23 November 2024
Dear Companions on the Path,
The world shall live in me, not I in it. —Akhlaq-i Jalali
Several weeks ago, the world took a turn. What this turn means to us depends on where we stand, and where we live, and what we believe. It depends on our chosen religion. And it depends on our ideals. It depends on who we choose to be.
Who do we choose to be now? Who do we choose to be together?
Even within our very specific global Sufi community our meaning making is diverse. As Walt Whitman said, we contain multitudes. So is true for the Sufi experience as a whole.
We may assume that we are all on the same page. Yet, all kinds of people are drawn to this path. People with all kinds of beliefs, including political. We are a microcosm of the macrocosm.
Yet, we share the deepest aspect of life with one another. There is a meeting place inside of us where we come together “beyond right and wrong.” This is what we collectively bring to the world—the inner world and the outer world. We bring a worldview that is bigger than the world itself.
And what is the Sufi worldview? We start with the concept of unity. We cultivate inner guidance. We turn to nature as the only true scripture. We develop a sense of awakened justice. We take responsibility for our own actions. We welcome everyone. We serve others. We value wisdom. With practice and faith, we shed the false self for the Real.
In this historical moment, it is vital that we stand together in this worldview, outlined by Hazrat Inayat Khan and offered through many books, audio recordings, videos, and programs.
It is vital that we cultivate our own inner reserves. Also, that we further develop our relationships with one another.
It is vital that we come together as a movement offering an alternative view of the world.
With this intention, we will begin the new year with a one-day retreat on what it means to reorient to life, as it is today and, even more so, from the perennial worldview of a mystic.
We will continue to prepare ourselves for the world to come through a variety of new programs to be announced in December.
And as always, if you want to spend time in the pure attunement of Murshid, within the fundamentals of our path, we invite you to consider Suluk Academy. A new two-year, online course will begin next fall, with applications available in January 2025.
Together we will ride out what comes next, with love and friendship. Amin.
Toward the One,
Alia
PS—If you feel called to the “Forest of Memory” look for our weekly emails, sent every Tuesday by Josh and Tajalli, providing attunements with cats, serpents, lions, and more of our animal friends. This is all part of our annual fall appeal, with details found on our website under “donate.” Please consider giving toward the future of our lineage.
This time every year, we appeal for financial contributions to support the Inayatiyya in spreading Murshid’s message far and wide. As we were planning our appeal, we found inspiration through the practice “Forest of Memory” shared by Pir Zia at the Astana earlier this year. Read more…
As we enter the new year, we will gather for a mini-retreat, preparing us for what may come in 2025. Our theme is what it means to Reorient to Life. How do we synthesize, digest, and find ground within the complexity that we face on a daily basis via news, social media, work, friends, and family? More details and registration.
Our annual Inner School Leaders Training is designed for leaders within the Inayatiyya’s Inner School, including Coordinators, Representatives, and Retreat Guides, as well as those in training. Please only register if you fit one of these categories. All Inner School leaders are encouraged to attend and to participate in real time, or to watch the video which comes with registration. More details and registration.
As the Inayatiyya International Board, we have some news to share with you about organizational leadership changes. Read more…
Many of you have already heard about the passing of Atum O’Kane, a beloved companion and inspiring teacher on our path.
Atum was the founder and director of the Spiritual Guidance Wisdom School. He served as the Sufi Order’s Secretary General in the early 1990s and as a senior leader in our lineage. He was blessed with long-term mentoring by Pir Vilayat and Reb. Zalman Schachter. Please find a moving tribute that appeared in the Zenith Camp newsletter.
If you have any news to share, specifically about births and deaths, please send it to astana@inayatiyya.org with the subject heading “For the Zephyr”. Photos are welcome. To initiate a remembrance page for a murid who has passed contact sufiremembrance@sonic.net.
The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of the Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. For more information, please visit us at inayatiyya.org.
Inayatiyya
Inayatiyya
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astana@inayatiyya.org
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