Cardiff Sufi Group

Weekly Readings: 8th April 2011

Transformation

This weeks readings explore the theme of transformation. We s ggest this fo r step approa!h to working with this sele!tion:
Read this sele!tion" o t lo d if possi#le" se$en times. %well pon the phrase or senten!e that to !hes yo . Ask yo rself what rele$an!e or appli!ation this has to yo personally &inally" sit in the afterglow of these refle!tions and open yo rself to whate$er new insight or message the %i$ine might ha$e for yo .

Text 'ne The potter works at the pot to fashion it: how !o ld the pot #e!ome wide or long #y itself( The wood is kept !onstantly in the !arpenter)s hand: how else !o ld it #e hewn and shaped properly( The water skin is with the water !arrier" skilf l one" for how else !o ld it #e filled or emptied( *$ery moment yo are #eing filled and emptied: know then" that yo are in the hand of +is working. 'n the day when the #lindfold falls from yo r eye" how madly will the work #e enamo red of the ,aker./. 0001200314 Text Two There are worldly senses to as!end in the world And spirit al senses for a hea$enly as!ent. 5et the do!tor !are for the former6 And the health of the latter is the spe!ialty of the 7elo$ed. A ro# st #ody gi$es health to the senses6 # t the spirit al sense awakens with r ination. The spirit al path wre!ks the #ody and afterwards restores it to health. 8t demolishes the ho se to nearth the treas re" and with that treas re re# ilds it #etter than #efore. 8t ! ts off the water s pply and !leanses the ri$er #ed" then !a ses fresh tasting waters to flow. 8t ! ts open the wo nd and remo$es the metal" so the flesh !an heal. Who shall des!ri#e how the 8neffa#le a!ts( 8m doing the #est 8 !an for the moment.

Cardiff Sufi Group

9ometimes its like this" And sometimes : st the opposite. The work of religion is astonishment. .1.00020124

Cardiff Sufi Group

Transformation from a 9 fi perspe!ti$e

A personal a!!o nt #y ;a l 5eger

In the name of God, the infinitely compassionate and infinitely merciful &rom what 8 ha$e learned from my tea!hers" transformation is a pro!ess where#y o r #eing #e!omes more refle!ti$e of the di$ine. The pro!ess is made possi#le #y a !om#ination of knowledge" effort" sa!rifi!e" and gra!e6 with the !atalyst of lo$e. A !atalyst is something #y whi!h a pro!ess is made h ndreds or tho sands of time easier. , !h !an #e said a#o t lo$e and the types of lo$e that we !an know" # t we are told that there is a lo$e that emanates to" and s pports all of !reation. &or 9 fis" employing this !atalyst is largely a!hie$ed thro gh remem#ran!e6 and often ,e$le$is des!ri#e remem#ran!e<=ikr as >polishing the mirror of the heart?. The heart is polished in distin!ti$e ways in the worlds religions6 one way that 9 fis polish the heart is thro gh =ikr" whi!h is the repetition of di$ine names or di$ine attri# tes. Thro gh this pro!ess o r #eing #e!omes more resonant with lo$e. Another way to look at transformation is to try and identify what it is in s that wishes for transformation" and asking how we !an fa!ilitate the pro!ess of transformation for o rsel$es in o r day to day li$es. Another often sef l @ estion is to ask6 what is it in s that resists transformation( We do not ask these @ estions to !reate a negati$e image of o rsel$es" # t to #e!ome self knowledgea#le" and to learn how to apply o r efforts. Another sometimes sef l @ estion is to ask is6 what it is that we aspire to #e transformed into( +a$e we met indi$id als who demonstrate thro gh their #eing that they are transformed( We might ask what wo ld it take for s to rea!h their station. 8 ha$e #een fort nate to ha$e met a few indi$id als whose #eing was transformed s !h that they radiated something that was from a deeper !onne!tion with the di$ine. Their example has pro$ided nending inspiration for me to !ontin e my efforts on the path of transformation. 8n the week that we look at transformation" examine a @ estion a#o t transformation that is meaningf l to yo . 'r seek to at least momentarily #e free of a parti! lar attit de or #eha$ior" sing remem#ran!e as an inner polishing. 8t may #e that yo !an see something of what is possi#le in yo for the transformational pro!ess. ,ay all o r efforts on the path of lo$e #e #lessed.