Part 1
_THE THEOSOPHY OF ISLAM._
LETTERS FROM A SÛFÎ TEACHER
_SHAIKH SHARFUDDÎN MANERÎ_ OR _MAKHDÛM-UL-MULK_.
TRANSLATED FROM THE PERSIAN BY BAIJNÂTH SINGH
THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING SOCIETY. BENARES CITY AND LONDON THEOSOPHIST OFFICE, AYDAR; MADRAS, S.
PRINTED BY THAKUR DAS MANAGER, AT THE TARA PRINTING WORKS, BENARES.
_All Rights Reserved._
Registered under Act XXV of 1867.
_FOREWORD._
=Shaikh Sharf-ud-dîn= was the son of =Shaikh Yahiâ=. His birthplace is =Maner=, a village near =Patnâ= in =Behâr= (India). A love of knowledge and the religious life, and signs of spiritual greatness, were found in him from his early childhood. A strange Being was once seen by the cradle of the baby. The mother, frightened, reported the matter to her father, =Shahâb-ud-dîn=, a great saint. The latter consoled her, saying that the mysterious Presence was no less a Being than the Prophet =Khezar=[1] Himself, and that the baby was expected to be a man of great spiritual advancement. He acquired secular knowledge under =Ashraf-ud-dîn=, a famous professor of those days. He first refused to marry, but had to yield when, being ill, he was advised by the physician to take to marriage as the remedy for his disease. He left home after the birth of a son, travelled in many places, and was at last initiated (at, or near =Dehli=) by =Najîb-ud-dîn Firdausî=. The latter made him his deputy on earth under a deed drawn twelve years earlier under the direction of the Prophet of =Islâm= Himself, asked him to leave the place, and quitted his body shortly after.
[1] A mysterious Personage, according to some, a Prophet; according to others, a _Walî_ or 'Friend of God'. He is supposed to be an Immortal Being, an invisible Teacher and Helper of Mankind. Moses was sent by God to seek His instruction. '_Khezar_' literally means 'green', a metaphorical expression for auspiciousness, blessedness, wholesomeness and fertility.
On his initiation, =Sharf-ud-dîn= lived for many a long year in the woods of =Bihiâ= and the =Râjgiri= Hills. In his later days he adopted =Bihâr= (now a subdivisional town) as his residence, at the request of some of his friends and disciples. He died on Thursday, the 6th of Shawwâl, 782 Hijra, in the opening years of the 15th Century A. D. His titular name is =Makhdûm-ul-Mulk=, 'Master of the Kingdom or the World.' He was equally proficient in secular learning and esoteric Knowledge, and possessed superhuman powers. His tomb at =Bihâr= is still resorted to as a place of sanctity by a large number of devout Mahomedans. He wrote many works, of which three only have yet been published. These are:--
(1.) _Maktûbât-i-Sadî_, a 'Series of a Hundred Letters' (or rather essays on definite subjects) addressed to his disciple =Qâzî Shams-ud-dîn= in 747 Hijra.
(2.) _Maktûbât-i-Bist-o-hasht_, a 'Series of 28 Letters', being replies to the correspondence of his senior disciple, =Mozaffar=, the prince of =Balkh=.
(3.) _Fawâed-i-Ruknî_, a number of brief Notes prepared for the use of his disciple =Rukn-ud-dîn=.
The present booklet consists of the translation of copious extracts from _Maktûbât-i-Sadî_, the most elaborate and comprehensive of the three published works, with Notes occasionally added from the other two with a view to elucidate or complete the subject in hand. These extracts, it is hoped, will cover the greater part of, if not all, the _principles_ inculcated in these books, and are expected to give the reader a fair knowledge of the _Teaching_ of the Author _in all its phases_. Matters relating to mere exoteric rites, legends and traditions have been omitted. The translation does not pretend to be always very literal, but an honest attempt has been made to present a faithful rendering of the original to the English-knowing public, that they may be able to better appreciate the Teachings of =Islâm=, and that the Brotherhood of Creeds may have one more advocate to plead its cause before the tribunal of the human intellect.
GAYÂ, (BEHÂR.)
BAIJNÂTH SINGH.
_1908._
CONTENTS.
PAGE. Foreword
On Monotheism 1
Turning to God, or Conversion 5
On Seeking the Teacher 8
On the Qualifications of a Teacher 12
On Discipleship 15
On Discipleship (Continued) 16
The Friend of God 19
The Brotherhood of Friends 20
Polytheism, and the Friendship of God 22
Lights 23
The Unveiling of the Supersensuous 25
On the Same 28
Illumination 29
Dreams 30
On Misconceptions 32
The Outer and Inner Ailments 34
The Origin of Theosophy 36
Seeking the Path 37
The Pillars of the Path 39
Religion, the Path and Truth 39
Accessory to Prayers 41
Purification 42
The Motive 44
Prayer 45
Invoking the Divine Help 46
The Divine Allegiance 47
The Sacred Formula 48
The Naked Faith 49
The Inner Polytheism 51
The Divine Knowledge 52
Love and Devotion 55
Seeking God 58
The Way to God 60
Speech and Conduct 62
Magnanimity 64
Knowledge 65
The Steps of a Disciple 67
Islâm 71
The Noble Qualities 73
Contemplation 76
Renunciation 78
On the Same 80
The Clearing of the Path 81
Self-Control 83
Truth 84
The Descent from Adam 87
Confidence 91
Pursuit and Renunciation 92
The Company of the Saints 93
Service 97
The Transmutation of Evil Qualities 99
Avarice 101
The Evil of the World 103
Renunciation of the World 104
The Final Doom 106
The Soul 108
The Heart 109
The Desire-Nature (=Nafs=) 110
Desire 112
Discipline of the Desire-Nature 114
Discipline of the Desire-Nature (Continued) 115
Alienation from the Desire-Nature 117
Self-Toleration 118
Hidden Differences of Stages 118
Heedlessness 120
Sorrow 121
Conduct 122
Seclusion 124
Death 126
Hell 128
Heaven 129
LETTERS FROM A SÛFÎ TEACHER.
ON MONOTHEISM (TAUHÎD).
Masters of the path have divided monotheism into four stages. The first stage consists in repeating, vocally, without any inner conviction, "There is no God save Allâh."[2] This is hypocrisy, and does not profit on the day of resurrection. The second stage consists in repeating the said _logion_ vocally with an inner conviction based upon conventional imitation (as in the case of ordinary people), or some form of reasoning (as in the case of an intellectual theist). This is verily the visible body of monotheism, frees one from gross polytheism and from hell, and leads to heaven. This second stage, though safer than the first, and less unstable, is for all that a low one, fit for old women.[3] The third stage consists in Light shining in the heart, which reveals the One Agent alone as the root of all phenomena, and the non-agency of all else. This is quite unlike the conviction of ordinary people or that of an intellectual theist. Such a conviction is a fetter to the soul, whereas the vision of the Light breaks all fetters. There must be a difference between one who believes a certain gentleman to be in his house, on the testimony of others (as in the case of ordinary people), another who infers the residence of that gentleman in the house, because he sees his horses and servants at the gate (as in the case of the intellectual theist), and another who actually sees the gentleman in the house (as in the case of the third stage). In the third stage one sees the creatures and the Creator, and distinguishes them from Him. This much of separation still persists--hence it is not perfect union in the eyes of the Masters.
[2] =Lâ elâha ill' Allâh=.
[3] Weak souls.--_Trs._
The fourth stage consists in the pouring forth of the Divine Light so profusely, that it absorbs all individual existences in the eyes of the pilgrim. As in the case of the absorption of particles floating in the atmosphere in the light of the sun, the particles become invisible--they do not cease to exist, nor do they become the sun, but they are inevitably lost to sight in the overpowering glare of the sun--so, here, a creature does not become God, nor does it cease to exist. Ceasing to exist is one thing, invisibility is another.... When thou lookest through a mirror, thou dost not see the mirror, for thou mergest it into the reflexion of thy face, and yet thou canst not say that the mirror has ceased to exist, or that it has become that reflexion, or that the reflexion has become the mirror. Such is the vision of the Divine Energy in all beings without distinction. This state is called by the Sûfîs, absorption in monotheism. Many have lost their balance here: no one can pass through this forest without the help of the Divine Grace and the guidance of a Teacher, perfect, open-eyed, experienced in the elevations and depressions of the Path and inured to its blessings and sufferings.... Some pilgrims attain to this lofty state only for an hour a week, some for an hour a day, some for two hours a day, some remain absorbed for the greater portion of their time....
Beyond the four is the stage of complete absorption, _i. e._, losing the very consciousness of being absorbed and of seeking after God--for such a consciousness still implies separation. Here, the soul merges itself and the universe into the Divine Light, and loses the consciousness of merging as well. "Merge into Him, this is monotheism: lose the sense of merging, this is unity." Here there are neither formulæ nor ceremonies, neither being nor non-being, neither description nor allusion, neither heaven nor earth. It is this stage alone that unveils the mystery: "All are non-existent save Him;" "All things are perishable save His Face;" "I am the True and the Holy One." Absolute unity without duality is realised here. "Do not be deluded, but know: every one who merges in God is not God."
The first stage of monotheism is like the outermost shell of the almond; the second stage is like the second shell; the third stage is like the core; the fourth stage is like the essence of the core--the oil of the almond. All these are known by the name of the almond, but each differs immensely from the others in status, result, and use.
This note should be studied patiently and intelligently, since it deals with the basis of all developments, activities, and supersensuous phenomena. It will explain the phraseology and the allusions in the writings of the saints, and throw light on the verses on monotheism and the stages thereof.
O brother! though an ant, thou mayest turn out to be a Solomon. Do not think thou art an impure sinner: though a gnat, thou mayest become a lion.... God raises the monotheist out of the dualist, the faithful out of the faithless, and the devotee out of the sinner.--_Letter 1._
[The following extracts on monotheism from _The Series of 28 Letters_, another work of the author, may be aptly added.--_Trs._]
According to a tradition of the Prophet, all beings were created out of Darkness, but each took in Light according to its capacity, and thus became luminous. Hence all beings are sparks of the Divine Light, and their luminosity is derived from It. Now one can fully understand the sacred verse: "God is the Light of heaven and earth."--_Letter 17._
Thou-ness and I-ness pertain to our world. They do not exist in the region of the Beloved. He is the one Reality: futile is the assertion of any existence but His.--_Letter 2._
TURNING TO GOD OR CONVERSION (=TAUBÂH=).
=Taubâh= literally means to turn back. But the nature of the turning must be different with different individuals according to the difference in their conditions and stages. Ordinary people would turn from sin with apology in order to escape punishment; middling ones would turn from their deeds to secure the regard of the Master; the Elect would turn from all worlds, here and hereafter, and feel the insignificance and non-existence thereof in order to realise the glory of the Maker. The turning of a beginner cannot be permanent. A saint says of himself: "I turned back 70 times and failed each time; but my seventy-first turning proved steady, and I failed no more."
=Khwâjâ= (Master) =Zunnoon= of Egypt observes that the =Taubâh= of ordinary people consists in turning from sins, that of the Elect in turning from heedlessness.
=Khwâjâ Sobaid= and many others are of opinion that =Taubâh= consists in remembering one's past transgressions and being ever ashamed of them, so that one may not grow proud of one's many virtues. On the other hand, =Khwâjâ Junnaid= and many others hold the view that =Taubâh= consists in forgetting past transgressions, _i. e._, in expunging their impressions from the heart, so that it may become as pure as if it had never committed them.
=Taubâh= is obligatory for all pilgrims at all times, since for each pilgrim there is always a stage higher than his present one. If he halts at any stage, he stops his pilgrimage and commits sin.
=Taubâh= consists in a firm and sincere resolution to abstain from sins, so as to assure God of one's unwillingness to commit them in future; and in compensating, to one's best ability, those one has harmed in any way....
=Taubâh= is the basis of all developments, as the ground is for the foundation of a building. The chief requisite is =Îmân= (peace, faith, or moral sense). =Taubâh= and =Îmân= appear together, and the latter illumines the heart in proportion to the former.
The real =Taubâh= lies in turning from one's nature. When the disciple turns from his nature he becomes another; _i. e._, he does not become another man, but his qualities change. Then he unfolds true =Îmân=, which sweeps away many-ness and leads to unity. Ere the turning, =Îmân= is but conventional and nominal. "How long will you worship God with your tongue only? This is no better than worshipping desires. So long as thou dost not become a Moslem from _within_, how canst thou be a Moslem merely from _without_?" The lame ass of conventional faith and the lip-behaviour that we have cannot help us to tread the Path.
None ought to despair under any circumstance whatsoever. Here work is without a motive, and requires no payment. Many are instantly raised from the level of image-worship to a stage higher than the angels and heaven. The Lord does whatever He wishes. "How" and "why" find no room here. May God make thee a seer of His, and remove thee from thyself! Do thou aspire high, though thou art low at present. O brother, human aspiration should stoop to nothing, either on earth or in heaven! "Such men are so constituted as to care for neither hell nor heaven. They seek God and God only, and spurn what is not He."
Theosophy (=Tasavvuf=) is ceaseless motion, since standing water becomes stagnant. A man may corporeally be in his closet, yet his spirit may run to the =Malakût=[4] and the =Jabrût=.[5] Rapid motion, like the morning breeze, can neither be seen nor grasped.--_Letters 2-4._
[4] The astral and lower mental planes.
[5] The higher mental plane.
ON SEEKING THE TEACHER.
The Saints on the Path--blessed be they--unanimously declare that it is incumbent upon a neophyte, after the maturity of his conversion (=Taubâh=), to seek a Teacher, perfect, experienced in the elevations and depressions of the Path, its joys and sorrows, possessed of balance, and versed in the internal ailments of a disciple and their remedies....
Though in the beginning one does not need a Teacher, and the seed can be sown merely with the help of Divine Grace, the seed, when sown in the soil of the heart, does need a Teacher for its further growth, for the following reasons given in the books of the saints:
1. Since one cannot go to the =Kâbâ=[6] without a guide, albeit the way is visible and sensuous, and the pilgrim possesses eyes and feet, it is impossible without a guide to tread the occult Path trodden by 120,000 prophets, which has no visible track and is supersensuous.
[6] The Sacred Shrine at =Meccâ=.
2. As there are many thieves and robbers on a sensuous way, and one cannot travel without a guide, so on the occult Path there are many robbers in the guise of the world, the desire-nature and the elementals, and one cannot travel without the guidance of a Master.
3. There are many precipices and dangers on the Path, leading to one or other of the many heretic schools formed by those who, having entered the Path without a Perfect Guide, on the strength of their own intellectual resources, fell and perished in the forest and deserted the Law. Others, more fortunate, have safely crossed those dangers under the protection of Masters, and have seen the victims, and known where and why they fell. All pilgrims are liable to these dangers. If one secures the help of a mighty Teacher, one can be saved and progress with the help of His secret hints and instructions, else one may fall into some heresy and lose the fruit of one's labour.
4. The pilgrim may pass, on the way, through certain spiritual conditions, and the soul may put off the physical garment, catch the reflection of the Divine Light, display superhuman powers as a Divine agent during the continuance of the experiences, taste the relish of "I am God, the Holy One," and become proud of having reached the goal. The pilgrim cannot understand this intellectually: but if the soul, during the continuance of these experiences, is not helped by a mighty Master, he may, it is feared, lose faith, and fall a victim to a false notion of unity.
5. The pilgrim on the way unfolds supersensuous powers, and sees supersensuous phenomena--devilish, passional, and divine. But he cannot understand them, as they are spoken in a supersensuous language (_i. e._ revealed through an unfamiliar medium).... If, at this stage, he is not aided by a Teacher, helping him on behalf of God, and versed in the interpretation of supersensuous words and symbols, he cannot progress further....
When God opens the eyes of a man, so that he distinguishes good from evil, and resolves to follow the one and avoid the other, but does not know how to do it, he must betake himself to a Divine Man and make a firm determination to change his condition. Then the Divine Man will take him up, help him to subdue the desire-nature, gently induce him to abstain from his defects and blemishes, and keep him away from bad companions. A disciple can, with the help of a Teacher, do in an hour what he would do unaided in a year....
It is said: a disciple may reach the goal with the help of a single Teacher, or of more than one Teacher. (In the latter case) each Teacher may be the means of the revelation of one stage only; yet it is more consistent with decency and politeness for the disciple to refrain from looking upon such a stage as the limit of development attained by his Teacher, ... inasmuch as the Perfect Ones are not at all concerned with the business of stages and conditions. But one cannot leave one Teacher for another without the permission of the former. Who does so deserts the Path.
It is the practice of the Masters--blessed be They!--to impose a threefold discipline on a student. If he observes it, he receives the Robe (the real one, not the conventional)--else he is rejected. The threefold discipline consists of: 1. Service of the world for a year. 2. Service of God for a year. 3. Watching the heart for a year.--_Letter 5._
ON THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A TEACHER.
Broadly speaking there are five qualifications:
(1) Devotion to God. One cannot be thus devoted, unless one is free from servility to all save Him.
(2) Capacity to receive truths direct from God without any intermediary. One cannot unfold this capacity without completely getting rid of the lower human nature.
(3) Nearness to God. One cannot approach God unless one is equipped with the Divine character, and one's Spirit reflects the light of the Divine attributes.
(4) Acquisition of knowledge from God without any intermediary. For this the heart should be cleansed of all impressions, sensual and intellectual.
(5) Being an Elect of the Heart Doctrine, which relates to the knowledge of the Divine Essence, the Divine Qualities, and the Divine Works. One cannot attain to this stage without a second birth. "One born of the mother's womb sees this world; one born of the Self (_i. e._, quitting the lower human nature) sees the supersensuous world."
Nevertheless it is said that the qualifications of a Teacher are indescribable and innumerable. A Teacher is not the body, the head, or the beard, visible to man. He is in reality the inner being by the side of God, in the region of Truth, clothed in Divine mercy and glory.... Here is a query: How can a beginner find out such a Teacher and Guide, know and follow Him? It is not meet for a beginner to weigh Divine Men with the balance of his little intellect and to look at Them with his limited vision. Nor is it meet to follow another on his mere assertion. Then how to know if such a one is a genuine Teacher or a mere pretender?
Answer: Each seeker is furnished with materials appropriate to his lot. He cannot transcend them, ... nor can anything hinder him from using them.
Query: Is there any sign whereby to distinguish a pretender from a true Teacher, the worthy from the unworthy?