MEDITATION TIMES OCTOBER 2010

MEDITATION TIMES A Downloadable Monthly E-Magazine

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A PRODUCTION OF www.taoshobuddhameditations.com Published by: www.taoshobuddhameditations.com Country of Origin: Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies.

Chief Editor/Graphics Layout & Design: Swami Anand Neelambar Editorial Team: Swami Anand Neelambar, Taoshobuddha International Contributors: Hadhrat Maulawi Jalaluddin Ahmad Ar-Rowi, Lars Jensen Assistant Contributors: Ma Prem Sutra, Swami Dhyan Yatri, Sufi Lakshmi Sahai

In This Issue  Editorial  Message from the Sheikh  The Sufi Path  Introduction to Sufism  What is Sufism?  Shah Bahauddin Naqshband  Naqshbandi Tariqat  Muhammad Al-Baqi Billah  Sheikh Ahmad Al-Faruqi As Sirhindi

For Queries, Comments, and Suggestions and to submit Contributions, you can email the following persons:

Taoshobuddha: mailtaoshobuddha@gmail.com Swami AnandNeelambaravatar411@gmail.com

You can also visit www.youtube.com\taoshobuddha9 www.scribd.com\taoshobuddha www.scribd.com\avatar411 taoshobuddha library at www.DocStoc.com/Taoshobuddha E books: www.EBookMall.Com/Taoshobuddha

 Shamsuddin Habibullah Mirza Mazhar Mir Jane Jana  Naqshbandi Tariqat Hindu and other influences  The dawn of Hindu Sufi

Also you can check the blog at http://bodhidharmameditation.blogspot.com/ http://www.taoshobuddhameditations.myeweb.net/ http://meditationtimes.myeweb.net/

 Celebrating a great Soul – by Lars Jensen  Links to talks of Taoshobuddha on the Sufi Path

The Sufi Path Inner Transformation

MEDITATION TIMES Published by Taoshobuddha Meditations Trinidad, West indies

EDITORIAL The world of the Sufi is magical, mysterious, melodious, marvellous, methodological and most of all mystical. A Sufi cannot be found unless he reveals himself.

Religion has three phases – the first is Shariat – the outer core of ritual and rules; the second is Haqiquat – the inner core of truth and realization; and third is Tariquat – the methods, disciplines and techniques to attain realization Sufism is the inner core of the spiritual quest.

The dregs and dross are removed and pure love remains. The Sufi approach is one of awe and wonder at the marvels of the Creator Who is dissolved in His Creation. One cannot come to appreciate Sufism without being transformed by the very desire to know what Sufism is. To know the Sufi way is to become a Sufi by the very process of knowing. But Sufi is about love – not knowing, at least not intellectual knowing.

The Sufi path is riddled with mysterious parables and mystical insights into very ordinary things. When one begins to inquire who is a Sufi then the lamp of knowing is lit.

When this flame becomes a burning passion that cannot be quelled until the heart dances with ecstasy at the mere thought of the Beloved, only then the search is over.

A Sufi is mad. Mad for the Beloved. Mad because he has left the arms of world to embrace the open sky without a thought for tomorrow.

A Sufi is a moth that dies in the enamouring flames of dissolution. He must not only see the Beloved, he must die in the presence.

Only such a death reveals what is truly worth living.

A Sufi is one who has died for the world and is reborn into the paradise of heaven on earth.

Where a Sufi lives that place is the mythical firdous. Only now is it not a myth. It is a living reality. To even meet a Sufi by passing chance is a gift from Allah. Only he who has reached the last stages of spiritual evolution will get such a grace.

This issue of Meditation Times is about the Sufi Way, the Sufi Path.

Sufis are interested in the transformation of consciousness. Their main focus is how to get the sincere aspirant to renounce his old ways and embrace a method that will draw his awareness to an inner calling. This is done very mysteriously and mystically, in such a way that the aspirant does not know when the old way has dropped and the new way is adopted. He feels a pull from within and an irresistible urge to follow this Sufi Master. He has fallen in love with the Sufi. This love is what will carry him to the firdous of his inner being.

Such is the mysterious Sufi Path. A path of pure love, a way of transformation from lead to gold.

‫الطريق الصوفي‬ God created the physical universe to manifest Himself So that the treasure of His wisdom may be revealed He said, ‘I was a hidden treasure.’

Listen! Listen attentively!

In the same way you must not let your spiritual Reality be submerged…

Instead must manifest your spirit in action!!!

RUMI MASNAVI IV: 3028-29

SUFISM is the path of Love!

It is the path of Trust!

Trust your Love!

Trust your being!

A new meaning will certainly arise in life.

Life will be a benediction.

This is my Certitude or Yakeen.

This is Sufism.

‫ن ق ش ب ندي‬

Taoshobuddha ‫يخ‬

‫ال ش‬

…So too my own existence has given me the authority to speak on any path or any master to speak on. I am the consciousness that contains all that has happened and all that is yet to happen in this cosmos. All Sheikhs are in me and I am in all Sheikhs. In fact I am cosmic. This alone gives me the authority to reflect all that is being reflected. It matters not if I am speaking a Buddha, or a Jesus, or a Mohammed. It is out of the compassion for the erring humanity that I simply overflow. My own being has given me the authority for such overflows.

Become silent and in silence move towards non existence and when you become non-existent, you will be all praise!!

DIVAN-I-SHAMS 2628 Whenever a religion is alive it is because of Sufism. Sufism simply means a love affair with God. The UNKNOWN AND THE UNKNOWABLE! It is an affair with the ultimate!

A love affair with the whole or TAO, or that which is the very pulse of the existence!

It means that one is ready to dissolve into the whole. In fact you are ready to invite the whole to come into your heart. It knows no formality. Then it does not matter what is your path because you are so engrossed in your love affair with God that you have no time for tasubi.

A

nd what I am going to make available to you – a little taste. And once you have tasted even a drop of the nectar called Sufism you will become thirstier for more. And this thirst will go on getting deeper and deeper.

For the first time you will start feeling a great appetite for God in you.

There is a life force or energy that flows through the matter envelopment. Under the law of evolution and the descent of light, a consciousness journeys through various stages in matter. When this consciousness manifests subjectively a new life is said to have been born.

And when, at the end of the journey of consciousness through this mind and matter vehicle, life energy reaches to the realm of No Mind, it is SATORI – the first glimpse of that which is. Thus begins the journey into the realm of the BEYOND. In the journey of consciousness this process continues without a break till eternity lasts. But because of ignorance and attachment you miss this solemn opportunity of TRANSCENDENCE. Be aware of this each finite moment of life. And be established in your BLISSFUL EXISTENCE — EVER SERENE AND TRANQUIL. The matter decomposes but CONSCIOUSNESS that is, remains. NEVER TAKES BIRTH AND NEVER DIES! It always is.

During the recent few years, in the process of evolution, there prevailed a consciousness that envisioned truth only from one plane as partial

and thus created some upheaval causing pain and suffering at various levels. It was essential so that existing impressions of past actions could be exhausted and each is put on the path of evolution.

Under these circumstances it became imperative for me, to look into the divine plan of such consciousness and the process of growth. Guided by my essential nature it was essential to observe my role under these circumstances.

Certain decisions were made which will reveal themselves in the course of time. One important aspect was to start preparing to fold my works in the present manifestation. Not much time is ahead! And the wheel of time is moving too swiftly. It knows not place, person, or thing. It has been moving and shall go on forever without a break. As a result I have started detaching myself more and more from the world and its duality. This withdrawal is essential so that I can work from behind in my CAUSAL form. For this reason, all the writings that manifested from time to time need to be organized and presented to maintain its authenticity.

Through this issue I am bringing insight into the Sufi Path in India with particular reference to Hindu influence and the Naqshbandi Tariqat. The first part is in your hand. In the second part I will discuss the growth of Hindu influence and the continuation of Tariqat in post Naqshbandi era in Indian Sub - Continent.

And I am extremely happy that:

Today the Naqshbandi Order is the foremost Sufi order in the world and is experiencing an unprecedented period of growth, not only in its traditional heartlands of Central Asia, Turkey, the Middle East and South Asia, but in nations of the Western world, particularly the United States and Great Britain. In this regard I pay my regards and love for many Sheikhs who are working towards such revelations.

yh sc hE ik bhut kfvI hE my #s sakI kI r<g la@gI gr sasae< me< %tr jane dae Yeh sach hai ki bahut kadvi hai mai is saaqui ki Rang layegi gar sanson mein utar aane do!!

YES INDEED THE MYSTICAL WINE OF THIS BREWER IS BITTER ALLOW IT TO ENTER WITHIN CERTAINLY IT WILL TRANSFORM YOU!!

T

he Sufi path is the unique way to journey from fana to baka. The uniqueness of the path is the union between Tasawwuf and tawwzjoh. Tasawwuf is the connected with the inner core of the Holy Prophet and tawwzjoh is the energy field of the sheikh through which the saliq attains to the nisbet of Allah Subhan wa Taala via the rasool – Holy Prophet.

Tasawwuf is the very essence of Sufism and that of man’s existence. Yet still quite often these two words are used as synonym. Evolving out of Islam it has now become the part of the inner life of every aspirant. Islam centers around four pillars – Shariat, Hadith, Tariqat, and Tasawwuf. Of these Shariat and Hadith form the part of the outer body of the religion? And Tariqat and Tasawwuf form the inner core of The Holy Prophet. Both, Tariqat and Tasawwuf are connected to the nisbet of the Holy Prophet.

Tariqat teaches you the way to nisbet. And Tasawwuf prepares you for inner serenity, and for the continuation of the way of nisbet. In its essence tariqat and Tasawwuf are part of each one of you. Tariqat prepares you along the way and Tasawwuf preserves your awareness or nisbet.

ijNdgI rahe gm se inkl ja@gI terI duinya hI yKsr bdl ja@gI. %nke kdmae me< #s bar sr tae Huka %nkI cZme< krm i)r mcl ja@gI. Zindagi rahe gam se inkal jayegi Teri duinya hi yaksar badal jayagi Unke kadmo men is bar sar tae jhuka Unki chashme karam fir machal jayegi!!!

Life will certainly evolve out of the path of despair Your world will definitely undergo transformation Place your conditionings, thoughts and Understanding too at Thy feet Certainly His vision and grace will begin to flow!!!

Sufism is the way of transformation. It is better to call this doctrine as Sufi Tariqat. It revolves around the Sheikh. Sheikh is the encyclopedia for transformation. He is the living book from the library of the existence. He may look like you!

Walk like you! And talk like you as well! But he is different in many ways from you. As far as his awareness, his understanding of the cosmic phenomena or nisbet to Allah Subhan wa Taa’la is concerned he is totally different from

you. The more you open the pages the more mysteries of the unknown will unfold. And then journey becomes easier. Let me take you through this living scripture page by page:

TASAWWUF: Tasawwuf is the beginning or the introduction to this methodology. The aspect of the Shariat that relates to Amaal-e-Baatini or esoteric states of the heart is called Tasawwuf and Suluk. And, the aspect of the Shariat that relates to Amaal-e-Zaahiri or exoteric or physical acts is called Fiqh. Tasawwuf deals with Tahzeeb-eAkhlaaq or the way to adorn life and living while it aims at the attainment of Bliss. The Bliss or surur is attained through the total understanding of the Shariat, and then subsequently living by it.

Tasawwuf in fact is the rooh or soul and state of perfection of the Deen or life beyond. Its function is to purify the Batin or the heart or the qulb of the aspirant from the lowly bestial attributes of lust, calamities of the tongue, anger, malice, jealousy, love of the world, love for fame, niggardliness, greed, ostentation, vanity, deception, etc. At the same time Tasawwuf aims to adorn the heart with the attributes of repentance, perseverance, gratefulness, love of Allah, hope, abstention, Tauheed, trust, love sincerity, truth, meditation, reckoning, contemplation, etc. In this way, attention

towards Allah the Unknown and Unknowable is inculcated in man. This is in fact the purpose of life.

Tasawwuf or Tariqat therefore does not, at all negate Deen and Shariat. On the contrary it is incumbent for every seeker to become a Sufi or one who follows the path of Tasawwuf. Without Tasawwuf, a Muslim cannot truly be described as a perfect Muslim. And also without Tasawwuf the seeker cannot begin inward journey.

Farz or duty is incumbent upon every Seeker to rectify his esoteric acts. Numerous Quranic Aayat and innumerable Hadith narration explicitly indicate its significance. However, most people with superficial understanding neglect these because of their subservience to lowly desires. Remember Quran and the Hadith are explicit regarding the significance of zuhd, Tawwjoh, Ikhlaaq, Sabr, Shukr, Hubb-e-Ilahi, Tawakkul, Tasleem, etc., while at the same time they emphasize the acquisition of these noble attributes? And, who is not aware that the Quran and Hadith condemn the opposites of these noble qualities, viz., Hubb-e dunya, takabbur, Riyaa, Hasad, etc., and has warned against these? What doubt is there in the fact that the noble qualities have been commanded and the contrary has been prohibited? This is the actual meaning of reforming the esoteric acts. This is the primary purpose of Tariqat. It being Farz is undoubtedly an established fact.

My heart is like a scroll That extends without end to eternity Inscribed from first to last Do not leave me!

RUMI: DIVAN-I SHAMS 23493

After the departure of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad from this world in 632 C.E., those who were close to him passed on his teachings to the sincere seekers of the next generation, who in turn became the perfected guides, or Sheikhs, for the generation after them. This process has continued down to our present time by the Mercy of Allah. In this way, every authentic Sufi guide has a chain of Masters who leads directly back to the Beloved Prophet Muhammad. Such a chain of Masters is known in Sufism as a “Silsila” or a “Shajarah”.

imla jae maEka tae raek dU<ga mh;r ihsab tera pF<Uga muhBbt ke vae ksIde sun ke h<s prega Aajab tera IF I EVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY, CERTAINLY I WILL STOP THY DAY OF JUDGMENT! WHY? I WILL RECITE THOSE COUPLETS OF THY LOVINGNESS AND GRACE. LISTENING TO WHICH YOUR ANGER SHALL VANISH!!

IT happened once. There was a conference of the learned ones. Somehow a master happened to reach there. In that conference he read a couplet.

He recited the first line, which meant, “If I ever get the opportunity, certainly I will stop the day of judgment.” It was customary belief among the people then that on the Day of Judgment Allah will punish all those who have deviated from the path. Listening to these words everyone in the congregation got very angry. But then a silence descended. Everyone got quiet when he recited

the second line, which meant: I will sing the glories of Thy Love! Also I will chant Thy magnanimity! I will overflow glories of Thy compassion! I have lived those moments. Listening to these words Thy anger will certainly vanish. Such is my certitude. My trust! This is my love! This is my being. This is my presence.

No one could escape this energy field! All those who had gathered there now drowned within the

mystical energy field of this master. No word!

Just an indrawn mystical stillness and tranquility! A stillness that is alive! A stillness that is pulsating! A state of meditativeness descended. Everyone got quiet because it was TRUTH echoing. It was Love overflowing. Both truth and love are synonymous. And when Truth manifests itself there can be no better song! No better melody! It was the song of the being! The pulse of cosmos! The very essence of the master!

This is Sufism. The path of Love! It is the path of Trust! Trust your Love! Trust your being! A new meaning will certainly arise in life. Life will be a benediction. This is my Certitude or Yakeen.

Sufism evolved as the inner kernel of Islam. It is the fragrance of the Holy prophet. If Islam is alive today it is because of the Sufi path. And shall continue erelong, as long as human heart is alive with love!

Sufism evolved in the deserts of the Middle East.

Inflicted by intense heat and the dearth of greenery it flourished amidst the desert of life. It evolved within the inner sanctum of the masters,

the Sufi masters. The breath of the cosmos, the inner light of the Holy Prophet, the soil of trust, and the waters of the separation with the whole, all provided a congenial environment for the growth of this eternal tree of mysticism as SUFI PATH. Later the awareness, intuition, and trust of the various masters of the following Orders nourished and nurtured the path with their love as the energy field and their understanding through various upheavals of life and living.

1. Chishti Order (India) (1143-1223 AD), 2. Suhrawardi Order (India) (1234-1335 AD), 3. Mevlevi Order (Turkey) (1273), 4. Qadriya Order (Iraq) (1430-1517 AD), 5. Naqshbandi Order (Afghanistan and India) (d.1642 AD), 6. Nimatullahi Sufi Order (Iran) (at the end of the 14th century AD), 7. Shattari Order (India) (d.1485 AD) This process still continues unabated in the name of an ecstatic Naqshbandi master Sayyidina Abul Qasim Gurgani who chants erelong:

YA ILAHI TA ABAD KAYAM RAHE YAH SILSILA!

Yaa #lahI ta Abd kaym rhe yh islisla, MAY THIS PATH OF TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS CONTINUE TILL ETERNITY! AMEN….

After the departure of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad from this world in 632 C.E., those who were close to him passed on his teachings to the sincere seekers of the next generation, who in turn became the perfected guides, or Sheikhs, for the generation after them. This process has continued down to our present time by the Mercy of Allah. In this way, every authentic Sufi guide has a chain of Masters who leads directly back to the Beloved Prophet Muhammad. Such a chain of Masters is known in Sufism as a “Silsila”

or a “Shajarah”.

Often, one of the Sheikhs may be so prominent, or become so well-known, that his students will identify themselves by saying they follow the way of such-and-such a Sheikh. The Arabic word for way is ‘tariqah’. (Plural: ‘turuq’).

So for example, students of the great Sheikh, Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani, and his successors down to the present day are said to follow the Qadriya tariqah. Similarly, Bahauddin Naqshband gave

his name to the Naqshbandiya tariqah.

Khawaja Muin al-din Hasan Chishti gave his name to the Chistiyya tariqah. Abul Hasan Shadhili gave his name to the Shadhili tariqah.

Ahmad Faruqi Sirhindi gave Mujaddid to the Mujaddidi tariqah. Sultan Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir gave his name to the Ashraf ya tariqah. Mirza Mazhar Mir Jane Jana gave his name to Mazaharia tariqah. Sheikh Ahmad Faruqi and Mirza Mazhar Mir Jane Jana

belonged to the tradition of Bahauddin Naqshband. As a result the path thus originated came to be known as Naqshbandiya MujaddadiMazaharia.

In the English language, each of these ‘tariqah’ is known as a ‘Sufi Order’. Ultimately, all of these orders lead directly back to the Beloved Prophet Muhammad. And thus continues the path and the process of transformation.

Your free will, your power to choose good or evil, Is increased by the inspirations of the angel And the promptings of the devil!

The angel and the devil presenting The opposing choices in us, Force us to exercise our free will This is a faculty within us!

RUMI MASNAVI VI: 2985, 3004-5

I teach religiousness. Religion beyond religion! Just pure religiousness! Every Buddha, be he a Jesus, a Mohammad, an Al Hillaj, a Kabir, a Nanak, or a Lau Tzu has to face the same situation. Such people live in a state beyond mind. And you live within the four walls of your mind, thinking and, memory. He is bringing to you the unsay-able, the inexpressible, the unknowable, and the indefinable. This is absurd. He is bound be in conflict. Because if he is not in conflict then he is not a Buddha!

Many years ago when I first began talks on Sufi Path in a congregation of the learned ones (ulmas), my Hindu name brought conflict. A learned Mohammedan came to me and asked:

I told the person:

Muslim in you. Is your blood, or bones, or flesh or anything else? Do you breathe Muslim air, or drink Muslim water. What really makes you a Muslim, or a Hindu, or a Christian? Remember it is your mind. It is your conditionings obviously that make you a Hindu, a Muslim, or a Christian or a Sikh. A flower knows no religion. Its only religion is its religiousness. The very quality of the being! An ecstatic Jesus says God is Love. Love is phenomena of heart or qulb. And Love cannot be Hindu, or Muslim or Christian. Jesus also says I am the ‘saltiness’ in salt. Masters come and go but human imbecility continues. I am a Sufi to the very core of my being. Mohammad is the cause of my being, my essence. And all that I am speaking to you does not come out of the mind. It is something beyond mind. And that which is beyond mind comes through inner connection.

Sufis call this inner connection nisbat. And nisbat is a phenomenon of qulb as it flows through qulb alone.”

“I am not a Muslim. It is true indeed. In fact, I do not belong to any religion. Just introspect what is

I teach religiousness. Religion beyond religion!

Just pure religiousness! Every Buddha, be he a

‘You are not a Muslim; also you do not come from that faith. So what gives you the authority to speak on Sufism?’

This situation still continues. I assumed a name that has no religious semblance. Then came the conflict of the genes, my looks! This conflict still continues. Such is case from the times immemorial. Prophets and masters come and go but human ignorance lingers on. This is what Sufis call betassubi – narrowness or spiritual intolerance and indolence. This will continue until there is total transformation of human consciousness.

Jesus, a Mohammad, an Al Hillaj, a Kabir, a Nanak, or a Lau Tzu has to face the same situation. Such people live in a state beyond mind. And you live within the four walls of your mind, thinking and, memory. He is bringing to you the unsay-able, the inexpressible, the unknowable, and the indefinable. This is absurd. He is bound be in conflict. Because if he is not in conflict then he is not a Buddha! I have to face the same situation.

He also wanted to know:

tariqat – the way to attain to oneness with God just as it happened to the Holy Prophet.

Whenever a religion is alive it is because of Sufism. Sufism simply means a love affair with God. The UNKNOWN AND THE UNKNOWABLE! It is an affair with the ultimate! A love affair with the whole or TAO, or that which is the very pulse of the existence! It means that one is ready to dissolve into the whole. In fact you are ready to invite the whole to come into your heart. It knows no formality.

“What gives me the right to speak on Sufism?”

I responded: “What authority has sun or breeze, or water gave to a flower to blossom. In fact it is the very being of the flower that gives it the authority to blossom. And once the flower has assumed the will to evolve the existence comes from all side to help in the process of blossoming. So too my own existence has given me the authority to speak on any path or any master to speak on. I am the consciousness that contains all that has happened and all that is yet to happen in this cosmos. All Buddhas are in me and I am in all Buddhas. In fact I am cosmic. This alone gives me the authority to reflect all that is being reflected. It matters not if I am speaking a Buddha, or a Jesus, or a Mohammed. It is out of the compassion for the erring humanity that I simply overflow. My own being has given me the authority for such overflows.”

A Sufi need not be a Mohammedan. A Sufi can exist anywhere, in any form. Sufism is the essential core of all religions. It has nothing to do with Islam in particular. Sufism can exist without Islam. However, Islam cannot exist without Sufism. Only with Sufism does any religion become alive. Sufism is the very essence, the very being, the rooh or the soul of the Holy Prophet.

Sufism is the fragrance of Mohammad. Just as Bhagwad Gita is the fragrance of Krishna! Just as Ramcharit Manas is the fragrance of Tulsidas! Or just as Japji is the very fragrance of Nanak. Or just as Talmud is the fragrance of Balshem. So it is the being of Mohammad that echoes through Sufism.

Sufism is the breath of Mohammad. Sufism is

It is not confined by any dogma, doctrine, creed or church. Christ is a Sufi. So is Mohammed. Krishna is a Sufi. So is Buddha. In fact all the masters and incarnations are Sufis. No more philosophies. This is the first thing I would like you to remember.

Sufism is the innermost core of all religions. Zen, Hassidism etc. are just names of the same happening. These are only different names of the same ultimate relationship with God. The relationship is dangerous.

It is dangerous because the closer you come to God, the more and more you evaporate. And when you have come really close you are no more. This is really dangerous because it is in a way suicidal.

But this suicide is beautiful. To die in God is the only way to live really. You die as you are. Only then you are reborn. Until you die! Until you die voluntarily into love, you continue to live a mere superfluous existence. You live simply as mediocre. You vegetate. You do not have any meaning. No poetry arises in your heart, no dance, no celebration and no song. You continue to grope in darkness. You stumble in utter dark caves. You live at the lowest ebb. There is no overflow of bliss or ecstasy.

That overflow happens only when you are not.

Your very presence is the hindrance. Because that presence is nothing else but ego! Sufism is the art of removing the hindrance between you and you, between the self and the self, between the part and the whole. Sufism is the methodology to dissolve the vanity of ego.

A few things about this word 'Sufi'. An ancient Persian dictionary gives the definition of the word in a very unique way. It goes in rhyme: SUFI

CHIST - SUFI, SUFIST. WHO IS A SUFI? The dictionary answers A SUFI IS A SUFI. What a strange but a beautiful way to define a SUFI and the path. The phenomenon that we call Sufi is indefinable. ‘A Sufi is a Sufi.’ It says nothing and yet it says everything. It says that the Sufi cannot be defined. There is no other word to define the entire phenomena. There is no other synonym!

Also there is no possibility to define it linguistically. There is no other indefinable phenomenon. You can live it and you can know it, you can be it! However, through the mind, or the intellect, it is not possible. You can be a Sufi. And that is the only way to know what Sufism is. You can taste the reality yourself, it is available. You need not go into a dictionary, you can go into existence. If you are not ready to have a bite of Sufism you can at least taste it.

And that is what I am going to make available to you – a little taste. And once you have tasted even a drop of the nectar called Sufism you will become thirstier for more. And this thirst will go on getting deeper and deeper. For the first time you will start feeling a great appetite for God in you.

These talks cannot explain to you what is Sufism.

Because these are not the talks of a philosopher! I am not a theologian either. And I am not really talking on Sufism, I will be talking Sufism. I am here to give you a taste of Sufism. If you are ready! Ready to go into this adventure, and then you will attain the very taste of it. It is something that will start happening in your heart. It is something like a bud opening. You will start feeling a certain sensation in the heart. It is as if something is becoming alert, awake, and alive there. It is as if the heart has been asleep for long and now it is the first glimpse of the morning. And thus you will have the taste.

Sufism is a special kind of magic, a rare kind of magic. It can be transferred only from a master to the disciple, not from a book. It is ilme seena or knowledge of the heart. It cannot be transferred by scriptures. No way can this be communicated through the mind. It is also just like Zen – a transmission beyond words. It is a wordless communion. Nothing is spoken, yet still everything is heard. The Sufis have a special word

for it, they call it silsila. What Hindus call parampara Sufis call as silsila? Silsila means a transfer from one heart to another heart. From one person to another person! It is a very, very personal religion.

Sufism is the transmission beyond communion. It is like that happen from a lit candle to the unlit one. Nothing is visible yet still something happens. And the closer the unlit candle comes to the lit one something jumps and lights the unlit one. This is transmission without lamp. A communication without word! Nay you cannot call this as communication! Because it is not communication! Instead it is communion! The disciple remains within the energy field of the master beyond time and space in a state of continuum. This he does through trust, love for the master, and introspection on the words of the master. Thus he goes beyond time and space. This is Sufi way. Nobody is doing anything. Yet still the rare magic is happening – the transformation from baser to the subtle!

You cannot have it without being related to an enlightened Master. There is no other way. You can read all the literature that exists on Sufism and you will be lost in a desert of words. Unless you find a guide! Unless you fall in love with a guide, you will not have the taste of the miraculous. I am ready to take you on this inner journey. This can happen only if you are courageous and adventurous. Only courageous people get attracted towards the real. The real is not for cowards, and for your so-called religious people.

Remember this place is not for so-called Godfearing people either. In fact this place is for the God loving people. Love knows no fear. Love is the disappearance of fear. Just like when light is darkness can no more be. And such a person has a totally different quality. A God-fearing person can never move into the deeper realms of religion.

Certainly he cannot move to his inner realm because of his fear. You will start feeling a certain sensation in the heart. And this sensation is such that if something is becoming alert, awake there; as if the heart has been asleep for long and now it is the first glimpse of the morning. And it is in such wakefulness you will have the taste of the

miraculous. Know this the Sufi way. Sufi way can happen once you are open to love and its deeper realms. Then it matters not what is your outer garb. I invite you for such an experience.

This place is for those whom I call God loving persons. And they have a totally different quality.

A God-fearing person never moves into the deeper realms of religion, he cannot because of his fear. People who come to me are God loving.

When I say ‘God loving’ I mean they are in search.

They want to know. They want to be. They want to attain to inner oneness. They want to explode their blissfulness. And they want to know authentically. They do not want to have borrowed knowledge about it. They want to have a taste.

They want to encounter, they want to face God. They want to look into his eyes.

But before you can become capable of looking into the eyes of God, you will have to become capable of looking into the eyes of a Master. From there you take off. The journey begins. Master is the one who looks like you. He talks and walks like you. Yet still there is something of the beyond. He is soaked in God. He is overflowing the blissfulness. And in that state whatever he says transforms you. It is the miracle of the unknown. Beyond time and space- a continuum! I am making myself available to you. Sufism is just an excuse. I will not be talking about Sufism. I will be talking Sufism itself. The word ‘Sufism’ is also beautiful. It has many orientations and all are beautiful. And I would not like to emphasize any one specific orientation. A few people choose one orientation. While others choose another!

However my understanding is that all those orientations are beautiful and have something special to say. I accept them all. Each orientation speaks of the inner state of the one who is expressing this.

One old Naqshbandi Master, Abul Hassan Kharqani, has said, ‘Sufism was once a reality without a name and now Sufism is a name without reality.’

For many centuries Sufism existed without a name. It existed as reality only. That is why I say Jesus was a Sufi! So was Mohammed! So was Mahabir! And so was Krishna! Anyone who has

come to know God! Come to be God! Is indeed a Sufi! Why do I say so? Try to understand the word ‘Sufi’ and it will become clear to you. The word ‘Sufi’ is a new coinage. It is of a German origin. It emerged out of German scholarship. Is not more than one hundred and fifty years old? In Arabic the word is tasawwuf. But both come from a root ‘suf’ which means wool.

It seems very strange. Why should wool become the symbol of Sufism? The scholars go on saying that it is because Sufis used to wear woollen robes. That is true. But why! Nobody has answered it. Why should they be wearing woollen robes? Mohammed says in the Quran that even Moses was wearing a woollen robe when he encountered God. When God spoke to him he was entirely in a woollen robe. But why! There is a deep symbolism in it. The symbolism is that wool is the garb of the animals and a Sufi has to become as innocent as an animal. The Sufi has to attain to a primal innocence. He has to drop all kinds of civilization! He has to drop all kinds of cultures. He has to drop all conditionings. And thus has to become again innocent like an animal.

Then the symbol becomes tremendously significant.

When man becomes animal he does not fall back as is normally conceived. Instead he goes higher.

When man becomes animal he is not just an animal. That is not possible. You have not regressed. You cannot fall back. When a man becomes an animal he becomes a saint. His becoming an animal is his conscious choice. He remains conscious but his consciousness is no more burdened by any conditioning. He is no more a Hindu and no more a Mohammedan and no more a Christian. He is in tune with existence as deeply as any animal. He has dropped all kinds of philosophies. No more conceptualizations in his mind. Mind is without any content. He is, but he is no more in the mind. To be like innocent animals is the very meaning of woollen robe. He is no more in the duality of what is good and what is bad. Only then the highest good the Absolute Good arises! This is ‘summum bonum’ the ultimate good!

When you know this is good and that is bad, and you choose good against bad. And you remain

divided. This is duality. When you choose, there is repression. When you say, ‘I will do this! This has to be done. This should be done’, this becomes an ‘ought’. Then naturally you have to repress. You have to repress that which you have condemned as bad. And the repressed part remains inside you and goes on poisoning your system. And sooner or later it will assert. Sooner or later it will take revenge. When it explodes! It will surface even without your knowing. You will go mad.

Hence all civilized people are always on the verge of madness. This earth is a big madhouse. A few have already become mad. While a few are potentially ready. The difference between you and the mad people is not of quality! It is only of quantity! The difference is only of degree. Maybe they have gone beyond the hundred degrees and you are just lingering somewhere near nineties.

And any moment any situation can push you beyond the boundary. Don't you see it? Can’t you observe your mind? Can’t you see the madness that goes on and on inside? It is continuously there. Waiting for the opportunity to explode!

To me, to be an animal means to be innocent.

Innocence is spontaneous and natural. It knows no morality or immorality. To be an animal is not a condemnation. A saint is more like animals than like you. The difference between a master and you is his innocence and spontaneity. That is why he is more like an animal than like the so called human beings. The human beings are not natural beings. They are very unnatural! They are artificial, plastic like. Their whole life is a life of deception. If you touch somebody’s face you will never touch his face, you touch only his mask. And remember, your hand is also not true. It has a glove on it. Even lovers do not touch each other.

Even in love you are not innocent. Even in love you are not without masks. But when you want to love God you have to be without masks. You have to drop all deceptions. You have to be authentically whatsoever you are. You have to be choice less. Be whatsoever you are. In that primal innocence God descends. So the reasons Idrish Shah finds to condemn the definition that ‘Sufi’ comes from ‘suf’ are exactly the reasons I approve it.

You avoid it. You get occupied in a thousand and one things just to avoid it. You do not look at it.

You want to forget about it. It is too scary and frightening. But it is there – and whether you avoid it or not it goes on growing. It is continuously accumulating momentum. It can come to the peak any time. Any small thing can trigger it. When you choose, you have to repress.

The animal does not choose. Whatsoever is actually is. The animal simply accepts it. Its acceptance is total. It knows no choice. So does a Sufi.

A Sufi knows no choice. He is choicelessly aware.

Whatsoever happens he accepts it as a gift, as a God-given thing. Who is he to choose? He does not trust his mind. Instead he trusts in the universal mind that is why when you come across a Sufi you will see such animal innocence in his eyes and in his being. There is an expression of such freedom, such joy, as only animals know! Or trees or rocks or stars manifest! Idrish Shah has condemned the definition of ‘Sufi’ from ‘suf’ – wool – on exactly the same grounds as I am approving of it. He says that Sufis are so alert about symbols how can they choose wool as a symbol? The wool represents the animal and Idrish Shah says Sufis cannot choose the animal as a symbol. They are the people of God – why should they choose the animal? He seems very logical, and he may appeal to many people.

But on exactly the same grounds I approve the definition. It needs deeper insight into the whole phenomena that is Sufism. You need to know the very essence of Sufism. You have to be a Sufi to know this. You have to be in the ocean like a fish to know what is ocean. You have to dive deep in the womb of the ocean to explore the inner treasures of the unknown. You have never known such treasures. This is the rare experience. Sufism is such rare experience. Idrish Shah has done tremendous work in creating a Sufi character in Mulla Nauruddin. Through this character he has hit human ignorance and unconsciousness. I love him for this. But I do not accept when he says about the symbol of animal as the symbol for Sufism. Animal symbolizes innocence. So is a Sufi.

This is the reason Sufis have chosen this symbol.

It is a natural and spontaneous choice.

I have heard that once a dog bit a man in Sufi garb. AT this the man hit the dog with a stick.

Then the dog went the city chief to lodge the complaint against the man who had hit him with the stick. The chief who is called quazi called the two parties together. He listened to the plaintiff and the defender. Now it was the time for the judgment. The dog bit the man and then the man hit the dog with his stick. The chief said this squares the situation. Surprised the chief asked the dog why was he complaining when he bit the man first. Because you bit the man and this is the reason that the man hit you back. The case is squared now. There is no case then. But then the chief got surprised when the dog said that his complained was not against the man who hit him.

The dog said when I saw this man in a sufa garb I bit him to test if he is really a Sufi –the innocent one. But this man is a deceit in a Sufi garb. A Sufi is bound to be an innocent one. Sufi is the one who cannot harm anyone. My complaint is that this man is deceiving as a Sufi. Such was the time when no one could deceive in a Sufi garb. And now what is happening?

I do not know if this happened really. But the parable gives a very important message. Such is Sufi Way. That is how we go on living. All our religion is just like that - just verbal. It does not penetrate into your being. And you know that whatsoever you say you do exactly the opposite of it. You think one thing, say another, and do something else. You are a trinity, you are not one.

And all those three persons are going in three different directions. You are a crowd. And this is the cause of your misery. The animal is one. This is the cause of the blissfulness of the animal. The animal has nothing whatsoever to be happy about. He has not a big palace to live in. He has no TV, no radio and all that you consider entertainment. He has nothing and yet you will find great peace, silence, joy, celebration. Why? One thing is there: the animal is not a chooser.

The Sufi is not a chooser. Choose and you deceive; choose and you start going false; choose and you become plastic.

I have heard: A man was going to attend a Halloween party dressed in the costume of the Devil. On his way it began to rain, so he darted into a church where a revival meeting was in

progress. At the sight of his Devil’s costume, people began to scatter through the doors and windows. Somehow one lady got her coat sleeve caught on the arm of one of the seats and as the man came closer she pleaded, ‘Satan, I have been a member of this church for twenty years, yet still I have really been on your side all the time. So please excuse me.’ But such is the situation of all so called ladies and of all gentlemen.

We only pay lip service to God. And in reality we are surrendered to the Devil. The Devil is deeper because the Devil has been repressed. Whenever something is repressed it goes deeper into your being; you become only a hypocrite on the surface. By asserting the symbol of the animal Sufis declare, ‘We are simple people. We do not know what is good and what is bad. We know only God, and whatsoever happens is his gift. We accept it. We are not doers on our own accord.’

This is the first meaning of the word ‘Sufi’.

There is another possibility. The word ‘Sufi’ can be derived from ‘sufa’! It implies purity, cleanliness, and purification. That too is good.

When you live a life of choicelessness a natural purity comes. But remember, this purity has nothing of morality in it. It does not mean pure in the sense of being good. It means pure in the sense of being divine! Not in the sense of being good either. Pure simply means pure of all ideas, good and bad both. Purity is transcendence. One has no idea at all of purity! No prejudices whatsoever! One trusts life so utterly that one need not have any ideas. And when there is no idea then one can live without ideas. When ideas are there in the mind they create impurity! Ideas create wounds. When you are too full of ideas, you are too full of dirt. All ideas are dirty. Yes, even the idea of God is a dirty idea. Because ideas are dirty. For a Sufi, God is not an idea. Instead it is his lived reality. It is not somewhere sitting on a throne high in the heavens as is conceived by your religious people. No! It is here now. It is all over the place. It is everywhere. God is just a name for the totality of existence. Totality! Just Totality!

Purity means a mind without contents! Just a mechanism! Never be misguided by the word ‘purity’. It does not mean a man who has a good

character. It does not mean a man who behaves according to the Ten Commandments. It does not mean a man who is respected by the society as a good man. It does not mean a man who regularly goes to the temple or a church or chants scriptures.

A Sufi has never been respected by the society. A Sufi lives such a rebellious life that the society has almost always been murdering Sufis. Crucifying them! Because the Sufi makes you aware of your falsity! He becomes a constant sermon against all that is artificial. He reminds you of your ugliness.

He is a reminder against your inner inhumanity to human beings! Against your masks! Against all that you are and represent. A Sufi becomes a constant pain in the neck to the so-called society and to the so-called respectable people.

I have heard. It happened that once Abu Yazid, a Sufi mystic, was praying. These are just parables.

In no ways these have any historical semblance!

It is said God spoke to Abu Yazid and said, ‘Yazid, now you have become one of my chosen people.

Should I declare it to the world?’ Abu Yazid laughed. He said, ‘Yes, you can – if you want me to be crucified. Declare!’

You declared about Al-Hillaj Mansur! You made him declare “A’nal Haq…” and what happened then? They crucified him. Whenever you declare that somebody has attained, people crucify him immediately. They do not love you. The world cannot tolerate your people. So if you want me to be crucified, declare. And it is said that God never declared about Abu Yazid. He kept quiet. This has always been so.

Someone asked al-Hillaj Mansur, the greatest mystic ever, ‘What is the ultimate in Sufi experience?’ Al-Hillaj said, ‘Come tomorrow!

Tomorrow you will come to know what the ultimate in Sufi experience is.’ Nobody knew what was going to happen the next day. The man asked, ‘Why not today?’ Al-Hillaj said, ‘You just wait. It is going to happen tomorrow - the ultimate in Sufism.’ And the next day he was crucified. And when he was crucified he shouted loudly for his friend who had asked the question. He said, ‘Where are you hiding in the crowd? Now come on and see the ultimate in Sufism. This is what it

is.’ If you start living in God you become intolerable to the so-called society, to your so called family. Because family is the by product of the society! The society lives in hypocrisy. So is the family. None can tolerate truth. Truth has to be crucified. A society! A family can love the Church but it cannot love Christ. It can love the Vatican pope but it cannot love Jesus. When Jesus is gone then it is good. Then you can go on worshipping him. When Mansur is gone you can go on talking about him. But when he is there he is a fire. Only those who are ready to be consumed by the fire will be ready to fall in love with Mansur. Remember both society and family are false. They exist only in your dictionaries and the mind. In reality you never come across anything like family and the society. All you see is people. A person can be transformed. He is living phenomena. No society! No family can ever be transformed. Both are nonexistent. And anything that is nonexistent can never be transformed.

‘Sufa’ means purity. Purity in the sense that there is no content in the mind anymore! Mind has disappeared. There is no mind, no thinking, and no thought. It is a state of Satori, or Samadhi.

There is another possibility and that too is beautiful. And I accept all these possibilities. The third possibility comes from another word, ‘sufia’.

The word means: chosen as a friend by God. Sufis say that you cannot search for God unless he has already chosen you. How can you search for God? You talk as if you have already known God. You can search only for that you have already known?

You can never know the unknown. And god is both UNKNOWN and UNKNOWABLE. All initiative is from the side of God. He is searching for you. God desires for you. He goes on groping for you. He goes on calling 'Where are you?' When he chooses somebody only then do you start choosing him. You may not know it. Because when he chooses, how can you know?

The same is true about a Master. You think that you choose a Master? All Holy Nonsense! Just nonsense! It is always the Master who chooses you. The very idea that you choose the Master is egoistic. How can you choose the Master? How will you know in the first place who the Master is?

How will you decide? What criterions have you

got? You cannot choose a Master. Instead the Master chooses you. A master goes on choosing many who are not yet even alert about it. But they have started moving the moment a master chooses. They think they are searching for a Master. They think they are seekers. And it is natural. It can be forgiven. But they have been chosen by somebody. And so is the ultimate case with God. God chooses first. Then you start feeling a hunger for him. And it is only Sufis who have told it. No other tradition has said so clearly that man cannot choose God! It is God who chooses man. It is a blessing. Even to feel a thirst for God is a great blessing. You should feel happy that you have been chosen. You should be happy that God has already called you. The first call is always heard in the deep unconscious. This you cannot figure it out. You do not what it is. From where it is coming! You feel it as if it is coming from within you. It is not coming from you.

Man cannot take the initiative. How can man take the initiative? Man is so impotent! Man is so helpless. Man cannot start the journey on his own unless he is pulled! Unless some magnetic force starts pulling him towards some Unknown goal!

You can choose only that which you know. How can you choose God? You can take the initiative for worldly things, because you know them. You can have an idea of how to purchase a beautiful house or how to have this woman as your wife or this man as your husband or how to have more money, more power, and more prestige. All such

things you can choose! How can you choose God? You have not even had a glimpse, not even in your dreams. How can you choose something so utterly unknown to you? But you are not unknown to God. So He can choose you. Whenever he chooses, a great desire arises in you to find him.

That is an indication that he has chosen you. You have become a Sufi - chosen as a friend by God. That is also beautiful.

The fourth possibility comes from the Greek word ‘Sufiya’. ‘Sufiya’ means wisdom. Wisdom is not synonymous with knowledge. Knowledge is through scriptures, through others. It is borrowed. Wisdom arises in your own being. You are a light unto yourself. Wisdom means that you know! And when you know there is no question to believe. Knowledge is belief. Somebody says ‘God is’ and you believe. You believe the man; hence you believe whatever he is saying must be truth. Jesus says ‘God is’ and you believe. I say ‘God is’ and you believe. This is knowledge. You love me, you trust me, and you start believing. But it is all knowledge. And a man becomes a Sufi only when he has known. When he himself has known!

When he himself has touched the reality! When he himself has seen the face of God! Then he becomes a Sufi. He has become wise. He is no more just knowledgeable, it is his own experience now.

Only this much for now!

‘Spiritual Knowledge is like water, it takes the color and shape of the cup. Allah's Knowledge is so great, that however much we take, it is like a drop of a huge ocean. It like a vast garden, however much we have cut it is as if we had cut but one flower.’

‘To reach the Secrets of Oneness is sometimes possible, but to reach the Secrets of Spiritual Knowledge (marifat) is extremely difficult.’

MUSOLEUM HADTHRATH SHAH BAHAUDDIN NAQSHBAND

T

he Sufi path or tariqat began from the Noor of Allah Subhanhu Taala via His Prophet, Hadhrat Sayyidina Wa Maulana Muhammad Mustafa Rasulullah Sallallahu Ta'ala 'Alaihi Wa Alihi Wa Ashabihi Wa Barik Wa Sallam! In the beginning this Tariqa was called “Siddiqiya” because of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqui. With the advent of Shah Bahauddin Naqshaband however it came to be known as the Naqshbandiyya Tariqah. And from then onwards this remains as Naqshbandiyah Tariqah. However with the passage of time many

other additions were made but its original design remained.

Of the Naqshbandiyah Naqshband said,

Tariqah

Shah

Our Way is very rare and very precious. It is the curwati-l-wuthqa -‘Firm Handhold’. It is the way of remaining firm and steadfast in the footsteps of the Prophet and of his Companions. They brought me to this Way from the door of Favors, because at its beginning and at its end, I witnessed nothing but the Favors of God. In this

Way great doors of Heavenly Knowledge will be opened up to the seeker who follows in the footsteps of the Prophet.

came to Bukhara to see the sage, seek his advice, and receive teachings in the school he had established.

To follow the Sunnah of the Prophet is the most important means by which the door will be opened to you. He said, ‘Whoever is not coming to our Way, his religion is in danger.’ He was asked, ‘How does someone come to Your Way?’ He replied, ‘By following the Sunnah of the Prophet.’

Following his death in 1389, Sheikh Bahauddin al-Naqshbandi was buried adjacent to his school, directly upon the site of an ancient pagan temple.

The Naqshbandi Sufi order is one of the oldest living traditional Sufi orders. The early members of the order rejected outward shows of religious expression and concentrated upon the inner spiritual life while engaged in the affairs of the world.

He said, ‘We have carried in this Way humiliation, and in return Allah has blessed us with His Honor.’

Some people said about him that he was sometimes arrogant. He said, ‘We are proud because of Him, because He is our Lord, giving us His Support!’

Bahauddin said, ‘To reach the Secrets of Oneness is sometimes possible, but to reach the Secrets of Spiritual Knowledge (marifat) is extremely difficult.’

He continued, ‘Spiritual Knowledge is like water, it takes the color and shape of the cup. Allah's Knowledge is so great, that however much we take, it is like a drop of a huge ocean. It like a vast garden, however much we have cut it is as if we had cut but one flower.’

The Naqshbandi Sufi order, as I have mentioned earlier traces its lineage back to Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Abu Bakr and other masters or the central figures in early Islam derives its name in the present form from that of a 14th century Central Asian mystic named Bahauddin alNaqshbandi.

Born in 1318 AD, in the village Qasr-i-Hinduvan (later renamed Qasr-i Arifan) near Bukhara, Bahauddin experienced profound visionary revelations in his youth. Became a brilliant Islamic scholar before the age of twenty! He made the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca three times and became a greatly venerated holy man during his life time. Visitors from across Central Asia

With followers throughout Central Asia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, the Naqshbandi Sufis, as both travelling merchants and mystics, played a major role in the introduction of NOOR of Allah across Asia. Believing that piety is better expressed by social activity than retreat from the world, the Naqshbandi masters often became actively involved in politics. By the 15th century they had become the dominant Sufi order in much of Central Asia and actively influenced politics from China to India to the Middle East.

Today the Naqshbandi Order is the foremost Sufi order in the world and is experiencing an unprecedented period of growth, not only in its traditional heartlands of Central Asia, Turkey, the Middle East and South Asia, but in nations of the Western world, particularly the United States and Great Britain.

It was from Hazrat Amir Kulal that Bahauddin received his fundamental training on the path and whose company he kept for many years. Still more significant, however, was the instruction Bahauddin received in the method of silent dhikr from the Ruhaniya of Abdul Khaliq Gijadwani (Ruhaniya refers to an initiation dispensed by the spiritual being of a departed preceptor).

Although he was a spiritual descendant of Abdul Khaliq, Amir Kulal practiced vocal dhikr, and after Bahauddin received instruction in silent dhikr (dhikr khafi), he would absent himself from Amir Kulal's circle of followers whenever they engaged in dhikr of the tongue. This separation of Bahauddin from Amir Kulal's circle may be thought of as marking the final crystallization of the Naqshbandiya, with silent

dhikr, received from Abdul Khaliq Gijadwani and ultimately inherited from Hazrat Abu Bakr. This later established as normative for the order.

hm ouda OvahI vhm duinyaye dU< yI< Oyal AStae Mauhal AStae junU< Once you are ready to thread along the inner journey one has to severe all relations with the outer and more so with lower emotion. It was considered all such connections are impediments along the path. This was the belief then. It was Azizan Ali Ramatini who made certain changes in the technique. And thus made the path easier for the aspirants! It was he who said that from now onwards the master also has certain responsibility in this process of transformation. Earlier it was the aspirant who has to do all efforts in this process. But from now onwards 80% is the responsibility of the disciple and the remaining 20% is the responsibility of the master. But this could not be brought into practice until later.

It was only Bahauddin Naqshband who brought this into practice. He broke the tradition of khanquah - the commune or ashram. He used to initiate people even during the travels, and also en mass. Even those who have no inner

preparation, Bahauddin used to initiate them.

Something like this never happened before.

While visiting the sick he used to give them a technique to practice. To these he used to give the most intricate techniques, which were forbidden up to now. This surprised even his disciples in the inner circles - the khalifas. They all felt these state they attained with so much efforts. And now the master is sharing these with all and sundry without any reservation.

Had Bahauddin not made such changes in the system the humanity would have remained deprived of this inner treasure? Another Naqshbandi master Sufi Raghuber Dayal said man attains much through service to God through the creation. And greatest service is that of time. Devote your time in the service of the Eternal. Because of all such changes in the system this came to be known as Naqshbandiyah. Along with any technique or dhikr Bahauddin used to inscribe certain impressions on the heart of the person that worked like hypnosis. And now the person cannot think of anything else. This is called inscriptions. And these work very deep in the human heart. This made his master Hazrat Amir Kulal says that you are Naqshbandi now - one who makes impressions.

In Post Naqshbandi Era God created the physical universe to manifest Himself So that the treasure of His wisdom may be revealed He said, ‘I was a hidden treasure.’

Listen! Listen attentively!

In the same way you must not let your spiritual Reality be submerged…

Instead must manifest your spirit in action!!!

RUMI MASNAVI IV: 3028-29

F

rom Bahauddin Naqshband, the silsillah branches into several sub-orders. And not only had this silsilah traveled to Indian Sub Continent in preparation for the second millennium and the advent of Sheikh Ahmad Al Farooqui. Each of these sub-orders claims to be the only authentic Naqshbandi path. One of the most important and widespread is the Naqshbandi-Mujaddadi branch founded by Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi. The chain between Bahauddin Naqshbandi and Ahmad Sirhindi continues as here under: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Khwaja Alauddin al-Bukhari al-Attar Khwaja Yaqub al-Charkhi Khwaja Ubaydullah al-Ahrar Muhammad Az-Zahid Darwish Muhammad Khawaja al-Amkanaqi Muhammad al-Baqi Billah Ahmad Sirhindi Mujaddid Alf-thani

Sub-orders: There is no single authority for the Naqshbandi order today. Rather, there are numerous suborders which operate in autonomy. Among them are the Sardaria, Owaisiah, Haqqani, Aslamiya, Hijazi, Mujarradiya and Tauheedia branches.

Hazrat Shah Wali Ullah has stated in his book ‘Al

Intibah Fi Salasil e Awliya Allah’ that the most effective of all is the Naqshbandia Owaisiah.

Naqshbandi Tahiri: In Pakistan, Naqshbandi Order is mostly prevalent under this branch. Previously known as Ghaffari branch, the Naqshbandi Tahiri order belongs to a famous Sheikh of Pakistan, Sheikh Muhammad Tahir Abbasi Naqshbandi Mujaddidi, who is more famous with the name Sajjan Saeen. The headquater of this branch is at Dargah Allahabad, near Kandiaro, in the province of Sindh. This order is prevalent in all provinces of Pakistan, and many other countries such as U.K, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, USA, etc.

Sheikh Muhammad Tahir Abbasi belongs to the previously known as Ghaffari branch of Naqshbandi order; His lineage goes back to Sheikh Fazal Ali Qureshi, the great Naqshbandi Sheikh of Twentieth Century.

Naqshbandi Owaisiah: Naqshbandi Order has another famous branch called Naqshbandi Owaisiah Order. The method of spiritual instruction is quite close to

Mujaddidya order. However, there are two main differences. First Naqshbandi Owaisiah order uses the ‘Pas Infas’ method of dhikr. Secondly, the method of spiritual instruction is ‘Owaisee’, which means that the Sheikh can impart spiritual instruction regardless of physical distance and even difference of time period. Seekers of Naqshbandi Owaisiah can obtain spiritual blessing from their Sheikh regardless of their location in the world. Owaisiah connection is also useful in obtaining spiritual blessings from Sufis of the Past. Naqshbandi Owaisiah Order is based in Pakistan and its modern founder was Sheikh Allah Yar Khan.

Current sheikh is Maulana Muhammad Akram Awan. Headquarters for this sect is Dar-ul-irfan, Minara, and Chakwal, Pakistan. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of dhikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the holy Prophet without a formal physical meeting. The dhikr employed by the Naqshbandi is ‘dhikr-e Khafi Qulbi’ or remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which in Persian means guarding every breath. By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandi Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bayat or Oath of Allegiance directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad.

The Reviver Sheikh Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual grace. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a

century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence.

Naqshbandi-Haqqani Golden Chain The Golden Chain is a lineage of KhalidiyyaNaqshbandiyya. Its followers claim that it passes from Iraq under Sheikh Khalid al-Baghdadi to Daghestan, where it remained through seven generations of Sufi masters, to finally return to the Middle East in Damascus with the emigration of Sharafuddin ad-Daghestani and his disciple Abdullah al-Fa'iz ad-Daghestani, and then to Cyprus under Sheikh Nazim al-Qubrusi, leader of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani order worldwide. He was born in Larnaca, Cyprus, on the 23rd of April 1922, Sunday, the 26th of Shacban, 1340 H. His lineage from his father's side traces its roots to Sayiddina Abdul Qadir Jilani, founder of the Qadiri Order. His lineage from his mother goes back to Sayiddina Jalaluddin Rumi, founder of the Mevlevi Order. He is Hassani-Hussaini, related to the Prophet through the lineages of his grandfathers to the Family of the Prophet. From his father's side he received the Qadiri Tariqat.

From his mother's, side he received the Mevlevi Tariqat.

During his childhood in Cyprus he sat with his grandfather, who was a Sheykh of the Qadiri Tariqat, to learn its discipline and its spirituality.

Extraordinary signs appeared early in him. His conduct was perfect. He never fought nor argued with anyone. He was always smiling and patient.

His grandfather from his father's side and his grandfather from his mother's side trained him for the spiritual path.

Tauheedia Naqshbandi: In 1955 Hazarat Kawajah Abdul Hakeem Ansari along with his only khaliph Hazarat Abdul Sattar Khan accompanied by Kawajah Sattar's wife and daughter founded a new branch of the

Naqshbandia Mujadidiah Order. He named it 'Tauheediah', with a focus on unity or Tauheed, truthfulness and love and making it more practical for modern Westernized society aiming towards unification of ummah... and development of humanity. It has a base in Lahore, and disciples throughout the world.

Naqshbandi-Mujaddadi-wa Mazaharia: This is an important branch of Naqshbandia silsillah. It establishes a connection between Shah Bahauddinn the original designer, Sheikh Ahmad al Farooki Mujaddadi Alif Thani, one who set the trends of the second millennium, and Hazrat Mazhar Mir Jane Jana who gave a new direction to the path. This sub â&#x20AC;&#x201C; order has Hindu influence with the advent of Naqshbandi Sheikh Ram Chandra ( Lala Ji), about who a forecast was made by a Sheikh of this order 100 years ago.

The following is the golden chain of sheikhs from Sheikh al Ahmad Mujadaddi Alif Thani: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Khawaja Muhammad Masoom Sheikh Safuddin Sayidiana Noor Mohammad Badayuni Hazrat Mazhar Mir Jana Jana Sayiaddina Naim Ullah Shah Baihraichi 6. Sayiaddina Hazrat Shah Murad Ullah 7. Khawaja Abulhasan Nasirabadi 8. Hazrat Maulwi Ahmad Ali Khan 9. Hazrat Maulana Fazl Ahmad Khan 10. Hazrat Maulwi Shah Abdul Ghani Khan 11. Sufi Hazrat Ramchandra 12. Sufi Hazrat Raghuber Dayal 13. Sufi Hazrat Brij Mohan Lal 14. Sufi Hazrat Onkar Nath When a master is alive there is light and fragrance. And after the master is no more the organization begins by the vested interest who are only interested in politicizing the silsillah.

Almost everyone begins striving for his own shop. Thus many sub orders mushroom along with the genuine ones. Some still maintain connection with the main source. Such people do

not care for inner development and transformation. Their main emphasis is on business like activities functioning out of ego.

These sub orders look more real than the real itself. However there is no fragrance of transformation. Organization is very easy. But to bring about transformation is an altogether different process.

What is more important is bringing inner transformation. And when the lamp of awareness or noor is lit within its light is bound to spread in the outer world. And thus evolves the way of transformation. This happens spontaneously.

Whenever in deep silence, a flowering happens one knows that the beauty and the fragrance of this flower are not going to last forever.

Whatever happens to the flower is momentary; bees gather around the flower and begin to experience its beauty, fragrance, aliveness, presence, and its fragility.

This is the experience in the end, of all those who are thirsty of something emanating from deep within the flowering of the Being; and the flower continues to share its presence, its being, its silence, and its wholeness. The flower need not make any publicity. Once inner flowering has happened its beauty and the fragrance will engulf the atmosphere. Those who are near such flowering, begin to experience their own inner flowering. This is the Secret of the Golden Flower of a Zen master, Lu Tzu. Such is the milieu.

Out of this flowering, a commune is born. A Buddhafield! Commune refers to a deep union between Meditation and Love. An oasis in the desert of the world! In such an environment of deep lovingness, one grows in awareness, understanding, and meditation. For this one need not make any effort. Just allow the flowering to happen. And the rest happens on its own accord.

Communication between heads was replaced by the communion of hearts! Whenever so many hearts open, many flowers blossom! Fragrance is released. This fragrance that surrounds a Buddha is the fragrance or the energy of the

Being or the Noor of Allah. We may call this as Buddhafield.

If someone has attained this flowering or the Noor has descended within, a commune is bound to happen. No one can prevent this. This is the law of the existence. All those who are thirsty, will start moving towards the flowering of this Buddha. Just like, when a flower blossoms, the magnetic pull of the fragrance attracts many bees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; only bees! No dog will ever be attracted to this magnetic pull of a flower. Or when the lamp is lit moths begin to dance around the lamp. A Buddha and a commune exist only for those who have the sensitivity, the perception, the availability, the search, and the openness. Many will pass but will go on missing the Master and the commune.

When many individuals with openness and a deep search within, are completely dissolved and merged into one another, what is created there is

a Buddhafield, a Sangha, a sanctuary of the master. Individuals with complex diverse potentials gather around the Buddha. Everyone works wholeheartedly in his or her own way without any dictatorship or leadership. Through the Buddha or the Enlightened One, Godliness starts overflowing and consciousness creates a commune or Buddhafield.

In the absence of this inner flowering pseudo masters mushroom. Prompted by ego and egocentric desires many open their own shop after the master is no more. In many cases after the master is no more this happens. This is what happens in most of the cases. And this is the reason for so many sub-orders.

The post Naqshbandi era flows through the Volume 3 of Leaves from a Sufi Heart, by Sheikh Taoshobuddha and beyond as well.

Only this much for now!

MAY ALLAH SANCTIFY HIS SOUL

The intellect has two forms.

The first is acquired, learned from the books and teachers, By reflections and memorizing, through logic and the sciences.

In this way your intellectual powes increase, But the more knowledge you acquire, The more you are burdened.

The second form of intellect is a gift from God. Its fountainhead is thye very heart of human soul.

But the water of divine knowledge bubbles up- from the spirit into intellect. It is clear and sparkling and can never become stagnant or dull.

RUMI MASNAVI IV: 1960-5

ALlah Agr TaaE)Ik n de #Nsan ke bs ka kam nhI< )Ejane muhBbt Aam hE #r)ane muhBbt Aam nhI Allah agar taufik na de insan ke bas ke kaam nahi Faizane muhabbat aam he irfane muhbbat aam nahin!!

If Allah does not make you capable Remember it is not in the hands of finiteness of man Ordinary love is common But that leads to duality and conflict Eternal love or love divine is not common!!

Only an enchanted heart is filled with this energy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The sublime and sanctified!!!

K

hawaja Baqi Billah was the originator and pioneer of the Naqshbandia Order in the Indian sub-continent. His name was Raziud-Din Muhammad Baqi but he was commonly known as Khwaja Baqi Billah. His father Qazi Abdul Salam Khilgi, Samarkandi Qureshi was a famous scholar and saint of Kabul. KHAWAJA BAQI BILLAH was born at Kabul in 971A.H or

1563A.D. His lineage reaches Khawaja Ubaid Ullah Ahrar through his maternal grandfather.

His grandmother came of a Syed family. Hazrat Baqi Billah was admitted to the school of Khawaja Saad at five to learn the Holy Quran. He learnt by heart when he was eight years old.

After getting elementary education, he went to

Maulana Sadiq Hilvahi a famous scholar when he was of 30 years.

Serenity or saintliness radiated from his face from the very early childhood. He preferred solitude and simple life. He went to Mavara-unNahr, which was considered as the centre of Muslim saints at that time. There he met a large number of Sufis and Saint from whom he gathered a lot of spiritual knowledge. Firstly, he attended Khawaja Ubaid a spiritual khaliph of Maulana Lutf Ullah but he was not satisfied. Then he stayed with Hazrat Sheikh Samarkandi who prayed for him but even in his company he did not get the fulfillment or what his inner quest was. Thereafter, he attended the company of Hazrat Amir Abdullah Balkhi from whom he felt somewhat peaceful.

During the period of learning, he was going through a book on Sufism. Suddenly, he saw that the place was illuminated with light. He saw that Khawaja Shah Bahauddin Nashband was standing before him and showering spiritual favour on him. After this incident, his heart was filled with the love of Allah and the Holy Prophet Sallalaho Alyhe Wasalam. He wandered from Central Asia to India in search. He traveled to Lahore and Multan on foot. Once, when he was offering prayers in a mosque at Lahore, a terrible voice rose from his heart. All the people in the mosque felt terrified. Hazrat Khawaja left the mosque immediately after completing his prayers. One of his devotees narrated that, once, when Hazrat Khawaja was leading prayers, he was looking to Qibla as well as to the people behind. After the prayers Hazrat Khawaja advised his murids not to reveal this secret to anyone else.

Hazrat Khawaja Baqi Billah was blessed with great spiritual qualities because of his extraordinary love for and obedience to the Holy Prophet Sallalaho Alyhe Wasalam. Once he related that a painful voice came out of the holy heart of the Holy Prophet Sallalaho Alyhe Wasalam while he was offering the prayers. He could see before him and behind simultaneously.

Hazrat Khawaja Baqi Billah once travelled to Mavara-ur-Nahr. On his way, he dreamt that

Hazrat Khawaja Amkanqi was calling him and waiting for him anxiously. He left this worldly life behind and sought spiritual knowledge from the Master of the century. He kept company with masters and saints, until he himself became an ocean of intellect and a saint of spirituality. He travelled continuously until he reached the city of Samarqand. There he connected himself to the Master of his time, Khwaja al-Amkanaqi (q). He received from him the Way of the Naqshbandi Order. In a very short time he received what most seekers require a lifetime to receive. He was elevated also through the spiritual care of Ubaidullah al-Ahrar (q). His honor became known everywhere. His sheikh, Khawaja Amkangi blessed him with his Khilafat and authorized him to take followers and to train them in the conduct of the Order. He ordered him to go back to India in preparation of the new millaneum. However he went to India in the first instance on personal business. There he was attracted to an attraction from God’s attraction.

The Sheikh predicted, ‘You are going to have a follower who will be like the sun.’ This prediction was for Imam Rabbani Ahmad alFaruqi (q).

Baqui Billah expressed his inability do such a difficult task. However Khawaja Amkangi insisted and ordered him to get guidance from ‘istikharah’ (prayer for getting judgment from Allah), Baqui Billah performed ‘istikhara’. In a dream he saw a parrot sitting on the branch of a tree. He thought that if the parrot sat on his hand, he would consider this journey lucky one.

No sooner did this thought flashed across his mind, than the parrot flew towards him and perched on his hand. Hazrat Baqi Billah put his saliva into its beak whereas the parrot put sugar into his mouth. This was the indication next morning Hazrat Baqi Billah related the whole dream to his guide, who said that he should act in the light of the istkhara.

So, the Sheikh ordered him to leave for India immediately. Under the instructions of his Sheikh, he travelled to India and stayed at Lahore for a year. Here a lot of scholars and nobles of the city met him and got spiritual blessings from him. Then he proceeded to Delhi

and stayed at Qilla Ferozabad. It was a beautiful place situated on the bank of River Jamuna. He set up his dwelling in a mosque over there.

Hazrat Khwaja Baqi Billah strengthened the Naqshbandi Order in the Indian sub-continent.

His contacts with the nobility of the Mughal Empire proved useful for the reformation of the Muslims of India. He took bold steps and played a heroic role to stop the prevailing religion Din-iIlahi which was considered as heresay by the Muslim fundamentalists. His writings and counsels encouraged the people to combat this very innovation. The nobility also favoured him and he used their power for the betterment of the Muslims. He stressed on Shariat during his life and influenced the people by virtue of his piety and his strict adherence to the Sunnah. He preferred Shariat to Tariqat (Sufism) and reformed the Sufis and Ulama of that time.

Khwaja Muhammad Kishmi, a disciple of Hazrat Mujaddid Alif Sani, writes about the achievements of Hazrat Baqi Billah as under: ‘Probably his greatest achievement is that in two or three years, he firmly established the Naqshbandi Order in India, whereas others of the same Order lagged behind and worked for many years’.

Hazrat Mujaddid Ali Thani paid tribute to Hazrat Baqi Billah in the following words.

‘I am convinced that such training as I received from him has hardly been given by anyone else after the Holy Prophet Salallaho Alyhe Wasalam. I did not enjoy the Prophet's company but I thank Allah, I was not denied the honour of Khwaja Baqi Billah's Company.’

In fact, extra-ordinarily firm faith in the supremacy of Allah and strict adherence to Sunnah had elevated Hazrat Baqi Billah to such heights of spiritual excellence as could not be attained by any other sheikh of the Naqashbandi Order. He is torch-bearer of the Order, which he practized.

All words, deeds and actions of Hazrat Baqi Billah which were in the wake of the Holy Prophet Sallalho Alyhe Wasalam, worked

miracles quite spontaneously. Many of his miracles reflected his immense love for his fellow beings and his sympathy with other creatures of Allah.

One, late at night, a few guests of Hazrat Baqi Billah came to see him. Since no foodstuff was available at home, he asked the baker, who held Hazrat Baqi Billah in great esteem and reverence, to serve the guests as directed. After having served the guests, the baker appeared before Hazrat Baqi Billah and demanded his remuneration. At this Baqi Billah enquired the baker how much he was to pay for the dinner. On his own part, he tried to pay the price of the dinner but the baker declined to accept the remuneration in terms of money. The baker requested Hazrat Baqi Billah to make him just like him.

Hazrat Baqi Billah took the baker into his (Hujra) room, embraced him, and transformed him into his own facsimile. When Hazrat Baqi Billah and the baker came out of the room both of them resembled each other so closely that it was difficult for the people to distinguish between the two. The only difference between them was that whereas the actual Baqi Billah performed his duties, as usual, in a normal way, the transformed Baqi Billah lay lost in trance. He could not bear such a state of transformation the baker died three days later.

Another miracle, showing Baqi Billah’s love for any sympathy with other creatures of God, deserves special mention. It is said that one night Baqi Billah after having offered his Tahajad prayers, stepped towards his bed for rest. To his great surprise, he saw a cat couching in his bed.

Blessed and gifted as Baqi Billah was with a kind and benign heart, he did not disturb the cat.

Instead quietly he sat down on the floor and spend the rest of the night in the coldness of the winter. However the cat enjoyed a sound sleep until morning.

According to Khwaja Baqi Billah Tawwakkal (trust in Allah) does not mean that a person should not earn his living and become idle. This would be an act of disobedience to Allah. A person should do some work to earn his living,

and should have a strong faith that only Allah is the Sustainer. Work is just like a source, mediation or an intersessor. There is a great moral lesson for our modern youths to learn from the philosophy and preaching of this sheikh. In fact, according to all Naqshbandi Sufis and saints, escape from the struggle of life is cowardly. According to Khwaja Baqi Billah a hermit lives in a world of dreams, whereas to the adventurous and the brave, this world offers a splendid scope to struggle for existence.

Shrine Hazrat Baqi Billah- behind Pahar Ganj Railway Station New Delhi, India

Hazrat Khwaja Baqi Billah entered eternity on 25 Jamadi-ul-Sani 1012 A.H. or 1603 A.D. His Shrine is situated in Delhi near the Qadam Sharif (footprints) of the Holy Prophet Sallalho Alyhe Wasalam at a platform. No dorne was constructed over his shrine according to his will.

There is no tree to cast a shadow on the shrine.

In spite of this, the visitors do not feel the effect of heat when they stand barefooted beside the shrine.

JOURNEY TO INDIA AND WORKS: Baqi Billah was the first Naqshbandi master to come to India. And latter settled in New Delhi.

His shrine is in old Delhi behind Pahar Ganj railway station inside the Mohammaden cemetery. I have given the picture depicting the outside view of the cemetery, and the actual shrine. The gate has the inscription of Baqi Billah. Inside anyone can direct you to the shrine.

Lucky are those who can pay the visit to the shrine. And those who cannot reach there for such aspirant meditation considering the picture as shrine will work. This is my trust. This work is the link between you and the master. Only you have to be available.

His sheikh, Muhammad Khwaja al-Amkanaqi did not make any changes in the technique or tariqat, however he instructed Baqi Billah to bring even the ordinary ones into the fold. Make this spiritual awareness available to the people who are still not on the path, was the trust and the instruction of his master. Once Baqi Billah visited a master who told him it is good that you have brought so many into this fold. Nearly half of these are incapable on their own. Transform these people. Bring the light divine or noor into their hearts so that it begins to shine with the Light Absolute and can kindle up the dark being.

Sheikh Amkanaqi asked him not to look at the inner capacity of the individual. This way you will never find aspirants. Had Baqi Billah not brought such relaxations in the tariqat a vast cross section would have remained deprived of this inner treasure. Amkanaqi said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am sending you to a distant land whose very texture is soaked in spirituality. It is the land sanctified, nourished and nurtured by such forces from times immemorial. A land which is ready to explode any path! A land whose very being is not only ready but has the capability to infuse life even in a dead heart. I am sending you to INDIA. India has been the University of Meditation and the BEACON LIGHT not only now but from TIMES IMMEMORIAL. It has created many Buddhas.

Baqi Billah was the Knower. Annihilated in God (Fana Billah) and Existing in His Existence (baka Billah), who was lifted to the highest state of Inner Vision. He was a Secret of Allah's Secrets and a Miracle of Allah's Miracles. He combined in his person the two types of knowledge: the Outer Knowledge and the Heavenly Knowledge. God gave him from the two Oceans, and conferred on him Authority in the two worlds of men and Jinn - the souls after they leave human body. It is not easy to transform these. A jinni does not exist at normal plane of existence. The methodology differs in such case.

Imam Rabbani Ahmad al-Faruqi said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Muhammad al-Baqi was the One Sitting on the Throne of all Sheikhs, and he was the Deputy of all Masters of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain, who reached the end of the Infinite, who achieved the highest states of wilayat (Friendship of God). He was the qutb (Spiritual Pole) who supported every creature on this earth. He unveiled the secrets of Reality. He was the Verifier of the Station of the Reality of Muhammad. He was the Pillar of the People of Guidance. He is the Essence of all that is known and all that still remains unknown and unknowable. Also he was the Guide of the Verifiers (muhaqqiqin).â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

He moved back to India and stayed in the city of Delhi, which he filled with faith and knowledge and secrets and lights. Through him the Naqshbandi Order was spread with great swiftness throughout the Indian Subcontinent and millions of people were connected to him through his various Khalifas. All nations in the Subcontinent were attracted to his knowledge and his ENERGY FIELD or tawwajzoh and to the Prophetic Characteristics dressing him. It became known throughout the Indian Subcontinent that anyone coming to him and looking in his eyes, or sitting in his proximity doing dhikr, would enter a state of SelfEffacement and intoxication, through which he could reach a state of Annihilation, in a single meeting. By this miraculous power he attracted millions of people, until this Naqshbandi Order was on the tongue of every person during his time.

He passed the Secret of the order to his successor, the Sheikh of this order, the Sheikh Ahmad Farooki Mujaddadi Alif Thani. Thus the name Mujaddadi was added to the already known Naqshbandi order. Later on another name was added to the Shajarah of Naqshbandi order. And now it is known as NAQSHBANDIA MUJADDADIA MAJAHARIA!

MAY ALLAH SANCTIFY HIS SOUL? Those who deny God are like man who, Forsaking of sunshine and moonlight, Has buried his head in a pit, only to ask, ‘If the spirit of God is present in nature, Then where is its light?’

In order to see the beauty of God around him, He must first lift up his head and look.

RUMI MASNAVI III: 4796-7

Shrine Sheikh Ahmad Faruqi Mujaddadi Alif Thani Sirhindi, India

TAOSHOBUDDHA AT SHRINE SHEIKH AHMAD AL FARUQI MUJADDADI ALIF THANI

(26 TH JUNE1564 - 10 TH OF DECEMBER 1624)

Sheikh Ahmad al Farooqi is The 25th Sheikh from Silsila Auliya Naqshbandia.

He is the master of the second millennium.

W

ith him the tariqat attained a new dimension and a new impetus. Earlier the tariqat was known as Naqshbandi one who designs the path of growth and transformation of the consciousness of the

aspirants. With Sheikh Ahmad a new era was ushered into the Naqshbandi tariqat. Accordingly Mujaddadi was added to the path. Now the tariqat is known as NAQSHBANDI MUJADDADI. He is the Diamond of the Crown of the Masters.

And the treasure of those who came before and also of those who came after and those who are yet to come as well! In him were combined all their favors and generosity. He is the Sinai of Divine. Manifestation, the Furthermost Bodhi Tree of the Knowing, awareness, and understanding is Sheikh Ahmad al Farooqi. Also he is the Fountain of the Hidden Prophetic Knowing. The Genius of Scholars is Sheikh. And the Sultan of the Earth, which smiled when he was born and was honored by his existence! He is the perfect Perfected Guide.

He was the Caller to Allah’s presence, the One Qutb and the Unique Heavenly Imam. He was the Reviver of the Second Millennium, Sayyidina and Maulana (our Leader and Master) Sheikh Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi. He is regarded as having rejuvenated Islam, due to which he is commonly called ‘Mujaddidi Alf Thani,’ meaning ‘reviver of the second millennium’, referring to the Islamic tradition of Mujaddid. He is said to have had considerable and long lasting influence in India, and to have given ‘to Indian Islam the rigid and conservative stamp it bears today.’

Numerous Naqshbandi suborders, such the Mujaddidi, the Khalidi and the Haqqani suborders, trace their spiritual lineage through Sheikh Sirhindi, referring to them as ‘Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi’. Sirhindi's shrine is located in Sirhind, India and is referred to as ‘Rauza Sharif’.

BIRTH AND LIFE: It has been related that the blessed day of the Sheikh’s arrival into this world was Thursday the fourteenth of Shawwal 971 Hijri, or twenty-sixth of June 1564. His place of birth, also the place from where the Sheikh enlightened the world with his presence, was a town called Sirhind. At the time of his birth, some extraordinary events were recounted. His mother relates, ‘After the birth of my son Sheikh Ahmad, I fell unconscious whereupon I had a vision, and saw that my home was full of Awliya’ Allah who was all congratulating me on the birth of my son’. The Sheikh’s father Makhdoom Abdul-Ahad relates, ‘On the day of the birth of my son, I had a vision

in which I saw Allah's Messenger Holy Prophetsallallahu alayhi wa sallam reciting first the Adhaan and then the Takbir in the ears of my son.’ In addition, the khalifa of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Quddoos Gungohi, namely Sheikh Abdul Aziz, was present in Sirhind on that day, and in a state of Kashf he saw a huge gathering of angels.

Sheikh Ahmad was bestowed by Allah subhana wa ta'ala with natural adherence to the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam (another name of the Holy Prophet) right from his first days. He was born with the physical requirements of the Sunnah already fulfilled, and as an infant he was unlike other children. He would not cry, would always have a smile on his face and would never be seen naked. When Shah Kamal Kaythli saw the child, he said, ‘A huge number of practicing scholars and Kamil Sheikhs will obtain faiz from this child. The light of his guiding words and instructions will shine until the day of Qiyamath. He will rid the land of innovation and falsehood, and will revive the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.’ After saying this, the Sheikh placed his tongue in the baby's mouth, and Hazrat Sheikh Mujaddid Alf Thani suckled on it.

When Sheikh first went to school, he memorized the Quran in a very short space of time. He received his early education through his father and through many sheikhs of his time. He made progress in three tariqats: Suhrawardiya, Qadiriyyah, and Chistiyya. He was given permission to guide followers in all three tariqats at the age of 17 years. He was busy in spreading the teachings of these tariqats and in guiding his followers, yet he felt that something was missing in him and he was continuously searching for it. However he felt an interest in the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, because he could see by means of the secrets of the other three tariqats that it was the best and highest. His spiritual progress eventually brought him to the presence of the Ghawth and Qutb of his time, Sheikh Muhammad Baqi Billah who had been sent from Samarqand to India by his Sheikh, Muhammad al-Amkanaqi. He took the Naqshbandi Order from the sheikh and stayed with him for two months and some days, until Sayyidina Muhammad Baqi Billah opened to his

heart the secret of this tariqat and gave him authorization to train his murids in the Order. He said about him, ‘He is the highest Qutb in this time.’

He then became a student of his father and acquired much knowledge very quickly. The Sheikh could easily solve many complicated masaa'il. His childhood behaviour and pastimes, in fact, were more like those of a youth, and as soon as he finished his studies, the famous scholars of Akbarabad began to talk about the talent of this young man. Akbarabad at the time was the capital city from where the Moughal Emperor Akbar ruled his Empire. The Sheikh went to Akbarabad, and it was not long before many great scholars were considering it an honour to be his students and learn Ahadeeth and Tafseer from him. His popularity spread to the extent that a renowned scholar of the time called Abul Fayz Fayzi, who was in the process of writing a Tafseer of the Quran, came to the Sheikh requesting assistance regarding a particular point that he could not explain. At his request, Hazrat Sheikh wrote one detailed and perfect page regarding that particular topic. The scholar was so astonished at the accuracy and knowledge of the Sheikh that he too became a firm believer in the Sheikh. However when Sheikh Ahmad learned that the beliefs of this scholar were not correct, he expressed his dislike for him.

It has been related that during this period, Sheikh Sultan had a dream in which he saw Allah's Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, who said to him, ‘Your daughter is the most pious woman of this age; marry her to my son and representative Sheikh Ahmad. This will be extremely beneficial for both yourself and your daughter.’ He had this same dream on three occasions and each time he was shown the image of the Sheikh. So Sheikh Sultan set out in search for the Sheikh Ahmad. By apparent coincidence, Hazrat Sheikh happened to be in the area and upon seeing and recognizing the Sheikh Ahmad, Sheikh Sultan took him home as a guest. Sheikh Sultan informed the Sheikh Ahmad of his dream and the instruction of Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Hazrat Sheikh gladly accepted the offer of marriage. Soon afterwards, Hazrat

Sheikh was married and returned to Sirhind with his bride.

After marriage, the Sheikh remained in the service of his father and attained the faiz of inner perfections. When his father was getting close to his last days, he gave khilafat to the Sheikh in the Suhrawardi, Chishti and Qadiri Silsila, and in the presence of all his sons and companions he appointed the Sheikh as his successor. The Sheikh’s father had attained khilafat in the Suhrawardiya silsila from his ancestors; from Hazrat Shah Kamal Kaythli in the Qadiriyyah silsila; and from Shah Rukn-ud-deen, the son of Hazrat Sheikh Abd-ul-Quddoos Gungohi, in the Chistiyya silsila. Thus he was authorized to guided the aspirants in all these paths.

Soon after this, Hazrat Sheikh himself fell very ill, and out of much anxiety his wife prayed two rakats nawaafil prayer and supplicated for his health. While supplicating, she fell into a slumber and heard a person saying, ‘Do not worry; we have many an important task for this man.

Indeed, not even one in a thousand of these have yet been accomplished.’ And it was not long before the Sheikh regained his full health.

MEETING WITH SHEIKH BAQI BILLAH: Hazrat Sheikh always had an intense desire to visit the Haramayn to perform tawaaf of the Ka’aba and to visit the shrine of Allah's Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but due to the health of his father he did not travel. After the demise of his father, the Sheikh made intention for Hajj and set out on the journey. The first stop on the way was Delhi. In Delhi, Maulana Hasan Kashmiri praised a Sheikh of the Naqshbandi Silsila who had recently arrived in the city. The name of this Sheikh was Khwajah Baqi Billah and because Sheikh Ahmad had always had a deep interest in the Naqshbandi silsila, he was keen to meet him. After the meeting, Hazrat Baqi Billah asked Sheikh Ahmad that he should stay with him for at least one month. After just two days, the Sheikh was overcome by the Tareeqah, and there followed

events that can neither be expressed in words nor understood by the ear. Hazrat Sheikh acquired all the stages of the Naqshbandia order within two months and a few days.

Hazrat Khwajah Baqi Billah states, “Sheikh Ahmad is the meaning of my dream, the dream that caused my Sheikh Khwajah Amkanki to send me to India, saying, ‘There will emerge from your companions in India a very great person who will enlighten the world with his presence; and you too will benefit from him.’ When I passed the town of Sirhind on my way to Delhi, I was informed through a vision that I was in the neighbourhood of this Qutb, and I was also shown an image of this person. I saw myself lighting a very big lamp, and all the people around me lit their lamps from mine; and when I approached Sirhind, I saw that the whole area and countryside around it was lit up with burning torches.”

There was no limit to the respect and trust that Sheikh Ahmad had for his Sheikh Baqi Billah. One day Sheikh Baqi Billah called him, and as soon as he heard his voice, his whole body began trembling uncontrollably out of fear and reverence. Regarding the love and service that he showed his Sheikh, Sheikh Ahmad writes, ‘Four persons were blessed with the opportunity to be in the service of Hazrat Khwajah Sahib at all times, and I was one of them. Until then I had never believed that such love could exist after the time of Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and I am very grateful to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. ‘Never had anyone seen nor heard of such a relationship between a murid and his Sheikh. On one occasion, Hazrat Khwajah Baqi Billah said, ‘Mian Ahmad is one of the complete lovers and seekers.’ Another time he stated, ‘Under the skies, there is no one like him living today.’ He was also heard to have said, ‘After the Sahaba and the blessed Tabi'een, there have only been a handful of people like him.’

Hazrat Mujaddid Alf Thani himself stated, ‘It seems that when Hazrat Khwajah completed my training, he withdrew from teaching as a Sheikh and transferred his students to me.’ He also stated, ‘On the third occasion that I travelled from Sirhind to Delhi to see Hazrat Khwajah,

Hazrat Khwajah said, ‘My body has now become very weak indeed and it is evident that I will not live in this world for much longer.’ On returning to Sirhind, the Sheikh realized that this was the last meeting he would have with Hazrat Khwajah Sheikh Ahmad then travelled to Lahore, and it was in Lahore that he learnt that Hazrat Khwajah had passed away. As soon as he heard the news, he set off from Lahore to Delhi. The companions of Hazrat Khwajah saw his arrival as a great blessing, and the Sheikh attended all the gatherings that took place while he was there.

The Prophet predicted the advent of Sheikh Ahmad in one of his Hadith when he said, “There will be among my nation a man called Selah or the connection. By his intercession many people will be saved.” It was mentioned in the collection of Suyuti, Jamc ul-Jawamic. What confirmed the truth of this Hadith is what Imam Rabbani wrote about himself: “God has made me the Selah between the two Oceans.” So he meant that God had made him a connection between the two oceans the two knowledge, external and internal.

Sheikh Mir Husamuddin said, “I saw the Prophet in one of my dreams standing on the minbar (pulpit) and praising Sheikh Ahmad as-Sirhindi.

The Prophet was saying, ‘I am proud and happy with his presence among my Nation. God has made him a reviver of the religion.’”

Many saints predicted his advent. One of them was Sheikh Ahmad al-Jami (q). He said, ‘After me will appear seventeen men of the People of God, all of whom are named Ahmad and the last one among them will be at the head of the millennium. He is going to be the highest of them and he is going to receive the state of Unveiling.

He is going to revive this religion (the tariqat).”

Another to predict his advent was Khwaja alAmkanaki (q). He said to his khalifa, “A man from India is going to appear. He will be the Imam of his century. He will be trained by you, so hurry to meet him, because the people of God are awaiting his arrival.” This was mentioned for Muhammad al-Baqi (q). He said said, “That is why I moved from Bukhara to India.” When they met he told him, “You are the one whose appearance the sheikh Muhammad Khwaja al-

Amkanaki predicted. When I saw you I knew you were the Qutb of your time. When I entered the region of Sirhind in India, I found a lamp which was so big and so bright that its light reached up to the heavens. Everyone took from that lamp's light. You are that lamp.â&#x20AC;?

It is said that the sheikh of his father, was Sheikh Abdul Ahad, of the Qadiri Order. He had been given a jubbah (cloak) from his sheikh which had

been passed down from the Ghawth al-Azam, Sayyidina Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (q). Sayyidina Abdul Qadir had said about it to his subsequent successors, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Keep it for that one who is going to appear at the end of the first millennium. His name is Ahmad. He is going to revive this religion. I have dressed him with all my secrets.

He combines in himself both the internal and external knowledge."

MAY ALLAH SANCTIFY HIS SOUL It was a fair orchard, full of trees and fruit And vine and greenery! A Sufi there Sat with eyes closed, his head upon his knee, Sunk deep in mystical meditation!

‘Why’, asked another, ‘do you not behold?

These signs of God the merciful displayed Around you, which He bids us contemplate?’

‘The signs,’ he answered, ‘I behold within; Without is nothing but symbols of the signs.’

What is all beauty in the world? The image, Like quivering boughs reflected in a stream, Of that eternal orchard which abides Unwithered in human hearts.

RUMI MASNAVI IV: 1358-65 Saidyana Shamsuddin Shaheed Feesawi Lillah Hazrat Shah Mahboob Habibullah Mirza Mazhar Mir Jane Jana is the third master who provided a new yet profound direction to the Naqshbandi-MujadadiMazaharia sub order of the Sufis. The influence of Mughal was waning and other significant influences were at the threshold to give a new direction. Indian Spiritual Horizon provided a background for the merger of many streams into the vast ocean.

Life and Birth: His full name is Saidyana Shamsuddin Shaheed Feesawi Lillah Hazrat Shah Mahboob Habibullah Mirza Mazhar Mir Jane Jana. He was the Sun of Eternal Happiness. He was the Beloved of Allah, Almighty and Exalted. He was the Spirit of the People of Truth, and he was the Essence of the Spirit of the People of Taste. He was the Kaaba of the Godly and one of the Flags of the Noble Messenger. He elevated the Knowledge of the Religion of Muhammad. He revived the Way of the Naqshbandi Order.

SHRINE HAZRAT MAZHAR MIRZA MIR JA NE JANA, TURKMAN GATE NEW DELHI, INDIA

TAOSHOBUDDHA IN MARAQBA AT THE SHRINE MIRZA MAZHAR MIR JANE JANA, NEW DELHI, INDIA

kae$ naja< hE tIrae tegaE zmzIr ke dm pr muje hE )³dage #Zk kI tnvIr ke dm pr hU ALlah ke isva kuD ÉI inklta hI nhI< mu<h se yh takt Aa gyI dIvane kae jNjIr ke dm pr grIbe rahe %L)t zad hU< duinya se Kya mtlb bjata cEn kI b<sI hU< Apne pIr ke dm pr KOI NAZA HAI TEERO TEGO SHAMSHEER KE DAM PAR MUJHE HAI FAKR DAGE ISHK KI TANVEER KE DAM PAR HOO ALLAH KE SIVA KUTCH BHI NIKALTA HI NAHI MUH SE YEH TAKAT AA GAYEE DEEWANE KO ZANZEER KE DAM PAR GARIBE RAHE ULFAT SHAAD HUN DUNIYA SE KYA MATLAB BAJATA CHAIN KI BANSHI HUN APNE PEER KE DAM PAR

SOMEONE EXISTS AS THE OUTCOME HIS OWN EGO THE FALSE, I REALLY BOAST ON THE INNER STRENGTH OF LOVE ETERNAL; WITH LOVE ETERNAL ‘HOO ALLAH’ ALONE ECHOES MY EXISTENCE MY BEING! AND NOW BINDS MY EXISTENCE EACH FINTE AND INFINITE MOMENT, WITH LOVE ETERNAL EVER INTOXICATED I DWELL IN MY MASTER UNCONCERNED OF THE FINITENESS AND DUALITIES: INTOXICATED! NOW EACH PARTICLE OF MY BEING ECHOES THE SONG OF BLISS AND HARMONY!!!

INTRODUCTION: BEFORE BEGINNING THE SHAZRAH OR ANYTHING SUBLIME ONE MUST BEGIN WITH PRAYER. SUCH IS ETERNAL ETIQUETTE OR ADAB. NEVER CONSIDER THIS A MERE TRADITION. SOMETHING THAT SPRINGS FORTH FROM DEEP WITHIN THE INNER SANCTUM IS NOT TRADITION. KNOW THIS AS YOUR BEING. POINTING TOWARD THIS I NOW BEGIN THIS OVERFLOW. Each finite moment life is plundered with what appears to our individual ego as benediction and at other times as obstacles. All this happens because of the cosmic energy field or what we know as God. The source of all this ever remains hidden from human cognition! From an unknown source it springs forth. Sufis call this as gaib.

Guided by an energy field within we interact.

Undergo pain and pleasure! Continue to blame others for all states of unpleasantness. Thus moves on life and living. This we consider as our destiny. Ecstatic Umar Khayyam laments: Moving finger writes and having writ, moves on!

Nor all thy wit nor piety shall lure it back to cancel half a line!!

Such are the ways of human understanding.

However this is not Sufi understanding.

Generally gaib refers to the realm that contains within its womb all that is hidden and remains unknown to human understanding. To a Sufi gaib refers to a state of awareness. It is a storehouse of various energy fields that are capable to transform human consciousness.

Bayazid Bistami explains gaib as that realm of

eternity where a master rests after he relinquishes the finite world after leaving the body. All that comes from this realm is not only sublime but transforming as well. The best way to explain this is Cyber Space – that stores everything yet still remains hidden from human cognition. Only one who knows how to enter this space will have an access.

Man ultimately gets all that he has earned for.

Hindus call this as the law of Karmas. Because of our accumulated actions we assume human form. Each moment we continue to accumulate new actions. With awareness and meditative insights each action exhausts the web of past actions and impressions on our consciousness.

And in this process never accumulates any more impressions. Such are the ways of a spiritual life.

A life of Awareness! Only benediction happens!

Even amidst all vicissitudes and turmoil that life presents. Awake and arise therefore! O Fool!

Laments an ecstatic Shankar through Bhaja Govindam – an immortal epic of the being!

It is said that at the time of initiation or what Sufis call as bay’at the aspirant once again becomes childlike. Like a mother the master nourishes and nurtures the disciple even when he is no more in physical form. What flows from a mother’s heart as love towards her child flows from the being of a master towards the disciple or murid as compassion or spiritual energy or faiz. This can happen no other way. This is the reason that mother is considered second after God as replica. So too a master is replica of the Whole in finite form. This all happens because of this indomitable unknown and unknowable energy-field or gaib. All that one attains this way van happen no other way.

Initiation is like a mother feeding the child.

Unless the mother breast feeds the child the child cannot grow. So too without initiation and

its conscious recognition by the disciple no progress is ever possible along this path.

BIRTH AND LIFE: He was born in 1113 H /1701 AD in India. From his childhood the light of Guidance and the Traces of Piety shone from his forehead. His features (Mazhar) were moulded with the Manifestation of heavenly beauty (tajalli-lJamal). He was famous, like the Prophet Yusuf, for his beauty. And everyone loved him because he represented beauty both inner and outer.

That is the attribute of God, about whom the Prophet said: “God is beautiful and he loves beauty,” and it is also the attribute of the Prophet, about whom Anas said, “Your Prophet was the most beautiful in appearance and had the best voice of all prophets.” Because of this, Sheikh Abdur-Rauf al-Munawi said, “The Prophet has no comparison in his beauty.”

When Sheikh Mazhar was nine years of age, he saw Sayyidina Ibrahim, who gave him miraculous powers through spiritual transmission. At this age, if anyone mentioned Abu Bakr as-Siddiq in his presence, he would see him appear with his physical eyes. He was also able to see the Prophet and all the Companions of the Prophet as well as all the Sheikhs of the Naqshbandi Order, especially Sayyidina Ahmad al-Faruqi Mujaddadi.

His father raised him and educated him in all branches of religious knowledge. At a young age his heart was attracted to the spiritual light coming from his Sheikh, as-Sayyid Nur Muhammad Badayuni. His Sheikh opened the eyes of his heart and fed him from the nectar of the flower of the Hidden Awareness and Understanding. The Sheikh took him out of the state of self-awareness and lifted him up to the Highest Realms, which produced in him great astonishment and caused him to faint. When he awoke up he accompanied Sheikh Nur Muhammad in further ascension. The Sheikh allowed him to observe the Mysteries of the Hidden World and gave him gifts from his miraculous Powers and realms.

One look of his Sheikh opened in him the Nine Points, the loci of the Naqshbandi Secrets. From the knowledge of the nine points, he delved into the secrets contained in the five of the more powerful points, until his Sheikh authorized him to “activate” the Nine Points at any time and to use them. Then he brought him back down to be in his presence and only in his presence. He brought him up and down, from one stage to another, and enveloped him with his light and protected him with his gaze, until he achieved the ultimate fruition and awakened himself from Ignorance and inertia.

He stood fast in serving his Sheikh with complete truthfulness and sincerity. He continued to progress by entering seclusions in the desert and in the jungle at the instructions of his Sheikh. In these seclusions, his only food was grass and the leaves of trees. During his period of asceticism in the desert and jungle, he wore only what would cover his nakedness. One day, after many of these seclusions, he looked in the mirror and didn't see himself instead, he saw his Sheikh.

At this stage the Sheikh authorized him to guide Allah's servants to their destinies and to the Straight Path, and he put him on the Throne of Succession, and by him the Sun of Guidance ascended the Tower of Happiness.

When his teacher passed away, he continued to visit his shrine and for two years he received whatever lights and knowledge his master was able to transmit to him from his shrine. Then he was ordered through his spiritual connection to his Sheikh to connect himself with a living master.

He reached the Door of the perfect Saints of his time, Sheikh Muhammad Afzal, Sheikh Safi Sadullah, and Sheikh Muhammad Abid. He attached himself to Sheikh Shah Kalshan and to another Sheikh by the name of Muhammad azZubair. He used to attend the session of Shaikh Muhammad Afzal, one of the khalifas of the son of Muhammad Masoom. He visited and studied with Sheikh Abdul Ahad and received from him knowledge of the Prophetic Hadith. During this class, whenever the Sheikh would mention a Hadith, he would disappear through SelfEffacement, and a vision would come to him in

which he would find himself sitting with the Prophet and hearing the Hadith directly from the Prophet. He would correct any mistakes that might occur in the Sheikh’s narration of the Hadith, and was acknowledged as a genius in the science of Hadith.

He kept the company of these Sheikhs for twenty years. He progressed further and further in the States of Totality, until he became an Ocean of Bliss and Knowing. He rose in the Firmament of the Qutbs until he became the Qutb of his time, shining like the sun at high noon. Sheikh Muhammad Afzal said, “Sheikh Mazhar Habibullah was given the state of Qutb and he is the central pivot of this tariqat at this time and will remain so in times to come.”

His spiritual understanding and awareness attracted people from all reaches of the Subcontinent. In his presence, each seeker would find what he needed, until through his blessing the Indian Subcontinent became like a Kaaba encircled by flocks of angelic beings.

In his noble person were combined the energy of four tariqats. He was a master of the Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Suhrawardi and Chishti Orders. He used to say, “I received the secrets and knowledge of these orders from my Sheikh, Sayyid Nur Muhammad Badayuni, until I attained a very distinguished awareness in these Orders. He lifted me from the Ibrahamic Stage to the Mohammaden Stage, which caused me to see the Prophet sitting in my place, while I was sitting in his. Then I disappeared and I saw him sitting in the two places. Then I saw him disappearing and I saw myself sitting in both places.”

About gaib many misconceptions exist. It is argued that after the master is no more then how can the disciple be nourished and nurtured.

Master is the connection or the link between the murid and the realm of gaib. SO when the master is no more then how can this link remain. Just as before the birth of child milk descends in mother’s breasts so too with the inner connection with the master the treasures of this unknown and unknowable realm open for the disciple. For this unwavering trust for the master is the first criterion. With adab comes in love for the master. Love is the key to treasure realm of

gaib. For an ordinary consciousness this is very difficult to understand. There is no inner connection. Once the realm doors are unlocked you are connected to all the masters that happened in the past and also those who are to happen at some future date. With this inner connection all the inner states of awareness, tariqat and all that is needed for transformation becomes available.

It is said that with Mazhar Mir the Naqshbandi tariqat attained to its totality. This should mean the tariqat was incomplete or faulty. He emphasized that one can be in the world and still follow the path to inward journey. One can continue totally in the outer and its affairs and deep within flows the stream of benediction and awareness. With trust and adab one remains connected with the realm of masters. Remember trust and adab is not an outward exposition instead it is an understanding. And for this no external expression is needed. Then one realizes that that the energy field of the master is always envelops the aspirants.

#nayt ka r<g Aaj bdla huAa hE vh hE< ya< jama bdl kr bEQe hu@ jra Apne cZme hkIkI se deoae n yh jam oalI n vh jam oalI INAYAT KA RANG AAJ BADLA HUYA HAI, VOH HAIN YAN JAMA BADAL KAR BAITHE HUYE; JARA APNE CHASME HAQUIQUI SE DEKHO; N YEH JAAM KHALI N VOH JAAM KHALI!!!

TODAY THE FORM OF GRACE AND COMPASSION IS DIFFERENT, TODAY HE IS AMONG US IN A DIFFERENT GARB! FORGETTING YOUR PHYSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF COGNITION, LOOK DEEP WITHIN THROUGH YOUR CELESTIAL VISION; NO REALM OR PLACE IS EVER DEVOID OF THY PRESENCE SOLEMN AND SUBLIME!!!

His father was one of the jwels in the court of Moughal emperor Aranguez. Every one used to call his father MIRZA SAHAB out of respect. Once Mazhar accompanied his father to court of the emperor, someone asked his name. At this Aranguez responded by saying, ‘The child is the life essence of the father. Therefore this boy is JAANE JAANA.’ Thus Mirza JANE JAANA was added to his name. He was a poet who composed in Arabic and Persian languages.

His entire training completed in just six months!

During the time he lived it was difficult to follow the path of spirituality. Aranguez imposed severe restrictions. His tariqat or the methodology was intuitive or guided by gaib.

With him the tariqat attained to totality. The first change happened because of Bahauddin Naqshband. As a result Naqshbandi was added to the nomenclature. The second change happened because of Ahmad Farooki Mujaddadi Alif Thani.

With this Mujaddadi was added to the already existing name. And with Mirza Mazhar Mir Jaane Jaana the third change was affected in the nomenclature of the tariqat. He emphasized that it is not important that the disciple does the dhikr, or any thing else. What is more important is the inner connection with the master. This inner connection happens only because of inner connection, love, and adab towards ones master.

Once this has happened the journey becomes easy. When the aspirant begins to move within the journey becomes difficult. Because of your constant negligence of the inner there remains utter darkness. And travelling through the dark caves of the being is not only difficult but dangerous as well. It is the light of the master that guides the aspirant until one reaches to a state when darkness is no more. Instead these is illumination. And you are ‘LIGHT ONTO YOURSELF’.

In his youth he worked in the army of Aranguez and fought certain wars as well. Even in spiritual realm he used the terminology of a soldier. He said that an aspirant needs to be like a soldier who sacrifices even his life for his master. He reached his master when he was quite old.

Mazhar served his master to his utmost. He used to do all kinds of work. He came from an affluent family.

Most of his external teaching happened through his grandfather. From his mother he got the training of adab and akhlaq respect and etiquette. His mother was the daughter of a master from Lahore. Over an incident he resigned from the army and later settled in Delhi in India. It was there that he started the work of transformation. Because of the loss of job he underwent through financial hardships. It was his wife who supported him then. It was then that his uncle said, ‘It is during financial hardships alone inward journey attains new dimension. Also the progress that one attains during such hardships is very difficult otherwise.

Spirituality is beyond all riches and poverty.” At this he expressed desire for initiation from him.

This his uncle refused as he was not permitted for this. Then he took Mazhar to his fellow disciple Noor Mohammad Badayuni. He remained there until his uncle died. Mirza Mazhar sought the permission to visit Sirhind.

The two Mazhar and Noor Mohammad visited the shrine of his uncle. While still on the shrine intuitively Mirza Mazhar felt the need for initiation and thus expressed the desire intuitively as well! At this the master Noor Mohammed extended his had in agreement. And even without expressing the desire Noor Mohammed initiated Mirza Mazhar. Mirza never had to ask for anything from his master.

Everything used to be answered intuitively.

The life of Mirza Mazhar is full of anecdotes and incidents. All of these cannot be mentioned. He was quite young when his master Noor Mohammad passed away. Once he had a vision that a congregation of masters descended from heaven. And one the masters resembled Noor Mohammed! At this he sought the confirmation from the master. At this the master responded I am your thought not your master. At this Mirza expressed agony that it was for the first time I have been inclined towards another master. At this the master in question appeared in his true form. He was in fact his master. This he thought was due to any weakness. Thus he attained to the association of 17 masters.

Following are some sayings of Sheikh Mazhar: “Once I was sitting in the presence of Sheikh Muhammad Abid and the Sheikh said, "The two

suns at the two ends met, and if their lights were combined and spread throughout this universe, they would have burned everything.”

“Sheikh Muhammad Afzal was much older than I but he used to stand up for me when I entered, and he used to say to me, 'I am standing in deference to the high lineage that you possess.’”

“This whole world and the entire universe are in my hand, and I can see everything in them, just as clearly as I can see my hand.”

He had innumerable miraculous experiences and numberless visions about the Heavenly world as well as the lower world.

Once he travelled with some of his followers without any food or provision. They walked and whenever they got tired they sat. The Sheikh would call them and say, "This food is for you," and tables of food would appear in front of them.

One day during the trip there was a terrible storm and the wind was blowing everything in its path. It was freezing and everyone was shivering because of the cold. Their situation worsened until it appeared that they were going to die in that frozen desert. Then Sheikh Mazhar raised his hands and said, "O Allah make it surround us but not be upon us." Immediately the clouds lifted from around them, and though the freezing rain continued to fall one mile away, around them the temperature rose to a comfortable level.

He said, "One time I visited the grave of Sheikh Muhammad Hafiz Muhsin. I disappeared from myself and in a vision I saw his body. It had suffered no decomposition, and his shroud was still perfectly clean except for a patch of dirt on one part by his feet. Through my spiritual power, I asked him about that. He said, 'O my son I will tell you a story. One day I took a stone from the garden of my neighbor and put it in a hole in my garden, and I said to myself, 'in the morning I will return it to him,' but I forgot. As a result of that action, the dirt has appeared on my shroud.

That one action has tainted my shroud.'"

He said, "As long as you are lifted upward in piety you will be lifted up in sainthood."

One day he became angry at a tyrant and he said, "A vision came to me in which I saw that all Sheikhs, from Abu Bakr as-Siddiq up to the Sheikhs of today, were unhappy with that tyrant." The next day the tyrant died.

A man came to him and said, “O my master, my brother has been jailed in another village. Please pray to Allah to save him.” He said, “O my son, your brother has not been jailed, but he has done something wrong and tomorrow you will receive a letter from him.” It turned out to be just as he described.

He informed his followers of great tidings and some jealous people refused to accept what he said. He said, “If you don't believe me let us bring a judge. We will each tell him our point of view and let him judge between us." They said "We don't accept any judge except the Prophet, and on Judgment Day we will ask for his judgement in this matter." Then he said, "There is no need to wait until the Judgment Day. We will ask the Prophet to give his Judgment now.” He entered a deep state of contemplation in his heart and was told to read the Fatiha. This he did, and immediately the Prophet appeared to everyone and said, "Al-Mazhar Habibullah is right and all of you are wrong.”

About Creation: He said, “Existence is an Attribute of Allah alone.

This world is a mere shadow of realities existing in the Divine Presence. The reality of all possible creations or haqaiq al-mumkinat results from the action of the Divine Attributes and Qualities on the Void adm. The Real Existence of all that manifests in physical creation is confirmed as a light in the Divine Presence.

"Everything that appears in the physical creation is a mere shadow of the luminous reality projected by the Divine Qualities upon the void of non-existence. The World of the Divine Attributes or sifat is the Origin of the Wellsprings of the Created Universes or mabadi' taayyunat al-alam. Because all physical creation arises from a combination of Allah's Divine Qualities and the Void, creation thus partakes of two origins of opposite nature. From the nature of the void of non-existence and nothingness

arise the dense qualities of physical substance that in the sphere of human action produce darkness, ignorance and evil. From the Divine Attributes come Light, Knowledge and Good.

Thus the Sufi, when he looks at himself sees all that is good in him as a light from the Divine that is reflected on him, but that is not of him. A simile for it would be a borrowed suit of fine clothes with which one is beautifully dressed but that does not truly belong to him and for which he deserves no credit. Conversely, he sees himself as base substance, full of darkness and ignorance, with a nature worse than that of an animal. With this dual perception he loosens his attachment to the attractions of the self and effaces himself, and turns in repentance or tawba towards the Divine Source of all good. With this turning, Allah fills his heart with love and yearning for the Divine Presence. As Allah said in a Holy Hadith, “If My servant approaches Me by one hand's length I will approach him by one arm's length; and if he comes to Me walking I will come to him running.”

Shortly before his death Sheikh Mazhar (q) was in a state of great emotion and intense love of God. He experienced a great unhappiness at having spent so long in this transient world. He spent his last days in intense contemplation and, when asked, he would always say that his state was that of Annihilation and Existence in Allah Sublime and Exalted. He increased his dhikr in his final days, and as a result of the intense light of attraction generated thereby, thousands and thousand of seekers entered into the tariqat.

Each new day would bring three thousand new people to his door, and he would not let one of them go without meeting him. Finally, he became so exhausted that he scheduled only two times a day to meet with people.

One day, one of his followers, Sheikh Mullah Nazim, asked permission to travel and visit his parents in his homeland. He said, “My son, if you want to go you may, but I may not be here when you return.” This reply went from one mouth to another, shaking the hearts of people, as it indicated that his era was ending. With tearful eyes, and broken hearts, people all around the Punjab began wailing and crying. His house was full and no one knew what was going to happen

when he was gone. Then he took a paper and wrote to one of his successors, Mullah AbdurRazzaq, “O my son, I am now over eighty and my life is coming to its close. Remember me in your prayers.” He sent him that letter and he sent many others the same letter.

Thanking Allah for His Favors he said, “There is nothing left in my heart of anything that I have wished to achieve or to reach that remains to be accomplished. There is nothing for which I have asked Allah that I did not receive. My only remaining desire is to leave this world and be in His Presence continuously. Allah gave me everything, except permission to go to Him. I am asking Allah to take me to Him today, before tomorrow. But I don't want to go to Him as an ordinary person. I want to go to him, as Allah described in the Holy Qur'an, as a martyr who is always alive. So, O Allah, make me a martyr in this world and take me to you as a martyr. This kind of death will bring happiness to my heart and will cause me to be in the presence of Your Prophet and of Ibrahim and of Musa, and with all your 124,000 prophets; and to be with all the Companions of the Prophet, and to be with alJunnaid and the master of this Order, Shah Naqshband (q), and with all the masters of the Tariqat. O Allah, I want to combine the witnessing of physical martyrdom with spiritual death in the State of Witnessing, in the State of Annihilation.”

DEATH THE ULTIMATE TRANSCENDENCE: It was Wednesday evening, the seventh of Muharram, of the year 1195 H/1780 CE. His servant came to him and said, “There are three men at your door. They want to visit you.” He said, “Let them enter.” When they entered, he came out of his bedroom and greeted them. One of them said to him, “Are you Mirza Jaane Jaana Habibullah?” He answered, “Yes.” The two said to the third, “Yes, he is the one.” One of the men took a knife from his pocket and stabbed him in the back, piercing his kidney. Because of his age, he was unable to withstand the severity of the blow and he fell to the ground. When it was time for the Fajr prayer, the King sent him a doctor.

He sent back the doctor and said, “I don’t need him. As for the men who stabbed me, I forgive them, because I am glad to die as a martyr and they came as an answer to my prayer.”

He passed from this life on Friday. When the day reached its middle, he read the Qur’anic chapters Fatiha and Ya Sin until AzR time. He asked his followers, how many hours were left until sunset. They told him, “Four hours.” He said, “It is still long until the meeting with my Lord.” He said, “I have missed ten prayers in my life, all in

these past two days, because my body is full of blood and I have been unable to raise my head.”

They asked him, “If a sick person is in such a weak condition, is he obliged to pray with movements of his eyes and his forehead or to postpone his prayer?” He answered, “Both ways are correct.”He waited with patience for the sunset, and then he died. It was the night of Ashura, 1195 H /1781 AD. He passed his secret to his successor, Hadhrat Abdullah Shah Naimullah.

I am sending you to a distant land whose very texture is soaked in spirituality. It is the land sanctified, nourished and nurtured by such forces from times immemorial. A land which is ready to explode any path! A land whose very being is not only ready but has the capability to infuse life even in a dead heart. I am sending you to INDIA. India has been the University of Meditation and the BEACON LIGHT not only now but from TIMES IMMEMORIAL. It has created many Buddhas.

Sheikh Mohammad Al Amkanaqi RA-to Sheikh Mohammad Baqi Billah

N

aqshbandiyah tariqat was the part of the fundamentalist Islamic tradition until it came to Indian sub continent. It evolved, grew and flourished as an oasis amidst the deserts of the Middle East. However, it was entering a new climate of - political, religious and social fabric. Therefore it could not separate itself from the prevailing influences.

Politically Muslim invasions continued from the North West part of the continent. After the invasion Mughal rule of Babar was established because of political disunity and fractions among the Hindu rulers. Because of atrocities of the Islamic rulers there was social, cultural, and political unrest. In the name of religion conversions were imposed. All this was causing unrest.

On the other hand Bhakti movement was at its pinnacle. In north and South many streams and tributaries were flourishing. A Sheikh of this Golden chain Hadhrath Al Amkanaqi realizing it to be the will of Allah Subhan wa Taala sent Hadhrath Al Baqui Billah to India. Before he actually did he spoke of these words about the land and the climate where this sacred chain was now being sent.

Hadhrath Amkanaqi said:

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am sending you to a distant land whose very texture is soaked in spirituality. It is the land sanctified, nourished and nurtured by such forces from times immemorial. A land which is ready to explode any path! A land whose very being is not only ready but has the capability to infuse life even in a dead heart. I am sending you to INDIA.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; India has been the University of Meditation and the BEACON LIGHT not only now but from TIMES IMMEMORIAL. Truly its cultural heritage is older than any of the oldest civilizations. Indus valley civilization is even older than the Egyptian or Babylon civilization. Scientific and astrological researches have proved the existence of scriptures that mention of constellation of stars that happened nearly 90,000 years ago. It has created many Buddhas, saints, sages, incarnations and masters.

It has absorbed many religions and paths for spiritual development.

And in the process has lent its texture to all that once appeared to be alien.

Hadhrath Baqui Billah moved back to India and stayed in the city of Delhi, which he filled with faith and knowledge and secrets and lights.

Through him the Naqshbandi Order spread with great swiftness throughout the Indian

Subcontinent and millions of people were connected to him through his various Khalifas.

All nations in the Subcontinent were attracted to his knowledge and his ENERGY FIELD as tawwajzoh and to the Prophetic Characteristics dressing him. It became known throughout the Indian Subcontinent that anyone coming to him and looking in his eyes, or sitting in his proximity doing dhikr, would enter a state of SelfEffacement and intoxication, through which he could reach a state of Annihilation, in a single meeting.

By such miraculous energy-field he attracted millions of people, until this Naqshbandi Order was on the tongue of everyone. And the tariqat blended with the existing spiritual trends and textures.

His spiritual understanding and awareness attracted people from all reaches of the Subcontinent. In his presence, each seeker would find what he needed, until through his blessing the Indian Subcontinent became like a Kaaba encircled by flocks of angelic beings.

The journey of the tariqat continued through various Sheikhs of the Naqshbandiyah tariqat.

Along with also developed other tariqats – like Quadriyah, Chistiyah, and Sohrawadiyah. The Naqshbandiyah path traversed through the Mujaddadi era for which Hadhrath Baqui Billah was sent. The journey passed through Sheikh Ahmad Farooqui Mujaddadi, Hadhrath Mohammad Masoom, Hadhrath Sheikh Safuddin, Hadhrath Nur Mohammd Badyuni and reached another juncture at Hadhrath Mirza Mazhar Nir Jane Jana.

In the noble person of Hadhrath Mirza Mazhar Nir Jane Jana were combined the energy of four tariqats. He was a master of the Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Suhrawardi and Chishti Orders.

Hadhrath Mazhar Mir Jane Jana used to say, “I received the secrets and knowledge of these orders from my Sheikh, Sayyid Nur Muhammad Badayuni, until I attained a very distinguished awareness in these Orders. He lifted me from the Ibrahamic Stage to the Mohammaden Stage, which caused me to see the Prophet sitting in my

place, while I was sitting in his. Then I disappeared and I saw him sitting in the two places. Then I saw him disappearing and I saw myself sitting in both places.”

Although the tariqat was blending within the social and religious fabric of the continent yet still the custodians of the various paths maintained their separate identities and rancor against one another. Religious narrowness continued among the fundamentalists and those who considered themselves the custodians of the path of inner transformation.

In the name of religion and conversions many atrocities were inflicted upon the common masses. As a result many revolted. On one hand these custodians (the combination of the priestly communities and the polity) spoke of religiousness, however their hearts were all filled with ignorance and the lack of the understanding of the message of Allah Subhan wa Taala and the masters. Religious intolerance remained the order of the day.

As the journey continued the Naqshbandiyah tariqat that once wore a totally Islamic texture began to have other color and hue. Some resented these while others welcomed this as the setting of a new trend.

Constant atrocities by the Moughal emperors on the other religious sections especially Hindus in the name of religions saw the emergence of Sikh religion. The masters maintained the spiritual values of both Hindu and Islam and incorporated these as integral part of their religious teaching.

Yet still their survival made the Sikh Gurus follow the road to become militants. This was once again the revival of the era of the Holy Prophet when for survival he had to take the sword in his hand.

Saints like Tulsidas, Mira, Sahjobai, Tukaram, Kabir, Nanak, and all the remaining nine gurus came on the spiritual horizon along with Sufi Masters like Moin Uddin Chisti, NizamUdin Auliya, Amir Khushroo, Raskhan etc rose to the occasion. All these different traditions, and faiths blended in the main stream of Indian spirituality that was at its pinnacle from times immemorial.

Thus evolved new poetry, values, and many influences.

Naqshbandiyah tariqat could not keep itself separate from these trends. Both Hindu and Muslim followed the tariqat. Yet still religious narrowness continued. It was in such an environment one of the Sheikhs of this Golden Chain of Naqshbandiyah tariqat made predictions for the setting of a new trends and influence in the tariqat.

Shah Bahauddin Naqshband is the 17th Sheikh of the Golden Chain. Therefore I have given the chain in that order. This does not mean there has been no one else who carried on the tariqat. Each sheikh had many khalifas. However the chief among them was handed over the golden chain of the tariqat while others worked in harmony with the main stream. Yet still there were a significant numbers who cut off the links for various reasons and started their own work under the false banner of truth. These I will not mention as this is not the work of the one who seeks light or Noor.

And since this is happening it must have the sanction of Allah Subhan wa Taala. Nothing ever happens without the Supreme will. May the masters guide those who have deviated along the path?

There has been many other khalifas who have done tremendous work in the process of transformation as part of the main stream. Still they are not the part of the golden chain.

Following is the actual chain from Shah Bahauddin Naqshband.

1. Kwajah Bahauddin Naqshband r.a. (d. 2 Rajab al-Murajjab, 791AH) - Qasr-eAarifan (Bukhara) 2. Hadhrat Alaa'uddin Attaar r.a. (d. 20 Rajab 802AH) - Jafaaniyan (Mawralnahar) 3. Hadhrat Ya'qoob Charkhi r.a. (d. 5 Safar, 851AH) - Charkh (Bukhara) 4. Hadhrat Ubaidullah Ahraar r.a. (d. 20/29 Rabi al-Awwal, 895AH) - Samarqand (Mawralnahar) 5. Hadhrat Muhammad Zaahid r.a. (d. 1 Rabi al-Awwal, 936AH) - Wakhsh (Malk Hasaar) 6. Hadhrat Darwesh Muhammad r.a. (d. 19 Muharram, 970AH) - Samarqand (Mawralnahar)

7. Hadhrat Muhammad Waaqif Amkanki r.a. (d. 21/22 Sha'baan, 1008AH) - Akang (Bukhara) From here the tariqat came to India and became the part of Indian Sub continent. There has to be a reason for this. And when it came to Indian Subcontinent that was predominantly A Hindu community how could it keep itself separate. Such is the will of Allah Subhan wa Taala. Yet still fundamentalists maintain the Islamic texture and negate the will of Allah Subhan wa Taala, and go on calling themselves to be on the path. It is time to rise beyond narrowness of all kinds. Only then you will seek the realm of spiritualism.

8. Hadhrat Khwaja Baqui Billaah r.a. (d. 25 Jumaad al-Aakhar, 1012AH) - Delhi (India) 9. Hadhrath Imam Rabbani, Mujaddid Alif Thani, Hadhrat Sheikh Ahmad Farooqui Sirhindi r.a. (d. 28 Safar, 1034AH) - Sirhind (India) 10. Hadhrat Muhammad Ma'soom Farooqui r.a. (d. 9 Rabi al- Awwal, 1079AH) - Sirhind (India) 11. Hadhrat Sheikh Sayfuddeen Bin Ma'soom Farooqui r.a. (d. 19 Jumad al-Oola, 10951096AH) - Sirhind (India) 12. Hadhrat Nur Muhammad Badyooni r.a. (d.

11 Dhul Qa'dah, 1135AH) - Dehli (India) 13. Hadhrat Mirza Mazhar Jaan-I-Jaanan r.a. (d. 10 Muharram, 1195AH) - Khanqah Mazharia Turk Man gate Delhi(India) 14. Hadhrat Abdullah Shah Naimullah r.a. (d.

22 Safar, 1240AH) - Behraich U.P.(India) 15. Hadhrat Mawla’na Muradullah r.a. (d. Dhul Qa'dah, 1248AH) - Lucknow U.P.(India) 16. Hadhrat Sayyed Abul Hasan Sa'eed r.a. (d.

Sha'ba'n, 1272) - Rai Bareli U.P.(India) 17. Hadhrat Mawla’na Khalifa Ahmad Ali Khan r.a. left on 04.11.1904(AD) Kaimganj, Distt.

Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh) 18. Hadhrat Mawla’na Shah Fazl Ahmad Khan r.a. (1857-1907 A D) Qusba- Raipur Distt.

Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh) 19. Hadhrat Mawla’na Abdul Ghani Khan r.a.(1867-1952 AD) Qusba- Bhogaon, Distt.

Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh) 20. Hadhrath Sheikh Ramchandra (Lalaji) Ji Maharaj (1873-1931 AD) r.a. Fatehgarh (Uttar Pradesh) India

21. Hadhrath Sheikh Raghubar Dayal (Chachaji) Ji Maharaj (1875-1947 AD) r.a.

Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh India 22. Hadhrath Sheikh Brij Mohan Lal (18981955 AD) r.a. Lucknow Uttar Pradesh, India 23. Hadhrath Sheikh Onkar Nath (1935-2008 AD) r.a. Lucknow Uttar Pradesh, India As I have mentioned earlier it was from Sheikh Baqui Billah that the tariqat came to Indian Sub Continent. With Imam Rabbani Sheikh Ahmad Mujaddadi a new era was ushered in the tariqat.

And then with the advent of Hadhrath Mazhar Mir Jane Jana the existing tariqat entered a new phase.

And once again after the advent of Mazaharia Nisbet the path underwent another major influence. It was the advent of the Naqshbandiyah Sheikh beyond the Islamic religion, instead from Hindu religion. About this advent a prediction was made by one of the Sheikhs nearly 100 years before the actual happening of the event.

It was the 33rd Sheikh Hadhrat Sayadina Hazarat Kutub-i-alam Abul Hasan Naseerabadi who made the following prediction to his Khalifa. And in the process each sheikh waited and then passed on the forecast to the next Sheikh. It was Hadhrath Abul Hasan Naseerabadi who mentioned of this forecast to his khalifa – the next Sheikh Hadhrat Mawla’na Khalifa Ahmad Ali Khan Kaimganji, who left the body on 04.11.1904(AD). The forecast meant, ‘I am witnessing the lack of interest among the Muslim community towards this Naqshbandiyah tariqat. I am seeing two persons from Hindu religion will come to you.

They are the true inheritor of this Nisbet. Do not hesitate in transferring the secrets of this tariqat and the Golden Chain to these two persons.’

This was the time of ‘tassubi’ or spiritual narrowness, division on the basis of religious beliefs and many atrocities in the name of religion. There was division and ignorance as far as spirituality or ‘roohaniyat’ was concerned.

However with this Nisbet came to Hindu Sheikhs beyond the narrowness of religions and religious belief. Spirituality is beyond religions and narrowness of any kind.

Almost one hundred years ago a forecast was made by Sayadina Hazarat Kutub-i-alam Abul Hasan Naseerabadi. Who in turn mentioned of this to his khalifa Sufi Ahmad Ali Khan (Khalifa Sahib) Kayamganji.

Sufi Ahmad Ali Khan too waited lifelong for these two people. No one came. So when it was the time for Sufi Ahmad Ali Khan to leave the finite realm he spoke to his chief khalifa, Sufi Maulana Fazl Ahmad Khan, who became the next Naqshbandi master: ‘Maybe my master had seen your reflection through me. And this forecast is for you. Take care and be ever aware about this forecast. Maybe these people will come to you.

All along Sufi Fazl Ahmad Khan waited. The destined time of the meeting was coming closer. It was rainy night! Thunder and lightning! Amidst such an atmosphere when serenity prevailed amidst turmoil indicating that at the center of cyclone there always exists tremendous serenity.

The destined meeting happened! A person named Ramchandra came to the company of the master wading through the external turmoil.

This was followed by his younger brother Raghuber Dayal. These were the two destined ones about whom the forecast was made nearly one hundred years ago. Ramchandra and Raghuber Dayal later came to be known as Naqshbandi Sufi Ramchandra or Lala ji, and Naqshbandi Sufi Raghuber Dayal or Chacha ji.

The entire system of roohaniyat is based on such forecasts or wisharads. Thus came the dawn of a new era in Naqshbandi order of Sufis. This was the beginning of the Hindu influence into tariqat.

Although the outer appearance may differ, beliefs too may differ but the inner state of awareness or truth or Nisbet never changes. And if there is any change in that state then it is not truth. Truth is sublime and most auspicious. Truth is ALHAM

DIL ALLAH, SUBHAN ALLAH. OR what Hindus say it SATYAM, SHIVAM, SUNDRAM. Let us dwell in the realm of truth or haquiqat beyond

narrowness of all kinds. Remember the words of a Sheikh of this tariqat: ‘BETASSUBI SADAKAT KI JAAN HAI!’ ‘TO RISE ABOVE NARROWNESS IS SPIRITUALITY!’

From here the tariqat came to India and became the part of Indian Sub continent.

There has to be a reason for this. And when it came to Indian Subcontinent that was predominantly A Hindu community how could it keep itself separate. Such is the will of Allah Subhan wa Taala. Yet still fundamentalists maintain the Islamic texture and negate the will of Allah Subhan wa Taala, and go on calling themselves to be on the path. It is time to rise beyond narrowness of all kinds. Only then you will seek the realm of spiritualism.

Human beings climb the ladder of egotism, But in the end everyone must fall from this ladder, The higher you climb, the more foolish you are, For your bones will be more badly broken When you die to yourself and come alive through God, In truth you have become one with God, in absolute unity.

RUMI MASNAVI IV: 2763-7

From Saidyana Shamsuddin Shaheed Feesawi Lillah Hazrat Shah Mahboob Habibullah Mirza Mazhar Mir Jane Jana a new era in Naqshbandi Sufi path ushers. It was the beginning of the decline of Mughal Empire. The atrocities of Aurenguez have brought the downfall of the Empire. The other influences like Sikhism and Hindu influence was on the rise. The Shazrah from here continues as under: 1. Hazrat Mazhar Mir Jana Jana 2. Sayiaddina Naim Ullah Shah Baihraichi 3. Sayiaddina Hazrat Shah Murad Ullah 4. Khawaja Abulhasan Nasirabadi 5. Hazrat Maulwi Ahmad Ali Khan 6. Hazrat Maulana Fazl Ahmad Khan 7. Hazrat Maulwi Shah Abdul Ghani Khan 8. Sufi Hazrat Ramchandra 9. Sufi Hazrat Raghuber Dayal 10. Sufi Hazrat Brij Mohan Lal 11. Sufi Hazrat Onkar Nath It was Khawaja Abulhasan Nasirabadi RA who envisioned the advent of Hindu influence into the Sufi Path. He spoke to his Calipha Hazrat Maulwi Ahmad Ali Khan.

Before the advent of Sufi Ramchandra – Lala ji the Naqshbandi Nisbet was confined basically with the seekers of Islamic community. This was the time of ‘tassubi’ or spiritual narrowness, division on the basis of religious beliefs and many atrocities in the name of religion. There was division and ignorance as far as spirituality or ‘roohaniyat’ was concerned. However with this the Nisbet came to Hindus beyond the narrowness of religions and religious belief.

Spirituality is beyond religions and narrowness of any kind. Yet still the custodians have tried to muddle it up within the narrow boundaries of religion, caste, and creed.

Almost one hundred years ago a forecast was made by the 33rd Naqshbandi Master Hadthrath Sayadina Kutub-i-alam Abul Hasan Naseerabadi.

Who in turn mentioned of this to his khalifa Sufi Ahmad Ali Khan (Khalifa Sahib) Kayamganji. The forecast meant: ‘I am witnessing the lack of interest among the Muslim community as far as roohaniyat is concerned. I am also seeing two people will come from alhe hinud or Hindu Religion. They will be

true inheritor of this spiritual treasure. Do not hesitate in giving them this wealth.’

After this kasf Hadhrath Sayadina Abul Hasan waited life ling for the arrival of these two destined ones. But no one came. When he was leaving the world he mentioned of this to the next master Sufi Ahmad Ali Khan saying that may be this forecast if meant for you.

Same time the Sufi master caught the glance of him and looked at him lovingly. The glance came like the warmth from the soul. Sufi said such an atmosphere of thunder and lightning and still you are here. Lalaji used to say these words of Sufi came like panacea for the soul that erelong aspired for the union. Ramchandra came in the company of the master wading through the external turmoil.

Sufi Ahmad Ali Khan, who lived in a place called Kayamganj in U.P. India, too waited lifelong for these two people. No one came. So when it was the time for Sufi Ahmad Ali Khan to leave the finite realm on 4th November 1904 he spoke to his chief khalifa, Sufi Maulana Fazal Ahmad Khan, who became the next Naqshbandi master:

Even in such a state Lalaji paid his regards of the master. The two eyes met. With this a high voltage current flowed through his body from head to toe. And the body and mental consciousness drowned in that current. It appeared as if a new soul from the unknown and unknowable realm entered his being.

‘Maybe my master had seen your reflection through me. And this forecast is for you. Take care and be ever aware about this forecast.

Maybe these people will come to you.’

The Sufi instructed him to go in and change the clothes. In the mean time he lit the fire-place and asked LalaJI to sit along with him before returning home. Lalaji followed the instruction.

The two sat on the same bed as the only sitting place. The Sufi covered him with his comforter to maintain the natural warmth. The two went into the state of meditativeness as the Tawazjoh of the Sheikh Fazal Ahmad Khan overflowed and Ramchandra (Lala Ji) was pulsating at its melody totally intoxicated and blissful.

All along Sufi Fazal Ahmad Khan waited. Sheikh Fazal Ahmad Khan was a school teacher. He used to rent a small room in same school compound of Mufti Sahib where Sufi Ramchandra Lala Ji had also rented a room to carry on his studies. Sufi saint used to teach children in his room as part of livelihood. Each time when LalaJI would pass in front of the room of the Sheikh to reach to his room; with door open the Sheikh would wait and LalaJI will pay respect before reaching to his room. Thus the communion continued mystically. The meeting has not yet happened.

In 1891 Ramchandra got a temporary job for a very small salary as the financial situation was very tight and the resources were meager to meet the basic needs. He still maintained the room for his studies. The destined time of the meeting was coming closer. It was a dark yet cold wintry rainy night! Thunder and lightning!

Amidst such an atmosphere serenity prevailed amidst turmoil indicating that at the center of cyclone exists tremendous serenity. In the night Ramchandra was returning to his room in this cold wintry rainy night. His condition was pitiable. He was shivering with cold as his whole body was drenched in rain. The destined meeting happened!

It was a state of intense meditativeness. The effect of Tawazjoh or the energy-field was intense. It appeared as if all outside turmoil was drowning in such energy-field. The inner and the outer states merged into one another. It appeared as if the bliss overflowing from the soul was drowning the body and its consciousness. It also appeared as if all the cells of the body were breaking into its components.

This was the first physical commune. The meditative commune lasted for nearly two hours. As the rain had ceased with the permission of the Sheikh Lalaji left for his home.

Lalaji explains the state of his awareness as he entered the outer world coming out of the Sheikh’s room: ‘It appeared as if the sky, the stars, the entire creation, the plants, everything were overflowing the bliss that flowed at that moment. All the psycho-centers of head, heart and the body were

opening. Also it appeared as if his Sheikh had dissolved in him – a state of fana-fi-ul-murid.’

On reaching home he did not take dinner.

Instead went to sleep straight away. And at dawn a vision happened. He saw a congregation of Sheikhs and enlightened ones. Suddenly a magnificent platform descended and a glorious sheikh sat on it. Full of etiquette and loving respect Sheikh Fazal Ahmad Khan presented Lala Ji to this sheikh. He was immediately accepted by the Maasheikh saying ‘your life and the being are inclined towards truth since birth.

As Lala Ji narrated this vision to his Sheikh tears began to overflow. And wished this vision to be

fulfilled! Saying this he became meditative and said, ‘You are very dear to me. I used to see you very often and whenever you paid respect you were being nourished and nurtured by the Tawwajzoh, faiz and nisbate-illahi mystically.

Persons like you are rare whose life is for the upliftment of humanity. It appears that the Maasheikh has accepted you and all that happened to you in the first commune rarely happens to others even after a long association.

You will not only attain to the state of fana-fi-ulsheikh instead that of fana-fi-ul-murid as well.’

This was the advent of Hindu beginning into Naqshbandi Sufi Path.

Only this much for now.

Who broke the religious barriers

Naqshbandi Sufi Ram Chandra Lalaji Lars Jensen, Naqshbandi Stockholm, Sweden

Naqshbandi Sufi Sheikh Ram Chandra (q) (Lala ji) (1873-1931)

137th Birth Anniversary Lalaji - Naqshbandi Sufi Ram Chandra, 1873-1931 In Hindu scripture Bhagwat Gita the Lord Incarnate as Krishna proclaims

Whenever there is decline is religiousness and eternal value, O Bharat, for the establishment of righteousness and resurrection of declining values! For the protection of the sage, the destruction of the lowly narrowness and for the transformation of Human Consciousness I rise from age to age!!!

W

hat will be the form in which Absolute consciousness will manifest, everyone has his own understanding. Christians are waiting and will continue to wait for the arrival of Jesus. In existence nothing can be repeated. When absolute consciousness chooses to assume the human form it can choose any form. Lucky are those who recognize this. Walk a few steps along with such consciousness hand in hand. In the process they are transformed.

I am really fortunate that I lived in an era that saw the advent of this great soul that humanity came to know as Lalaji(q) – A Naqshbandi – Mujaddadi – Mazaharia Sheikh from Indian Sub continent. And Lo! My good fortunes does not end here, the existence has now brought me in association of another Naqshbandi Sheikh from the same linage Sheikh Taoshobuddha. Thus the sunshine and moonlight of this great soul surrounds us each finite moment.

And I count on my good fortune as grace when a few months ago Taoshobuddha asked me to edit the work ‘The Secrets of Spiritual Life’, and now

once again Taoshobuddha asked me to present you the moment of celebration of the life of this mystic and master. Ecstasy of my being knows no limits as I never thought that being in such spiritual desert of Sweden Oasis of Spirituality could be created. All this is the grace of this Soul that we know as LalaJi. In the month of February on Basant Panchami (A Hindu festival declaring the arrival of spring season) the birth anniversary of Lalaji is celebrated. This event is even celebrated at the inner planes, as it is a special happening. And to me that is the real celebration. First we celebrate deep with and then its beauty manifests in the outer realms. Unless we learn to celebrate like this we are still far from truth as Taoshobuddha says. His birth was foretold and his mastership prophesized several decades before its actual happing. Lalaji is unique, as he became the very first Hindu Sufi master who did not convert into Islam. Different religions are only outer labels, as it has nothing to do with your inner self or with your inner contact with God. Spirituality lies far beyond the religious spheres. The labels of the

different religions are just labels and nothing more. It says nothing of your inner qualities, whereas your actions, words and thoughts reveal your inner state. Lalaji lived a perfect life and his words were so potent that they affect even the people of today who read it, more then hundred years after.

Munshi Raghubar Dayal was born. So the eternal happenings had to flow with the destiny, as foretold by the Fakir.

His birth was predestinated

Both his parents love him very dearly and he was like a prince. However his father used to drink and engage in ostentatious and flamboyant activities and the wealth was thus wasted. On Lalaji’s fourth birthday his father’s friend celebrated and a lot of liquor was served. His mother never liked it but she kept mum. He was not an infant anymore and when his father with love embraced him tightly, with a sudden jerk he came out of his embrace and said, “You are stinking”. It hit his father and he hated himself for having taken liquor. It is said that thereafter he sopped drinking. Not only that, he even started hating it. After that he did not even mention the word liquor again. By three words alone this fouryear-old boy changed his father’s bad habits. It was as a master had told them, because these words completely transformed his father within seconds.

Even the birth of Lalaji had to obey to the happening of destiny. His mother was a very pious and religious lady spending her time in prayer, singing and recital of the Ramayana (Hindu book about Rama, one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu). She often used to visit saints and spending her money for helping the poor.

Once a saint came to their city and she went to his CONGREGATION (satsang). The saint explained some certain compositions of Saint Kabir and she was completely absorbed in them that as tears started rolling out of her eyes. Perceiving her state the saint was moved and showered her with blessings. From that day she got more and more dedicated to God and she often started to fall in deep meditation and Samadhi.

After some time a Muslim Fakir came to her door and she gave him some food. He asked for some other food, which she did not have. She did some arrangement so that the food he asked for could be served. The Fakir was very pleased with her and asked her if there was anything she was missing in her life. She was a woman of heart and wanted to be a mother, so the servant of the house told that she has everything except a son.

The saint looked up in the sky and rising two finger to heaven and said, “One…two…. one...two” and departed never to be seen again.

The blessings of the Fakir materialized and after about a year on the 2nd February 1873 Ram Chandra alias Lala ji was born. After two years, on the 7th October 1875 his younger brother,

Mastership is prepared even at childhood

Lalaji wrote in his book, “I never liked to play with children of my age. As long as my mother was alive, she was my friend, companion, and everything. Whatever she did, I too did…because of her company I developed interest in seeking the Truth and getting religious knowledge…When I was seven years old, my mother passed away…My childhood thus ended.”

His mother lived a devotional life and he learned from her practical living. She was his first teacher and he copied her good character. His mother played an important role for the preparation of Lalaji’s spiritual growth. It seems like even his mother was selected by destiny - for her good character - so he could be developed from the spiritual side right from the start.

The

meeting

with

a

150

years old saint As Lalaji’s mother had got the blessings form a Kabir panthi saint and a Sufi fakir. Likewise her son got the blessings in the same order. Lalaji follow the same destiny and met Swami Brahmananda, a saint of the Kair-panth who was told to be over 150 years old. So in the same order as it already happened with his mother he first met a Kabir saint and later he come in contact with a Sufi saint that he adopted as his master. It was Swami Brahmananda that mentioned to Lalaji that there was one greater saint in this area then himself. He was referring to the Sufi Sheikh Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan (q), but did not give his name. This Lalaji found out much later after meeting his Sufi Master. These two saints were very close to each other.

THE FIRST HINDU SUFI MASTER Lalaji became the very first Hindu disciple of the Sufi master Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan of the Naqshbandi Sufi order. In his diary Lalaji writes about the very first meeting: “At the very first encounter of my spiritual director, he whispered into my ear, “Your life has been inclined towards the way of truth since long before, for this reason it shall be revealed to you.

And you yourself shall relate the truth to others.

Relate the truth; relate the secrets of the Divine principle in such a way as to make its transmission and the refuge your sword. Take the help of the shade to create your own display and do not rely on anything but the Pure Essence.”

After giving me such a hint, my director did not leave me on my own, but himself acting like a shadow provided me for a period of sixteen years with his inner and outer attention. He ordered me to keep always apart from the outer tenets of the tariqat (way, path and method), and finally

entrusted me with the task of spreading his mission to the people. “ On the 23rd January 1896 Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan took Lalaji completely in his shelter and accepted him as his disciple. And on 11th October 1896, he conferred upon Lalaji full authority to work as a master after only ten months of intensive training after his initiation.

Authorization and approval After some time, Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan called a meeting in which many spiritual heads of difference religions and sect was invited. Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan then presented Lalaji and told the assembled mahatmas: “In my entire life, I have prepared only one person. Now these are my last days. It appears to me to be the order of great Masters that I should give dear Puttulal (he used to address Lalaji by this name) the full authorization and appoint him my successor. All of you, who are assembled here are kindly requested to test him and concur in my decision or to reject it.”

All who was present were asked to meditate and Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan asked Lalaji to give Tawazjoh (transmission of divine energy) to them and to answer question that may be asked.

Shrine Naqshbandi Sheikh Maulana Fazal Ahmad Khan RA

Lalaji’s brother Sufi Raghubar Dayal (the grandfather to the mother of Taoshobuddha) who also was invited at the meeting used to say that this session was an extra-ordinary happening.

This experience was never repeated again. He has described his experience in detail during this sitting: Initially there was a feeling of happiness, then the thoughts started disappearing and the state of thoughtlessness was there. There was total absorption in this state. Only the remembrance of God was there. All the Masters of the order appeared to be present. Gradually a light appeared and that light alone was visible, not even ones own body. There was no land or sky, they were only surrounded a light. The light appeared to be the real Master and one desired to completely merge with it. Eyes were full of tears and the heart totally melted. One did not desire to come out of this state. This state remained for a long time after Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan asked the meditation to stop.

After the sitting some questions was asked to Lalaji and he answered them to all the assembled mahatmas’ delight. All mahatmas approved Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan decision to appoint Lalaji to his successor.

The

new

era

that

was

prophesize Thus Lalaji carried out the mission upon Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan’s commands faithfully until his last breath. He was the first Sufi master who used the language of the Hindus and won polarity among the Hindu community and later his teaching even spread to the western world.

It was a start of a new era that blossomed, but was prophesized long before. It was the wave of Time (Kal – the lord of justice - the director of this creation) that read out loudly from the book of the destiny that was written long before. It was

already decided within that this was to happen. A decision was taken from within at the assembly of the saints and now the time was right for it to blossom. When a tree is planted it will definitely bear fruit, if the tree is watered daily. So the outer happening is the fruits of the inner happening.

Sheikh Abul Hassan Naseerabadi the Adi Guru (great grand guru) of Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan had foretold the event of initiating a Hindu disciple half a century before. He told to his successor Shah Amad Ali Khan, “Someone from the Hindus will come to enjoy your company…and since they possess the qualities for this task, do not refuse them this incomparable treasure of our spiritual heritage.”

However Shah Ahmad Ali Khan could not fulfill his masters instructions, since no right person among the Hindu community came for this purpose. So when Shah Ahmad Ali Khan authorized Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan as his spiritual successor, he told that he had not much time left in this world and therefore he entrusted this task to Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan by the words, “These orders of my Guru could not be fulfilled by me…these will not remain empty words, now they will manifest themselves through yourself.”

The responsibility of granting Hindus access to the order’s spiritual heritage had to wait one generation without having been accomplished by Shah Ahmad Ali Khan to whom it had originally been entrusted. But through the meeting of Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan and Lalaji this prophesy was fulfilled.

The religious barriers Due to the religious misconceptions even Lalaji himself initially hesitated about his master being only a Muslim. Lalaji wrote, “I considered that great personality, who was in fact free from any bondage of religion and communal feelings, ‘just a Muslim’ because of my worst thinking, “Just a

Muslim” – how communal…This entire untrue behavior of mine was unraveled by none other than my wife. I was fortunate that it was she who made me realize my folly… Not only did she save me from sinking, but gave me guidance too. Her silent words seemed to sink into my heart, “Saints do not belong to any cast or any race. They are free from all bondage. …Take me also to that great Saint. I am at your service…A woman’s duty is to follow her husband. Without me, your wish will not fructify.”

For this insight Lalaji look up on his wife as one of his teacher.

After adopting Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan as his master worldly people complained that Lalaji had not converted to Islam, so once Lalaji asked permission from his master to adopt Islam. Shah Fazal Ahmad Khan told, “You should never think of such an absurd idea. Spirituality does not need following of any particular religion. Spirituality seeks after the truth and self-realization that are the matter of soul, which is the same in every one regardless of outer label of religion one belongs to.”

they affect even the people of today who read it, more then hundred years after.

Lalaji told: ‘God has hidden himself inside your hearts and exposed you. Hide yourselves and expose God! This is the real spiritual practice.’

These words are so simple but so pregnant with meaning. They melted my heart and send me to another dimension the first time I heard them, hundred years after Lalaji uttered these.

Lalaji’s birth was foretold and his mastership was predestinated. All the eternal happenings had to flow with the destiny, as foretold. It is an internal happening materialized to the outer. It was already decided within that these barriers of the religion had to fall. The words of Lalaji reveal his inner state but the outer label says nothing about his inner state. The prophecy was an internal happening materialized to the outer. And with the materialization to the outer world the religious barriers was broken and a new era into spirituality ushered.

May all of us join together in this eternal celebration?

The time was ready for this happening. The seed was planted long before at another level and now the tree had grown ready to bear forth fruit. As the destiny had preordered the happening followed accordingly.

Your

inner

state

is

the

indicator of truth Your inner state is the real indicator of your spiritual state and, not the outer labels of religion.

Spirituality is beyond all these outer labels and rituals. As I already told you in the beginning the labels of the different religions are just labels and nothing more. It says nothing of your inner qualities, whereas your actions, words and thoughts reveal your inner state. Lalaji lived a perfect life and his words were so potent that

Lala ji Naqshbandi Sheikh Ram Chandra (q)

LARS JENSEN is born in Sweden. Professionally he works with project management in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. He has Master of Science in Engineering, from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. At level of heart he is a spiritual seeker after God. His interest in Lalaji brought in contact with Taoshobuddha.

References: 1.

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Leaves from a Sufi Heart Vol 1 By Taoshobuddha E Book Mall.com Leaves from a Sufi Heart Vol 2 By Taoshobuddha E Book Mall.Com Shah Bahauddin Naqshband â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Life and Works by Taoshobuddha E Book Mall.Com Tasawwure Sheikh By Taoshobuddha Maraqba-I- Naqshbandi by Taoshobuddha Maraqba-I-Rumi by Taoshobuddha 7. The Spirit of Sufism by Taoshobuddha : Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, India 8. Meditation the way to Self Realization by Taoshobuddha: Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, India

Links to Taoshobuddha Talks on Sufism

MARAQBA KHAMOSHI PT 1 OF 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaGyskPrRjI

INTRODUCTION SAMA E MARIFFIA’T http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7XHvAeFOPo

INNER AND THE OUTER MARAQBA –I-RUMI PART 3 OF 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2XPYNWFxP0

WHAT IS TAWAZJOH? PT 2 OF 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=037vZUdNNVM

Choose to be Happy Pt 1 of 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtznprRZmm8