Books On Sufism

There are many books about Sufism, the exoteric materials. These books are like the spoon that does not taste the soup. They tend to be materials by academics and for academic study. Very neat, tidy and well presented. They have their uses.

 Then there are books for Sufism. Books intended for people looking to involve in the study, for participation and progress on the Sufi path. These books are for the would- be and could-be student of Sufism. These are books usually written by Sufis for sincere students.

Here is a small list of books written by those who have ‘tasted sufism’. Such books have a quality of making one at least slightly ‘uncomfortable’. They have a certain ‘bite’, some unevenness and rough edges. They are ‘alive’ like real living things.

1.In Search Of The Miraculous – P D Ouspensky (Best introduction to Fourth Way teachings)
2. The Sufis – Idries Shah (A classic introduction)
3. Learning How To Learn – Idries Shah (Takes the sanding paper to rusty surfaces)
4. The Course Of The Seeker – Omar Ali-Shah (Sufi Tradition in the West – action philosophy)
5. Last Barrier – Reshad Field (A modern adventure/quest)
6. Conference Of The Birds - C S Nott (Accessible work of Attar)
7. Tales Of The Dervishes – Idries Shah (Teaching stories collection still extant)
8. Teachers Of Gurdjieff – Rafael Leffort (A modern Sufi fable)
9. Essential Rumi – Coleman Barks (A free translation but very accessible)
10. The Pleasantries Of The Incredible Mulla Nasrudin – Idries Shah (Sufi use of humour for instructing their students)
11. The Psychology Of Consciousness – Robert Ornstein (A contemporary map)
12. Personal Freedom – Arthur Diekman  (Has a ring of the present situation)
13. Daughter of Fire – Irina Tweede (Faithful diary of the slow grinding down of the secondary self)
14. The Chasm Of Fire – Irina Tweede (A condensed version of Daughter of Fire)

These books can help you in finding your way in the inflationary spiritual/esoteric world of today, where so many Sufi strands abound and so many teachers and schools to choose from.

Overheard:

Will these books make me a Sufi?
No. You will have to do that yourself.

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