Spiritual Practices in Sufism and the Bahá'í Faith
Part IX: Cosmos as Meditation
by Michael McCarron [email protected]
(http://www.geocities.com/druidarab)

      In the preceding we have read about how the Sufis and Bahá'ís viewed the universe that they inhabit. How the cosmology has impacted their world view and their view of the Divine. How the creative emanative outpouring of the manifestation of Being has been envisioned by them. Now we will take a brief look at another similiar aspect that of Spiritual Practices. Both Sufis and Bahá'ís have adapted spiritual practices that are very similiar. This may be do to the nature of Baha' Allah frequenting Sufi gatherings, living amongst Sufis as such in Iraqi Kurdistan. We have seen how Baha' Allah was in regular communication with Sufis, some sufis were amongst his earliest followers so it is not without surprise that some practices would have been carried over in the Bahá'í Teachings. Most sufis practices are comprised majorly of Recitation (dhikr), Meditation (muraqaba), Accounting (muhasaba), Audition (sama') and Prayer (salat). All of which are aimed at purifying (latifa) the spiritual centers (lata'if) or chakras within each human being. In the following I will discuss the spiritual centers briefly before going through the Sufi and Bahá'í writings on the spiritual practices.

The Spiritual Centers (Lata'if)
      According to the Sufis there are subtle spiritual centers in the human body, some write of five centers, some of seven. In essence they are very similiar to Hindu Tantric ideas of the Chakra system. Jamal Elias research on the Lata'if has uncovered that they go back in Sufi thought to the classic period with the first appearance in the writings of Tustari in 896CE and Hallaj in 992CE, subsequently to them they have appeared in Gazzali, Ibn Arabi, Kashani, Simnani, Shah Wali Allah and form a major part in the soteriology of the Naqshbandiyya. However, defining the lata'if or latifa is far more difficult for the academics:

"...Dikhuda's Persian 'Lughatnama' refers to latifa as a technical term. He states that in the understanding of the mystics it is a subtle reference, the conceptualization of which cannot be explained. He goes on to define the term latifa-i insaniyya as something which the philosophers call the rational soul and the mystics refer to as the heart, but which is in reality the spirit." (Jamal Elias, The Throne Carriers of God, pg. 158)

Others have written long discourses on the Lata'if. Such as Shah Wali Allah who holds that their are lata'if on three different levels of Being:

"This system was based on the idea that the human being had ten parts�five material, five immaterial. The lower level of the material parts consisted of the Lower Soul (nafs) and the four elements (fire, air, earth, and water), while the higher level consisted of the five lata'if, sometimes called the 'five jewels' (al-jawahir al-khams): the Heart (qalb), Spirit (ruh), Mystery (sirr), Arcane (khafi), and the Super-Arcane (akhfa). The two levels of this Naqshbandi system were said to correspond respectively to the distinction between the World of God's Creation (`alam al-Khalq) and the World of God's Command (`alam al-`amr), a distinction based on Qur'anic terminology and having an long history in Sufi thought. For example, the Qur'anic vese (17:85) 'the Spirit is from the command of my Lord" (al-ruh min amr rabbi) is taken by the sufis to mean that the ruh, or human spirit, comes form an immaterial timeless realm of God's command (`amr) which precedes physical manifestation. It is interesting to note that the five-fold structure of the lata'if according to the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya seems to parallel the model of the Islamic version of Greek medical theory (tibb) in which there are five inner and five outer senses.[23] The model of the lata'if which appeared early in Sufism clearly developed and was refined over time. Najmuddin al-Razi (d. 1256), a Kubrawiyya Sufi of Iran and author of the Mirsad al-`ibad, formulated a system of five lata'if and found a Qur'anic basis of the terms sirr and khafi�Qur'an 20:7, 'if thou makest utterance aloud, verily He knows the secret (sirr) and what is more hidden (khafi)."[24] `Ala ad-Daula Simnani (d. 1336), whose woks influenced Sirhindi, expanded the system of Najmuddin al-Razi to a seven-fold one by adding below the five lata'if the concept of a physical from or mold (qalab) and above them a further center called the haqiyya or ananiyya. Sirhindi's model then expanded to represent the lata'if as part of a distinct set of symbols and practices (ser figs. 1 and 2),[25] and this was finally developed by Shah Wali Allah into a three-tiered model with a total of some fifteen components" (SHAH WALI ALLAH'S THEORY OF THE SUBTLE SPIRITUAL CENTERS (LATA'IF): A SUFI MODEL OF PERSONHOOD AND SELF-TRANFORMATION by Marcia K. Hermansen, SDSU)


The purification of the lata'if is the purpose of the spiritual practices in Sufism. By going down the Sufi path one is actively cleansing the latifa of each maqamat. Shah Wali Allah writes regarding this:

"Shah Wali Allah describes the way to purify the Spirit (ruh) as the observance of ritual purity at all times, Qur�an recitiation, mystical exercises, and cultivating an intuitive relationship withthe souls of the saints. The Mystery (sirr) is awakened by contemplating God�s attributes, meditating ion His names and silent and wordless dhikr (remeberance of the divine names and attributes.[62] It can be seen that Wali Allah associates practices of a more �mental� nature with the sirr, which is, of course, related to the center �aql (Intelligence) rather than Heart (emotion). In Altaf al-Quds, he observes that there are three ways to recognize the cultivation (tahdhib) fo the lata�if: 1. once this is achieved, the person will find delight and pleasure in the things specific to each latifa; 2. he may exchibit particular behavior and a developmental stage specific to a certain latifa. Thus, the man of certainty has mastered the Intelligence, while the person of ecstasy and longing has mastered the Heart, and so on; 3. a person may see visions (waqi�at) which demonstrate that certain lata�if have been cultivated or purified.[63] According to Shah Wali Allah, the Seeker (salik), after completing the journey through the spiritual centers, finally is dominated by the same latifa which was originally strongest in his nature (fitra). Thus, one whose Heart is strong will primarily master states of ecstasy, longing, and disquietude, even though all of his lata�if have been completely awakened. The means of cultivating lata�if beyond the ruh and sirr is not gone into in detail by Shah Wali Allah, but it apparently occurs through gnostic contemplation leading to loss of self in the universal, rather than in overcoming conflict through spiritual practices enjoined to curb animalistic tendencies. This concurs with his metaphyscial explanation that conflict at lower states is later superseded by the attraction of the one universal force or beneficial purpose (muSlaHa kulliyya). In his description of th Sufi terms fana (annihilation) and baqa (subsistence), as well as the states (ahwal) and the stages (maqamat), Shah Wali Allah incorporates his understanding of the lata�if. He explains that if the person attends to his worship over time, each of the centers will absorb its portion of this worship, and the naturally low animalistic attributes will change to virtuous angelic ones. When these attributes become firmly established, the person�s acts will continuously manifest the, and then they are called �the stages� (maqamat). On the other hand, if these attributes appear on occasion and then fade away and do not last for very long they are called �states� (ahwal) or moments (awqat).[65] Shah Wali Allah�s description of the initial stages of progress and the aptitudes on spiritual aspirants based on the natural preponderance of their lata�if follows the synthesis of Sufi manuals with Aristotelian theories of the soul. At the level of basic functioning the Lower Soul (nafs) loo9ks after physical requirements, the Heart is responsible for emotions and judgements based on its response of attraction or repulsion, and the Intellect recollects the past and plans for the future. At the moral level if the Lower Soul or the Heart comes to dominate the Intellect this will lead to problems of character and behavior." (SHAH WALI ALLAH'S THEORY OF THE SUBTLE SPIRITUAL CENTERS (LATA'IF): A SUFI MODEL OF PERSONHOOD AND SELF-TRANFORMATION by Marcia K. Hermansen, SDSU)




Bahá'í Purification:

In al-Kitab al-Aqdas the term latafah is found which means to purify and we see how similiar the Bahá'í Thought is to that of to that of Shah Wali Allah's.


"KA Paragraph 74. 'Adopt ye such usages as are most in keeping with refinement'. Note 158 This is the first of several passages referring to the importance of refinement and cleanliness. The original Arabic word "l�tafah", rendered here as "refinement", has a wide range of meanings with both spiritual and physical implications, such as elegance, gracefulness, cleanliness, civility, politeness, gentleness, delicacy and graciousness, as well as being subtle, refined, sanctified and pure. In accordance with the context of the various passages where it occurs in the Kit�b-i-Aqdas, it has been translated either as "refinement" or "cleanliness"." (Note 158, Al-Kitab al-Aqdas)

It should be noted that Baha' Allah does not go into details on the lata'if, there is no comporable discourse regarding each individual latifa. Although at times each is mentioned. For instance the heart is seen as the pentacle of belief:

      " O SON OF SPIRIT!
            My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart (qalb), that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting." (Arabic Hidden Words #1)

In one important work, echoing back to Shah Wali Allah, we see how the path itself is a reference to the Lata'if for the lata'if are also known as the philosophers stones:

�Then when the light by which He guides conjoins the light to which one is guided, the person sees the realm of the heavens and the earth and he perceives the secret of destiny       (qadar)�how it controls created things�and this is His, may He be exalted, saying: �Light upon Light�� (24:35)[43] The Philosophers� Stone (al-hajar al-baht), a center of the alluded to by Shah Wali Allah, particularly in the context of the Prophetic experience, is also found in Ibn `Arabi�s work. IN an unpublished letter, Wali Allah makes his source explicit by recounting that in the works of Ibn `Arabi the name��perplexing stone� (hajar-I-baht)�is applied to this latifa because of its marvelous and perplexing nature. Originally, the hajar-I-baht indicated a mysterious substance which used to be presented as a gift to princes and nobles. It could nt be classified as vegetable, mineral, and so on, and this latifa similarly possesses amazing properties. Ibn `Arabi, in his treateiese al-Tadbirat, discusses the Philosophers� Stone as one of the human �stones� (ajjar), using stone in the sense of �jewel,� jewels (jawahir) being a term used by other Sufis to refer to the lata�if. According to Ibn `Arabi, the Philosophers� Stone is

�an essential point in the heart, equivalent to the pupil in the eye which is the locus of vision�; if there is rust on the heart the existenc of this stone will not be manifest. All of the spirits (arwah) which are in the human being, such as Intelligence and others, anticipate the witnessing of this point. Thus, when the heart becomes polished through meditation, dhikr, and [Qur�an] recitation then this point will become apparent. When it manifests that in it which parallels the essential presence of God, there spreads out from that point alight because of the theophany, and it flows to all corners of the physical body and perplexes the mind and more. Then the light and its rays fill this stone, dazzling them.�[44]

Later in the same passage, Ibn `Arabi associates this experience with the mystical state of subsistence (baqa), a state which is connected with the role of the prophet, again confirming Wali Allah�s association of this latifa with the side of his model representing �Prophetic Inheritance.�" (SHAH WALI ALLAH'S THEORY OF THE SUBTLE SPIRITUAL CENTERS (LATA'IF): A SUFI MODEL OF PERSONHOOD AND SELF-TRANFORMATION by Marcia K. Hermansen, SDSU)

Baha' Allah mentions the philosophers stone in the context of the true believer:

"In one sense, they indicate that no true Shi'ihs exist. Even as he hath said in another passage: "A true believer is likened unto the philosopher's stone." Addressing subsequently his listener, he saith: "Hast thou ever seen the philosopher's stone?" Reflect, how this symbolic language, more eloquent than any speech, however direct, testifieth to the non-existence of a true believer. Such is the testimony of S�diq. And now consider, how unfair and numerous are those who, although they themselves have failed to inhale the fragrance of belief, have condemned as infidels those by whose word belief itself is recognized and established." (Bahaullah, http://www.ibiblio.org/Bahai/Texts/EN/IQA/IQA-1.html)

It should also be noted that there is a work by Baha' Allah titled "Jawahir Asrar" (Secret Jewels) which relates to the path one must tread to achieve purification, its introduction records about the mysteries:

The essence of the divine mysteries in the journeys of ascent set forth for those who long to draw nigh unto God, the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving - blessed be the righteous that quaff from these crystal streams!

In conclusion to this section we now see that the Sufis believe in subtle spiritual centers the purpose of the transformation on the Path is to purify these spiritual centers which is also seen in the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith. Now we will take a look at the spiritual practices themselves begining with Remembrance (dhikr).

DHIKR:

"Dhikr ذکر, Plural اذكار Adhkaar (Zikir in Turkish and Malay, Zikr in Urdu, Jikir in Bengali and Zekr in Persian ) (Arabic"pronouncement", "invocation" or "remembrance") is an Islamic practice that focuses on the remembrance of God. Dhikr as a devotional act often includes the repetition of the names of Allah, supplications and aphorisms from hadith literature and sections of the Qur'an." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhikr)

Dhikr is a repitition using the breath to recite names of Allah, or a Mantra, one such popular mantra in Sufism is "La Illah Illa Allah" (There is no god but God). Which in the Bahá'í Faith is similiar to "Ya Baha ul Abha" (Oh, Glory, Most-Glorious). In many Sufi tariqahs a dhikr is given to each adherent when they first enter the order. Similiarly each Bahá'í has a Dhikr they perform. It can also double as a form of greeting. For instance Ni'matullahi Sufis greet each other with Ya Haqq (Oh, Most-Real), the Bahai's greet each other with "Allahu Abha"(God is the Most-Glorious). Another form of dhikr is that of using tasbih beads, like in Buddhism, this is a set of beads on a string for counting recitations in Sufism there are 99 beads for each of the Names of God, in the Bahá'í Faith there are 95 such beads. Additionally, in the Bahá'í Faith the assembly hall where adherents gathered is named after dhikr in it's plural form Mashriqul-Adhkar (Dawning Point of Remembrance).

Sama':

"Sema or sama (Arabic: سماع‎) is a term that means hearing. It is used, as a borrowed word inPersian, to refer to some of the ceremonies used by various Sufi orders and often involves prayer, song, dance, and other ritualistic activities.
Sema dancing is known to Europeans as the dance of the Whirling Dervishes (see Sufi whirling), although many forms of sema do not include whirling." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sama)
Sama' is the communal celebration of dhikr and other rituals regarding the divine. This is practiced in various manners by Sufis. It is also known as a "Nineteen Day Feast" in the Bahá'í Faith.

"As to the Nineteen Day Feast, it rejoiceth mind and heart. If this feast be held in the proper fashion, the friends will, once in nineteen days, find themselves spiritually restored, and endued with a power that is not of this world." (`Abdu'l-Bah�: Selection from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bah�, p. 91)



Muraqaba:
     
"Muraqaba (Arabic: مراقبة) is the Sufi word for meditation. Literally it is an Arabic term which means "to watch over", "to take care of", or "to keep an eye". Metaphorically, it implies that with meditation, a person watches over or takes care of his spiritual heart (or soul), and acquires knowledge about it, its surroundings, and its creator." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muraqabah)
`Abdu'l-Bah� is quoted as saying:
"Meditation is the key for opening the doors of mysteries to your mind. In that state man abstracts himself: in that state man withdraws himself from all outside objects; in that subjective mood he is immersed in the ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of things-in-themselves."(^ `Abdu'l-Bah� (1995) [1912]. Paris Talks. Bah�'� Distribution Service. pp. 175. ISBN 1870989570.)

Muhasaba:
      Muhasaba (Self-Reckoning) is the sufi practice of evaluating on a daily basis our actions and what their moral worth was and trying to be a more moral person. This is reflected in the Bahá'í Faith:

"O SON OF BEING! Bring thyself to account (hasiba nafska) each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds." (Arabic Hidden Words #31)





In conclusion to this section we see direct parallels between spiritual practices in Sufism and the Bahá'í Faith the goal of which is to aid the adherent on the Path of the Purification (tasawwuf).

Baha' Allah's "Four Valleys" as Sufi Enneagram Types
by Michael McCarron ([email protected]) http://www.geocities.com/druidarab
(work in progress)
Abstract:
   "Baha' Allah's Four Valleys is a mystic treatise on the paths of the various mystic wayfarers (sufis).  Some have contended it is a treatise on the four paths of the heart. While baring similarities to this Sufi genre in actuality it belongs to another genre that of the Sufi Enneagram, a system of 9 personality typologies symbolized by a 9 pointed star. It is discovered that the 3 main paths of the wayfarer correlates to the three main divisions of personalities in the Enneagram of the Sufis. With the 4th Valley corresponding to the Enneagram of the Perfect Man (insan al-kamil) of the Sufis. 
ts.  In regards to the different types associated with adherents and seekers Mirza Husayn-Ali Nuri (Baha' Allah) has written in the mid 19th Century CE (circa 1857) a treatise entitled the "Four Valleys"  (Chahar Vadi). In the following I will summarize the treatise while looking to some of the Sufi content that the treatise has contained within it.
     To begin this study we will briefly touch on each of the Four Valleys. Each valley has at the center a type of seeker and the organ of the body by which they seek as Dr. Julio Savi posits:
"In reality these goals are but one and the same: God Himself, as manifested in four of His infinite attributes. But for the wayfarers, their aiming at different attributes of God implies different attitudes. In fact each of these stations "appertaineth" to a different spiritual reality: "the self" (nafs) or more exactly "the Self of God" (nafsu'll�h), "the primal reason" (`aql) and "the beauty of love" (tal`at-i-`iu>shq) in the first three Valleys, "the apex of consciousness (`arsh-i-faw'�d) and the secret of divine guidance" (sirr-i-rashad) in the Fourth. Apart from the Fourth Valley, which seems precluded to any human being, the others seem not to be mutually exclusive." (http://bahai-library.com/?file=savi_will_knowledge_4valleys, accessed 3/13/2009)
 A schema of the Four Valleys gives us a pairing of DIvine Name with a spiritual organ or lata'if for each of the valleys:
 
4 Valleys Schema:
1. Guided by the divine name, Maqsud; spiritual center is the Self (Nafs)
2. Guided by the divine name, Mahmud; spiritual center is the Mind (`Aql)
3. Guided by the divine name, Majdhub; spiritual center is the Heart (Qalb)
4. Guided by the divine name, Mahbub; spiritual center is all three previous combined in the Insan al-Kamil (Perfect Man).
 The content of each valley addresses the attributes of each of the types for each valley.  We shall now look at how each valley bares this out.
 
The 1st Valley - Self (Nafs)
    Baha' Allah writes in the first valley:
If the travelers seek after the goal of the Intended One (maqṣ�d), this station appertaineth to the self�but that self which is �The Self of God standing within Him with laws.� 1
On this plane, the self is not rejected but beloved; it is well-pleasing and not to be shunned. Although at the beginning, this plane is the realm of conflict, yet it endeth in attainment to the throne of splendor. As they have said: �O Abraham of this day, O Friend Abraham of the Spirit! Kill these four birds of prey,� 2 that after death the riddle of life may be unraveled.
This is the plane of the soul who is pleasing unto God. Refer to the verse:
O thou soul who art well assured,
Return to thy Lord, well-pleased, and pleasing unto Him.
     Here we see the pairing of Maqsud with the Nafs or Universal Soul.  It is interesting here that there is a pariing with the higher universal aspect of Self (nafs) with the individual selves of the seekers.  Nafs (Self) is an integral part of teh Sufi transformative philosophy. Nafs is a important term sowe look to wikipedia for a definition:
 
"The word nafs is usually translated as self or psyche. Its etymology is rooted in "breath" (similar to Biblical or Kabbalistic nefesh) and is common to virtually all archaic psychologies where the act of breathing was connected with life, animating otherwise lifeless object. In this respect, ancient notions of "Atman" in Hinduism (cf. German noun "Atem", breath, respiration) or Greek "pneuma" (as well as Latin "spiritus") -all equate the basic visible process of breathing with energizing principle that confers existence to an individual human being. Some Sufis consider under the term "Nafs" the entirety of psychological processes, encompassing whole mental, emotional and volitional life; however, the majority of Quranic-based Sufis are of the opinion that Nafs is a "lower", egotistical and passionate human nature which, along with Tab (literally, physical nature), comprises vegetative and animal aspects of human life. Synonyms for Nafs are devil, passion, greed, avarice, ego-centeredness etc. The central aim of the Sufi path is transformation of Nafs (technical term is "Tazkiya-I-Nafs"' or "purgation of the soul'") from its deplorable state of ego-centredness through various psycho-spiritual stages to the purity and submission to the will of God. Although the majority of the Sufi orders have adopted convenient 7 maqams (maqams are permanent stages on the voyage towards spiritual transformation), and some still operate with 3 stages, the picture is clear: the Sufi's journey begins with Nafs-e-Ammara (commanding soul), Nafs-e-lawwama (self-accusing soul), and ends in Nafs-e-Mutma'inna (satisfied soul) -although some Sufis's final stage is, in their technical vocabulary, Nafs-I-Safiya wa Kamila (soul restful and perfected in God's presence). In essence, this is almost identical to Christian paradigm of "vita purgativa" and various stages the spiritual aspirant traverses in the journey towards God."  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lataif-e-sitta accessed 3/13/2009)
 Nafs appear in the Shi'a tradition traced back to a saying of Imam `Ali:
 
 

Amir al Momenin Ali replied, "Of which nafs are you eager to become aware?"

"Is there more than one nafs?" asked Komeil.
"Yes, explained Amir al Momenin Ali, there are four: nafs of growth; nafs of sensibility (animal spirit); nafs of pure intellect; and nafs of wholeness and Divinity. Each one of the nufus (plural of nafs) has powers and qualities of its own. (
http://www.sufismjournal.org/psychology/psychology.html Hazrat Mir Ghotbeddin Mohammad, accessed 3/13/2009)
 While the sufi philosopher al-Ghazali provides a tertiary meaning of nafs:

"The second meaning of nafs is the soul, the human being in reality, his self and his person. However, it is described differently according to its different states. If it assumes calmness under command and has removed from itself the disturbance caused by the onslaught of passion, it is called "the satisfied soul" (al-nafs al-mutma'inna)... In its first meaning the nafs does not envisage its return to God because it has kept itself far from Him: such a nafs is from the party of shaytan. However, when it does not achieve calmness, yet sets itself against the love of passions and objects to it, it is called "the self-accusing soul" (al-nafs al-lawwama), because it rebukes its owner for his neglect in the worship of his master... If it gives up all protest and surrenders itself in total obedience to the call of passions and shaytan, it is named "the soul that enjoins evil" (al-nafs al-ammara bi al-su')... which could be taken to refer to the ego in its first meaning." (http://www.sunnah.org/tasawwuf/jihad002.html, accessed 3/13/2009)

     It is interesting that Imam `Ali provides a quarnary definition of Nafs.  This may correlate to Baha' Allah's quote of Rumi regarding four birds of prey:

 "O Abraham of this day, O Friend Abraham of the Spirit! Kill these four birds of prey."  -Rumi

 It has been argued by Savi that the Four Valleys is a treatise, as mentioned in the Seven Valleys of Baha' Allah, as a treatise on the Four Paths of the Heart.  The Four Paths of the Heart is a sufi exposition that goes into the levels of the heart and the Nafs associated with it, it is much like Imam Ali's version. Here we have al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi's version:
 
 
4 Paths of the Heart according to al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi:
 
1. the Breast (sadr); dominated by nafs al-ammarrah (self that exhorts to evil); exemplified by the Muslim; gives us knowledge of Shari'a, the outer law (zahir), effulgence of the light of Islam.
2. the Heart (qalb); dominated by nafs al-mulhamah (self that inspires); exemplified by the Mu'min; gives us knowledge of Esoteric, the inner path (batin) effulgence of the light of Faith.
3. the Inner Heart (fu'ad); dominated by nafs al-lawwamah (self that blames; holds accountable); exemplified by the `Arif; gives us knowledge of Vision (ru'ya), effulgence of the light of Gnosis.
4. the Intellect (lubb); dominated by nafs al-mutma'innah (self that is at peace), exemplified by the Muwahhid; gives us knowledge of God's Grace and Bounty, effulgence of the light of Unification.  (Nicholas Heer, "The Stations of the Heart." http://faculty.washington.edu/heer/stations.pdf, 3/10/2009)
This is an interesting look at Nafs. However, it reveals that the 4 paths is in regards to the Nafs and is in fact relevant to the 1st Valley, not all 4 Valleys. Additional textual affirmation of this is by Baha' ALlah's pen.  He writes "This is the plane (maqam) of the soul who is pleasing (nafs-i-mardiyya) to God".  Then goes onto quote Qur'an 89:37-30 which relates to nafs al-mutma'inna, the soul at rest, the fourth stage of the 4 Paths of the Heart. Thereby sugesting that the 1st Valley the traveller traverse the the 4 Paths of the Heart rather then each valley being representative of each seperate Path of the Heart.  It is additionally interesting to note that naf-i-mardiyya (pleasing self) appears in a sufi work, "Shuhud wa'l-Wujud" (19th Century CE Persian) as the second to last stage of 7 stages of Purification of the Nafs, the final stage is reserved for only the Prophets and Friends of God (insan al-kamil). Again we see this as a correlation to a completion of a process occuring for the 1st Valley typeology.
 
2nd Valley - Mind (`Aql) 
    The second valley is in regard sot the Mind (`aql).  The treatise of Baha' Allah writes:
If the wayfarer�s goal be the dwelling of the Praiseworthy One (Maḥm�d), 1 this is the station of primal reason which is known as the Prophet and the Most Great Pillar. 2 Here reason signifieth the divine, universal mind, whose sovereignty enlighteneth all created things�nor doth it refer to every feeble brain; for it is as the wise San�� hath written:
How can feeble reason encompass the Qur��n,
Or the spider snare a phoenix in his web?
Wouldst thou that the mind should not entrap thee?
Teach it the science of the love of God!
 
Again we see a correlation to the Universal Mind, which is also known as the Muhammadan Reality (Maqam Mahmud), also the Barzakh (intermediary) seperating Creator from creation, to the individualized minds of the seekers.  Mind in the Sufi tradition is a specific meaning:  
" The first book of the third part of the 'Ihya' is called 'Sharh `ajab'ib al-qalb', "A commentary on the wonders of the heart".  The preliminary definitions where al-Ghazali analyses the four concepts qalb, ruh, nafs and `aql are well known. For each concept al-Ghazali distinguishes a 'physical' and a spiritual meaning. In the first sense qalb is a bodily organ: ruh the 'vital spirits' in the blood (cf. contemporaneous ideas of physiology); nafs is the sum of man's passions, the root of his 'blameworthy qualities'; and `aql the faculty of knowing which 'has its seat in the qalb.  In the second sense qalb is a subtle, divine and spiritual' principle which is 'the reality of man' (haqiqat al-insan); ruh is the spiritual substance in man that acts and understands; nafs is man in his reality but capable fo being qualified by diferent attributes according to how his soul controls his carnal desires (ammara, cf. Qur'an 12:53) or chastises his passions and struggles to reform itself (lawwama, Qur'an, 75:2), or is 'at peace' (mutma'inna, Qur'an 79:27), "pleased by and pleasing to" the Lord; nafs in that case corresponds to the "rational soul", the nafs natiqa of the philosophers.  Finally `aql in the second sense is 'that which understands knowledge', in short 'the heart itself'. In their [Sufis] spiritual interpretation, these four terms designate man's reality, but under four different aspects."( pg. 487, Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. V)
However it is very interesting that Baha' Allah places the heart at the center of purification for the Mind:
 
Wherefore, a man should make ready his heart that it be worthy of the descent of heavenly grace, and that the bounteous Cup-Bearer may give him to drink of the wine of bestowal from the merciful vessel. �For the like of this let the travailers travail!�
It is important to point out that for teh SUfis `aql did not sit in the brain rather was associated directly with the heart:
"...for al-Ghazali and SUfi tradition as a whole, the bodily organ of the heart (and not the brain) is the seat of `aql, the faculty of knowledge. `Aql, in the meaning of the understanding of knowledge , is 'in short the heart itself', and the heart is the home and source of ma'rifa [gnosis]." ( pg. 487, Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. V)
3rd Valley - Heart (qalb)
    The third valley regards the typology identified with the heart.  Baha' Allah reveals with his pen:
"If the loving seekers wish to live within the precincts of the Attracting One (Majdh�b), 1 no soul may dwell on this Kingly Throne save the beauty of love. This realm is not to be pictured in words.
Love shunneth this world and that world too,
In him are lunacies seventy-and-two.
The minstrel of love harpeth this lay:
Servitude enslaveth, kingship doth betray."
There is an interesting note on the Divine Name Majdhub by the Baha'i scholar Muin Afnani:
 "Majdhub ("Attracting One") is used in reference to Sufis for whom the path toward God is to be traversed with the faculty of heart (rather than reason or Laws). The word "Majdhub" also means "one who is attracted." In Sufi terminology, Majdhub is a Sufi who is in such a love with his Beloved (God) that is attracted and drawn to God without most of the pains and hardships that other seekers have to go through. Such a person gets attracted to the Attracting One without having to spend long periods of times in stages of the path; they go through them in less than twinkling of an eye." (http://bahai-library.com/resources/tablets-notes/chahar-vadi/notes.html , accessed 03/06/2009)
  
 Obviously the heart is apowerful vehicle for the seeke. It is also of importance to be attracted to a sufi master on the path.  The following reveals as much, as wells as the importance of heart and Majdhub:
" As for the master (murad), in the sense of one who is initiated and followed, he is one whose initiatic power (walaya) in influencing others has reached the degree of perfecting those who are imperfect and who has seen [initiatically] the different kinds of capabilities and ways of guiding and training disciples. Such a person is either a traveller attracted by Divine Grace (salik-i majdhdb) who has first traversed all the deserts and precipices of the qualities of the carnal soul through travelling upon the Path, and then with the help of Divine attraction has returned from the stations of the heart and ascensions of the spirit, and has reached the world of vision and certainty and joined the state of contemplation and examination. Or he is one attracted by Divine Grace who travels on the Path (majdhub-i salik), who first through the help of Divine attraction has traversed the extent of the stations and has reached the world of vision and unveiling of the Divine realities and then has crossed again the stations and stages of the Path through travelling (suluk) and has rediscovered the truth of contemplation in the form of knowledge.  (pg. 38, "The Sufi Master as Exemplified in Persian Sufi Literature", Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Iran, Vol. 5,  (1967), pp. 35-40, British Institute of Persian Studies Stable URL:  http://www.jstor.org/stable/4299586)
 
 
 
4th Valley - Prophetic Convergence

    The final valley is one that correlates all three typologies into one master type.  Savi has writtten regarding the 4th Valley:

"The opening words of the description of this Valley announce that it is different from the others. In those Valleys Bah�'u'll�h spoke of goals to be searched for, or of precincts within which "the loving seekers wish(ed) to live," but here He describes "mystic knowers" (`arif�n) "who have [already] reached to the beauty of the Beloved One ..." Their "station is the apex of consciousness and the secret of divine guidance." (Valleys 54, 57) Beyond this no one can go.

Bah�'u'll�h says very clearly that no human being can fully understand this condition. It is a "bottomless" and fathomless sea; "it is the blackest of nights ..." (Valleys 58). And even those who know its secrets will explain them only if they will meet true seekers, albeit they are conscious that by so doing they will be persecuted even to death. But in this stage there is no fear, neither of pain nor of death: there are only "full awareness," "utter self-effacement" and complete detachment (Valleys 60)." (http://bahai-library.com/?file=savi_will_knowledge_4valleys, accessed 3/13/2009)

   
    Baha' Allah writes in his treatise about this valley:
If the mystic knowers be of those who have reached to the beauty of the Beloved One (Mahb�b), this station is the apex of consciousness and the secret of divine guidance. This is the center of the mystery: �He doth what He willeth, ordaineth what He pleaseth.�  Baha' Allah

    It should be pointed out that the apex of consciousness is identified with a part of the heart again, the fu'ad, the inner heart and the secret of divine guidance may be the lata'if "sirr" which is an innermost region of ones soul in the terminology of the Sufis. It is seen here that the travellers in this station are identified with the "Most Great Infallibility (ismat)".  That  is they are perfectly guided and have achieved purity within themselves.  Guidance is an important viewpoint in Baha'i mysticism for the crux of being guided is recognition of the Manifestation of God, the perfect Master or what is known in Sufism as the Insan al-Kamil.  This is the level of the Insan al-Kamil (the Perfect Human).  The doctrine of the Insan al-Kamil is traced by to Ibn `Arabi, Chittick writes:

"Ibn al-`Arabi makes the clearest connection between the full manifestation of wujud and the human role in the cosmos in his famous doctrine of the "perfect man" (al-insan al-kamil), the complete and total human being who has actualized all the potentialities latent in the form of God.  In one respect, perfect human beings-- who are contrasted with 'animal human beings' (al-insan al-hayawan)-- embody every praiseworthy human quality. They are examplars of human wisdom, compassion, and all moral and spiritual good. They guide individuals and society to optimum equilibrium with the ultimate Good.  They act as the Real's representatives in society, leading people to supreme happiness in the next world.  In their human manifestations they are found as the prophets and the great friends of God." pg. 23   "(Imaginal Worlds: Iban al-`Arabi and the Problem of Religious Diversity", by WIlliam C. Chittick, SUNY Press, 1994)

This is the level of "No Station (maqamat)" as written by Baha' Allah in the Jawahir al-Asrar (Secret Jewels), it is the level of the Manifestation of God. The Insan al-Kamil is also related to the Muhammadan Reality as a mediator.  It is interesting to read about the correlation of the recognition of the Manifestation in Baha' Allah's writings to the sufi doctrine of fana al-Rasul (Annhilation in the Prophet).  Fana' is an important concept by those instructed by the works of Ibn `Arabi:

Muhammad's comprehensive realization of all the divine names makes him the pe fect link between God and humanity. Ibn 'Arabi's encouragement to his reader to "place him before you like the mirror in which you see your form" may imply the kind of visualization practices that are associated with fana fi'l-rasul. Ibn 'Arabi, like many other Sufis, takes comfort in the assurance given by Muhammad in hadith that Satan cannot assume his form, so whoever sees him in a vision sees him in truth. pg. 353  (Annihilation in the Messenger of God: The Development of a Sufi Practice Author(s): Valerie J. Hoffman Source: International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Aug., 1999), pp. 351-369 Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/176216 Accessed: 12/03/2009 16:31)


The Sufi al-Jili writes regarding the Prophetic mediation as object of annihilation:

Anyone who thinks that he [Muhammad] is ascending without his mediation will find that his ascent is a fall into his own prison and scum (sijnihi wa huththalatihi). You must attach yourself to his exalted presence, and cling to "the firmest handle" (al-'urwa 'l-wuthqi)24 from his unap- proachable rank, all the while calling forth this perfect image which contains all of the meanings and forms of existence. Do this until the secrets flow onto your spirit, and your spirit onto your heart, and your heart onto your soul, and your soul onto your body, from his love, a spiritual drink that refreshes both spirit and form, extinguishing all traces of yourself. You go with the Messenger of God in you as a substitute for you. Then you can obtain the capacity of his exalted Reality in your being to know what no other creature has known of the One you worship. Because God the Exalted has set apart Muhammad, God's blessings and peace be upon him, for the greatest and most perfect divine manifestations which no other capacity can accept in this world or the next. If the earth of your existence is illuminated with the light of his sun, and the olefactory sense of your spirit is perfumed with the fragrance of these radiant gardens, your body will become balanced with its pro- portion of his mold and capacity to receive some of these divine manifestations, and you will come to be "looking at their Lord." pg. 356  (Annihilation in the Messenger of God: The Development of a Sufi Practice Author(s): Valerie J. Hoffman Source: International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Aug., 1999), pp. 351-369 Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/176216 Accessed: 12/03/2009 16:31)

 
We can see how the doctrine of recognition of the Manifestation is held in common between the Baha'i mystic path and that of much of popular sufism as influenced by Ibn Arabi. 
 
Enneagram of the Four Valleys
   In the begining I mentioned that the Four Valleys was not a Baha'i rendition of the 4 Paths of the Heart, although elements of it are found in the First Valley.  Rather, it was a typology of personalities that travel the path.  This work, the Four Valleys, was written to a sufi shaykh that is from a lineage (silsilah) that practices the Enneagram. The sufi enneagram is:

"The enneagram is an ancient sufi system, which has recently been used to describe nine personality types.  This 'Ennagram of the personality' maps psychological aspects and traits of the ego, exemplyfing its emotional, habitual and character fixations." (Sufi Centre of Australia,
http://www.australiansuficentre.org/enneagram.htm, 3/10/2009)


We can see a correlation of the valleys to the enneagram three major types, the Sufi enneagram is comprised of three major types guided by an esoteric organ, with 3 sub-types to each major type thus equating 9, and is represented, like the Baha'i Faith's symbol, a nine-pointed star.  What is not revealed in most modern western Enneagrams is the hidden center dimension of the enneagram where a triange represents the perfect tritype (3,6,9) relationship of the major types together which represents the completed person or the Insan al-Kamil.  The following is a correlation of valleys to enneagram types:


  1. The first Enneagram type is dominated by the heart (qalb), sub-types are: 2,3,4, The 3rd Valley of Baha' Allah
     2. The second Enneagram type is dominated by the Mind (`aql), sub-types are 5,6,7; The 2nd Valley of Baha' Allah
     3. The thrid Enneagram type is dominated by the Body/Self (nafs), sub-types are 8,9,1; The 1st Valley of Baha' allah
     4. The perfect man (insan al-kamil) is the combination of all three major Enneagram Types and thus correlates to the 4th Valley of Baha' Allah. (source: "The Enneagram, Sufi Wisdom by Viki Markham, http://www.practicalaliveness.com/pdfs/TheEnneagram.pdf 3/10/2009)


It should also be noted that these common typologies to major enneagram types to elements of the esoteric organs is not just found in the Baha'i writings here, but also in the Gurdjieff inspired 4th Way with it's prototypes: way of the monk (heart); yogi (mind); fakir (self); the fourth being comprehensive of the first three; it should also be noted that this typology is also found in the Hindu yogic system of Natya Yoga, which Wikipedia writes about as:

"According to the Karma Yoga principles, the practitioner of Natya Yoga learns to do everything with a certain attitude that leads to the complete detachment from and control of one's physical, emotional and mental activities. One is expected to devote all one's actions to the Supreme as a sacrifice. The stage performances are an opportunity for the dancer to remain indifferent to the spectators' reactions, which require a great deal of self-control. The dancer strives to learn to be guided in every smallest move by the various devas that are supposed to be established in various chakras." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natya_Yoga, accessed 3/13/2009)
 
In Conclusion
    The Four Valleys is an important work on the stations of seekers on the Sufi Path.  It talks of those guided by the heart, mind, self and finally a master type that is comprehensive. This is not a treatise on the four paths of the heart rather it is an expository writing that is related to the three main types of the Sufi Enneagram.

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