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.
