Table of Contents
Foreword ix
Invocation 1
Preamble 6
Chapter 1 Preparing for the Journey 5
Chapter 2 On God and Faith 9
On the Use of the Word God 9
Distinguishing Between Faith and Belief 11
Chapter 3 Introduction to Meditation 14
General Introduction 14
Preliminaries 16
A Note of Warning 17
General Instructions 20
Part 1 Working With the Breath
Introduction 27
Chapter 1 Purification Practices With the Elements 34
Baptism With Earth 35
Baptism With Water 35
Baptism With Fire 36
Baptism With Air 37
Chapter 2 Influences of the Elements Upon Our Psyche 40
Earth 40
Water 41
Fire 42
Air 43
Chapter 3 Sensing the Life Field 45
Chapter 4 Breath Directed Centrifugally Versus Centripetally 49
Chapter 5 Directions of Breath Ascending and Descending 51
The Sufi Vantage Point 52
Chapter 6 Pranayama and Kasab 55
The Yoga Method 56
Kasab, The Sufi Perspective on Pranayama 57
Chapter 7 Transmuting Energy: Kundalini 62
Energy Spiraling 62
Tibetan Practices 64
A Further Tibetan Practice 66
Part 2 Working With Light
Introduction 71
Chapter 1 Working With the Aura 79
Chapter 2 Working With the Glance 83
Chapter 3 Practices with the Sun 86
Chapter 4 Visualizations; Landscapes of the Soul 89
The Lake in the Moonlight 91
Drops of Light Sparkling on a Pool of Light 91
Phantasm of the Kaleidoscope 92
Celestial Skyscapes 93
The Mountain Scene 94
Renewal in the Life Cycles 95
The Human Drama in War 95
Chapter 5 Unveiling Spheres of Light 97
Part 3 Working With Sound and Mantram
Introduction: Sound 105
Chapter 1 The Mantram 109
Chapter 2 The Sufi Dhikr 112
Nasut 124
Khayal 116
Ajsam 116
Mithal 118
Malakut 121
Jabarut 125
Lahut 127
Hahut 131
Tawhid 134
Part Four Modulating Consciousness
Introduction: The Mind-Energy Connection 141
Chapter 1 The Cosmic Dimension 148
Extending Our Sense of Identity 149
Chapter 2 Turning Within 153
Chapter 3 Transcendence 165
The Sufi Method 168
Chapter 4 A Comparison Between the Advanced Stages of Dhikr and Samadhi 170
1 Annihilation of the Subject in the Object 170
Contemplation 171
Yoga: Savitarka Samadhi 173
2 Annihilation of the Object in the Subject 174
Yoga: Nivitarka Samadhi 174
3 Annihilation of the Act in the Object 175
Yoga: Savicara Samadhi 176
4 Annihilation of the Object in the Act 177
Yoga: Nirvecara Samadhi 177
5 Annihilation of the Act in the Subject 178
Yoga: Anandanugata and Asmitanugata Samadhi 178
6 Annihilation of the Knower in the Act of Knowing 179
Yoga: Nirbija Samadhi 180
7 Annihilation of the Act of Annihilation 180
Yoga: Asamprajnata Samadhi 181
Chapter 5 Self-Transcendence 182
Chapter 6 A Comparison Between Buddhism and Sufism 184
The Concept of God 184
The Antinomy 185
Nostalgia Versus Desire 187
Levels of Experience, Spheres of Reality 189
Reconciling the Irreconcilables 189
The Feedback 191
Embodying States of Realization 193
Application 194
I Matter 195
II Thoughts 202
III Emotion 206
IV Personality and Its Processes 210
V Transit Beyond Consciousness 212
Chapter 6 Kabbalah 217
The Sephirotic Tree 217
The Hekhalot 225
Part 5 Clues to Subtle and Celestial Levels
Chapter 1 Exploring the Spheres 231
'Alam an-Nasut The Physical Sphere 233
'Alam al-Khayal, The Level of the Reflexive Mind 234
'Alam al-Ajsam, The Level of the Subtle Body 235
'Alam al-Mithal, Vie Level of Metaphor 236
'Alam al-Malakut, Vie Celestial Spheres 238
'Alam al-Jabarut, The Sphere of Pure Splendor 241
'Alam al-Lahut, The Sphere of the Archetypes 243
'Alam al-Hahut The Sphere of the Paramount Root of Being 244
Summary 246
Chapter 2 Embodying the States of Awakening 248
'Alam al-Hahut 249
'Alam al-Lahut 253
'Alam al-Jabarut 256
'Alam al-Malakut 257
'Alam al-Mithal 260
'Alam al-Ajsam 262
'Alam an-Nasut 264
Chapter 3 Preparing for Life After Life 267
Part 6 Working With the Psyche
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Alchemical Process 275
The Six Stages 278
The First Stage in the Alchemical Work Separatio 278
The Second Stage in the Alchemical Work Distillation 283
The Third Stage in the Alchemical Work The Immaculate State 286
The Fourth Stage in the Alchemical Work The Alchemical Betrothal 289
The Fifth Stage in the Alchemical Work Making the Gold Adamant 295
The Sixth Stage in the Alchemical Work The Spiritualization of Matter and the Materialization of Spirit 298
Chapter 2 The Creativity of the Personality 300
Chapter 3 Preventive Healing: Immunity 317
Chapter 4 Cosmic Emotion 325
Chapter 5 The Mass as Therapy and Transfiguration 332
Part 7 Forestalling the Future
Chapter 1 Updating Spirituality 339
Chapter 2 Future Spirituality 344
Blessing 351
Glossary of Names and Terms 353
Sources and Selected Bibliography 357
Index 365
About the Author 391
