Experiencing the Sufi Path

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I had a very emotional and inspiring journey in the Islamic tradition. It started almost from the beginning of my spiritual awakening in 1971, in Moscow, when I was writing my PhD thesis in musicology and philosophy in the Gnesin’s Academy of Music. My contacts with Islam, especially with the Sufi tradition, were very interesting and diverse, spanning many decades and continuing even now. Below I will briefly mention some of them.

Sufi Music

With good colleague-friends we held a private musical seminar, where each of us presented interesting pieces of musical art and performances. For instance, in one of the gatherings our good colleague-friend from Azerbaijan, Tamila, asked us: Would you like to hear some Sufi music (she was the daughter of the main Sufi Leader in Azerbaijan)? Of course, we replied enthusiastically! Then she sat in front of the piano and started her improvisation with a modest but very expressive melody. Little by little she entered into a state of musical ecstasy and what happened after we will never forget: her improvisation was an ecstatic spiritual journey, through music, towards the higher spiritual worlds. At some stage, we lost control of our egos and dissolved into the waves of cosmic music, light and harmony: our souls and spirits were awakened and everybody had different, but inspiring spiritual experiences.

When we opened our eyes and ‘came back’ on earth, we realised that something extraordinary had happened – we had witnessed a miracle. Then we understood the deep meaning of the Sufi Path – to awaken the Soul and Spirit and to merge with the Divine! In a similar way, we read the Sufi poets – Rumi, Hafiz, Nizami, Omar Khayyam and others – ecstatically, and were guided by them on our spiritual journey.  

As to the Sufi Teaching, the spiritual tradition of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky helped us to achieve inner discipline, concentration and self-remembrance. Here the books The Fourth Way by Ouspensky and The Teachers of Gurdjieff were priceless guidance on our spiritual path in general and on the Sufi Path in particular.   

In the Chapter about Orpheus I mentioned the dream of Scriabin’s monumental project for spiritual transfiguration through music and dance called Mysterium. Here it is important to note that Scriabin was inspired for his great project by the great Sufi Teacher Hazrat Inayat Khan.

In 1986 in Oxford I had unforgettable meeting with the son of Hazrat Inayat Khan - Pir Vilayat Khan, who was the leader of the Sufi Order in the West. He gave a most inspiring lecture to a large audience and then initiated a few followers to the Sufi Tradition. His lecture was a stream of deep wisdom, great passion, inspiring music, reaching from time to time the level of transcendent meditation. It was a great spiritual event to link with the genuine source of the Sufi Tradition.

Inner Secrets of the Path

Over the years my contact with Sufism developed further to the extent that, when I read the book Inner Secrets of the Path by Sayyid Haydar Amuli (a 14-th Century spiritual Master and Scholar), I found in him a soul mate. In my book The Second Coming, describing the Nine-Fold Rainbow Path, in line with the text from the world religions clarifying the Steps, I included many important key ideas from the Islamic Tradition. One such inclusion, for which I have great appreciation, is the prophesy of the Reappearance of Imam Mahdi.

In Sufism one starts with Islamic law, the exoteric or mundane practice of Islam and then is initiated into the mystical path of a tariqah. Through spiritual practices and guidance of a tariqah, the aspirant seeks ḥaqīqah - ultimate truth.

The Four Stations, sharia, tariqah, haqiqah.

The fourth station, marifa, which is considered 'unseen', is actually the centre of the haqiqah region. It's the essence of all four stations.

There are many similarities between the circles of the Mandala of the Heavenly Jerusalem (see, p. 102) and the Scheme above: the outer circle of the Mandala (the Material world) corresponds to the Sharia, the middle circle (the Celestial World) – to the Tariqah, the inner circle (the Highest Divine World) correspond to the Haqiqah; then the centre of the Mandala is like Marifa - the essence of the unseen ultimate Truth. In this respect, by developing my spiritual bodies, I started with the exoteric practices, then was initiated into the mystical path similar to that of a tariqah, achieved the haqiqah Station and finally merged with the level of consciousness called marifa in Islam.

Here it is very interesting also to compare the mission of St. John with the mission of Imam Mahdi. As I mentioned in the previous section, Imam Mahdi is in major occultation which still endures: During this time, according to the Shi'ah, the Mahdi is alive but invisible. He is the Axis Mundi, the invisible ruler of the Universe. Before the end of time he will appear again on earth to bring equity and justice and to fill it with peace after it has been torn by war and injustice. The Mahdi is an ever-living spiritual being who guides in the spiritual path those who ask him and whose succour all the devout ask in their daily prayers. He who is spiritually qualified is, in fact, in inner contact with the Mahdi. (Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Ideals and Realities of Islam, Mandala, Unwin Hyman Ltd., 1988, p. 166).

In a similar way, the Spirit of St. John helps all devoted Christians and reveals to them the esoteric essence of the Christian faith. In His appearance to the Disciples Jesus Christ told St. Peter: If I want him (St. John) to live until I come, what is that to you? Follow me! But Jesus did not say he would not die; he said, If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you? (John 21:22-23). The deep esoteric meaning of Jesus Christ’s words is that John will remain in the Invisible World (as Imam Mahdi remains) until the Second Coming of Christ and will help all devoted souls on their spiritual journey.

I could testify for this because I received enormous help from St. John. Thanks to the Spirit of St. John, The Book of Revelation became a plan and scenario for the Divine action in our time. Of course, I received great help from Imam Mahdi as well. As the Axis Mundi of the world, he revealed to me the mystery of the Night Journey of Muhammad!