Dear Sulūk Press Community,
We are proud to announce that Breathtaking Revelations: The Science of Breath from the Fifty Kamarupa Verses to Hazrat Inayat Khan by Carl Ernst and Patrick D’Silva, is now shipping. See a recording of our Author Chat from April 27 here.
“Hazrat Inayat Khan’s own murshid, Abu Hashim Madani, once said that there is but one virtue, to breathe in the full awareness of God. These teachings are not abstract, but connected to a system of practices shared between the Islamic and the Hindu traditions. The magnificent Breathtaking Revelations explores this centuries-old, rich tradition of breath-based meditation. In it, Carl Ernst and Patrick D’Silva weave together the rich tapestry of Indic systems of meditation and breathwork that spanned from Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic. This is one of our most fruitful areas of shared practice among Hindu Yogis and Muslim Sufis of South Asia. Highly recommended for all spiritual seekers, and for all who dare to imagine a more fruitful area of overlap among all the people of South Asia.”
—Omid Safi, Duke University, and Founder, Illuminated Courses and Tours
We are excited to be nearing completion of the new book by Suhrawardi Gebel, No God or Only God. Pre-orders will open soon, and the book will be released by early June.
From No God or Only God, in the chapter “Relationship of God and Human” on the subject of forming one’s own God Ideal:
“Having deliberately chosen to create our own concept of God, we are awakening something in ourselves that remains dormant as long as the reach of our inquiry only goes as far as curiosity. We have a capacity to love. When we engage deep feelings of longing that have always smoldered beneath the surface, we awaken that capacity. An open heart draws to us a state of realization that is not available to the mind. There is a knowledge that is self-revealing, kindled by a loving heart and heightened attention to what we truly care about, the ideals we love.
Hazrat Inayat Khan puts it poetically:
O Thou, the seed of my life’s plant,
Thou wert hidden so long in my budlike soul;
but now Thou hast come out, O my life’s fruit,
after the blossoming of my heart.”
Previous books by W. H. S. (Suhrawardi) Gebel:
Spotlight on a Treasure from our Backlist
Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest
“As the narratives of war and tragic inhumanity clamor for our attention, the cynical might judge a book exploring knightly honor to be a medieval fairytale, beautiful and totally unconnected to contemporary realities. Pir Zia Inayat Khan’s Saracen Chivalry could scarcely be more pertinent to the woes that pelt us relentlessly in sound bites and exposés. Couched in the form of a queen’s maternal and regal instruction to her son, this book includes many of the fundamental teachings of the Sufi Path, offering, as its title promises, “Counsels on Valor, Generosity, and the Mystical Quest.”
The breadth of the teachings in this slim volume is surpassed only by the depth of those lessons. Those taking the first few steps of the dervish’s journey can find—in words both simple and eloquent—instructions about meditation, about prayer, about remembering the Divine, and much more. To those who have been on the Path for some time, Saracen Chivalry offers fresh insights and reminders of the essential wisdom. I could almost hear the voice of Pir Zia in the written words.
Encountering this book for the first time is a delight; rereading it is an invitation to continue to progress along the chivalric road. After all, as Queen Belacane/Pir Zia remind us, “[Our] soul’s quest commenced at the beginning of time and will not reach its final conclusion until time’s end.” This text is a valuable guidebook at every stage of that quest.
—Abi-Ru Shirzan
We always welcome your questions and feedback about our books, our website, and your experience ordering with us.
With very best wishes,
Beatrice Upenieks
Business Manager
