Zia Inayat Khan
Encyclopedia
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
or spiritual leader 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....
, 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 that naturally arise from this awareness: nobility of character, genuine civility, and creative optimism.
Pir Zia is the son and successor to Pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
Vilayat Inayat Khan
Vilayat Inayat Khan
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...
as leader of the Sufi Order International, and grandson of Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid
Pir-o-Murshid
Pir-o-Murshid is an esoteric title, signifying the head of some Sufi Schools. Also it is a title of respect given to spiritual leaders....
Inayat Khan
Inayat Khan
Inayat Khan was an exemplar of Universal Sufism and founder of the "Sufi Order in the West" in 1914 . Later, in 1923, the Sufi Order of the London period was dissolved into a new organization formed under Swiss law and called the "International Sufi Movement"...
, the founder of the order. Like his predecessors, Pir Zia carries forward the message 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 ...
, with a particular sensitivity to both contemporary ecological concerns as well as the esoteric heritage of classical Indian 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 '...
.
In addition to the interfaith mystical training he has received from his father, Pir Zia has studied Buddhism under the auspices of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Sufism in the classical Indian tradition of the Chisti Order. Pir Zia is editor of A Pearl in Wine: Essays on the Life, Music, and Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan (Omega Publications, 2001). He holds a doctorate in Religion from Duke University.
Teachings
Continuing in the tradition of his father and grandfather, Pir Zia offers seminars and trainings across North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and 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...
, as well as in a newly established school of esoteric studies, the Suluk Academy. Pir Zia’s teaching is characterized by the sober and masterful transmission of transformative theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
; it is profoundly attuned to the post-denominational "new dispensation" of universal Sufism in our time as articulated by Hazrat Inayat Khan.
Planetary Prophetology and Interreligious Reconciliation
Following in the tradition of Sufi masters such as Ibn al-Arabi, Shihabuddin Suhrawardi, Dara ShikohDara Shikoh
His Highness, The Imperial Prince Dara Shikoh was the eldest son and the heir apparent of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. His name دارا شكوه in Persian means "Darius the Magnificent"...
, the Indian Emperor Akbar, and Hazrat Inayat Khan, Pir Zia upholds the idea of prophetic continuity
Prophetic continuity
Within Universal Sufism, Pir Zia Inayat-Khan upholds the idea of prophetic continuity, i.e. the idea that a single and universal force of divine guidance manifests throughout particular prophetic instantiations in time, space, and culture...
, i.e. the idea that a single and universal force of divine guidance manifests throughout particular prophetic instantiations in time, space, and culture. While according full respect to the particularities and distinctions of different religions and revelations, this view also holds that all religions and revelations epiphanize the universal, perennial, and ongoing disclosure of the Divine. Pir Zia affirms, however, that prophetic continuity and unity does not equal uniformity. The myriad manifestations of revelation in its distinctions and differences are an inherent and thus sacred expression of the whole. In his 2007 webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
, Pir Zia explains this using the metaphor of DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
:
No religion serves the function of another, and yet, religions are not essentially different, although they are differentiated in function... [O]rgans are made of tissues, tissues of cells, and cells contain DNA, and every cell contains the DNA of the whole body -- so every organ contains in itself the total truth without anything absent. It is all fully present in each part, and yet that total truth is modulated, is customized by the cell so that each cell can contribute to the working of the whole, a whole that is not inorganic and homogeneous but is organic and differentiated, and so each cell needs to customize its divine dispensation to work cooperatively within the field of the whole, to contribute its part to the divine wisdom... This is a brilliant model for understanding the relationships of the divinely revealed religions, and the real possibility of imagining, conceiving, and making real the total religion that is the summation of all dispensations.
In this view prophetic revelation is a birthright shared by all humanity, and as such offers a source for genuine interreligious reconciliation. While remaining firmly within one’s own cultural and religious location, one can behold with full respect the Divine guidance as revealed in other traditions. Extending beyond interfaith dialogue, planetary prophetology supports the late Wayne Teasdale
Wayne Teasdale
Wayne Robert Teasdale was a Catholic monk, author and teacher from Connecticut, best known as an energetic proponent of mutual understanding between the world's religions, for an interfaith dialogue which he termed Interspirituality...
’s concept of interspirituality, that is, the active, shared practice amongst followers of different religions. In this regard, Pir Zia has hosted and participated in a number of “interspiritual” and Abrahamic gatherings, in addition to conferences of different Sufi masters.
According to Pir Zia, the mystical and esoteric currents of the worlds’ religions in particular support this interpretation of universal Divine guidance, and play a critical role in the emergence of a new planetary consciousness. Mystical traditions, in their acknowledgement of a universal and ongoing force of divine guidance and revelation, provide the transformative foundations for a positive global civilization characterized by interreligious reconciliation.
Spiritual Response to Ecological Crisis & Green Hermeticism
Pir Zia has stated that a unique and compelling factor in contemporary mysticism is the current ecological crisis, which is a spiritual crisis as well as environmental, social, etc. Therefore, a spiritual response is warranted, and much of Pir Zia’s teaching focuses on acknowledging the intelligence and sacredness of the natural environment, as well as achieving states of prayerful communion therewith. For example, in his The Holy Mysteries of the Five Elements Pir Zia draws from the purification practices of the Chishti tradition to emphasize how embodied spiritual practice brings one into direct contact with the five elements (earthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
, fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
, air, ether
Ether
Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...
), and in seminars offers practices in the contemplation of the natural world.
Relatedly, an aspect of Pir Zia’s teaching is the revitalization of Hermetic
Hermeticism
Hermeticism or the Western Hermetic Tradition is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus...
and ecological themes latent within the Chishti tradition. With Peter Lamborn Wilson
Peter Lamborn Wilson
Peter Lamborn Wilson , is an American political writer, essayist, and poet, known for first proposing the concept of the Temporary Autonomous Zone , based, in part, on a historical review of pirate utopias...
, Pir Zia coined the term Green Hermeticism to refer to the ecologically-oriented revivification of Hermetic and alchemical wisdom in post-modernity. The Suluk Academy now offers a course on Green Hermeticism that includes the practical alchemical formulation of plant medicines (spagyry) in addition to the contemplative presentation of Hermetic and alchemical principles.
Mazhab-e Ishq & the Chishti heritage
While wholeheartedly affirming the universalist message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, Pir Zia has also made efforts in reconnecting to an Islamic heritage, especially the classical tradition of Mazhab-e Ishq, the “Path of Love” in Sufism attributed to figures like Bayazid Bistami, Jelaluddin Rumi, Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani, as well as such theosophical masters as Ibn al-Arabi and Shihabuddin Suhrawardi. Pir Zia lifts up this Sufi tradition as a post-denominational, mystical alternative to the extremes of religious fundamentalism and secular materialism, and a viable contemporary path of personal transformation.Focussing also on the specific Chishti contributions to the Mazhab-e Ishq, Pir Zia has also cultivated a profound intimacy with classical Chishti manuals of Sufism, and reinvigorated interest in the Chishti silsila (or chain of transmission) amongst his mureeds
Murid
Murid is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid in a Tariqa of Sufism. Also known as a Salik , a murid is an initiate into the mystic philosophy of Sufism. When the Talib makes a pledge to a...
(Persian for ‘students’). Pir Zia has delivered a series of lectures on the subject, as well as published a small handbook about the figures of the silsila based on research in Arabic and Indo-Persian sources.
Training and Initiatic Transmission
Pir Zia was trained in the universal mysticism of his father, Vilayat Khan, as well as the classical Sufi teachings of the Chishtiyya order. In his youth, Pir Zia also studied BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
under the auspices of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
while living in Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
, India.
Pir Zia Inayat Khan was invested with spiritual authority by his father and Pir, Vilayat Khan, in the year 2000, making him a Pir
Pir
-Finance:Pir may refer to:* Pier 1 Imports Stock symbol NYSE:PIR, a Texas-based retailer specializing in imported home furnishings and decor-Economics:PIR may refer to:* poverty index ratio, a measure of income relative to U.S...
in the lineage of Hazrat Inayat Khan. This lineage includes transmission from four major Sufi orders of India, but the primary transmission is through the Chishti-Nizami silsila. (Chishti-Nizami refers to a branch of the Chishti order, founded in the 13th century C.E. by Moinuddin Chishti
Moinuddin Chishti
Sultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
. Silsila
Silsila
Silsila is a 1981 Bollywood film directed by Yash Chopra. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Sanjeev Kumar and Rekha, with Shashi Kapoor in a special appearance.-Plot:...
, or chain, refers to the chain of transmission of baraka
Baraka
Baraka means blessing in Hebrew, Arabic and Arabic-influenced languages. It may refer to:* Baraka, also berakhah, in Judaism, a blessing usually recited during a ceremony...
, the spiritual power and blessing of a Sufi order.) Pir Zia Inayat Khan is the thirty-ninth human link in this chain of transmission.
Education and Publications
Pir Zia received a master’s degree in religious studiesReligious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
, and recently completed a Ph.D in religion at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
.
Pir Zia has published a number of instructional materials through Omega Publications and the Sufi Order International, as well as editing A Pearl in Wine, a book of essays about Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia has written prefaces for the 1994 reprint of Henry Corbin
Henry Corbin
Henry Corbin was a philosopher, theologian and professor of Islamic Studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, France.Corbin was born in Paris in April 1903. As a boy he revealed the profound sensitivity to music so evident in his work...
’s The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism and the 1996 reprint of Gelpke’s translation of The Story of Layla and Majnun; an article entitled "Illuminative Presence" in Hart, Nelson, & Puhakka (Eds.) 2001 volume Transpersonal Knowing; and edits the biannual magazine Elixir. Pir Zia has also translated several unpublished Indo-Persian Chishti poems and texts used in seminars and classes.