Ep194: Sufism & The Way of Blame - Dr Yannis Toussulis 2
Dr Yannis Toussulis is a Sufi lineage holder, psychotherapist, and author of ‘Sufism: The Way of Blame’.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Dr Toussulis takes a deep dive into the practice and history of Sufism, including its historical interactions with Buddhism, Vedantism, Zoroastrianism, and posits a neoplatonic and Hellenic substructure underpinning Sufi mysticism.
Dr Toussulis outlines the 4 phases of Sufism as a living practice, details its 7 stages of wisdom, and explains the role of bliss and tranquility in Sufi contemplation.
Dr Toussulis also discusses the crucial role of the teacher, the importance of the circle of fellow practitioners, the role of ethics and direct experience, and why true Sufism must go beyond union with God as the ultimate end and purpose of the path.
Topics include:
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Why the book?
03:04 - What is Sufism?
05:59 - What is the Way of Blame?
07:29 - Exoteric and esoteric Islam
10:45 - Influences from Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism
12:44 - Hellenism and the neoplatonic substructure of Sufism
14:02 - What is Neoplatonism?
15:37 - Nondualistic vs dualistic Sufism
21:31 - Evidence of Vedantic influence on Sufism
23:00 - Patanjali and other influence on Sufism
24:00 - Did Islam influence Medieval Christianity?
26:53 - The 4 phases of Sufism as a practice
29:59 - How to enter a school of Sufism
30:33 - Sufi meditative practices and states of direct cognition
33:26 - Sufism vs Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta
34:24 - Different approaches to morality in Sufism
36:52 - Application of the Sharia
38:47 - Sexual ethics in Islam
43:19 - Academic vs practice knowledge
45:43 - Constituents of Sufi practice
49:13 - Group practice
52:49 - 7 stages of wisdom
58:00 - Bliss and tranquility
59:50 - Dark night of the soul
01:02:05 - The role of the teacher and transmission
01:06:16 - Siddhi and spiritual progress
01:08:30 - Human completeness and going beyond union with God
01:11:36 - Effects of success in Sufi practice
01:14:26 - Sufi views on death and the afterlife
01:17:07 - The future of Sufism in the West
01:22:07 - Islam’s critique of secularism
01:23:54 - Dogma vs spiritual potency
01:27:27 - Unprecedented challenges facing humanity today
01:29:34 - A Sufi response?
01:31:54 - Importance of direct experience
Previous episode with Dr Yannis Toussulis:
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Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James