The Sufi Order International

	The Sufi Order Was founded near the beginning of the twentieth century by Hazrat Inayat Khan, an Indian musician and mystic who traveled to Europe and America with a mission to harmonize eastern and western spirituality. He brought a universalist teaching that honored the underlying truth of all religious traditions, and his message touched the hearts of many.
	The Development of the Sufi Order in the latter decades of the twentieth century was the task of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, who sought to reconcile science and spirituality. Pir Vilayat was indefatigable in pursuit of a schedule of seminars and retreats that would often find him traveling non-stop around the globe for weeks and months on end.
	Today's Sufi Order is presided over by Pir Zia Inayat-Khan, who is immersed in building a modern Wisdom School devoted to the environment, cosmology, revelation, and chivalry. He is devoted to the principle of spiritual liberty, and brings the wisdom of the ancient Sufis to vibrant life in a post-modern context.

The Abode Center

The Sufi Order is organized into local centers, each of which serve a particular region, offering classes, programs, and companionship to kindred spirits in various regions throughout the country. Here at the Abode we are blessed with having one of the largest and most active Sufi Order centers in North America. We have an abundance of senior teachers, healing conductors, cherags, and retreat guides who provide an unsurpassed richness and variety of programs and learning opportunities.

We email an update listing the center activities each week. To receive this update, send a request to sarmad@sufiorder.org. Any other inquiries can be sent to this e-dress, and someone will respond by email or phone if you give a phone number and time that we can reach you. The Center Newsletter, Heaven and Earth, can be read or downloaded on this site

	Universal Worship A true interfaith service that honors the unity of religious ideals. Scriptures of the world's major religions and Wisdom traditions share space on a common altar that celebrates the golden thread of truth that runs through each. Universal Worship services are held each Sunday morning at the Abode, officiated by a variety of Cherags (ministers). Services may include participation by the congregation in chants, songs and dances drawn from or inspired by the different faiths.
	Ziraat Ziraat is one of the branches of teaching given by Inayat Khan. It uses the language of agriculture to aid us in cultivating the mind and heart, to discover our essential being. We hold Ziraat ceremonies at the Abode on the soltices and equinoxes.  Other ceremonies may fall on the full or new moon or be a spontaneous sharing. The ceremony is about 20-30 minutes, outdoors, weather permitting, and uses symbols, invocation of the elements, and lessons. Watch the weekly center updates for announcements of ceremonies.
	Healing Order The Sufi Healing Order is dedicated to nurturing and developing the spiritual healing ministry in our time.  It is open to people from all faiths, races and creeds. The Sufi Healing Order is an international spiritual order that is rooted in the teachings of Sufism, and focuses on the development of healing capacity and the integration of body, mind, heart, soul, and spirit. Our goal is to make available to the wider population meditative tools and practices that promote and support the awakening in humanity that is occurring today, to the power of the Divine Spirit to heal. A ritual of absent healing for those who have requested prayers is held following Universal Worship on Sunday morning, and in conjunction with a healing class on Wednesday evenings.
	The Esoteric School The Esoteric School of the Sufi Order is an initiatic school in which a mureed (student) works with a guide of his or her choosing through a process of inner development and transformation. The guide prescribes specific practices that lead to a spiritual unfoldment. Teaching papers appropriate to different initiatic levels are offered on Thursday evenings, followed by a class or zikr (chanting) offered by guest teachers. All are welcome. There is also a class on Tuesday evenings on the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. The center at the Abode is blessed with several teachers who are authorized to act as spiritual guides. Enquirers can call the Sufi Order at 518-794-7834, or visit www.sufiorder.org
	The Retreat Center A fully autonomous retreat concentration is an adjunct of the Abode center. Certified Retreat Guides offer individual spiritual retreats of varying durations from three to thirty days. Retreatants occupy their own cabins and meet daily with the retreat guide, who suggests the day's schedule of practices and offers feedback on the retreatant's experience. The retreat process is based upon the alchemical model developed by Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, but is not limited to this model. Retreats may be about healing, reconnecting with one's self or the planet, inner awakening, even about resting. There are many options. The retreat center can usually provide a retreat guide who is attuned to the mode of retreat that is being sought. Spiritual retreat is the most powerful process for personal transformation offered by the Sufi Order.