Sufi Amin gives a Secret for Self-Realization

My Sufi Teacher Amin once told me he entered the state of Self-Realization while repeating the mantra Tat Tvam Asi, Tat Tvam Asi, Tat Tvam Asi, meaning "That Thou Art, Thou Art All Things".

 

He said he was sitting on a part bench one day overlooking Lake Erie, repeating this Mantra over and over - all of a sudden the great reality of this Mantra - "That Thou Art, Thou are all things" - pulled him into its reality and realization.

 

Then he said that once you have had the realization of a Mantra its yours to keep, nothing can take it away from you.

 

He was very fond of the repeating what is called the Sacred Vakya Vrittis, intended to give direct perception of God: Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman), Tat Tvam Asi (That Am I), and in which he also included Shivoham (I am Shiva).  

 

He said these were all great Mantras of Self-Realization and so they are!

Aham Brahmasmi - seeing God in Everything

My Sufi teacher Amin once gave me this wonderful practice for seeing God everything.

He said repeat Aham Brahmasmi
as much as you can, 
it means “I am Brahman”.

As you repeat it, be aware that everything is Brahman, God:

• Every sound you hear is Brahman: car horns, people talking, fan motors, birds, every sound is Brahman;
• Everything you see is Brahman: every color, the trees, flowers, the sun, the blue ski, the faces of people, cars, buildings, all Brahman;
• Every smell you smell is Brahman: perfume, grass, food smells, manure, garbage, salt water, it’s all Brahman;
• Eveything you touch is Brahman: the cell phone, the touch of cement, the handle of a knife or spoon, the coolness of steel, the warmth of a washcloth, the feel of water in the shower, its all Brahman;
• Everything you feel is Brahman: the joy, the sadness, the pain, the fear, the confidence, the worry, the anger, the frustration, don’t dwell on it but know it is all Brahman for everything is God.
• Every thought you think is Brahman: every idea, every judgment, every concept, your intuitions, your inspiration, it’s all Brahman, everything is Brahman, there is only God, there is nothing that exists except God and your very being is God, you are a living aspect of Brahman.

Know that All is Brahman, Aham Bramasmi, Aham Brahmasmi, Aham Brahmasmi.

Call & Response with God

This is a practice of ‘call and response’ with Allah.  One calls upon Allah’s quality and then one watches and/or listens receptively to see or hear the response.
 

It is almost unbelievable, but Allah does respond through the life that is around one at the moment.  This practice deeply attunes us to the Divine Presence in Life.

To do this practice use one or all of the following 3 essential Illahis (divine names or qualities): Subhanallah, Alhumdulilah, Allahhu-Akbar. 
 

The form of the Practice:

Exhaling say silently or aloud 3 times: Subhanallah;

Then watch and listen for the Divine Glory that is manifesting around you.

Exhaling say silently or aloud 3 times: Alhumdulilah;

Then watch and listen for the Divine Praise and Exultation that is manifesting around you;

Exhaling say silently or aloud 3 times: Allahhu-Akbar;

Then watch and listen for the Divine Greatness, Grandeur or Power that is manifesting around you;

Perceiving the response is not a matter of using the mind but rather the heart – become receptive and let Allah’s response arise within the perception of one’s heart.

Allah answers your call with “beingness” not thoughts. This is quite a deep practice that compliments that of Shagal Alakasar given by Pir-O-Murshid Inayat Khan.

Note:

To enhance your ability to perceive Allah’s response, you can recite the following Wazifa 33 times:

Ya Sami – Ya Basir - The All Hearing and the All Seeing.

Breathing "Allah Hu"

 There are two ways to breathe Allah Hu. One will help you ‘rise above the denseness of the earth’ by facilitating your attunement with the transcendental or cosmic dimension of your being; the other will help you manifest the Divine Presence in your being and life.

The First way:

Gently move your head down toward your physical heart while exhaling Allah deeply into the physical heart; then inhale Hu, as your head rises allow Hu to carry you on high, dissolving into the transcendental, all-pervading reality of Hu.

The Second way:

Inhale up through the top of the head into Allah, the One Reality; Exhale Hu deeply into either the physical heart or heart center.

Changing Karma

Karma, the linkage of Cause and Effect, comes from the actions of our past and present life. Some say we are bound by Karma and thus our life is limited. The Divine Being in us is not limited by the causal flows of Karma.

We can change the impact of past Karma by asking Forgiveness; We can cut the 'pre-configuration' of Karma by making a pledge to something greater, that counters its effect; we can make new Karma by taking new action.

Also, in addition to Karma, there is our Divine Purpose and the impact that actualizing our divine purpose has on evolution.  These are bound by Karma.


 

Finding Joy in turmoil

There is a joy within us that is always present and not diminished by the trials and challenges of life.

We need to drink from this spring of joy often to keep at bay the jackals of despondency, despair, depression, anger, jealousy, fear that sneaks in and eats away at our happiness, at our sense of the sacred in life.  This can be so, so hard during times when life feels like it is crushing us with crisis, hardship, loss, chaos, threat, illness, uncertainty, lack of flow, etc.

 

Of course, these are the hardest times to turn within; either to find time, or motivation or concentration or a quite space. For some reason these are the times we need it most but feel the least like drinking from this well of inner joy.  Yet, oddly, very oddly, if we somehow manage it, even in the most tangential of ways, it seems that there are unseen hands just waiting to hold us and love on us. If they catch just a glimpse of us turning away from the turmoil and toward them, they grab us, and the light and power of upliftment is there more than normal.  You may have felt this, or not, it doesn't matter for it happens all the same.

Such a draught of joy can be had in many ways: working in a garden, going to church, reading an uplifting book, singing inspiring songs, meditating, praying, saying an invocation, being with children, going to an inspiring seminar, listening to inspiring music or lectures, serving others, walking in nature -- what these all have in common is a momentary respite, a turning away from the hypnosis of our individual perception and toward something greater than ourselves - nature, oneness, wholeness, light, spirit, compassion.

The key is we must make that small effort to tip the scale toward spirit and away from the present situation. To let go, momentarily, of the trouble, pain, grief, sadness, crises to allow spirit to arise.  It does not have to be a huge or prolonged effort; just a little bit of regular effort is enough, for that Joy is always there with us - it never leaves and it is not dependent on outer circumstances.

You may not feel the effects of such actions immediately, and to be honest, they probably will not remove the present crisis or challenge, for these still need to be handled outwardly, but they will bring a new perspective, they will break down barriers and blockages and dear beloved ones of God, this makes all the difference!

For me personally, the easiest, most effortless, powerful means to open and shift my vibration, emotions and perceptions toward spirit are:

   1. Saying an invocatory prayer (Saum for example) I feel attuned to (an invocation or affirmation will help too).

   2. Singing or saying the Dhikr: La Illaha Illa Lahu; I also especially like to say La Illaha, La Illaha, La Illaha - meaning I surrender all limitation, negativity and turmoil in light.

   3. Reciting a Mantra such as: Ya Fatah - Ya Azim; or reciting a chant to a great being of compassion such as Tara: OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA.

   4. I always offer petitionary prayers from my heart to God for help.

   5. And I find doing the elemental breaths particularly powerful.

In each of these practices I don't let the state I'm in stop me, I don't worry if I'm worthy, a total mess or doing the practice right - I just do it, that's all. When I do it, I don't think about the meaning, I often do it out loud because I need the audible sound to help me focus. So the great thing is that none of these practices truly depend on me or the state of my mind, emotions or body - they work beyond the mind-mesh, beyond the walls of my limitation! 

It is like a baby crying for their mother and the mother comes to help!

 

 

Remember Your Light

When in the company of others,
No matter who, nor what you are doing,
Simply remember your light
and will you become a lamp of Divine Light.
Remember your light is the from the Light of lights, and
Your presence will enable that light in all that is around you. 
Then you are a giver of light, which is a gift from God.


May you be filled with light every moment of the day and night!

The Divine Words of Power that enable this potential are:
(Nur - Munawwir)

(Nur - Shahid)