By: Harold Sequeira
yogaschoolonline@gmail.com
SEVEN MYSTIC VALLEYS
OF AL GHAZALI, THE PERSIAN MYSTIC
Al-Ghazali, (1059-1111, Persia) a brilliant scholar and lawyer, transformed his life after meeting with wandering Sufi mystics.
Early in life he realized that although he had pursued studies to the limit, intellectual development had it limits. He wanted to explore the mystic life to gain direct knowledge, and about the way of knowing. Thus he spent most of his adult life in ascetic mysticism. But the habit of writing persisted. So he wrote on a wide range of spiritual subjects, including the mystic's journey through seven levels. It is told as a parable Ð as a dialogue between two birds.
Bird Ali asks his friend bird Mia what lies beyond the first valley and Mia answers:
The first is called the valley of knowledge. One realizes that witnessing is more important than collecting knowledge. There is a shift in consciousness, where the mind is left in the background.
Second is the Valley of repentance. As one's Consciousness emerges, one pays more attention to real faults of behavior and repenting such, is able to face real issues and the real work of transformation begins.
Third is the Valley of stumbling blocks. Desires fuel much activity and much loss of energy. If one's goal is a further valley, the Spiritual one, then one ingathers his energy and focuses it on his Path. On God. Sublimation of base instincts, which drain energy are required to fly into the next valley.
Fourth is the valley of the unconscious. As one controls the surface personality, stored impressions gather force and create difficult situations. It is called "the dark night of the soul" by some mystics. As it is probable that one is overwhelmed during this flight into the spiritual world, one needs a guide, a Master.
Fifth is the Thundering Valley, and on the mystic flight, one loses his lower self, his mind is left behind, he loses his individuality. One, as if disappears.
Sixth is the abysmal Valley Ð you are neither in this world, nor the next and a great emptiness engulfs. A great cry goes out from the soul, "why have you abandoned me", cries the soul to God. But deep in his heart he knows that it is the last transition and he would soon fly free of all the Valleys.
Seventh, is the Valley of liberation. One flies free. From the Alone to the Alone.
Adapted from Al-Ghazali's work/HS
H. Sequeira
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Bio-note: H. Sequeira, born in 1937, in Mangalore India, studied at various universities in India (arts, commerce, law etc) and yoga training (The Yoga Institute) and set up Yoga Centers in Canada, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Spain. He teaches classic Yoga of Patanjali as well as many other traditions of Yoga. He has written many books including Patanjali Yoga Sutra (English and Spanish). He now lives in Bombay but travels extensively conducting yoga workshops.
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