The Unsuspected Teachings

Like so many, motivated by a quest for a ‘Higher Reality’, Johannes makes his way to India, the Motherload of spirituality. The introduction entitled ‘Getting there’, gives a brief, graphic description of his journey northwards, skilfully sketching out some key aspects of Indian life: colour, ancient tradition, poverty, diversity and humanity. Inspired by a long-term interest in Tibetan Buddhism, he makes his way to Kashmir, having booked a flight to Ladak. Deep snow scuppers the trip, and he encounters an unsuspected and hidden vein of Muslim spirituality, Sufism. Most of the book is then taken up with Johannes’ diary which details, daily life, friendships, stunning descriptions of his environment, but above all, the teachings of the Sufi Master Amin. Leader of the Chistya Sufis, he was an independent, tolerant, and free-thinking individual, with far reaching interests and profound spiritual insights. ‘It was his face that was truly striking. His head seemed massive, twice normal size. The enormous domed forehead, criss-crossed by wrinkles, the long aquiline nose and the piercing dark eyes spoke of granite will and power.’Caught between unconditional acceptance of the teachings, and resistance, due to nurture and inclination, the book makes interesting reading. Keys are given for a much wider and deeper understanding of Islam, and levels of ‘being’ indicated, were descriptions marking the definitions of a ‘Religion’ are meaningless. ‘Religion is like a boat, a ship into which man is born. It carries him over the ocean of life. Eventually the ship reaches the other shore; here he must abandon it and step on to the firm land. Unfortunately, people continue to carry their ‘boat’; jumping ashore they hoist it on to their shoulders and march on. They exclaim to one another, “Are you carrying a boat? Are you carrying a boat?” In reality, once land is reached, one has to leave the boat and step ashore. A seeker after the truth uses religion and then transcends it. Truth does not require a vessel.’Johannes takes part in a pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan, which opens up an aspect of devotional life, now almost vanished from contemporary culture. The final section, ‘Departure’, describes Johannes’ trip homewards. He embeds himself in the strange twilit world of ‘travelers’ and encounters various curios individuals including a magician. Johannes is hosted by a family in Srinagar and forms a deep friendship with one of the sons