Dimensionless Meditation is a powerful technique to help direct energy into the hara, the energy center of our body, which is located in the abdomen, just below the navel. The basis of meditation was the Sufi technique of movements - contemplation and association with one's body. Because it is a Sufi meditation, it gives you freedom and allows you to be non-serious. In fact, so frivolous that you can even smile while doing this meditation.
Instructions for OSHO Beyond the Dimensions of Meditation:
The meditation lasts one hour and includes three stages. During the first two, your eyes remain open, but try not to focus on anything in particular. During the last stage, your eyes are closed. Music created specifically for Out of Dimensions will be slow at first, but will gradually pick up the pace.
First stage: SUFI MOVEMENTS 30 minutes
It is a continuous dance consisting of six movements. Begin by standing still with your left hand on your heart and your right hand on the hara point. Stay still for a few minutes - just listen to music and try to concentrate. This stage of meditation begins with slow music that becomes more intense before moving on to the next stage.
If you are doing this meditation with others, you may lose your pace and become out of sync. Don't take this as a mistake. If this happens, just stop for a moment, look at the people around you, and return to the same rhythm that others are meditating.
When you hear the bell ring, start moving in the sequence in which this will be described below. Your movements always come from the center, from the hara. The music just keeps you going, helping you stay in the right rhythm. Your legs, like your gaze, are directed in the direction of the movements that your hands make. Move as smoothly as if you are in the water - the water itself carries and supports you. Every time you hear a soft “shoo” sound in the recording, repeat it. Repeat the sequence of six movements for 30 minutes.
Sequence:
1) Place your palms on the hara point. Take a deep breath through your nose, bring your hands over your heart and fill them with love. As you exhale, make the sound “shoo” that comes from your throat and brings love into the world. At the same time, move forward with your right hand (back of the hand forward, fingers spread) and take a step forward with your right foot. The left hand, meanwhile, returns back to the hara. Then return to the starting position by placing both hands on the hara.
2) Repeat the same movement, this time moving forward with your left arm and leg. Return to the starting position by placing both hands on the hara.
3) Repeat the movement with the right arm and leg, taking them to the right side and turning the whole body following the movement. Return to the starting position by placing both hands on the hara.
4) Repeat the movement with the left arm and leg, taking them to the left side and turning the whole body following the movement. Return to the starting position by placing both hands on the hara.
5) Repeat the movement with the right arm and leg, turning back over the right shoulder. Return to the starting position by placing both hands on the hara.
6) Repeat the movement with your left arm and leg, turning back over your left shoulder. Return to the starting position by placing both hands on the hara.
Second stage: WIRLING 15 minutes
In preparation for the spin, cross your legs. Cross your arms over your chest as if hugging yourself. Feel your love. When the music starts, bow to existence, thanking it for allowing you to be here for this meditation. When the tempo of the music changes, start circling - it doesn't matter if it's to the right or to the left. If you are circling in the right direction, spread your arms and move your right hand forward (if you are moving in the left direction, leave your left hand forward).
If this is your first experience of Sufi whirling, move very, very slowly, allowing the body and mind to adjust to this movement, and then the body will naturally move faster. Don't force yourself to move fast at any cost. If you suddenly feel dizzy or just uncomfortable, you can stop and sit down, or remain standing still. When you finish spinning, slowly stop and cross your arms over your chest and heart again.
Third stage: SILENCE 15 minutes
Lie on your stomach, close your eyes. Leave your legs open, do not cross them - so the energy that you have accumulated during meditation can come out. At this stage, you don't have to do anything but be yourself. If you find it uncomfortable to lie on your stomach, roll over onto your back. The gong will notify you that the meditation is over.
such an example would be the No Dimension technique, this is the latest technique developed by Master Osho and originating from the techniques of G. Gurdjieff, is a centering dance and is a good preparation for whirling meditation.
Dervish dances
It lasts one hour and consists of three stages.
In the first stage, you dance continuously for 30 minutes, making a certain sequence of movements.
In the second stage, circling is performed for 15 minutes.
In the third stage, you lie still for 15 minutes.
The first two stages are done with the eyes open and the last one with the eyes closed.
Stage 1:
You should start meditation standing in one place, keeping your left hand on your heart, and your right on your stomach. Listen to music and watch the rhythm of your breathing. Starting position: bring the backs of the hands into contact in front of the stomach. Inhaling through your nose, raise your hands up to your heart. Then, exhaling loudly also through the nose, move the right foot and right arm forward; at the same time, the left hand returns to the abdomen in a circular motion. Return to starting position. Repeat the cycle of breathing and movements described above, gesturing forward with your left hand and left foot. The right hand at the same time returns to the abdomen. Then return to the starting position. Starting from the starting position of the hands, repeat the breath and movements, gesturing with the right hand and right foot to the right, turning 90 degrees. Repeat the breath and movement as you gesture with your left hand and left foot to the left, turning 90 degrees. Now again from the original position of the hands on the stomach, repeat the breath and movements, while the right arm and right leg move back with a 180 degree turn. Repeat the breath and movement as the left arm and left leg move back with a 180 degree turn. Remember that the movement should always start from the center "hara". Relying on the music, maintain the correct rhythm: the movement should be in a smooth and continuous flow and not be mechanical. The dance starts slowly and gradually gains intensity.
Stage 2:
Opening your eyes and stretching out your arms, turn in a counterclockwise direction. In this case, the right palm is turned up, and the left is turned to the ground. Breathe naturally and fully surrender to the rotation. If you feel discomfort when rotating counterclockwise, change direction and reverse the position of your hands. If you feel nausea, use the following technique: focus your gaze on your left hand or its thumb. If at some point the body falls, that is also good. To complete the rotation, slow it down and let your hands close over your heart and slide across your chest.
Stage 3:
Lie with your eyes closed, preferably on your stomach. Just go inward and watch what is happening.
Dervish dances demand from the participants the absolute emancipation of the body and the achievement of a complete "mental pause". Against the background of this emancipation, spontaneous natural movements arise. They are not planned, they are not set from the mind, but come "spontaneously". As a rule, dervish dances are performed using meditative music or meditative tunes. This gives an appropriate mood to all the dancers and brings the prepared participants to the state of hal.
Technique - Daily ritual prayers
Sufi practice begins with the five daily ritual prayers that every Muslim must perform. Prayers can be expanded by repeating additional passages in the Qur'an or well-known prayers approved by the Prophet Muhammad and spiritual guide.
But that's not all! Since the Sufi must constantly be in communion with God, he also reads five additional daily prayers, among which special importance is attached to the midnight prayer prayer. Late prayer is performed in the interval between two dreams. At first they sleep, then they get up (after midnight) and make twelve circles of prayer with six wishes for peace. They repeat what they know from the Qur'an. Then they go to bed again so that the field of awakening begins the day with prayer. This reading of prayers turns into round-the-clock spiritual work with short breaks. For those who are especially zealous for spiritual work, prayers occupy almost all the time. Prayers are combined with long contemplation and singing.
Sufi mentors have compiled an endless number of collections of prayers in Arabic, accompanied by teachings on which of them can be used to strengthen the love of God, to get rid of sins, to expel bad thoughts, to facilitate childbirth in women, to heal ailments, to prolong life and solutions to money problems.
Prayers - spells are shelters and protection from worldly evils.
These include the last two suras of the Qur'an. There are spells that banish fever and send it to the unfaithful.
Technique - Spiritual stations
All Muslims are required to fast during the day during the entire month of Ramadan. But many Sufis go beyond such a ritual prescription, eating every other day, fasting the rest of the night, introducing additional night fasts during Ramadan, practicing long fasts throughout the year and reducing food to a minimum.
Sufis claim that a full stomach causes a feeling of self-satisfaction and indifference, when the feeling of hunger serves as a reminder of our dependence on God. A hungry person becomes humble, a humble person worships.
Admirers of asceticism point to the practice of fasting by Muhammad himself, to his self-denying lifestyle and exercises in abstinence by well-known associates of Muhammad Ali.
But not only moderation in food is preached by Sufi ascetics, they also convince of the need to reduce sleep, sexual abstinence and other means of taming the flesh. Asketim is the way to God, according to Sufi supporters of the ascetic way of life.
Asceticism is the most important station on the path to God.
The Persian teacher Shaqiq al-Balkhi in his treatise “The Decency of Worship” identifies four stops (manzila) on the path to God: asceticism, fear, yearning, love.
Sharik affirms, speaking of the first riser on the path to God. The beginning of entry into asceticism is the preemption of the spirit in refusing the desire for food and water, with the exception of the most necessary for life, and the aversion from saturation day or night, even in this way hunger would become its difference, and food is superfluous. He advises that the womb be filled with food by a third, and that the space left be filled with prayer and the recitation of the Qur'an. If a person holds on like this for one day, then God has made the impulse sincere.
The second stage of fear begins with the commemoration of death, instilling in the soul the horror that comes from meditating on the warning about God's judgment. Diligence in this for more than one day brings even greater horror: “A light will grow in his heart, and reverent awe will be reflected on his face ... he constantly cries, more absorbed in prayer, sleeps little, fears a lot.”
The third station, according to the treatise Shakik, is yearning for paradise, when a person constantly thinks about the blessings that God will prepare for the inhabitants of paradise. Forty days of zeal in such contemplation will plunge the heart into boundless languor. A person becomes completely indifferent to everything worldly: “He is truthful in speech and noble in deeds. Everyone will always see him smiling, rejoicing, devoid of any envy and desire.
The fourth and last station is the love of God, which is not given to everyone; it is the highest and most worthy of all stations. It is obtained by those whose hearts are strengthened by sincere faith and cleansed from sin by conduct. Full of the light of Divine love, the heart forgets the previous degrees of fear and longing for paradise.
But the four stations described above are a classic process on the path to God. Various saints, trying to improve the existing practice, created their own rules of conduct for a believer seeking to know divine grace.
More sophisticated descriptions usually begin with repentance, overcoming the steps of asceticism and fear on the way to the steps of contentment and peace in God and further to the knowledge of the Truth…
The list of stations includes such as: ... hope, observation, reverence, knowledge, wisdom, ... thirst, ecstasy, jealousy, ... fortress of strength, ... amazement, gain, copulation and, finally, unity.
Technique - Laughter Meditation
Its participants lie on their backs and completely relax. After meditative attunement, they place one of their hands on the anahata area, the other on the muladhara area, activating these chakras. Then those present begin to conduct waves of soft, light light-laughter through the body (from muladhara to the head chakras).
Laughter meditation has a cleansing effect and promotes the development and improvement of the chakras, the middle meridian, if, of course, it is carried out at the proper level of subtlety.
In addition to the usual methods, in Sufism there are "high-speed" techniques of spiritual development, similar to the Tibetan Vajrayana. Through these secret techniques, the murid can make a very rapid advance. They apply only to those who already have a sufficiently high psychoenergetic readiness and the blessing of their sheikh.
But even ordinary Sufi methods are very powerful and effective. The effectiveness of these techniques is achieved, among other things, due to the fact that meditative work is carried out not only using motionless body positions, but also against the background of movements. At the same time, special breathing exercises and prayers are widely used. Thanks to such a complex use of various methods, several "centers" of the human body are involved at once: emotional, motor, intellectual. The well-coordinated, harmonized work of the "centers" opens up possibilities for a very rapid change in the psychoenergetic state of the students.
Tatyana Kashirina
Ufism (in Arabic pronunciation - at-Tasavvuf) is an ancient mystical tradition of spiritual perfection that originated in the Middle East and is now widespread throughout. The ideas of Sufism, its followers, its orders and brotherhoods exist in Asia and Africa, in Europe and America, in China and India, which are so rich in their religious traditions, and also in our country.
Historians attribute the emergence of Sufism to the 8th century. It is believed that it originated in the bosom of Islam. However, some Sufi teachers-sheikhs (pirs, murshids) say that Sufism cannot be limited to a particular religion, or a particular historical period, or a particular society, or a particular language. They call Sufism "the spirit of Islam", "the pure essence of all religions" and believe that Sufism has always existed, only its external appearance has changed in accordance with one or another cultural and historical environment (1) .
The penetration of the Sufi tradition into the West and the East has been carried out over the centuries. It is happening now, in different, sometimes very peculiar ways. For example, for sheikhs, spiritual work according to classical methods is quite acceptable within the framework of the traditional religiosity of a particular region. This is due to the fact that the Sufis have a positive attitude towards all religions and beliefs, believing that they are fundamentally one. Sufi methods can be changed as needed, and they can be formed as independent, local teachings. Such teachings are usually intended to transmit only some part of the main tradition, according to time, place and circumstance. These "temporary phases" of the actively developing Sufi tradition, producing a certain spiritual impact on one or another part of humanity, stimulate it to a spiritual search. They also lay the foundation for subsequent, more specific training. Apparently, one of these teachings is the concept of G.I. Gurdjieff, which became widespread in the first half of our century.
Sufis, who often call themselves "akhlalkhakika" - "people of true being", from century to century bring to the world, along with their teachings, their art, which reflects their perception of beauty. Sufi symbols, images and motifs permeate a significant part of Eastern folklore, literature, especially poetry.
So, almost all Iranian-Persian classical poetry, which has received a worldwide calling, is a textbook on Sufism (to the same extent as works of artistic creativity). The names of Sufi poets became textbooks: Sanai, Rumi, Hafiz, Jami, Nizami. The same, but to a lesser extent, can be said about Arabic, Turkic literature, poetry, folklore.
What is Sufism?
The term "Sufism" comes from the Arabic "Sufi", which literally means "wearing woolen clothes" and refers to Muslim mystics who followed a certain spiritual tradition and wore a special type of woolen robes, sackcloths. (In the Islamic world, hair shirt is considered an attribute of spiritual asceticism).
The root "Sufi" has another meaning - "pure". It also corresponds to the essence of the Sufi teaching and the spiritual image of its best followers. Genuine masters of Sufism, genuine Sufis (2), are truly pure from dogmatism and fanaticism, free from caste, religious, national prejudices. The strong desire for ethical purity and impeccability inherent in the Sufis contributed to securing another name for them in the Arab world - "Knights of Purity" (Sahaba-i-Safa).
Due to its great flexibility and openness to external influences, Sufism is now a very heterogeneous entity. Its various currents, directions, schools, groups are distinguished by the accentuation of certain aspects of the methodology, the preference for certain practical methods. Among them, usually, there are a number of orders known for their ancient traditions, as well as 12 main (“mother”) brotherhoods, such as al-Qadiriya, Nakshbandiyya, Maulawiyya, etc. In addition, there are many other structural formations of Sufism: smaller brotherhoods, communities, centers, monasteries, circles. Sufi teaching also operates through a significant number of worldly brothers and sisters (Sufis living in the world at the direction of their spiritual mentors).
Briefly touch on the basics of the doctrine:
- Sufism proceeds from the notion that the universe consists of 7 "areas of existence", includes several "types of being", differing in the "amplitude of the vibrations included in them". In other words, he recognizes the multidimensionality of space.
- The finest spatial dimension, which the Sufis call Zat, is the Abode of God in the aspect of the Creator. The Creator and all the diversity of His Creation (in Sufi terminology - Sifat) form the Absolute. The Creator pervades all Creation with His Love.
- Sufis believe that the multidimensional human organism, being similar in its structure to the multidimensional structure of the universe, can reveal in itself more subtle "kinds of being". This is done through a process of self-knowledge and self-improvement.
Thus, only through the comprehension of one's true essence can a person achieve a direct perception of God and gain unity with Him. This is very succinctly expressed by one of the hadiths of the Sunnah (3), which says: "Whoever knows himself, he knows God" (4). At the final stages of such comprehension, the individual human consciousness merges with the Divine Consciousness. This ultimate goal is described in the Sufi tradition as the highest state of consciousness "Baki-bi-Allah" (Eternity in God). In Hindu and Buddhist yoga, this term corresponds to - Kaivalya, Mahanirvana, Sahaja Samadhi, Moksha.
Sufism is based on Love (mahabba, hubb). (Sufis even sometimes speak of their teaching as a "hymn of divine love" and call it tassa-vuri - love-vision. This refers to a certain approach to reality with love. It implies falling in love with the Creator.) Love is seen in Sufism as an ever-increasing feeling inclusion in God, culminating in the understanding that there is nothing in the world but God, who is both Loving and Beloved. Therefore, one of the basic principles of Sufism is: "Ishk Allah, Mabut Allah" (God is Love, Loving and Beloved). This is very consonant with both classical Hindu yoga, the main principle of which is the principle of love, and Christ's understanding that "God is Love" (1 John, 4:8), and classical Buddhism, where the most striking aspect of love stands out - compassion. Juan Matus also speaks about love from the pages of Carlos Castaneda's books.
Sufis believe that love was introduced into Sufism by a woman mystic, Rabia al-Adawiya. She said that her "love ardor for God burns the heart." Farid-ad-Din Attar tells about her in The Life of the Sufi Saints that love for God so possessed her whole being that it left no room for any other attachments. In general, this is very characteristic of Sufism, because a genuine, truly loving Sufi gradually sinks, sinks and dissolves in God, in his Beloved, as Sufis often call God.
The perception of God as the Beloved comes from direct, immediate experience. Sufis describe it as follows. When a person travels a certain distance along the Path of Love, God begins to help the seeker, drawing him to His Abode. When this happens, a person begins to feel the response vibrations of Divine Love.
The well-known Persian Sufi poet Jalal-ad-Din Rumi writes about this in his Mesnevi:
If the light of love lit up in this heart,
know that Love burns in Tom.
When Love for God grows in your heart,
no doubt God loves you.
Clap will not sound from one palm if
the second is not included.
Let us follow how such true, perfect Love, leading to God, develops, based on the ideas of Jalal-ad-Din Rumi.
It happens:
1) through the development of emotional, heartfelt love for everything that is most beautiful and harmonious in the world,
2) through active, active, sacrificial, altruistic love-service to people,
3) then, through the expansion of the circle of this love to all manifestations of the world without differences.
Sufis say about this: "If you make a distinction between things that come from God, you are not a person of the spiritual path. If you think that a diamond will exalt you, and a simple stone will humiliate you, then God is not with you."
4) This developed love for all the elements of Creation is redirected to God, and then a person begins to see, according to J. Rumi, that "the Beloved is in Everything.
Obviously, this concept of Love is identical to those presented in the Bhagavad Gita and the New Testament. The same milestones, the same accents. True Love in Sufism, as well as in the best spiritual schools of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, is considered as the only force that can lead to God, as a constant shaping factor of a person on the Path to God. Only through love, according to these spiritual traditions, the ascetic can find the fulfillment of his aspirations.
However, speaking of love, the sheikhs warn against the danger of recklessly following this path, "for a fire that can warm can also burn." Most Sufis believe that the ordinary person cannot himself use the formative qualities of love. Therefore, he must follow the man who knows where these shaping factors can be found, how and to what extent they are to be used. Proceeding from this, the role of the teacher, mentor is very significant in Sufism. Teaching activity is rightly considered the core of Sufism (5).
Sufi sheikhs often live in the world, doing the most ordinary mundane activities. They can run a shop, a workshop, a smithy, write music, books, etc. This happens because the Sufis are convinced that there is no need for complete solitude, hermitage in order to go to God. Renunciation of worldly things is useless. They argue that there is nothing in worldly activities that separates from God, if you do not become attached to its fruits and do not forget about Him. Therefore, at all levels of spiritual ascent, a person can remain included in social life. Moreover, it is she who, in their opinion, provides great opportunities for improvement. If we consider every life situation as a learning situation, then you can communicate and even live side by side with the most "terrible" and depraved people, be subjected to the most rude influences and not suffer from it, on the contrary, maintain constant cheerfulness and serenity, improving through the social contacts offered by God (6).
As for the murid disciples (literally, "those who handed over their will"), the Sufi sheikhs emphasize that not everyone who would like to become a Sufi can become one, not everyone is ready to accept the Sufi teaching. Sufis say that nothing can be taught to anyone: you can only show the Way, but everyone must go through it himself. Therefore, if a student candidate does not have the ability to use the teaching for his spiritual development, there is no point in teaching, the teaching spills like water into sand.
The readiness of a person to perceive the teachings is determined by the sheikh. Moreover, provocative methods are often used for this. Those who aspire to become disciples are placed in various situations, sometimes harmless conversations are imposed on them in order to determine their level of development. If a student candidate shows promise, the sheikh, observing him for some time, determines his individual characteristics and the extent to which the teaching can be perceived by a novice adept. In accordance with this, certain tasks are set for the murid for the entire period of study and the sections of the teaching necessary for him are given.
Having determined the specifics of the student's spiritual development, the sheikh can send him to other orders, brotherhoods, and training centers. The neophyte begins to move from sheikh to sheikh and thus gradually comprehends and assimilates the program. After a long and versatile training, the murid again appears before his first sheikh. The sheikh gives him the final "internal cutting", "internal polishing" and then the so-called ijaza (permission) to continue the tradition of the sheikh and preach the teachings.
The sphere of Sufi teaching includes both the esoteric side and the exoteric side, i.e. murids improve not only ethically, intellectually, psychoenergetically, but also master techniques, comprehend the secrets of that worldly craft, art, which the sheikh owns. This subsequently helps them in life.
A wide variety of teaching aids are used to transmit the teachings: some rituals, prayers, various psychophysical exercises, breathing techniques, meditative practices, working with texts, musical works, studying movement, dance, etc. Extensive material is also widely used in the form of fairy tales, instructive stories, parables, fables, which describe in detail and carefully everything that can interfere with the spiritual development of a murid (7).
The Sufi learning process is quite specific. Often the sheikh does not teach in the conventional sense, i. giving some direct explanations, but creates situations in which the student learns himself. This is very reminiscent of the educational system of the Tibetan lamas, who use the same visual methods that quickly develop in students the ability to think independently (8).
There are several stages in Sufi education: usually 3-4, in some brotherhoods up to 7 or more. They correspond to the main stages of the spiritual advancement of the murid.
The initial stage of spiritual practice - sharia(lit. - law) - is associated with strict observance of all religious prescriptions. Preliminary passage of Sharia is a prerequisite for entering the path of spiritual perfection.
Actually esoteric training begins at the next stage - tariqah(lit. - way, road). The passage of the tarikat is associated with the development of a number of steps-maqams. The traditions of various Sufi brotherhoods allocate from 7 to 100 poppies.
The mastery of the steps of the tariqah presupposes intensive work of the ethical, intellectual, psychoenergetic plans. Let us briefly dwell on the first two areas of work in order to then move on to a more detailed consideration of Sufi psychoenergetic practices.
In ethical terms, the maqams of the tariqa suggest a fundamental reassessment of values. They are associated with the awareness of one's own vices, repentance (tauba), abstinence from the forbidden (zuhd), the strictest discretion in distinguishing between what is permitted and what is not permitted (wara), with the rejection of non-spiritual attachments and desires (faqr). Murid also learns patience (sabr) - "swallowing bitterness without expressing displeasure", as the famous Sufi sheikh Junayd said, commenting on this stage. The student tries to live and work spiritually only in the current day, not remembering the past, not looking into the future (tawakkul).
Hence comes the expression common in Sufi circles: "A Sufi is the son of his time," which means that a true Sufi lives in the current moment of being.
The development of the tawakkul stage is facilitated by such a form of work as reflections on death, which is widely used in Hindu yoga, and in Tibetan Buddhism, and in the Mexican school of Juan Matus. The constant memory of death, the awareness of its inevitability leads the murid to a number of rethinking. Including - to the appearance in him of a careful attitude to the time remaining on Earth, to the formation of an attitude: to work spiritually according to the principle of "here and now." Thinking about death is a powerful tool in dealing with unwanted habits and attachments. Even remembering her can be very effective, says Al-Ghazali: "When you like something in the worldly and attachment is born in you, remember death."
At the stage of the tarikat, intensive intellectual work is also carried out. Sheikhs constantly offer students new topics for reflection, talking with them about the basics of the teachings. Murids get acquainted with a variety of literary sources, rich parable material, educational stories, etc.
As the murid passes through all the stages of this stage, he acquires an infinite desire to achieve unity with God (9) and enters the state of rida, defined by the Sufis as "calmness in relation to predestination", i.e. in a state of serenity, complete calm about what is happening.
The considered stage of practice, in general, can be correlated with raja yoga.
Those who have successfully passed the maqams of the tarikat are given the opportunity to go further along the path. marefata(lit. - meditative comprehension of God). At this stage, further ethical "polishing" of the ascetic takes place, there is a constant improvement of his love (in various aspects), wisdom, strength. The Sufi who has passed this stage really comprehends the multidimensionality of space, the "illusory nature" of the values of material existence, and receives a living experience of communication with God. As an arif (knower), he may be ordained as a sheikh.
Some arifs manage to reach the fourth stage - haqiqat(khakk - letters, "truth"), on which, as the Sufis say, "real, genuine Being" is finally mastered. Haqiqat leads the arif to complete merging of his individual consciousness with the Object of his aspiration, with God.
The spiritual work carried out within the framework of marefat and haqiqat corresponds to that which is carried out at the levels of buddhi yoga (10).
An integral part of spiritual work at all stages of the spiritual ascent of the murids is psychoenergetic practice, which significantly accelerates the processes of ethical and intellectual improvement. Let us dwell in more detail on the psychoenergetic methods of the tariqa (11).
In some brotherhoods, the first step towards starting such work is the act of establishing a spiritual connection between the sheikh and the murid (rabita). This is achieved by concentrating the murid on the image of the sheikh, and then passionately identifying oneself with him. Such identification helps the student much easier and faster to perceive and assimilate the information necessary for his spiritual development. Similar methods of working with yidam are common in Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity (12).
In Sufism, psychoenergetic training is built in such a way that each student, depending on their individual characteristics, the measure of awareness, receives special tasks and exercises from the sheikh. At the same time, the sheikh also conducts group psychoenergetic training.
At the initial stages of psychoenergetic practice, the sheikh offers the murids a wide variety of exercises to develop the ability to concentrate, to stop the continuous flow of thoughts and achieve a "mental pause", work is also carried out with figurative representations.
The first skills of concentration are given, for example, by exercises in the arbitrary movement of concentration into one or another part of the body, in the transfer of concentration to various objects of animate and inanimate nature. Then more complex exercises are applied, including a series of successive body movements in combination with certain movements of concentration from one part of the body to another, a specific form of breathing in a special way, etc. G.I. Gurdjieff, who was trained by Sufi masters, witnessed how novice adepts performed such exercises all day long.
To develop concentration, stability in concentration, as well as to establish a "mental pause", such techniques as many days of concentrating on one thought, one idea, spending several months writing a sura of the Qur'an are also used. The sheikh can also be given such a task as a long repetition of one or another sura of the Koran or a prayer formula in an uncomfortable position.
The use of these techniques contributes to the cessation of mental processes and the long-term maintenance of a state of deep inner silence, peace. Against the background of such a mental "non-action" all the meditative classes of the student take place. He also strives to constantly maintain this state throughout the day, only automatically reacting to everything that happens to him.
Within the framework of the methods of the tarikat, murids also train in the art of visualization - in creating various images and emotional attunement with them. So you can work with images of plants, animals, as well as with a number of emotional states - both positive and negative. These exercises allow you to learn how to easily regulate your emotional sphere. The development of the ability to create vivid figurative representations enables the murids to work in those extreme situations in which sometimes, for pedagogical reasons, the sheikh can put them.
One of the techniques used at the very initial stages of the tariqah is jiberish or "gibberish". It consists in the rapid pronunciation of any most meaningless sounds, accompanied by any spontaneously arising body movements and emotional "outbursts". This technique is of a psychotherapeutic nature, actualizing complexes hidden in a person, clamps, repressed emotions, and also allows you to "throw out" everything rough and achieve inner purity.
Among the initial exercises used on the steps of the tarikat, we can also mention the exercise "stop". It consists in the following. According to the established sign or the word of the sheikh, all students instantly freeze. Any slightest movement is excluded. At the same time, they also try to keep their emotional state unchanged. During the "stop" students begin to move the concentration from one part of the body to another or smoothly spread it over the entire body. (With full, perfect concentration, no inconvenience of posture, body position is felt). In addition to the concentration skills that this exercise gives, it also contributes to the destruction of existing stereotypes of behavior, teaches you to look at yourself from the outside, and helps to increase the composure (alertness) of students.
As the tariqah passes, psychoenergetic work gradually becomes more complicated. The actual meditative practice (mushahada) begins with the use of various psychophysical exercises: rhythmic movements to music, dervish dances, Sufi shaking and whirling; special language forms (prayers, mantras) are also used; there is a deep meditative study of texts, etc.
The use of all this arsenal of means gives an excellent cleansing effect, develops certain energy structures of the body (in particular, anahata). Some of these exercises cause a very "fine tuning" of the body, mind and consciousness, leading practitioners to an ecstatic state called "hal" by the Sufis. There are different types of halal. Most often, the ascetic acquires such types of this state as: kurb - a feeling of closeness to God, mahabba - a feeling of ardent love for God, hauf - a feeling of deep repentance, shauk - a passionate impulse to God, etc. In terms of classical Hindu yoga, hal can be assessed as the first steps towards Samadhi (in the meaning given to this word by the Bhagavad Gita).
Let us explain what some of these practices are.
Dervish dances, for example, require the participants to completely release the body and achieve a complete "mental pause". Against the background of this emancipation, spontaneous natural movements arise. They are not planned, they are not set from the mind, but come "spontaneously". As a rule, dervish dances are performed using meditative music or meditative tunes. This gives an appropriate mood to all the dancers and brings the prepared participants to the state of hal.
Another interesting technique is Sufi whirling (whirling of dervishes). It allows you to withdraw consciousness from the head chakras, promotes the transformation of energy and entry into the state of hal. There are various modifications of this technique. Whirling can be carried out with or without music, with the use of mantras, without a certain concentration or with a concentration in certain energy structures of the body. In the latter case, circling can contribute to their development and improvement.
The general rules for performing the exercise are as follows:
1) start no earlier than 2-3 hours after eating;
2) circling is carried out in any convenient direction against the background of complete relaxation of the body;
3) open eyes are fixed on one of the raised hands, or defocused altogether;
4) circling is carried out in an individual rhythm, with the smoothest entry and exit from the exercise;
5) in case of a possible fall while circling, it is necessary to roll over on the stomach and relax;
6) after the exercise, relaxation is necessary;
7) it also requires complete confidence in the technique, complete "openness" during the exercise. Its duration is determined individually and can vary from several minutes to several hours.
At the "mature" levels of the tariqah, intensive work is carried out to develop and improve the energy structures of the body. If we use Hindu terminology, we are talking, in particular, about the chakras, nadis (meridians). (At the same time, special emphasis is placed on the development of anahata - the chakra responsible for the production of emotional "heart" love). For this, a variety of techniques are used, for example, prolonged concentration in one or another chakra or channel, work with mantric images that are placed in one structure or another of the body, or move from one structure to another, etc.
One such technique is laughter meditation. Its participants lie on their backs and completely relax. After meditative attunement, they place one of their hands on the anahata area, the other on the muladhara area, activating these chakras. Then those present begin to conduct waves of soft, light light-laughter through the body (from muladhara to the head chakras).
Laughter meditation has a cleansing effect and promotes the development and improvement of the chakras, the middle meridian, if, of course, it is carried out at the proper level of subtlety (13).
At all levels of the tarikat, special collective psychoenergetic trainings are also used, usually called "dhikr" (lit. - "mentioning the name of God") (14). They are very important in Sufism. Sufis consider dhikr to be "the pillar upon which the whole mystical path rests," since the regular performance of dhikr brings the "traveler" closer to God.
Variants, modifications of dhikr are very diverse - in accordance with the traditions of this or that brotherhood or order, the skill of the sheikh. Dhikr is performed as follows:
Everyone present stands or sits in a circle. The sheikh gives a certain meditative setting and then, at his direction, those present begin to perform a series of exercises replacing each other. These exercises are rhythmic movements performed at an ever-accelerating pace (for example, tilts, turns, swings of the body). The movements are accompanied by the pronunciation of certain prayer formulas. Against the background of them, breathing techniques can also be given.
In some orders, brotherhoods, music and singing are of the utmost importance during psychoenergetic training. It is believed that music - "food of the soul" (giza-i-ruh), as Sufis call it, is one of the most powerful means of promoting spiritual progress. Music is widely used that encourages the body to spontaneous movements (tarab), appeals to the mind (raga), evokes various emotions (kul), helps the emergence of appropriate figurative representations (nida), promotes entry into deep meditative states (saut), etc. In a number of orders and brotherhoods, daily listening to music, collective classes with vocal performance of mystical verses (sama), ecstatic dances to music, etc. have been introduced.
In addition to the usual methods, Sufism also has "high-speed" techniques of spiritual development, similar to the Tibetan Vajrayana (14). Through these secret techniques, the murid can make a very rapid advance. They apply only to those who already have a sufficiently high psychoenergetic readiness and the blessing of their sheikh.
But even ordinary Sufi methods are very powerful and effective. (For example, even a one-day successful experience of Sufi whirling can make a person completely different). The effectiveness of these techniques is achieved, among other things, due to the fact that meditative work is carried out not only using motionless body positions, but also against the background of movements. At the same time, special breathing exercises and prayers are widely used. Thanks to such a complex use of various methods, several "centers" of the human body are involved at once: emotional, motor, intellectual (16). The well-coordinated, harmonized work of the "centers" opens up possibilities for a very rapid change in the psychoenergetic state of the students.
The Sufi meditative tradition is very rich and very diverse. It has accumulated a tremendous experience of working with the body, mind, consciousness. The available arsenal of techniques is inexhaustible. In this ancient tradition, both the ways of cognition of Vajad (in Hindu terminology - Samadhi), and techniques for achieving the correct "crystallization" of consciousness in two higher spatial dimensions, and techniques for mastering Fana-fi-Rasul and Fana-fi-Allah (respectively, Nirvana) have been developed. in Brahman and Nirvana in Ishvara).
Sufism has a lot of originality and originality. But, despite this, its striking similarity with the spiritual traditions of other world's best religious schools and trends can be traced - the similarity of goals, ways of their implementation and even methods. This can only testify to one thing: that Sufism and Hesychasm, Taoism and Buddhist Tantrism, classical Hindu yoga and the path of the Mexican school of Juan Matus, as well as some other directions not named by us, are based on the same laws of spiritual development. They are only realized in different ways in certain cultural and historical conditions. Therefore, there are always people, regardless of their religion, regardless of belonging to a particular spiritual tradition, who successfully follow the Sufi path.
NOTES
(1) The materials of this article and other articles of the collection show the identity of Sufism and yoga.
(2) Not everyone who calls himself a Sufi is really one.
(3) The sacred tradition of Islam, presented in the form of hadith - short stories about the actions and sayings of the prophet Muhammad.
(4) All religions speak about it directly or indirectly. For example, the same idea can be traced in the New Testament: "The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21), in Vedanta: "Self-knowledge is the true essence of life."
(5) Compare: the attitude towards spiritual guidance that has developed in Hindu, Tibetan yoga, Taoism, etc.
(6) Compare: the principles of niyama santhosha and isvarapranithana.
(7) By the way, in one form or another, many literary Sufi stories, plots and images are reflected in the literature of the East and West.
(8) See other articles of the collection "Methodology of Yoga" for details.
(9) In Hinduism, this state is called "advaita", i.e. nonduality.
(10) For Buddhi Yoga, see also other articles in the collection and .
(11) Recently, some Sufi psychoenergetic techniques have become known due to their use in groups working according to the methods of G.I. Gurdjieff, in the ashram of Rajneesh, where they are used in a modified form, most often for psychotherapeutic purposes.
(12) See other articles in Yoga Methodology.
(13) For the practice of thinning, see .
(14) There is also a tradition of individual performance of dhikr.
(15) For more on the Vajrayana, see Art. "Tibetan yoga".
(16) See details.
LITERATURE
Bertels E.E. - Selected works. (In 3 vols.) M., 1960.
Inayat Khan - Sufi message about the freedom of the spirit. M., 1914.
Raja and Buddhi Yoga. Ed. VV. Antonova. M., 1990, 1992.
Fish R. - Jalaluddin Rumi. M., 1985.
Attar, Farid, Ud-Din. - The conference of the birds. L., "Rontledge Kegan Paul.", 1961.
Al-Chazzali - The revival of religious sciences. Tarndom, Surrey. Sufi Publishing Co., 1972.
Foster W. - Sufi studies today. L., "Octagon", 1968.
Lefort R. - The Teachers of Gurdjieff. L., 1966.
Rajneesh - The Orange Book. "Rajneesh Foundation", 1985.
Rumi Jalalu "d-din - The Mathnawi. Vol. 1-8. L. - Leiden, 1925-1940.
Smith M. - Rabi "a: the Mystic and her Fellow-Saints in Islam. Cambridge, 1928.
Uspensky P.D. - In Search of the Miraculous. N.Y., "Harcourt", 1949.
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The requirements for a woman from men and society are increasing every year. She must be beautiful, smart, give birth and raise healthy offspring, while earning money, be an interesting companion, and also create family comfort. And these are just some of the criteria. How, then, by nature, the sex that is weak by nature, can correspond to the set bar and not lose its individuality, but, on the contrary, expand its inner world and increase its attractiveness? The answer to these and many other questions can be found by referring to the Sufi practices for women, which represent a whole range of philosophical knowledge and practical advice for self-improvement. If you plunge headlong into this system, with its help you can comprehend yourself physically and spiritually, as well as understand your place and purpose in the Universe.
daily prayers
An integral part of spiritual practices are daily prayers, which are selected for women by a spiritual mentor. These can be both passages from the Koran and extended prayers, each of which has its own purpose. In order to achieve unity with God, Sufis read prayers at least 5 times every day. It is believed that with the help of such reading, problems can also be solved, the main thing is to do it consciously and delving into the essence of the issue that worries you, and if this task is performed correctly, the answers and solutions will not be long in coming. 
Dervish dances (sacred movements)
In order to start this exercise, you need to achieve a “mental pause”, which means completely abstracting from your thoughts, that is, not thinking about anything at all, but simply listening to meditative music or tunes. The fact is that Sufi dances do not have any special movements, they are obtained involuntarily and spontaneously, with complete relaxation of the body and mind.
Sufi whirl
One of the powerful exercises that help bring in and achieve harmony with your body is Sufi whirling. In order to start their implementation, you need to put on comfortable clothes that will not hinder movement, and take off your shoes, and then raise your right hand up, and lower your left hand down and start spinning clockwise. In order to feel the result, you need to do this for at least an hour. The body will gradually become immobile, and then a natural fall will come, which is not worth fearing. After a fall, you should lie on your stomach and stay in a calm, relaxed state for 15-30 minutes, it is advisable to focus on at this time.
Important! It is necessary to perform such an exercise at least 2-2.5 hours after eating.
Laughter meditation
In order to clear the mind of pressing problems and experiences, there is such a Sufi practice as laughter meditation. If performed correctly, you can improve and, thereby, increase female power.
First you need to relax and lie on your back. Gradually tune in to meditation, getting rid of thoughts and clearing your mind. Then you need to put one hand between the collarbones and the "solar" plexus, it is there that the Anahata chakra is located, which is responsible for love, and love with the heart, not the mind. And we place the second hand between the pubic part and the coccyx at the level of the Muladhara chakra, which is responsible for the psycho-emotional state and attractiveness of a woman. After that, it is necessary to pass a wave through you, which will smoothly rise from Muladhara to the head.
dhikrs
Another way to clear your mind and learn to perceive yourself and others calmly is to get rid of anger and irritation. The exercise can only be done in a good mood, and if you feel bad, angry or irritated, it is better to postpone the practice for a while. Sufi zikrs are performed as follows. Sit with your back straight, close your eyes and concentrate on what is inside you. Your inner vision should connect at this point. It is necessary to achieve a sensation of light in the "solar plexus" area, and then make it rise to the frontal part and linger between the eyebrows, and then descend to the liver area. You need to repeat dhikr 99 times. 
Important! In between exercises, it is recommended to perform the Sufi Breathing meditation, which involves raising an energy ball from the lower chakra to the highest one.
Spiritual stations
More advanced students can master spiritual stops, which consist in abstaining from certain benefits, as well as in programming to achieve their goals. The essence of the question is to concentrate on something very important to you in this period of time. For example, overcome your jealousy, gain hope or self-confidence, concentrate on knowledge and wisdom. You need to constantly monitor your feelings and emotions and pay attention to your reaction to what is happening. Such work on herself and her mistakes, her analysis, help a woman to transform spiritually and physically.
Did you know? Through meditation and spiritual improvement, you can reduce your biological age by 5-10 years, scientists have come to this conclusion.
Sufi practices aimed at self-knowledge and self-improvement help women find themselves, expand and clear their minds of unnecessary information, as well as get rid of many diseases and become more attractive.
This philosophy does not tolerate a superficial attitude, before starting the exercises, you need to get to the bottom of the matter, or even better, ask for help from a spiritual mentor who will direct you in the right direction and help you get rid of painful problems and set life priorities correctly.
In Sufism, psychoenergetic training is built in such a way that each student, depending on his individual characteristics and degree of awareness, receives special tasks and exercises from the sheikh. At the same time, the sheikh also conducts group psychoenergetic training.
At the initial stages of psychoenergetic practice, the sheikh offers the murids a wide variety of exercises to develop the ability to concentrate, to stop the continuous flow of thoughts and achieve a "mental pause", work is also carried out with figurative representations. Then the use of various psychophysical exercises begins: rhythmic movements to music, Sufi whirling, etc. The use of all this arsenal of means gives an excellent cleansing effect, develops the energy structures of the body. Some of these exercises cause "fine tuning" of the body, mind and consciousness, leading practitioners to an ecstatic state called hal by the Sufis. There are different types of halal. Most often, the ascetic acquires such types of this state as: kurb - a feeling of closeness to God, mahabba - a feeling of ardent love for God, hauf - deep repentance, shauk - a passionate impulse to God, etc.
Dervish dances
Dervish dances require the participants to completely release the body and achieve a complete "mental pause". Against the background of this emancipation and meditative attunement of consciousness to the perception of the Creator, harmonious "spontaneous" movements arise. They are not planned, they are not set from the mind, but come as if spontaneously. As a rule, dervish dances are performed using meditative music or meditative tunes. This gives an appropriate mood to all the dancers and brings the prepared participants to the state of hal.
Sufi whirl
Sufi whirling allows you to withdraw consciousness from the head chakras, which contributes to entering the state of hal. There are various modifications of this technique. Whirling can be carried out with or without music, with the use of mantras, without a certain concentration or with a concentration in certain energy structures of the body. In the latter case, circling can contribute to their development and improvement. The general rules for performing the exercise are as follows:
- you can start no earlier than 2-3 hours after eating;
- circling is carried out in any convenient direction against the background of complete relaxation of the body;
- open eyes are fixed on one of the raised hands, or defocused altogether;
- circling is carried out in an individual rhythm, with the smoothest entry and exit from the exercise;
- in case of a possible fall while circling, it is necessary to roll over on your stomach and relax;
- after the exercise, relaxation is necessary;
- it also requires complete "trust in technique", complete "openness" during the exercise. Its duration is determined individually and can vary from several minutes to several hours.
Laughter meditation
Its participants lie on their backs and completely relax. After meditative attunement, they place one of their hands on the anahata area, the other on the muladhara area, activating these chakras. Then those present begin to conduct waves of soft, light light-laughter through the body (from muladhara to the head chakras). Laughter meditation has a cleansing effect and promotes the development and improvement of the chakras and the middle meridian.
Variants and modifications of dhikr are very diverse - in accordance with the traditions of this or that brotherhood or order, the skill of the sheikh. Dhikr is performed as follows: all those present stand or sit in a circle; the sheikh gives a meditative attunement and then, at his direction, those present begin to perform a series of exercises replacing each other. These exercises are rhythmic movements performed at an ever-accelerating pace (for example, tilts, turns, swings of the body). The movements are accompanied by the pronunciation of prayer formulas. In some orders, brotherhoods, music and singing are of the utmost importance during psychoenergetic training. It is believed that music is the food of the soul (giza-i-ruh) - one of the very powerful means of promoting spiritual progress. Music is widely used, which encourages the body to "spontaneous" movements (tarab), promotes entry into deep meditative states (saut), etc. In a number of orders and brotherhoods, daily listening to music, collective classes with vocal performance of mystical verses (sama), ecstatic dances to music, etc. have been introduced.
In addition to the usual methods, there are also "speedy" techniques of spiritual development in Sufism. Through these secret techniques, the murid can make very rapid progress. They apply only to those who already have a sufficiently high psychoenergetic readiness.
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