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Living Presence (Revised): The Sufi Path to Mindfulness and the Essential Self
A revised 25th anniversary edition of the classic work on Sufism that Jack Kornfield called, "A heartfelt modern illumination of the Sufi path, filled with the fragrance of the ancients."In Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, presence is the quality that describes a heart-filled state of mindfulness, an experience of being conscious in the present moment. It is only in this present moment, Sufi teachings reveal, that we can connect with the Divine, and the Divine can live through us.Kabir Helminski is one of the world's most recognized teachers of Sufism. Named one of the "500 Most Influential Muslims" in the world by Georgetown University and the Royal Strategic Studies Center, Helminski and his teachings are touchstones for the growth in interest in Sufism, and his books have been translated around the world. In Living Presence, 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 Finding a balance between the outer stimuli of the world and our inner reactions to them* Harnessing faithfulness and gracefulness* Learning about the parallels between ancient spiritual wisdom and modern psychological knowledge* Meditation and contemplation to discover more meaning in daily lifeWith 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 25th anniversary, this edition of Living Presence offers a wisdom that is both universal and practical.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1992
188 people are currently reading
858 people want to read
About the author
Kabir Helminski
37 books68 followersKabir Helminski is codirector, with his wife, Camille Helminski, of the Threshold Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing the knowledge and practice of Sufism. He is the author of Living Presence and the translator of four volumes of Rumi's poetry.
Helminski has been named as one of the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.
Helminski is a teacher and advisor with The Spiritual Paths Institute, a group of contemplative teachers from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Native American, and Hindu traditions offering programs in applied inter-spirituality.
Helminski has been named as one of the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.
Helminski is a teacher and advisor with The Spiritual Paths Institute, a group of contemplative teachers from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Native American, and Hindu traditions offering programs in applied inter-spirituality.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 31, 2008
i read this book 10+ years ago and have reread it many times since--underlined, made marginal notes, re-underlined, added notes. this book has been a real catalyst in my life. it is difficult to write about without doing injustice to the author. helminski writes about being, awareness, mindfulness in such a simple and pure way. just thinking about it makes me want to take it out today and begin reading it over again. i think i will.
April 8, 2017
Overall, I enjoyed the book, although it didn't give me the full introduction to Sufi Islam that I was hoping for. It left me with more questions than answers. Helminski does include one chapter at the end that describes a little bit of the history of Sufism, and differentiates between two groups of Sufis:
"On the one hand, there are those who would say that no true Sufism can exist without the appreciation and practice of the principles of Islam. On the other, some groups more or less ignore the Islamic roots of Sufism and take their teaching from farther downstream, from Sufis who may or may not have had contact with specifically Islamic teachings." (172)
It wasn't really clear to me in which group Helminski would place himself, though he does write that, in his opinion, "an appreciation and understanding of the Qur'an the sayings of Muhammad, and historical Sufism is invaluable to the wayfarer on the Sufi path," (172) and he does include a number of verses of the Qur'an throughout the book—albeit outnumbered by quotes from Rumi's poetry.
The book did confirm my initial impressions about Sufi Islam, that it is focused on love and compassion. It reminded me quite a bit of Buddhism and recently popular approaches to spirituality, such as the approach documented in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?
One thing I've wondered about Sufi Islam is whether it offers a more progressive treatment of women than mainstream Islam does/has. This book didn't answer that question for me. Most of its message can be applicable to both men and women, though I was a little annoyed that most of the author's anecdotes had to do with himself or other men, especially his male teachers. There was one important exception, though, when the author calls us to transcend our lower selves in search of the higher self that comes through (and/or leads to) closeness to Allah. However, he writes,"women who have been taught to deny their own needs in favor of their families or in deference to men will be sensitive to the suggestion that they should look beyond their personal needs and desires, or that service is the natural expression of the soul." (48) This struck me as pretty insightful, and it reminds me of discussions I've heard about (feminist) women struggling with the Islamic concept of "submission," associating it with subjugation to men.
Finally, I enjoyed the author's descriptions of Salaat (ritualized Islamic prayer) and meditation and the similarities between the two.
"On the one hand, there are those who would say that no true Sufism can exist without the appreciation and practice of the principles of Islam. On the other, some groups more or less ignore the Islamic roots of Sufism and take their teaching from farther downstream, from Sufis who may or may not have had contact with specifically Islamic teachings." (172)
It wasn't really clear to me in which group Helminski would place himself, though he does write that, in his opinion, "an appreciation and understanding of the Qur'an the sayings of Muhammad, and historical Sufism is invaluable to the wayfarer on the Sufi path," (172) and he does include a number of verses of the Qur'an throughout the book—albeit outnumbered by quotes from Rumi's poetry.
The book did confirm my initial impressions about Sufi Islam, that it is focused on love and compassion. It reminded me quite a bit of Buddhism and recently popular approaches to spirituality, such as the approach documented in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?
One thing I've wondered about Sufi Islam is whether it offers a more progressive treatment of women than mainstream Islam does/has. This book didn't answer that question for me. Most of its message can be applicable to both men and women, though I was a little annoyed that most of the author's anecdotes had to do with himself or other men, especially his male teachers. There was one important exception, though, when the author calls us to transcend our lower selves in search of the higher self that comes through (and/or leads to) closeness to Allah. However, he writes,"women who have been taught to deny their own needs in favor of their families or in deference to men will be sensitive to the suggestion that they should look beyond their personal needs and desires, or that service is the natural expression of the soul." (48) This struck me as pretty insightful, and it reminds me of discussions I've heard about (feminist) women struggling with the Islamic concept of "submission," associating it with subjugation to men.
Finally, I enjoyed the author's descriptions of Salaat (ritualized Islamic prayer) and meditation and the similarities between the two.
January 13, 2022
I found it most compelling and useful when the author Kabir Hemlinski gave real world anecdotes from their own life. I perhaps just am not ready to ready a book like this. The concepts discussed are fairly straight forward and no more than a dozen. Yet they expand to fit 220+ pages of repetition. I would have welcomed more examples of 'how' rather than page after page filled with statements of what 'what is'. Some of the language used doesn't flow and other times new terms such as 'I-ness' are difficult to read with flow and comprehension and lead to reading over the sentence multiple times. The final chapter should also have been the first chapter in the book. I think I was also left a little confused to whether Sufism is either a set of 'traditions' said in the book, a new religion that takes its root from Islam and adds "required reformulation and fresh expression" or an ashram type isolationist cult. I did find it interesting to learn a bit more about the fundamentals of Sufism and this does raise more questions - which is also fine. But I just found it page after page of statements and sentences filled with lists of adjectives.
July 19, 2022
The paradox is that experiencing mindfulness isn't about learning new concepts, it's about deconstructing the biased ones within ourselves. And once the process begins, it changes us evermore.
December 6, 2019
A little masterpiece. Kabir Helminski has the gift to translate the timeless wisdom of the Sufis into a simple and comprehensible language. I am forever grateful that God brought me into contact with the living tradition of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. The question remains: how do we bring this baraka (blessing) into the world to realize the cosmic vision of the Garden of Eden, a world of true humanness that mirrors the divine? One thing is clear: „Our task is to create the Civilization of Paradise on earth“ - not in the far, distant future, but here and now. The Great Work, the transfiguration of the earthly into the celestial, begins with the practice of Living Presence, the awakening and purification of the human heart, surrender to the Greater Reality and a life of humble service. As Ibn Arabi, one of the greatest masters of wisdom said: „And I saw that I was nothing but servanthood, without a trace of Lordship“. May we all become such servants of the Beloved, may the fellowship of the Light grow with every day and the remembrance of the friends illumine even the darkest places. We are the ones we have been waiting for. If not us, who? If not now, when?
My only criticism or humble suggestion is this: there is something deeper than mindfulness and that is heartfulness. „A Sufi Way to Heartfulness“ might be the better and more appropriate title.
“In Sufism we understand the human being to be composed of three aspects: self, heart, and spirit. Self is the experience of our personal identity, including our thoughts and emotions. Heart is something deeper, experienced through an inner knowing, often with a quality of compassion, conscience, and love. It can ultimately lead to the recognition of the deepest part of ourselves - our inmost consciousness, or Spirit, the reflection of God within us.
If we simply say that soul is our inner being, then the quality of our inner being, or soul, is the result of the relationship between self and our innermost consciousness, Spirit. The self without the presence of spirit is merely ego, the false mask, which is governed by self-centered thoughts and emotions. The more the self becomes infused with spirit, the more „soulful“ it becomes. We use the words presence and remembrance to describe the conscious connection between self and Spirit. The more we live mindfully with presence, the more we remember God, and the more soulful we are, the more we drop the mask.
Care of the soul, then, is always the cultivation of presence and remembrance. Presence includes all the ways we mindfully attend to our lives. Soul is the child of the union of self and spirit. When this union has matured, the soul acquires substance and structure. That is why it is said in some teachings that we do not automatically have a soul; we must acquire one through our spiritual work. (p. 75)”
― Kabir Helminski, Living Presence: A Sufi Way to Mindfulness & the Essential Self
My only criticism or humble suggestion is this: there is something deeper than mindfulness and that is heartfulness. „A Sufi Way to Heartfulness“ might be the better and more appropriate title.
“In Sufism we understand the human being to be composed of three aspects: self, heart, and spirit. Self is the experience of our personal identity, including our thoughts and emotions. Heart is something deeper, experienced through an inner knowing, often with a quality of compassion, conscience, and love. It can ultimately lead to the recognition of the deepest part of ourselves - our inmost consciousness, or Spirit, the reflection of God within us.
If we simply say that soul is our inner being, then the quality of our inner being, or soul, is the result of the relationship between self and our innermost consciousness, Spirit. The self without the presence of spirit is merely ego, the false mask, which is governed by self-centered thoughts and emotions. The more the self becomes infused with spirit, the more „soulful“ it becomes. We use the words presence and remembrance to describe the conscious connection between self and Spirit. The more we live mindfully with presence, the more we remember God, and the more soulful we are, the more we drop the mask.
Care of the soul, then, is always the cultivation of presence and remembrance. Presence includes all the ways we mindfully attend to our lives. Soul is the child of the union of self and spirit. When this union has matured, the soul acquires substance and structure. That is why it is said in some teachings that we do not automatically have a soul; we must acquire one through our spiritual work. (p. 75)”
― Kabir Helminski, Living Presence: A Sufi Way to Mindfulness & the Essential Self
Read
January 25, 2022Re-reading exactly three years later. Found it a lot more repetitive and even tedious this time around than I remembered it being - the book could be shortened. As an introductory text to Sufism, it also perhaps raises more questions than it answers. Still, there is a great deal of beauty in this book, always worth returning to when one feels particularly scattered and lost.
Read
October 24, 2025Wonderful, very deep and clear basis for what you need to know about sufism. To me, entering this, it seems like islamic buddhism or taoism, with hints of mysticism in there. Makes me think of bahai, how it's all the same. Unity, nature, world peace. Presence, transscendence. It's the ultimate and only truth and there's multiple approaches. There is nothing to do but let go.
This was an interesting approach with some new ways of dissecting the human experience: the self, the body and the spirit. And the fourth way: as the three traditional spiritual paths are the way of the monk (mind), the fakir (body), and the yogi (emotions), the Fourth Way teaches the simultaneous development of all three in ordinary life.
“As faith grows, all our human faculties and attributes are absorbed in the Love of the One and the quest for Truth. As presence develops in us, so does faithfulness. Everything becomes harmonized by that presence. Finally, that presence is unified in the One.”
Many great insights about love here, too.
“Water says to the dirty, „Come here“
The dirty one says, „I am so ashamed“.
Water says,
„How will your shame be washed away without me?“
Rumi, Mathnawi II: 1366-67”
This was an interesting approach with some new ways of dissecting the human experience: the self, the body and the spirit. And the fourth way: as the three traditional spiritual paths are the way of the monk (mind), the fakir (body), and the yogi (emotions), the Fourth Way teaches the simultaneous development of all three in ordinary life.
“As faith grows, all our human faculties and attributes are absorbed in the Love of the One and the quest for Truth. As presence develops in us, so does faithfulness. Everything becomes harmonized by that presence. Finally, that presence is unified in the One.”
Many great insights about love here, too.
“Water says to the dirty, „Come here“
The dirty one says, „I am so ashamed“.
Water says,
„How will your shame be washed away without me?“
Rumi, Mathnawi II: 1366-67”
July 21, 2022
This book is a gem. If clean, accurate prose is a signal of spiritual wisdom, Helminski's a master. I plan to return repeatedly to these pages as a basic framework for becoming fully human.
"Presence is the human self-awareness that is the end result of the evolution of life on this planet."
"Every human being carries a seed of the Essence that is meant to be actualized. This Essence has no limits; those are imposed only by the condition of the vehicle that carries it."
--Kabir Helminski
"Presence is the human self-awareness that is the end result of the evolution of life on this planet."
"Every human being carries a seed of the Essence that is meant to be actualized. This Essence has no limits; those are imposed only by the condition of the vehicle that carries it."
--Kabir Helminski
March 7, 2024
A dear friend of mine recommended this book to me and I’m forever grateful. One of the best books I’ve ever read, so beautifully written and it truly touched my soul. I’d recommend reading it in small sections so that you can properly absorb and apply the teachings.
August 14, 2012
This was the first book The Presence Group of St. Stephen's EC, Houston read back when we began in 2004 and 2005. It is a small book, but very, very dense in the sense that there are many layers of meaning to absorb. Believe it or not we read it three times in succession, simply because we wanted to and in a way needed to. The discussions on the book spiraled as we re-read it and discussed it again.
Over the years our group has read other books on the theme of 'living in the presence of God' and every time there have been aspects that cause us to recall Living Presence.
It is an extraordinary book that introduces the reader to Sufism. A companion book by Lynn Bauman, Living the Presence is a help as a study guide.
Over the years our group has read other books on the theme of 'living in the presence of God' and every time there have been aspects that cause us to recall Living Presence.
It is an extraordinary book that introduces the reader to Sufism. A companion book by Lynn Bauman, Living the Presence is a help as a study guide.
Read
February 27, 2022Sufism is an Islamic tradition that seeks an awareness of and devotion to the infinite spirit. This spirit, more often called God, manifests through all things. It’s the essential reality of the universe. By developing a sense of presence, and growing a mindfulness practice that opens you to the infinite spirit, you can quiet your fearful ego, find love for yourself and others, and channel that love into acts of creativity and service.
And here are a final few words of guidance:
Let worship come naturally.
The day-to-day religious practices of the Sufi are rich and diverse and go back 13 centuries. Perhaps you’ve heard of the whirling dervishes, for example – Sufis who turn on their feet as a form of prayer.
But, Sufism isn’t rigid in its rituals. Sufis believe that right action, including the worship of God, flows from presence. Developing presence in daily life and meditation, surrendering yourself to love, and serving others are all acts of sincere devotion or worship. And what is worship if not recognizing reality through selflessness?
---
Sufism is a practice of Islam that strives to experience a reality of divine interconnection.
Picture yourself in a city dense with fog. Its tendrils cling to the streets, spreading darkness everywhere. The people around you move about in shadow.
The inhabitants of this city are constricted by fear. No matter their accomplishments, they carry a deep sense of failure and alienation.
Now travel beyond the city. You find yourself in a village where people strive to be kind yet are haunted by fears of their own insignificance. Journey further away still and you meet the warriors. The warriors have conquered their fears through the realization that life is divine.
Continue yet further and you finally arrive with the saints. The saints have not only realized that life is divine, but they also live every moment with the awareness of this knowledge. They surrender themselves to the all-present divinity.
The key message here is: Sufism is a practice of Islam that strives to experience a reality of divine interconnection.
To a Sufi, this imagined journey from alienation to surrender to the divine isn’t simply a spiritual one. It isn’t just a metaphysical aspiration; it’s a journey to fully embrace physical reality.
In Sufism, all things, and living things in particular, share an essence, or infinite spirit. The spirit creates, connects, and transforms them. So in this way, all things are both individual phenomena and manifestations of the infinite spirit. For a Sufi, reality is oneness.
What’s more, this view of reality sits in harmony with our modern scientific understanding of the world. In physics, reality is an electromagnetic field. Within the field, subatomic particles vibrate with energy, and this energy draws elements together. The elements transform one another, enabling organic life.
Consider a rose, for example. The energy within the rose brings sun, water, and minerals together to make it bloom. It’s the same for humans. The energy within us powers our minds; it allows us to have an awareness of the energy itself.
In contemporary Sufi teaching, this energy, that manifests through all things in the electromagnetic field, is the infinite spirit revealing itself throughout existence.
But this fit with scientifically approved models of reality is beside the point. Sufism isn’t primarily concerned with arguing the truth. Sufism is about experience. And the most important experience a person can have is presence.
---
End the tyranny of the compulsive, fearful ego, by surrendering to the love of the infinite spirit.
So far we’ve explored Sufism’s concept of the infinite spirit, an energy more often known as God that connects and manifests through all things, ourselves included. But just as we embody the divine, we also have something of a villain lurking within us: the ego.
In Sufism, the ego is your compulsive self. Seeking only to preserve itself, the ego stokes fear, resentment, judgment, and envy. It can’t sustain mindful attention on any task so it flits about. And, it reads the world as either a threat to extinguish, or an angle to be played.
For many people, the conscious mind is dominated by the ego. We are prey to our compulsions, guilt, and fear. Insecurity guides our actions. We use our intellect as a shield and weapon.
It’s a troublesome state of affairs. Luckily, there is another way.
The key message here is: End the tyranny of the compulsive, fearful ego, by surrendering to the love of the infinite spirit.
In Sufi Islam, all things, having been created by the infinite spirit, have a good essence to them. The ego is no different.
You developed your ego at a young age to cope with the challenges of life. To face adversity, your ego supplies you with crucial qualities: aspiration, self-respect, and diligence. You need your ego. But it should serve, not rule you.
To humble your ego you must develop presence, in other words, an awareness of the infinite spirit. The spirit wants the best for you and you must trust it, surrender, and submit to its love.
But submission to this spirit isn’t a one-and-done deal. Daily life is full of challenges – including money troubles, health problems, and all manner of real and perceived threats that can awaken your self-important, survivalist ego.
Conflict is inevitable, but when the world triggers your ego, you should work to return to presence. Remember the connection between your individual self and the divine. Allow yourself to be humbled, reassured, and loved, and your ego will release its hold.
When that compulsive self is hushed only then can you go on and face your challenges.
And here are a final few words of guidance:
Let worship come naturally.
The day-to-day religious practices of the Sufi are rich and diverse and go back 13 centuries. Perhaps you’ve heard of the whirling dervishes, for example – Sufis who turn on their feet as a form of prayer.
But, Sufism isn’t rigid in its rituals. Sufis believe that right action, including the worship of God, flows from presence. Developing presence in daily life and meditation, surrendering yourself to love, and serving others are all acts of sincere devotion or worship. And what is worship if not recognizing reality through selflessness?
---
Sufism is a practice of Islam that strives to experience a reality of divine interconnection.
Picture yourself in a city dense with fog. Its tendrils cling to the streets, spreading darkness everywhere. The people around you move about in shadow.
The inhabitants of this city are constricted by fear. No matter their accomplishments, they carry a deep sense of failure and alienation.
Now travel beyond the city. You find yourself in a village where people strive to be kind yet are haunted by fears of their own insignificance. Journey further away still and you meet the warriors. The warriors have conquered their fears through the realization that life is divine.
Continue yet further and you finally arrive with the saints. The saints have not only realized that life is divine, but they also live every moment with the awareness of this knowledge. They surrender themselves to the all-present divinity.
The key message here is: Sufism is a practice of Islam that strives to experience a reality of divine interconnection.
To a Sufi, this imagined journey from alienation to surrender to the divine isn’t simply a spiritual one. It isn’t just a metaphysical aspiration; it’s a journey to fully embrace physical reality.
In Sufism, all things, and living things in particular, share an essence, or infinite spirit. The spirit creates, connects, and transforms them. So in this way, all things are both individual phenomena and manifestations of the infinite spirit. For a Sufi, reality is oneness.
What’s more, this view of reality sits in harmony with our modern scientific understanding of the world. In physics, reality is an electromagnetic field. Within the field, subatomic particles vibrate with energy, and this energy draws elements together. The elements transform one another, enabling organic life.
Consider a rose, for example. The energy within the rose brings sun, water, and minerals together to make it bloom. It’s the same for humans. The energy within us powers our minds; it allows us to have an awareness of the energy itself.
In contemporary Sufi teaching, this energy, that manifests through all things in the electromagnetic field, is the infinite spirit revealing itself throughout existence.
But this fit with scientifically approved models of reality is beside the point. Sufism isn’t primarily concerned with arguing the truth. Sufism is about experience. And the most important experience a person can have is presence.
---
End the tyranny of the compulsive, fearful ego, by surrendering to the love of the infinite spirit.
So far we’ve explored Sufism’s concept of the infinite spirit, an energy more often known as God that connects and manifests through all things, ourselves included. But just as we embody the divine, we also have something of a villain lurking within us: the ego.
In Sufism, the ego is your compulsive self. Seeking only to preserve itself, the ego stokes fear, resentment, judgment, and envy. It can’t sustain mindful attention on any task so it flits about. And, it reads the world as either a threat to extinguish, or an angle to be played.
For many people, the conscious mind is dominated by the ego. We are prey to our compulsions, guilt, and fear. Insecurity guides our actions. We use our intellect as a shield and weapon.
It’s a troublesome state of affairs. Luckily, there is another way.
The key message here is: End the tyranny of the compulsive, fearful ego, by surrendering to the love of the infinite spirit.
In Sufi Islam, all things, having been created by the infinite spirit, have a good essence to them. The ego is no different.
You developed your ego at a young age to cope with the challenges of life. To face adversity, your ego supplies you with crucial qualities: aspiration, self-respect, and diligence. You need your ego. But it should serve, not rule you.
To humble your ego you must develop presence, in other words, an awareness of the infinite spirit. The spirit wants the best for you and you must trust it, surrender, and submit to its love.
But submission to this spirit isn’t a one-and-done deal. Daily life is full of challenges – including money troubles, health problems, and all manner of real and perceived threats that can awaken your self-important, survivalist ego.
Conflict is inevitable, but when the world triggers your ego, you should work to return to presence. Remember the connection between your individual self and the divine. Allow yourself to be humbled, reassured, and loved, and your ego will release its hold.
When that compulsive self is hushed only then can you go on and face your challenges.
July 19, 2021
I can't get over how this book has changed my life. Before I felt uncertain about everything, but I was okay because I knew the truth was out there. Turns out the truth was inside me all along, waiting to be unveiled. Now that it is, I'm shining bright and this light reflects onto others. Everyday I wake up and practice being grateful and this gratitude has awakened me to LOVE. Highly recommend for everyone, especially those on their spiritual journey.
October 28, 2017
This book has deepened my spiritual beliefs and practices on so many levels. In some ways, it seems to me to be the sequel to Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now.” But instead of platitudes, it is filled with honest, deep connections and truths of living authentically through the Spirit of the Present. Highly recommended.
April 20, 2012
I carry this with me nearly constantly these days. No matter how much I get out of it, there is always more the next time I open the pages.
April 12, 2025
A wonderful and helpful book for people trying to get better.
December 26, 2018
Looking through my local library's selection of downloadable spiritual e-books, I stumbled upon this title and decided to give it a try (it is the 25th anniversary edition). The book is based on the Sufi path and most of the chapters begin with a quote from the Sufi mystic poet Rumi.
I found lots of parallels between Sufism, Buddhism and Christianity. Kabir Helminski writes frequently about being present in the moment, endeavoring to be more selfless, and striving to alleviate the suffering of others.
There are many great quotes that I could pull from the book, but here are some that spoke to me:
“What we choose to give our attention to we energize.”
“We can bring quality into the details of life if we remember to be and act with precision.”
“I didn’t need to give up all desires and thoughts; I needed to free myself from my identification with them, and then I would be in contact with the higher capacities that these identifications obscured.”
“…we foolishly expect outer life to be perfect and ourselves to be perpetually undisturbed...the freedom, relaxation, and peace we are to find is not outer, but inner.”
"We can be thankful for our faults, for they can keep us humble and aware of our dependence on a higher Reality."
If what you’re looking for is step-by-step meditation instruction, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you’re looking to reach beyond the typical authors on mindfulness, I highly recommend this book
I found lots of parallels between Sufism, Buddhism and Christianity. Kabir Helminski writes frequently about being present in the moment, endeavoring to be more selfless, and striving to alleviate the suffering of others.
There are many great quotes that I could pull from the book, but here are some that spoke to me:
“What we choose to give our attention to we energize.”
“We can bring quality into the details of life if we remember to be and act with precision.”
“I didn’t need to give up all desires and thoughts; I needed to free myself from my identification with them, and then I would be in contact with the higher capacities that these identifications obscured.”
“…we foolishly expect outer life to be perfect and ourselves to be perpetually undisturbed...the freedom, relaxation, and peace we are to find is not outer, but inner.”
"We can be thankful for our faults, for they can keep us humble and aware of our dependence on a higher Reality."
If what you’re looking for is step-by-step meditation instruction, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you’re looking to reach beyond the typical authors on mindfulness, I highly recommend this book
June 19, 2024
Not what I expected, New Age spirituality stuff really isn't my cup of tea.
Helminski seems to mean well and is upfront in the text about the position he's coming from, but whether it was him or the publisher, the subtitle and list of his credentials on the back cover make the impression that this will be an authentic treatise on Sufi beliefs. It only took until chapter 3 until he says he disagrees strongly with the idea of a singular God, and dedicates that chapter to the "creative energy in minerals." The latter just disinterests me and made me disengage with the whole book, and the former just makes me realise this is better subtitled something along the lines of "A Sufi-inspiried New Way to Mindfulness & the Essential Self."
Helminski seems to mean well and is upfront in the text about the position he's coming from, but whether it was him or the publisher, the subtitle and list of his credentials on the back cover make the impression that this will be an authentic treatise on Sufi beliefs. It only took until chapter 3 until he says he disagrees strongly with the idea of a singular God, and dedicates that chapter to the "creative energy in minerals." The latter just disinterests me and made me disengage with the whole book, and the former just makes me realise this is better subtitled something along the lines of "A Sufi-inspiried New Way to Mindfulness & the Essential Self."
August 15, 2020
This is a beautiful, densely spiritual book that I savored slowly. It will be one of the few I take with me into the nursing home. It’s a powerful invitation to presence and the Divine guidance that we may access from that state.
August 16, 2020
Much quiet wisdom to be found here. The author uses common words like heart and love differently than the dictionary definitions, but he includes a glossary at the end. I learned a lot about Sufism that I didn't know before. It is a rich spiritual heritage.
January 30, 2021
Really needed this. Beautifully profound and thought-provoking. Loved the idea of presence without absence ❤️
“And any step outward requires a corresponding step inward.”
“It is as if the human being were a pole, with individuality at one end and the Divine Being at the other.”
“And any step outward requires a corresponding step inward.”
“It is as if the human being were a pole, with individuality at one end and the Divine Being at the other.”
June 13, 2017
The content of the book is more about universal truths than it is about who-said-what. It's an inspiring read for any religious background.
August 3, 2020
i love the countless slaps to my ego this book gave me and it’s a book that i’d personally read over and over again.
December 27, 2020
Great book. A source of very useful and practical information that one can use to strengthen their spiritual attention in service of greater presence needed to get in touch with the divine.
June 29, 2021
overtly academic
February 21, 2022
I read this during Ramadan last year, 2021. Wow, did it hit on a lot of issues and feelings I was dealing with!
I recommend it!
I recommend it!
February 27, 2022
Anything in the book can connect to the God, but I don’t care it at all.
July 14, 2022
Words to live by.
May 19, 2023
Tough read though with rereading paragraphs to better understand… it’s so worth it.
August 6, 2023
Incredibly quotable but ultimately a touch unapproachable
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