The first question that may arise from a lot of people is ‘What is Sufism’? The short answer is that Sufism is not a religion, a cult, neither is it a doctrine or a dogma. The term ‘Sufi’ means wisdom.
You could say that wisdom could be called ‘inner realization’. Sufism cannot and does not lay claim to exclusive rights to this; it pays deference to all other esoteric schools of thought. In Arabia esoteric schools were renowned for their metaphysical teachings; in Persia, literature, poetry, and music were some of the sources for inspiration; however, in India, the esoteric schools were mainly of a meditative nature. So, it could be said that Sufism is about knowledge, inner knowledge.
Sufism is, and always will exist, as long as we humans exist. Because we are a questioning species! It is no exaggeration to say that most humans, in some way or another, have asked themselves these following questions: ‘There must be more to life than this? Or ‘Why am I here? Do I have purpose?’ The answer to all of these questions is Yes!
If you believe that there is a purpose to your life then not only should you attempt, by raising awareness of your inner consciousness, to scale to the highest point but also to reach into the greatest depths where you will find your Inner Self.
It has already been said that Wisdom cannot be claimed by any single school of thought because of its very universal nature, but it would be no exaggeration to say that in every diverse culture that has existed on this planet, people have sought for a greater meaning, or a greater purpose, at some stage of their lives.
Perhaps it would be wise to pay heed to some simple ‘truths’, one of which is to awaken the basic moral principle of honesty in spirituality; to acknowledge the inner truth that exists within every human being:
This then raises the question, what is the way to attain the truth?
Can it be attained through study? The answer to that is that the source of realizing the truth is within everybody. All of us are the object of our own realization. There are words of Hazrat ‘Ali, saying that the ‘one who knows himself truly knows God’.
The Divine message, which has come down through the ages albeit with different names and teachers, is the message of Wisdom.
Perhaps it would be wise to pay heed to some simple ‘truths’, one of which is to awaken the basic moral principle of honesty in spirituality; To acknowledge the inner truth that exists within every human being:
This then raises the question, what is the way to attain the truth?
Can it be attained through study? The answer to that is that the source of realizing the truth is within everybody. All of us are the object of our own realization. There are words of Hazrat ‘Ali, saying that the ‘one who knows himself truly knows God’.
The Divine message, which has come down through the ages albeit with different names and teachers, is the message of Wisdom.
Perhaps it would be wise to pay heed to some simple ‘truths’, one of which is to awaken the basic moral principle of honesty in spirituality; To acknowledge the inner truth that exists within every human being:
This then raises the question, what is the way to attain the truth?
Can it be attained through study? The answer to that is that the source of realizing the truth is within everybody. All of us are the object of our own realization. There are words of Hazrat ‘Ali, saying that the ‘one who knows himself truly knows God’.
The Divine message, which has come down through the ages albeit with different names and teachers, is the message of Wisdom.
The Sufi Message of love, harmony and beauty is a message of unity, and of spiritual freedom for all of humanity. It is a call to unite in a world family beyond the boundaries of caste, creed, race, nation, or religion. It is a spiritual attitude that helps us overcome our limitations, deepen our understanding and compassion, and increase our usefulness to others.
The Sufi Movement has no particular creed, dogma, or doctrine. Its philosophy teaches tolerance to all, awakening sympathy with one another, and the realization that the well-being of each depends upon the well-being of all.
This message is not meant for a certain culture nor is it destined for just one part of the world; it is meant for the whole of humanity. It is a Universal Message!