ISLAM,BAHAISM & SUFISM & SUBUD

Although the study of Islam has been a sort of minor concern during my life, except when certain things arose, like movies and Far Eastern tales, myths, legends, and others, my early attempts to read THE KORAN, in its basic, paperback translated format gave me few insights and was most tedious at the time.......Only when I became aware of Gurdjieff, Sufis, some fakirs,devishes,yogis,monks,etc. die I take another look at the World's Largest Religion,which stretches basically from Europe to China and to Indonesia plus the African Continent....... My brief acquaintence with Islam in America was mostly with Black Moslems in Washington,D.C.,etc. and with looking at the Mosque there a few times as well as a few other minor things.....and now with the world situation of terrorism and terrorists,many of them apparently radical Islamists, the study of Islam would seem important but I find only a few persons willing and able to do so,that is, among the general public.... Not everyone in the Near East or in every other Islamic Nation is a Moslem/Muslim/Islamist/etc. which are the proper names usually used in print rather than the prevalent derogatory ones used by the rednecks, saber-rattlers,etc. in their rants and raves painted with a patriotic brush, which glosses over a lot of individuals...etc. Those who are, or claiming they are, striving for peace: in the world, in Palestine, in the Near East, etc. might do well to study the Koran and other writings of Islam, and those of the Bahai Faith and those especially of SUFIS but it seems far too much effort for anyone except for those who already have done so, to expect anyone who hasn't to undertake such a thing.....it is not just laziness or ignorance, but they play their strong roles, of course....but a fear to learn something out of the ordinary, something that challenges the usual way of looking at everything, particularly the media accounts of such.... I became acquainted with the Bahai Faith when in High School by reading an article in FATE MAGAZINE about THE BAB(unfortunately, I no longer have that issue) and later I discovered the book on the Bahai Faith in the pulbic library and took it out and read it, but after that, I did not do anything further except when I met some Bahai members in Claremont and became friends with them and attended a few meetings and even traveling to Maine to a noted camp area which name I can't recall at the moment but will look for the information,etc. when I have more time. I was also interested in a lot of things and asked how Gurdjieff related to the Bahai Faith and was told that a certain passage in one of BahaUllah's books pertained to his methods,etc. Unfortunately, I did not purchase the book and can't recall the title or the verses....I shall discuss this more later on and describe the meetings,etc. and so forth.... Later on, I had opportunity to actually visit the Bahai Temple near Chicago in recent years and will post some photos I took of the place.....it is surrounded by much urban development nowadays, so that its presence is diminished from what it was when it stood alone and was photographed.....Secularism crowds out Spiritualism,so to speak.....if not overwhelms it at times......Still, one can feel certain influences and gatheer certain impressions while sitting in the Temple and meditating,thinking, and feeling and trying sense something........ The few contacts I have had in the US with SUFIS or those who said they were SUFIS, and I kept myself somewhat aloof from entering any of their activities or invitations and the like and will discuss my 'reasons' and 'feelings' for not doing so...... However, reading the materials and books,etc. I do find interesting, informative, useful and enlightening, as well as important for certain ideas...The music and dances are another matter..... SUBUD,which has origins in Islam and Sufism and comes from Indonesia, aroused my interest when I read something on it in a book loaned to me by a friend who also was interested in Gurdjieff and had met 'SUBUDIANS' as he termed them in NYC and also in Woodstock,Vt. etc and shared with me some of his experiences and comments,etc. I contacted the group in Woodstock and visited there but did not follow up to undergo the LATIHAN which is the basic practice of initiating and receiving 'the vital force(s)' and other 'spiritual influences' and also for 'opening' etc. for several reasons.....Men are opened separately from women and various reports on such tend to show mixed results which I hope to discuss later when I have more time and can recall everything.... But I do want to say that the term 'latihan' can mean exercise or form/practice as found in the Indonesian/Malaysian martiala arts known as Silat, Pentjak, Pentjak-silat, etc. with some exotic weaponry and also some intense 'spiritual/esoteric' practices etc. which I shall discuss later.......some of these things do involve 'trance' states.....and sometimes there are no simple explanations of what happens and sometimes no two observers can agree as to what actually happened...same for a lot of occult rituals and ceremonies and other things done, whether in the name of witchcraft, black magic, or enchantment....