Living Presence (Revised): The Sufi Path to Mindfulness and the Essential Self Paperback – May 30, 2017

Great guide

Curious about self realization, Sufism, or Rumi? This book is for you. I have been reading and rereading this book for more than 15 years and each time I find another profound wisdom in it. I have gifted this book to many dear friends.

I read the book in short bites as it offered so much content to delve into. I loved the way it was written in very clear way, offering a reader a chance to question his own beliefs and aspirations without dogma. Here and there the author has added some autobiographical material to bring in a personal touch to the writing. I found especially interesting how he described the workings of our subconscious mind and how to gain access to this incredible source of inspiration and wisdom. For so long, Islam has been presented in the west as some kind of an antagonist to a spiritual journey where in fact it contains all the necessary elements for a holistic spiritual growth.

This book is a revised and updated 25th anniversary edition of “Living Presence” by Kabir Helminski. The subject of the book is spelled out by the subtitle: “The Sufi Path to Mindfulness and the Essential Self”. The author shares with the readers some of the experiences, reflections, and knowledge that have been preserved within traditional Sufism, i.e., a spiritual training that was “developed within the historical and cultural matrix of Islam”. The aim of this particular training was to activate specific latent faculties of the mind, which remain dormant in ordinary man. Only through the activation and then uniting of these inner faculties, can a person fulfill his or her ultimate evolutionary purpose.Helminski describes a number of basic concepts, techniques, and approaches that have been extracted from the writings of Jalaluddin Rumi, a 13th century Persian mystic. Among these basic concepts are “ego”, “self”, “heart”, “spirit”, and “Love” (rather oddly defined by the author as “The electromagnetic milieu in which we all exist”). Consequently, “soul is the child of the union of self and spirit”. Rumi allegorically presented such a union as a couple of lovers. Rumi’s celebrated “Mathnawi” illustrates the whole gamut of challenges that a lover has to overcome before he can be united with his beloved.Helminski states that “through changing the energy level of the brain, we can activate a different kind of brain function”. In other words, during the initial stage of the process, the mind undergoes a subtle but significant transmutation. The mind’s inner structure is gradually unfolded, layer-by-layer. (This may be compared to the splitting of atomic orbitals; in their natural form, the orbitals remain degenerate; but when exposed to a strong magnetic field, they may be split into several sub-levels.) The next phase of the process aims at uniting these newly activated layers. Therefore, the methodologies that were suitable for unfolding the inner layers of the mind become obsolete for the implementation of the following phases of the process. In the symbolic language of poets, this change was reflected by replacing a couple of lovers with the simultaneous union of several couples of lovers. Not many readers have recognized that such an updated spiritual methodology was quite precisely disclosed in Shakespeare’s plays. Some readers will have noticed that Shakespeare’s overall narrative illustrates the challenges that four couples of lovers must overcome before they may be united at the same time and place. It was at that time and place, i.e., in the late sixteenth century England, that a new phase of the spiritual teaching was initiated. It is important to notice that this new phase of the teaching was projected within the secular context of Western society. At the time of the initiation of this new phase, the previously disclosed techniques became sterile. In practical terms, the specific techniques introduced by Rumi ceased to be valid. It seems that Helminski is well aware that attempting to practice Sufism today is like dealing “with the aspects of those forms that were suited to another time and place”. Yet, his presentation is clearly limited to a form that was projected within a select group of people in thirteenth century Minor Asia. Here is an example. Helminski explains that a whirling dervish becomes “a transformer of cosmic energies through conscious intention, love, and the electrodynamic effect of the human nervous system rotating in relation to the earth’s magnetic field”. However, he does not specify what sort of transformation a whirling dervish may experience today. Rumi is on the record saying that he applied the whirling dancing specifically for the thirteenth-century people of Minor Asia, because of certain characteristics of theirs. But these characteristics are not to be found quite to the same extent among the 21st century Westerners. In other words, instead of developing themselves in accordance with the currently operating cosmic matrix, the whirling Westerners may turn themselves into imitations of medieval Orientals.Despite these shortcomings, “Living Presence” is a welcomed book for it is a useful introduction for those who are looking for direction on how to enhance their lives and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. Helminski provides overall principles, which may serve as initial pointers: “Practically speaking, if we can shift our orientation from the exclusive concentration on satisfying our desires to a love of sharing in friendship -a cosmic Love that sees others as ourselves- then our identity or ego, is transformed by these forms of love”. There is probably no religion or spiritually oriented group who would not agree with this statement.

A comprehensive broad and informed perspective on reality and presence. While not a work book or a do it yourself guide it covered areas important to understand, consider, and contemplate. It sheds light on a topic in which much confusion exists and presents a balanced supported view free of dogma. It is interspersed with Rumi quotes and usefully defines key words used as ‘Heart’, ‘Essence’, and ‘Love’ in the light of Presence. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

I discovered the first edition of this book a decade ago and it had a profound impact on me then. Last year, a friend of mine told me it was being revised and something inside of me said, you have to read it again. So, along with 25 seekers, we have spent each Monday evening since Sept 2017 working through the text, chapter by chapter. It has been an amazing and heart-opening journey for all of us (and most of us grounded in the Christian stream). What is revealed here is about Love and and reflects the underlying truth of all perennial wisdom. It also is a guide to deepening one's personal journey with God/Allah/Presence...whatever you choose to name that Love. It is a teaching to return to again and again and again. To read and to practice. I can read a chapter, return a few days later and find myself highlighting and commenting on something I missed a few days before. Of all the books on spirituality that I have read over the decades (and I have read a bunch)...this one is at the top of the list. Dare you to pick it up with an open heart, you will not remain unchanged.

Some of the best writing I have ever read! Insightful and powerful explanations that are reader friendly. I look forward to reading it again and referring it to others, especially those seeking true spiritual connection.

One of my favorite books. Can’t describe adequately. Beautiful philosophical read.