Monthly Archives: March 2015

Why do we call the false self “false”?

Recently Charlie Rose interviewed Dan Harris, a journalist for ABC News, about his book "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story." Harris, obviously a man of superior intelligence and education, was stunned when he first heard the idea that there is a voice inside us that carries on a boring and negative commentary on our lives, and that meditation could reveal this voice and reduce its power over us. The good news is that mindfulness (or presence) is entering the mainstream, but it was sobering to realize just what we face. When trying to communicate the essential ideas of Sufism, spirituality, and consciousness to a culture so unaware of basic psychological, spiritual, and metaphysical knowledge and distinctions… it is as if we are offering the finer skills of horsemanship to a society where riding a donkey is a new idea (though Sufis also know something about riding donkeys!).

The Whirling Dervishes of Kentucky

Download the recent Forbes Magazine (of India) profile our Louisville community The notion of Sufism as a remedy for the alienation and addictions of modern life is a theme picked up by Kabir when he shares his vision for the future. He calls it “Sufism 3.0”: A model in which Islam is the operating system [...]

Experiencing a Nafs Attack

In brief, the story dominating me was based on an inner judgment towards another and how their behaviour was impacting me emotionally in a negative way. With this self-perpetuated story, I was justified in my own self-pity. At the time, the story felt real, it was “my” truth, causing me deep wounding and pain.

The Simplicity We Trust

Late on Saturday night of the recent retreat, "The Alchemy of Character," Kabir gave this short talk about the essentials of the inner life. Within each human being is a witnessing silence, a space beyond thought and emotional reactions, and it is from this state that we can truly practice, worship, and attain communion with the Divine.

[powerpress]

Discussing Spiritual Bypass

At the recent San Francisco retreat, "The Alchemy of Character," Dr. Sara Winter spoke about the tendency to avoid ego development needs and the messier issues of our lives through spiritual bypass, i.e. a state of premature transcendence, trying to circumvent the developmental issues of the self in the name of spirituality. Unresolved emotional issues and wounds can sabotage spiritual practice, interfering with our meditation and zhikr.

Mar 2015

Reflection on February’s theme: Character is the spiritually infused balance of Love and Intelligence. A thing’s character is its essence, its true nature. Yet we talk about building human character, as if character were something that could develop over time. If our character is our true nature, isn’t it something we were born with? Why [...]

Go to Top