Sufism and the Art of Harmony

Sufism, Islam's tradition of spirituality, offers a number of resources for contemporary people to develop greater harmony within themselves and in their relations with others. This talk will highlight some of these key resources. First, we will discuss the profound Sufi vision of reality's simultaneous unity and diversity, and the timely social implications of this vision. Second, we explore the role of baraka, or the energy of blessing, in facilitating harmony in our lives. Sufis believe that this healing, harmonizing energy is found concentrated in particular places and people, and is critical to the development of wisdom and love. Third, we will consider the Sufi understanding of the ultimate unity of the world's religions, shedding light on a sophisticated philosophical basis for developing inter-religious appreciation and reconciliation in world where the borders of identity too frequently function as front lines rather than lines of communication.