A Sufi has a right to be served, but he has no right to demand. Maruf Karkhi of Khorasan
~ Idries Shah
Form is useful, but it is secondary.
That which is capable of perceiving objective reality is, in Sufism, the human soul (ruh).
All forms are limited. Some of the limitations are time, place, culture, language.
Careful preparation is necessary before people can perceive something which is there all the time.
The colour of the water seems to be the colour of the glass into which it has been poured'.
Sandals. The Sufi teacher Ghulam-Shah was asked what pattern he used in formulating his courses for disciples. He said: 'Barefoot until you can get sandals, sandals until you can manage boots.
StagesFirst I thought that a Teacher must be right in all things. Then I imagined that my teacher was wrong in many things. Then I realised what was right and what was wrong.What was wrong was to remain in either of the first two stages. What was right was to convey this to everyone.(Ardabili)
When the Higher Man does something worthy of admiration, it is an evidence of his Mastership, not the object of it.
He who sleeps on the Road will lose either his hat or his head.
Before the antidote arrives from Iraq The man with snake-bite will be dead.
The bowl is warmer than the soup.
When tomorrow comes, think tomorrow's thoughts.
There are as many paths to Truth as there are souls of men.
The Sufis say, This is not a religion; it is religion
Sufism is the essence of all religions.
The worst of sages is a visitor of princes, the best of princes is a visitor of sages.
The hearts of the noble are the graves of confidences.
He who is fortunately enlightened [the Sufi]Knows that sophistry is from the devil and love from Adam.
Satisfaction is a treasure which does not decay.Proverb
Nothing can defile the Sufi, and he in fact purifies everything.” Abu-Turab al-Nakhsabi.
Rumi himself once said that counterfeit gold is only to be found because there is such a thing as real gold to be copied.
Hariri says, in his Maqamat: ‘Safety is on the river’s BANK.
The skilled artisan uses the same iron to make a horseshoeAs he does for a polished mirror for the King.
The great poet Hafiz says that you should dye your prayer-carpet with wine if your teacher tells you to do so.
Everything man needs is in the world.
God provides the food, men provide the cooks.
Q: How can I help myself?A: By remembering the proverb: ‘The Path is not to be found anywhere except in human service’, from Saadi.
Ibn El-Arabi wrote, ‘The Teacher is he who hears you, then unveils you to yourself
And Rumi tells us, ‘Soul receives from soul that knowledge, therefore not by book nor from tongue’.
The selection and following of a spiritual guide is the most important duty of a Sufi.
At His door, what is the difference between Moslem and Christian, virtuous and guilty? At his door all are seekers and He the sought.
Saying of the Prophet.Ink and Blood:The ink of the learned is holier than the blood of the martyr.
At His door, what is the difference between Muslim and Christian, virtuous and guilty? At his door all are seekers and He the sought.
The pathways into Sufic thinking are, it is traditionally said, almost as varied as the number of Sufis in existence.
The totality of life cannot be understood, so runs Sufi teaching, if it is studied only through the methods which we use in everyday living.
Practise your knowledge, for knowledge without practice is a body without life
As with any other specialisation, teaching is a vocation, open only to those who are truly capable of discharging its functions.
The fruit of timidity is neither gain nor loss.
When you get a principle on which everyone is agreed, you get the beginning of complacency and deterioration.
