Last week, a long-time member of our Sufi Community passed away -- Steve Crespo. It was no surprise. He had been living and dying with Parkinson’s for many years. Yesterday, our Sufi community celebrated his passing on Zoom. The death of Steve and stories shared at his memorial by some fifty students of Adnan’s have brought up a lot of thoughts and memories about the Sufi work.

Steve was the treasurer and one of the treasures of the Sufi Foundation. A more perfect person to collect the money is unimaginable. Soft-spoken, understanding, and patient, yet persistent, he allowed payment plans, and discounts, and even contributed his own money to ensure you kept on doing the work. 

Steve took an interest in everyone and made them feel special by sharing his time, his space, and even his possessions.

Years ago, when the person from whom I was subletting my New York apartment tossed me out during Adnan’s Christmas workshop, he invited me to stay at his tiny apartment six blocks away. 

At the memorial, I heard many amazing stories about his generosity of spirit.

I was able to repay Steve’s kindness when he came to the San Francisco Area for a West Coast series of Adnan workshops. A more gracious guest I cannot imagine. He was quiet, self-responsible, generous, and playful.

Steve embodied what we all aspired to become by doing the Sufi work: the complete and perfect human being.

When I first got the news of his passing, it was suggested that we all chant Al Fatiha, which is one of the most important chapters of the Quran. Al Fatiha, in English, means “the opening.” Every Arabic prayer begins with this chapter. 

When my dear friend Marianne died 15 years ago, we automatically chanted that chapter. No one told us to do this. Marianne was a long-time student of Adnan’s. She went to camp mere months before she died. In chanting this chapter, we invited her to open to the new reality of bodily death and spirit release. It reminded me of my impermanence and reliance on the will of the divine.

Let me explain about chanting chapters of the Quran. Throughout each summer camp, Adnan taught his students specially selected chapters of the Quran. This was not to turn us into Muslims or convert us to Islam. He taught us because they contain powerful words from an ancient language and because of their effect.

Adnan spent many hours teaching us how to make the right sounds, sounds we never hear in the English language. I repeat the prayers every morning because I don’t want to forget them. In saying them, I cast the spell of my awakening and remembrance of who I am and why I am here.

Steve was a devoted practitioner of Islam. He traveled to Mecca, as all devoted Muslims do. During Ramadan (the most holy time for Muslims), Steve chanted all night, never sleeping. 

I do not follow this practice. No one is expected to follow this practice. The Sufi work is a practical application of spiritual practices. Adnan used chapters of the Quran because they are transformative. He would tell us: “Do it and see what happens.”

The Quran always puts me into a deep and peaceful meditative state. It releases all negative thoughts and worries and ignites creative imagination. It is the quickest way I know to change a disempowering mindset. Every morning I say the Islamic prayer and realign with my true self. 

I will never invite new people to chant chapters of the Quran in my Sufi Zoom classes. This practice requires the development of capacity over time, which can only be fully realized over an extended period like at Summer Camp. Without this preparation, chanting the Quran will just scare you away.  

The classes I teach are scary enough without the Quran. What is scary? The loss of the ego and its control. The loss of the familiar. However, when you are already in the midst of change, the Sufi practice is a life preserver.

We are all in the midst of a huge change right now, balanced on the tipping point of democracy and planet survival. Please join me tomorrow for another 90-minute immersion into breath and the moment to develop your resilience and creativity for meeting these challenges.

This is the last Friday we will be adjusting our meeting to European standard time: March 29th at 10 am PST. 

On Sunday, Europe shifts to Daylight Savings Time and aligns with the USA. We return to a regular meeting time: Sunday, March 31st at 8:00 am PST. 

The Zoom link is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89999494833?pwd=V2pOS28yYUdXM3hkaW1rVWIvSjBUdz09

Meeting ID: 899 9949 4833

Passcode: SUFI

Here's a time converter link to check the time in your location.

Be peaceful. 

Michelle

Dr. Michelle Peticolas

Life Transformation Coach

Empowering Women to Reinvent Their Life After Loss

Secrets of Life and Death

https://www.facebook.com/secretsoflifeanddeath.com