So we spent the weekend in San Diego with a TG, Littlest Guy, a dear friend and her two sons, and Middle Guy and his girlfriend who joined us for dinner, along with Col. Foltyn (who I now owe even huger giri to...).
Saturday was small kid day at Legoland, which confirmed my "huh?" comment when I heard that someone was building an amusement park out of Legos...but the kids had a good time, and that meant the adults had a good time. Saturday night was dinner, at one of Foltyn's pilot hangouts.
Sunday, he gave us a tour of Miramar MCAS, and spent an hour showing three rapt ten year olds (and their equally rapt parents) the aircraft museum there, and then took us out to the flight line to watch the planes.
A World Airways MD-11 had just landed, and as we watched, a line of desert-camouflaged troops walked down the stairs onto the tarmac and briskly walked off the field to waiting buses.
We stayed a long time and watched almost all of them before the kids lost patience and started wondering why TG was teary eyed and we left.
Part of our long-running Saturday Sufi Wisdom series.
Khaja Bahaudin Naqshband, aka. Muhammad Bahauddan Uways al-Bukhari "Imam of the Tariqah" (d. circa 1389), was one of the great Masters of the Khagajan school, now known as the Naqshbandi Chain of Sufism. The school arose in Central Asia, and remains active to this day. They are not, to put it mildly, terribly fond of the Wahabbis. This story was found online, and is part of Idries Shah's "The Wisdom of the Idiots."
"A certain famous, well-liked and influential merchant came to Bahaudin Naqshband. He said, in open assembly:
'I have come to offer my submission to you and to your teaching, and beg you to accept me as a disciple.'
Bahaudin asked him:
'Why do you feel that you are able to profit by the teaching?'
The merchant replied:
'Everything that I have known and loved in the poetry and the teaching of the ancients, as recorded in their books, I find in you. Everything that other Sufi teachers preach, extol and report from the Wise Ones I find in actuality in you, and not in completeness and perfection with them. I regard you as at one with the 'great ones, for I can discern the aroma of Truth in you and in everything connected with you.'
Bahaudin told the man to withdraw, saying that he would give him a decision as to his suitability in due time.
Part of our long-running Saturday Sufi Wisdom series.
In Idries Shah's Way of the Sufi, Khwaja Fida'i of Kars offers a quick recounting of a story we've featured here on Winds before. Focus on a different part of it, however, and the takeaway's focus may shift, too:
"It is related that Moses called a humble shepherd a blashphemer, because he heard the poor man offering to comb God's hair, wash His robe, and kiss his hand.
God admonished Moses.... "Thus hast thou driven away a worshipper from the nearest to Me that he could approach."
It's fair to say that ultimately, all Sufi stories and messages are about G-d. It's equally fair to say that they are all about daily life. What are the deeper messages here?
UPDATE: Here's what Idries Shah himself had to say.
Part of our long-running Saturday Sufi Wisdom series.
Khaja Bahaudin Naqshband, aka. Muhammad Bahauddan Uways al-Bukhari "Imam of the Tariqah" (d. circa 1389), was one of the great Masters of the Khagajan school, now known as the Naqshbandi Chain of Sufism. The school arose in Central Asia, and remains active to this day. They are not, to put it mildly, terribly fond of the Wahabbis. Anyway, I was reading this item is Idries Shah's Way of the Sufi and thought it a nice extension of last week's post:
One day, a man came to the great teacher Bahauddan.
He asked for help in his problems, and guidance on the path of the Teaching.
Bahauddan told him to abandon spiritual studies, and leave his court at once.
A kind-hearted visitor began to remonstrate with Bahauddan. "You shall have a demonstration," said the sage.
Part of our long-running Saturday Sufi Wisdom series.
It has been a while, but I thought I'd take a second this weekend to briefly return this tradition to Winds. This one is from Fadiman & Frager's Essential Sufism, courtesy of the wisdom of Sheikh Muzaffer:
"One evening a sheikh was talking about humility and service. He spoke eloquently about service and putting others' needs before our own. Then, someone asked, "What do you do with the arrogant? How can you serve the arrogant?"
The sheikh drew himself up and raised his powerful voice: "With the arrogant, you must behave arrogantly!" Everyone was shocked.
Then, the sheikh went on. To treat the arrogant with humility would be like giving them poison. It would only feed their arrogance."
Back in our May 15, 2004 installment, Idries Shah puts this lesson in context.
On the tomb of Jalaludin Rumi:
"When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men."
Part of our weekly Sufi Wisdom series. As militant Islam does its level best to discredit the religion, it's important to remember that there are other voices within the faith. This one is from The Way Of The Sufi, by Idries Shah.
The Sufi Abdal Ali Haidar said:
"Many people practice virtues or associate with wise and great people, believing that this is the pursuit of self-improvement. They are deluded. In the name of religion, some of the worst barbarities have been committed. Trying to do good, man has done some of his worst actions.
The flaw comes from the absurd assumption that mere connection with something of value will convey a corresponding advantage to an unaltered individual.
Much more is necessary.
By T.L. James of MarsBlog. Part of our weekly Sufi Wisdom series.
As terrorist Islam does its best to discredit the religion, it's important to remember that there are other voices within the faith. One such is the Sufis, a branch of Islamic mystics with roots in many religious traditions. The lessons of Sufism are often communicated through humorous stories and mystical or romantic poetry.
Nasrudin received an invitation to join a nobleman for a day's hunting. Unaccustomed to such grand events, the Mulla was worried that his lack of riding experience would show. With this in mind, he bribed the nobleman's equerry to lend him the horse he was to ride on the big day. In secret, he practised mounting and dismounting until he had mastered the manouvre.On the day of the hunt the Mulla swaggered to the stables full of confidence, but was dismayed to find that the horse he had trained on had gone lame, and an unfamiliar animal had been saddled up in its place. Nervously, the Mulla got onto the horse's back. Relieved to find that he had executed the mount without apparent hitch, he prepared to ride off. Reaching for the reins, he realised that he was facing the animal's tail.
'Why was I not informed that this was a left-handed horse?' he angrily asked the stable hand.
NOTE: Today's Sufi Wisdom entry is going to be my last for a
while. I have a bit of "blogger burnout" on this feature, so I'm taking a break. Joe will take it back, unless someone else wants to pick it up (email Joe@thisdomain.net if so).
A bedouin, making a long desert trek, pitched his small black tent and lay down to sleep. As the night grew colder his camel woke him up with a nudge. 'Master, it is cold. May I put my nose inside the tent to warm it?' The traveller agreed, and settled down to sleep again. Scarcely an hour had passed, however, before the camel began to feel colder. 'Master, it is much colder. Can I put my head inside the tent?'(From Idries Shah's Caravan of Dreams.)First his head was admitted to the tent, then, on the same argument, his neck. Finally, without asking, the camel heaved his whole bulk under the cloth. When he had, as he thought, settled himself, the bedouin was lying beside the camel, with no covering at all. The camel had uprooted the tent, which hung, totally inadequately, across his hump.
'Where has the tent gone?' asked the confused camel.
by T.L. James of MarsBlog. Part of our weekly Sufi Wisdom series. As terrorist Islam does its best to discredit the religion, it's important to remember that there are other voices within the faith. One such is the Sufis, a branch of Islamic mystics with roots in many religious traditions. The lessons of Sufism are often communicated through humorous stories and mystical or romantic poetry.
One night, thieves broke into Nasrudin's house and stole everything he owned. When, next morning, he awoke and discovered the loss, he rushed straight to the palace.What is Nasrudin's real complaint, and with whom does he have it?'Last night, burglars made off with all my belongings, and it falls upon you to compensate me for my loss,' he told the King.
'But I have taken nothing of yours, Mulla,' said the monarch.
'Not directly,' Nasrudin replied, 'but as ruler of this land, you are responsible for all that happens here.'
by T.L. James of MarsBlog. Part of our weekly Sufi Wisdom series. As terrorist Islam does its best to discredit the religion, it's important to remember that there are other voices within the faith. One such is the Sufis, a branch of Islamic mystics with roots in many religious traditions. The lessons of Sufism are often communicated through humorous stories and mystical or romantic poetry.
This week, Idries Shah discourses on self-deception (but don't worry, it's only other people who do it, right?):
"To me, it is hurtful to have to deal with people whom you would like to teach when -- pretending to themselves that they seek knowledge -- they only want a social community, friendship, 'togetherness', attention and the like.
All these things are delightful: and all the more delightful when consciously indulged in, rather than found by means of deception. Deception in this case is pretending to oneself that one is studying when one is seeking stimuli.
by T.L. James of MarsBlog. Part of our weekly Sufi Wisdom series. As Islam does its best to discredit the religion, it is important to remember that there are other voices within the faith. One such is the Sufis, a branch of Islamic mystics with roots in many religious traditions. The lessons of Sufism are often communicated through humorous stories and mystical or romantic poetry.
Nasrudin's oldest son was looking for a wife.'Which qualities are you seeking?' Nasrudin asked the youth.
'Intelligence rather than beauty,' replied the young man.
'If that is the case,' said the Mulla, 'I have an excellent way of finding you the perfect bride.'
