Please remember to donate by midnight tonight to receive an invitation to A Bestiary of Wisdom, a special online gathering featuring readings of Jātaka tales, animal fables, and other spiritually illuminating stories from the more-than-human world!
These enchanting and timeless tales will be read by children of all ages, from actual children to close friends on the path and special guests, including Pir Zia, Suhrawardi Gebel, and Zuleikha. LatifaNoor Anderson will honor our furry, feathered, and scaled sages with special musical offerings.
Our goal this year is to raise $160,000 by the end of the year. So far we have raised $94,553.59 toward this amount. We are 59.1% there, so we still have a ways to go! Please help us raise another $65,446.41 by Friday, December 27th, 2024.
O you, with the collar of faithfulness, before whom the lion has bowed down. You are better than a man in terms of fidelity and more intimate with the Path than most. – The Legend of Leyli and Majnun
10 December 2024
Dear Friends,
The next friend we cross on our odyssey through the Forest of Memory is our faithful companion, the dog. Throughout the millennia of our mutual alliance – which Pir Zia charmingly refers to as our “old collaboration” – the loyalty of dogs has long been admired as unmatched. In Homer’s Odyssey, which scholars believe was composed around the 8th century BCE, only Ulysses’s beloved dog Argos recognizes him in his beggar disguise upon his return to Ithaca, prompting him to shed a tear.
However, this is not always a universally held sentiment. Indeed, some cultures have held a far more uncharitable – even hostile – attitude towards dogs.
At times, the dog has symbolized the virtues of patience, gratitude, service, and self-sacrifice; at others, it has been seen as ill-tempered, vicious, shameless, and unclean, driven by an appetitive nature and lacking self-control.
What accounts for these contrasting attitudes?
Perhaps it is because dogs have been brought so close to our human existence that they have become our mirrors. We see our own dignity and baseness reflected in our companions and hold them in esteem or reproach accordingly.
As Pir Zia poignantly tells us, the dog has sometimes been demeaned and made to suffer all kinds of cruel blows, humiliations, and deprivations. In extreme cases, it has even been encouraged to manifest an aggression that wasn’t natural to them. In such situations, is it any wonder that a dog might act in a manner that does not live up to our ideals? And is this meaningfully different from what we observe in our own nafs when we metaphorically growl and fight over bones?
Indeed, some Sufis have turned to the dog as a source of wisdom and spiritual instruction because of its similarities to us. There is much to be gleaned from carefully observing their habits. Even as it begs and brawls, it is capable of incredible constancy and devotion. The same dog that consumes carrion will endure pain and even death to defend its friends. It will sleep outside the door of the one that feeds it scraps.
The dog offers humans an incredible lesson: it shows us what we are and what we can be. Even the most aggressive dogs can be softened with patience, care, and trust. The restoration of the dignity and value of the dog goes hand in hand with the healing of our own nafs. As we aspire towards our ideals, may we take inspiration from our fiercely loyal companions who at their best exuberantly relish life, accept belly rubs from strangers, and sit contently at the feet of their beloved.
The practices of the Inayatiyya encourage the examination of one’s ego or sense of identity and to question the way one has seen and done things. Like dogs, the first step in training our nafs is to cultivate a posture of humility and trust that allows for openness. Only then can we move from a self-centered orientation seeking gratification of one’s desires to a self-reflective stage of facing one’s limitations, to a peaceful stage of self-acceptance and expanded self-awareness. As the great Persian Sufi poet Jami once said, “I am the dog at the threshold of neediness, my collar is fashioned from fidelity to God.”
As the living vehicle for the transmission of these practices, we humbly come to you to ask for your financial support. Your contributions enhance our ability to extend the reach of these practices to seekers from all walks of life and to provide guidance in the transformational work of polishing the heart.
If you have already contributed to the Inayatiyya this year, please accept our sincere gratitude! If you are considering becoming a first-time contributor or have not donated in a while, please know that we appreciate and value the support of all our supporters regardless of the donation amount. Every donation directly helps fund our efforts to spread the Message far and wide.
With love and appreciation,
Josh & Tajalli on behalf of The Inayatiyya Fall Appeal 2024 Campaign Committee
Noor Amina Peterson, Board Chair, Ambreen Coombs, Treasurer, Nilufar Maryam Hasnaa, Board Member, Jennifer Alia Wittman, Executive Director, Tajalli Roselli, Astana Staff, & Josh Octaviani, Astana Staff
PS—Interested in exploring the symbolism of the dog within the Forest of Memory practice further? As our gift to you, here is the link to Pir Zia’s teaching:
The Inayatiyya is a non-profit 501c3 organization, Tax ID #23-7159641. Your donation may be fully deductible for tax purposes per United States IRS guidelines. Please note that donations made by check must be received by Friday, December 27th to be considered as within 2024. If you would like to make a donation by mail, please send it to Inayatiyya, 112 E Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Thank you!
Image Credit: Clara Cabezas | Dreamstime.com
Inayatiyya
Inayatiyya
112 E. Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-447-1898
astana@inayatiyya.org
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