Living Presence: The Sufi Path to Mindfulness and the Essential Self

Kabir Helminski

Paperback

9780143130130

Revised 25th anniversary edition of the classic work on Sufism

In Sufism, presence is the state of heartful awareness that allows us to open to ever more subtle experiences of meaning, inspiration, and beauty. It is the key to self-knowledge and transformation. It is through presence that we can connect with the Divine, and the Divine can live through us.

In Living Presence, Kabir Helminski lays out the basic principles of Sufism, and how these ideas can lead to the experience of presence. In this inspiring work, readers will learn how to cultivate presence in their lives through finding a balance between the outer stimuli of the world and our in ner reactions to them, learning about the parallels between ancient spiritual wisdom and modern psychological knowledge, and meditation and contemplation to discover more meaning in daily life.

With unique clarity, this book describes how presence can be developed to vastly improve our lives. Drawing on the work of the beloved Sufi poet Rumi, as well as traditional material and personal experience, this book integrates the ancient wisdom of Sufism with the needs of contemporary life. Completely revised and updated for its twenty-fifth an anniversary, this edition of Living Presence offers a wisdom that is both universal and practical.

Contents

Presence

1 - The City of Separation

2 - Soul Work, Reflecting Spirit

3 - Self, Heart, and Spirit

4 - Creative Energy and Human Capacities

5 - Balancing the Outer and the Inner

6 - The Power of Being

7 - Voluntary Attention

8 - Meditation: The Refinement of Attention

9 - The Tyranny of the False Self

10 - Care of the Soul

11 - Conscience

12 - The Essential Self

13 - Befriending the Ego

14 - Polishing the Mirror of Awareness

15 - Listening Within

16 - The Dance of Personality

17 - Gathering the Fragmented Self

18 - Mysteries of the Body

19 - Faithfulness and Gracefulness

20 - The Alchemy of Effort

21 - Aim and Self-Knowledge

22 - Emancipation from Fear

23 - Suffering: Imaginary and Real

24 - Overcoming Self-Centeredness

25 - Die Before You Die

26 - Freedom of the Soul

27 - What We Love We Will Become

28 - Love the Transformer

29 - The Religion of Love

30 - Worship: Contact with the Infinite

31 - Refining the Psyche

32 - Service Within the Divine Milieu

33 - What Sufism Is