Principles of Sufism is a quarterly column with inspirational words of wisdom from the Executive Editor of Sufism: An Inquiry, Seyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha.

When We Need More Prayers
From Vol. 9, No. 4

Murid
From Vol. 5, No. 1

Religion and Non-Violence
From Vol. 8, No. 3

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Sufism and Universal Harmony

From Vol. 9, No. 1

In the world of creation, we live in the confinements of images and sounds, dimensions and reflections. Behind such multiplicity of expressions and pictures, lies the essence of unity, bound by the powerful hand of a universal harmony, the rule that binds the book of creation together.

The rule of harmony is that attractive power governing the universe; it exists within the very heart of every cell, yours and mine; and extends to the heart of the eternal. It is timeless; free from the confines of dimensions.

In this magnificent cycle of creation, in this awesome stage of being, we each take our parts as individuals, live our affairs and experience what is most suited to our perceptions, and live within the limitations of our individuation.

Yet Hafiz (the thirteenth century Persian Sufi) beautifully states:

All of these reflections
Make but one image
The reflection of the Wine bearer
In the Cup of Wine.

The beautiful world of nature surrounds us, the world of creation has gracefully made this universe suited for life, cycles of life take their harmonious turns, all magnificent chapters in the book of Unity.

A graceful blossom shines with delicate petals and brilliant colors, its intoxicating fragrance spreads to the highest of heavens, such beauty and all, within and without, are the creations of a harmonious unity between all that which exists. A graceful blossom and the lowly dust, the roots searching for nourishment, the air reflecting life, the sun high above, laws and rules of existence, genes of information and traditions, and many more visible and invisible agents work hand in hand, in perfect harmony to create their masterpiece and make it visible to the eyes of human.

What may take us away from the immediate realization of the essential law of Unity and its harmonious rules, is differentiation: surface differences. While differences enrich our perceptions of images and sounds, add beautiful colors to the storage of our minds; they also encourage our oppositions, our conflicts, our hostility which have their foundations rooted deeply in our greed, in our fear, and in our hunger for having more.

The more our understanding is focused towards the surface, the more distractions, conflicts, and limitations we will experience, which ultimately will take us away from the bounty and richness of Being that lives in perfect harmony with the nature of humankind. As the Divine revealed: I was a hidden treasure, I wanted to be known, so I created the creation so I would be known.

When our understanding of the surface law changes into the understanding of the essential law, our thoughts, our ways of being, will be transformed. We will take a step into a deeper awareness, a ground for a peaceful life, for tranquillity, service, compassion and generosity. We lose the small ego, and become dissolved into the greater universe, we step beyond the world of limitation onto a greater understanding, away from animosity into compassion, we break the bondage of greed and embrace the freedom of generosity, and understand the ultimate Unity.

We may need to re-discover this universal harmony that permeates our lives and our beings. Since our basic foundation is understanding, differences in our appearances, our societies and our cultures will not create an obstacle for the pursuit of such knowledge.

We may need to come together to educate ourselves for such learning. The more peaceful, generous and compassionate we become, a better service we may provide for our society, and a better ground we will create for every member of our human family to celebrate life in its peacefulness and richness; so in serving humanity we may choose to serve our faith.

Neither you nor I solved the secret of Being
Neither you nor I opened the puzzle.
The image of you and I are hidden behind the curtain,
When the curtain falls
Neither you nor I will remain.