Sufism: The Transformation of the Heart [Paperback]

Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1995

Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart gives a clear and accessible outline of Sufism: its basic principles, historical background, and recent development in the West. While exploring the spiritual and psychological processes of transformation, this book offers practical guidelines to help the seeker. Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart is a valuable introduction to a dynamic spiritual path that is attracting growing interest in the West.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Vaughan-Lee's book is a contribution to the expanding (and already extensive) body of works synthesizing Sufism with Jungian psychology. It has the virtue of a straightforward and accessible introduction to Sufism as a practice of Islam. Its syncretic approach is consistent with Sufi and Jungian traditions and will no doubt prove appealing to a large audience of eclectic seekers after spiritual fulfillment. The tone is more devotional than didactic, but that, too, is consistent with Sufism, which has most often directed its appeal to the heart more than to the head. Steve Schroeder

About the Author

Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee is a Sufi teacher. In recent years the focus of his writing and teaching has been on spiritual responsibility in our present time of transition, and the emerging global consciousness of oneness. He has also specialized in the area of dreamwork, integrating the ancient Sufi approach to dreams with the insights of modern psychology

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: The Golden Sufi Center (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963457446
• ISBN-13: 978-0963457448
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D., is a Sufi Teacher in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujadidiyya Sufi Order. Born in London in 1953, he has followed the Naqshbandi Sufi path since he was 19. In 1991 he moved to Northern California and became the successor of Irina Tweedie, author of "Chasm of Fire" and "Daughter of Fire." In recent years the focus of his writing and teaching has been on spiritual responsibility in our present time of transition, and the emerging global consciousness of oneness. He has also specialized in the area of dreamwork, integrating the ancient Sufi approach to dreams with the insights of modern psychology. Author of several books, Llewellyn lectures in the United States and Europe. For further information, please see: www.goldensufi.org and www.workingwithoneness.org.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Heart's Desiring-- Soul's Journeying", February 1, 2010

By 

Charlotte A. Bruce "cabruce" (california) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sufism: The Transformation of the Heart (Paperback)

What is written in The Transformation of the Heart speaks to the basics of the spiritual path, the fundamental questions a seeker has when she yearns to embark on this strange journey of the heart. "At the core of all Sufi practices is the element of love and devotion," the author says in the introduction, and everything that follows is invitation and methodology to go deeper and deeper into one's heart.
I particularly appreciated the chapter in which Dr. Vaughan-Lee discusses the relationship with the teacher. It's so different to the way we've been culturally conditioned to experience relationship in the West, as some form of association between person and person, ego and ego. The author shows the real relationship with the teacher, that the teacher is an empty space through which the love and grace of the path flow.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Longing for God, February 13, 2010

By 

Michelle Moore - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sufism: The Transformation of the Heart (Paperback)

In Sufism, The Transformation of the Heart, Vaughan-Lee brilliantly describes a spiritual tradition that cannot be nailed down in words--a path of inner union between lover and Beloved, "a bridge from the world of forms to the formless." In this book he introduces the major teachers of different branches of Sufism, while distilling the essence of the path taught by all of the masters: the cry of the soul to God.

For those who have tasted this desire for God, Vaughan-Lee's passages will blow on the fire of their longing. For those new to Sufism, this book is an excellent introduction to a spiritual path that leads to the heart's transformation. I love how simply and lovingly Vaughan-Lee points our attention away from ego-identification with this transformation, reminding us that we are here for the Divine to reveal the Divine to Itself. (It is so easy to get caught in the ego's games of claiming spiritualness for itself.)

Vaughan-Lee's unique contribution to Sufi literature is his application of Jungian psychology to help Westerners understand this process of transformation. I found the chapter "Polishing the Heart" particularly helpful, where he describes a woman's relationship to her animus much more clearly and more intimately than Jungian texts covering the same subject. Vaughan-Lee also gives attention to the suffering of the feminine in Western culture and how we have collectively repressed feminine qualities, inner experiences, and a mystical connection with God. This book is very accessible and a valuable resource.