Tales : Ramakrishna and the scorpion
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836 – 1886) was an Indian ecstatic who was deeply inspired by many traditions; he was a devotee of the goddess Kali, but also practiced Tantra, Bhakta, Continue Reading →
Category: English
Galib : If I say
Seyh Galib (1757 – 1799 CE) is considered to be the last of the classical Ottoman poets. He was born in Istanbul, and following family tradition, established a career for Continue Reading →
Purgatory?
We were contemplating a visit to purgatory, perhaps a long one, and it was evident that some members of the group were not looking forward to it. As they themselves Continue Reading →
Tales : Abdur Rahim interprets a dream
The following tale gives a glimpse of Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana (1556 – 1627 CE) who was a Sufi poet, soldier and statesman. He was the stepson of the Emperor Akbar Continue Reading →
Hazrat Inayat : Kismet pt I
The word ‘kismet’ means fate or destiny, and it is a topic which puzzles many people; we appear to have free will, the ability to direct ourselves in life – Continue Reading →
Shankaracharya: Endless is my wealth
This poem by Shankaracharya or Adi Shankara, the mystic who reformed and unified yogic practice in India, expresses a thought very similar to the recently posted tale about King Janaka. Continue Reading →
Tales : Serving the Gita
Once upon a time in India there was a student whose guru instructed him to spend his time reading the holy scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. “Become the servant of the Gita!” Continue Reading →
Atmosphere
One important aspect of the Sufi path is that we live in the world while we do our inner work, and this means that just as others have an effect Continue Reading →
Hazrat Inayat : Awakening pt X
As we approach the end of this sequence of texts on the awakening of the soul, Hazrat Inayat Khan speaks of the turning from one state to another, as we Continue Reading →
Sivavakiyar : The temple of God
Sivavakiyar (ca. 9th c. CE) was a Tamil poet and Siddha yogi who rebelled against the caste system and ritualised worship, as may be seen from this verse. In bricks Continue Reading →