Mystical ecstasy is the only closely guarded secret of nature and needs dedication, sacrifice and labour far greater than what is required to unravel the mysteries of the visible universe. Nobody can sell the magic formula or manipulate society by offering a short cut.
Khwaja says :
“They met the Sultan’s brandished steel The crocodile’s gnashing teeth
They bowed their necks, the death to feel Who follows in their train
They climbed the steep ascent of super consciousness Through peril, toil and pain
Oh God, to us may grace be given To follow in their train”
That which intoxicates the consciousness without drinking, smoking and eating, ‘that which makes our consciousness experience the climax of ecstasy of far greater magnitude than the sensual pleasures, that because of which we experience weightlessness and suspended animation of the physical body, it is nothing else then the mystic’s wine, some call her Kundalini and some Ganga, some call her vidyut lata and some beloved.
The charlatans prostitute her as a cool breeze in the palm of hand and a tingling sensation at the back of the spine. Any misguided effort or attempt to invoke Kundalini destroys the aspirant, as when trillions of megawatts of energy is unleashed, it can result in one of the most painful deaths known to humanity.
Murshid Omar Khayyam said that
“Up from the earth’s centre through the seventh gate, I rose,
And on the throne sate, and many knots urravelled by the road,
But not the knot of human death and fate”
“While the rose blows along the river brink, With old Khayyam the Ruby vintage drink, And when the angel with his darker draught Draws up to thee, Take that and do not shrink”
The esoteric practice of Ashgal is the key to Wehdat (final merger with the Divine beloved). Through relentless spiritual conditioning of the consciousness, magical powers to know the past , present and future and the ability to understand the language of all creatures, to become invisible at will, to leave one’s body and enter other bodies at will, to levitate, to become lighter than a proton and heavier than a black hole, are some of the para normal powers which the immortal God Realised Saints developed. The final goal of Ashgal practices is Wehdat (merger with the All Pervading Divine).
Murshid Gurdial before his death sang sang :
“Is a ray ever separate from the sun,
Will a drop exist separate from the ocean, The light merges with the light,
The union is complete now, What a holy communion”
Murshid Shah Abdul Latif said :
“Unlock yourself and see HIM”
The six esoteric astral centres of the Sufi’s are :
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Akhfa
Khafi
Siri
Qalbi
Rohi
Nafsi
Esoteric Chakras in Hinduism:
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Sahasrara Chakra
Ajna Chakra
Visuddhi Chakra
Anhata Chakra
Manipura Chakra
Svadhistana Chakra
Khwaja says that through perfect Fikr (concentration on the Divine) and Perfect Ashgal ( Meditation on the Divine ) that Marifat (Union with the Divine Beloved ) is attained.
Kundalini’s descent from the Ahkfa to Khafi is an staggering encounter revealing the All Pervading Divine Light, thus making the All Pervading eternal Unmanifest God, manifested through the Khafi (Ajna Chakra). The illuminating glory surrounding the vision of God as seen by the disciples of Prophet Christ, the Noor I Allah as seen by the disciples of Prophet Mohammad, the Circling Light of the Taoists and the blazing radiance of a million suns as described in the Holy Gita, bear testimony to the sayings of All God Realised saints who have left their foot prints in the sands of time to follow and realign our goals.
Khwaja says :
“They who know God, know God, None else knows”
“God Alone exists Rest is a dream”
“Wherever you turn, there is the face of God”
Tasawwuf or the Sufi way has been described as the creed of love, the dogma of heart and religion of spirit. Sufi dynamics revolves around Muhabbat. Here Muhabbat should not be misunderstood for any thing less than love for the All Pervading Divine. Muhabbat is Muhabbat , it can only be comprehended during Marifat (union with the Cosmic Divine), before that it would be difficult to understand it with the yardstick of human love.
Khwaja has stressed that
yearning for the All Pervading Divine has to be cultivated through relentless practice of moral injunctions and fixed observances with perfection in Fikr (concentration on the Divine) and Zikr (remembrance on the Divine) with Muraqaba (contemplation on the Divine) which would result in illumination of the self. It is through Marifat that Muhabbat is felt permeating our entire being. Divine love is an ecstasy permeating our consciousness, not even the joys of our love to our spouses or to our children is as selfless as the Divine love.
Wehdat, should be then our only goal in life. For a human being who has developed the urge for the Divine would understand the wonders of love permeating the entire universe. Only on attainment of Marifat that Wahdat ul wajud (oneness of being) is perceived, before that we are indulging in intellectual delusion by using the terms such as brotherhood of man etc. The key to God Realisation is Muhabbat. It is this intensity of the urge that decides whether an aspirant will remain an amalgamation of chemicals or realise that the aspirant is a drop of consciousness in the Universal All Pervading Super Consciousness of the Unity understood as the Divine Light. Sometimes the aspirant finds that when they have developed the urge for the Divine, the Unmanifest All Pervading does not manifest itself, this could be for a variety of reasons including our lack of consistency or pre spiritual puberty level. We must understand that spiritual pleasures can be felt only when we have stilled the desire for gratification of the senses.
Spiritual conditioning through practice of instructions of the Murshid (Spiritual mentor) with renunciation of our wants which do not serve any purpose other that gratification of the physical body would aid our efforts in seeking the nectar of Immortality. The tendencies such as Haivania – carnal desires, Ammarah – desires enhancing our greed, Mulhama – the inspired motivated self, all these make up a human personality. We are forever bound by the cause effect of these desires unless we make a serious effort to improve our evolutionary positioning in the universal ladder of perfection. When an aspirant ventures for this transition, they should only make an effort under the guidance of the Murshid (spiritual mentor) for without the able guidance of the Murshid it would be very difficult for us to attain freedom from the slavery of senses. The subtle difference between Mind, Ego and Intelligence collectively making our consciousness cannot be understood by mere book knowledge. Experience is one of the gates to teachers and without experiencing it ourselves it would be difficult for us to even comprehend the realm of esoteric science and its hidden treasures. If we accidentally mistake the imagination of our thought processes or the voice of ego as the voice of the soul, we must immediately seek spiritual help for attunement otherwise we would start speaking to ourselves and be termed as a loony. It is very important to understand that without the able guidance of the Murshid (Spiritual mentor) it is next to impossible to identify the voice of the soul in the haystack of ego and intelligence lying with each other to categorise thoughts emerging in our brain.
Khwaja once said that :
“Only when the foundation is strong that a legend stands”
Marifat, the spiritual ecstasy, climax of paranormal communion cannot be possesed of as non existent for the God Realised Saints of all the religions of the world bear testimony to its Truth. Attainment of Mutminnah – tranquil self is a platform from which we can dive deep into the esoteric realm of superconsciousness. When we activate the tranquil self through relentless practice that we enter the esoteric dimensions of the hidden siddhis, unavailable to the ordinary human being in the life span of 125 years. How is this purity attained and what are we to understand by the nexus of Muhabbat and Purity. We should appreciate that the efforts of the God Realised Saints was to free us from the misery of human bondage which no amount of material comfort can justify. Are we nct scared to die and knowing that tomorrow it may be our turn, we still justify our greed as savings for the rainy day. Very true indeed, the rainy day is the day of the death of our physical bodies but unfortunately we would not be able to carry any wee bit of our accumulations. No amount of coaxing by the saints can ever make us understand the truth behind renunciation of desires. With the goal of Marifat (Union with the Divine) as our only purpose in life would enable us to have a very successful innings of 125 years if not more. The aspirant under the influence of Haivania, Ammarah and Mulhama, ensnared by the gratification urges is a slave to the desires binding the consciousness to the physical body. Therefore when we dry the juice of sense gratification that we enable our consciousness to attune with the cosmic properties of the soul,
That which is beyond the reach of the most powerful microscope and that which is beyond the realm of inter galaxy travel can be attained by the grace of the Murshid.
I was asleep in a slumber of ignorance, the jogi woke me up;
He cleansed my mind of the dirt and showed me the essence
Advisor, Corporate Risks
Assistant Professor, MBA Competitive Intelligence & Corporate Warfare program
Khwaja says that the fastest way a murid can develop yearning for the Divine is by (remembrance of the Divine) Zikr. An aspirant must always extoll God through Zikr of the Divine names such as Rauf, Rahim and Aziz among others. In Zikr the act of contemplation and meditation assisted by invocation of the Divine results in spiritual puberty. The aspirant here recites and repeats :
La illa ha illal lah
Ya Allah
Ya Hoo Ya Haq
Ya Hayyi Ya Qayyom
No God but God O God
O He
O Just One O Living One O Existing One
La illa ha illal lah (There is no God but God), this affirmation is the beginning of Shariat and the conclusion of Tariqat. In Zikr there is affirmation of the existence of God and negation of all else. Zikr means to absorb one’s consciousness in the remembrance of God. you can remember God in any language. He understands all languages but likes most, the language of love.
To reach the level of perfect Zikr requires perfection in the practice of Habs I Dham (breath regulation techniques) and withdrawal of senses is attempted in Khilvat with Fikr (concentration on the Divine) Zikr generates energy and if renunciation of desires is not undertaken then it is possible that the urge to gratify lust will predominate. The aspirant here has to be careful for unless the energy generated is not harnessed, the consciousness will remain fluctuating. Therefore it is very important that the Murid (Aspirant) is guided by the Murshid (Spiritual mentor) who while observing purity of the physical body aspires for purification of the Consciousness. This purification of the consciousness is attained by following moral injunctions and fixed observances with perfection in Muraqaba attained through perfection in Fikr (concentration on the Divine) with Zikr (remembrance on the Divine). Each of these in itself may have to be mastered in isolation before the aspirant is allowed to try permutations and combinations of the esoteric science. Khwaja says that Zikr Allah is a very powerful mantra for Marifat (communion with the Divine). Initially Zikr Nasooti is prescribed by the Murshid. Through perfection in Habs i Dham (breath regulation techniques) Zikr Nasooti is practised by the murid (disciple) till the disciple has thorough concentration on the vibrations of the Zikr and is able to undertake Zikr Malkooti (in thought). Evolution from Zikr Nasooti to Zikr Malkooti is a very refined process and is only possible through perfection in Fikr (concentration on the divine). In Zikr Malkooti the aspirant has achieved considerable success in Muraqaba and therefore effortlessly is able to undertake Zikr (remembrance of the Divine).
The Tranquillity in the consciousness is attained at Zikr Jabrooti . Here the consciousness is conditioned to be in zikr. This is a very advanced level of Zikr not attainable by millions of the aspirants as to maintain tranquillity in the self requires great mastery in the withdrawal of senses possible only through the grace of the Murshid (spiritual mentor) aided by the tools of Zikr, Fikr and Muraqaba. It is at this level of zikr Jabrooti that the aspirant is aware of the subtle differences between the mind, ego and the intelligence. For only when the aspirant has experienced the effect of each of these singularly as well as in combination that the consciousness of the disciple is flooded with ecstasy of pure joy as experienced during the climax of sensury pleasures but now this ecstasy is experienced for a couple of minutes at a stretch rather than the few seconds of the sensual gratification of the biological needs. In Zikr Lahooti the aspirant has reached the spiritual puberty level of Marifat (union with the Divine) and from this platform projects Muhabbat for the All Pervading Divine. The aspirant has now experienced the ecstasy of the spiritual climax and is not moved by impulses governing the fluctuations in the ordinary human beings. The disciple has already activated the Khafi (Ajna Chakra) and these disciples have stilled the consciousness which has been gradually weaned away from the gratification of desires through the senses of perception and organs of action are fully under the control of these aspirants. These aspirants have heightened perception of the para-normal field and these disciples of God maintain equipose in both pain and pleasure.
In Zikr i pas o Anfas, the disciple has reached the advanced level of Habs I Dham (breath regulation techniques), with every inhalation of the breath the disciple remembers Allah and Hu is repeated with every exhalation. The Murshid (spiritual mentor) may prescribe the practice of this technique 101 times at each sitting. This repetition is known as Jaroob i Qaib. For spiritual conditioning this process of remembrance is very effective for the disciple over the years develops the required intensity to worship the Divine and as the disciple progresses spiritually, they are able to regulate the gratification desires of the physical bcdy about which Khwaja said :
“Ever fed ever hungry, Never fed never hungry”
This process enables the disciple to isolate the urge from the more mundane thoughts occupying our mind and therefore is able to regulate stress and mental fatigue to a great extent. This process of repetition assisted by contemplation on the Divine is able to create the required environment for the disciple to undertake advanced practices. When God is remembered with every breath, the mundane thoughts of physical desires take a back seat and therefore the disciple is able to focus on the foundation building by indulging in moral injunctions and the disciple now appreciates the purpose of fixed observances. For when the disciple’s actions compliment their thoughts, we can say that a step in the right direction has been taken by the aspirant who now becomes more careful of the pitfalls which will retard the process of the consciousness exit from the physical body.
Most of the people in our society find comfort in the trend set by the masses whose physical body perishes like any other creature on this planet without knowing the truth behind the amalgamation of chemicals (the physical body). Fear is a great manipulator, when we are seriously scared to die like other animals the urge to commune with the conscious entity is aroused and this urge has to be fed by the fuel of meditation to finally attain Marifat, which will for ever remove the delusion of death. Murshid sometimes recommends Allah and Ho to be substituted by the following words which develop the contemplation powers on the Divine :
” La illala, illalahu, Ya Hu, Ya hai Qayyum, Ya Haqq”
This is a more advanced form to attain mastery over the practice of Fikr (concentration on the Divine). With this required concentration it is possible to undertake thought projection during the Ashgal practices. Spiritual conditioning of this type is recommended by the Murshid depending on the spiritual evolution of the disciple depending whether the aspirant has been able to wean away effectively from the urge of greed been the motivating force in their life. For the consideration of material comfort makes a human being perform atrocities on society without for once realising that tomorrow at the time of exit of the soul from the physical body, these very disciples future trajectory would depend on their actions of this life time.
First, lose yourself :
one who annihilates oneself will attain Him; Turn your face within,He is in you.
In Zikr i Isma i Rabbani the remembrance of God is practised from 101 to 1,24,000 times. This increase in repetition enables the disciple to flood their consciousness with pure ecstasy of intoxication without using the substitutes such as alcohol to achieve pleasure in the consciousness. When Zikr is undertaken for a hundred thousand repetitions a day, this aspirant who practices Zikr for this many times as a prescribed dose is only able to keep up their efforts of remembrance of the Divine because of this dominant urge for the Divine which surpasses all other duties and responsibilities of sense gratification. The perfect combination of Zikr and Fikr and Muraqaba and Habs I Dham and Khilvat depends on the spiritual evolution of the aspirant. Zikr of this type releases energy which if not channelled would result in gratification of the sensual desires, that is why with the practice of Ashgal surrender of one’s will to the will of Murshid (spiritual mentor) is a must.
Relentless practice and renunciation of desires is the key to Marifat (para-normal union with the Divine). The difference between renunciation and suppression must be understood by the disciple for when suppression is misunderstood as regulation of the desires leading to renunciation then we find that the aspirant suffers from increased urges for gratification of the sensual desires. The key to success is to seek the grace of the Murshid (spiritual mentor). When the aspirant needs freedom from the fear of death of the physical body that the urge for the Divine can be cultivated. God can be remembered by any of the following names:
Allah Rahman Rahim Malik Quddus Salaam Mumin Muhaimin Azim Jabbar Muktabbir Khaliq Bari Musawwir Ghaffar Qahhar Wahhab Razzaq Fattah Alim Sari Basit Khafiz Rafi Muhizz Muzill Sami Basir Hakim Mutlaq Wadul Majid Shadeed Shahid Haqq Wakil Quawily Matin Wali Hamid Badi Muhit Haiy Muhyi Mumit Qaiyum Yuid Wahid Samad Qadir Muqit Qarib Muakhkhar Awwal Akhir Zahir Batin Wali Mutaal Tauwab Ghafur Affuw Rauf Malikulmulk Zuljalal walkram Ghalib Ghaniy Mughniy Maula Nuafi Nasir Nur Hadi Raziq Azaliy Rashid Malik Ghfoor Dhil Fadli Rabbul Alamin.
Rosary is also used in Zikr as is the case of remembrance of God in many a other religions. The question here that plagues the mind of the aspirant is how many times is sufficient remembrance of God. This actually depends upon the intensity of the urge. When a certain number is quoted, the purpose also signifies the duration it would take a disciple to repeat x number of times of repetition of the name of God would enable the aspirant understand that perfect Zikr (remembrance of the Divine) with perfect Fikr (concentration on the Divine) would take very great effort on the part of the aspirant for it is not easy to achieve perfect Fikr without cessation of the thoughts in the form of worries and stress forever tormenting the human. mind seeking protection against the risk of being bankrupt or without any social affiliation in terms of being desired by a spouse or a group of friends.
Hazrat Imam Ali remembered God as “Ya Hayyo o Ya Qayyoom”.Hazrat Abu Bakr remembered God as as “Ya Rehman o Ya Rahim”. Murshid Abubabaji mentioned that the greatest Zikr is through sincere devotion to the All Pervading Divine by following the moral injunctions and fixed observances with withdrawal of senses achieved in Khilvat with perfection in Muraqaba and Fikr. It is only when the aspirant becomes a receptor by attaining the spiritual puberty that the aspirant is able to receive esoteric knowledge which has been passed of by society as mere philosophy.
In Zikr i Zarbi, the aspirant has already conditioned the consciousness by becoming a receptor to the subtle thought projections of the God Realised Saints. Therefore we find that the disciple’s consciousness is for ever in Zikr. The aspirant here is able to undertake perfect Fikr on the Qalbi (Anhata Chakra) with the right combination of Muraqaba and Habs i Dham . With the tools of Baiyyat and relentless practice of the Ashgal techniques under the guidance of the Murshid (spiritual mentor) resulting is harnessing of the energy through effective inner renunciation of urges, by effective channelisation of the urge for gratification of lust to the urge of Muhahbat for the All Pervading Divine.
In Zikr i Ara the focus is on achieving perfect withdrawl of senses practiced through three dimensional Zikr of the renounciation of desires practiced under the guidance of the Murshid during Khilvat. During the practise of Ashgal it is very important that Zikr I Ara has been perfected. Again we must remember that Zikr I Ara is just a tool to aid in the process of remembrance of the Divine to unlock the para-normal corridor of the esoteric universe.
Khwaja says that by perfect concentration on the Divine (Fikr) and perfect contemplation on the Divine (Muraqaba) and Marifat (para-normal union with the Divine) at the Khafi (Ajna chakra) the Murshid is able to know the cousre of destiny and has visions of the God Realised Saints.
By perfect concentration on the Divine(Fikr) and perfect contemplation on the Divine (Muraqaba) and para-normal union with the Divine (Marifat) on the Sirr (Vissudhi chakra), the Murhid overcomes hunger and thirst.
By perfect concentration on the Divine (Fikr) and perfect contemplation on the Divine (Muraqaba) with Marifat (Paranormal union on the Divine) at Qalbi (Anhata chakra), the Murshid achieves the secrets of Tasawwuf.
By perfect concentration on the Divine (Fikr) and perfect contemplation on the Divine (Muraqaba) with Marifat (Paranormal union with the Divine) on Rohi (Manipura chakra) the Murshid acquires knowledge of the physiological body.
In Zikr I Sultan ul Ajkar, the use of perfume and incense sticks at the time of Zikr is to enhance concentration on the Divine (Fikr). Hazrat Pir Dastigir said that it is essential for the Murid to keep their speech clean by refraining from slander, purify the consciousness by keeping it clean by Zikr, to keep hands and feet clean by allowing them to rise in supplication and walk the path of Truth of God Realisation.
I underwent millions of hardships to see the Beloved outside;
But it was by looking into myself that I found Him :
my Friend is within me.
KHILVAT
These disciples of God who are termed as Sufis have in seclusion (chillah) perfected withdrawal of senses of perception from seeking sense gratification from the external environment. Prophet Muhammad used to go to the cave of Hira and pass days and nights in Khilvat. When he was forty years old, he received the first Divine relevation in the cave of Hira.
This tradition of khilvat is firmly held by the Sufis who also go into retreat once every year. The Sufis go into Khilvat for 40 days in a year. Here moral injunction and fixed observances are adhered to and the disciples try for greater perfection in improving the concentration on the Divine (Fikr) with increased practice of Zikr (rememberance of the Divine). In khilvat the disciple also is able to isolate the voice of the soul which is different from the ordinary thought of the mind or the voice of the ego or the voice of the intelligence. We must remember here that the disciples who go in Khilvat have already the blessings of Murshid (spiritual mentor) for it is not possible without the guidance from the murshid to be able to isolate the intution from the Jungle of other voices in the mind which originate due to imagination of hallucination or from mental fatigue. In khilvat the negative traits retarding the progress of the murid (disciple) are weeded out for it is only in isolation that perfect concentration with perfect contemplation combine to enhance Zikr (remembrance of the Divine).
SAMA
Just as the planets revolve around the sun, the Murshid’s consciousness revolve in the All Pervading Divine Light. The disciples of Prophet Mohammad go around the sacred Kaaba in Mecca practising Zikr. The disciples of Param Atman circumambulate the temple and perform this holy whirling ritual. The circular dance of the Sufisis called Sama. Sama is an act of devotion, undertaken in the presence of the Murshid. Real music arouses emotions and the right kind of music acts in a way that it creates the necessary arousal for the divine thereby aiding the process of contemplation on the Divine. This illumination is the Divine illumination of Marifat. Muhabbat permeates our consciousness only when our self discipline is strong for it is said those aspirants who develop self control understand the feelings of other human beings and are sensitive to their needs. In Sama the Sufi’s consciousness is flooded with Divine ecstasy and joy begins to permeate from the consciousness. For perfecting Fikr(concentration on the Divine) and Zikr(remembrance on the Divine), Muraqaba is undertaken in Khilvat to harness the senses of perception. The purposes of Music in Sama is to help stimulate the love for the Divine so that Kundalini can be invoked to flood the Sahasrara where the torrential downpour of ecstacy of a million climaxes floods the consciousness of the aspirant. This is the attainment of the spiritual puberty and from now on the aspirant’s meditation has become ripe. The aspirant should take care here by redoubling their efforts. Sama requires intense devotion ever striving for the purity of consciousness acheived through the practice of Ashgal with the grace of the Murshid. Care has to be taken to cross the bridge over Nafsi as when the sensual desires instead of being harnessed are supressed , in the heat of passion it may be difficult to regulate the sensual urge as is the case in all the night discotheques of the world. Khwaja says that Fikr is the rosary, Zikr are its beads, Muraqaba its harp and the Muhabba. The purpose of Music in Sama is to help stimulate the love for the Divine so that Kundalini can be invoked to flood the Sahasrara where the torrential downpour of ecstacy of a million climaxes floods the cosciousness of the aspirant. This is the attainment of the spiritual puberty and from snow on the aspirant’s meditation has become ripe. The aspirant should take care here by reduobling their efforts.Sama requires intense devotion ever striving for the purity of consciousness acheived through the practice of Ashgal with the grace of the Murshid.Care has to be taken to cross the bridge over Nafsi(Svadhistana Chakra) as when the sensual desires instead of being harnessed are supressed, in the heat of passion it may be difficult to regulate the sensual urge as is the case in all night discotheques of the world. Khwaja says that Fikr is the rosary,Zikr are its breads,Muraqaba its harp and the Muhabbat for the Divine, its threads. Thus one’s consciousness is a song within. It is only when the desire of the aspirant is satisfied by the descent of the nectar of Immortality that the aspirant is able to channelise their thoughts seeking Marifat(para-normal union with the Divine). In Sama 9-15 murids(aspirants) sit in Khilvat attempting withdrawl of their senses and contemplates on the Divine. The Murshid(spiritual mentor) invites all the assembled murids to raise their hands in prayer and the Murshid chants: “To thee O God glory! To thee O God praise! Thou art the most Merciful of the merciful, Mercy O God mercy. We have come to your enterance, Grant us admittance. We seek refuge, Grant us protection. Fill us with your love O Majestic Lord Include us in the fellowship of your servants, Record our names among the servants you love. There is none worthy of service than thee llluminate our hearts with your love Save us from fears and anxieties Let our eyes behold your beauty. Glorified and exalted are thee O Lord We do love thee O Lord Gladden us with thy grace and guidance. After the prayer, the dervishes approach the Murshid one by one,salute him with a gesture of hand and begin to dance. Every dervish advances slowly,turning on the left heel, till they form one circle. Their arms are open or raised but their eyes are closed. All visualise to hold the beauty of the beloved God. The dance may continue for an hour or two, during which time Zikr to the sound of music is played. Every dervish tries to search for inward purity and tranquility in the Sama. Khwaja says that for those disciples engaged in the love of God, Sama is an aid for perfection, but for those filled with the lust of desire the result is a disaster. Whose Sama is constant and sincere, ever present in their heart is the All Pervading. Reza Arasteb mentioned that one of the most interesting machanism for drawing the attention of the lover towards their beloved was a five step dance that revealed the total outlook of the Sufis towards the process of the communion relationship. The dance started with meditation,intense concenteration on one self so that one could empty oneself of idle thoughts, re-sensitise oneself and gain the state of naturalness. However, this was not enough, the Sufi’s know that regaining of naturalness must occur through action. The dance served this purpose. In dancing the seeker took steps and moved his closed palm towards his chest(first act), then he took a step again and opened his palm and moved his hand towards the ground, symbolising that he was released from the self(second act). In the second step, the sufi raised his hand towards heaven symbolising the nature of God, manifested in religion as everything coming from him(third act). In the fourth act,the seeker moved his hands over his head in such a way that palms faced the sky,symbolising that the human being does not know the nature of God.In the fifth act, the seeker pointed his right hand finger towards his object of desire, symbolising that all that exists is thou in thou(All Pervading). The seeker performed the dance with great concenteration on his object of desire, often symbolised in the guide or the perfect disciple or his earthly beloved Murshid. The Sufi saints introduced music and dervish dance(Halqal) in khanqahs, the holy shrine of the sufis. Sufi mystic Jalaludin Rumi on hearing about the death of his friend Hamsa, a flute player, went to his house with some of his disciples and addressed the dead body “My dear friend Hamsa arise!” Hamsa’s soul re-entered the physical body and for days and nights the festival of sufi music and dervish dance was kept at his house. When the mystic Rumi left Hamsa’s house, the soul of Hamsa also departed from the body of Hamsa.Sufi Saint Sai Sanchal Shah was very fond of sufi music and darvish dance,once,some mislead disciples of God came to Sai Sanchal Shah to discuss the ban on music and were overawed when to their surprise they found that in the hutment of the Master the music instruments were playing by themselves. Sometimes Christ, sometimes Moses myself; sometimes as Pharao I have ruled and issued orders; sometimes as Mansur,sometimes as Shamas al-Haqq I have invited troubles on my head; Sometimes as Darius,sometimes as Alexander I have overrun domians;Sometimes Ayaz,sometimes Mahmood,sometimes a slave I have called myself; Sometimes as Laila,sometimes as Majnun I have wailed in the lanes; Sometimes as Zulaikha,sometimes as Yusuf, sometimes as the Emperor of Egypt I have appeared; Sometimes Rama-Sita,sometimes Lakshman,sometimes I have also been Ravana; Sometimes I have preached a lot(like a Mulla) sometimes I have dilated on Mystery; Presently I have come here assumins the name of Sachal and sung many a song of spirit. Sufi mystic Amir Khusru, disciple of the Sufi saint,Chistia silsila Hazrat Nizamudin Aulia of Dehli was a great musician of his time. He introduced many innovations in music. His songs and pahelies with their mass appeal have remained popular to this day.Amir Khusru has also introduced Qawaali, which is the most popular musical concert in sufi Khanqahs(known as dargahs/asthans now a days). The chistiya order of Sufis uses music as the source of inspiration. Murshid Khusru instituted the listening of music or Qawali mehfil which takes place regularly at the tombs of Sufi saints and at the gathering of Sufis.
SUPPLICATION
Supplication is the essence of worship. The Prophet Muhammad said that Duaa is the real worship for God responds to our supplications. Only when Tariqat(longing for the beloved is acheived) that Duaa propels spiritual evolution of the Murid. So Duaa is also Haqiqat where the Murid presents oneself before the altar of the All Pervading God. The first chapter of the Holy Quran is called the Sura Fatiha which is recited in every prayer and other remembrance: 1. In the name of God, most gracious, most merciful. 2. Praise be to God, the cherisher and the sustainer of the world. 3. Most Gracious and most merciful. 4. Master of the Day of Judgement. 5.Thee do we worship and thee do we seek. 6.Show us the path that leads us to thee. 7.The way of those on whom thou has bestowed thy grace, those who do not go astry. Admit me to the paradise of thy mercy, O thou most gracious and merciful. O lord I seek thy protection against desires. O lord I seek thy protection from all evil which pertains to this day and hereafter. O lord I seek thy protection that I may not destroy anything under my feet. O God I seek thy protection against intellectual delusion and poverty of faith. Grant me thy grace that I may not lead others astray. Duaa consists of rituals such as salat, which is an obligatory prayer which every disciple who surrenders their will to the will of the All Pervading Divine(Islam) performs five times a day. Khwaja says: “Burn yourself with the love of God And be one with ONE and glow”. Those disciples who practice supplication come under the influence of the Muhabbat of the All Pervading Divine. These disciples always are in the consciousness of the Divine and they serve rather than manage society. The key to liberation from the bonds of ego is to serve the society rather than be ambitious to manage societies. Supplication creates a very personal bond between the disciple and the Divine Beloved for only when a child understands that whatever the All Pervading has in store for us is for our own betterment than the disciple surrenders their will to the will of the All Pervading Divine and is not influenced by insignificant superficial differences compartmentalising nations and categorising human beings on the basis of colour, caste or class and religious preferences. Most gracious Lord, Master,messiah and Saviour of Humanity, we greet Thee with all humility. Thou are the first cause and the last effect, the Divine Light and the spirit of Guidance, Alpha and Omega, thy Light is in all forms, Thy Love in all beings in a loving mother, in a kind father, in an innocent child, in a helpful friend, in an inspiring teacher. Allow us to recognise Thee in all Thy holy names and forms as Rama, as Krishna, as Shiva, as Buddha. Let us know Thee as Abraham, as Solomon, as Zarathustra, as Guru Nanak, as Moses, as Jesus, as Mohammad, and in many other names and forms, known and unknown to the world. We adore Thy past: Thy presence deeply enlightens our being and we look for Thy blessing in future, O Messenger, Christ, Nab the Rasool(s.a.w) of God. thou whose heart constantly reaches upward; Thou comes on earth with a message as a dove from above when Dharma decayeth and speaker the word that is put in thy mouth as the light fills the crescent moon. Let the star of Divine Light, shining in my heart, be reflected in the hearts of Thy devotees. May the Message of God reach far and wide, illuminating and making the whole humanity as single Brotherhood in the Fatherhood of God.
The wonderland of Ashgal practices at a preliminary level can be understood by the following :
Shugal I Aina – where the aspirant contemplates, meditates and concentrates on the Divine. The Zikr (remembrance of the Divine) is the booster which enables us to achieve faster access. The key thrust here is activation of Sirr (Visuddhi Chakra).
Shugal I Sultan Nasir – here the aspirant has to perfect Fikr (concentration on the Divine). This would help the aspirant to eliminate the puddle of thoughts for ever occupying the mind. With an intense concentration, it is possible to activate thought projection and this is the foundation of telepathy. Here the key area is realisation of the full potential of the consciousness.
Shugal I Sultan Mehmood – Khafi (Ajna Chakra) is the focus. Who so ever is able to master the technique of Khafi would enter the ranks of the spiritually illuminated beings on this planet. Just as a telescope is used to view distant objects and the microscope to view the atomic structure, Khafi (esoteric third eye) reveals to us the All Pervading Divine light about which Prophet Christ said :
“When thy eye be one, Thy body shall be full of light”
Shugal I Sultan Samad – the chief purpose here is to undertake withdrawal of the senses, this is practised to attain the tranquil self, which then is the platform to project the consciousness into the soul communion. Here our objective is to activate Qalbi (Anhata Chakra). Compassion mingled with Muhabbat flows from the heart. That aspirant who masters the qalbi, is in love with the entire cosmos for these disciples now truly understand the mysteries of the Unmanifest nature of the All Pervading Divine.
Shugal I Bisat – Akhfa (Sahasrara Chakra) is the supreme goal of the aspirant. They who successfully activate Akhfa attain the Supreme Divine. However it is not so easy as it may sound. How soon or how many lifetimes would it take us to attain God realisation, again depends upon the grace of the Murshid (spiritual mentor).
Shugal I Sultan ul Azkar – Here the murid (aspirant) undertakes contemplation on the Divine (Muraqaba) aided by the concentration (Fikr) achieved in Khilvat (in isolation where withdrawal of senses is practised). This is a very effective process for spiritual conditioning where faith in the Divine gains depth and cleanses the gratification desires of the body.
Shugal I Sanobari – Perfection in the concentration on the Divine (Fikr) is the thrust area here. When the aspirant has achieved the perfect Fikr that they can undertake perfect Zikr (remembrance of the Divine). It is this very perfect Fikr which is the chief factor for spiritual success.
The art of Ashgal cannot be purchased not even for a billion dollars for Khwaja says that freedom to leave the physical body cannot be purchased but through relentless practice is earned. Those disciples of God who dupe the gullible aspirant, reap what they sow. Perfect purity in the physical body as well as the consciousness is attained through selective gardening of the mind, ego and the intelligence and when we annihilate our ego to the will of the Murshid (spiritual mentor) that spiritual success is possible for us. The hidden art of Habs i Dham (breath regulation techniques) are the focus of scientific world. For they who master the art of Habs I dham, attain tranquillity to cope with the stress and strain of the society, whose efforts to enhance greed to generate want has caused many a suicide of those very able individuals who could not cope up with the physical and the mental fatigue. For when an individual cannot isolate the voice of the ego from the voice of the intelligence which is again different then the voice of the soul, then chances are that this individual or the group of individuals are vulnerable to the charlatan’s manipulations. Ashgal is the essence of all forms of meditations. Those forms of meditation techniques which truly result in ecstasy of the Divine, these forms are aware of the lethal effects of the Ashgal practices.
For the All Pervading Unmanifest is approachable through these esoteric practices, even though the various religious scriptures of the human world may use different words to give expression to the same form. Habs I Dham and Muraqaba (contemplation on the Divine) create a conducive atmosphere for Khilvat practice, where in isolation an aspirant attempts withdrawal of the senses. Stilling of the consciousness is possible or chiefly aided by the breath regulation techniques. The esoteric instructions for God Realisation are transferred by telepathy by a able Murshid (Spiritual mentor) to the aspirant. Again the aspirant here has to qualify to be worthy of these instructions. The wavelength of the ¢hought projection cannot be understood by a aspirant who is not sincere to the instructions of the Murshid. Clarity of thought and Depth of perception are the side effects of the grace of the Murshid. Only at the esoteric wave length, a aspirant is capable of deciphering the true meaning behind the metaphor and similes of the God Realised Saints.
When the aspirant is at the Muldhara chakra, then we are sure of all the weaknesses in the world that are a temptation to any body would be a temptation to the aspirant as well. When the aspirant evolves to Nafsi (Svadhistana Chakra) then the urge to seek sensual gratification is pre-dominant over other needs and the aspirant by nature would be greedy in nature. These aspirants would succumb to the sensual pleasures as the urge in them seeking gratification would not be satisfied by anything less.
Those aspirants that evolve to Rohi (Manipura Chakra), by contemplation on the Divine, master the finer aspects of metabolism. When the aspirant evolves to Qalbi (Anhata Chakra) then they will attain mastery over all languages of the human species as well as the animal world. Those disciples who have the grace of the Murshid (spiritual mentor) develop the supernatural powers. The rare few who activate the Khafi (Ajna Chakra) are blessed by the Immortal Unmanifest. The key to attunement at the Para-normal realms are acquired here. The All Pervading Divine Light of God is manifest here. Those aspirants that reach Akhfa (Sahasrara Chakra) attain Wehdat (final merger with the Divine).
We must remember that as soon as we succumb to the sense gratification even in thought that we weaken our chances of success. It is by these fundamental principles that an aspirant is able to understand that the esoteric Ganga flows down from the Rishi ka Kesh (sahasrara Chakra) to the Hari ka dwar (Ajna Chakra). The pure ecstasy of a million climax are no patch to this unalloyed joy of para-normal bliss. This is the state at which Marifat can truly be understood by the aspirant.
First, know yourself,
(then) to know the Beloved is easy;
Also, keep to that very door,
from which you are not driven away;
MURSHID AND MURID
Why are instructions important? Murshid is a God Realised Saint. The Murshid reflects the Divine Light of God just as the moon reflects the light of the Sun. The closest a disciple can get to God before Marifat is the feet of the Murshid. Those who follow the instructions of the Murshid surely attain Wehdat. (Final merger with the Divine beloved).Baiyyat from the Murshid may be verbal or for spiritually advanced disciples the medium of thought projection is used. In verbal Baiyyat, the murid (disciple follows Eeman (faith) in the All Pervading Divine and in the Murshid who have attained the consciousness of the All Pervading Divine. Toba (repentance) and Zuhud (austerity) enable the murid to purify the consciousness from the dross of the physical body pleasures. Austerity is practised and is also the effect of Zikr (remembrance of the Divine). Tawakal (reunciation of physical wants and needs) enable the disciple to wean away the consciousness from the senses forever enticing the consciousness for seeking gratification. Thereby creating in us the urge to compete rather than seek perfection in our own efforts. Qannat (surrendering ones will to the will of the All Pervading Divine). When by contemplation on the Divine and by supplication we surrender our will to the will of God (we breathe God, We live in God and we yearn for the All Pervading). Izlat (to cultivate aloofness from the people entangled in wordly desires) is undertaken so that a disciple does not become a victim of the demonsteration effect and that the disciple is able to set the goal of conscious exit from the physical body at the time of death rather than the unconscious exit as billions of us usally do. Tawaffah is undertaken to understand the power of Zikr (remembrance of the Divine). Sabr (to cultivate unruffled patience) is a result of perfect contemplation on the Divine through perfect remembrance of the Divine with observation of the instructions of the Murshid. Sabr is developed through relentless practice. Rare are few who have unruffled patience in the practice Ashgal, for these disciples are sure to attain Marifat (para-normal union with the Divine). The key to perfection for the sake of freedom and surrender of ones will to the will of the All Pervading requires practice coupled with reuniciation of the mundane physical body pleasures for the attainment of the spiritual ecstacy of the para-normal bliss also referred to as the mystic’s wine. Raza (acceptance of the will of God) helps the disciple to regulate the peer pressure and the greed for self enhancement at the cost of others. For no matter what ever you may do you are still sure to perish in 125 years so why not wake up from the delusion of this misery of unconscious exit from the physical body at the time of death which we condemn ourselves to. Tasleem (self surrender to the will of God) and qannat are to be understood together for it is not possible to attempt one without attempting the other. The process of surrendering and to surrender compliment one another. When the Murshid initiates a disciple into the order the Murshid hums: God, All glory and praise belong to thee. Guide and escort us on the right path and let our hearts may never be away from thy love. A seeker of Truth has approached thy servant for guidance. Grant thy servant the grace to lead thy child from the valley of death to the sunshine of Immortality of Wehdat. During the initiation ceremony the disciple sits on the right hand side of the Murshid and repeats the following pledge: In the name of God, the beneficient and merciful and all God’s messengers who have come to this world, I pledge my life, my love and devotion in the pursuit of the beloved God. Placing my trust in my beloved Murshid, I shall hold fast his hand in all thy causes. I leave for all times to come the 10 negative traits of greed, lust, anger, untruth,envy,hate arrogance, revenge, miserliness,cunningness. In its place I will espouse forbearence, generosity, contentment,abstinence,toleration and love of humanity. I shall hold fast to my Murshid and shall love him with my life’s breath. The disciple now sits in Dozano (facing the Murshid). As directed by the Murshid, the disciple will now with closed eyes contemplate on the face of the Murshid. During this period the disciple now places both his palms upside down on the palms of the Murshid. The Murshid then recites the Fatiah: My God, praise be to you, the lord of the world, the beneficient, the merciful, the master of the day of requital. Thee do we serve and thee do we beseech for help. Guide us on the right path, the path of those upon whom thou hast bestowed favours, Ameen. The Murshid blows his breath on the water placed in the tumbler, which the disciple drinks. While the disciple is drinking the water, the Murshid says: In the name of God, the beneficient, the merciful, I do accept you as my Murid (disciple) and permit you to join the brotherhood. I do hereby purify you with this cup of water. I pray to God to santify your body, consciousness and soul and enlighten you with Tajalli (Divine illumination,Ameen). Lastly the Murshid requests the disciple to close his eyes and places his right hand upon the chest of the disciple and recites the following mantra 3 times: O God, let this heart be blessed by thine light. Now the Murshid blows his breath towards the disciples heart. The Murshid now requests the disciple to clasp Murshid’s right hand with his hand, the two thumbs facing each other. Then the disciple kisses the hand of the Murshid and raises it to his eyes. The murid (disciple) can now sit on the left side of the Murshid. The genuine alliance (Nisbat) between the disciple and the spiritual mentor is now forged. Once the genuine alliance has been forged, the disciple is devoted to the Murshid.So great is the extent of the trust of the disciple that nothing comes in between their trust in each other.Hazrat Usman Harun had many disciples. One day he said unto them that “I must go and break the traditional law of religion”. His disciples left him, all except one. Hazrat Harun asked his disciple that when all had forsaken him why did the disciple still follow him. The disciple replied that the first principle of faith says “None exists save God The rest is illusion” This disciple was none other than the Hazrat Muienuddin Chisti known as Hazrat Garib Nawaz of Ajmer, whose shrine to this day is thronged by millions of seekers. Khwaja said that: “They who know God Know God None else knows” The reunciation of lesser pleasures of the body for the greater pleasures of the spiritual ecstasy of the consciousness reveal the truth behind the savings of All the God Realised Saints. When this physical universe dissolves in front of our own very eyes during suspended animation, they the glory of the Divine Light of God is revealed to us which permeates the entire creation encompassing trillions of solar systems. Khwaja says that we are as much in the presence of God today that we would ever be, the difference being that today we have not attained spiritual puberty but with the grace of the Murshid when tomorrow dawns, we would have developed the required urge within us to search for the Reality beyond the obvious limitations of the parameters of the physical body.Khwaja further says that it is easier to laugh at the sayings of the Prophet when one has attained the physical puberty for a child’s consciousness is not able to atune to the wavelength of the Murshid. Use of objects to assist in Fikr is acceptable provided the disciple does not lose the focus on the All Pervading aspect of the Divine.
MARIFAT
There are moments in life when on the path of righteousness, conflict arises between what is morally correct and what the fulfilment of our insignificant goals of our physical life compel us to do. Should be then be selfish and concenterate on the gains that will accrue if we dilute morality at the altar of need gratification. When morality is substituted by greed to accumulate more than what is needed, there occurs stagnation in the perception of societies torch bearers. Is desire good and is to be avoided? Again the correct answer would be that when we are scared to die like billions of other beings and really want to have the conscious exit from this physical body then desire has to be regulated and then harnessed. This is an ever going process. The environment in societies compel us to follow the herd priciple of self destruction. The ignorant who have lost focus of the potential of the conscious exit,goad over minor acheivements which boost our ego and makes us understand that we are physical bodies having the faculty to better our level of comforts at the cost of the many others who we deprive because of our selfish traits.
Well death is a great leveller. It is only when the disciple searches within, the answers are found. Belief is the first step to cultivate the required urge for the pursuit of the path of Marifat. The wise neither mourn for the living nor the dead. They know that the physical body is a limitation to the consciousness which tries to curb the potential of the Superconsciousness. To say that billion of people on this plannet only understand what their Prophets spoke of is as simple as a child at prepuberty trying to experience the pleasures of the sensual desire. The metaphors and similes which have been used in the holy scriptures have to be understood in its true esoteric perspective. To sugar coat our ulterior motives by manipulating societies would not get us anywhere for when we will perish like billions of our compatriots, we would then realise the foolishness of manipulating societies for our own selfish interests. If a human being finds solace in groups and cluster of class, caste and colour to boost our self enhancement drive, these people are foolish for they will still perish in a span of 125 years without knowing that are they really the conscious entity about which the prophets speak of or we merely live through procreation by transfer our genes in our children. Khwaja says: ‘ Fear is the ultimate drive.’ It is only when the human being is scared to perish and wishes to believe in the existence of the soul that the seeds of Muhabbat are sown in the consciousness which through selective gardening over the years bear fruit of the treasures of Immortality. It is only when the human being realise the potential that they can sustain in suspended animation that they start to appreciate the mysteries of the All Pervading. When in suspended animation the disciple experiences consciousness of being alive knowing fully well that the physical body has shut down, a milestone in human evolution has been reached. It is so foolish to comprehend that for pleasures we have to derive stimulation through alcohol and the use of drugs and over indulgence in sensual gratification. Khwaja says: The more the desires are gratified the more they are aroused. It is only when we experience Marifat; Paranormal ecstacy of the climax in the consciousness for over 300 seconds of pure joy that then we are in a position to understand that the substitutes available are just a preview and not the ultimate climax of ecstacy. For what pleasure is there than to be drunk by meditation without taking a equivalent of six large pegs of whisky or smoking marijuana. The final joy of being able to acheive the consciousness of the climax for over 300 seconds to uninterrupted flooding of the consciousness for continuos 40 days, has to be experienced to be believed. Are we people compelled by circumstances of birth and adoption forced to think that we are Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, Buddhists, Jains e.t.c. Why cannot we ever realise that unless we renounce the smaller pleasure for the sake of the pleasures of meditation, we would never be free in the sense of freedom from the ever advancing death which may at any moment in time snuff out our physical existence. Are we people compelled by circumstances of birth and adoption forced to think that we are Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, Buddhist, Jains e.t.c. Why cannot we ever realise that unless we renounce the smaller pleasure for the sake of the pleasures of meditation, we would never be free in the sense of freedom from the ever advancing death which may at any moment in time snuff out our physical existence. Actual risk spread lies in investing our valuable time in praying to the Divine for when death approaches by stealth no amount of our puchasing power would buy more days for us to continue using our physical bodies. The favourite pastime of ours to indulge in intellectual prostitution for ego stimulation would get us nowhere. How can we be so dumb, knowing fully well that the lifecycle of a human being cannot go over 125 years in case of the majority of us and we still make no effort to understand the mysteries of existence but occupy our lives in futile competition with others seeking ego gratification but then perishing in the end like any other. The point here is that the disciple must understand that conscious exit from the body is possible and that our goal in life should be to try for a conscious exit at the time of death of the physical body. Just because the Divine Light is not visible to billions of our fellow beings, it does not mean that it does not exist. Our purpose in life is to try and attain the grace of God for before that we are vulnerable to the vagaries of nature, for in the third dimension it is not possible for us to grasp the para-normal phenomena without the aid of the Khafi(Ajna Chakra of the 4th dimension). Khwaja says that the disciples who indulge in sense gratification are not able to develop consistency in their practise of Baiyyat. It is the baiyyat that weans the disciple from the smaller pleasures to the greater pleasures of the spiritual climax. Service of our fellow beings and tolerance of all creatures great and small is a must before we are to understand that this planet is not our ancestrial property which we so easily make it out to be. What right do we have to purchase land. Are we going to retain it once the shadow of death overtakes us. Why is that the hapiness is quantified by the measure of the appreciation from the eyes of the majority who as it is ape the ignorant whose purpose in life is to procreate and perish as any of the other species of animals.The trillion we spend in pilling up the nuclear arsenal would all be left behind as well as our efforts to manipulate society would be of on avail as we are the ones who finally will perish in the physical sense. It is the manner of the exit that would decide whether our innings has been successful or not. Freedom from death is certain with the practise of Zikr(remembrance of the Divine). Khwaja says that: “It is easier to tame the rogue elephant than to tame the fluctuating consciousness”. But this should in no way dishearten us as practise of the instructions of the Murshid are the only effective means to still the ever fluctuating consciousness. To remember to thank God we devour anything is the simplest way in which we can let God in our everyday lives and over the years develop the foundation for the attainment of that para-normal ecstacy which has to be experienced to be believed about its potential to substitute the sensual pleasures. Very few path finders set their foot on the untrodden land; One among hundreds finds the secret trace of that tract. Mercy, my God! Mercy, O Pardoner! From us offance, From You offence, from You manisfcience. We have come to Your door, O munificent Lord!, Our hearts are foul and full of the filth of this world, illumine them with the radiance of Thy love, Gladden us with Your pardon, Make us prosper through Your generosity. Help us in all our difficulties, Do not turn us away empty-handed, Let us be among Your special servants, Make us happy by accepting our supplications.