To: Tariqas Sufi Elist
From: Haramullah (tyagi@HouseOfKaos.Abyss.com)
Subject: Masters, Sheikh Hisham (9307.masters.h)
Date: 49930702

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Assalam alaikum, my kin.

I am concerned about this thread of posts.  It has been my experience
that when it comes to Masters it is often best to leave interpretation
to the student or go ALL the way in challenging the teacher, including 
challenging the authority of the source of the texts in question.

I heard Sheikh Hisham speak on this subject during my visit.  The End 
of the World is on the minds and tongues of many peoples from religions 
which incorporate the teachings of the Last Judgement, the Apocalyptic 
traditions.

When considering such teachings I would suggest that a Master's thoughts
and words are sometimes geared to a particular people, within a certain
mindset, and intended to initiate a specific experience (if any intent
is there at all).  This is why I caution against taking the Master's
words out of such a context and considering them logically, especially
within a tradition which places such a heavy emphasis on the Heart.

My experience of Masters is that they do not always conform to rational
or analyzable patterns of speech, action or other sorts of behavior.
They are often confounding to the novice, especially if that novice
was not the student whom the Master was addressing.

Our present calendar-system is a fabrication based upon a very important
traditional history.  It revolves around the birth of one of the great
prophets of the world and, especially within Islam, the number 2000
may have very important symbolic associations.

I am not saying here that the number itself may have magical properties,
but that there may be BIBLICAL correspondences between the upcoming
century-marker and the Last Judgement (by ANY meaning this may have).
Again, it would seem very difficult to understand an excerpted comment
from a Master in a tradition which places such emphasis on historical
and scriptural revelations.

A sheikh is not always what he seems.  I find it best to interpret
hir in a manner which wworks for me and then leave it at that.  If we
really want to get into an analysis, I doubt that those who find it
valuable to posit the sheikh's unquestioning knowledge/gnosis (ma'rifa) 
will benefit from an all-out dissection.  Like so many zen masters, if
we don't understand, perhaps it is best to shake our heads, throw
our hands into the air and shrug, assuming that what the teaching 
offered does not hold meaning for us at this time, but may at some
point down the road become clear.

Alaikum assalam, my kin.
Love is the law, love under will.

Haramullah