Ritual Practice of Sufism & mind over matter

When the subject of mind over matter is ever brought up, the first thought that comes to the mind for those who have read about it is the name of the famed Uri Geller & his claims of spoon bending ability by using just the powers of the mind. There are critics who claim that it is mere trickery. But mind over matter, apart from bending spoons or forks also relates to Psychokinesis ability, that is moving objects by using the force of the mind. Further speaking on the same light, mind over matter in a narrow context, is the ability of one to overcome any sensation of pain when the body is subjected to any forms piercing invasion whether done in normal consciousness, meditative state, hypnotic state or in trance.


Today, I would like to bring to your attention, the mind-baffling Sufi ritual practices that is beyond rational explanation or mind over matter. This special ritual is carried out by the Sufis at the height of their devotion to God. Some Sufis explain that during the height of their conviction, they enter into a state of "wajd" or "haal" which means that ecstacy. They further explain that this state of mind is not accessible to lay persons but only to those at the height of their passion can tread.

Who are these Sufis or why do they indulge in such a practice? When did this start? Who started it? What brings rise to such practice? Are such practices accepted by Muslims in all parts of the world? Some of the answers to these questions are given & some are contained in the video clip below.

Sufism started after the demise of Prophet Muhammad at 632AD. It started as an organised movement among various Muslim groups who felt that orthodox Islam to be Spiritually stifling & wanted more from what they believe Islam could offer. The objective is basically aimed to seek divine love, gain the wisdom of the world & knowledge through direct personal experience of God. Their practice consist of a variety of mystical paths designed to bring mankind closer to nature & God. In my earlier posting, I introduced the Sufi dance & now to these rituals which shows of the variety of paths within Sufism. There exists 2 central Sufi concepts, which are "tawakkal" meaning the total reliance of God & "dhikr" which means perpetual remembrance of God.

The philosophers, Al-Ghazali & Al-Farabi practiced Sufism & contributed to it's mystical doctrines. Meanwhile, among the lady practitioner, stands out Rabia al-Adawiya that dates back to the 8th Century. She lived in Basra, Iraq and rejected worship that is motivated by the desire for Heavenly Rewards or Fear of Punishments. Instead, she insisted on the Love of God as the sole valid form of adoration.

While all this are being said, Sufism also faces growing opposition from the orthodox clerics. In 874AD, al-Bistami advocated a concept called fana (the dissolution into the divine). This concept was later used & propagated by Hallaj "in the declaration of his unity with God". And this declaration by Hallaj got him into grave trouble where he was executed in 922AD.

The practice of contemporary Sufi orders & sub-orders vary but most include the recitation of the name of God or of certain phrases from the Quran as a way to overcome the pull of the lower-self, enabling the soul to experience the higher reality which the soul naturally seeks. Within Sufism, there is a complex system of initiation & progression towards the divine.

Sufism had made a significant contributions to the spread of Islam & the development of various aspects of Islam civilization such as literature & calligraphy. Still, many conservative Muslims don't agree with many popular Sufi practices especially Saint worshiping, visiting the tombs of the Saints and it's incorporation of non-Islamic customs.

Image above: Sufism - Prayers at the tomb


Piercing the nostrils, forearms, cheeks & tongues with sharp needles are normally done. In the following video, you will witness knives that are hammered deep into the skull. What is strange is that not a single drop oozes out from the insertion point. They are seen aware of their total surrounding & they remain unperturbed by the foreign object in their body. You cannot find any trace of pain reflected in their eyes. Normally, when the ritual is over, there won't be any puncture marks or scars left after the removal of the foreign object from their body.

Viewers discretion necessary. The following images may be gory or uncomfortable for viewing by those not accustomed to seeing foreign objects inserted to body & are adviced not to view them. Otherwise, this can be a good learning experience of the diverse culture, practice & faith of the inhabitants of our mother earth.

Image above: This Kurdish Muslim says when I enter a heightened state of mind, I can see and hear everything as if I am guided by my master's spirit.

Image above: This man was trained for 22 years. After he had a dream of the ability to pierce instruments into his skin he was ready for the sufi ritual at age 38.

Image above: Sufi Muslims are dancing to the beat of instruments

Image above: Sufism practised by the Kurdish Muslims minority in Iran. A Dervish is an Islamic mystic seeking enlightenment. They are seen here dancing themselves into a trance.

Image above: Sufi - Knifes are being hammered into the skull of this Muslim.

Image above: Sufism - Knife hammered into the skull of this Muslim

Contribution:
Journeyman

DESIDERATA

Desiderata is a Latin word meaning desired things. It is an inspirational prose poem about attaining hapiness in life. It was written by a lawyer cum poet by the name of Max Ehrmann from Indiana, USA who lived between 1872-1945. There were some misconceptions about the origin of this poem & the authorship where some mistook that it originated from the St. Paul's Church from Baltimore USA in 1692 AD.

Still then, the sayings of the past still very much can be applied to the present days. These words of advice contain the wisdom of the past that are worth following for we have nothing to lose by so doing. It does not matter what faith we belong to, as long as we can keep the good virtues. I believe that is the essence of what all the religions are about. Nevermind the fanatics.

DESIDERATA

Go placidly amid the noise & haste and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to the others, even the dull & the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud & aggresive persons, they are vexation to the spirit.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter for always there will be greater & lesser persons than yourself. Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your daily affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you so what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the Universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have every right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be and whatever your labours and aspiration in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all it's sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a Beautiful World. Be careful, strive to be happy.

May peace be with you always.

The Mystical dance of the Sufis

Sufism is a mystical movement within Islam which first appeared in the late 7th Century that arose as a protest against the growing material mindedness of Muslims after the time of Prophet. Today, there are hundreds of Sufi orders that have developed within different cultural contexts, meaning that there are no one Sufi way. They basically try to immitate the words & deeds of Muhammad & traditionally adopt a life of simplicity & abstinence in the context of Islam. Sufism is called "tasawwuf" in Arabic. The term "Sufi" is derived from Arabic word "suf" which means wool refering to the Muslim ascetics & mystics because they wore garments made out of wool.

Sufi dance origin

Founded by the poet Mevlana Jalaludin Rumi, that said, "All Lovers are bridge to a Divine Love, Yet those who have not had a taste of it do not know." The practice of Sufi whirling or "Sufi spinning" is a twirling meditation that originates amongst the Turkish Sufis which is still practiced by the Dervishes of the Mevlevi order. It is a symbolic ritual by which the dervishes (also called semazens) aims to reach the "perfect" kemal. They try to desert their ego or bad desires by listening to their master & Sufi music. They do this by thinking about God & whirling which resembles the rotation of other beings such as electrons & planets of the micro & macro cosmos.

Explanation of the dance ritual

1. The dance outfit: The Semazen's camel's hair hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of his ego. White colored shirt symbolizes the ego's shroud. If the black cloak is removed, it is to represent that he is spiritually reborn to the Truth.

2. At the beginning of the Sema, by holding his arms crossed, the Semazen's appears to represent number 1, thus testifying to God's unity.

3. While whirling, his arms are opened. His right arm is directed to the sky, ready to receive God's beneficiance.

4. Revolving from right to left around the heart, the Semazen embraces all humanity with Love.

5. At one point, his eyes are riveted towards his left hand are turned towards the earth.

6. Some Sufi dancers believe that it is God (Allah) that overpowers them during the dance.

7.The Semazen conveys God's spiritual gift to those who are witnessing the Sema dance.

8. It is the belief that the humanity has been created with Love in order to Love.

Watch this dance. It is a short clip of 2 minutes odd. It is performed very swiftly, but yet it's done very gracefully. Enjoy the dance!

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo's Symbol.

Sri Aurobindo's Symbol meaning.

The descending triangle represents Sat-Chit-Ananda.The ascending triangle represents the aspiring answer from matter under the form of life, light and love.The junction of both - the central square - is the perfect manifestation having at its centre the Avatar of the Supreme - the lotus.The water - inside the square - represents the multiplicity, the creation.

Mother's Symbol meaning.
The central circle represents the Divine Consciousness.The four petals represent the four powers of the Mother.The twelve petals represent the twelve powers of the Mother manifested for Her work.

Sri Aurobindo & Mother's Union Symbol's meaning.

The effective manifestation of Ishwara and Ishwari in union.

Silence and Your Intuition

Intuition is known by many names such as hunches, gut feelings, psychic guidance, inner voice, voice of the heart, voice of the higher self, insights, etc. By nature, woman are naturally intuned to them than man though both man & women can harness this latent gift within them for day to day living. Intuition is the ability for one to sense the feeling or guidance beyond the normal logical & rational thinking process.

Developing this faculty within us that is untapped can be highly beneficial because it is highly resourceful & can be an enriching experience for one who learns to use it. Mystics or Sufis use it daily for interpreting mystical information. For a layman, it is the perfect tool that can be used to the fulfillment of your life's destiny.

In schools, we are taught what to think, what to remember, how to study & pass exams with good grades. All of these are essential to earn a living but hardly are we taught how to think?
Do we hear anyone telling us of the importance of tuning to one's own feelings to seek higher guidance or how one can benefit by so doing?

The person who is endowed with such an ability usually has a calm & composed feeling. This is unlike the noisy chatterbox mind which shoots unwanted thoughts without seeking approval & leaves the person with a worn out feeling for entertaining such thoughts. It is not possible to hear your inner voice if you are indulging in negative thoughts & emotions such as fear, hatred, vengeance, jealousy, regret, guilt, depression, lethargy, shame or dissatisfaction.

How about changing these unwanted & useless emotions? For instance, can you change anger or hatred into feelings of Love? If the answer is yes, then you may go on. Try changing vengeance into forgiveness. From fear to fearlessness. Remember the 2nd Ten Commandments in my earlier postings & what it had to say about feelings of fear? Continue to make a conscious effort to monitor your thought process as you progress. Change your feelings of depression into joy. Depression can be overcome by spending time close to places of nature such as a lake, beach, hilly resorts. It can also be overcomed by simple meditation or listening to calm & soothing music. Try japa or chanting mantras. If you are a member of the ISKCON movement, you should already be aware of the Maha Mantra. The "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare; Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare" is a great tool to open up your Heart.

So, what's the big deal with this "intuition" thing you may ask. Remember, December 26th, 2004. There was a particular catastrophe that shook the world. There was this little known word called "Tsunami" became known to many throughout the world amongst the litterate & the illiterate. There was something interesting about the way the animals behaved prior to the catastrophe. Animals are more tuned in to the nature and are more receptive to intuition. In Thailand, elephants were reported to be seen fleeing towards the hilly area before the onset of Tsunami. How did they know? Premonition? In northern Malaysia, in the district of Kuala Muda, the excited locals were busy filling their buckets with fishes that were rushing to the shore. What were they running from? How did they know? In a newspaper article, there were some mention about animals having ultrasonic hearing which is not audible to mankind. However, Ultrasonic, Supersonic or Panasonic does not matter :) What matters is that humans have six senses, the highest of all the animals & are not fully utilising them for day to day affairs.
What a waste of potential?

How can you benefit from the ability of intuition:

1. Choice of friends: You will be able to know & differenciate from friend to foe.
2. Business: Is this business worth investing? You will be guided.
3. Career: Knowing is it better to stick to the current job or is it time to move to different pastures.
4. Decision making: Which choice is the best alternative. You just have to listen to your heart & your intuiton will guide you.
5. Stock market: Is this the best time to invest in this portfolio or should you wait or choose from a different one. Anyway, the market is currently Bearish.
6. Aversion from dangers: You may be guided by hunches that tell you not to take a particular trip that might end up in tragedy. ( In the distant past, fleets of rats have been seen coming out of the sea ship before taking it's last journey which end up in tragedy. How did they know? Would you like to benefit from the same ability? )
7. As a trustworthy guide: You need not see a "Shaman", "Bomoh", "Medicine man" or a medium for your guide. Trust your instincts. It is more powerful.....and you have it deep beneath you. Isn't it time now to tap on this unused potential within you?


SILENCE.....

Learn to silence the mind. The mind is always busy updating you with many thoughts. Silence the thoughts & you will remain calm & open to the higher sources. No need to delve on past issues & harp on what is beyond repairable. Live in the present moment. Intuition comes to you from the energy center of the heart & the brain center.
"He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone's Heart." - Bhagavad Gita - 13:18

If you have been reading so far & would like to begin harnessing this energy within you, it is never too late to start. Here are simple & practical method that you can use anywhere & anytime. You don't need special clothes or special membership application to do this. It is completely FREE!

Simple steps to build your Intuition:

So, finally if you would like to develop intuition, here's what you can do. First, pick a quiet place where you would not be disturbed. Then, close your eyes & begin by chanting "ooooo.....". It is like chanting "OM" without the "mmmm" at the end. Make sure you do it softly & gently and don't chant loudly. It is enough if you hear it alone. The others won't benefit by listening to it.
As your eyes are closed, make a conscious effort to FEEL which part of your body resonates as you chant "ooo....". You will be surprised!

Once you are used to doing this for some time, you can chant with your eyes open too. Just make sure no one's watching you do that in public places. You will get strange looks from the public :)
It is best done when you are alone.

Just practice this daily for 20 minutes would be suffice.

Good Luck in your new journey.
Peace be with you.

Positive Outlook in Life

Building a Positive Personality

The Greatest Handicap......FEAR !

The Easiest Thing to do.....FINDING FAULT !

The Most Useless Asset......PRIDE !

The Greatest Mistake......GIVING UP EARLY !

The Greatest Stumbling Block......EGOTISM !

The Worst Bankruptcy........LOSS OF ENTHUSIASM !

The Greatest Need.......COMMON SENSE !

The Meanest Feeling......REGRETTING ANOTHER'S SUCCESS !

The Most Disagreeable person.......THE COMPLAINER !

The Greatest Comfort......WORK WELL DONE !

The Best GIFT......FORGIVENESS !

The Best Day.......TODAY !

The Greatest thing in the World......LOVE !

(Source: From the Internet)

Meditation & the Powers of the Mind.

For many, any occurence not clearly physical in nature was regarded as forces of the Supernatural. It was believed to be the work of outside forces surrounding Man. Meditation and the powers of the mind is a unique gift to the humans. Yet, very few harness it for everyday living? This has very much to do with the mundane life that we are living.


Day to day, we are trapped in the vicious rat race to earn a survival that takes away very much of our time & energy to sit down and do simple meditation techniques that would just take 20 minutes of your daily time. Some may even spend 1/2 hour in the bathroom and yet can't simply find the same amount of time to be invested in the joy of relaxation through meditation.


For meditation, one need not necessarily be imposing stringent yogic discipline to practice it. Powers of the mind is your own particular gift. On this planet, only man may consciously use it. It's humanity's greatest treasure. You have this priceless gift & you may not realise yet how to go about it or what techniques to be employed. Simplicity & constant diligent practice is ALL that it takes.


From Reiki's point of view, you need to practice atleast 21 days without fail to inculcate meditation as a daily habit. For those who practice it for 3 months constantly without fail will not want to stop meditation because by then, they will know the joy it brings. It is a Great Stress Buster! .....not Ghost Busters ;)


The Benefits of Meditation
1. Total relaxation within 60 seconds.
2. Overcoming worry, fatigue, stress & strain.
3. Self-improvement by being a more dynamic & positive personality.
4. Overcoming bad habits such as smoking, drinking & drug addiction with visualization techniques.
5. Improve performance of work or business by visualisation techniques.
6. Your powers of Concentration, Observation, Creativity & Memory Retention improves.
7. Allign & attune yourself with the Universal energy or God.
8. See yourself becoming a better person.
9. Your vital energy (prana) increases & benefits you for self-healing. Your immunity also improves. Some at a advanced stage may also have the strength to heal others by touch or sending healing energy at a distance.
10. .......and much, much more for the list can keep going.


Give yourself a chance by trying out this practice. I will post another simple meditation technique soon. It doesn't cost you a cent. The best part it is FREE. The saddest part for us that humans normally don't treasure or value what comes to them for FREE.

The 2nd Ten Commandments

The 2nd TEN COMMANDMENTS.

1. Thou shall not worry,

for worry is the most unproductive of ALL human activities.

2. Thou shall not fear,

for most of the things we fear never come to pass.

3. Thou shall not cross bridges before you come to them,

for no one has yet succeeded in accomplishing this.

4. Thou shall face each problem as it comes,

for you can only handle one at a time anyway.

5. Thou shall not take problems to bed with you,

for they make very poor bedfellows.

6. Thou shall not borrow other people's problems,

for they can better care for them than you can.

7. Thou shall not try to relive yesterday for good or ill,

for it is forever gone. Concentrate on what is happening

in your life now & be happy.

8. Thou shall be a good listener,

for only when you listen, do you hear ideas different than

your own. It is hard to learn something new when you are

talking & some people do know more than you do.

9. Thou shall not be 'bogged down' by frustration,

for 90% of it is rooted in self-pity and will only

interfere with positive action.

10. Thou shall count thy blessings,

never overlooking the small ones,

for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one.

- By Ruth Bourdon

Indian Mystic Meditation Technique.

During my trip to India last year in 2007, I was fortunate enough to meet an Indian Yogi in a temple compound. I saw him sitting below a tree with his gaze fixed to the front. He had a light complexion & spotted a beard. Although I have heard also of bogus Yogis but i sensed a difference in him. He was unpertubed, oblivious to what was happening in his surroundings. He sat there motionless with his eyes widely opened though his eyelids hardly moved.


Watching this eye-catching moments, I sighed for a moment for leaving behind my camera in my suit-case in the hotel where I stayed. Then, I picked up enough courage to inch closer to this yogi while I watched in awe & admiration of his powers of concentration. He was in his late 40's closing to 50 yrs of age. He was draped in an old orange clothes which was quite worn out. As I closed in on him, I shudder to think what would happen should this swami become enraged of me for disturbing his peace. So, I stood there for a moment, holding the thought, "...to go or not to go,...that is the question...". I was just 7 feet away from him.


Then, the swami who had a soft voice asked me to sit close to him. We spoke for awhile. He asked me some questions & I also asked him about some of my doubts which he explicitly explained each one of them.


He said that the world would be a better place if everyone meditate. There will be better understanding between mankind. Many problems of the mundane life could be averted. The meditation technique that he imparted was good to practice. It will give you a sense of peace & you will be able to have a heightened awareness beyond your normal conscious mind level. I almost memorised each steps as he told me & I almost immediately wrote each of them down in my notepad. Please feel free to share this knowledge with your friends too. Here's the knowledge of the meditation technique which he imparted:-

Indian Mystic Meditation Technique

A. Energising Yourself

1. Sit down calmly & be in a relaxed position.

2. Breathe rhythmically until you find that your breathing pattern is perfectly established. (By now, you would have noticed that once the breathing pattern is established, you should feel very relaxed. Your heart beat is slower in this relaxed state of mind.)
3. While inhaling & exhaling, form the mental image of your breath being drawn up through the bones of the legs. Then, imagine that you are breathing out also through them.

4. Next, repeat this breathing imagery through the bones of the arms & releasing out through the bones of the arms.

5. Third, repeat this inhaling & exhaling imagining from & through the top of the skull.

6. Then, imagine you inhale & exhale through the stomach.

7. Repeat, this imagery through the reproductive region.
8. Next, imagine as the breath were travelling upward & downward through the spinal column.
9. Then, imagine as if the breathe were being inhaled & exhaled through every pore of the skin.
10. Imagine now as if the whole body are filled with the vital force, "chi", or prana energy.
11.After completing the re-charging steps above, you ascend now to the energising steps.


B. Recharging Yourself with Prana Energy (vital force).

Upon completion of the steps above, continue to breathe rhythmically & send the current of Prana energy to the 7 Vital Centers in your body following the same method by using the mental imagining method in steps "A" above.

1. Breathe rhythmically & imagine sending the current of Prana to the Forehead.
2. Breathe rhythmically & imagine sending the current of Prana to the back of the Head.
3. Breathe rhythmically & imagine sending to the back of the Brain.
4. Breathe rhythmically & imagine sending the vital current to the Solar Plexus region.
5. Breathe rhythmically & imagine sending to the Sacral region (lower part of the spine).
6. Breathe rhythmically & send the current of Prana to the region of Navel.
7. Breathe rhythmically & send the current of Prana to the Reproductive region.

C. Insulating from Negative Energy at the end of exercise.

Upon completing steps in A & B above, make sure you sweep the current of Prana to & fro from head to feet several times. This can be done by sweeping with your palms or also by imagery method ( whichever comfortable).

In the beginning you may find this tedious. But, with diligent practice, it becomes your second nature & can be done in just 20 minutes daily. This practice can be done early morning or early evening, whichever time convenient, but once chosen the time, it is best to stick to the same schedule daily.


Happy practising your meditation.
May you find peace from this practise.