A Universal Path to Awakening: The Spiritual Liberty of Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan
There is a path that leads to the summit of Human Consciousness. It is a winding path that meanders through our lives, it is unique to each individual, shifting its course to provide continual awakening and unfoldment into the One Reality.
Though in these times some say 'a spiritual path' is no longer required, that the Truth is inherently revealed, which is true in part; yet still, for those seeking something concrete, there exists the guide-ways we call spiritual schools or paths. These guide-ways offer an organized, methodological approach to Awakening into Self-Realization. They are not for the light-hearted, for although they ask nothing, they demand much by way of keeping up with the acceleration of awakening stimulated through initiation.
So this is the way I choose to walk the Spiritual Path. The way of taking the hand of initiation into the Sufi School of Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan through my beloved teacher Sufi Amin Sherdil Macko Chishti, who founded the Fraternity of Light, and later with Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan of the Sufi Order International. Through this spiritual path and school I have found a clear teaching and guidance, a kinship, freedom and openness to all; a non-judgmental universality that has formed the corner stone of my ideal of life and which serves as a constant beacon guiding me ever onward in awakening.
Here is how Hazrat Inayat Khan describes this path:
The purpose of the Sufi Movement is to work towards unity. Its main object is to bring humanity, divided as it is into so many different sections, closer together in the deeper understanding of life. It is a preparation for a world service, chiefly in three ways. One way is the philosophical understanding of life; another is bringing about brotherhood among races, nations, and creeds; and the third way is the meeting of the world’s greatest need...that natural religion which has always been the religion of humanity: to respect one another’s belief, scripture, and teacher.
The Sufi message is the echo of the same Divine message which has always come and will always come to enlighten humanity. It is not a new religion; it is the same message that is being given to humanity. It is the continuation of the same ancient religion which has always existed and will always exist, a religion which belongs to all teachers and all the scriptures. It is the continuation of all the great religions which have come at various times; and it is a unification of them all, which was the desire of all the prophets.
The Sufi Movement is constituted of those who have the same ideals of service to God and to humanity, and who have the ideal of devoting a part or the whole of their life to the service of humanity in the path of truth. This Movement has its groups, the members of which belong to all the different religions, for all are welcome, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis, Muslims. No one's faith or belief is questioned; each can follow his own church, religion, creed; no one need believe in any special creed or dogma. There is freedom of thought. At the same time personal guidance is given on the path, in the problems of both outer life and inner life. (http://www.sufiorder.org/sufi_message.html)
The Sufi Movement of Hazrat Inayat Khan is part of the Chishtiyya Sufi Lineage and there is a very nice, short review of its origins here: http://www.sufiorder.org/chisti_order.html, which is worth reading.
Today, there are a number of family streams within the Sufi Movement, each having a common foundation in the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan, yet each expressing a unique key-note under the common ideals of Love, Harmony and Beauty. These family streams are members of the Federation of the Sufi Message (http://federation-message-hazrat-inayat-khan.blogspot.com/). They are the:
