The Commanding Self

by Idries Shah

AMERICAN ENGLISH EDITION
Do you command it? Or does it command you? The commanding self is the bundle of conditioned responses that we need to survive – but which holds most of us prisoner. Psychology and personal development are only just beginning to catch up with what the Sufis have said for hundreds of years. You can take control of your commanding self and choose how and when it operates. This book can set you free.

Genres: Islam, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Psychology, Spirituality

398 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Idries Shah (Persian: ادریس شاه), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي), was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.

Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.

In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.

Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.

Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."

Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim

Reviews

[Aubrey Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contemplate much less the 'I shall progress,' than the 'I' stand in 'my way'. Reflections: Idries Shah

Idries Shah’s The Commanding Self helped me recognize that what I think is my “normal” everyday self is actually a mix of primitive & conditioned reactions which inhibit and distort my understanding. Shocking, fresh, often funny the book points to a middle way where this “beast” is allowed to exercise its useful functions & meet its needs while keeping the door open for other capacities or selves to emerge and grow.

[Curtis Schofield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can be read over and over and over, and each of the stories can be read over and over and over.

[Hilary Bradley-Woodstock · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Commanding Self' was yet another breath of fresh air when I first read it some years ago. It helped put the pieces of the puzzle together. When I first read Shah's 'The Sufis' age 19, I am now 70, I felt I had found the answers to questions neither my dear parents nor the American culture, in which I had been brought up, could answer. It was not what my family and culture had told or taught me that was a waste of time, in fact, they and it had taught me a huge amount that was positive and valuable. No, it was more what they were NOT able to explain or teach me that was wanting because their knowledge was confused and was just not functioning as it should have been in the culture at that time. Shah's job, like thousands before him, was to supply people in the West and East in modern times across the world with knowledge which reflects the truth about the history of life and the continuum of life on earth and how best to understand it and come to terms with it. His books filled in the gaps and, for me, continue to do so.

[Carol M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Commanding Self is that function of oneself and one's world which prevents absorbing unencountered descriptions of man and living. As if one's eyes (or mind) is not one's own. Why miss out? is what I say. Entertain descriptions outside one's comfort zone by recognizing impediments to understanding. This fascinating, as always, book by Idries Shah allows me to learn about this central block to seeing all sorts of things in the every day. Stories, psychology, science and conversations lead one through this most interesting, entertaining and useful view of life. Who more enjoyable and informative to have in one's living room than Idries Shah. His thoughts surprise but don't confound the reader. This is no weighty tome, maybe weightless tome might give a better feel for the book. On the proverbial desert island, a book by Idries Shah would strengthen my spirit like the best friend.

[John Edward Handfoth]

A book with many layers. Shah sheds light on the "Commanding Self', which is the part of every person comprised of prejudices, cultural preoccupations, kneejerk reactions, and unexamined assumptions. The aim is not to eradicate it but to have it serve rather than rule. Shah examines it from a variety of perspectives in lucid, precise, accessible prose. He cites memorable stories and fables which aid in understanding and outwitting it. A fascinating book which repays re-reading. You can check it out for free online. There are also audio excerpts from the book, read by the excellent David Ault, on Youtube.

[Julian Hadlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book explains how we, particularly in the West, are prevented from understanding a wider perspective by conditioned responses, engrained habits and pre-formed ideas. They can slow us down or even prevent reaching any form of higher consciousness. The author uses his own inimitable style coupled with stories to help unshackle the mind.

[P Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important. Life changing. the real deal.

[Leonard Robichaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone concerned with "self development" should first have a basic understanding of their various selves. The commanding self is that self we normally assume to be our one and only self - our personality as normally understood - but this is not the self that Sufism aims to develop, nor is it even an integrated whole. Almost all of what is considered "self development" is, effectively, merely reinforcing that self which stands in the way of real, higher development. The concept of the commanding self is key to spiritual development: if we aren't able to recognize it for what it is and how it operates, our efforts at spiritual development are liable to only reinforce the tyranny of this lower self rather than lead toward any real progress. This book is considered a key to the corpus of Shah's teaching material, and it should be given the appropriate study by anyone truly interested in the subject.

[Ulrika Eriksson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Commanding Self is something I'm afraid I have much more of than I suspect. It is a “mixture of primitive emotionality and irrelevant associations” and it is something you really want to combat:
”The Commanding Self, though, can be seen as a sort of parasite, which first complements the personality, then takes over certain parts of it, and masquerades as the personality itself”
This book is full of knowledge, wisdom, psychology, sociology, it warns of overactivity of emotions and of mechanicality, it contains wonderful stories, it talks of idealists as destroyers of good and faith as obsession and of HUMOUR as a NECESSITY. I highly recommend it as a sort of compass to those who find this world bewildering. And who doesn't ?

[Ita Marquess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A questioner put it to Idries Shah: I visualise you like one of the great teachers of antiquity, as you sit there surrounded by people and pointing out the stupidities of their opinions.'

Shah replied: 'If you were to see me also as someone who has walked into a garden where people can't grow potatoes because weeds are strangling the plants, and who walks among the plants plucking out the weeds; and who may or may not have something further to contribute; after the weeds have been plucked; but who has to do certain things in a certain order, even when impatient people are crying for potatoes when the plants have not even grown strong.'

[Carbis Tribe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idries Shah does a fantastic job of extrapolating Sufic thought and principles in this book. His style of parables and stories remind me of the "Wisdom Literature" of times past, with many unexpected results and lessons learned. I have found this book invaluable, and it will take pride of place on my bookshelf. A must for anybody with an interest in Sufism, carving their own spiritual path, or involved in individuation.

[Kevan Bowkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Afghan author Idries Shah addresses barriers to learning and effective action -- barriers often called 'the Commanding Self' by the Middle Eastern and Central Asian sages known as the Sufis. The volume treats of this complex of 'primitive and conditioned responses' and its effects from many angles. The content is correspondingly rich and varied -- including tales, jokes, historical anecdotes, question-and-answer, and short essays or commentaries. The text exhibits the very subtle and powerful psychology (and sociology) of the Sufis, and their manifold efforts to help free the ordinary mind from the mental warping of the Commanding Self. A vital, vigorous book.

DETAILS:

Published: London: The Octagon Press, 1994. A new edition is to be released soon by ISF Publishing.
xii [=12] + 332 pages, cloth and paperback
Written by Afghan author Idries Shah, notable traveler, collector of stories, and commentator upon the Sufis.

A review can only give a faint suggestion of this book: best to find a copy and 'taste' it yourself.

The book, using a variety of approaches, gives insight into the 'commanding self,' how it distorts understanding, and steps one can take to become less subject to it (while allowing the expression of healthy psychological impulses). The Sufis assert that all of us are subject to such a cluster of 'primitive and conditioned' responses, which make us less free and self-directed than we like to think.

The book uses tales, anecdotes, expository passages, and question-and-answer to illustrate this process. For instance, there is 'Etiquette,' containing an account of how the queen of Spain, who'd slipped from her horse with her foot still caught in the stirrup, couldn't be rescued by any of the Court grandees present, as none had the authority to touch her. She was saved by a passer-by -- who was promptly exiled for his temerity in violating Court etiquette.

Then there is 'Levitation,' the story of the astronomer who announced on the BBC that Pluto was to produce an effect detectable on Earth -- at a certain time, if people jumped into the air, they should feel a floating sensation. Many reported jumping and experiencing the floating -- having been told on the morning of April Fool's Day that this would occur.

The power of suggestion seems to have exerted a formidable effect in this case (maybe alongside desires for attention, and for fitting in). This anecdote would seem also to show that to a great extent we have not yet attained to that level of 'sense' our culture claims is 'common.'

There is also the tale of 'The Valiant Trader-Knight,' a humorous story in which a man goes through several experiences without perceiving some of their essential elements -- as a result, he develops a completely wrong, inflated idea of his capacities.

(This seems a recurring theme in Sufi psychology: that we often miss essential elements in situations, elements that make the circumstances completely different from what we imagine. Courses of Sufi study, like the one of which this book is a part, seem to be designed to help the student to perceive these hidden 'ingredients' in situations.)

These are just a few examples that the book presents us of the Commanding Self at work. The volume is in many ways a treasure-trove of how NOT to think and behave. And to some degree we are helped not to behave thus by the colour and vividness of the illustrations, which can help us remember them. So we have the tale in the section 'Spiritual Teachers,' which seems to contain a great deal that's essential. A captain allows three holy men aboard his ship as passengers, each possessed of a skill. The first can see an enormous distance, the second can hear things very far away. The third seems to have a less useful skill: he can 'point out irrelevances, so that relevancies might remain.' When the ship is at sea, the first holy man observes '"the daughter of the King of India, sewing at the window of her palace!"
The second holy man shouted:
"And I [italicized] can hear that she has just dropped her needle, and it has struck the ground below her!"
The third holy man, who had been standing by, looked at the Captain, who was beginning to feel greatly impressed by these miracles. The Captain caught his eye, and remembered that he stood for the observing of irrelevancies.
"I think," said the Captain to the third holy man, "that the time has come for me to become your [ital.] disciple, for I nearly failed to learn your lesson: which I need before I can benefit from information about the life of the Princess of India!"'

There are numerous recommendations on how to orient toward learning and Sufi study, such as 'Intolerable Mishmash?' and 'Escape.' The importance of humour is underscored in 'Advisable.' There is also important material on the enneagon, ancient monuments, and planetary symbols -- but this material does not invite us into a spell of historical fascination; rather, these passages appear to be there to give us just enough information on these subjects to limit the undue growth of the Commanding Self.

Each tale, anecdote, or passage seems to include a good deal of teaching in a very small compass; and to draw attention to this or that passage in a review seems to distort or overemphasize it. (Again: read the book for the real flavour and content.)

Shah's book reveals a great deal of subtle and powerful psychology and anthropology -- for instance in the sections on 'Idealism,' on 'Loading and Unloading' (this section alone is more than worth the price of admission, given its potential for clearing up many misunderstandings in communication), on 'Displacement Activity,' on assumptions and attention-seeking (in the section 'Preconditions...'), on the barriers to higher perception illustrated in the funny and memorable 'Eight Analogies,' and on the importance of digesting what one is taught, not just tasting it, in the section 'Undigested.' Surely, by the way, this must be one of the functions of anthropology: to apply it to ourselves, so that we can see more clearly what motivates us, and how we might overcome pressures that limit us. Psychological processes that limit learning are addressed almost continuously in the text. Shah emphasizes that we are often subject to conditioned patterns (eg. 'scholasticism, or puzzle-solving, or a tendency to seek emotional satisfactions') when trying to learn or approach spirituality.

A wise man once said:
"In the next life, you will not be asked, 'Why did you not behave like such-and-such a person?'
"You will be asked:
'Why did you not behave like your real self?'
"If you know who and what you are, you can start to be that person, instead of a copy of the ideas, the behaviour or the image of someone else, or some collection of people. Then you can really be [ital.]."

In the section 'Conditioning,' the author highlights a vital approach toward learning:

It is only when the desire for knowledge and understanding becomes as effective as the craving for emotional stimulus that the individual becomes accessible to change, to knowledge, to more than a very little understanding.
So learning must be preceded by the capacity to learn. THAT, in turn, comes about at least in part by right attitude. And THAT, again, is where the would-be learner has to exercise effort.

Among the many gems well worth reflecting on is the following:

Sufis are not here to satisfy a demand. They exist to share what they have got. These two things are not always the same.

And the reader may wish to have a look at the cover. The image, just like the text inside, seems to bear reflection.

Early on, Shah has already helped us orient constructively toward the Commanding Self and its problems:

The answer? Time and service rather than wanting to take a place on the totem-pole. It is for this reason that Sufi teachers divert vanity from the spiritual area, by encouraging their disciples to channel the Commanding Self's activities to any worthy worldly ambition: while continuing to study the Sufi Way in a modest and non-self-promoting manner.

This very worthwhile book is scheduled to be reissued soon by ISF Publishing: http://isf-publishing.org/.

[Sergei_kalinin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Книги Идрис Шаха - это для меня такой "привет из 90-х" :)), когда на книжных развалах появились первые книжечки (на дешевой газетной бумаге) "по эзотерике". Продавцы были крайне убедительны, продавая "настоящих духовных Учителей" :)). Тогда книги этого жителя Великобритании (Идрис Шаха) казались чуть ли не "знанием из первых рук". Ну-ну... :)

Если сегодня я захочу приличных знаний о суфизме, то я возьму почитать Ибн Араби, аль-Газали, Руми, ну, или, на худой конец, академика Бертельса :). Но уж никак не книги Идрис Шаха! Почему?

По очень простой причине: любая духовная традиция существует неотрывно от своих культурных (национальных, исторических, политических и т.д.) корней. Именно поэтому есть очень большая разница между духовной традицией "у себя дома", и между этой же самой традицией, но перенесённой на другую культурную почву. Следует отличать подлинных Учителей (которые могут быть только "у себя дома") и популяризаторов.

Задача популяризаторов - ознакомить с духовной традицией представителей других культур. Т.е. этот попытка пересадить дерево традиции на совсем иную почву. И дерево неизбежно начинает болеть, искривляться :((.

Взаимное проникновение культур (в т.ч. и духовных традиций) можно рассматривать под разными углами зрения. Там всегда есть и плюсы и минусы. Главный минус заключается, пожалуй, в том, что чужая духовная традиция всегда осваивается избирательно; что чужая культура берёт из новой традиции только то, что ей проще всего взять. (Например, торгашеский Запад будет брать из любой восточной традиции "а как на этом можно сделать деньги?").

Именно поэтому любой гуру, выступающий в роли переносчика духовной традиции на другую культурную почву, оказывается о очень непростой маргинальной роли. Маргинал - это человек, который разрывается между двумя противоположными социальными группами/ценностями. Если гуру будет на 100% верен своей традиции, то в новой социальной среде он рискует остаться полностью не понятым и не востребованным. Если гуру на 100% ориентируется на запросы новой социальной среды, то тем самым он предаёт свою духовную традицию и искажает её в угоду потребителям. Получается, что "гуруизм" - это всегда некий компромисс между подлинной традицией и "требованиями заказчиков".

Почему я пишу "гуруизм" в кавычках? Это не Восток пришёл на Запад, это Запад (ещё со времен госпожи Блаватской) попёрся на Восток "в поисках чудесного" :)). Учителя духовных традиций, действующие "у себя дома", и "гуру", которые презентовали духовные традиции любопытствующим европейцам (а потом и сами европейцы, подражающие "гуру"; а потом и восточные "гуру", которые отправились преподавать "чудесное" на Запад) - это две большие разницы :).

В моём понимании Идрис Шах - это такой классический импортированный "гуру", который приехал обучать "чудесному" наивных европейцев :). Его тексты - это некое процентное соотношение подлинных суфийских знаний и того, что хотели услышать западные поклонники. Причём судить о цифрах этого процентного соотношения я не берусь (т.к. сам европеец :)). Но если сравнивать то, что пишут "гуру" вроде Идрис Шаха с тем, что пишут более авторитетные люди внутри традиции (например, упомянутые выше Ибн Араби, Аль-Газали и проч.), то получится, что процент "подлинной традиции" в текстах Идрис Шаха крайне мал :(.

Зачем я читаю эти странные книги? Отвечу так: мне интересен социо-культурный и психологический феномен "гуруизма". Если угодно, то я провожу изучение "гуруического дискурса" (вдруг пригодится ;))). Вот и книга Идрис Шаха не подвела! Например, в ней есть такие признаки "гуруизма":

1) Очень много разрушительной критики по поводу "не-истинных Учителей" (в т.ч. и из других религий). Разумеется, "истинный Учитель" - только сам автор :). Всё как обычно: "Обращайтесь к нам, не дайте себя обмануть в другом месте!". Исключительная монополия на истину - один из главных симптомов гуруизма!

2) Сказочное количество "воды":
- У вас есть особые методы саморазвития?
- О да, у нас есть лучшие методы саморазвития! Это такие замечательные методы, которые прошли проверку веками! Которые являются самыми лучшими в мире методами! И это очень секретные методы, которые могут знать только самые посвящённые из посвящённых!
(...и так далее ещё на несколько страниц, при этом не приводится НИ ОДНОГО конкретного метода!...)

3) Текст написан в формате "вопрос-ответ". Вроде бы замечательно, но именно этот формат позволяет постоянно поддерживать спрашивающего в "состоянии идиота". Т.к. "гуру" не никогда отвечают прямо на поставленные им вопросы! Они отвечают как бы на некий "глубинный вопрос", который ученик "на самом деле задал". При этом "гуру", конечно же, знает лучше, что именно хочет/должен услышать его ученик!

В подавляющем большинстве случаев реакция ученика: "Не понял!". На что "гуру" радостно заявляет: "Потом, когда наступит подходящее время, ты всё поймёшь! Главное, не прекращай сотрудничество со мной!". Т.е. чтобы деньги не пролетали мимо кассы, каждый уважающий себя "гуру" должен уметь так отвечать на поставленные вопросы, чтобы ученик чувствовал себя всё более растерянным, и чтобы у него возникало ещё больше вопросов...

В заключение: я не отрицаю, что книга может быть полезна для тех, кто заинтересован в своём саморазвитии. Сильная сторона книги - замечательные суфийские притчи, которые действительно могут помочь поумерить влияние нашего Эго ("командующего Я"), и взглянуть на себя критично со стороны.

Притчи замечательные, но они были известны задолго до Идрис Шаха... И если выкинуть из книги весь "гуруический самоPR", то книгу можно сократить раз в пять.

Книгу читать скорее рекомендую, но лучше по диагонали: т.е. пропускать гуруический blah-blah, а фокусироваться на притчах. Некоторые могут "зацепить", и действительно помогут в работе над собой.

[Akhil Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

My fav quotes (not a review):
"Recently, explaining this attitude to a famous spiritual leader, I received the answer: ‘But it MUST be true: otherwise so many people would not believe it.’ He had, clearly, not heard of Gresham’s Law: ‘Bad money drives out good.’ I said, ‘There are twice as many adherents of such-and-such a religion as there are of your own. By your logic, THAT one must be true."
"tale: that of the love affair between the elephant and the mouse. Despite the opposition of their respective families, an elephant and a mouse who were in love decided to get married. On their wedding night, the elephant keeled over and died. The mouse said: ‘O Fate! I have unknowingly bartered one moment of pleasure and tons of imagination for a lifetime of digging a grave!’"
"Have you ever heard of the man who jumped into a river to get away from the rain?"
"Some things are cleaned by immersion: others merely become waterlogged."
"virtually all human societies prize above everything agreement and belief."
"it could be the exclusion (not the cultivation) of emotional or intellectual bonds based on hope and fear and operated by repetition, which could open a door to knowledge"
"An aim of the ancient Egyptians was to cure bilharzia; a very attractive one. The chosen method was circumcision. Its single flaw was that it did not work. Countless generations of people have wanted to make gold; this was their aim, and a very attractive one. Their methods (which included ‘getting the impurities out of lead’) did not work. Until people start to ask the equivalent of ‘What exactly is bilharzia?’, and ‘What really are metals?’, the ‘circumcision’ and the ‘purification’ will continue."
"A Central Asian was on his way to Mecca and decided to leave a chest containing his valuables with a merchant of repute in Cairo before setting off, and to take with him on the pilgrimage only such few things as he would actually need. He made enquiries and found himself in the shop of a man regarded by his fellows as of the highest probity. The box was entrusted to him, and the pilgrim set off. When he returned and claimed his property the merchant denied ever having been given it, and even said that he had never seen the pilgrim before. Even the neighbours refused to believe that a man with such a reputation as the merchant could possibly be lying. The pilgrim, with very little money left, without friends and in a foreign land, wandered down the road in a state of shock and dismay, unable to decide what he should do next. It was at this point that a certain wise woman, dressed in dervish garb, noticed him and asked him his trouble. When he had explained what had happened, she said: ‘What would you propose to do about this?’ ‘I can only think that I might resort to force, or go to the police,’ said the pilgrim. ‘The police will not be able to help you, since you can prove no crime,’ said the woman, ‘and as for force – that would just get you into jail.’ ‘If, however,’ she continued, ‘you care to repose complete trust in me, I can devise a plan which will secure the return of your property.’ The pilgrim agreed to do whatever she asked. She helped him to hire, for one day, ten beautiful and valuable-looking chests, which she filled with earth and stones. Then she asked another friend to accompany the chests on a cart, to the merchant’s shop. He was a dervish, dressed as a rich man. When the man and the cargo arrived outside the shop he pretended to be a stranger in the town and asked the merchant if he would agree to look after the ten chests while he went abroad. ‘The chests look as if they are full of valuables,’ thought the merchant, and he agreed to take them in, for a small fee, and have them looked after. As the boxes were about to be carried into the shop the pilgrim played his part. He went up to the merchant and the disguised dervish and said: ‘I have come for my chest of valuables, may I have it now?’" "Fearing that he would not be trusted by the owner of the exciting chests of ‘valuables’ if there was any argument, the merchant handed over the pilgrim’s property, full of smiles. Then the disguised dervish said, ‘Thank you for your trouble, but I have changed my mind – I think that I shall take my own chests with me, after all.’ And that was how the pilgrim’s difficulty was resolved... He thanked the dervishes for their help, saying, ‘I cannot imagine how you thought of this ingenious solution.’"
"They say that a man died and his friends, a group of mystics, gathered around his open coffin at the funeral. In that country, the custom was to put money into the coffin. It is related that: The Yogi, who charged for his lessons, put in $5; The Monk, who had his monastery’s charity-box to rely on, put in $10; The Sufi, who did not believe in waste, took the $15 out and put in a cheque for $100; The Zen master was the undertaker. He took the cheque and cashed it!"

[John Edward Handfoth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Shah's most challenging and rewarding works. Through, stories, essays, and Q & A, Shah lays bare the pitfalls and possibilities of approaching higher knowledge. The Commanding Self of the title is the part of us we so often take to be our whole selves, but is in reality a jumble of reactions, opinions and and assumptions about ourselves and the world we inhabit. Shah does not counsel eradicating it only relegating it to its proper place and outwitting its formidable machinations and manipulations. A fascinating and thought-provoking read written in Shah's lucid and vigorous prose. Highly recommended.

[John Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of us call it the ego, but Sufism's term the Commanding Self - that which commands us to do what we don't want to do, and prevents us from doing what we really need to do - is in many ways more apt. Idries Shah illiuminates its role through a series of tales, discussion points and comments. Above all, taming this natural part of ourselves is a sine qua non for moving forward spiritually.

[Garry Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are serious about learning more about yourself, this book if for you. A word of warning it may show you what you do not wish to see.

[Carol Furpahs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Book Written on Topic: If you would like to see how and why you keep fooling yourself in so many areas of life and for so long, read The Commanding Self. This is psychology which becomes spirituality in your hands. I can reread the same page, often for a week. This book and his books describe the human condition in a functional way. Clear, memorable and entertaining, Idries Shah works to get "facts known and understood and this pays great dividends." This book is existence clarified, an ongoing process with no endpoint. When the book clicks for you, you will revisit it often, not with confusion but with happy joy. Surprisingly simple.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book set out in what I gather is his usual style of questions and answers interspersed with illustrative tales and short explanations of applicable sufic concepts.
This is the second of his books I've read and now realise that he doesn't give that much away.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Commanding Self is that self which is generally out of one's personal control, despite fictions to the contrary - especially when endangered. That self that would like to push people off cliff edges and otherwise cause havoc. That self that is guided by hope, fear and repetition. Read this book to find out more; see that there might be an alternative and how that might work.
“The impatient man is his own enemy; he slams the door on his own progress.”
― Idries Shah, The Commanding Self.
“People generally deal with situations by means of assumptions.”
― Idries Shah, The Commanding Self.

[Faiqa Mansab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of Idries Sha's books are full of wisdom and knowledge but I found this book discouraging. It seemed to me that the message was that it is impossible to follow The Path by ordinary people. Most of us are ordinary people, struggling to find and walk The Path. If it's so impossible, why are we even trying? And all Shah's other books are gentler in tone, encouraging and actually teaching books, and this one is hard to read. Still a valuable addition of course.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am re-reading this book again as I do from time to time, pretty much as I look through my art books at images I have seen before but which can yield much more if I can somehow creep up on them from a different direction, without my habitual blinkers.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a lot more to learn from Idries Shah and Sufism.

[Lenny Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Enjoy Everything he's written.

[Ronald Tailor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book presents what I would term, rather archaically, "The Thinking Man's Sufism." Yes, I know, we all think (well, at least sort of--looks askance at self), but, strange as this may sound, some people actually _like_ to think. That's the sort of person I'm thinking about when I also think about _The Commanding Self_. And, in case it wasn't clear, they even put a picture of that sort of person on the cover. (Lol, just kidding!)

The story of that picture is actually pretty interesting, but you have to read the book--at least the first page or two—and then, yes, think about it—to comprehend what it is. Initially though, it looks like a sort of mutant, grinning killer-clown dog thing with the malevolent glow of Hades behind it. At least to me.

So why is this book for thinkers? Well, I am comparing it to other books by the same author. Many of these books are collections of old tales and stories. Some are very vivid and elaborate tales and yes, they might make some of us go "Hm!"--but often not get much further than that. They are the stuff of dreams, not of thought and they seem to operate on a whole nother level. Other books by this author, and these I must admit are my favorites, are stuffed full of jokes. Short jokes, too, often with tricksy multi-meanings! :-) Other volumes seem to read like university lectures. Although they are not nearly as boring as most university lectures (the author, Idries Shah, peppers them with "unexpected" moments), they are still structured pieces of thought-travel that convey you smoothly from point A to point B whether you mange to think about it or not.

This book, however, is provocative...and that's one way it makes you think. The first couple of times I read it, certain passages made me really, really mad. And yeah, I kept reading it, so I guess that says something about me, but eventually I reached the point where I wondered why the heck that had made me so mad once upon a time. And even later I reached a point where I wondered, "Now where was that passage that made me so mad? Did they take it out of the latest edition?" I'm sure it's still there, somewhere, it's just my sense of what to get mad about has undergone some significant alteration over the years.

So, just now I just opened this book at random because I wanted to find an example of provocation. The very first paragraph on the page I opened it to is a prime example of this, which should tell you all something important about this book. :-/ Anyway, here's what I saw:

"When someone's self-esteem is link to his 'spiritual search,' he can achieve very little until he has seen that this is a wrong connection. Generally, of of course, people are unaware that they _pride_ themselves on being serious 'travellers on the Way' or whatever they call it. They more often imagine that they are humble: but this humility is quite often easily exposed as an unwitting cloak for a sense of personal importance."

After that rather... pointed... intro the author relates a funny story about how he really pissed off a self-important visitor. The story deflates the sting of the initial words, but they do cause many who happen upon this passage to, if only briefly, wonder if the the author means them and then start to have a reaction about that. But part of the brilliance of the passage is that before the personal meltdown can get too far, one gets drawn in by a story of someone who is clearly much dumber and far more arrogant than oneself...and you end up feeling pretty good, even amused, by the end of it.

But the initial words tend to remain with you and pop into your head at odd times and you may find yourself wondering, but with less emotion, "Am I actually like that?" For me the answer invariable is, spoken in a very tired old man's voice: "Yes, yes you are!" Over time, I still hope, that that answer might change. But... We'll... See... (spoken like another old man whose horse ran away)

So one of the many things we have here in this book (yes, there are many other interesting things going on in these pages that I won't go into because that would be telling) are provocative passages that summon emotions that start to rise out of us and expand like smoke or unclean spirits, only to be instantly blown away by the strong wind of a distracting tale that, because it's about someone much worse off than us, somehow makes it all OK. And what is left besides self-satisfaction at not being the worst? Something, for sure. And I think it is something for those of us who are thinkers... to figure out. Those of us who are feelers are probably way ahead of the game, that is, if we are not still itching to give that uppity author a piece of our... um... minds.

I'll end this rather light review with some words from the book that struck me hard and made me, for at least once in my life, start to think, as they seem to convey the essence of the book as well as provide crystal clear instructions as to its use:

"Warm your hands by the campfire of the dervishes' by all means: that is the minimum of their hospitality. But have your pound of steak read for cooking on that fire, so that you may be fed."