99 Reasons To Read The Sufi Book Of Life

It's okay, I'm not really going to list 99 reasons.  I just couldn't resist that headline for a review of The Sufi Book Of Life by Neil Douglas-Klotz, subtitled 99 Pathways Of The Heart For the Modern Dervish.

I'm going to limit myself to nine reasons why I think this book would be loved by learners.

But even that framework's proved something of a challenge to me. 

It's partly because I've got so close to the book.  It's been my bedside companion for months now, has become so known, so familiar it's hard to find the words to introduce the book to someone coming to it for the first time.

It's partly because I haven't read the book all the way through (more on why below...)

And it's partly because what you take from this book will be hugely personal, reflecting your perspectives, experience, emotions, and where you happen to be in whatever journey you're on right now.

But of course all of those reasons are also why I'd recommend this book :-)

So why do I think this book would be enjoyed by a set of joyful, jubilant learners?

#1 You're encouraged to read the book in unconventional ways

This is full contact reading and a half.  The intro guide suggests you don't start reading from the beginning but open it at random.  Don't worry about getting the point.  Forage.  Dig and delve.  Cut it up.  (Cut it up?? A bit extreme even for us I thought.  Actually he means taking a copy of the list of pathways and cutting that up to help you select a pathway.)

[A pathway is a simple term for "a meditation on the heart qualities of the sacred", or the qualities of unity.  But don't worry too much about the terminology right now.]

This is why I haven't read the book I'm reviewing cover to cover.  (But some words are ingrained in my heart.)

#2 It speaks to those who would leap

I love the opening section of the book: Setting Out On The Journey. It comes before the first pathway in the book (in turn numbered 0.  I like this numbering system!)  Getting us ready to begin.  To take a step into the unknown.  To leap.

He talks about the ingredients we need: of courage, and heart. 

"When you are guided to this pathway of the heart, take a moment to breathe, and begin what you are about to do wholeheartedly."

You could say the book is about learning to do just that.  To do something wholeheartedly.  With the whole of your heart.

# 3 It's multi-storied

The author uses stories, poetry, teachings, meditations, explanations of the words and meaning to offer us different points of entry.  His style is full of possibility.  He doesn't tell you what to do or think, but allows you to find your own way.

# 4 You're taken beyond black and white

Given some recent conversations here I think this might appeal to many of you - although it is challenging to some of our 'conventional' patterns of thinking.  Sufism allows for both/and pathways.  Not just high self-esteem, but low self-esteem too.  Not just preparing the way but also doubling back.  Both exaltation and diminishment.

There's a place for it all, something to be learned from it all.

# 5 Each chapter is short, accessible, powerful

Each chapter covers just one pathway - an explanation of its meaning, some thoughts on what it might mean to you or why you might find yourself drawn to it.  Perhaps an extract from some teachings old or modern, some lines of a poem, or a short (very short) story.  There are no more than two pages per pathway, which encourages you to dip into it - and breathe into it.

# 6 You're encouraged to find your own learning

I'll include one of the short stories here to show you the style - and to make the learning point.  It's from the introduction:

"A man goes to a barber and says, 'I have to go for a job interview.  Can you cut all of these white hairs out of my beard?'
'Certainly,' says the barber, and proceeds to cut off the man's whole beard and wrap up the hairs.  'Now take this home.  You can sort out the white hairs for yourself'"

# 7 There are some big dreams and audacious plans

"Perhaps life is calling you right now to shape a beautiful work or composition that will serve others as well as yourself.  Visualize it, and then take definitive action, without any half-measures.  As Rumi says: 'When in doubt, start a large foolish project like Noah!'"

From Pathway 11, Carving and Forming.  (I just love that Rumi quote!)

# 8 You'll recognise many values we share here

Like the importance of friendship (Pathway 55):

"There are many things in the life of a Sufi, but the greatest is to have a tendency to friendship; this is expressed in the form of tolerance and forgiveness, in the form of service and trust"

#9 It's not an exposition on Sufism

If that's what you're looking for, you might be disappointed.  But if you're interested in some practical tools for leaning about life, about your journey through it, about yourself - well I'd encourage you to give this a whirl.

If you'd like to learn a bit more about The Sufi Book Of Life before buying the book you'll get a good feel for what's in store by visiting the associated website The Sufi Book Of Life.  The site includes a guide to reading the book, the introduction, and a sample chapter (Pathway 51: Al-Haqq, The Truth In Each Moment)

You'll also find an online oracle, with a button you can click to take you towards a pathway.  This isn't a future predictor but:

Rather it helps your own intuition to express and reflect back to you something of your state at the moment. The voice sought by the Sufi is one which, as Hazrat Inayat Khan beautifully expressed, 'constantly comes from within.' In this sense, the sayings only help reinforce one's own connection to the spirit of guidance.

I wasn't at all sure about the idea of clicking for this kind of navigation, but when I tried it I felt like I'd had an electric shock from the computer! - the pathway that came up was spot on what I needed to hear that day...

You'll see from the excerpts on the site that the book includes the Arabic names for the pathways (as well as plain English translations) and I guess that might just put some people off.  I found though that the author had done a fantastic job of making this book as accessible as possible, by using plain, soft, sweet language plus the inclusion of poems and short stories to bring the material to life.

I have written a longer review than I intended - though shorter than the 99 reasons I promised (or threatened!) in the headline. 

But still I doubt if I've captured what this book means to me, what I've learned from it, or how it might help you - to reflect, to learn, to leap with the whole of your heart.

---

The reviewer Joanna Young is a writing coach who lives and works in Edinburgh.

You can read more of her work at the Confident Writing blog. This month she's looking at inspiration: writing that's inspired, that inspires you, and inspires others.  Knowing what inspires you - and what to do when it seems out of reach.  Finding inspiration in the every day. Writing with the breath of life; writing that's come from the source.

Comments

[Steve Sherlock]

thanks Joanna! Nine succinct reasons for exploring the way of the sufi and another book to add to my list to read.

This format and suggested reading process goes against the way I prefer (and have been trained) to read but one that makes the most sense to sift through the material. Life CAN be approached in something other than the either/or, black/white traditional Western thought process some of us have been used to. Getting into another's shoes (sandals) and walking in their footsteps can open one's eye to another way.

[David Zinger]

Joanna:

Pardon the bad pun but it the sufi fits...wear it. And I could wear much of this wisdom: "When you are guided to this pathway of the heart, take a moment to breathe, and begin what you are about to do wholeheartedly."
I find myself stopping my breathing quite a bit and I have returned to mindful breathing and simply noticing I am stopping without beating myself up.

You could have written 99 ways Joanna as I would have read them all. Thanks for the link to the site too.

David

[Joanna Young]

Steve, there's something about the format and indeed the feel of the book that makes it easy to read in different ways. I didn't find it too much of a stretch although I am quite a conventional reader (compared to some of us here!)

I think this is why and how it's become like a 'friend' to me, because what it means and represents is deeply personal, shaped by my reading of and reactions to it.

I hope you enjoy the experiment anyway :-)

David

I think you would love this book. It has many simple, powerful statements, ideas, encouragements to breathe, to allow yourself, to be... very much in keeping with the philosophy of your new site I think.

I'm glad you enjoyed the review, your feedback means a lot to me

Joanna

[Rosa Say]

Joanna, what is Sufism? I've never heard of it before.

And I'm curious; how did this book come to you?

[Karen Wallace]

Joanna, what a gorgeous review... I think some of the essence of the book has come through in your writing, it seemed to me that my breathing deepened and my heart rate slowed as I read your post.

My copy of this book finally arrived last week (ordered after your high praise of it previously) - a little battered as the box had broken in transit, but nonetheless here. I haven't had time to open it yet, but it sits there, tempting to me to come, taste, read... ahhh - pity I have work to do right now!

It is interesting that the way to read it, as you explained it, is one I prefer. I think there is something to be said for 'dipping' in where the open page leads, and I do this often with all non-fiction books (maybe it is that messy nature coming out again:-).

[Joanna Young]

Rosa, two questions that get straight to the point! And I love the phrasing of the second question - how do books come to us - what an intriguing thought for this Monday morning.

I'm going to start with that one because it's easier to answer. It was recommended to me by Adam Kayce, the Monk at Work.

The second question... It is something that kind of resists definition (and I wonder if the "ism" at the end is really appropriate)

Wikipedia gives it as the inner or mystical dimension of Islam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufism

I think if I was to hesitate a definition at all I'd say it was a spiritual practice, based on a set of teachings that originated many centuries ago in the Middle East.

Neil Douglas-Klotz says that Sufism is a series of 'nots' - not a religion, not a philosophy, not a mysticism, but "a way of experiencing reality as love itself"

You may have heard of the associated word Dervish (picked up in the subtitle of the book) - dervishes were wandering practitioners of sufism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dervish

Douglas-Klotz describes a Dervish as "one who sits in the doorway, or on the threshold of something, ready to move on and transform his or herself"

I think this is why I thought it might be of interest to JJLers...

Hope this helps

Joanna

[Joanna Young]

Karen, thank you, that is a compliment indeed :-)

It sounds as if your copy of the book has a story to tell! I hope it still feels good to you - I love the physical feel of this book, very soft, flexible, inviting.

And it begs for you to dip in and explore.

I hope you enjoy what you find there.

Joanna

[Rosa Say]

Mahalo Joanna, I like that Douglas-Klotz description of a Dervish --- that will be the word that is my keeper!