Books
Love’s Drum
Sufi Views, Practices, and Stories
Pir Elias Amidon
This is a book about love. The views, practices, and stories recounted here, each in their own way, reflect a fragment of love’s mystery and how it can enlighten this not-always-easy human journey we’re on.
Love’s intimacy is our most intimate place, the very gift of our being. It’s what gives us, to be, now. Love holds us, sustains us, and opens each moment into the next. Love gives everything, everywhere. It hums every atom and swirls every galaxy. It’s what unites us with all being and becoming, and yet no matter how vast and inconceivable love is, it’s still the most intimate nature of our present experience. How curious it is that love’s wondrous nature is so close while it remains forever beyond the reach of words! Love’s drum uses a deeper sound.
“In his magical prose Elias writes from the same mystical reverie that inspired the poetry of nondual mystics like Ibn ‘Arabi and Longchenpa. In this sweet evocation of essays and practices, Elias gently unwinds the linear logic of our dualistic mind and reveals the ineffable, ungraspable presence of awareness itself…
In these pages Elias reveals the alchemy of nondual freedom. He unfolds the possibility of transfiguring our bounded and limited lives into lives of undefended love and generosity. In an arc of cosmic dimensions, Elias unites the mundane concerns of daily life and the transcendent reality of deity herself.”
— from the foreword by Dr. Peter Fenner
Love’s Drum Ordering Information
Note: At this time, Amazon is allowing pre-orders of Love’s Drum for a July 20, 2023 shipping date. We are trying to move that date up. In the meantime, if you want the book sooner, you might choose to order from Sentient Publishing.
The Open Path:
Recognizing Nondual Awareness
Pir Elias Amidon
Interest in nondual awareness as the essence of spiritual awakening, free from the obligations and cultural references of a particular religion, is rapidly expanding throughout the Western world. Those who have sought out and followed spiritual paths, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, Kabbalism, etc., have often found themselves coming up against a kind of ceiling in their longing for spiritual awakening. This can be a result of the religion’s cultural context or a belief system that may not see awakening as something within the reach of adherents. The Open Path is an excellent guide to the realization of the silent ground of all being and to the expression of that realization in the diverse conditions of our lives. (Click here to order.)
“Among the many mysteries explored here: spontaneous prayer, kindness, emptiness, starting from where you are, the freedom of the universe, awakening, is one that Elias Amidon barely mentions — friendship. Moving through this book feels to me like a continuously opening friendship.”
— Coleman Barks, author of The Essential Rumi
“This is one of the clearest and most practical books I have ever read on the subtleties of recognizing nondual awareness. Elias Amidon’s heartfelt clarity carries the signature of someone who has walked the journey himself and discovered there is no road.”
— Roger Housden, author of Chasing Rumi
Free Medicine:
Meditations on Nondual Awakening
Pir Elias Amidon
Free Medicine is a collection of forty intimate meditations. Whether describing a naked dive into a pond in the middle of the night, or a confrontation with soldiers in a Burmese temple, these meditations can serve as companions for those whose deepest desire is to know first-hand “the good news at the heart of reality.” Human, accessible, and tender, Free Medicine has the power to open us up in ways we never expected. Click here to order.
In the words of Keith Dowman, author of Natural Perfection, “Although it comes packaged in different languages, cultures and religions, deep mystical insight spirals around a single heart-core: here is Elias Amidon’s inspired Sufi reflection of that ineffable nondual reality.”
Elias’s close connection with nature; his compassion for people in distress; his simple, clear observation of the mysteries of life and death; and his calm sense of humor combine in intriguing ways to reveal the uncaused happiness that is our essence.
“Reading this book is a wonderful experience, full of brilliant insights, stories, images, lots of free medicine,” — Coleman Barks, author of The Essential Rumi.
“This beautiful book, rich in accessible wisdom, captures the direct experience of love and awakening in the music of poetic prose.”
— Roger Housden, author of Dropping the Struggle: Seven Ways to Love the Life You Have
“It’s a sheer mystery to me how Pir Elias Amidon condenses so much profound wisdom into every sentence he writes. Free Medicine moves with a living, poetic potency that brings timeless, imperturbable transcendence into every moment of our personal lives. I wish I could keep turning its pages forever!”
— Peter Fenner, Ph.D., author of Radiant Mind and Natural Awakening
The Book of Flashes
Pir Elias Amidon
The Book of Flashes is a book for contemplation. On each page there’s a short poem, saying, prayer, or proverb that invites us to be still and listen, as we do when we hear a musical phrase that surprises and deepens our soul. Written over the past five years, this “little jewel-box of a book” contains the essence of Pir Elias’s teachings, offered in the most direct and intimate form.
This special edition of The Book of Flashes is published as a flip-back book with a unique binding allowing it to lay flat. Small enough to fit into your pocket or purse, The Book of Flashes can be a spiritual friend when you need one.
MUNAJAT: Forty Prayers
Pir Elias Amidon
The forty prayers in this little book were originally inspired by the Munajat — “whispered prayers,” or “intimate conversations with God” — of the 12th Century Persian Sufi, Abdullah Ansari. Intimate prayer like this suits the sensibility of Sufis — Ibn Arabi, Rumi, Hafez and many others became masters of it. On the one hand praying in this manner is love-talk evoking the nearness of divine reality, and on the other hand it can’t help but go mute as it points to the unspeakable majesty of the Real. It’s a form of prayer that endears at the same time that it is in awe.
To purchase Munajat, click here.
Fresh Rain:
An Introduction to the Sufi Way
Pir Elias Amidon
For those interested in learning more, this booklet describes the lineage, structure, and style of the Sufi Way. It also gives a clear description of the function and meaning of initiation in the Sufi Way today. You may order a copy of Fresh Rain without cost by writing to info@sufiway.org. (Please note: we can only mail booklets to postal addresses in the US, UK, and Europe.) Dutch and French translations are also available. The text of Fresh Rain is also available on this website under the “Teachings” menu.
Seven Contemplations on Awakening
Pir Elias Amidon
(From the Preface) Each of the seven contemplations in this booklet presents a different facet of the jewel that sparkles as the light of awakening in our hearts. While there are many words and thoughts here, they all seek to serve this “light” that cannot be thought about or named.
The seven essays are entitled: The Open Path; The Art of Awakening; The Simple Fact of Being Aware Right Now; Direct Realization; Universal Revelation; The Mysticism of Music; and Following Beauty.
Note: Seven Contemplations is currently out of stock. The text of Seven Contemplations is available on this website on the Seven Contemplations page.
French Translation
La Voie Ouverte
Reconnaitre la conscience non dualiste
Elias Amidon
L'intention de La voie ouverte est de procurer aux lecteurs l'expérience spontanée de l'éveil à la présence de la conscience qui est notre nature la plus intime et le fondement silencieux de tout être.
Le terme "conscience ouverte" est synonyme de nombreux autres termes utilisés dans les traditions mystiques du monde pour désigner le but ultime de toute quête spirituelle : illumination, esprit primordial, amour inconditionnel, unité de l'être, nature de Bouddha, etc.
Avec une démarche patiente et bienveillante, l'auteur offre à chacun de nombreux chemins d'accès à une conscience non dualiste - notamment à travers des exercices pratiques à la fin de chaque chapitre.
Néanmoins ce livre ne se résume pas à du développement personnel. Il expose une démarche spirituelle complète, issue du soufisme universel, c'est-à-dire non liée à une religion. En même temps il puise dans plusieurs traditions spirituelles - zen, bouddhisme tibétain, tantrisme, advaita, et aussi des enseignements de plusieurs maîtres occidentaux non dualistes.
Dans ce travail, l'invitation est de laisser notre vie se détendre dans la claire ouverture de l'être, sans attachement à des histoires personnelles. Il s'agit d'accueillir la fraîcheur omniprésente de la conscience ouverte, notre état naturel, là, maintenant.
Ce livre s'adresse à toute personne désireuse de réaliser cet éveil, d'apprendre à le maintenir et à l'exprimer dans les conditions variées de sa vie quotidienne.
Editions Accarias
L'Originel
Dutch Translation
Het Open Pad
Nonduaal bewustzijn in het dagelijks leven
Pir Elias Amidon
Het open pad is een praktisch en diepgaand studieboek over het herkennen en realiseren van open bewustzijn, en hoe je dat een plaats kunt geven in het dagelijks leven. Het is gebaseerd op een uitgebreide studie van het soefisme en andere mystieke tradities, en bevat oefeningen en meditaties gebaseerd op zenboeddhisme, advaita vedanta, Tibetaans Dzogchen en westerse psychologische methodes.
De lessen zijn niet gericht op abstracte bespiegelingen, maar primair op zelf-onderzoek en het herkennen van je mentale constructies en fixaties; de verschillende vormen van bewustzijn komen aan bod en hoe een open bewustzijn gerealiseerd kan worden.
De benadering van het Open Pad is inclusief, het pretendeert niet om oorspronkelijk te zijn en leent vrijelijk uit vele oosterse en westerse tradities. Het is bedoeld als een gids die de weg wijst naar spontane aanwezigheid van bewustzijn, de basis van alles wat leeft.
Elias Amidon is de geestelijk leider van de Sufi Way, een niet-sektarische expressie van een eeuwenoud geestelijk pad in de traditie van Hazrat Inayat Khan. Hij studeerde bij boeddhistische meesters in Thailand, Qadiri soefi’s in Marokko, christelijke monniken in Syrië en zenmeesters in Japan. Hij leidt al tientallen jaren soefi programma’s over de hele wereld en geeft sinds 2005.
Het Open Pad can be purchased from the publisher by writing to pantarhei@wxs.nl
Dutch Translation
Een Open Pad:
Vertellingen Vanuit Non-Dual Bewustzijn
Pir Elias Amidon
This is a translation into Dutch of twenty-five short reflections originally appearing as “Notes from the Open Path.”
Een open pad bevat 25 korte reflecties en beschouwingen over alle aspecten van bewust leven: over ons levensdoel, over liefde, schoonheid en de bron van geluk, over bevrijding van angst en verstarring. Ze zijn geschreven door een veelzijdig en bewogen spiritueel leraar vanuit een sterke persoonlijke betrokkenheid bij alles wat op zijn pad komt.
De vertellingen verwijzen vaak naar mystieke teksten die toegang bieden tot non-duaal bewustzijn, een toegang die altijd bestaan heeft en in deze tijd door steeds meer mensen herontdekt wordt. Elk verhaal is een creatieve reflectie op hoe we volledig kunnen leven in het licht van het nu en spontaan en gevoelig kunnen ingaan wat er zich aandient in ons leven. Daarom verdient elk verhaal het om gelezen en herlezen te worden tot de kern die een diepe waarheid bevat zich vanzelf openbaart.
(Click here to order.)
Geen Leraar, Geen Leerling, and Geen Pad(Dutch translations) can be purchased here: https://sufiway.nl/swnl/boeken.asp. Fresh Rain and Munaj are also available, but only in English. Fresh Rain is free; we just ask that you pay postage.