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Roundabout | The sufi path of love, longing and living
The spiritual aim of the sufi is to have a personal experience of the divine through purity, affection and compassion, says writer-publisher Affan Yesvi
Who is a sufi? This is an oft asked question and rather difficult to answer. A simple answer would be that it could be you or me, if we so desire. Some state that sufism is the inner core of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, whereas others hold that the practice emerged during the golden age of Islam between the eighth and tenth century.
Sufism is a mystical form of Islam, a school of practice that emphasises the inward search for God and shuns materialism. It has produced some of the world’s most beloved literature, like the love poems of 13th century Iranian jurist Rumi. Its modern-day adherents cherish tolerance and pluralism, qualities that in many religions unsettle extremists. The core of this spiritual order are Sunni Muslims but it includes Shias too.
Sufi saints have made immense contributions to literature, poetry and music, and have often had to face the ire of the conservative clergy. Some of the famous sufi saints include Nizammudin Auliya, Salim Chisti, and the much loved poet Rumi, widely translated in the West. Closer home in Punjab, Baba Farid, Sultan Bahu and of course Bulle Shah are among others. The road was not easy for them and even the present day followers of sufism who faced the ire of conservatives. But come what, the sufi will remain a sufi. And the sufi will always believe in tolerance and pluralism.
A present-day sufi dialogue
Now let’s come to a smart, handsome and modern-day sufi, Affan Yesvi, with whom the writers of Chandigarh are familiar. He is very much a part of the city Lit Fest “Literati” and as a literary publisher, he has published the works of many of the local writers, including Smita Mishra, Sonika Sethi, Renee Singh, Col Cheema, Roopam Chadha, Lt Gen SB Sehajpal, Lukvinder Singh Johal and many others. Besides, he also publishes three literary magazines in English, Punjabi and Hindi, in which the local writers feature with their poetry and prose. Laughing, this charming young man says, “ I have virtually got the honorary citizenship of Chandigarh and for me it is a tale of two cities which I am enjoying tremendously.”
Besides his finesse at publishing, which has attracted the city writers to Yesvi, what one has been really drawn to is his own writing which he does wonderfully and more so his “Sufi Soliloquies” blogs, which are delight to read as he moves with ease from the past to the present with ease, not just holding the attention of the readers but also drawing them to the sufi way of life in times when love is battling hard to erase detest. Reading these soliloquies, featured in a popular blog, is not just a delight because the author wields an eloquent pen, but also because they acquaint us with absorbing stories that secure their place in the human heart.
The storyteller’s tales
The subject that Yesvi elaborates upon is close to his heart and soul, and easily touches the readers’ heart as he blogs on- “The idea of living in the present moment is central to sufi teachings, The sufi saints have emphasised upon ‘being present’ as an essential attribute for achieving self knowledge and transformation. The state of ‘heartful awareness’ within illuminates the self. It enables us to open our mind and our soul to the subtle experiences that come through meditation and contemplation upon the omnipresence of the almighty. Sufi scholars have stated that it is through presence that we can connect with the divine, and the divine can live through us.” He goes on to write that many spiritual texts across religions state that we are imprudent beings lost and wayward in a sea of delusion and self-centeredness. Sufis say that those who desire union with the almighty must purify the heart from all self-interest and grandiosity.
Sufi saint brought coffee to India
Many are the tales that Yesvi has to tell and one of them is about the legend of a sufi saint called Baba Budan who brought coffee seeds all the way from Yemen in the 17th century, sowing the seeds of coffee culture in India. More interesting is the method by which he smuggled the beans, by hiding them in his flowing and tangled beard. So our sufis were vibrant and relished life with its innocent pleasures.
Last but not least, the blogger raises his eyebrow at the revelry of “Sufi Nights” hosted by pubs and restaurants as they announce best of music and mysticism at the event with cocktails. “This”, he holds, “is not the sufi way!”
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