=kit048.txt

KIT 48 - The Next Step

The new patterns of procedure after more than fifty years with the
Sufi order:
In the course of experience one faces a choice.

However much you tend a plant, it will eventually deteriorate and
die, but should it have an opportunity to reproduce itself, it may
become a harvest or a forest. So it is with human institutions.
But what is the point in sheer proliferation?

A more advanced way of proceeding would consist in fostering
mutation. In the more evolved species, mutation is speeded up. So
it is also with the human being and even our social institutions.
As the evolutionary thrust advances, further fluctuations from a
set order emerge, opening the way to potentials lying dormant in
the earlier forms. We would use this as our model in devising our
methods of working in the Sufi order. In my present perspective, I
envision the Sufi Order with all that has been invested in it
throughout the transmission of its teaching as a catalyst spurring
spin-offs, such as in the realms of psychology, music, healing,
mastery through accomplishment, science, or social work; as well
as the Abode, the Sufi choir, the International School of
Meditation, Omega Institute, the Psi Institute, the Omega
Institute of Spiritual Psychology, the Zenith Institute, the Hope
Project, the Universel, etc.

Moreover the spin-offs represent a fresh view and new procedures
unimpaired by their more traditional predecessors, exactly as
young people (or people who have not allowed their minds to be
sclerosed), on the whole, have a flair for the coming trend.
Consequently, we respect our spiritual mother, Sufism, which has
conveyed inestimable richness to our minds and souls, and, more
so, its universal rendering that was always there latent among the
greater Sufi masters. Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan laid a landmark,
projecting way ahead of his time, and surpassing in universality
the tradition that prompted him. He, more than any of his
predecessors, encouraged his mureeds to use their initiative and
explore new ways in their particular expertise with the message
being the catalyst sparking creativity, thanks to its focus on
spiritual freedom. And now, more than a half a century hence,
spurred by this very spirit of freedom, we are trying together to
explore spirituality at the measure and in the attunement of our
time.

We are living in a much tougher, problematic, and challenging
world. In the light of the discovery of freedom emerging in the
evolutionary advance, I can see that by 'shoulding' people to work
according to a fixed pattern, one is failing to avail oneself of a
large share of the potentialities of those dedicating their
services to working in the spiritual field. However, working
within clear guidelines and honoring a discipline will equally
bring out latent potentials. One is learning ways of looking at
things and procedures heretofore unknown.

A typical case where limitation makes for more variety is
language. If the meaning of words were not defined by limiting
their content, every word would overlap on every other word, and
the rich variety of meanings would not emerge. On a wider scale,
schools of thought or philosophy underscore points of view that
make a definite contribution to previous ways of thinking. Such is
the case of the teachings we are giving. These can act as seeds
for unforeseeable development or as themes upon which composers
create infinite variations, transpositions, cannons, fugues,
counterpoint, cadenzas, and free wanderings in unexplored no-man's
lands of thoughts and emotion.

So it works both ways. Thus, it is judicious to find a nice blend
of these two attitudes: receptive and creative. Admittedly, this
will not happen if one is too constrained within a model imposed
upon one. On the other hand, if everyone 'did their own thing', we
would loose the advantage of the coordination and cross-
pollination of inspiration, emotional attunement, know how, etc.,
as well as the osmosis between personalities mutually enriching
each other. The same applies to creativity. For it to be
meaningful, enriching, and exciting, there needs to be a nice
blend between incentive and adaptability.

Such is the principle of leadership in the Sufi order.
Incidentally, the cause of suffering is not desire, it is
'shoulding' making another a martyr or allowing oneself to be a
martyr. The fear of being overstressed by feeling unequal to what
is expected of one can trigger off a resentment which may
degenerate into conflict, even hatred, and manifest as bitterness
in one's character. This would forfeit what the original objective
was - namely, what we mean by spirituality: awakening, freedom,
joy, ecstasy, mastery, magnanimity, and building a beautiful world
of beautiful people.

Mandatoriness is suffering; freedom is joy. Yet, curiously enough,
freedom while restricting one's freedom out of love is the very
epitome of creativity; since, in creativity, there is always a
blend between joy and suffering. The suffering is in the
limitation of the needs and the joy in the perfection coming
through. As Pir-o-Murshid says, "The divine perfection suffering
from human limitation, even though paradoxically that limitation
cannot take away an iota of that perfection."

I see my job in life at present as inspiring people to discover
and actualize their enormous resourcefulness. This will come
through in the course of 'doing' - mastery through accomplishment,
awakening through creative imagination, joy through generosity,
making the cosmic celebration a reality on earth by the pursuit of
excellence.

Therefore, taking responsibility in an organism where humans
cooperate in encouraging people in their quest for spirituality,
as we are indeed endeavoring to do whatever our institutions, will
help one to unfold oneself. However, it must be emphasized, that
it is being prepared to take responsibility that will release
one's potentialities. Here lies the secret of leadership, which is
embodying and fostering people's nostalgia and quests, thus
helping them to actualize these so that their wills and your will
act exponentially rather than your imposing your will upon them.
One learns more trying to be up to teaching than by following.

The new methods of pedagogy aim at teaching people to be creative,
take initiative, and take responsibility. But one must be aware of
the conceit that if one is in a leadership position, one need not
learn any more. I am indeed encouraging people to take
responsibility and use their initiative. But, if by so doing they
get out of touch with what I am doing (since I keep moving ahead),
I regret that they might loose the advantage provided by the new
vistas I am exploring, should they break off completely on their
own.

So let us keep in touch while respecting the need of each other
for leeway. Each of our creative impulses may trigger off each
other's creativity respectively and mutually.

PIR-O-MURSHID INAYAT KHAN once said:

"A certain stage can be reached in the course of working on the
spiritual path where no more is the murshid the murshid, nor is
the mureed the mureed, but they have become friends - the most
wonderful relationship in the world."
    
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