TOWARD THE ONE, THE PERFECTION OF LOVE, HARMONY AND BEAUTY, THE ONLY BEING, UNITED WITH ALL THE ILLUMINATED SOULS, WHO FORM THE EMBODIMENT OF THE MASTERY, THE SPIRIT OF GUIDANCE
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ISSUE 3
~ A LOOK INSIDE (scroll down)
Ruhaniat Mureeds Pandemic Relief Fund
Pilgrimage, Three Stories
Murshid SAM Biography Project
Murshid Sam Archives,
A Selected Reading
Treasurers' Report
plus From the Well, Connections & Ruhaniat Pets
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Dear Friends,
Chop wood. Carry water. Wash hands.
In some ways, life has become more simple. Across the globe, people take pause from many regular activities of their daily lives.
We watch in awe as Nature responds to this quieted new world and shows signs of healing. Pollution is clearing from cities across the globe. And too, we face profound suffering and change. Some of us are in crisis. We do not know what comes next -
we never have.
It is a time of transformation
.
Our breath and sympathetic hearts connect us as we carry on,
Toward the One
.
In this issue
, storytellers Pir Shabda Kahn, Jahanara Mangus and Arjuna Ben-Zion Weiss share accounts of their pilgrimages to India, Morocco and the Middle East. In
From the Well
, in addition to your responses on "
What is your morning practice
?", we have a special edition of contributions from our
Murshids' Circle
. We check in on the Murshid SAM Biography Project, archivist Tansen O'Donohoe selects a paper for us from the Murshid Sam Archive, and our Treasurer, Waduda Welsh, brings us a financial report, plus so much more ~
Join us on Zoom ~
Ruhaniat Family Zoom Gathering ~ Holding Hands in Virtual Space
on Saturday, May 2 at 11:00 am PDT.
Click here for details
We offer prayers
~ Love, gratitude and protection
to all who are serving in their communities - as health care providers, as essential service workers, as caregivers to friends and family.
Peace, ease and comfort
to those who have lost loved ones or who are ill, and to those who are lonely or suffering from isolation.
Strength, resourcefulness and hope
to those who are struggling financially.
Protection and deliverance
to those who are unsafe in their own homes.
Light and insight
to all who are working to develop tests, therapies, and prevention treatments.
Wisdom, harmony and cooperation
to government leaders as they make decisions and policies to help our societies cope with the impacts of this pandemic.
May all beings be well. May all beings be happy. Peace. Peace. Peace.
With Love,
Basira Beardsworth
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We have created a mureed-supported fund, whose mission is to provide funds on a one-time basis to a Ruhaniat mureed or those who have received the Ruhaniat blessing. We seek to assist those who are facing financial difficulties. The current worldwide pandemic is a uniquely challenging and traumatic event for which we aspire to offer hope and assistance to our beloveds. We have a committee that will receive applications for assistance and respond as quickly as possible from funds donated by mureeds for mureeds.
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Make friends
with your suffering.
Gently tame it.
Compassion,
not pity
for self and others.
of Batesville, Virginia
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Pilgrimage ~ Three Stories
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On Pilgrimage
by Pir Shabda Kahn
The adventure of Pilgrimage has been a profound part of my learning about people and places in our world, about history and a way to receive the living transmission of wisdom and from wisdom beings from time immemorial...
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Djellabas and Tattoos
by Jahanara Mangus of Boulder, Colorado
Our riad was on the edge of the medina. For those who have never set foot in the medina, it is an experience worth savoring. The sights, the smells, the architecture, the colors… they speak of a very different world than most of us know, a very exotic world whose rhythms conjure something rooted in a far away time and place...
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Peace Pilgrimage to the Middle East
by Arjuna Ben-Zion Weiss of Sydney, Australia
My peace pilgrimage begins with a single step onto the Bondi Shuttle Bus, then onto the Qantas plane, flying to Tel Aviv. Arriving in Israel, I catch a sherut (minibus) at Ben Gurion Airport to Ein Kerem, a suburb of Jerusalem where I meet Ruthi, one of the local dance leaders...
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Murshid SAM Biography Project
Full Moon April 2020 Blog by Murshid Wali Ali Meyer
Khalif Moineddin described his times serving Murshid Sam as a mureed. Here is an excerpt.
“Murshid said if you’re really Fudo, you have to have Quan Yin or all mercy behind your actions, Just as if you’re Quan Yin you have to have the strength ultimately to back up your gentleness. Sam indeed manifested fiery strength and great tenderness in his interactions with those around him. In Japanese Buddhism Fudo was known as the emanation of Buddha that appeared in the hell realms to bring light and hope to those suffering.”
We will gratefully accept your donations to support this project. When you give a minimum donation of $200, you will receive a signed, hardcover first edition of the Murshid SAM Biography book when it is printed.
Ya Fattah!
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Githekas on: Self-Protection, Series II: Number 6
by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti)
Protection by the Breath
There are many means by which breath may be adopted for self-protection. Wazifa, prayer, Fikr and music all tend to keep the breath in rhythm, and to attune one to the Divine Spirit. This is of the greatest value.
It is always possible that one may be surprised unawares, and be thrown off guard. In such
cases, attention should be paid to the breath immediately. Darood and other practices serve to restore equilibrium, and yet the breath also can tell one of the nature of the difficulty. When someone touched the hem of the garment of Jesus, thinking thereby to be healed, he knew through the change in the direction of his breath what had occurred.
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WHEN YOUR DEEP FEAR HAS FOUND YOU
A yellow sunflower will grow
beside you on the dunghill.
You will be astonished
as it turns to face you.
It will marvel as fire
comes to eat from
your hand.
-
Pir Moineddin Jablonski
,
The Colour of Her Hair - Poems
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
RETURN TO THE SOURCE
In the Source we find compassionate love that illuminates every heart.
In the Source we discover the morning star of every soul.
-
Pir Moineddin Jablonski
, Illuminating the Shadow, The Life, Love and Laughter of 20th century Sufi Moineddin Jablonski
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From the Well ~
What is your morning practice?
from Grace Yap of Brisbane, Australia:
My favorite morning practice is to idle with the Beloved in the green field.
from Dennis Collentine of Vahle, Germany:
Abwoon ... call, standing repetition, body prayer ... end kneeling ... space ... Invocation / Bismillah ... space ... Buddha ya, Dharma ya, Sangha ya ... space ... prostrating, Nayaz 2-3 times in dedication to service for the day. Back exercises. Coffee.
From Najma Anne Rieke of Shawnee, Kansas:
I allow/envision the Light of my soul to fully permeate my being.
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Meeting the moment in these days
TRUE GRACE Recently, biting into a chocolate-covered graham cracker, everything suddenly stopped as appreciation arose for all of the human effort making that simple moment of pleasure possible...the farmers, bakers, package designers, warehouse workers, truck-drivers, grocery stock crew, cashier...So many times I have said and sung "Grace" but including all of the hands which bring forth creation feels particularly sacred at this time. Ya Shakur Allah!
We might think we are in isolation. In reality with any conscious breath in the heart we will immediately feel how connected we are.
Congratulations if you feel grief, fear, reactivity. You've remained open to registering your state. Then it is back to grounding in the natural breath.
A perfect time to Practice! Practice! Practice! Make sure you channel the Shafia to all those in need.
Feet connecting to the Earth
Breath Open. Heart Open.
Steady.
Cultivate presence and compassion for self and others.
May you be well! May all beings be well!
Surely this moment is the mystic's paradise. No distractions. Time for inward reflection and practice in the face of death...the realization that we are in this together. One heart. One world.
Breathing in, I embrace what is.
Breathing out, I respond to what is needed.
And sometimes I ask, "
Is the virus the cause or the effect?
"
Could be a blessing, could be a curse...God only, knows.
Attuning to this reality along with blessings from and through the Silsila, and the Masters, Saints and Prophets. A chain of Gold, of the Sufis it’s said. Feel yourself in this great celestial choir and help remake the world with creative imagination (Ibn Arabi), Dirty Fingernails and Love+Light. Be the Light...
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Our next "From the Well" topic is:
What is Light?
write 1-4 sentences max
email your submissions by
June 15th
to:
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Treasurers' Report
from Waduda Welsh
If you have questions regarding the finances of SRI or need help making a donation, please contact Waduda:
waduda@ruhaniat.org
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We ask for your donations to our general fund which helps us answer the continuing call of our
mission
.
We are grateful to our donors, volunteers, teachers, and the
Spirit of Guidance
,
who help us in our work and service.
Thank you.
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Connections ~
virtual gatherings and our online communities
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Thursday, April 30 at 1:00 pm PDT
Saturday, May 2 at 11:00 am PDT
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Friday, May 22 - Sunday, May 24
Aug 2-8 * Vernonia, Oregon
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There are many more virtual activities happening - we can't list them all. But you can find more by clicking on the links below, and also on our Groups.io listserves and Facebook
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for delight's sake!
Ruhaniat Pets
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Nadirah
from Rahima Rain of Fort Collins, Colorado
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Mocha & Maowi
from Najat and Jaman Roberts of Henderson, Nevada
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Sasha
from Paula Saffire of Indianapolis, Indiana
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Content Submissions
Include your name, city, and country - or you may remain anonymous
Your submission implies permission to use now or in the future. We may not use all the content that we receive
From the Well:
C
ontributions must be only
1
-4 sentences.
We reserve the right to edit content
Ruhaniat Pets: I
nclude your pet's name
Feel Inspired?
Send in art, poetry, a report from your community, etc.
Deadline for next newsletter is June 15th
Hu.
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