SufiPaths.net ... serving California's Bay Area, Sonoma County, and the region
"There is One Truth, the true knowledge of our being,
within and without, which is the essence of all wisdom." -- the Sufi thoughts of
Hazrat
Inayat Khan
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WHO WE ARE:About Our Local Sufi OrdersThere is a very rich Sufi spiritual life in the Bay Area and the North Bay. We are women and men who find ourselves on a personal spiritual path drawing much of our inspiration and power from the beings of the Sufi teacher Hazrat Inayat Khan and others in his lineage, including Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, Pir Hidayat Inayat Khan, Pir Zia Inayat Khan, Murshid Samuel Lewis and his successors Pir Moineddin and Pir Shabda. Most of these leaders have lived and taught in the Bay Area at one time or another, and left their blessing and magnetism here for us to partake.
The delightful message brought by each of these teachers is one of universalism, and most of us
have benefitted from the gifts of a wide variety of teachings and transmissions. Among us are some
who are observant Muslims, but also Sufi Buddhists, devout Christian and Jewish Sufis, Sufi Yogis,
followers of the Goddess, of Shamanism, of the Old Religion, and explorers of the numerous new
paths of human potential that have opened within our culture during the past few decades. We all
share a love for the Truth embodied in the Sufi Message, a devotion to that which lives in the
human heart, and a sense of the unity of the real which underlies all diversity of form.
Our family is not only international ...
it is multigenerational, with Gen-X and Gen-Y Sufis both participating in gatherings, and creating their own. Check out the Sufi Youth web site ACTIVE BAY AREA TEACHERS
About The Sufipaths.Net Web Site (formerly SufiSonoma.org)We live in a 'village' so large that natural, daily casual contact does not always keep us connected with the sisters and brothers with whom we share our passion for a life of discovery and spiritual unfoldment. This online service project is intended to be a vehicle for keeping us connected with our extended Sufi and DUP family, by letting each other know of the numerous events and activities occurring within the Orders of Inayat Khan in our area -- and by providing access to online materials that may, God willing, support and inspire our progress on the path of Wisdom, Divine Grace and Love. Over the years there has been a loose confederation of people on the Sufi paths here in the North Bay Area. As it happened, in this circle of hearts there was a spontaneous mix of mureeds of different orders in the Inayati lineage as well as many who were 'none of the above'. One day in the early 90's, at an informal pot-luck meeting in Sebastopol, Shafee volunteered to develop a paper newsletter, so we could keep each other informed about Sufi classes, dance meetings and other events in the area which might interest us and help support our spiritual growth. As time went on this newsletter evolved into a web site, which has served the Sufi community in Sonoma County and the surrounding area for a number of years. In 2007 we set the intention of upgrading this site, expanding it and making it more inclusive of the entire Bay Area as well as the North Bay, and of the entire Inayati family. With the going live of SufiPaths.net in the winter of 2008 we hoped to make that vision a reality. The intention is to cover geographically all the counties that surround San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay, northward to Mendocino and Lake counties. Links are provided on our Chart of events to other sites covering Santa Cruz, Humboldt County, and the Sacramento Valley. Generally what we cover are Dances of Universal Peace and local activities of the Sufi Ruhaniat, the Sufi Order and the Sufi Movement. When appropriate we cover some other Sufi activities when they are of special interest and seem likely to attract a lot of us to attend. There is an email list connected with SufiPaths.net, to notify subscribers of upcoming events and new content on the website. These emails are sent as needed, generally every week or two. Click here to subscribe. We also have an online ride board for Sufi events in our area. This site is a work in progress, continually being expanded and improved -- and naturally there will be unintended consequences and glitches. Please, if you encounter problems, errors or deficiencies, do take the time to let us know. It will be greatly appreciated. Write to feedback@sufipaths.net and if reporting a problem, please tell us where in the site you encountered the problem.
About Your Website Coordinator
Abdul Shafee Howard Ballinger has been on the path of Universal Sufism, in the lineage of Hazrat Inayat Khan, since 1973, and with heartfelt gratitude acknowledges the blessings, transmission and support of the Murshid Saul Barodosky, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, Sheikh Farid Watson, Pir Moineddin, Pir Shabda, Murshida Rabia Ana Perez, Sheikha Sara Morgan, Murshid Wali Ali and all their guides in turn in the long lineage, as well many others known and unknown -- the Spirit of Guidance. Shafee has feels honored to have functioned as 'camp doctor', as healing conductor within the Sufi healing lineage, as dance leader and camp director, as a musician in the Sufi community and as a member of the New Sufi Choir over 10 years. Also a happy computer hobbyist ever since the days of the Timex-Sinclair personal computer, and enjoys whiling away many a relaxing hour on this project and others like it, hoping only that it may be a service to the community and ultimately be for the benefit of all beings everywhere. Tremendous gratitude to all the members of our web site team!
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