MOST people live their lives with numbed hearts, whereas faith is the journey of uncovering and discovering the higher self. Quran says, “He who is grateful is grateful only for the good of his own soul, but if anyone is ungrateful than surely God is Self-sufficient and Praiseworthy (31:12). Every single person on Earth carries the seeds of faith within them, how these seeds grow, depends on what God has planned for them and to what extent they strive spiritually.
Stages of Spiritualism: The first Level – The Compulsive Self. Kabir Heminiski says, “Every one of us has I ness, but of different densities. At the lowest stage, I ness can be like a prison of compulsions, addictions and fears. It is kind of hell state, a form of slavery, where you dwell in your own fears and compulsions.” You have no hope of change, because you do not acknowledge any need to change.
The Second Level – The Blaming Self. “It is the self with a conscience. You wake up and you realize, “Oh my God, I am an addict, I am compulsive, I am not conscious.” You see it, but cannot do anything about it. You witness it and you say I have to do something. Actually it is remorse.” At this level, wants and desires still dominate, but now the person repents from time to time and tries to follow higher impulses.”
The Third State – Salvation or Inspired self. “This is when the positive has basically started getting into balance with the negative. You are basically a good person trustworthy etc., but you are yet not conscious, not yet awake.” The seeker begins to take genuine pleasure in prayer, meditation and other spiritual activities and truly motivated by ideals such as compassion, service and moral values. Behaviour common to the inspired self-includes gentleness, compassion and moral action. ‘Overall, a person who is at the stage of the inspired self is emotionally mature, respectable and is respected.’
The Fourth Stage-The Contented Self. “At this stage you begin to awaken, what we call presence. Presence is state of awareness, comprehensive enough to hold our thinking, and feelings together. Call it mindfulness, a self-awareness that is beginning to wake up, may be some moments in a day. As it becomes sustained, you realize that presence is not just mine, but is sourced in something way beyond me. Sufis call it remembrance. You begin to be feel the awesome generosity, love and holiness of this something and realize you are really nothing in relation to this Ultimate Reality. One accepts difficulties with the same serenity with which one accepts benefits. Much of this spiritual journey at the fourth stage is developing presence and making it more natural in our lives. Some call it union or oneness with God. I prefer to call it intimacy. Ibn’Arabi says, “My journey was entirely within my own self, but when I came into the presence of my Lord, I felt that I was nothing, but servant hood, without a trace of sovereignty left in me.”Meaning the best you can be is in state of servant hood to that sovereignty.”
Fifth Stage – Narvana or Pleased Self. “At fifth stage, you return to this chaotic life with the integration of that state and experience that you never forget. It is almost like crucifixion; you come back, but with the essence of intimacy and union. You are a transformed human being, ideally invisible and don’t expect anything for yourself.” Robert Frager writes, “At this stage the individual is pleased with even the difficulties/trials of life, realizing that these come from God. Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna once shared a cucumber with Ayaz, his trusted companion. Ayaz happily ate his half of the cucumber but when the Sultan bitit, he immediately spit it out. “How could you eat something so bitter, it tasted like a bitter poison?” “My beloved Sultan,” answered Ayaz, “I have enjoyed so many favours and bounties from your hand that whatever you give tastes sweet.”When a person’s love and gratitude to God reaches this level, he has reached the stage of the pleased self.”
Sixth Stage – The Self-Pleasing to God. Robert Frager writes, “Those who have reached this stage realize that all power to act comes from God. They no longer fear or ask for anything.”
Ibn ‘Arabi describes this stage as the inner marriage of self and soul. A broken mirror creates a thousand different reflections, but if the mirror could be made wholeagain, it would reflect one unified image. By healing the multiplicity within, the Sufi experiences the world as whole and unified.”
The last Stage-A Complete Human Being. Kabir Heminiski says, “This stage is complete ordinariness and transparency to the divine, a perfected, comprehensive being, who can express the full power of divine qualities in daily life. When tenderness is needed, tenderness emerges, when clarity or power is needed, clarity or power emerges, because of intimate relationship to the 99 names of God. Robert Frager writes, “Those who attain the final level, there is no ego or separate self-left, only union with God. The individual realizes, “There is no God but God,” any sense of individuality or separateness is an illusion. Rumi illuminates this state for us:- “If you could get rid of yourself just once, The secret of secrets would open to you. The face of the Unknown, Hidden beyond the universe would appear on the Mirror of your perception.” “My Lord forgive and have mercy, You are the best of Forgivers.”
—The writer is author of various books based in Rawalpindi.
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