excerpts from "The Path and the Duties and Techniques"
by Idries Shah
by Idries Shah
In a Sufi training system, there are rules which the members are
expected to follow in that part of their development which comes
within their own purview. The one which is most often quoted
comes from the ancient teachings of the `Masters of the Design', to
which my own background is referred. I find that it has direct
connections with the conditions of the mind of people in both the
East and West of today. Perhaps that is why the system I am about
to describe is called the `Everlasting Necessities':
THE ELEVEN RULES OF THE NAQSHBANDIYYA
(MASTERS OF THE DESIGN)
(MASTERS OF THE DESIGN)
Eleven mnemonic phrases refer to the framework within which
the Sufic development takes place in the school often called the
original teaching system of the Sufis. The Naqshbandiyya,
although they have a chain of succession of mentors, believe that
not all masters were public figures, but that all teachers are in
inner, call it telepathic, communication.
the Sufic development takes place in the school often called the
original teaching system of the Sufis. The Naqshbandiyya,
although they have a chain of succession of mentors, believe that
not all masters were public figures, but that all teachers are in
inner, call it telepathic, communication.
The Naqshbandis are associated with: reviving and updating the
teachings periodically; being recognized as competent to interpret
all forms of Sufism; being able to initiate into all orders; using
ordinary clothes and entering into the ordinary activities of the
world, through which they carry on part of their work, and
initiating methods which others often copy as the externals of cults.
teachings periodically; being recognized as competent to interpret
all forms of Sufism; being able to initiate into all orders; using
ordinary clothes and entering into the ordinary activities of the
world, through which they carry on part of their work, and
initiating methods which others often copy as the externals of cults.
[The manner in which the Rules are presented will vary in accordance to the state of the student's 'self', and also with reference to the characteristics of the culture in which the teaching is projected]
In the psychological sense, the Eleven Rules may be looked at
in this way:
in this way:
1. Awareness of Breathing. Linked with remembering and
exercise of reaching forward for subtle perceptions.
exercise of reaching forward for subtle perceptions.
2. Gaze on the Steps. Awareness of actions, watchfulness of
everything which one does; concentration.
everything which one does; concentration.
3. Travel in One's own Land. Exploration of the student's own
mind by himself, establishing the watchfulness connected with the
transformation of the Self.
mind by himself, establishing the watchfulness connected with the
transformation of the Self.
4. Solitude in Company. The ability to remove one's conscious-
ness from company, as well as to re-attach it.
ness from company, as well as to re-attach it.
5. Remembering. Conceiving that there is an `interrupted'
contact between humanity and the beyond. The posture of
reaching mentally to it helps to restore the contact; dedication.
contact between humanity and the beyond. The posture of
reaching mentally to it helps to restore the contact; dedication.
6. Restraint. Literally, `pulling back', a technical term for prayer
in a certain form.
in a certain form.
7. Watchfulness. The exclusion of distractions and alertness for
subtle perceptions.
subtle perceptions.
8. Recollection. Also termed `noting', this stands for becoming
aware of Absolute Truth as in some sense present.
aware of Absolute Truth as in some sense present.
9. Pause of Time. Reprise of thought and action, and other
pauses in time.
pauses in time.
10. Pause of Numbers. Awareness of the number of repetitions of
a certain formula; certain forms of counting.
a certain formula; certain forms of counting.
11. Pause of the Heart. Visualization of the heart; special exercise
of an identification of the individual with the ultimate.
of an identification of the individual with the ultimate.
The way in which these exercises are carried out is a matter for
personal tuition. The teacher monitors and prescribes for altera-
tions in awareness which follow these practices. They are subject
to careful adjustment and cannot be automatically performed.
personal tuition. The teacher monitors and prescribes for altera-
tions in awareness which follow these practices. They are subject
to careful adjustment and cannot be automatically performed.
Certain special movements and visualizations, combined with
other factors, are employed in various schemes of the Sufis to help
to develop subtler stages of consciousness.
other factors, are employed in various schemes of the Sufis to help
to develop subtler stages of consciousness.
Luckily, most people who involve themselves in imitations of
these studies on their own initiative stay at the stage where they do
little harm to themselves or to others. It is, in fact, far better that
they should play at being mystics than that they should become
obsessional or fall into the hands of charlatans.
these studies on their own initiative stay at the stage where they do
little harm to themselves or to others. It is, in fact, far better that
they should play at being mystics than that they should become
obsessional or fall into the hands of charlatans.
BEARD, CLOAK AND ROSARY
I cannot resist, thinking of ancient formulae, referring to the
story of the man with a bushy beard, wearing a rosary around his
neck, dressed in a hooded cloak, with long and greasy hair, who
was anxious, recently, to tell everyone that he was `A Sufi'.
story of the man with a bushy beard, wearing a rosary around his
neck, dressed in a hooded cloak, with long and greasy hair, who
was anxious, recently, to tell everyone that he was `A Sufi'.
Someone - who really was a Sufi - asked him why he was
behaving like that. He said: `I am following the instructions and
information contained in this ancient handbook for disciples.'
behaving like that. He said: `I am following the instructions and
information contained in this ancient handbook for disciples.'
`But', said the real Sufi, `that cannot apply now - it was written
several centuries ago . . .'
several centuries ago . . .'
`That may well be' said the new `Sufi', `But I only found it last
month!'
month!'
The schemata just given will indicate that the Sufi approach is
characterized by a systematic dealing with a succession of
developments in the learner, to avoid distorted results. Many of the
supposedly magical and mystical procedures which are found in
books, ascribed to other teachings, have been recognized by Sufis
and others as having been based on a partial understanding of these
processes, or ones similar to them. This may reinforce the Sufi
assertion that there is essentially only one method of carrying on
these investigations, and that that method - prominent features of
which I am now citing - itself emerges from the insight obtained
from penetrating beyond normal limitations. It is, in short, the
original framework of what has been called the `science of man',
certainly for centuries before the phrase became current as `the
human sciences'.
characterized by a systematic dealing with a succession of
developments in the learner, to avoid distorted results. Many of the
supposedly magical and mystical procedures which are found in
books, ascribed to other teachings, have been recognized by Sufis
and others as having been based on a partial understanding of these
processes, or ones similar to them. This may reinforce the Sufi
assertion that there is essentially only one method of carrying on
these investigations, and that that method - prominent features of
which I am now citing - itself emerges from the insight obtained
from penetrating beyond normal limitations. It is, in short, the
original framework of what has been called the `science of man',
certainly for centuries before the phrase became current as `the
human sciences'.
As a recent example of this assessment, made by someone
looking at Sufi ideas and practices objectively (in the sense that he
is not an occultist, orientalist or Sufi) we can observe the view of the
well-known poet Ted Hughes, who wrote - after a consideration
of the published materials:
looking at Sufi ideas and practices objectively (in the sense that he
is not an occultist, orientalist or Sufi) we can observe the view of the
well-known poet Ted Hughes, who wrote - after a consideration
of the published materials:
`One often comes across references to the "secret doctrine",
some mysterious brotherhood that is said to hold the keys to
everything in the West outside Christianity, that touches the
occult: tarot cards ... secret societies, Rosicrucians, Masons,
The Kabbalah. (It is now clear) that in fact all these things
originated among the Sufis and represent degenerate, strayed
filterings of the doctrine . . .(thus) many forlorn puzzles in the
world ... suddenly come into organic life . . .'*
some mysterious brotherhood that is said to hold the keys to
everything in the West outside Christianity, that touches the
occult: tarot cards ... secret societies, Rosicrucians, Masons,
The Kabbalah. (It is now clear) that in fact all these things
originated among the Sufis and represent degenerate, strayed
filterings of the doctrine . . .(thus) many forlorn puzzles in the
world ... suddenly come into organic life . . .'*
[See Ted Hughes, in The Listener (London) October 29, 1964]
Two points are worth making here. First, most of the external
formulations referred to by Hughes, and many more, have been
traced to temporary teaching groups in the Middle East by scholars
and others, and the materials have been in print for a good number
of years. The Sufis do not claim to have originated all of them, but
they traditionally have claimed that, at the point of higher
consciousness attained to by various mystical formulations, the
Sufi experience and that of such `other' frameworks is identical.
There is very little doubt, either, that this kind of grouping is to be
found at the present time, in general, only in a very defective and
overgrown form, as mere cults.
Second, the reference to Christianity is rather wide of the mark, for the Sufi understanding of Christianity is so deep that Sufis are often called `secret Christians' in the East, and esteem Jesus as a Teacher of the Path, combining the instrumental and prophetic functions. As already noted, Sufis were regarded as authorities on Christianity in the Middle Ages in the Christian West. They believe, however, that dogma and liturgy are bases, not ultimates, and that direct experience of religion is the objective of which externals are stepping-stones. The cargo-cult was in operation in the West long before the New Guinea people discovered it ...
From A Perfumed Scorpion (1978) by Idries Shah
formulations referred to by Hughes, and many more, have been
traced to temporary teaching groups in the Middle East by scholars
and others, and the materials have been in print for a good number
of years. The Sufis do not claim to have originated all of them, but
they traditionally have claimed that, at the point of higher
consciousness attained to by various mystical formulations, the
Sufi experience and that of such `other' frameworks is identical.
There is very little doubt, either, that this kind of grouping is to be
found at the present time, in general, only in a very defective and
overgrown form, as mere cults.
Second, the reference to Christianity is rather wide of the mark, for the Sufi understanding of Christianity is so deep that Sufis are often called `secret Christians' in the East, and esteem Jesus as a Teacher of the Path, combining the instrumental and prophetic functions. As already noted, Sufis were regarded as authorities on Christianity in the Middle Ages in the Christian West. They believe, however, that dogma and liturgy are bases, not ultimates, and that direct experience of religion is the objective of which externals are stepping-stones. The cargo-cult was in operation in the West long before the New Guinea people discovered it ...
From A Perfumed Scorpion (1978) by Idries Shah
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