That Which Transpires Behind That Which Appears: The Experience of Sufism

IN a memorable retreat integrating deep meditation practices with discourses on the nature and interrelationship of spirituality, the universe, and everyday life in the world, Sufi master Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan urges us to consider a retreat as a rehearsal for life. "Discover yourself by becoming, by doing. The retreat situation marks a halt in which we step out of our normal mode of existence in order to reflect upon our lives and gain more clarity and, ultimately, become more aware of what our real objective is in life. A retreat is an opportunity for a lot of reflection, a time to explore those skills which will open up faculties that we are not using and insights of which we are not aware."