The Truth Lies in Your Heart
The base postulate of Sufism. as with all mysticism, is that there is no need for blissful faith in a supposed truth, as advocated by dogmatic religions. All answers lie within the self, deep in the heart. Sufism teaches the follower who sincerely seeks the truth to develop the capacities to discover for himself the answers to his existential questions. Thus, he draws his own truths, independent of any belief imposed or imprcssed upon him since childhood. Have you ever asked yourself why you are Christian, for example? Most likely,95o would simply respond that they were born in the U.S.A. or in France into a Christian family. If you were born in the Middle E,ast, you would probably be Muslim; or Buddhist, if you were born in Tibet! To what degree are you free to choose your religion? Unless you are converted, an exceptional case, you simply follow the religion of your parents, which mingles with the traditions of your country anil of your surroundings.
When you think about it, fiom a slight distance, you realize the nonsense of religious wars. Take the next step and go directly to the higher level and start with spiritual matters. What’s essential is to have the will to progress on the way of esscntial evolution, to bccotne better, more experiencedand wiser. This will result in your time on eartli being positive. But we are going too quickly. Back to the Basis of Sufism Thus, a Sufi does not need to believe in the existence of unattainable mysteries. Every phenorlenon has an explanation, every effect has a cause (and vice versa). A human being can develop his soul until he attains the knowledge of what we call God (though we do not really know what this is).
The only limits to an adequate leaming method are to be found in our own capacities and in our personal work. Let us linger fbr a while on these two fundamental points. Each individual has a unique capacity. Although everyone has a chance to develop the soul, we must adrnit that, in this field, as in all of nature, equality does not exist. Some people have a small bicycle and must make an enoffnous effort to clirnb the mountain path. Others are born with a big motorcycle that will carry them to the top without effort – if they are careful not to fall into a precipice. This is the reason why the Sufi way is individualized. Each person practices according to his own nature and capabilities. Teach the rnotorcyclist to pedal, and he will not get far. Teach the cyclist to staft a motorcycle engine, and he will go nowherel The type and rhythm of practices assigned to each person should be adapted to their actual state of mind and their aptitudes. This is why collective teaching is practically forbidden. Personal exercise or work should be diligent and persisting. it is not a question of exhausting oneself for hours, but of practicing regularly each day for months, even years, before any perceptible result is felt. Here again, only the Sufi master, based on certain signs seen in meditation and in the clreams of the seeker, may evaluate the seeker’s progress on the way to self-fulfillment and the development of his faculties.
Written by Dr.Mostafa Azmayesh.