30
Al Latīf
The Most Subtle and Gracious
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Al-latīf can be found in seven Koran verses:
Surely Allah is Knower
of subtleties, Aware1 (Koran 22, 63). Alam tara anna Allaha anzala mina alssama-i maan
fatusbihu al-ardu mukhdarratan inna Allaha lateefun
(or latīf) khabeerun3.
Vision comprehends Him
not, and He comprehends (all) vision; and He is the Subtle, the Aware1
(Koran 6, 103). La tudrikuhu al-absaru wahuwa yudriku al-absara
wahuwa allateefu (or written latīf
imbedded in this word)
alkhabeeru3.
My son, even if it be the
weight of a grain of mustard seed, even though it be in a rock, or in the
heaven or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Surely Allah is Knower of
subtleties, Aware1 (Koran 31, 16).
Ya bunayya innaha in
taku mithqala habbatin min khardalin fatakun fee sakhratin
aw fee alssamawati aw fee al-ardi ya/ti biha
Allahu inna Allaha lateefun (or latīf un)
khabeerun3.
And remember that
which is recited in your houses of the messages of Allah and the Wisdom. Surely
Allah is ever Knower of subtleties, Aware1 (Koran 33, 34). Waothkurna ma yutla
fee buyootikunna min ayati Allahi waalhikmati
inna Allaha kana lateefan (or latīf an)
khabeeran3.
Does He not know Who
created? And He is the Knower of subtleties, the Aware1. (Koran 67, 14). (Ne connaît-il pas
ceux qu’Il a créés alors qu’Il est le Subtil-Bienveillant et le Bien-Instruit2.) Ala yaAAlamu man khalaqa wahuwa
allateefu (or al latīf u) alkhabeeru3.
Surely my Lord is
Benignant to whom He pleases. Truly He is the Knowing, the Wise1
(Koran 12, 100). WarafaAAa abawayhi AAala
alAAarshi wakharroo lahu sujjadan waqala ya abati hatha
ta/weelu ru/yaya min qablu qad jaAAalaha rabbee haqqan
waqad ahsana bee ith akhrajanee mina alssijni wajaa
bikum mina albadwi min baAAdi an nazagha alshshaytanu baynee
wabayna ikhwatee inna rabbee lateefun (or latīf un)
Allah is Benignant to
His servants; He gives sustenance to whom He pleases; and He is the Strong, the
Mighty1. (Koran 42,
19). (Allah est subtilement bienveillant
avec Ses serviteurs2.) Allahu lateefun (or
latīf un)
biAAibadihi yarzuqu man yashao wahuwa alqawiyyu alAAazeezu3.
It has been translated
as subtle, shrewd, compassionate, benignant, inexpressible and unfathomable.
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen4
said that God, knowing the inner qalb
(the heart within the heart of man, the inner heart) of each creation, endows
them with divine goodness. He called latīf
the Most Subtle and Gracious, the Kind, Refined, Gentle and Most Pleasant, the
Mysterious, the Knower of the Most Subtle Mysteries4.
Al-Ghazali5 emphasizes the benevolence of God that he says involves the combination of gentleness in action with a delicacy of perception. The actions of God as reflected in the natural processes of the world give a hint of this quality. The marvelous unfolding of a child with each stage of its development from a fetus, and the intricate combination of factors manifesting at the right time and in the right way are one of the many examples he gives. In modern terms he might have pointed out the way that the hidden pattern within the DNA of each individual becomes gradually revealed as the whole functioning human with its higher faculties. He also places this attribute within the context of other names: "...He (God) is wise in so far as He plans things, generous in so far as He orders them, just in so far as He puts each thing in its proper place, and benevolent in so far as He does not overlook subtleties and qualities of gentleness concerning them.5"
Materially speaking
according to Gimaret6, latīf is used for something that
is fine, small, tiny, and thin as an equivalent of daqīq and
opposite to katīf “thick”. As an attribute, Gubbā’ī said
those definition could not be applied to God, His action in this world can be
called discreet, imperceptible to the average person. According to
Gubbā’ī God is latīf at-tadbīr wa s-sun΄ li-anna
tadbīrahu lā ya΄rifuhu l-΄ibād li-lutfihi (cf. Maq 535,12-14; Mġ. V 256,15-17 and
XXb 207,13-14; Tanzīh on 6,103).
Rāzī admit by
metaphor that God can be called latīf because He is invisible (Law
246,9-12), this is also the way that Zamahšarī and Baydāwī
understand that word in Koran 6,103 (see above) where it is said just before
that God is not visible to human sight. Rāzī said that there are four
aspects that can be distinguished in this name2:
- We call tiny (latīf) the smallest thing. Allah transcending all form cannot be perceived. In this case we extend the name from the effect to the cause and give Allah to be subtle, meaning by that He cannot be perceived. In this interpretation, al-latīf is considered as a Quality of transcendence. (çifat al-tanzīh).
- al-latīf is the One who has the science of
perceptiveness (daqā΄iq) characteristic of things and of their
deepest realities (ghawāmid). We call someone latīf with his hands when he is a master of his art and
when he is able to do easily what is hard for others. In this aspect, latīf for Allah is a Quality
of Essence (çifat al-dhāt).
- al-latīf, it is the Good (barr) with
His servants towards whom He is benevolent without them knowing how. They
get what is necessary in an unexpected fashion. This is the meaning of
this verse “Allah is Benignant to His servants “ (Koran 42, 19) (Allah est subtilement Bienveillant avec
Ses serviteurs. Il pourvoit à la
subsistence de qui Il veut). Those who understand al-latīf in
this meaning argue that: to give the meaning of Good to the name al-latīf
is more appropriate then to give Him the one of All-knowing
because of this verse: (Ne
connait-Il pas ceux qu’Il a créés alors qu’Il est le Subtil-Bienveillant
et le Très-Instruit) “And He is the Knower of subtleties, the Aware.“
(Koran 67, 14), because there is no doubt that the Very-educated (khabīr)
is the All-knowing (΄ālim). If latīf meant all-knowing,
this would result in a repetition, or pleonasm, which is not admissible.
- Al-Ghazālī said that “This
divine Name impose that the one who knows the reason of the essential and
intimate truths is lead to realize in what they imply, with a benevolence
exclusive of all harshness. It is in the coexistence of that knowledge and
that behavior that the penetrating sweetness (al-lutf) is fully
accomplished. We can conceive only in Allah the perfection of this
knowledge. First His knowledge of the deepest and secret truths is based
on this name. Hidden or manifest realities are one and the same thing in
the science related to this divine Name. Secondly, the pervasive
benevolence and sweetness that Allah shows in His doings cannot have any
exception”. Al-Ghazālī said also “we can see the subtleties of
Allah’s wisdom in everything He created: sky, stars, elements, mankind,
animal kingdom, vegetations. If we want to describe his action subtle (lutf),
for instance in the steps to obtain a piece of bread that the servant eat
without contributing to its preparation, we would be amazed. Many people
participated in the creation of this piece of bread that came from a
fertile and well taken care of piece of land, from a seed, from the
grains, from the people who contributed to the process of bringing the
grain to become flour, etc…”
“Allah is full of wisdom towards things, Generous in their
manifestation, Formatter in given them the right proportion, Equitable in
putting the things in their place, subtly Good in not forgetting any
aspect of the subtlety and benevolence. Or the one who do not know the
essential reality of all these actions will not understand the deep Truth
of the names that are corresponding to it” “One of the aspects of the subtle
Goodness of Allah to His Servants is to give them beyond what they need,
to force them beyond their capacity and to help them to access the
beatitude with a little effort in a very short time, the one of the
duration of one life that has no relationship with the eternal life.2”
Rāzī
remarked that in 5 instances out of 7, latīf in the Koran is
associated with khabīr. Since khabīr means already ΄ālim, latīf means necessarily something else, if not this
would be a pleonasm, which is impossible (Law 247,2-5)6.
Latīf is understood differently by others. Some
understood latīf as meaning “The one who knows things that are
subtle and obscure” or “The one who knows hidden things” and make it an
equivalent of ΄ālim. Already Aš΄arī admitted that luft could have the meaning of ΄ilm. (Muğ. 53,16)6. As we saw
above Rāzī contested this definition and called it a pleonasm.
Aš΄arī6
said that the third most probable definition of Latīf come from the
ordinarily meaning of luft “favor, grace, kind deed”. God is latīf
since He is fā΄il al-luft, multif, the scheme fa΄īl here, has the value of a muf΄il, like ğamīl is equivalent to muğmil
(cf. Muğ. 53, 16-16; Irš. 86.2-3; and supra, p.217). Latīf would
be understood here like a synonym of mun΄im and muhsin. For the theologians6, luft means usually this type of divine
good deed that can be called eschatological (dīnī), man being
helped or incited to believe and obey God by that one or in other word by
“grace”.
In the Ruhaniat’s
manual we find the definition of Ya
Latīf as “O Refined One”.
We find latīf defined as the opposite of kasif in
the Sangatha on Breath by Murshid Samuel Lewis:
Under
Murshid Samuel Lewis
takes again this theme in the papers on Tassawuf on Methaphysics10:
GATHA: Spirituality is contrary to materiality. One
who is conscious of matter alone is material, one who becomes conscious of
spirit also is spiritual. He who thinks, “I am my body” and sees no further, is
material. He may as well say “I am my coat,” and when the coat is worn out he
may say, “I am dead.”
TASSAWUF: The principles of kasif and latif are early
introduced into the teachings. The first is the tendency toward hardness and
the second toward what might be called ethereality. The same is in regard to
crystallization; it is a hardening process. Therefore there is the prayer,
“Raise us from the denseness of the earth.” This applies more to the earth, the
ground, than to the mystical element “earth” although the mystical element
earth also is the hardest and heaviest of the elements. But materialism
actually discountenances itself. If it is held in thought it deadens thought.
And in the scientific processes discoveries have been made in exactly the
opposite direction. Every year man is learning more about the fineness, about
the subtle realities beyond and behind matter10.
Again in this commentary on breath by Murshid Samuel Lewis on the
subject of Kasif and Latif9. The name Gatha represents
Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan and Tassawuf represents Murshid Samuel Lewis
making his commentaries, (Ryazat is a commentary by Murshid Wali Ali):
KASIF AND LATIF9
GATHA: Breath is termed by the Sufis Kasif and Latif:
Kasif means dense and Latif fine. Dense breath is that which is noisy and
labored, which strains the nerves and lungs. The exercises of dense are useful
for developing the muscles and for gaining control over nerves; they are
helpful also to the lungs and useful to physical health.
TASSAWUF: We can find in the Buddhist scripture also
that the Lord Buddha taught his first disciples to become aware of the breath,
of the difference of the effect of long and short breathings and of heavy and
light. To some extent this has remained as part of the monk’s training but is
no longer so important, so we need not be surprised also that not so many
people advance in their spiritual life because of departures from the purest
teachings.
RYAZAT: The teacher encourages heavy breathing for
those who are engaged in physical pursuits, at work or for exercise. In this
one concentrates on the breath and uses the willpower also to move the lungs,
and thus the muscles. This is especially valuable for those who have weaknesses
in their respiratory functions, or diseases of the pulmonary tract or have
trouble with their sinuses. A heavy breath may be full or not, according to the
ability of the disciple. Continued practice, especially after Nayaz, is very
helpful in building the body and in maintaining proper physical health.
Sometimes
it is advisable to join with this the repetition
mentally or audibly of some sacred phrases.
GATHA: But in spiritual development unless the breath
be made fine it cannot penetrate through the important centers in the body and
it cannot reach far enough into the innermost parts of one’s life.
TASSAWUF: For the physical interior penetration also
enables one to carry the magnetism of the breath to the finer bodies. By
practice one can control a very fine breath even to the point where it is most
refined. Also this is true as one learns to practice the Etheric breath, alone
or in combination with other breaths. These are all refined and beneficial. We
also find in Zen Flesh, Zen Bones methods for directing the breath. These
should be done in a spirit of devotion as well as if they were exercises. For
the spirit of devotion adds the heart-qualities and the heart functions to the
breathing. This enables one to direct the finest vibrations to and through the
centers, to coordinate the functions of the various bodies and to use each and
all to the utmost benefit.
GATHA: Breath, to a Sufi, is a bridge between himself and
God: and it is a rope for him, hanging down to earth, attached to the heavens.
The Sufi climbs up by the help of this rope.
TASSAWUF: The Christian Bible definitely says God is
Pneuma, which is to say, Breath. By calling it ‘spirit’ (which originally meant
breath also) a great deal of what has been known as ‘ancient wisdom’ has been
lost. Nothing has been lost but that the ego of man is used to translate or
mistranslate scriptures according to his private understanding and not
according to his inner awakening. It is therefore necessary to retranslate and
reinterpret the scriptures from the standpoint of inner awakening and not from
some theological or philosophical outlook, for these are usually very limited.
Much in spiritual training is connected with the refining of breath and with
the directing of this breath to and through the various vehicles which form
together the human constitution. While the world has tended to regard breath
training as fundamental in Indian Yoga and Tibetan discipline, it is probable
that the Sufis have gone much further in this direction.
GATHA: In Koranic language it is called Burak, a steed
which was sent to the Prophet for his journey to the Heavens. Hindus call it
Prana, which means life, but they picture it symbolically as a bird which is
named in Sanskrit Garuda, on which rode Narana, the godhead.
TASSAWUF: The symbology of which different peoples
often show similarities, for the cosmic journey, in the end, is one and the
same, though the highways may seem different. Spiritual development refines the
breath and at the same time the refinement of the breath helps much in the
spiritual unfoldment. This was also disclosed by Paul Brunton in his various
books to help mankind to the ultimate attainment. Thus we find the Eagle, or
bird of the air, as a sacred animal in many parts of the world and it is also
of concern to astrologers and other occult students. And perhaps this is even
more true in the air-age
which is upon us. This age illustrates outwardly much
of what goes on in the inner life journey, though there it is a reality
depicted symbolically while in the world the seeming realities are mere symbols
of the eternal life.
The mystery of the Merkabah or Chariot was considered
among the Hebrews to be next in importance to the mystery of Creation,
Bershitha. But this teaching became lost or covered. The chariot really
represents the breath with the eagle for air, the bull for earth, the lion for
fire and man for water. We find similar symbols in many lands. These Nayooth or
living creatures represent the livingness of breath, that breath is the very
life of all, and that there is an aspect of breath needed for every aspect of
life itself.
We also find the symbols among the Greeks as Pegasus,
the winged steed. The very name, Bellerophon, who rode this steed, means “Lord
of all Light and Sound”. Thus we can find a depth of symbolism in many lands
but invariably they are connected with breath as a whole, or with some aspect
of it. Only it is one thing to know this intellectually and another thing to
become master of breath. Therefore disciples
in Sufism are also trained in concentration
(Murakkaba).
GATHA: There is no mystical cult in which breath is
not given the greatest importance in spiritual progress.
TASSAWUF: The complete work in Sufic Ryazat or
Esotericism is connected with this in some form. It is actually vast, and there
are forms of esoteric practices which can be continued by man after he leaves
the physical body and inhabits a more refined one. It is only when he attains
to the universal breath that it is possible for him to reach the highest
aspects of attainment. Disciples are taught in the beginning to draw in the
refinement of rays of the sun, the waves of the air and the all-pervading power
in space. These are three refinements and each one has its own aspect and part
to play in the unfoldment of the soul and also in the development of the latent
powers in man. It is not only the Sufis but many schools, esoteric and
exoteric, which believe there are latent powers and faculties in man. But to
posit this philosophically does not mean there is the attainment. In the
esoteric school, all emphasis is on the actual attainment.
It may be difficult to prove this philosophically, for
the philosophers deal with thoughts only and many do not know the relation
between thinking and breathing. There are many practices by which one can find
that given certain forms of breathing only certain types of thought are
possible; also that by being given certain types of thoughts, this limits the
breath to certain channels, so that intellectual prowess always ends in
limitation which spiritual progress takes one beyond to the non-limited
universe.
GATHA: Once man has touched the depths of his own
being by the help of the breath then it becomes easy for him to become one with
all that exists on earth and in heaven.
TASSAWUF: This statement needs much consideration. It
is too often by-passed. People seek something they call ‘cosmic consciousness’
and there is a real universal consciousness. But it is not a system or thinking
and has nothing to do with limitations in this line. What is called ‘The Holy
Spirit’ is nothing but the Divine Breath. It is this Divine Breath which
created the universe, so to speak, and the very principal in the God Brahman,
the Creator, is the making of formations. The same lesson is taught in another
way in the Hebrew Bible. As the talib advanced on the path he realized by
assimilated consciousness, the steps in refinement and the various aspects of
breathing and the interpretation of each. When he attains to this knowledge he
can use it in both the inner and outer aspects of life. This is particularly
true of Sufi Mysticism which is almost like a science in its subject matter,
technique and the resultant experiences, only they cover all aspects of life
and not just the outer world alone.
It may seem strange to affirm that by the breath one
can penetrate the heavens, but the very words for ‘heavens’ in the various
ancient languages usually meant sphere of light and life and refinement and not
necessarily the accommodation for the satisfaction of repressed desires. Indeed
the more refined the scope for the spirit, the less the hold of the desire
nature upon man9.
In the commentary, Murshid Samuel Lewis explain
again what is Latif9:
GATHA: If there is any means of seeing a spirit, a
form from the inner world, it is only the breath. For in the light of the
breath form from the inner world can manifest as a picture from the
magic-lantern. The picture is actually in the lantern and it is the reflection
of that picture which we see. Those who see the form of the dead see the
reflection before them, manifested in the light of their own breath, the real
form being in the inner world. For it is the breath which connects the inner
world with the outer world. Just as the light thrown from the magic-lantern
falls upon the curtain.
TASSAWUF: There is no substitute for breath but breath
itself. It is remarkable despite so much mention of this in the various
scriptures of the world, that it has played so little a part in practical
religion. At best it often appears only in the worlds of psychic phenomena so
that there is a gap between the psychic and devotional sciences. If we study
closely the phenomena and miracles of various types of psychics and mystics, we
can see how important the breath is. There is even in the Hindu teachings what
is called pranamayakosh, a breath-accommodation which is for such phenomena,
and when one is advanced and can see in the breath and through the brain, often
the barriers between the worlds disappear. But this in breathings, not in
philosophies about them.
Breath enfolds several layers of vibrations.
Especially when we consider what is Latif, this involves the vibrations of all
planes from the seen to the unseen and the more refined a person is, the more
refined the senses and faculties, the more is he sensitive to those vibrations
which constitute the worlds unseen. So there are forms of clairvoyance which
are nothing but the extension of seeing into the breath and with the breath;
and there are forms of clairaudience which are nothing but extensions of
hearing into the breath and hearing with the breath. This subject can be
approached from other points of view when we study such literature as is
contained in The Mind World, Cosmic Language and scattered essays on the
subject. Scriptures tell us how to distinguish between obsessions and
thought-forms and this can also be done by using the breath together with
suitable sacred phrases. By this man both protects and purifies the emanations
of the worlds seen and unseen9.
In this commentary
latif is opposed to kasif as a quality of breath11:
GATHA: A just person is one who can decide against his
own interest if necessary. Only when personal bias is absent can a decision be
called just.
TASSAWUF: In the stage of nafs nutmainna this becomes
a natural condition. One can see even with the breath that mostly a person
breathes in and out of one nostril more than the other, and this is not an
exact balance. It may be difficult to balance the breath while in the coarse
stage (kasif) but it is not so in the refined stage (latif). The more the
refinement, the more the sensitivity, and the more the sensitivity, the more
the sense of justice is awakened11.
This is found again in
the Sangatha on Tassawuf, Metaphysics12:
GATHA: It might seem as if even God did not take
notice of his wrong-doing. According to the metaphysical point of view in the
soul of the conscientious God is more awake; in the soul of the other person
God slumbers, He does not take serious notice of things.
TASSAWUF: In the first year’s teachings mention is
made of kasif, the coarse and latif, the fine. Also one finds differences in
the behavior patterns of persons under such influences and contrasts in their
modes of life. But it is all God. It is all God in various stages of
consciousness. As man awakens so God in man awakens and so also in this sense
God awakens12.
In this commentary,
Murshid Samuel Lewis relates latif to
fine breathing13:
GATHA: His favor or disfavor, his liking or dislike,
stands between the eyes of the one who sees and the one who is seen.
TASSAWUF: This knowledge is gained by practice.
Mureeds are trained in Concentration (Murakkaba) and there they learn to see
life from several points of view, as seer, seen and seeing, and to unite or
separate these aspects of life as is necessary on each occasion. The more one
progresses in this attitude, the more one develops his own psychic sensitivity
and responds to the finer vibrations. This is also accomplished as one becomes
more sensitive to fine breathing (Latif).
And in this
commentary, Murshid Samuel Lewis relates latif
to the quality of light13:
GATHA: Every object has a soul within it which may be
called its spirit.
TASSAWUF: All things are accumulations of Light, be
that in dense form (Kasif) or subtle form (Latif). When a man makes an object
of art he not only puts his material skill into it, but also something of his
mind and of his heart. All of them partake of creative art. Otherwise pictures
would be nothing but poor photographs. And there are traditions of what are
called “souls of objects” and the wise, attuning to them, pick up their story
and history13.
In this commentary, Murshid Samuel Lewis
relates latif to subtle hearing and
vibrations14:
GATHEKA:
Where many people have lived, there is a dominating voice which is more
distinct than other voices. But at the same time one feels what a composer
wishes to convey though the whole music he writes, with all the different
instruments, so even the different voices which are going on together make one
result; and that result is like a symphony to the person who can hear them
together.
TASSAWUF:
We have some inkling of this in the ultramicroscope which uses light and color
and so reveals in a sense the beauty in everything and beyond everything. This
is through sight. Now there is a subtle hearing and, as man develops response
to vibrations and that side of life called LATIF, one will become more aware of
it.
In
the esoteric science of Concentration, one looks at objects sometimes with his
outer senses, sometimes with his inner ones. At that time a person also may
listen so to speak and thus learn the language of all things. For this, he must
act as if he were listening. It may begin as an imagination. After practice, it
may become very real14.
In this commentary Murshid Samuel Lewis relates
latif to the hidden power in space14:
GATHEKA:
The effect of that one moment of thought took perhaps centuries to build
something, but it was something worthwhile, something beyond man’s
comprehension.
TASSAWUF:
The time processes of the different worlds or planes are quiet different. Even
in this world, given a certain effort, the time consumed in accomplishments may
be different. For instance, it takes longer usually to walk uphill than to come
down. Carrying a weight slows movements. Walking on sand or mud takes more time
and effort than walking on cement or brick.
Gayan
says, that what has taken Brahma even centuries to build may be destroyed by
Shiva in one moment. A stick of TNT can easily destroy a building long in
construction.
At
the opposite end, working from above down, when one has an intuition, when one
has a cosmic feeling, one will be drawing upon the hidden power in space (Ya
Latif) or the All-Pervading Power in Space (Ya Kafee) this is the way in which
God works through man. In other words this is the Cosmic Language14.
In this commentary
Murshid Samuel Lewis defines Latif as
God Ruler of the Subtle14:
GATHEKA:
The symbolical dream is the working of a subtle mind, and it is a most
wonderful working.
TASSAWUF:
Too many without the subtle development become concerned with dreams and their
interpretations and so lose sight of life and its purposes. As one develops in
subtlety, the vision becomes clear. To repeat YA LATIF is not only to remind
one that God is Ruler of the Subtle, but it also awakens the subtle side of
man. And we cannot explain subtlety in ordinary language. It has a language of
its own, sometimes called ‘Metalanguage.’
In this commentary on Mental Purification15,
Murshid Samuel Lewis talked about latif
as a method of breath refinement:
GATHEKA:
The second way of purifying the mind is by the way of breathing. It is very
interesting for an Eastern person to see how sometimes in the West, in their
inventions people unconsciously apply the principles of the mystical realms.
They have got a machine which sweeps carpets while sucking up the dust. This is
the same system inside out; the proper way of breathing sucks up the dust from
the mind and ejects it.
TASSAWUF:
Nayaz is offered to disciples as soon as they join the Sufi Order. It looks
like a practice for physical purification and it is a practice for physical
purification. But it is used in conjunction with a prayer, “heal our bodies,
hearts, and souls.” So it is actually a practice for mental purification as
well as for physical purification. To make it effective mentally one should
take a longer and deeper breath. One does not begin there. One begins where one
is. The continued performance of Nayaz as well as other esoteric disciplines
makes it easy and natural to take a longer and deeper breath. But also as the
breath becomes refined, it touches the depths. If one were to repeat the
Wazifa, “Ya Latif” it would also refine the breath and person. Then the breath
would follow and such breathing would be purifying the mind also although there
are many methods for this.
With
the vacuum cleaner there is a sort of anti-pressure which draws the dirt but in
Nayaz it is the direct pressures, and the penetration which remove the
impurities.
In the continuation of
his commentary on Mental Purification15, Murshid Samuel Lewis
explain how latif is used to be more
aware of both the subtle and the gross vibrations:
GATHEKA: Everything suggests to the eye a form,
everything; even so much that if the name of a person whom one has never seen
is mentioned, one makes a form of him. Even such things as fairies and spirits
and angels, as soon as they are mentioned, are always pictured in a certain
form.
TASSAWUF: We can read in the most ancient books of
Indian wisdom about nama (name) rupa (forms) and arupa (formless). But these
words can not be taken too literally. They may even be applied to the three
planes to which we give various names. And it was by tapas, or austerities,
that one became aware of different states of consciousness and obtained the
knowledges of the various planes. The same is found in Sufism in the lessons on
Murakkaba for the more advanced disciples and in the commentaries thereon, that
there are conscious means of becoming sensitive to and aware of what may be
called the ‘unseen’. The ‘unseen’ is not necessarily unseen, but for those
steeped in the denseness of earth it is so. We have to become more refined. And
it is not only by the refined breath but also by spiritual practices. The
phrase ‘YA LATIF’ is often repeated to help man become as aware of the subtle
as of the gross; to find that there is as much life, and more, in the subtle as
in the gross; and thus to help one realize what has been called the Kingdom of
the Heavens, which means conscious realization of what is ordinarily
not seen or heard. But it can be seen or heard as soon as the veils are
lifted.
In the continuation of
his commentary on Mental Purification, Murshid Samuel Lewis talks about the
benefit of latīf realization by
the mureed:
GATHEKA: The first step towards the resting of the
mind is the relaxation of the body. If one is able to relax one’s muscular and
nervous system at will, then the mind is automatically refreshed. Besides that,
one must be able to cast away anxiety, worries, doubts, and fears by the power
of will, putting oneself in a restful state; this will be accomplished by the
help of proper breathing.
TASSAWUF: Many going on the spiritual path will be
told to relax, they will be given the word ‘relaxation’ and then have to sit in
postures and positions which increase the pain of the body while someone keeps
telling, even yelling ‘relax’. But this is not relaxation and according to the
biochemical type and the customs of childhood, one will find different forms of
relaxation. Swami Ram Das forbade the commentator to take any Asian posture
whatsoever. He even came with a stick like a Zen master to see that he sat
comfortably. And within two weeks the commentator became so absorbed in Papa
Ram Das he said, “It is time to go.” He was no longer any ego-self, he has become
Swami Ram Das himself. This is the attainment. The union of teacher and pupil
is the attainment, or as Jesus Christ has said, “Whenever two or three are
gathered together in my Light (Shem) there I am in their midst.” Each one may
have a different form of relaxation and it is relaxation and not a posture
which is most helpful. Even if one has to take up gymnastics it is no hindrance
if there are practices of relaxation, and first this must be for the body; then
for the mind. And then there is breathing. There are so many kinds of breaths
but mostly we have to have a refined breath — which can be done at will; and
also the relaxed breath which depends on posture and position, those that are
easy and pleasant. And when one sits (or otherwise) in the comfortable position
and finds refined breathing easy, he is going up the spiritual path which is a
path of continual refining of breath, either as a means of discipline and
development, or as the result of the Grace which helps to bring the spiritual
awakenings. The more one gets into the refined currents, the more one realizes
Ya Latif, the easier it becomes to overcome and prevent anxiety, worries,
doubts and fears.
Finally in his
commentary on Mental Purification15, Murshid Samuel Lewis emphasizes
the distinction between kasif and latif:
GATHEKA: There is a verse in the Bible: “It is the
spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.” So what we call living is
subtle, what is dead is coarse; in other words, what is dense is coarse, and
what is fine is subtle.
TASSAWUF: In the Gathas a distinction is made between
Kasif, the coarse; and Latif, the fine. At first it is a philosophical
distinction and may be dualistic. But one works with the refined, one is
constantly making an effort to become more refined. The interest in Indian
music arises in part because that science and art has always been concerned
with refinement. Even in its most decadent form it has elements of refinement
not usually found in other music. And it is this which attracts souls who may
not at first be accustomed to the
sounds. But there is something deep in it which can be very effective.
On his commentary on
insight “Kashf”, Murshid Samuel Lewis
makes the following references on kasif and
latif16:
GATHA: The ears hear the word, the mind perceives the
idea. If the idea were not there the word would not convey anything to the
listener. If one said to a child, “Sarcasm is an abuse of the intellect”, what
will the innocent child understand by it? The word sarcasm” will be known by
the one who is capable of being sarcastic.
TASSAWUF: Chatter differs from speech in lacking in
psychic power. The greater the thought behind speech, the greater the magnetism
conveyed. Ignorant people are constantly consuming magnetism. It requires a
great deal of thought to understand that all karmic endeavors are wasteful. But
there are also activities of what is called “nishkama karma”. This means
activity based on drawing from the finer forces of the universe. To put it in
Sufic terms, there are activities of kasif and latif, gross and fine. But the
thought of the gross is always gross, whereas the thought of the fine is not
fine unless there is already refinement. The refinement comes when the thought
is held by feeling.
And again in the same
papers on Insight16:
GATHA: If you can only perceive—he need not tell you
one word about himself—you can know if he is experiencing heaven or hell. For
one need not wait for heaven or hell in the hereafter; it is here also, only
after death it will be more felt.
TASSAWUF: The reason why heaven and hell are felt more
in the afterlife is that certain resistances are removed. The heaviness of the
earth plane slows down all vibrations. One cannot proceed as much in heaviness
as in lightness. The principles of kasif and latif are introduced with the
first Gathas. It may take a long time to understand them. But the sciences of
breath and the practices thereof make one more conscious. A seer is able to
tell at once by both perception and atmosphere, the state of those who come
into his presence. By that means he is able to help them more. He is able to
avoid confusion. He is sometimes able to bring solace and comfort. He can at
least change his own breath voluntarily so as not to conflict with others. It
is in this sense that the Sufi is one who sees from the point of view of
another. He can breathe from the point of view of another and can do this
without being hypocritical concerning his own ideas.
Finally in his
commentaries on Insight we found this reference to subtle vibrations (latif) that are not always measurable16:
GATHA: The atmosphere remains not only in the place
but also in objects, such as a chair, or a sofa, or a cushion, or a carpet, or
a mat. An influence can remain with the clothes that one has worn in one’s
life. It is something real, not tangible but perceptible.
TASSAWUF: The subtle vibrations (latif) are not always measurable. Therefore there are aspects of
occultism and mysticism which cannot be measured from the traditional scientific
point of view. Someday no doubt there may be instruments such as those which
record various alpha waves (considered psychically). There is no doubt that
intellectuals, even materialists, are becoming aware of types of mental
vibrations unknown to previous generations.
In the Sufi traditions many objects were preserved,
often to go to persons who were considered worthy of receiving them and could
benefit from the baraka with which
they were endowed. The cloak and begging bowl of Buddha were preserved for
centuries, handed to hierarchal successors in chain. There was even a real or
fancied tooth which was supposed to emanate beneficial vibrations. When the
tooth was destroyed physically by the Portuguese, another tooth was substituted
and this also seems to have been beneficial.
On his commentaries on Breath in Series 3,
Murshid Samuel Lewis makes reference to latif
as the refine breath17:
GATHA: A Sufi whose breath is lively, which is called
in Sufi terms, Nafsi garm, has the influence of scattering the thoughts,
feelings, the vibrations of the atmosphere of another. In this way he is able
to convey his thought or feeling and create his vibration as the atmosphere for
another who needs it for his own betterment. In this way a Sufi brings a life
and health to another person, he can have an influence on the character of
another person.
TASSAWUF: The first thing is to learn this breath. It
comes naturally when one has performed Fikar, and not only with the Divine
Phrase, but with each attribute with each Wazifa. They bring to man the
attributes he needs for his own perfection, perfection in character and
perfection in action. When one attains these perfections, or virtues, one is
automatically able to control the atmosphere and the personalities who breathe
in that atmosphere. It is not a matter of self-will. When one is attuned to God
by breath and meditation that God, so to speak, operates, manifests; for it is
true that in God we live and move and have our being.
Surrender to Allah means more than thinking of it. It
is an operation. And breathing in a refined manner, with the Latif, makes one an
instrument of Latif. And thus the refined breath is more potent than all the
efforts of man. A person may be obstinate, dominant, powerful, authoritative,
everything, but he is nothing before God. Therefore dervishes have often been
able to dominate assemblies, and by the simplest methods. Breaths with
different vibrations and with different qualities do not necessarily conflict.
God is All in All and the Universal Breath is of such a nature it can
automatically produce a harmony with anybody or exact a harmony from anybody
and everybody. Finer vibrations always penetrate the coarser ones. Though Jelal
may seem to dominate Jemal, or Jemal may seem to thwart and direct Jelal, the
Kemal breath which comes from the divine attunement can direct any of the other
breaths.
In the continuation of
his commentaries on Breath17, Murshid Samuel Lewis defines the
breath by his qualities that can be observed on oneself and others:
GATHA: When the breath is coarse, undeveloped, it is
full of material atoms which dim its light, but a developed breath is sometimes
not different from the light of the sun but even brighter than that.
TASSAWUF: The Sufi Message of the day accepted all the
revelations of all religions—this had already been done by others, such as the Bahai Movement. But it also accepted the disciplines, the
practices, and the esotericisms. And this means taking into consideration the methods both of breathing and
meditation. Besides this, Lord Buddha himself laid down the example of
accepting that which worked—was pragmatic and rejecting methods which failed.
This approach was quite in line with the new scientific age. After Hazrat
Inayat Khan, his son Vilayat continued in this blending of mysticism and
scientific pragmatism and followed and developed the teachings of Indian
Eastern Rose Garden and Pearls from an
in the ordinary and higher states of consciousness.
The adept can by a glance tell of the breath of anybody. First is to observe
whether it is coarse or light, or kasif or latif to use the terms first
presented in the Gathas. This is particularly true of the people of Nafs
Ammara. So the class work disciples are trained in light and heavy breathing,
in the advantage of each, both for physical and super-physical endeavors. They
can see how it works in others and they can master how it works in themselves.
Then when they reach the proper development they are instructed in Kasab which helps them to control
their own breath and to begin to understand how the
elements work in and through the breath. When this development is attained the
adept is instructed in Shagal, which is to say Pranayama.
Only in Sufism this is always blended with love, devotion, and self-emergence
(fana). But as has been stated, “A man walks one step toward Allah; Allah walks
ten steps toward man.” So every effort to remove the ego is accompanied by
increase in capacities for light and brightness and the manifestations of the
light
from within.
If we study the vegetable world we can discover the
‘tropisms’ or reactions toward light. It is only well in the twentieth century
that scientists became properly aware of the reactions of plants to light-intensity
and light-duration. But these have become part of science. Then more attention
has been paid to the animal world. This is very complex.
Sometimes animals show response to forms of light to
which many human beings could not respond. But the denseness of materialism has
placed studies in the hands of those who had dense sensory faculties and they
often considered themselves as most normal without any consideration given to
the rest of humanity. There is still to be considered the light-capacities and
the color-capacities of the whole human race. When this is accomplished, even
scientists will recognize that their predecessors were often very narrow.
Physicists and psychologists must become as universal as petrologists
and
botanists. The real, objective, impersonal studies of
this kind may also throw open knowledge of various types of dreams and
divisions and break down the barriers which seem to separate material and
psychic research.
Here, Murshid Samuel
Lewis explains how the disciple is taught about the aspects of latif and kasif17:
GATHA: For instance, the tendency of stretching and
contracting, the tendency of blinking the eyes, of expelling the water and
refuse from the body. When any of these subtle waves of the breath, working in
any direction of the body get out of order, then an illness originates in that
particular part of the body, spreading its influence gradually to other parts.
TASSAWUF: This subject is also discussed in the
brochure “Metaphysics”. A very subtle and esoteric document which has been
printed so all may read. But the reading does not assure one of comprehension.
Stretching and exhalation belong to nasoul; contraction and inhalation to urouj. Blinking of the eyes may show the presence of the
earth element or the absence of the fire or wrong rhythm. Expulsion of either
solid or liquid materials also depend upon nasoul, the exhalation. From the
very beginning the disciple is taught about kasif and latif, the coarse and
subtle aspects of life. To know these intellectually helps, but helps very
little. In his explanation of “Blessed are the poor in Spirit”, Hazrat Inayat
Khan taught we should refine the breath. Part of the work of esotericism is to
refine the breath. And as the breath becomes refined, the adept controls both
the gross and subtle bodies.
In this commentary17,
Murshid Samuel Lewis explains the effects of diet on kasif, the dense and
latif, the fine:
GATHA: The spirit produces this physical body out of itself,
so the body, in spite of all the physical nourishment, entirely depends upon
the spirit to live.
TASSAWUF: This means more than diet. All the dieting
in the world does not bring the absorption of the finer vibrations of the
unseen, although it removes the blockages which come from heaviness. In other
words, diet effects the kasif, the dense; not the latif, the fine.
In the continuation of
his commentaries on Breath17, Murshid Samuel Lewis explains how the
mureed becomes more conscious of the ideas of kasif and latif :
GATHA: Breath penetrates, breath permeates, breath
strikes, breath absorbs, breath invigorates and breath heals.
TASSAWUF: Jesus says in the Christian Bible, “God is Breath’
and in the Logic, often ascribed to the so called Gnostics, it says: “My
mother, the Holy Spirit, etc.”. From the mystical point of view there is some
truth in it. It is not only words, it indicates from the energies of
operations. For the breath itself is neither word nor thought, it is an
operation.
This energy gives rise to derivative energies. There
is more in it than oxidation and chemical reactions.
When we consider God as breath it must mean that the
divine qualities or Sifat are also there. And in the more advanced classes we
have exercises in esotericism which enable the talib to derive these energies
from the breath and send them as magnetic qualities. Many of these practices
are also inferred, sometimes described in the literature, especially on what is
called Psychology, called Amaliat in Sufic terms. That breath permeates means also it is
something like magnetism. From the mystical point of view it is magnetism, the
same which is called baraka in Arabic and barocha in ancient Hebrew. This is not only a magnetism, it is a blessing. But the common view of
blessing does not infer benefit; the benefit remains only superficially verbal.
That is not it at all. When Allah is involved both the qualities and energies
are invoked. They become ‘realities’ in the sense that one can become conscious
of them. In the next stage this breath with all its qualities and energies
becomes alive in the unseen as well as in the seen. In the elementary Gathas
the ideas of kasif and latif are introduced. As the mureed advances he becomes
more aware, more conscious of them. For they are alive and therefore Nayaz is
often given soon after Bayat. But it is a mistake to
consider this just as an elementary practice to be superceded by other
practices. The words and the principles connoted touch every part of human
personality. Breath operates as a nexus between all planes. In the lessons on
Breath in the Gathas and on Mysticism in the Githas one learns various aspects
of these operations and also the meanings. And by this one comes to master
himself and also to retain and maintain vigor and health. Then one can learn
how to establish health and vigor first in every part of the physical body, in
the cells, tubes, veins, organs and systems; and after that carry on a corresponding
process and progress into the unseen. And this can also be done as one advances in Murakkaba or Concentration. For breath has
faculties like the x-ray and even cosmic vibrations. It removes poisons and
brings in whatever is needed from the space itself17.
In this commentary on
Morals by Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan, Murshid Samuel Lewis explains how
the disciples repeat Ya Latif which means that God is the refined, the
omnipotent and also beyond our intellectual comprehension; yet also He is our
Guide and Help18:
GATHA: Those who know the right manner of developing
personality know that the first lesson in life is to efface that ego as much as
possible. Christ says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” that poorness of
spirit is softening the ego.
TASSAWUF: There are also two aspects of this. One is
the negative one of either giving in to the strong ego or fighting it; the
other is to soften oneself, not to be impressed, not to react. This subject is
dealt with in Character-Building and The Art of Personality. That is for the
people not yet disciples. For disciples there are practices particularly in
Esotericism. For instance, one learns to refine the breath and as the breath
becomes refined one may also develop in insight so as to understand the jarring
influence. Also one will become refined in such a way that one is not
disturbed. Thus disciples repeat Ya Latif which means that God is the refined,
the omnipotent and also beyond our intellectual comprehension; yet also He is
our Guide and Help. When one practices so the jarring influences become less
jarring to us and also people will feel our status and not disturb us so much.
By refining ourselves we are also helping others18.
In this
commentaries on Morals19, Murshid Samuel Lewis said as ones
breath becomes more refined, under the influence of forces called Latif, the
whole nature will change:
GATHA: If there is anything that is meant by the word
spirit, as used above, it is this. The least word spoken against it rouses
man’s anger; praise tickles his vanity and goes to the heart of the ego.
TASSAWUF: In
Another element of philosophy has been considered in
both
In his commentaries on
Cosmic Language20, Murshid Samuel Lewis said that there is a subtle hearing and, as man
develops response to vibrations and that side of life called Latif, one will become more aware of it20.
GATHEKA: Where many people have lived, there is a
dominating voice which is more distinct than other voices. But at the same time
one feels what a composer wishes to convey though the whole music he writes,
with all the different instruments, so even the different voices which are
going on together make one result; and that result is like a symphony to the
person who can hear them together.
TASSAWUF: We have some inkling of this in the
ultramicroscope which uses light and color and so reveals in a sense the beauty
in everything and beyond everything. This is through sight. Now there is a
subtle hearing and, as man develops response to vibrations and that side of
life called LATIF, one will become more aware of it. In the esoteric science of
Concentration, one looks at objects sometimes with his outer senses, sometimes
with his inner ones. At that time a person also may listen so to speak and thus
learn the language of all things. For this, he must act as if he were
listening. It may begin as an imagination. After practice, it may become very
real.
In this continuation
of his commentaries on Cosmic Language19, Murshid Samuel Lewis
called Latif the hidden power in
space:
GATHEKA: The effect of that one moment of thought took
perhaps centuries to build something, but it was something worthwhile,
something beyond man’s comprehension.
TASSAWUF: The time processes of the different worlds
or planes are quiet different. Even in this world, given a certain effort, the
time consumed in accomplishments may be different. For instance, it takes
longer usually to walk uphill than to come down. Carrying a weight slows
movements. Walking on sand or mud takes more time and effort than walking on
cement or brick. Gayan says, that what has taken
Brahma even centuries to build may be destroyed by Shiva in one moment. A stick
of TNT can easily destroy a building long in construction. At the opposite end,
working from above down, when one has an intuition, when one has a cosmic
feeling, one will be drawing upon the hidden power in space (Ya Latif) or the
All-Pervading Power in Space (Ya Kafee) this is the way in which God works
through man. In other words this is the Cosmic Language.
Finally in his
comments on latif20,
Murshid Samuel Lewis that to repeat Ya
Latif is not ony to remind one that God is Ruler
of the Subtle, but it also awakens the subtle side of man20:
GATHEKA: The symbolical dream is the working of a
subtle mind, and it is a most wonderful working.
TASSAWUF: Too many without the subtle development
become concerned with dreams and their interpretations and so lose sight of
life and its purposes. As one develops in subtlety, the vision becomes clear.
To repeat YA LATIF is not only to remind one that God is Ruler of the Subtle,
but it also awakens the subtle side of man. And we cannot explain subtlety in
ordinary language. It has a language of its own, sometimes called
‘Metalanguage.’
In Fana-fi-Sheikh by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis21, he said
repeat that the devotee is taught the processes of Latif21:
The
devotee feels enlightenment in the breath. He is taught the processes of Latif.
This is connected with both individual and classroom esotericism. Also with
heart concentration.
At the beginning of the Mesnevi Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi22 has the reed pipe, that has been separated from the reed bed, lament that:
"My secret is not far from my plaint, but eye and ear lack the light whereby it should be apprehended.
Body is
not veiled from soul nor soul from body, yet none is permitted to see the soul.22"
În his Pathways of the Soul23: A re-translation of and Commentary on the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah, Murshid Saadi Shakur Chishti mentioned that:
“when
we begin to see with the eyes of Latif, everyone around us also seems to have their
own uniquely beautiful secret and subtle place inside.23”
Ya
Latīf - Ya Latīf - Ya Latīf - Ya Latīf - Ya Latīf - Ya
Latīf - Ya Latīf - Ya Latīf - Ya Latīf - Ya Latīf ……
---------------------------------------------
1. The Holy Quor’ān, Arabic Text with
English Translation and Commentary by Maulana Muhammad Ali, New 2002 edition,
Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha’at
Islam Lahore Inc. USA,
Ohio, USA. Page 3, annotation b.
2. Ar-Râzî, traité sur les noms divins,
by Maurice Gloton, Editions Al Bouraq. (Chapter 24)
3. http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/transliteration/index.html
4. Asma’ul
Husna, the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah, M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
5. Al-Ghazali - The Ninety-nine Beautiful Names of God. Trans. Burrel/Daher:
ITS: 1992.
6. Les noms divins en Islam, Daniel Gimaret, exégèse
lexicographique et théologique, 1988, Editions du cerf.
7. Mureeds’ Manual of the Sufi Islamia Ruhaniat Society.
8. An
Original Sangatha 201 SURAS ON BREATH by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi
Ahmed Murad Chisti)number 32.
9. Commentary
on Sangatha PASI ANFAS: BREATH Series I of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis
(Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
10. Commentary
on Sangatha TASSAWUF: METAPHYSICS Series 2 of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat
Inayat Khan by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
11. Commentary on Sangatha TASSAWUF: METAPHYSICS
Series I of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan by Murshid Samuel L.
Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
12. Commentary on Sangatha TASSAWUF: METAPHYSICS
Series 3 of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan by Murshid Samuel L.
Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti)
13. Commentary on Sangatha KASHF: INSIGHT Series
I of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis
(Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti)
14. Sangatha
Commentary on COSMIC LANGUAGE of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan By Murshid
Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
15. Commentary
on Mental Purification of Hazrat Inayat Khan by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis
(Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
16. Commentary
on Sangatha KASHF: INSIGHT Series 3 of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan by
Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
17. Commentary
on Sangatha PASI ANFAS: BREATH Series 3 of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat
Khan by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
18. Commentary
on Sangatha SALUK: MORALS Series I of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan by
Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
19. Commentary
on Sangatha SALUK: MORALS Series 2 of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan by
Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
20. Sangatha
Commentary on COSMIC LANGUAGE of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan by Murshid
Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
21. Fana-fi-Sheikh by
Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti).
22. Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi: Masnavi:
Book 1. 7/8
23. Pathways of the Soul: A re-translation of
and Commentary on the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah, Murshid Saadi Shakur
Chishti, 2003.
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