Sufi of Afghanistan

[Immortal4life]

Here is a cool documentary by Arnaud Desjardin about the Sufi of Afghanistan. Although it is not in english, it is still cool to see-

 

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cox8fMHJQtU[/media

]

 

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r2YE5xudhc[/media

]

 

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9Hf1Wx-YMM[/media

] Edited January 13, 2013 by Immortal4life

[orb]

Here is a cool documentary by Arnaud Desjardin about the Sufi of Afghanistan.

 

 

 

good stuff thx

Edited May 30, 2012 by orb

[gatito]

Here is a cool documentary by Arnaud Desjardin about the Sufi of Afghanistan. Although it is not in english, it is still cool to see-

 

That is amazing!

 

I was struck by a sense of the similarities between this chantingt of this practice and the chants of Tibetan Buddhism.

 

The authentic face of mystical Islam - people of Peace.

 

Thanks.

[Immortal4life]

Glad you liked it.

[Cheshire Cat]

Beautiful

Thank you very much.

 

I don't speak french, but I particularly like the footage of initiations.

Sufi Masters are able to make you see angels and supernatural beings just by touch

your head.

[gatito]

Glad you liked it.

 

Loved it!

 

Been doing a bit of research on Arnaud Desjardins to see if I can find the whole documentary- he was a very interesting man!

 

Here's his Wikipedia entry for anyone who might be interested:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnaud_Desjardins

 

And here's his Ashram:- http://www.amis-hauteville.fr/

[Immortal4life]

Cool.

[gentlewind]

Immortal4life, hope you don't mind me adding two videos from two wonderful spiritual teachers who are both Sufi's.

 

Irina Tweedie - Part 1 of 5. I can watch this again and again !

 

Sufi mystic ; Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee talks about " the one "

 

Namaste,

 

gentlewind

[skydog]

[skydog]

maniiccc booom

[skydog]

.

Edited May 31, 2013 by skydog

[baiqi]

Arnaud Desjardins, who passed away last year I think?, was himself the disciple of Swami Prajnanpad, an indian master of a no-duality school of yoga.

 

His teachings were about acceptance of everything that is as a key concept. Some consider Arnaud to be an "enlighted master". Don't know if this is true or not, but his teachings are quite interresting.

 

 

About sufism in general:

 

I personally view sufism and Islam as two completly different things, even opposite sometimes. I know sufis consider themselves muslims, but I believe sufism to have existed long before Islam. (In Turkey, for example, I believe it originates from philosophical schools, possibly from ancient Greece.) I think the sufis agreed to convert to Islam in order to avoid persecutions (well they were sometimes persecuted anyway) and maintain their spiritual teachings alive to next generations.

 

Just like some druids converted to catholicism in order to keep their knowledge alive.

 

I don't have historical evidence (does anyone?) for this, but it's my feeling: when I read about Sufism, it's all about wisdom, when it's about "classical" Islam... it's BS.

 

Sadly, many of the people you see on this video are now dead, some were killed during the war against USSR, others under the Talibans.

[baiqi]

I understand French, so I give you the translation (first part for now):

 

" We see the masters concentrate before practicing what is called "dikr" in arabic, or "zikr" in persian."

 

" The brothers are gathered in a circle outside which stays the master of the brotherhood. Remaining still, he is able to see the internal state of each of the participants."

 

" As we saw, the "zikr" done in group- is a teaching prepared by the "Pir" and given to each disciple personnaly."

 

"In the circle of the "zikr", like in the heart of the monks, separated individualities fade away. Egotistic claims leave the place for the feeling of an energy above the individuals."

 

" The Qu'ran's assertions, all the names of God pronunced in it, have such a wealth of meaning that those who don't understand arabic nor were raised in the islamic tradition cannot comprehend."

 

" All the functions and energies of the sufi are involved in this invocation"

"It is a form of prayer in which the whole being of the disciple is engaged. It is based upon extremly precise breathing and voice techniques".

 

4'38 (more to come and editing...when I have time)

[Maddie]

that made me laugh so hard

[baiqi]

You're welcome, Rainbowvein.

 

From 4'38:

 

" I know these images can be pretty confusing for watchers who don't know about this practice. It has no equivalent in Christian tradition. These are sacred practices for the sufi, usually hidden, even secret. They were recorded under the responsibility of Afghan masters themselves, and for exceptional reasons. I am asking you to receive this message as a sign of trust from the Afghan sufi to European audiences, and to watch these images - no matter how confusing they may look at first- with the respect that would be expected from those who allowed me to bring them in our country."

 

" The rythm is getting faster and faster. The "Pir" is getting more vigilant, making sure that everyone, including the newbies, is keeping self-control. Actually, if the mastery of the "dikr" is not complete, the participant might fall into coma or faint.

I have witnessed a lot of zikr like this one, sometimes during a whole night, and I saw a loss of self -control only once, and just for a couple of minutes.

An uninformed person may believe they are driven by raging energies. However, one word from the master is enough to make it all stop within a few minutes, and it can start again on a much slower and quiter rythm.

 

Those who practice zikr in a correct way are in a state of consciousness that the unengaged witness cannot even start to comprehend.

In the middle of these raging movements, they experience stillness, they are stillness. In the middle of noise, they experience silence, they are the silence.

 

End of the first video.

Edited May 31, 2013 by baiqi

[DragonsNectar69k]

 

Soo.. WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING HERE?

[skydog]

Energy transmission, shaking medicine, kundalini

[baiqi]

Second video:

 

"This respect for the past is hard to understand for westerners, who like the idea of "progress" and are forward-looking. The big difference between modern thinking, which emphasises " possessions" and the ancient consciousness which acknowledge the superiority of the "Being", may be here. For a hindu, a buddhist, a muslim, and for -let's have the courage to say it- a real christian, the essential Truth has already been revealed, there is no need to make innovations.

 

It doesn't matter if we talk about the Hindu sage who achieved " mukti" - or liberation-, the buddhist sage who achieved the Nirvana, or the sufi sage who accomplished "death to himself" or "fana", remaining in God, is forever settled in the fullness of the Being. This perfection is outside of time, there is no need for any improvement. The muslim, the sufi disciple in particular, tries to accomplish this high state of Man, that so many sages attained before him, century after century, generation after generation.

 

End of video 2

[baiqi]

Video 3:

 

just watched it, and I'll translate it later. Although it is very interesting too, I think it's just a sample from the original documentary.

 

There are many "cuts", sometimes in the middle of a sentence, so don't be surprised about that.