See JJL blog index for Joanna Young.

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Product Description

Part meditation book, part oracle, and part collection of Sufi lore, poetry, and stories, The Sufi Book of Life offers a fresh interpretation of the fundamental spiritual practice found in all ancient and modern Sufi schools—the meditations on the 99 Qualities of Unity. Unlike most books on Sufism, which are primarily collections of translated Sufi texts, this accessible guide is a handbook that explains how to apply Sufi principles to modern life. With inspirational commentary that connects each quality with contemporary concerns such as love, work, and success, as well as timeless wisdom from Sufi masters, both ancient and modern, such as Rumi, Hafiz, Shabistari, Rabia, Inayat Khan, Indries Shah, Irina Tweedie, Bawa Muhaiyadden, and more, The Sufi Book of Life is a dervish guide to life and love for the twenty-first century.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46001 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-22
• Released on: 2005-02-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Douglas-Klotz, scholar and Sufi leader, uses his considerable Semitic language skills to explore the 99 pathways to God, each representing a quality of the One. Douglas-Klotz uses the root and pattern system of Arabic vowels to liberally interpret these qualities as inseparable from many other traditions, notably the Aramaic tradition of Jesus. Additionally, his exegeses draw from the tradition of diversity, inclusion and heterodoxy that has anchored Sufism since the time of Rumi. Although Douglas-Klotz states that his exegeses are meant to be deliberately multivalent and somewhat enigmatic, they may prove opaque for many readers, especially those expecting an accessible how-to handbook for the "modern dervish." Despite Douglas-Klotz's early admonishment "Don't worry about getting the point," a high level of linguistic technicality is typical of at least half the pathways, and readers will have to take him at his word when he draws complex connections. Nonetheless, his intriguing insights, meditation tips and, above all, his inclusive spirit should trump technical details to appeal to readers within many religious traditions. Appendixes offer short biographies of Sufi men and women throughout history; contact information for Sufi organizations, orders and centers; and formal transliterations of the 99 pathways.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Neil Douglas-Klotz, Ph.D., is a world-renowned scholar in religious studies, spirituality, and psychology, a leader in the International Association of Sufism, and the cofounder of the worldwide network of the Dances of Universal Peace. He is director of the Edinburgh Institute for Advanced Learning and cochair of the Mysticism Group of the American Academy of Religion.

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Customer Reviews

wonderful insights
This little book is amazingly accurate in providing just the insight I need to see things from a deeper perspective. I have been using this book on a daily basis by asking for what I need and then opening it to whatever page feels right. Every time it has provided information that has either been very clearly what I needed, or after journaling about it, I have understood it from a different perspective. I am grateful that a friend recommended it to me.

Well-written, inspiring, helpful and entertaining
In Islam, God is said to have 99 names besides "Allah." This refers to terms used in the Qur'an to describe the various qualities He possesses (e.g. the Patient, the Giver of Life, the Oft-Returning, and so on). What Douglas-Klotz has done is taken each of the 99 names (and the name "Allah") and interpreted them according to his own impressive knowledge of Semitic linguistics and an intuitive approach to etymology that yields insights that a strict academic interpretation would miss. He links his interpretations to various stories, poems and sayings from the Islamic/Sufi traditions: Rumi, Rabia, Hazrat Inayat Khan, and many others. He also presents numerous stories about the mythical half-sage, half-clown Mullah (Hoja) Nasruddin, which are very amusing (In one, Mullah decides to revolutionize the carrier pigeon business by cross-breeding them with talking parrots!).

After each interpretation, the author presents a possible scenario from the reader's life, based upon scenarios most people do in fact face from time to time, and then suggests how this particular name might be of use in getting through this scenario. Finally, he presents a meditation (sometimes two) on each name, some classic Sufi meditations but others more contemporary. Some meditations are designed for walking, which I find very useful.

Finally, there is a brief biographical sketch of each person cited in the book, and contact information for many Sufi organizations.

This book will help anyone interested in exploring Sufi mysticism, mysticism in general, or anyone who just wants to learn new meditative techniques. In the process, you'll read some very insightful and entertaining texts from across the centuries.

Sufi Book of Life
This is an excellent book full of humor and wisdom. I just purchased my second copy as I have used it almost every day for over two years to read and remember a pathway. I even take it with me when I travel and have given several copies to friends and family. The Sufi Book of Life is one of my favorite resources of comfort and inspiration. It is a tool to connect with my inner life. I use it to set the theme for my day and/or read it just before I settle in for the night. I treasure this book.