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Quote by Kabir Edmund Helminski

“The apparent conflict between a strong sense of our own presence and selflessness can be resolved if we realize that presence helps us to be more selfless. Selflessness is the soul's own willingness to make sacrifices in the material world as well as in the artificial world of personality. The „I am“ is selfless in that it holds no special idea of itself, does not justify itself, and is not envious, resentful, or proud. Because it already feels secure in the infinitely merciful Spirit, it can accept the annihilation of what is false in the ego personality. If we are rooted in presence, we ar e capable of leting go of the demands of the ego. If we are not secure in th eemptiness of pure presence, we will cling to events and things, to lies and fears. But in a state of presence, free of the coercions of the ego, we can become our most authentic selves.”

Quote by Kabir Edmund Helminski

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Living Presence: A Sufi Way to Mindfulness & the Essential Self

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Kabir Edmund Helminski

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“We can bring quality into the details of life if we remember to be and act with precision. If we can consciously be at that point where the horizontal force of active choice meets the vertical force of Being, a certain „something“, larger than life, will be activated. This „something“ can be felt in anything produced by the hands and hearts of a conscious human being – in works of art, in a well-tended garden, in food prepared with love.”

“The soul is a knowing substance that knows the Reality beyond time and space. To acquire this kind of knowing is to become illuminated, to be connected to a greater intelligence that will guide every step of your life. Instead of living in fear and uncertainty, you will more and more be able to trust the unfolding of Life. (p. 78)”

“The Work of the Soul is the greatest satisfaction in life. It is a long journey with many stages of realization. If you want to know how close you are to living the life of the soul, simply ask yourself: how much of my life energy is devoted to complaining about my circumstances, blaming others for my own unhappiness, controlling others to achieve my desires, deceiving others to make myself look good, or promoting myself? The remedy for all these spiritual diseases is the same: contact with your true inner being, which is a reflection of the Divine. After all is said and done, after all our spiritual practices and all the esoteric knowledge that might be acquired, the real measure of soulfulness is simply the degree of our humility, gratitude, patience, and love.”

“What we most need is what we already are: our essential Self. There is no escape; there is only coming home [...] The submission of the lower self to the Higher Self, of the self to the Whole in each moment, becomes the central fact of existence. Submission is t olive for one's Self - the eternal I - not for one's ego.”

“In Sufism we understand the human being to be composed of three aspects: self, heart, and spirit. Self is the experience of our personal identity, including our thoughts and emotions. Heart is something deeper, experienced through an inner knowing, often with a quality of compassion, conscience, and love. It can ultimately lead to the recognition of the deepest part of ourselves - our inmost consciousness, or Spirit, the reflection of God within us. If we simply say that soul is our inner being, then the quality of our inner being, or soul, is the result of the relationship between self and our innermost consciousness, Spirit. The self without the presence of spirit is merely ego, the false mask, which is governed by self-centered thoughts and emotions. The more the self becomes infused with spirit, the more „soulful“ it becomes. We use the words presence and remembrance to describe the conscious connection between self and Spirit. The more we live mindfully with presence, the more we remember God, and the more soulful we are, the more we drop the mask. Care of the soul, then, is always the cultivation of presence and remembrance. Presence includes all the ways we mindfully attend to our lives. Soul is the child of the union of self and spirit. When this union has matured, the soul acquires substance and structure. That is why it is said in some teachings that we do not automatically have a soul; we must acquire one through our spiritual work. (p. 75)”

“In the world of the Spirit, the human being is a witness. The mirror is for witnessing not only the outer, visible world, but the inner, invisible worlds where spiritual qualities abide. Through the sensitive screen of our own awareness, we behold moment by moment and flash by flash the manifestation of infinite beauty, and that beauty need never be absent from the mirror. What may appear in the mirror at a given moment is a gift and should never be underestimated or taken for granted. As we polish away conditioning, concepts, and the false, reacting self, wherever we turn there is the face of Reality. „There is a polish for everything“, said Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, „and the polish for the heart is the remembrance of God“ (Bukhari)”

“Spiritual attainment is a fundamental transformation of the „I“ from a separate, limited, and contracted identity into a rich and infinite one. It is a movement from separation to union. One of the first steps in this process is to observe and understand the chaotic and fragmented nature of the ordinary self and to understand that a very practical integration and harmony can be achieved. This integrated self is the drop that contains the ocean. At the dimensionless center of our identity is the creative potential of Universal Intelligence. (p. 120)”