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Garden of Secrets
Musings of a Seeker
Minhas
EDUCREATION PUBLISHING (Since 2011)
www.educreation.in
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v
Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to thank my mother for
standing beside me throughout writing this book. This
work would not have been possible without the generous
support of my mother. She has been my strength,
inspiration and motivation for continuing to improve my
knowledge and move my career forward.
Thanks dad, for always being there whenever I
needed you.
I am thankful to the Almighty, for being very kind
and generous during the period of hardship, which
showed me through my suffering, the real meaning of
life. Thanks for giving me the power to believe in my
passion and pursue my dreams. I could never have done
this without the faith I have in you, thanks for
everything, God.
I am highly indebted to the Masters, whose
teachings have deeply inspired me, especially: Baba
Murad Shah Wali, Baba Ali Ahmed Shah Wali, Baba
Laddi Shah Wali, Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty,
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah
Bukhari, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Shams-i-
Tabrizi, Al-Ghazali, Omar Khayyam, Hazrat Inayat
Khan, and many others.
I am thankful to Coleman Barks, Author of
numerous Rumi’s translations, whose poems have
inspired me to write. If Rumi is the most read poet in
America today, Coleman Bark is in good part
responsible.
I am also indebted to my Masters of Sant Mat
Mysticism: Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj, Param
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj, Sant Darshan Singh Ji
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vi
Maharaj and Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. My
Masters never expected anything from me. In fact, they
always try their best to lead me on the path of spiritual
progress.
I am thankful to the woman I ever loved, you will
forever remain alive in my heart and memory.
Thanks to my pet, Dobo. I know even millions of
words would not bring you back, neither would a million
tears. I wish to meet you in the light (Heaven).
Thanks to all my friends, relatives and colleagues,
for sharing the happiness and promoting the book. My
special thanks to my big brother Vishal Malhotra for
designing the Book Cover.
I would also like to express my gratitude to all those
who spare their precious time to read the book.
At last, I am very thankful to my publisher
“Educreation Publishing” for their all round support
in publishing the book.
W
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vii
About The Author
Kanwaljeet Singh Minhas, chose the
pen name, “MINHAS” for his books.
Currently, he is working in the
analytical department for a leading
credit rating agency of India. He
graduated with Bachelor of commerce
from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College,
Delhi University. He belongs to the Fraternity of
Company Secretaries of India. He has compassion for
animals and is an active member of NGOs like UNICEF
and PFA (People for animals). The teachings of the Sufi
Mystics have deeply inspired him to become a writer,
poet and a seeker on the path of Sufism. This is his first
book.
W
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viii
About The Book
This piece of art is founded upon the teachings of the
Sufi Mystics. There is an astounding spiritual depth in
the teachings of these Mystics. The current problem of
terrorism, in the name of Jihad, has blighted the lives of
many people. This book will reveal the true meaning of
Jihad, as the doctrine of Sufism accentuated on inner
Jihad, which means the closing of one’s heart to the
inner enemies of retaliation, envy and infidelity.
Sufism is derived from the Arabic word Safa, which
means, “Pure”. Pure means natural, the one which is
undiluted with any other element than its own. Such
Pure is the nature of a Sufi, unsullied and unstained. Sufi
Mystics know the true purpose of their life, and also the
way to accomplish such purpose. They strongly believe
that the wisdom does not belong to any particular
religion, but to the entire humanity.
Sufism is a journey to self knowledge, of carrying
the light of consciousness into the core of our being. The
Sufis doesn’t belong to any particular caste, creed, race
and religion; they believe in the concept of love, the
concept of unity beyond duality and a quest for
humanity in the pursuit of wisdom. The Sufi Mystics
considers “love” as the essence of the divine and the
most dynamic force in creation. Sufi Mystics believe
that love has the power to control the mind through the
feeling that motivates compassion, and that feeling is
more powerful than the thinking power of the mind.
This book also covers the foremost topics like the
mystery of love, status of women in Sufism, science of
transformation, management wisdom in Sufism,
relevance of the spiritual master, controlling the Nafs
and, most significantly, the fifteen fundamentals of life.
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ix
The book covers the teachings of Persian Mystic
“Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi” (In the world of Sufis,
Rumi is the Emperor) and many other Sufi Mystics from
the past.
This book is a gift, an experience of the divine and
therefore, it is recommended to be read periodically to
reinforce the key messages of the Sufi Mystics in one’s
life. Remember, the path of spirituality is not easy for
those who seek temporary happiness, it is a journey of
hardship and one must have an enormous amount of
patience and faith in the teachings of the Sufi Mystics to
achieve permanent peace and happiness.
Note
The author makes no claim to being either an Islamic
Scholar or a Spiritual Master.
The author is merely a seeker of love through the
teachings of the Sufi Mystics.
W
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x
Index
S.No Content Page
No.
(I) Path to enlightenment
1. Science of Sufism 1
2. Mystery of Love 13
3. You are Mere Reflection of God 21
(II) Building foundation
4. Finding a True Master 27
5. The Real Meaning of Jihad 37
6. Journey of the Soul 40
(III) Observing the reality
7. Principle of Reciprocity 44
8. The Voice of Intellect 49
9. Controlling the Nafs 52
(IV) Pursuit of love and compassion
10. Kindness and Compassion 56
11. Art of Selflessness 62
12. Be Thankful for Everything 66
(v) Liberating thoughts
13. Science of Transformation 71
14. Mystery of Death 74
15. Management Wisdom in Sufism 79
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xi
(vi) Pillars of eternity
16. Benefits of Vegetarianism 84
17. Status of Women in Sufism 90
18. The Fifteen Fundamentals of Life 95
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Garden of Secrets - Musings of a Seeker
1
Science of Sufism
P
Introduction
Sufism or Tasawwuf is not a religion; it’s a “path” or
“tariqa” to experience the divine presence that starts
within. It is a method of cultivating the truth, through an
inward understanding of oneself, thereby removing the
poverty of heart and reciprocating the message of love,
peace and harmony in the world.
Sufi, in general, is defined from the Arabic word “Safa”
which means pure. Purity here is in the context of one’s
soul which must be free from the knuckles of Nafs (ego),
ignorance, dogmatism, superstition, customs, caste and
creed. The accumulation of rust over soul acts as a veil
between humans and the cosmic reality. Once the heart
gets the polishing of love and compassion over it, the
layer of worldly desires will fall away and one starts
reflecting one’s own image as the higher being.
Sufis inclined more towards the art of self-
realization, as it is the most difficult attainment. It can
only be attained after one cultivates affection, love and
compassion for all, instead of hatred and jealousy for
Chapter 01
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Minhas
2
others. One needs to sow the seed of love in his heart in
order to cultivate the fruits of wisdom and compassion.
The Sufi doesn’t bother about what one knows, but
about that of what he has understood.
“In Sufism it is an experience that matters. The word
“water” does not quench thirst, rather its drinking does.
Similarly, thinking about Sufism will not lead to
understanding Sufism, the inner finding will.”
People in the past, have left their kingdom, worldly
desires and directed towards the mountains or secluded
places in search of the divine bliss and enlightenment.
Mystics don’t urge people to leave home or run from
one’s moral responsibilities towards their family and
society in order to find the eternal bliss. Sufis believe
that real perfection comes when one sit among people,
remain social, respect all religions, take responsibility of
the family and simultaneously, manages to walk on the
path of truthfulness, honesty and remain contented in
constant remembrance of God.
In Sufism Murshid (Spiritual Master) has a special
relevance, and to receive the divine grace of Murshid no
formal Sufi initiation is needed, devotion alone is
sufficient to win them over. The need of a Master is
absolute, and there can be no exception to the rule. In
fact, Master is the first person who creates the love in the
heart of his Mureed (Disciple) and only then the
Mureed’s heart gets filled with the divine love of God.
Rumi says-
“In the Master is lodged both God and the Mediator.
There is in fact not the least distinction between the two.
Drive all thoughts of duality from thy mind, or else thou
shalt get lost in the wilderness, and so also shall be the
fate of thy first lessons in spirituality. He who considers
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Garden of Secrets - Musings of a Seeker
3
the two as separate entities has not yet learnt anything
from, or known anything of, the Master”
The guidance of the master acts as a catalyst, that
light up the fire of love inside the disciple, thereby
making him conscious and one with the God. Therefore,
the greatness of God is best known through the contact
of the Master only.
Sufi Mystics believe that without the divine mercy of a
perfect master one cannot meet God, the one who are
unaware of this fact has not learned anything about the
majesty of the Master. One’s sins will not end till one
falls at the feet of the Saints.
Master Kirpal Singh Ji of Sant Mat has said:
“Without a Master, it is sheer darkness, and one sinks
into bottomless depths”
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Minhas
4
Origin of Sufism
There is a lack of consensus among various scholars;
different scholars have come up with different theories
on the origin of Sufism. If you look towards traditional
view, they believe that it is the mystical school of Islam
that exit during the lifetime of Prophet Mohammad.
They believe that even at that time they were the lovers
of God, who consistently looking for their reunion with
God through losing their Nafs in remembrance of God
and remaining alive in that reality.
On the other side there is another group of scholars
that believes; it arose from within the Islam in the 8th –
9th Century among the community of weavers of wool
garments, from there comes the original sense of Sufi,
which means the “One who wears wool (Suf)” which
later transformed from “Tasawwuf” to “Sufism”.
Tasawwuf simply means a knowledge that emerges from
the experience of being close to God. It is a path or a
journey from ignorance to self-knowledge, or from evil
traits towards true wisdom.
Further, between 13th and 16th century Persian Sufi
Mystics like Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Shams-e-
Tabriz, Nur ad-Din Abd ar-Rahman Jami and many
others took the charge to spread the divine message of
love (Sufism) and place it to a very different level. They
had spread the message of Oneness, peace, harmony and
love through their ecstatic poetry and spiritual teachings
of the Sufism across the world. Sufi Mystics engage in a
variety of ritual practices that includes recitation of
God's names and practicing the spiritual dance called
"Whirling Dervishes” or “Sema Ceremony," usually
performed by a Turkish Sufi order that practices
meditation and contemplation of God through spinning.
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Garden of Secrets - Musings of a Seeker
5
In India in 12th Century, Khawaja Usman Harooni
had propounded the Chisti order (The most visible and
famous Sufi order in the country), later his disciple
Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer expended the
movement and spreading the message of divine unity
and love across the country. The orders of Chistiyya,
Naqsbhandiyyah, Qadiriyyah and Suhrawardiyyah are
mainly followed by many followers in the country
because of its multi-religious root and its contemporary
relevance for people of all faiths.
Sufi Inayat Khan, a Modern Sufi Mystic of the
20th Century has written:
"Every age of the world has seen awakened souls,
and as it is impossible to limit wisdom to any one period
or place, so it is impossible to date the origin of Sufism."
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Minhas
6
Journey of a Sufi Mystic
“O darvish, human beings of every nation and religion
all exist by the
honorable cloak of existence, all are human
beings like you.
If you are truly a lover of absolute being, then love all
beings and be kind to
them. By doing so, you prove that you deserve the
privilege of belonging to the human family”
~ Hazrat Nimatullah Shah~
The journey of a Sufi-is the journey of love, where the
love shreds clouds of Nafs over one’s soul. The Sufi
flooded with divine ecstasy discovers the truth within his
heart that opens the door to the eternal bliss.
The love indicated here is the love of the real God, the
one who is absolute being. We all belong to the same
God, but our Nafs, which is nothing but our self-
centered ego becomes the reason of our separation with
the divine.
The Sufi Mystic has demonstrated four different phases
about a journey back to God, these phases are:
1. Removal of the Nafs:
Nafs are the false self or ego of a person. One needs
to control his Nafs, so that his great qualities will
reflect in the fore.
2. Cleansing of the heart:
The highest form of love is “Divine love”, the divine
love is the affection towards the God, and Sufi urges
to clean one heart of the impurity of the worldly
desires, for God to live therein.
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Garden of Secrets - Musings of a Seeker
7
3. Dhikr, it means constant remembrance of God:
One may adopt any method of devotion to God, but
one needs to be consistent, in order to win the heart
of the God.
4. Fanna or Bakkah, it means passing away or
annihilation of the self:
The Sufi Mystic believes that the motive of our
existence is to attain the state of the merger with
God and to live in that state forever. The entire
process is called fanna-fil’allah.
The person who has reached this state, even for a
moment is called “Wali.”
The last stage can be achieved only after reaching to the
feet of the Spiritual Master, in whose presence the
disciple first unites with him and then unites with the
God.
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Minhas
8
Principles of the Path
Sufism is not limited to any religion. In fact, it is the
core essence of all the religions of the world. It is the
path of love and without love; all religions are merely a
corpse. Sufism is entirely based on love; it’s a journey of
love, which illuminates in the heart of the lover.
Different masters have demonstrated the principles in
different ways, but the soul of their message remains the
same, which is constant love and remembrance of the
God.
Principles:
1: Belief in divine oneness:
God is one and the path to almighty is only through love
and compassion. The air we breathe comes from the
single thought of his divine oneness. Inwardly merged in
this belief we can quote his presence in each created
being.
2: Constant remembrance of God:
It means remembering God and keep oneself engaged in
reciting the name of God all the time. Undoubtedly, if
one gets control over his mind, and heart unites in
remembrance of God than one will surely enter into the
garden of bliss.
3: Journey Inwards:
The real journey is the journey inwards, away from the
worldly desires. Keep mind away from the attachments
and soul away from the desires.
4: Solitude in Crowd:
Attuning the mind toward God is easy when in silence,
but one should practice while amidst in the crowd.
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Garden of Secrets - Musings of a Seeker
9
5: Fidelity towards Spiritual Master:
Master is the living embodiment of humility. He never
demands or claims something from his disciple except
faithfulness towards his master.
6: Control your Nafs:
Nafs means a false self or ego, which is the outcome of
worldly desires and materialistic thought process. One
must remove “I” from the self to become conscious of
God. A self introspection can regulate the same.
7: Always vigilant:
Bad thoughts are the obstacles that keep the heart away
from the divine. Be watchful or mindful while
performing any act in day-to-day life. Avoid indulging
in the worldly thoughts for undesirable objects.
8. Learn to Serve:
One should learn to serve humanity without any
expectation of recognition, which construes the true
meaning of serve. One should immensely love the divine
and simultaneously serve all the created beings.
9. Consciousness of Heart:
Poverty of heart can be eliminated when it has no goal
left other than love for the divine. For one to be
contented, love is created in the secret chamber of the
heart, and then the union of one with the God begins,
rest all union is ineffectual.
10. Trust the Process:
Sufi believes in complete submission and fidelity
towards God. They believe that after hardship, definitely
comes an ease. God is kind-hearted and love those who
show patience in the hour of difficulty. One should be
self-reliant and trust the process which is designed for
him by the God.
“If you want to live in the reality, then learn to die for
God first.”
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Minhas
10
Sufi Practices
(Relevance of Dance Ceremony, Mystical
Music in Sufism)
Dance Ceremony
Rumi explained music as – “Music is the nutrition of the
souls of the Servants of the Lord, since in music, there is
the hope of reaching God.”
Music, when combined with meditation and
contemplation, emerges as a faster way to reach God.
Sometimes, it becomes a physically active meditation
when combines with the rituals like Sema.
Sema Ceremony: A Customary Meditation Practice
Sema or whirling dervishes is a dance ceremony
performed in remembrance of God; aim to uplift one’s
soul on the mystical music of the divine. It is hearing,
listening and tasting the eternity in the greatest morality.
It is opening one’s heart, and an attempt to feel
the presence of God within oneself.
It began in the 13th century, when Persian
Mystic Mevlana Rumi was passing towards a jeweler's
shop. In the shop the servant was shaping the Gold by
hammering it in a rhythm. Rumi Grew dizzy hearing the
ecstatic sound. In the remembrance of Allah, he raised
his hands towards the sky and started to whirl. Soon he
entered a trance. The sound of the hammer was sounding
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