The Sufi Path
As human beings, we have an inherent, deep potential for a life filled with joy, wisdom, and love, for living in felt connectedness to each other and to the earth.
Our potential is frequently blocked in its full expression by social conditioning, emotional wounds, and a simple unawareness of what is possible for a human being. We simply live and die without knowing our purpose and without fulfilling our potential.
The Sufi path offers keys to unlocking human potential. It does so in a way that engages and works with the domains of concrete existence: body, mind, emotions, vocation, relationships—in addition to the realms usually considered “spiritual.” Sufi practice is in life rather than a monastic withdrawal from life. The Sufi path is one of direct personal experience, rather than a subscription to beliefs or premises. The results are felt as a sense of spacious inner freedom, fluid awareness, and deep fulfillment.
Some practical benefits of the Sufi practices that are commonly experienced include
• greater self confidence and self acceptance;
• deeper insights into life and human nature;
• enhanced creativity and problem solving;
• improved concentration and mental clarity;
• greater compassion and tolerance, which manifests in speaking and acting with integrity even in difficult circumstances.
We offer a rich heritage of Sufi teachings for those whose heart’s desire it is to uncover their true nature and purpose in life.
Initiation
The Sufi approach is a path of apprenticeship with a living guide, as well as one of individual study of spiritual teachings. For those who feel called to these teachings at a deep level, there is an initiation that is received from one’s guide. This initiation signifies a deep commitment to one’s personal growth. It links the deep consciousness of the initiate with a profound source of inner guidance and transformative power.
The Sufi teacher is not a deified “perfect master” but rather a spiritual friend who is living a human life, one who has traveled the path already and knows the territory. Sufi Order International teachers undergo rigorous and lengthy training and mentoring before being deputized by the head of the Order, and ongoing training and supervision are a mandatory part of the function as a teacher in the Order. Representatives and guides are authorized to confer initiation into the Order and to give and guide the spiritual practices of initiates. A retreat guide is someone who specifically trained in guiding the process and practices of individuals and/or groups on Sufi spiritual retreats.