Cardiff Sufi Group

Weekly Readings: 6th May 2011

Transformation

This weeks readings explore the theme of transformation. We s ggest this fo r step approa!h to working with this sele!tion:
Read this sele!tion" o t lo d if possi#le" se$en times. %well pon the phrase or senten!e that to !hes yo . &sk yo rself what rele$an!e or appli!ation this has to yo personally 'inally" sit in the afterglow of these refle!tions and open yo rself to whate$er new insight or message the %i$ine might ha$e for yo .

Text (ne The mystery of )die #efore death*1 is this" that the pri+es !ome after dying and not #efore. ,x!ept for dying" no other skill a$ails with -od" ( artf l s!hemer. (ne %i$ine fa$or is #etter than a h ndred kinds of personal effort: s !h exertion is in danger from a h ndred kinds of mis!hief. &nd the %i$ine fa$or depends on dying: the tr stworthy a thorities ha$e p t this way to the test. .o" not e$en the mysti!/s death is possi#le witho t %i$ine fa$or: listen" listen" don/t linger anywhere witho t %i$ine gra!e0 That gra!e is like an emerald" and this #odily self is an old $iper: witho t the emerald how sho ld the $iper #e made #lind1 26.3435634728 Text Two 9f yo p t on the armor of a warrior" yet are na#le to defend yo rself" yo /ll die. Make yo r so l a shield" #ear what -od sends yo " p t down the sword. Whoe$er is headless sa$es his head: the selfless !annot #e str !k. Those weapons are yo r selfish strategy: a defense that wo nds yo r own so l ;in!e yo ha$e not for one moment en<oyed any fr it from those strategies" a#andon them and seek always the =ord of #o nties. 22.316>651" 31538

Transformation from a ; fi perspe!ti$e:

& personal a!!o nt #y ?a l =eger
1

Hadith" a saying of the ?rophet M hammad.

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( r $ision of transformation for o rsel$es !an #e somewhat grandiose and distant. We may pi!t re that when we are transformed we will ha$e dis!iples at o r feet and e$ery word we tter is golden. We also might think that it will happen some day in the f t re" when !ir! mstan!es are more !ond !i$e" and then all of a s dden we will dis!o$er that we are transformed. 9 ha$e learned that it is the small steps that are # ilt on. 9 ha$e also experien!ed that transformation is not an a!hie$ement # t rather an engagement in a deeper pro!ess. We do not own this pro!ess: rather" it engages s. This pro!ess re@ ires that 9 set an intention" # t it is the deeper relationship with o r s stainer that a!!omplishes !hanges in my ego" heart and so l. &n example that 9 might !hoose for my self is the intention to not express my anger in !ertain !ir! mstan!es" s !h as in the workpla!e with other staff. 'rom my work on this 9 ha$e !ome to see that many times my anger !omes from an inner < dgment #y my ego that other people do not meas re p to standards that 9 ha$e !reated for them. 9 ha$e also seen that the only healthy way for me to approa!h this type of work is to engage inner prayer. My inner !onne!tion for the last se$eral years has #een thro gh the inner prayer of ) Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim*. To #e engaged with an inner reso r!e so as to not express anger when life !onditions lead s into a !hallenging sit ation may indi!ate that a step has #een taken on the path of transformation. 9 ha$e experien!ed that anger !an melt and an inner spa!e opens where there is a!!eptan!e of myself and the other person as we are. 9 think it important to add there are other potential aspe!ts to work with anger. To not express anger !an !a se inner disarray if there is not a way to dissol$e the anger and the inner response !a sed #y not expressing it. To not express anger is the work 9 ha$e seen as important for myself at this time. 'or others" or e$en for myself" at another time" it may #e important to learn how to express anger. ;o when 9 ha$e held #a!k an angry response" or when 9 re!ogni+e that 9 am in the middle of an angry response" or when 9 am !hewing on my emotional response at not expressing anger: what 9 ha$e seen is that the path of lo$e !an engage me if 9 open with inner prayer. 9 think it is likely that simply the a#ility to re!ogni+e the possi#ility of this engagement with o r inner so r!e is part of the transformation pro!ess. 9 fail many times to open that inward door: # t it seems that something is still deepened in me at the re!ognition of my fail res. When 9 see what in me gi$es

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rise to anger" my egos grasp on my inner life is lessened in the !ontext of opening to the di$ine. May we always see the doors lo$e opens for s