” Jelaleddin Dede heard what sounded to him like a huge zikr, the chanting practice in which the dervishes repeat, “Allah,” over and over. What puzzled Jelaleddin was the size of the zikr. The quality of the sound indicated that there must have been thousands of people present, and he could not conceive of where in the world there would be a hall great enough to hold such an assembly, where it would also be legal to conduct zikr. He could not answer Shems, who then revealed that it was a recording of the heartbeat of his as yet unborn son.

This is the secret of the Mevlevi that Jelaleddin has devoted his life to share with us in the West.

As is said in the Holy Tradition, “The Creator cannot be contained in the entire Universe, but He can be found in the Heart of his servant, in the Heart of a sincere human being.” This is the Mevlevi message of Love which is now shared by the Mevlevi Order of America.

Postneshin Jelaleddin established the Mevlevi Order of America in 1981. For over 40 years, he has shared Sema (whirling prayer ceremony), sohbet (spiritual conversation), adab (respectful manners), and zikr (prayers of purification) throughout the world. The Mevlevi Order of America provides an opportunity for meaningful spiritual experience in the context of the traditional richness of Mevlevi culture and lifestyle, either as direct participants or as observers of the Sema and zikr. Through his friendship Jelaluddin Dede has inspired students to develop a deep and authentic connection to the path of Rumi.

Students are trained to turn, to participate in zikr, and senior students are taught to teach Sema and lead zikr in 10 Centers, the centers that Postneshin Jelaleddin has created across the United States in New York, Virginia, West Virginia, California, Oregon, and Hawaii. Jelaleddin also maintains

centers in Germany, Israel, Russia, and Turkey.

Over 300 Semazen (one who is trained in the Mevlevi Sema) have been trained to participate in the traditional Sema ceremony, and thousands have witnessed Sema and participated in zikr events sponsored by the Mevlevi Order of America (MOA). The MOA presented its first public traditional Sema Ceremony in 1982 at the College of Marin in California. Since then, every year MOA has presented at least one Sema and many gatherings and workshops across the Unites States.

One of the goals of MOA is to encourage cultural interchange, awareness and appreciation.

In the last fifteen years, MOA began bringing master Mevlevi musicians to the West to share the uniqueness of classical Turkish music, and to encourage the learning of our Western MOA musicians. Together, traditional Turkish musicians, and Western musicians and Semazen toured American cities each year.

Over these 40 years, we drew many people and much appreciation form the American people of our presentation of the Mevlevi tradition. WE are here now to serve the larger circle. May Allah give us strength, dignity and love.

– Makampostneshin Jelaleddin Loras Jelaleddin Dede passed away on December 13, 2021 in Konya, Turkey, during the week of the Shebi Arus of Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi. He is survived by his son and successor Suleyman.

The postneshins and teachers of the Mevlevi Order of America continue his work on transmitting the Mevlevi Tariqat for the benefit of seekers in this time.

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A journey of spiritual awakening awaits in Charles P. Gibbs’s insightful new collection of poems, Light Reading.

Always on a pilgrimage of remembrance, even during the brief time in which he tried to run away from his own understanding of God, Gibbs has learned to embrace and thrive in his spiritual understanding. Whether you are a seasoned pilgrim, have just set off on a spiritual journey of your own, or merely possess a vague feeling that something significant is missing in your life, Light Reading will support and challenge you on your own sojourn into the heart.

Charles P. Gibbs is an internationally respected spiritual leader, interfaith activist, speaker, and writer who has committed his life to serving the world through interreligious and intercultural engagement. An Episcopal priest, he served for seventeen years as the founding executive director of the United Religions Initiative, a global network of people from diverse religious and spiritual traditions united in service to the Earth community. He recently became senior partner and poet-in-residence for Catalyst for Peace.

A prolific writer, Gibbs’s published works include coauthoring Birth of a Global Community; contributing a chapter to Interfaith Dialogue and Peacebuilding; “Opening the Dream: Beyond the Limits of Otherness,” an essay publishd in Deepening the American Dream. Charles cherishes and is inspired by his family. He is blessed with dear friends and colleagues of diverse faiths from around the world.

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Instructor: Jalal Brian Heery, PhD Fifth Degree Black Belt 190 S. Whisman Rd. Bldg. B Mountain View, CA 94041 www.rvdojo.org rvdojo1@gmail.com

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United Nations: Recent News

The International Association of Sufism is a non-profit organization, and a DPI/NGO associated with the United Nations. As an active human rights advocate, IAS disseminates information focused on Human Rights, Social Justice, Education, Women’s Rights offered and organized by the United Nations. For the most up to date information visit: http://ias.org/service/unitednations/

Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations

International Human Solidarity Day, December 20, 2022 Solidarity is identified in the Millennium Declaration as one of the fundamental values of international relations in the 21st Century, wherein those, who either suffer or benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most. Consequently, in the context of globalization and the challenge of growing inequality, strengthening of international solidarity is indispensable.

International Human Solidarity Day is: a day to celebrate our unity in diversity; a day to remind governments to respect their commitments to interna-

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tional agreements; a day to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity; a day to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication; a day of action to encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication.

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.

High-Level Global Conference on Youth-Inclusive Peace Processes 20 - 21 January 2022

Commission on the Status of Women

The High-Level Global Conference on Youth-Inclusive Peace Process will be held virtually on 20-21 January 2022, co-hosted by the State of Qatar, Governments of Finland and Colombia and co-organized with civil society and UN partners. The event is co-organized by the Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth (OSGEY) and Search for Common Ground (SFCG) in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA/PBSO), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Education Above All (EAA), and the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY).

The virtual Global Conference aims: (1) to secure national commitments to advance gender-responsive country-level operationalization of the Youth Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, and (2) to strengthen political will and commitment towards including youth into peace processes with particular focus on young women. Interactive and actionoriented discussions will be convened across five themes between Heads of State and other high-level Government representatives, young peacebuilders, and representatives of intergovernmental organisations, CSOs, academia, and donors. Expected outputs include a high-level joint statement and guidelines in support of the country-level operationalization of the YPS agenda, and a five-year strategy on strengthening youth-inclusive peace processes.

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Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?

The Holy Qur’an Surah Ar-Rahman

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99 Names

Al-Ba’ith

The Resurrector

The Awakener, Quickener and Sender-Forth. The one who causes us to die and then restores us to life. The Divine revives us repeatedly in the midst of life in ways we do not suspect. The One who arouses hearts through faith. The Divine releases us from the grip of ignorance into the life of knowledge.

prepared from the teachings of Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Ph.D.

by Sarah Hastings Mullin, Ph.D. Illumination of the Names: Meditation by Sufi Masters on the Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God. Shah Nazar Seyyed Dr. Ali Kianfar (2011) .

San Rafael, CA: International Association of Sufism Publications.

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You Just Stop they told me, this was it.

At some point, you just stop learning more.

I remember we were hanging ornaments, our long faces gleaming back at us, so sincerely.

Then the gifts, bodies in piles enclosed just as we were beneath the tree.

I do not know how I deserved the gift to see beyond the packages.

The sweet chime of a bell underneath music.

A haunting backdrop, the cry of snow.

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