The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh

2006·24.4 MB·English

by  Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. Bawa

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THE
REVISED EDITION
M. BAWA MUHAIYADDEEN "
R,
The Fellowship Press
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania
www.bmf.org
This On©
LibraryofCongressControlNumber: 2006924099
Thegoldenwordsofasufisheikh/M.R.BawaMuhaiyaddeen.Rev.ed.
Philadelphia,PA:FellowshipPress,2006.
p.cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-914390-73-2(tradepaperback)
ISBN-10: 0-914390-73-2(tradepaperback)
ISBN-13: 978-0-914390-74-9(hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-914390-74-0(hardcover)
Copyright©1981,2006
byTheBawaMuhaiyaddeenFellowship
5820OverbrookAvenue,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania 19131
Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbook
maybereproducedinanymannerwithout
writtenpermissionfromthepublisher.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
byTHEFELLOWSHIPPRESS
TheBawaMuhaiyaddeenFellowship
FirstPrintinginSriLanka 1982
SecondPrinting1992
ThirdPrinting 1995
Revisededition,FirstPrinting2006
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Acknowledgements
Thesayingsandillustrationsinthisvastcollection weregiven
byM.R.BawaMuhaiyaddeen (Ral.)inColombo,SriLankaand
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., during 1978 and 1979. In
accordance with the oral tradition ofSufism,these sayings were
spontaneouslyspoken toimpromptu gatheringsofstudentswho
came to seek wisdom and a deeper understanding ofman's
relationshipwithGod,throughtheexampleandteachingofBawa
Muhaiyaddeen (Ral).
Originally spoken in Tamil, an ancient Dravidian language
found in Southern Indiaand Sri Lanka,these sayingswere then
rendered into English through thejoint effort ofProfessorA.
Macan-Markar,Dr.M.Z.Markar,Dr.K.Ganesan,Mrs.R.Ganesan,
Mrs.CrisiBeutler,andMrs.SarammaAschenbach.Alltheeditors
humbly ask forgiveness for any clarity or vitality lost in the
translation.
SpecialthanksshouldalsobegiventoallthemembersofThe
SerendibSufiStudyCircleofSriLankaandTheBawaMuhaiyaddeen
FellowshipoftheUnitedStates,whogaveuntiringlyoftheirtime
andeffort in preparingthis manuscript.
MayGodblessthisventure.Andmaythisreservoirofwisdom
quench the thirst ofallthose who read it.Atnin.
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Contents
Preface 1
ExplanatoryNotebyM.R. BawaMuhaiyaddeen (Ral.) 10
Invocation 23
Introduction 25
1. Knowthe earth 29
2. Know theself 29
3. Knowthe seasons 29
4. Dispel yourevil qualities 29
5. Know the capacityofone to whomyou speak 29
6. Knowaperson's qualities 29
7. Knowthe qualities andactions ofGods creations 30
8. Do notgaze atabeautifulhorsein the wilderness ....30
9. Tie up the heart 30
10. Know the beggingbowl 30
11. The onlyChieftain 31
12. Cutawayyourdreams oftheworld 31
13. Siftthe earth 31
14. Siftyourself 31
15. Killlust 31
16. Destroy selfishness 31
17. Overcome fascination 32
18. Cutawaylust 32
19. Kill arrogance 32
20. Knowyourbirth 32
21. Killkarma 32
22. Overcome mayd 32
23. Cutoffjealousy 32
24. Kill the treacheryanddeceitofthe mind 33
25. Cut offthe illusion ofmaya 33
26. Cutoffdifferences 33
27. Control desire 33
28. Loseselfishness 33
29. Open the eye ofwisdom 33
30. Opentheqalb 34
31. Overcome the five-headed cobra ofthe senses 34
32. Destroybothjoyandsorrow 34
33. Plantthe tree ofiman 34
34. Give up yourattachments to bloodties 34
35. Overcome the miracles ofthemind 34
36. Control outersounds 35
37. Control the tongue 35
38. God has given you all His wealth 35
39. Control whatis known asT 35
40. Pull out and throwaway'mine'and'yours' 35
41. Control lust 35
42. Controlyourcravings 35
43. Killyourtemper 36
44. Kill the impatience ofthe mind 36
45. Scatterthedarkness ofthe mind 36
46. Patience will dispel poverty 36
47. Chase away the mind'sfear 36
48. Control the hissingofyouranger 36
49. Dispel the visions ofyourmindandeyes 36
50. Know with wisdom 37
51. Overcome lust 37
52. Cut awayarrogance 37
53. Destroy the qualities ofthebeast 37
54. Ifman knows man 37
55. Analyze,distinguish,andsee 38
56. Ifman investigates his state 38
57. Beatoffandchase awayavarice 38
58. Driveaway the agitation ofthe mind 38
59. Beatyourroguish mind 38
60. When you awaken from a dream 38
61. Do not suffer 38
62. Know the elements 39
63. Know the thirstoflife 39
64. Know man 39
65. Knowyourheart 39
66. Acquire God's qualities 39
67. Do not grieve and worryaboutkarma 39
68. Know the state ofthe embryo 40
69. Do not think aboutflyingin the sky 40
70. Know patience 40
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71. Do not live yourlife embracingthereligions 40
72. Know the innerpatience calledsabur 41
73. To whom areyou aslave in this life? 41
74. Know the contentmentcalledshakur 41
75. Subdue the fire ofyourhunger 42
76. Knowthevalue oftawakkul 42
77. Know Tman 42
78. Understandthe meaningofal-hamdu lilldh 43
79. Knowthe poverty oflack ofwisdom 43
80. Use divine analyticwisdom 43
81. Discoverthatwhich tormentsyou 44
82. Fascinatewithwisdom 44
83. Fightthe demonsofthe mind 44
84. Overcome hunger 44
85. Overcome the qualities ofthe fiveelements 44
86. Cutoffkarma 44
87. ReachAlldhuandHiskingdom 45
88. Dispel the darkness ofthe mind 45
89. Do notcloseyoureyes 45
90. Do notpreachwisdomto others 45
91. Overcome desireforland 45
92. Onewho conquers his desires 45
93. Ridyourselfofdesireforwomen 45
94. Overcome desireforgold 46
95. Chase awaythe blood ties 46
96. Dispelconceit 46
97. Loseyourself 46
98. Dispelwhatisknown as'mine' 46
99. Onewho rids himselfof'mine'and'yours' 46
100. Dispelwhatisknown as theT 46
101. The egoism ofT 47
102. Dispelwhatisknown as'mine'and'yours' 47
103. Ridyourselfofbloodties 47
104. Cutawayyourattachments 47
105. Correctyourmind 47
106. Planttheseedwhich is known as love 47
107. Do notformyourobstinacy into anarrow 47
108. Ifyou knowyourselftheworldwillshrink 48
109. Polishyourwisdom 48
110. Openyourheartandlook within 48
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111. Understandyourbody 48
112. Subdue desire 48
113. Cut offfalsehood 48
114. Eliminate envy 48
115. Understandman's inherentpotential 48
116. Open the eye ofwisdom 49
117. Cutawaybirth 49
118. Ifa man does notreflectproperly 49
119. The arrogance ofthe ego torments us 49
120. Doubtandsuspicion are a cancer 49
121. Angeris poisonous to wisdom 49
122. The intoxication oflust 49
123. When a man harbors one thinginhisheart 50
124. Dutyperformed with aselfish motive 50
125. A hasty intellect andanger 50
126. Aflowerand its fragrance 50
127. Aspoken word can be a fault 50
128. Control ourwords 50
129. Evil thoughts 50
130. Think,reflect,andunderstand 51
131. Religious fanaticism 51
132. Racial discrimination 51
133. Intoxicatedwith conceit 51
134. Blood ties 51
135. A man's truelove 51
136. God's love 51
137. Ifa true man takes on the qualities ofGod 51
138. Shakur,contentmentand thankfulness 52
139. Tawakkul, surrenderto thewillofAllah 52
140. Al-hamdu lillah,praise toAllah 52
141. Do not clingto yourmonkey mind 52
142. Do not attempt to cross a lake byholdingthe tail
ofa buffalo 52
143. Do not attemptto cross ajungle holdingonto the
tail ofa tiger 52
144. Do not holdonto the tail ofan elephant 53
145. Do not preach wisdom to one who lacks wisdom ....53
146. Do notcast pearls before swine 53
147. Snakes mayappearbeautiful 54
148. Do not preach wisdom to a man whose heart ishard . .54
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