"Truly, God has a drink for His friends.
When they drink it, they are intoxicated;
and when they are intoxicated, they are enraptured;
and when they are enraptured, they are blessed;
and when they are blessed, they dissolve;
and when they dissolve, they are free;
and when they are free, they devote themselves purely;
and when they devote themselves purely, they seek;
and when they seek, they find;
and when they find, they arrive;
and when they arrive, they are at one;
there is no difference between them and their Beloved.
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Imam Ali (a.s.)
The Commander of the Faithful
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Australian Centre for Sufism and Irfanic Studies (ACS)
Mission and Objectives
The Australian Centre for Sufism and Irfanic Studies is a
non profit organisation established in Australia in 1999 for
the purpose of raising the awareness of people to the presence
of God in day to day life using the teachings of Sufism/Irfan.
The Major Objectives of ACS are:
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Raising the awareness of people to the
spiritual journey of life. |
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Raising the awareness of people to the Unity of God
and its reflection in daily life. |
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Raising the awareness of people to the inner spiritual
dimension of Islam - Sufism. |
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Helping people to recognise the role of the ego-personality
as a veil to spiritual unfoldment. |
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Using the teaching and knowledge of Sufism as a spiritual
path in the journey of life. |
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Providing opportunities for spiritual development
for young adults and teenagers. |
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Sharing the wisdom and the message of Sufism/Irfan
with a wider audience in Australia. |
Some of the Major Activities of the Centre are:
Founder
and Director of ACS Fleur Nassery Bonnin is a Sufi teacher (murshid),
a psychologist and the Founder and Director of the
Australian Centre for Sufism and Irfanic Studies. Originally
from Persia (Iran) she has practised in the United States
and has been living and working in Australia for some years,
focusing on Sufi psychology and spiritual teaching.
The Prophet of Islam (pbuh) is reported to have said: “He
who knows his self, knows his Lord”. In Sufism, self
knowledge is the path that leads to the knowledge of God.
Self realisation as a vehicle for spiritual unfoldment is
at the centre of Fleur’s teachings. She has written
several articles and designed specialist courses and intensive
programmes on psycho-spirituality and Sufism.
There is an ancient story about a contest that was held between
Greek and Chinese artists as to which group had the better
artists. Each was given a room, which faced each other, separated
by a door, so that they could not see each other’s work.
The Chinese decorated the walls with beautiful flowers using
rare colours and techniques. The Greeks, on the other hand,
polished the surface of the walls in their room. When the
door between them was removed, the beautiful art of the Chinese
was reflected on the wall of the Greeks in all of its original
beauty and splendour. The Greeks won the contest.
This story reflects the work of Sufism. By purifying the
ego one can polish the mirror of the heart which enables it
to reflect the light of divinity. Guided by a teacher (murshid),
the work is to understand and recognise the unconscious blocks
of the ego-personality. These blocks obstruct the discovery
of our true, essential and spiritual being.
The weekly group sessions provide both a direct and an indirect
means of learning. Led by the Murshid, it is an important
opportunity to receive teaching and guidance. This may take
a variety of forms including direct teaching and instruction,
sharing of insights and study of ancient Sufi teachings. The
group embraces a dynamic where each member can become a mirror
for the others.
The group runs in 12 weekly modules, consisting of a one
hour group session per week.
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