Ask for the mystery behind the veil from the drunken profligates:
No high-stationed ascetic possesses such a state.
-- Hafez

This volume presents writing of the great Sufi Masters concerning ten spiritual 'stations' and 'states' which are usually discussed in pairs. The spiritual traveler experiences these inward transformations as opposites - like left and right feet -- which propel and balance his movement on the path toward God. Like the wings of a bird, 'fear' of lapsing from God,and 'hope' in Divine mercy aid the flight of beginners in the Sufi path. Alternations of 'contraction' and 'expansion' draw the heart of the intermediate aspirant away from himself and toward God. 'Gathering' absorbs the more advanced traveler toward God while 'dispersion' scatters his attention back into the world. Although different masters have been characterized by 'sobriety' or 'intoxication',and have expressed preference for one or the other, these are shown to be spiritual states bestowed by God and beyond personal choice. Finally, the Sufis' 'annihilation' or passing away of the human side of their nature is followed by 'subsistence' through the attributes of God. These can be viewed as the end of the path to God and the beginning of the journey in God.

Contents

• Fear and Hope
• Contraction and Expansion
• Gathering and Dispersion
• Intoxication and Sobriety
• Annihilation and Subsistence

Available in:

| English | Farsi |