Essential Reminders

1. Awareness in the breath. Be present at every breath. Do not let your attention wander for the duration of a single breath. Remember yourself always and in all situations.

The breath is the foundation of our work. The more that one is able to be conscious of one's breathing, the stronger is one's inner life. It is a must for everyone to safeguard his breath in the time of his inhalation and exhalation and further, to safeguard his breath in the interval between the inhalation and exhalation. (Baha ad-din Naqshband)

2. Watch your step. Keep the intention before you at every step you take. You wish for freedom and you must never forget it.

3. The Journey Home. It is towards your homeland. Remember you are traveling from the world of appearances to the world of Reality.

4. Be alone in the crowd. In all your outward activity remain inwardly free. Learn not to identify with anything whatsoever.

5. Remember God. Let the prayer of your tonge be the prayer of your heart.

6. Return to God. No aim but to attain Reality.

7. Attention. Keep alien thoughts away. Let your mind be focused on what you are doing.

8. The Divine Presence. Become used to recognize the Divine quality in your heart.

These reminders were originally presented in The Essence Of The Teachings Of The Masters, a compendium of Sufi techniques and teachings gathered by the great Khwajagân sage, Abdulhalik Gudjuvani (died in 1190 A.D).

The descriptions beside his reminders are by the scholar John G. Bennett, who examined the history of the Khwajagân (Teachers) in the book Masters Of Wisdom.

Those legendary teachers exerted a powerful influence all over Central Asia and probably over the whole world, between the XI th and XV th centuries after the Christian era, acting as keepers of wisdom in times of great revolutions and wars.

A halo of mystery has always surrounded them and they seemed to be inheritors of a much older tradition that goes back, at least, to the 2500 B.C. According to J.G.Bennett, P. Kingsley and other scholars, they sent emissaries up to places like Europe or China, mediating in important events that shaped modern history.

Abdulhalik Gudjuvani in particular was regarded as the chief of the central circle of Khwajagân. He and the other ten teachers became the root of the most important Sufi orders, such as the Naqshbandhi, Yesevi and Mevlevi.