Hello, everyone. In Oct. Pir Zia is continuing his talks on The Art of Personality , based on the new edition of Volume III of Murshid’s work. If he follows the schedule that was announced, the first Sunday talk is on " Moral Culture ," followed by a talk on Noor-un-Nisa’s play "Aede of the Ocean and Land." Then he continues with Volume III. (See Oct. 6 in the calendar below.)
I think of moral culture as dealing with rules of behavior, like the ones we learn in kindergarten: “Share everything, play fair, don’t hit people.” (from Robert Fulghum) Moral culture has been a specialty of Pir Zia. I take " chivalry " to be his term for it. He emphasizes the Forty Chivalric Rules, wrote a book on " Saracen Chivalry ," and created the Knighthood of Purity.
Generosity, courage, courtesy, and wisdom must be your constant practice. - Saracen Chivalry, p. 69.
Murshid talks of Moral Culture in terms of three Laws:
The Law of Reciprocity
The Law of Beneficence
The Law of Renunciation
He doesn’t define them, but he does talk about them in the Ten Sufi Thoughts:
There is One Law, the law of reciprocity, which can be observed by a selfless conscience, together with a sense of awakened justice. #5
There is One Moral, the love which springs forth from self-denial and blooms in deeds of beneficence. #7
There is One Path, the annihilation of the false ego in the real, which raises the mortal to immortality, in which resides all perfection. #10 – Vol. I, and on the Inayati web site under teachings,
I find several striking features about his approach. 1) Murshid opposes moral principles, because of individual differences and because people go through stages of evolution.
The Sufi does not prescribe principles for anybody, but this is not as in ordinary life, where to have no principles means to be a very wicked person. Some wonder how Sufism can be followed if it has no principles. But the answer is that what is good for one may be very bad for another . - “Sufism” in Vol. VIIIa, part 1 .
So in these talks on moral culture he is not talking about rules, but more about guidelines, suggestions, and things to consider, looking at various social situations. Here’s one sample:
To a sincere person, entering into friendship is like entering the gates of heaven; and a visit to his friend is a pilgrimage to a true loving friend. –Vol. 3, The Law of Beneficence, Our Dealings with Our Friends.
But of course he does have his 40 rules, many of which would be seen as moral principles, though each requires deep contemplation in order to apply them, like the first two:
Make no false claims.
Speak not against others in their absence . –Vol. I, or Inayati web site, under teachings.
2). His three Laws are clearly meant for different stages of spiritual development.
There cannot be one principle for everyone, because everyone is not in the same stage of evolution. Therefore the Sufi prescribes no common principle for all. He does not say, ‘Renounce. Do not be cruel.’ The Sufi has been blamed for this many times, because to have no principles in ordinary language means to be very bad. We recognize that what is a right principle for one is not always right for another. –Ambition, in Vol.VIII, part 2.
Perhaps he is thinking specifically that Reciprocity is to overcome the nafs-al-ammara and develop the nafs-al-lawwama, while Beneficence is to develop the nafs-al-mutmainna. He himself never says that.
The five natures corresponding to these five grades are:
1. Ammara - one who acts under the influence of his senses;
2. Lawwama - one who repents of his follies;
3. Mutmainna - one who considers before taking action;
4. Alima - one who thinks, speaks and acts aright;
5. Salima - one who sacrifices himself for the benefit of others. -“Manifestation,” in the chapter on “Spiritual Liberty” in Vol. 5 .
3). The entire section on Moral Culture is about dealing with others: friends, family, acquaintances, enemies. It’s suggestions for Adab, a proper manner, in various social situations. His topics include, Our Dealings with Our Friends, Our Dealings with Our Relations, Our Dealings with Acquaintances, Our Dealings with Enemies .
Let’s pick an issue to see how these principles might apply, for example, our dealings with our enemies. Dealing with white supremacists is one possibility. Aren’t they a group we are eager to defeat? But let’s look, rather, at the division of our country (and many Western countries) into two tribes, each despising the other, unwilling to compromise, and determined to defeat the other. That’s the division that is preventing progress or even serious discussion on any of our social problems. We just express our own group’s ideology, and certainly not don’t listen to our enemies.
Here’s a quote from the Law of Reciprocity:
Precautions must be taken that nobody should become our enemy; and special care must be taken to keep a friend from turning into an enemy. It is right, by every means, to forgive the enemy and to forget his enmity if the enemy earnestly wishes it; and to take the first step in establishing friendship, instead of withdrawing from it and still holding in the mind the poison of the past, which is as bad as retaining an old disease in the system. -Vol 3, p 124, Our Dealings with Our Enemies
And here’s a quote from the Law of Beneficence
The difference between the law of reciprocity and the law of beneficence is that in the former a person is justified in giving measure for measure, and in the latter one is supposed to tolerate and to forgive and to show kindness, so that the enemy may grow to be a friend. There are cases where one cannot show kindness; but yet one can be tolerant. - Vol 3, p. 140, Beneficence: Dealing with our enemies .
I find these especially important in preparing for elections, where it would be so helpful to be sure our more moderate enemies become our friends. Obviously I chose the quotes that I would want to apply, and you would chose others. I’m very eager to hear how Bawa approaches this subject.
Lots of blessings to you all, -Jami Klein, Washington DC