Idries Shah, Sufi Thought and Action
43 quotes
"Miracles, to the Sufi, are not evidential, they are instrumental."
"Eat what you desire, but dress like other people."
"Continuously, in commemoration of the FriendWe drank wine, even before the creation of the vine."
"Whoever knows God, does not (any longer) say “God”."
"To Him who has sense, a sign is enoughFor the heedless, however, a thousand expositions are not enough."
"The bird which has no knowledge of pure water, has his beak in salt water all year round."
"Much religious teaching in the world is in reality a confused or deteriorated form, very different from its roots."
"Sufis aim to refine human consciousness. This is Sufi mysticism: not mystification or magic, but a specific Path."
"Materialism, attachment to things of the world, includes pride. Many religious people suffer from pride: taking pleasure or even delight in being good, or religious."
"If wine is the enemy of religion, I shall devour the enemy of religion."
"The Sufis regard systems which treat everyone alike as mechanical and degenerate."
"A man must be a Solomon before his magical ring will work"
"A man must be a Salomon before his magical ring will work. (Hafiz)"
"Imagination blocks you like a bolt on a door. Burn that bar. (Rumi)"
"Sufis (the name for the realised individual, not the learner or follower) are reunited with objective Reality and Unity."
"The clothes may vary, but the person is the same."
"Sufis deny the absolute reality of time, space and physical form. These things are both relative and local. They only appear to be absolute."
"People who cannot trust are themselves not trustworthy, and therefore cannot be entrusted with important things."
"Saadi: Be a true renouncer, (zahid) and [you can even] ware satin."
"Inheritance and culture obscure people’s higher capacities."
"Trust is needed before lessons can be learnt."
"Well-meant techniques such as arbitrary self-mortification, are useless."
"Humility has to precede instruction."
"A Sufi is alive to the value of time, and is given, every moment, to what that moment demands."
"How many friends would you have if you went from one to another asking them to conceal a dead body?"