Presenting more than three hundred beautiful and inspirational works from all eras of Sufism, from thousand-year-old prayers to contemporary Sufi poetry, this beautiful collection embraces the full diversity of a rich tradition and reveals the heart of Islamic mysticism.
Essential Sufism edited by Robert Frager and James Fadiman is an awesome compendium of spiritual wisdom from the mystical tradition of Sufism. Here is their introduction to the section on death from the chapter on transformation.
"For Sufis death is not a transition; it is stepping across a threshold and being given another chance to reawaken. Life, as well, offers a spectrum of opportunities, that, if taken, allow one to recover awareness of one's full identity.
"Huston Smith calls Sufis the 'impatient ones,' those who are not willing to wait to be reunited with Divinity at death but hunger for union now. 'Why the rush?' the rest of us might inquire. Who looks forward with equanimity to his or her own death?
"If you accept the premise that life and death are both gifts, then the prospect of death can become more a source of wonder than a cause for fear.
"It is especially hard for Americans to think in this way, because our culture is almost as phobic about death as that of ancient Egypt. Egyptians packed off their dead into tombs full of belongings, mummifying their dead to prevent physical decay. We do much the same, making our dead look as good or better than they did in life, then preserving their flesh in soft, padded containers as long-lasting and as secure as we can afford. In the face of culturally sanctioned denial, how can we possible see death as a gift?
"There is a medieval Christian mystery play in which the lead character asks who will come with him into the grave to support him at his last judgment.
" 'Not I,' said his friends.
" 'Not I,' said his children.
" 'Not I,' said his wife.
" 'Not I,' said his priest.
" 'Not I,' said his fields of grain, his cattle and his sheep, his gold and all his treasures.
" 'I will stay with you,' said his Actions, upon which they leapt into the grave to be by his side. Arm in arm, they knocked at the door of death — together.'
"What do you take with you into the city of death? Not a suitcase, not a purse, not even the pictures in your wallet. You never see a hearse followed by a moving van. Nothing goes with you except the sum of what your life has been.
"A Sufi teaching says, 'Die before you die.' One interpretation is that you should strive to learn what you would be shown at death while you still have time to make use of this knowledge, that is, while still alive in a body. The wisdom we achieve on death reveals the true value of what is important and what is not. How much richer life becomes if we are able to gain this perspective beforehand." MsSVig
