Speculative Thoughts On Baba’s Work With Sufism Reoriented

A friend of mine relates that Steve Edelman once asked Eruch Jessawala, “what was Baba’s (divine) mistake?”, to which he replied at once, “Sufism Reoriented”. This comes as no surprise given Eruch’s role as point man in addressing the twisted fate of SR with Ivy Duce appointing Jim Mackei as her alleged illumined successor in 1980.

Eruch famously rang the “Bell of Warning” in 1980, at Baba’s own order; Eruch relates that Baba “lifted” him out of his body while in Mandali Hall and into Baba’s incorporeal presence, and ordered him to ring the Bell of Warning.

So, the question is, what was Baba up to in “allowing” this mistake to happen in the first place? Any answer to this question is speculative of course, but Baba lovers- and others, are compelled by the enormity of the problem to seek answers.

Baba’s agreement to assist in writing the charter that served as the incorporation of SR was perhaps the single most enigmatic “work” of his advent. It can be contrasted to Baba’s assistance in the writing of Meher Center’s charter, which made it a non denominational Universal Spiritual Center which promotes the “direct” path to God, as opposed to a denominational and mediated path as an “indirect” path. Here is Baba’s statement on the matter:

http://www.meherlegacy.org/uploads/2/4/9/3/24931365/1952.july.20-baba_discourse_to_sufis.pdf 

Why would Baba grant a charter to a reoriented sufi lineage that at once confers on it the status of an indirect path? Isn’t there a colossal and baffling irony in this very act? Sufism, historically considered, is based on a personal relationship to saints and spiritual masters who derive their authority from the Prophet.

Baba’s own definition of Sufism, given in the context of discussing the Sufi Charter, states that only the relationship to the Prophet and Perfect Master properly defines sufism: see

Section 1 of the Sufi Charter, point #3

“By cherishing the fact that Sufism is mainly based on a definite acceptance of a God-Realized master and complete adherence to his guidance.”

and

From Notes On The Interview of Mrs. Duce, Miss Duce and Francis Brabazon at Myrtle Beach, 1952

“Sufism as understood by 99% of the people is not real Sufism. The terms sheikh, murshid, mureed are so lightly treated that real Sufism is lost sight of. As Jallaludin says- the only way to know Sufism is not by words or practices or discipline, but by becoming dust at the feet of the Master.”

Given that Baba felt so strongly about what defines “real” sufism, i.e. surrenderance to the Prophet/ Perfect Master, why would he agree to create an institutionalized sufi order based on the honorific status of its leadership? It makes no sense.

In fact, Francis Brabazon saw this at once. He had been conferred the status of sheikh in Inayat Khan’s sufi order, which he knew to be purely honorific- and not remotely approaching the status of a real murshid, which is itself infinitely removed from the status of a Perfect Master. He therefore declined to accept the leadership of an independent branch of Sufism Reoriented in Australia. Baba was enormously pleased with him.

To the contrary, Adi K. Irani has said that he discerned displeasure on Baba’s part when Ivy Duce accepted her role as murshida for America.

Baba did very clearly state that the Sufi Charter was to serve as a template for the reorientation of the principal religious “isms” as well. This alerts us at once to the symbolic nature of the work he was engaged in, i.e. the reorienting of all the world’s major religions to the singular reality of the Avatar/ Prophet and Perfect Master in defining religious and spiritual life.

According to both Eruch J. and Don Stevens, Baba told murshida Duce that her sufi order “would have an illumined murshid from time to time”. There is absolutely no evidence of any kind that Baba promised a continuous lineage of either murshids or Perfect Masters for the next 700 years. This assertion by murshida Duce is a complete fabrication. But SR has accepted this narrative as a founding truth.

Maybe the fate of SR is to serve as a cautionary tale of what happens when absolute honesty is sacrificed for a spiritual ambition that would have its cake and eat it too. Baba did, after all, condition his promise to help Ivy Duce in her honorific role as murshida upon “absolute honesty”.

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