This book consists of twenty-seven short stories rooted in an array of teachings, principles, and values of the Sufi mystical tradition. Some of the entries are wholly original, while other tales constitute a refashioning of stories which have been handed down from generation to generation by Sufi teachers. The essence of each story is intended to resonate with various dimensions of the minds, hearts, souls, and spirits of the individuals who engage these teaching stories.
Dr. Bill Whitehouse was born in Denver, Colorado and grew up in Maine. He received an honors B.A. in Social Relations from Harvard university and a doctorate in Educational Theory from the University of Toronto. He has taught at a number of institutions of higher learning in both the United States and Canada.
He has been exploring the Sufi path for over 35 years. He had the great good fortune to work closely (17 years) with a Sufi saint of the 20th Century. His shaykh passed away in 1988.
At the request of his shaykh, Dr. Whitehouse conducted The Sufi Study Circle at the University of Toronto for nearly 15 years.
Dr. Whitehouse has written a number of books, including: Streams to the Ocean; The Sufi Lighthouse: Illuminating Spiritual Abuse; Sufi Reflections; The Chaco Canyon Tapes; Sam Harris and the End of Faith: A Muslim's Critical Response; Reality without a Name; Unveiling Terrorism, Fundamentalism, and Spiritual Abuse; Evolution and the Origin of Life; Democracy Lost and Regained; Reflections on Education and Learning; Shari'ah: A Muslim's Declaration of Independence; Reflections on Education and Learning; My Year Inside Radical Islam: A Critique; Spiritual Stories for the Heart; and The Essence of September 11th.
In addition, Dr. Whitehouse has been writing and producing a podcast called Sufi Reflections for the past four years. These podcasts contain poems, stories, essays, commentaries, and music.
