The Chasm of Fire: A Woman's Experience of Liberation Through the Teachings of a Sufi Master

by Irina Tweedie

Much is heard of the voice of 'women's liberation' and debate ensues concerning women's rights in modern society. Undoubtedly, where there is suppression and limitation of natural abilities, there is a case for the reformation of law and attitude. But whether this will result in the exchange of one set of frustrations for another remains to be seen.

Is the disposition and the assumed right to do as you please synonymous with real freedom? Irina Tweedie would certainly replay that it is not - rather it is a mental state, independent of worldly circumstance, which has to be earned through spiritually-guided self-discipline.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Islam, Religion, Womens, Memoir, Mysticism

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1984

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had wanted to read this book for thirty years and I was not disappointed. In fact, far from disappointed. This is an down to earth description about the intensity of the relationship between a devotee and her spiritual teacher. Not for the faint of heart, though.

[Rohit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book long back, when Internet was not so common. It is a very insightful spiritual story of Irina who travels to India and meets a Sufi saint.

[Mckinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has a big impact on me when I read it. I was exploring sufism and thus intrigued by her story.

[John Fredrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading through this book for quite some time. It is interesting and challenging.

[Totochelamouche · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sufi method represents complete freedom. You are never forced. To put somebody in dhyana can be done, but it would only show that my will is stronger than yours. In this case it would be mesmerism; there is nothing spiritual about that; and it would be wrong.

Sufism is a way of life. It is neither a religion nor a philosophy. There are Hindu Sufis, Muslim Sufis, Christian Sufis.

This is the way of training, to make you speak as you did. I make you angry and then you speak and I know what is in your mind.

Professor Batnagar was of the opinion that Sufism was Islamic Buddhism, but there was no historic evidence for such a belief as far as it is known. Bhai Sahib was very much against this idea. He said that Sufism is very much older than Islam and even Buddhism. True, it took on the terminology of Islam, but this was due to the customs and religion of the country where it was allowed to flourish. (That is in Arabia and later in Persia.)

I remember L. telling me that the disciple is subjected to such states of loneliness and longing that it could be almost suicidal. A great Master is needed to get the disciple through this state of separation.

But what's the use of repeating how much you suffered? What's the use of being sorry for oneself? Why not say courageously 'It is nothing, I will bear more.' The river has to be crossed, so let's go on."

More than ever before, the life of the world as I knew it seemed empty, devoid of all meaning and I understood why, once on the Spiritual Path, one can never go back; not because there are such secrets which cannot be revealed, but simply because there remains nothing to go back to ...

"If you only come when I am here it means you are selfish, wanting to get something. Service is an attitude of the heart." I told him that it will be difficult to sit here without him, because of the boys throwing stones at us.

The path of dhyana is for the many, the path of tyaga is for the few. How many would want to sacrifice everything for the sake of Truth?

Ours is the system of freedom. But the majority does not like it. People want contortions - Hatha Yoga, Discipline, Mind Control, Meditations. They are not happy otherwise, they think nothing is being done.

When L. came back from the post office, she told me that it is the famous Mystical Sound and it is called Dzikr. It is the preliminary step to dhyana.

Told him about the depression I had last night; it had really lasted for the last three days, but yesterday it was very bad. I have had periods of misery in my life; who has not? But I don't think I have ever been so miserable in my whole life.

Bhai Sahib seated himself in guru-asana [a traditional teaching posture], his hands clasping his toes.

We were talking about the gurus and the ashrams [places for religious retreat] and that there is not much spirituality to be found in most of them.

When you are on the path earnestly and seriously, your karmas are taken away from you. Either you have to suffer them, as I have already told you the other day, in your physical life, or they will come to you in dreams. One second of dream suffering is like three years of real suffering in life. When you are on the path you are speeded up, and you pay for it in your dreams. If you stay away from the path, once decided, all the karmas you will pay for in full in your daily life. But once on the path, the Grace of God reaches you, catches up with you and the mental karma will go away in dreams. Emotional sufferings are cleared up by the suffering love causes, but the physical karmas one has to suffer in the physical body.

"There is something that worries me a lot: I seem sometimes to hate everything and everybody. Hate them thoroughly and completely. Everyone seems to be irritating, ugly, even horrible. A constant irritation about practically everything surrounding me. I seem to have become barren and arid. Surely this is not an improvement?"
He smiled. "It is a stage one is passing. There was a time when I too hated everybody."

The Nakshmandia Dynasty - the Golden Sufis - descends from the Prophet. The first Deputy was the father-in-law of the Prophet; but Sufis were before the Prophet. Sufism always was: it is the Ancient Wisdom. Only before the Prophet they were not called Sufis and did not come to be called so until a few centuries after his death.
Long before, they were a sect called Kamal Posh [blanket-wearers]. They went to every prophet. A tradition goes that they went to Jesus. No one could satisfy them; every prophet told them to do this or that and they were not satisfied.
One day Mohammed said, "There are many Kamal Posh men coming and they will be here in so many days' ... and they came on the day he said. And when they were with him, he only looked at them, without speaking, and they were completely satisfied ..."
He fell silent for a moment and laughed to himself.
He created love in their hearts. No questions are answered in the System; it is infused. You only know how it feels when the love is created. Every prophet told the Kamal Posh this or that, naturally they were not satisfied. But when love is created, what dissatisfaction can there be? So they went away fully satisfied.

A Saint is an ordinary man; only he does not indulge in anything. He has desires as every other human being; only he is not after desires. If they are fulfilled, there is no pleasure. If not, there is indifference and no pain. That's all.
He is on the same platform as any other human being. People say the Saint has to be hungry, must not eat, only drink twice a week, and so on. This misconception arises because of Hatha Yogis who often do that sort of thing - and the world thinks it is the highest thing. Hatha Yoga means one who has not been accepted; it is not a high state.

Today I told him about the hatred which worries me; it is so deep and strong.
"It is pride. You think yourself better than the others and you hate them."

Truth which is not said gently is not Truth. Why? Because the person in question will not accept it. But if someone persists in doing evil, then you can hit; but never if you have any personal advantage from it. When duty-bound and there is no personal advantage for you, then there is no sin, and if they get offended it is just too bad ...

'Merging into the Master,' I said. 'Fana fi Sheikh [merging into the Teacher]; then Fana fi Rasul [merging into Mohammed, not as a man but as primal essence]; and finally Fana fi Allah [merging in God]?'

If I would teach you La-il-llillah correctly, the world would be yours. It is powerful when it is given by a living soul. Power can be abused; what then?

This arose from my telling him how troublesome it is for others when people don't wash. They don't wash their dhotis, or their bodies; they smell. Such a man had just left.
"Yes, this is true. It is very troublesome. But there are people who are dressed nicely and are clean; but they are full of inner dirt. Greed, vanity, sex and other things too ... They come and sit here and what shall I say who am the sweeper of everybody?"

Mrs Sharma told me she has a big wedding on 29th and I must try and find other accommodation as she will need my room and the terraces upstairs. I felt very lonely and upset. Sometimes I feel I am not welcome anywhere.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to read the complete "Daughters of Fire" a year and a half ago and just couldn't...it was too long. This book still doesn't move fast, but at least you get the gist of things. Fascinating experience of one Western woman's experience of studying with a Sufi master. She is very down on herself and he is of the tough love guru type, so def not my path, but still, fascinating stuff in here.

[J. Narayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was moved deeply by this woman's love for her teacher and eventually for her "Self" in a tale told, in diary form, of her many present moments. She reveals a transformational process that has long been a mystery.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this years ago and found it very interesting and inspiring. I met the author several times at her home in London in the early 1980s. I remember her as a very calm understated charismatic and kindly person, with great depth and strength.

[Ajanta Judd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for any spiritual seeker!

[Hope Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fascinating and intense inner journey of a very focused woman, who could use a little lightness, warmth and humor.

[Alexia Gaudeul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives interesting insights into the relation guru / devotee. It is easy to see how this can quickly turn bad for those less discerning than Irina Tweedie.

While she always interpret the frequent abuse she got from her guru in a positive way, she also understood how this could be seen from the outside. This makes it all the more courageous for her to write this book, knowing how likely it was to be misinterpreted from her point of view.

I did not feel bad for her, because as an intelligent and educated woman, she knew well what she was going into when starting her training, and accepted it as part of her path. She apparently got what she wanted from her teacher, but this is certainly not a path for the meek :)

[Billy Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!