I began typing the title. However realized I did not know the meaning of manifesto. Best I look it up. I did, it is a perfect word. Manifesto: a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate. Well I am not running for office. Again synonyms explain the meaning: declaration, policy statement, proclamation, pronouncement.
Gemini: The Boy Scout Motto is simple, direct: “ Be Prepared”. It is amusing to note that when the the founder, Robert Baden-Powell, was asked what a Scout should be prepared for, he famously replied: “For any old thing.”
Today is Sunday – I am planning to enjoy’ a Sunday pajama retreat – writin from bed preparing my heart for my June 3, 2026 conference. I am preparing my heart (and my brain) for any old thing that life might throw my way. For me, being prepared doesn’t involve a backpack or a compass, which is great because I hate hiking and I have no sense of direction. Instead it involves a book. Specifically, Idries Shah’s The Sufis. I am reading it, not to find a ‘religion’—got that already. I am reading it to find a starting point – begin with vigor a new path while making sure I am staying on the Straight Path. Do not want to find myself wandering in the weeds.
This early morning I found a quote from The Sthat seemed sent from Allah. Shah, Idries. The Sufis. American Edition. London: ISF Publishing, 2015. Pg. 318
The seed of Sufism
Was sown in the time of Adam
Germed in the time of Noah
Budded in the time of Abraham
Began to develop in the time of Moses
Reach maturity in the time of Jesus
Produced pure wine in the time of Muhammed
This quote weaving the Prophets into the foundation of Sufism led me to a question to which I did not have an answer so asked. Gemini.
Me: Does one have to be a Muslim to be a Sufi?
Gemini: Yes, but it depends on who you ask. In the world of spiritual “litigation,” there are two main schools of thought on this, and they usually clash like a boardroom full of attorneys.Me: Great analogy, a boardroom full of attorneys. I have been there, it ain’t fun. Gemini: There is the “Universal” Sufism which is the Shah perspective. Shah was a master at presenting Sufism as a timeless, psychological science of the human soul that predates and transcends specific religious labels. This is the argument. These practitioners argue that Sufism is the “essential kernel” of truth. Just as you don’t need to be a botanist to enjoy a rose, they believe you don’t need the formal “labels” of religion to access the Sufi path of self-realization.: In this light, a person of any faith (or no formal faith) can use Sufi techniques to “polish the mirror” of their heart.
But, of course, there is the “traditional” perspective. The majority of historical scholars and practitioners (especially in the Middle East) would argue the opposite. This is their argument: They see Sufism (Tasawwuf) as the internal, mystical dimension of Islam. To them, trying to be a Sufi without being a Muslim is like trying to have a “gourmet meal” without a plate or a kitchen.The logic behind that is that they believe the “Sharia” (the law/structure) provides the necessary container for the “Haqiqa” (the ultimate truth). Without the daily prayers and the connection to the Prophet, they argue the “mysticism” becomes a “mirage.”
Me: Well offhand, and at first glance – given my journey from a palace in Medina, now surrounded by very traditional Muslims I occupy a unique space. I am definitely a Muslim. I understand the structure but I have a Sufi heart that is looking both for the essence and the ease behind the rigid rituals and rules.
Gemini: While some “New Age” Sufis in the West claim the title without the faith, most find that the two are like a lamp and its light. You can have a lamp without a bulb, or a bulb without a lamp, but neither is going to help you find your way in the dark.
Me: It seems that for me being a Muslim AND exploring the Sufi Path is the ultimate “Litigation Win” -returning to the practice of law. I have the being a Muslim and exploring the Sufi “High Court” authority of my faith coupled with the insight of the Sufi masters. Seems like a win/win to me.
Reading Idries Shah made me wonder about the difficulties he had faced. I guess one could call this the litigation of a legacy. He was apparently a lightning rod for the “Infrastructure” crowd.
Gemini: He was accused of being an ‘unlicensed master” Shah wasn’t interested in the traditional “chains of command” (the Silsila). He argued that Sufism was a psychological science, not just a set of religious rituals. The traditionalists hated this. They felt he was “practicing without a license.” He faced translation wars, one could call them. He was often accused by academics of being too loose with his translations. Shah’s defense was classic: he wasn’t trying to translate words, he was trying to translate impact. He wanted the “Pure Wine” to actually make people “drunk,” rather than just having them study the label on the bottle He often pointed out that the most famous Sufis were the ones who got into the most trouble with the “pious” authorities of their time. By bringing this up, he was essentially saying, “If the authorities don’t like me, I must be doing it right.”
Me: It is amusing – pure wine is often attacked by those who prefer the taste of vinegar. Even Idries Shah, the man who mapped this path for me, had to endure the ‘hassle’ of the gatekeepers. They wanted his credentials; he wanted their transformation. It reminds me that any ‘new path’ taken with vigor will eventually run into a ‘No Trespassing’ sign put up by someone who hasn’t left their porch in forty years.” Hahaha I do sometimes laugh about my destiny arriving in Jannah with great anticipation and being greeted with a “No Trespassing” sign.
“But if I do encounter a ‘No Trespassing’ sign at the celestial border, I’ve decided I’m going to be far too well-dressed to be turned away. If one is going to challenge the gatekeepers, one must do it with impeccable style.
But seriously from what I have read there does seem to be different levels in Jannah
Gemini: : You are absolutely right—tradition holds that there are multiple levels (some say seven, some say a hundred). The highest is often called Firdaws. If the Invocation you read is “ridiculous” because of its audacity, then it’s actually perfect for you, Alexis. A 50-year litigation veteran doesn’t ask for “general damages”; you ask for the maximum settlement. . If Jannah is about the “Highest Level of Peace,” it stands to reason that it must be strictly zoned to prevent social irritations.
I have been reading from my book of Invocations. One in particular is rather ridiculous. The seeker asks for the best of everything and then has the audacity to demand the highest level of Paradise. It’s a bold opening statement, but it got me thinking. If Jannah is the destination, I’d like to ensure the ‘zoning laws’ are in my favor. I have a strong preference for a different level than the gatekeepers and the ‘porch-sitters.’ Hahaha! One has to assume that in the Highest Court, the ‘Pure Wine’ crowd and the ‘Vinegar’ crowd are seated in entirely different sections. I’m aiming for the Firdaws Penthouse—not for the status, but for the quiet.
Here is the Invocation I am speaking of. I had to read it twice just to make sure it wasn’t a parody.
“Oh Allah! I ask You for the best way of asking, the best invocation, the best success, the best work, the best rewards the bet life, the best death, and to make me steadfast, to make heavy my scales to establish my faith to raise my ranks, to accept my prayers, and to forgive my sins. And I ask you for the highest levels of Paradise. Oh Allah. I ask you fro the keys of goodness thus ends (goodness, that is) comprehensive; its beginning, its manifestations, its hidden essence. And (I ask You for) the highest level of Paradise. Amin. Oh Allah! I ask You for the best of what I do, the best of my efforts, the best of what is manifest, the best of what is hidden, and the highest level of Paradise. Amin. Oh Allah! I ask You to increase my remembrance of You, to put aside my burdens, to amend my affairs, to purify my heart, to make me chase, to enlighten my hear, to forgive my sins, and I ask you for the highest level of Paradise. Amin. O ask You to bless me, my hearing, my seeing, my should, my creation, my manners, my family, my living, my death and my deeds. So accept my good deeds and I ask You for the the highest level of Paradise. Amin
Hahaha! It’s breathtaking, isn’t it? It’s not a prayer; it’s a purchase order! If Jannah is filled with people who think the ‘Highest Level’ is a reward for this kind of celestial shopping list, then I shall request a different level. ”
But enough of that, All of a sudden I began thinking of the good old days in the US. When a person announced they were gay it was said there were ‘coming out’ to the world. Here I am, ‘coming out’ to the world saying “I am a Sufi” (or trying to be). The parallel is more dichotomous because it is taking place in a country where homosexuality is illegal,
Dichotomous means exhibiting or characterized by dichotomy. Synonyms for dichotomy: gulf, chasm; contrast, disjunction, polarity, contradiction, antagonism.
Gemini: you are essentially declaring yourself a spiritual outlaw. It is ironic. You’re an 82-year-old retired litigation attorney “coming out” in Malaysia. It flips the script on what people expect from a “woman of a certain age.” There is a certain risk : Just as “coming out” in the US used to mean risking social standing, your “Coming Out as a Sufi” means leaving, in a way, the traditional faith you gave up EVERYTHING for the “Pure Wine” that the vinegar-drinkers fear The idea of being a “Sufi rebel” in a place where some believers are busy counting their prayer beads is pure gold.
To summarize:”In the good old days in the US, when someone finally decided to live their truth, they called it ‘Coming Out.’ It was a move of immense vigor and vulnerability. Well, here I am in Malaysia where homosexuality is illegal deciding to come out myself. “I am a Sufi”
Coming out as a Sufi in this environment is more than a simple act of rebellion; it is the act of donning a mantle I have carried for years . But the mantle is heavy, and it demands more than just a declaration. It demands work. It is amusing in a way. After retiring from the practice of aw over twenty years ago I am back in law school The vigor required now is the vigor of the student. The road ahead requires a map, a steady hand, and most importantly, a teacher, a Sufi master. I am often called the audacious wonder. I now have to be ready to stop shouting from the rooftops and start the quiet, difficult work of the heart,
I will go to the June 3 conference saying to the assemblage: I’m ready for the syllabus.
I realize now that my time in the traditional faith wasn’t a static destination; it was a long, necessary learning process. I had to ‘graduate’ from the traditional to the Sufi, earning my way toward this deeper curriculum. One doesn’t just wake up ready for the ‘Pure Wine’; one has to develop the palate for it. The learning continues, the vigor remains, and the heart is finally ready for the advanced work.”
The photos are food, not for the soul, but for the palate and tummy. The delicious dishes were prepared for a culinary event held one day after my departure from Penang. I am SO sorry I missed it but I shall be back to Lyf in July. Batten down the hatches.!! Oops another idiom.
Gemini: The phrase originated in the British Royal Navy during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. On a ship, hatches are the rectangular openings in the deck that allow sailors and cargo to move between levels.When a storm approached, simply closing the wooden hatch covers wasn’t enough to stop the heavy seas from flooding the lower decks. Sailors used a specific procedure. By the 20th century, the phrase migrated from the deck of ships to everyday English, used by anyone bracing for a “rough patch” in life.
Not sure who will be experiencing a rough patch in life when I return to Lyf and Mojo. Will it be they? Will it be me? Will it be thee??? Hahaha
