Idries Shah

In his best-selling Darkest England, Idries Shah asserts that the English hail from a little-known place called 'Hathaby', but their roots go back much farther, perhaps to the distant Asian realm of Sakasina. Once a nomadic tribe of warriors, the English fled westward, bringing with them epic tales, traditions, and an Oriental way of thought. Shah charts the genius of the English in adopting and adapting 'almost anything spiritual, moral or material' for their own use - a faculty that has transformed them from warrior nomads into successful diplomats, businessmen, thinkers and scientists.

In his best-selling Darkest England, Idries Shah asserts that the English hail from a little-known place called 'Hathaby', but their roots go back much farther, perhaps to the distant Asian realm of Sakasina. Once a nomadic tribe of warriors, the English fled westward, bringing with them epic tales, traditions, and an Oriental way of thought. Shah charts the genius of the English in adopting and adapting 'almost anything spiritual, moral or material' for their own use - a faculty that has transformed them from warrior nomads into successful diplomats, businessmen, thinkers and scientists.

The Way of the Sufi presents an unparalleled cross-section of material from Sufi schools, teachings and classical writings, as a basic course of Sufi study. The author begins with the outward aspects of the teaching most likely to puzzle the student coming fresh to the subject. He considers various attitudes to Sufi ideas, and evidence of their absorption into medieval Christianity, Hinduism, Jewish mysticism and modern philosophical teachings. The greater part of the book illuminates aspects of Sufi activity and practice relevant to the contemporary world.

The Way of the Sufi presents an unparalleled cross-section of material from Sufi schools, teachings and classical writings, as a basic course of Sufi study. The author begins with the outward aspects of the teaching most likely to puzzle the student coming fresh to the subject. He considers various attitudes to Sufi ideas, and evidence of their absorption into medieval Christianity, Hinduism, Jewish mysticism and modern philosophical teachings. The greater part of the book illuminates aspects of Sufi activity and practice relevant to the contemporary world.

El Mul Nasrud n, el sabio tonto del folklore oriental, ocupa un lugar especial en los estudios Sufis. Los Sufis, quienes creen que la intuici n profunda es la nica gu a real hacia el conocimiento, utilizan los cuentos humor sticos de Nasrud n pr cticamente como ejercicios. Ellos te invitan a que elijas algunos que te resulten especialmente atractivos y que reflexiones sobre ellos, haci ndolos tuyos. Los maestros Sufis dicen que de esta manera se puede lograr un avance hacia una sabidur a superior. Una sola historia puede funcionar en muchos niveles: desde el humor stico hasta aquel donde se inicia el pensamiento profundo.

El Mul Nasrud n, el sabio tonto del folklore oriental, ocupa un lugar especial en los estudios Sufis. Los Sufis, quienes creen que la intuici n profunda es la nica gu a real hacia el conocimiento, utilizan los cuentos humor sticos de Nasrud n pr cticamente como ejercicios. Ellos te invitan a que elijas algunos que te resulten especialmente atractivos y que reflexiones sobre ellos, haci ndolos tuyos. Los maestros Sufis dicen que de esta manera se puede lograr un avance hacia una sabidur a superior. Una sola historia puede funcionar en muchos niveles: desde el humor stico hasta aquel donde se inicia el pensamiento profundo.

Small in size, but with a powerful punch, Idries Shah's Reflections is a collection of fables, aphorisms, and statements that challenge the conditioned mind. The book confronts the reader with unaccustomed perspectives and ideas, in an attempt to set the mind free, to see how things really are. As the book's foreword states, 'Do you imagine that fables exist only to amuse or to instruct, and are based upon fiction? The best ones are delineations of what happens in real life, in the community and in the individual's mental processes.'

Small in size, but with a powerful punch, Idries Shah's Reflections is a collection of fables, aphorisms, and statements that challenge the conditioned mind. The book confronts the reader with unaccustomed perspectives and ideas, in an attempt to set the mind free, to see how things really are. As the book's foreword states, 'Do you imagine that fables exist only to amuse or to instruct, and are based upon fiction? The best ones are delineations of what happens in real life, in the community and in the individual's mental processes.'

Caravan of Dreams distills the essence of Eastern thought in a feast of stories, sayings, poems and allegories, collected by one of the world's leading experts in Oriental philosophy. Idries Shah builds up a complete picture of a single consciousness, relating mythology to reality, illuminating historical patterns, and presenting philosophical legends in this unique anthology. Its title is inspired from the couplet written by the Sufi mystic Bahaudin: 'Here we are, all of us: in a dream-caravan, A caravan, but a dream - a dream, but a caravan. And we know which are the dreams. Therein lies the hope.'

Caravan of Dreams distills the essence of Eastern thought in a feast of stories, sayings, poems and allegories, collected by one of the world's leading experts in Oriental philosophy. Idries Shah builds up a complete picture of a single consciousness, relating mythology to reality, illuminating historical patterns, and presenting philosophical legends in this unique anthology. Its title is inspired from the couplet written by the Sufi mystic Bahaudin: 'Here we are, all of us: in a dream-caravan, A caravan, but a dream - a dream, but a caravan. And we know which are the dreams. Therein lies the hope.'

Contemporary esoteric systems almost always play on the desire of mankind to seek or acquire knowledge. All but universally neglected in such systems are the - often unrecognized - barriers which prevent knowledge and understanding. Before learning can take place, certain conditions and basic factors must be in place; in the individual or the group. Building on the foundations laid in Learning How to Learn and The Commanding Self, Idries Shah in Knowing How to Know illuminates those factors. Like an ultra-violet light shone onto the petals of flowers, it reveals concealed patterns, normally invisible to our customary modes of thought.

Contemporary esoteric systems almost always play on the desire of mankind to seek or acquire knowledge. All but universally neglected in such systems are the - often unrecognized - barriers which prevent knowledge and understanding. Before learning can take place, certain conditions and basic factors must be in place; in the individual or the group. Building on the foundations laid in Learning How to Learn and The Commanding Self, Idries Shah in Knowing How to Know illuminates those factors. Like an ultra-violet light shone onto the petals of flowers, it reveals concealed patterns, normally invisible to our customary modes of thought.

100 Conversations with Idries Shah Condensed from over three million words, these conversations involve housewives and cabinet ministers, professors and assembly-line workers, on the subject of how traditional psychology can illuminate current human, social and spiritual problems. More than a hundred tales and extracts from Sufi lore, ranging from the eighth century Hasan of Basra, to the modern Afghan poet Khalilullah Khalili, are woven into Shah's narratives of how and why the Sufis learn, what they learn: and how spiritual understanding develops and deteriorates in all societies.

100 Conversations with Idries Shah Condensed from over three million words, these conversations involve housewives and cabinet ministers, professors and assembly-line workers, on the subject of how traditional psychology can illuminate current human, social and spiritual problems. More than a hundred tales and extracts from Sufi lore, ranging from the eighth century Hasan of Basra, to the modern Afghan poet Khalilullah Khalili, are woven into Shah's narratives of how and why the Sufis learn, what they learn: and how spiritual understanding develops and deteriorates in all societies.