Vilayat Inayat Khan
Encyclopedia
Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, was the eldest son of Sufi Murshid
Hazrat Inayat Khan, head of the Sufi Order International
. Pir Zia Inayat Khan
is Pir Vilayat's son and successor as Pir of the Sufi Order International. Pir Vilayat’s mother, Ora Ray Baker, was said to be a relative of Mary Baker Eddy
, the founder of the Christian Science
movement.
, England
, Pir Vilayat was a teacher of meditation
and of the traditions of the East India
n Chishti Order
of Sufism
. His teaching derived from the mystical
tradition of the East brought to the West by his father combined with his knowledge of the esoteric heritage and scholarship of western culture. He taught in the tradition of Universal Sufism
, which views all religions as rays of light from the same sun.
Vilayat Inayat Khan was educated at the Sorbonne
, Oxford
, and École Normale de Musique de Paris
. During World War II
he served in the British Royal Navy
and was assigned the duties of mine sweeping during the invasion at Normandy
. His sister, Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan served in the French section of SOE as a radio operator. She was shot at Dachau concentration camp.
After the war, Pir Vilayat pursued his spiritual training by studying with masters of many different religious traditions throughout India
and the Middle East
. While honoring the initiatic tradition of his predecessors, Pir Vilayat continually adapted traditional Eastern spiritual practices in keeping with the evolution of Western consciousness
.
Pir Vilayat initiated and participated in many international and interfaith conferences promoting understanding and world peace
. In 1975 he founded the Abode of the Message
, which continues to serve as the central residential community of the Sufi Order International, a conference and retreat center, and a center of esoteric study.
He was a relative of Pierre Bernard
, a pioneering American yogi, scholar, occultist, philosopher, mystic, and businessman. In this way he was also a distant relative to Pierre Bernard's nephew, Theos Bernard
, an American scholar of religion, explorer, and famous practitioner of Yoga
and Tibetan Buddhism
.
Murshid
Murshid is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher". Particularly in Sufism it refers to a Sufi teacher. The term is used by other branches of Islam as well, e.g. by the Nizaris, the main school of Ismā‘īlī Shiites....
Hazrat Inayat Khan, head of the Sufi Order International
Sufi Order International
The Sufi Order International is an organization dedicated to "Universal Sufism" as elaborated by Hazrat Inayat Khan.The order is currently led by Pir Zia Inayat Khan, the grandson of Hazrat Inayat Khan and son of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan....
. Pir Zia Inayat Khan
Zia Inayat Khan
Zia Inayat Khan is the Pir or spiritual leader of the Sufi Order International, a universalist Sufi order, and the founder of the Suluk Academy, Elixir Magazine, and the Seven Pillars Review, an on-line journal that seeks to cultivate awareness of the unity of existence and the qualities of heart...
is Pir Vilayat's son and successor as Pir of the Sufi Order International. Pir Vilayat’s mother, Ora Ray Baker, was said to be a relative of Mary Baker Eddy
Mary Baker Eddy
Mary Baker Eddy was the founder of Christian Science , a Protestant American system of religious thought and practice religion adopted by the Church of Christ, Scientist, and others...
, the founder of the Christian Science
Christian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
movement.
Life
Vilayat Inayat Khan was born on June 19, 1916, and died on June 17, 2004. Vilayat Inayat Khan was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Pir Vilayat was a teacher of meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
and of the traditions of the East India
East India
East India is a region of India consisting of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The states of Orissa and West Bengal share some cultural and linguistic characteristics with Bangladesh and with the state of Assam. Together with Bangladesh, West Bengal formed the...
n Chishti Order
Chishti Order
The Chishtī Order is a Sufi order within the mystic branches of Islam which was founded in Chisht, a small town near Herat, Afghanistan about 930 CE. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. The doctrine of the Chishti Order is based on walāya, which is a...
of Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
. His teaching derived from the mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
tradition of the East brought to the West by his father combined with his knowledge of the esoteric heritage and scholarship of western culture. He taught in the tradition of Universal Sufism
Universal Sufism
Universal Sufism is a universalist spiritual movement founded by Hazrat Inayat Khan while traveling throughout the West between 1910 and 1926, based on unity of all people and religions and the presence of spiritual guidance in all people, places and things. It is to some extent influenced by the ...
, which views all religions as rays of light from the same sun.
Vilayat Inayat Khan was educated at the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, and École Normale de Musique de Paris
École Normale de Musique de Paris
The École Normale de Musique de Paris is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, France. The school was founded by Auguste Mangeot and pianist Alfred Cortot in 1919...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served in the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and was assigned the duties of mine sweeping during the invasion at Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. His sister, Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan served in the French section of SOE as a radio operator. She was shot at Dachau concentration camp.
After the war, Pir Vilayat pursued his spiritual training by studying with masters of many different religious traditions throughout India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. While honoring the initiatic tradition of his predecessors, Pir Vilayat continually adapted traditional Eastern spiritual practices in keeping with the evolution of Western consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
.
Pir Vilayat initiated and participated in many international and interfaith conferences promoting understanding and world peace
World peace
World Peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or people. World peace is an idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to...
. In 1975 he founded the Abode of the Message
The Abode of the Message
The Abode of the Message is a Universal Sufi community founded in 1975 by Vilayat Inayat Khan. The Abode is the central residential community of the Sufi Order International, a conference and retreat center, and a center of esoteric study. It is also home to the current spiritual leader of the Sufi...
, which continues to serve as the central residential community of the Sufi Order International, a conference and retreat center, and a center of esoteric study.
He was a relative of Pierre Bernard
Pierre Bernard (yogi)
Pierre Arnold Bernard was a pioneering American yogi, scholar, occultist, philosopher, mystic and businessman; he held a notorious reputation as a con man, seducer and philanderer....
, a pioneering American yogi, scholar, occultist, philosopher, mystic, and businessman. In this way he was also a distant relative to Pierre Bernard's nephew, Theos Bernard
Theos Casimir Bernard
Theos Casimir Bernard was an explorer, and author, known for his work on yoga and religious studies, particularly in Tibetan Buddhism.-Career:...
, an American scholar of religion, explorer, and famous practitioner of Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
.
Students
Pir Vilayat gave bayat (spiritual initiation) to thousands of people, teaching seminars and retreats around the world. Some of his prominent students include:- Zia Inayat-Khan, Pir Vilayat's son and successor as Pir of the Sufi Order International
- Taj Inayat, Vice President of the Sufi Order International, mother of Zia Inayat KhanZia Inayat KhanZia Inayat Khan is the Pir or spiritual leader of the Sufi Order International, a universalist Sufi order, and the founder of the Suluk Academy, Elixir Magazine, and the Seven Pillars Review, an on-line journal that seeks to cultivate awareness of the unity of existence and the qualities of heart...
, co-facilitator of Sufi Retreats - Gayan and Blanchefleur Macher, co-facilitators of Sufi Retreats
- Shahabuddin David Less
- Stephan Rechtschaffen, author of Timeshifting, and Elizabeth Lesser, author of Broken Open and The Seeker's Guide, co-founders of Omega Institute
- Donald A. Sharif Graham, editor of The Complete Works of Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan
- Aziza Scott, Head of the Retreat Program of the Sufi Order International, co-founder of The Hollow Read School
- Abul FatehAbul FatehAbul Fateh was a Bangladeshi diplomat, statesman and Sufi who was one of the founding fathers of South Asian diplomacy after the Second World War, having been the founder and inaugural Director of Pakistan's Foreign Service Academy and subsequently becoming Bangladesh's first Foreign Secretary...
, pioneer of South Asian diplomacy and statesman. A personal friend of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan; Pir Zia Khan arranged the service following his passing away. - Himayat Inayati, founder of the Raphaelite work and Universal Awakening
- Thomas Atum O'Kane, Transpersonal Psychologist and Teacher
- Saki Santorelli, author of Heal Thy Self
- Donald E. Weiner, author of Upgrading the Operating System of the Soul
- Puran BairPuran BairPuran Khan Bair is a meditation teacher, mystic, and author of Living from the Heart and co-author of Energize Your Heart in 4 Dimensions. He was born in Greensburg, PA, in 1944. Bair holds an MS degree in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania...
, author of Living from the Heart, and Susanna Bair, co-founders of the Institute for Applied Meditation - Yakzan Hugo ValdezYakzan Hugo ValdezYakzan Hugo Valdez was a Sheikh of the Sufi Order International initiated by Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and of the Mevlevi Order initiated by , Sheikh of Konya. Yakzan was additionally a celebrated master of the Dances of Universal Peace as originated by Samuel L. Lewis and an acknowledged peer of...
External links
- Sufi Order International, North America
- The Abode of the Message. The community he founded in an old Shaker VillageShakersThe United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, known as the Shakers, is a religious sect originally thought to be a development of the Religious Society of Friends...
in New Lebanon, New YorkNew Lebanon, New YorkNew Lebanon is a town in Columbia County, New York, U.S., southeast of Albany. In 1910, 1,378 people lived in New Lebanon, New York. The population was 2,454 at the 2000 census.The town of New Lebanon is in the northeast part of Columbia County... - Attunements for Meditation
- Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan