What’s Missing
Jeff George
I have a backlog of a series of shorter posts which will hopefully
move things in a new direction (such as proper introductions), and
since this addresses some old ongoing business, I want to get it all
out there first.
To get the most out of Sufi reading, it’s generally best to resist the
urge to psychoanalyze the author, and read it as the mirror it’s
intended it to be.
As far as my own writings go, I’ve always hoped that if I put my
unguarded self out there to an audience on a Sufi group that has been
reading for years about how Sufism is about mirrors, people would get
this, but I suppose human nature has a way of tripping us all up,
myself included.
For most of this year, I’ve have been consciously writing about the
same theme which, for a change, is not about my life, but the current
state of Sufism and the future, particularly as it is filtered through
the eyes and patterns of the online group here (which includes
everyone at the Yahoo groups, Caravanserai, etc.)
I’ve tried to use allegory and various modern Sufi writing techniques
but apparently I must suck at this because not everyone seems to get
it. Believe it or not, however, I am constantly taking in the
feedback from this group (these groups) into consideration.
Upon reading some of my recent posts, Eric recently suggested that “A
question I might ask myself is "What am I really missing?"
The answer as to what is missing is something of a common denominator
here: trust. Or more to the point: Faith.
Now I know “Faith” is an unpopular word here because most people can’t
separate the act (verb) of “having faith” or “taking a leap of faith,”
from the religious usage (noun) such as having “a faith” or being
subject to “blind faith.”
The problem seems to be that they take the saying “Belief is what
exists in the absence of Knowledge,” and substitute the concept
defined here as belief with the word “faith.” This is unfortunate
because a truer definition of “Faith” here would be that it is a verb,
something you do that involves both trust AND Knowledge.
Here on alt.sufi, I’ve always expressed a certain Faith in the Sufi
process, that the honest pursuit of the right aims, at the right time
and place with the right people would produce Sufic results. I have
said many times that I see this as a permanent record of a sort of
Dervish’s journal, but it seems that not everyone has trusted me
enough or maybe understood what I meant.
Most people here are versed in the Idries Shah Way with the
understanding that to be a Sufi is to be completed individual. Most
people here seem to take this as an unattainable ideal, never mind the
fact that Idries Shah clearly established himself as both a Sufi and
the ultimate authority on the subject.
But, of course, now that Idries Shah is long dead, Seekers can make
him (and/or his work) out to be a larger than life ideal of
unattainable perfection as it exists in their own minds in exactly the
same way that the religious people (many of them look down on) revere
religious prophets such as Jesus or Mohammed.
The problem here is that these seekers are incapable of transcending
their own rational sense of self to accept anything that is less than
perfect, that is everything that actually exists in this world, as
greater than themselves.
And, let me be clear here, when I talk about transcending one’s own
rational self what I mean is not suspending rational thought, but
rather superseding it through an act of Faith that involves both trust
and Knowledge.
On this count, such would-be Sufi Seekers shouldn’t feel alone,
because again most religious people who talk about faith all the time
also have the exact same problem. Both say they put their faith in
external doctrines and processes, but they really only use these
rituals and texts to justify their own sense of self worth. Even the
worst of fanatics get it wrong essentially because they never get the
right balance between trust and knowledge.
Now since I am such an ego maniac as to suggest that I might be a Sufi
Teacher, I’m going to interject a bit of my own story to try to
illustrate how we can sometimes get it right, and how we get it wrong.
At times, the last ten years have felt like one long continuous
failure for me. It seems like I burned through my thirties and I have
absolutely nothing to show for my life. My central focus, right or
wrong, has always been on this process we call Sufism even if it
wasn’t always first and foremost in my mind.
In this, my decade of failure, I have written and (self) published a
book, become a political activist; learned video production and
Computer graphics from the ground up; produced a televised documentary
in one of the worst countries for press freedom; immersed myself in a
once foreign culture and religion; run for congress; developed a
number of personal relationships and friendships with people who were
previously completely outside of my range of experience; had a range
of professional experiences I’ve never mentioned; and occasional held
the attention of some individuals who have had a demonstrable
influence on world events. All the while, I’ve been bloging about it
(before bloging even became popular) here at alt.sufi and elsewhere to
try to share my experience.
Of course, it’s open to debate how successful I actual was at any of
these things, but the bottom line is I did it all. And I did it
because I had a certain amount of Knowledge that was beyond what my
means might suggest, and more importantly because I was willing to
take a leap of Faith when the situation called for it.
And, you may ask what was it I put my Faith into?
It was two things:
First of all, it wasn’t modern technology, the publishing industry,
the Islamic religion, Idries Shah, any government or ideology; it was
in the understanding of a grater Truth. Call it God, a higher Power,
life the universe, and everything, whatever you’d like. I understood
this through my own personal experience and WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF
THE SUFI PROCESS.
Secondly, it was in friends. Not some abstract concept of “Friends” or
Internet Facebook style friends, it was in real flesh and blood
people: People who were willing to trust me and that I was willing to
trust; people who are willing to support each others efforts; even
when they don’t always coincide. The type of people that if I needed
something that was within their means, they would give it without
hesitation, knowing I would do the same for them.
They say a real friend is someone you can call at 3:00 AM to help
change a tire, and that’s true. From my own experience, I’ve found
that a true friend is also someone who doesn’t bolt when you need
money.
By these measures, it would be difficult to say I personally have any
real friends at alt.sufi, caravanserai, etc. Of course, geographic
concerns may prevent the tire scenario, but there are other ways to
measure this.
A few years back, someone cross-posted a message that ended up on
alt.sufi who hadn’t been here before who was quite possibly suicidal.
This individual also posted contact information, so I called him to
see if he was okay. I don’t think he was seriously considering
suicide. He just needed someone to talk to, and the call itself was
enough to snap him out it. What stood out to him was that no one
anywhere else on the web actually bothered to try to personally get in
touch with him.
Now, I don’t bring this up to prove what a wonderful person I am.
Truth is I’ve probably blown just as many, if not more, opportunities
to help someone online than anyone.
I bring this up because illustrates an inherent flaw in the impersonal
nature of the medium. And more importantly, it is also a flaw that is
inherent to the presentation of Sufism as it was pioneered by Idries
Shah that has rubbed off on the people still stuck here online.
His technique was a much a product of the culture and technology of
the time as it was intended as a means to transcend it. That’s the
nature of this sort of thing. His books and techniques are now
artifacts of technology as useful or useless as any old wrench and
hammer or instruction manual.
The problem here is that Shah’s work is currently being used at these
online groups within the current circumstances incorrectly. And, if
you take offense at this suggestion (or who’s suggesting it), then
yes, I’m talking to you, dummy!
You may not trust me, but I’ve been willing to trust you because I
have Faith in the process. I’ve given you my all here, and if you’ve
been gushing over the “Wisdom of the Idiots” and reading my posts
thinking “Ah ha, look at that poor dumb bastard,” you’re personal
defenses are probably kicking into overdrive right now.
Understand that I’m not judging anyone harshly, because I realize that
without the full context of someone’s life, it’s difficult to gauge
what type of person they really are based on a few words here and
there. As it so happens, I also have my own trust issues too.
For example, in the past I have not trusted the people who have
assumed the mantel of the Way of Sufism. I know this comes from my own
personal experience, and exposes some of my own trust issues which I
hope to address this a more positive way in the coming weeks. I bring
this up now only to illustrate that I understand that these sorts of
trust issues are almost never one sided.
The point I’m trying to make here, particularly about the problems
with the online Sufi groups comes down to a matter of Faith. The
bottom line is if you can’t exercise the process of Faith than you
will never be able to escape the confines of your rational sense of
self worth to actually put yourself outside of yourself and into
something larger.
What I see again and again is that when it comes to Sufism,
particularly online, is people who are only willing to put all their
trust and confidence into Sufi books and text because they feel
personally in control of the process. This may be a useful stage of
development, but at a certain point, one has to move beyond it.
Eventually one must make the leap from that perfect feeling of unity
with the written words of an absent author and one’s own mind to the
messy Realities of life itself. Without the presence of actual living,
breathing Sufis as anything other than an ideal, the true Reality of
Sufism remains locked away, separately compartmentalized from one’s
life.
The opportunities to escape this pattern are there for all of us, it’s
just a question of being able to see them and to be willing to take a
leap of Faith for what comes next…
obov...@aol.com
production to impower folks at their local level?
Seems to me Sufi teachers mostly use a "medium" or container with
which to transfer inner significance.
Also a quick survey of the hundreds of Internet "sufi" sites finds
almost all ignorant of Shah's writings, indifferent or hostile.
Imho, Shah's perfectionism was never a problem, I never was in
competition with him to be the teacher, the guide.
Take Care,
obo
Jeff George
universe is not a static place, and that we are not static beings. The
world changes and people change, regardless of if we recognize it or
not. Unfortunately, the ability to make these distinctions tends to
diminish with age.
obov...@aol.com
Unfortunately, the ability to make these distinctions tends to
> diminish with age.
True enough.
OTOH,
sometimes it is an old violin which has the best tone with which to
sing the melody.
Remembering what Quincy Jones had to say: "Melody stays the same,
but each generation must find it's own rhythm.
Take Care,
obo