For more than fifty years, Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, Master of the Nimatullahi Order, has written and edited numerous books on Sufism, elucidating its theory and practice. Several years ago, Dr. Nurbakhsh for the first time began to deliver a series of discourses on Sufism directly to a group of his disciples in London. The purpose of these speeches was to present the basic practices and principles of Sufism in such simple language and such a straightforward manner that all Sufis, no matter what their background, would be able to follow and understand them.

Taped at the time of their delivery, the speeches were made available at first solely to Sufis of the Nimatullahi Order around the world to be played at their weekly majles meetings. Eventually, many of the speeches were published in the quarterly journal SUFI.

Now collected here for the benefit of the general public are selected discourses of the Master of the Nimatullahi Order.

In these speeches the meanings of numerous key Sufi terms, such as 'sincerity', 'love', 'traveling and social conduct' and 'pain and cure' are explained succinctly and powerfully, providing a source of guidance and inspiration for anyone who is involved in a spiritual path.

by Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh
First Edition September 1, 1996, ISBN 0-933546-58-0