VISION FOR THE ABODE

On the surface of a pond, lotus flowers appear as separate entities. But when one plunges beneath the water, one can see that the different flowers share the same roots. So it is with motivations. At first sight our ambitions appear to be particular to ourselves. But deeper insight reveals that all of our aspirations ultimately incline toward the expression of the One Being s impulse of compassionate creativity. The world, within and without, continuously presents us with signs of this universal force of love. The whole of the cosmos is as a womb for our exquisite physical and psychic anatomy. Eons of inorganic and organic evolution have progressively configured humankind with impeccable purposefulness. Clearly a sacred destiny is longing to be realized.

This destiny requires our conscious choice. In our freedom, the originating will has ceded to uncertainty. The future of the Earth is not predetermined; it is in our hands. We are very evidently capable of shrinking from our cosmic purpose and seeking diversion in soul-numbing vanities, inviting eventual if not imminent doom and oblivion upon ourselves and upon the natural order of which we are part. But we are also endowed with the choice to' open our hearts in worshipful surrender to reality, to recreate ourselves in the divine image, manifesting the universal will of compassionate self-disclosure as conscious, co-creative participants.

 In all eras, throughout the globe, prophets attuned to the divine mind, the Spirit of Guidance, have urged humanity to overcome the stupor of narcissism and claim its sacred destiny. Many were ignored, rejected or martyred. The world s great religions represent the legacies of those whose voices were heard. Each religious tradition offers a divinely inspired pattern of life. But these life-ways become dull and brittle in time in the absence of fresh infusions of living truth.

It is the work of those who inwardly awaken to the essential message of the prophets to revivify the world continuously in the light of the Spirit of Guidance. To communicate the experience of essence, the heirs of the prophets have cultivated specific forms of contemplative and meditative practice. In all genuine mystical lineages, a repertory of practice is transmitted in tandem with a channel of Iiberatory energy that constitutes the cumulative consciousness of the successive transmitters.

In the person of Hazrat Inayat Khan, who founded the Sufi Order in the West in 1910, the combined Sufi transmissions of the Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, Suhrawardiyya, and Naqshbandiyya assimilated a fresh dispensation from the Spirit of Guidance. This has occurred in an era of unprecedented historical transformation, wherein the consequences of human choice have reached a critical juncture.

The keynote of the Sufi Message is balance. The Message is a call to integrate in a dynamic equilibrium the polarities of masculine and feminine, spirit and matter, soul and body, the impersonal and the personal, consciousness and conscience.
It is the purpose of the Esoteric School of the Sufi Order to guide and support seekers in their natural inner unfoldment, to progressively realize the potential of the complete human being. This process culminates in acute resonance with the Spirit of Guidance and conscious participation.

It is by the path of discipline that the goal of freedom is attained. Advancement on the path proceeds from an unwavering commitment to the pursuance of the ideal. To err is human, but sincerity of heart invariably attracts grace and redemption.

The Abode of the Message is the central residential community and learning
center of the Sufi Order International, founded by Hazrat Inayat Khan. It is the intention of the Abode of the Message as a community, to collectively embody spiritual awakening. Essential to this is clarity in our mutual commitment to practicing, in all situations, the Sufi teachings. Shared devotion to the ideals of Love, Harmony and Beauty, and to the specific transformational work whereby these ideals are progressively realized, provides the natural framework for mutual dedication and visionary collaboration.

The essential goals of the Abode of the Message, as I perceive them, are these:
*     To offer instruction in the Esoteric School through sacred readings, meditations, classes, and personal guidance.
*     To offer accommodation and guidance for individual and group retreats.
*     To reflect the Message through the activities of Universal Worship, Kinship, Healing, Ziraat, and the Prayers of the Confraternity.
*     To host programs that reflect authentic mysticism and the unity of religious ideals.
*     To live as a Sufi community, supporting each other s spiritual unfoldment and together cultivating a rich culture expressing the ideals of Love, Harmony and Beauty.
*     To be the hub of the Sufi Order International, housing the Secretariat offices and welcoming as brothers and sisters Sufis of all nationalities.
*     To positively respond to inquirers, graciously receive guests, and reach out to the larger society with altruism and optimism.
*     To act as stewards of the land and its myriad creatures, communing with and safeguarding our natural environment.

I pray that our shared life and work may glorify the One Being and serve humanity.

Pir Zia Inayat-Khan