The Knowing Heart: A Sufi Path of Transformation [Paperback]

Kabir Helminski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2000

As human beings we stand on the threshold between two realities: the world of material existence and the world of spiritual Being. The "knowing heart" is the sacred place where these two dimensions meet and are integrated.

In Sufi teaching the human heart is not a fanciful metaphor but an objective organ of intuition and perception. It is able to perceive all that is beautiful, lovely, and meaningful in life—and to reflect these spiritual qualities in the world, for the benefit of others. Every human heart has the capacity and the destiny to bring that world of divine reality into this world of appearances.

The Sufis, mystics of Islam, have been educators of the heart for some fourteen centuries. Their teachings and methods are designed to help us awaken and purify the heart, to learn to listen to our deepest knowing. In The Knowing Heart, Kabir Helminski presents the Sufi way as a practical spirituality suitable for all cultures and times—and offers insights that are especially valuable for our life in today's world. In cultivating a knowing heart, we learn to experience a new sense of self, transform our relationships, and enhance our creative capacities. Most important, we learn how to meet the spiritual challenge of our time: to realize our sacred humanness.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sufism is making a name for itself as a viable spiritual path for the average Westerner, and Kabir Helminski is blazing the trail. A genuine Sufi shaikh and representative of the Mevlevi order of Sufism in North America, Helminski seeks to create what he calls "a spirituality adequate to our times." In The Knowing Heart's collected essays, Helminski delves into the unique characteristics that define Sufism and make it relevant to seekers today. Along the way, he explains the difference between a shaikh and a dervish; the purpose of the dervish's whirling dance during a sema; why Sufis chant the zikr; when a spiritual conversation is a sohbet; and how love turns service into ecstasy. Although the author is reaching into an ancient foreign tradition, there is little in this book that's arcane or awkward. Helminski softens his delivery with liberal use of poems, especially from his lineal forebear Rumi, and with pithy stories that are the hallmark of Sufi teaching. The overall message is that true spirituality requires sustained self-development, and The Knowing Heart offers an attractive path. --Brian Bruya

From Library Journal

Sufism, which has been described as the mystic heart of Islam, is little known and little understood in this country despite the advocacy of popularizers such as Idries Shah. Helminski, a Mevlevi Shaikh and translator of the great Sufi poet Rumi, offers a clear and well-grounded introduction to Sufism, liberally seasoned with insights from the Koran and the writings of Rumi; his is perhaps the best beginner's guide now available. For most libraries.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (October 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570625662
• ISBN-13: 978-1570625664
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > Sufism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from "Spirituality & Health" (Excerpt)Fall 1999, August 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Knowing Heart (Hardcover)

Helminski, writing with the ease and fluidity that comes from years of discernment, discusses the seven levels of the self, the important role of the spiritual teacher, the blessings of spiritual conversation, the courtesy of the path, and the sacredness of everyday life. The author's exquisite overview of Sufism and all its resources enables him to enchant us with the sayings of Muhammad, aphorisms that stir the soul, themes for contemplation from Rumi, and a helpful glossary. ~Frederic Brussat

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Library Journal, May 1, 1999, May 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Knowing Heart (Hardcover)

Sufism, which has been described as the mystic heart of Islam, is little known and little understood in this country despite the advocacy of popularizers such as Idries Shah. Helminski, a Mevlevi Shaikh and translator of the great Sufi poet Rumi, offers a clear and well-grounded introduction to Sufism, liberally seasoned with insights from the Koran and the writings of Rumi; his is perhaps the best beginner's guide now available. For most libraries.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excerpt from Parabola review, Fall 1999, August 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Knowing Heart (Hardcover)

The Knowing Heart draws a sweeping picture of the Sufi way, covering such topics as the structure of the spiritual path, the centrality of love, Sufi psychology, the importance of spiritual friendship and community, spiritual faculties, and the sources of the Sufi tradition. Clearly the fruit of personal, heartfelt experience, Helminski's work is a refreshing addition to a body of literature that all too often neglects the profound role that tradition plays in Sufism. He accomplishes this task without subverting either tradition or the needs of his audience. In marked contrast to the "pick-and-choose" spirituality that seems so popular nowadays, The Knowing Heart speaks from the heart, yet a heart humbled and submissive to the sources which enliven it.