Sharafuddin Maneri – Here there is no we or I

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:32 AM PDT

Here there is no we or I or this or that:

by Sharafuddin Maneri

English version by Paul Jackson

Here there is no we or I or this or that:

He remains, He remains, He remains!

— from Sharafuddin Maneri: The Hundred Letters (Classics of Western Spirituality), by Sharafuddin Maneri /
Edited by Paul Jackson

/ Photo by tourist_on_earth /
This is just such a beautiful ecstatic utterance of the essential nature of
reality. All the divisions and categories of objects and people and
identity are finally seen as empty, gossamer thin sketches.

Here there is no we or I or this or that

It is all a surface seeming, while beneath there is always only one fluid
substance of being. When we finally relax the focus enough to no
longer be entranced by the ripples and waves, then we finally see only
the expanse of ocean. Waves rise and fall and have no real existence
outside the ocean; yet the ocean remains.

He remains, He remains, He remains!

Sharafuddin Maneri

India (1263 – 1381) Timeline

Muslim / Sufi
Shaikh Sharafuddin Yahya Maneri is one of the most beloved Muslim
saints of India. He was born and lived in Bihar near Bengal. He is
sometimes referred to as Makhdum al-Mulk “The Spiritual Master of the
Realm.”

As a young man he became a disciple of the Sufi master Shaikh Abu

Tawwama. Under Abu Tawwama’s guidance, Sharafuddin Yahya Maneri
became well versed in all traditional areas of Muslim religious learning
while diving deeply into spiritual exercises and meditation.

During this time, he was so immersed in his spiritual practices that he

ignored several letters that had come from his home. When he
completed his studies, he finally opened the letters only to discover
that his father had died.

He eventually returned home after marrying the daughter of his

teacher.

Shaikh Maneri is widely known for his “100 Letters” addressed to the
Governor of Chausa outlining the path to God. These letters are read,
studied, and meditated upon by Sufis and spiritual seekers throughout
India and South Asia.

The name Maneri refers to the region of Maner, where the Ganges
River once met the Son River.

Shaikh Yahya Maneri’s tomb, near Patna, Bihar in India, is a popular

destination for pilgrims of many religious traditions today.

More poetry by Sharafuddin Maneri

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