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Notes on 'The Thought Patterns of the Mystics'
Notes on editing.
The very basic printing facilities available in Ajmer, at the time the original lectures were
printed, led to various typesetting errors - which despite a lengthy correcting process
often still appeared in the final publication. In reproducing the lectures for the web site
we attempted to correct these.
In a very few cases we have slightly ammended the syntax of some sentences to make it
read more smoothly for the native English speaker - but only where the meaning is quite
unambiguous.
Notes on style.
Zahurmian tended to write these lectures in a very inspirational mode. He worked
furiously with a completely focussed and attentive mind. As far as is known the
quotations were drawn from his prodigious memory without external reference to the
original texts he quoted from. In some cases I have given references.
He tended to prefer short, pithy, paragraphs often containing no more than one
sentence. This seems to have the effect of giving more power to each thought and is an
integral part of his 'voice' or literary style. We have tried to maintain this in editing the
text.
Notes on content.
Positive thinking.
In his emphasis on a good life as being one of virtue and happiness we can see that
Zahurmian's view of positive thought contained two intertwined elements. One was
concerned with the force, focus, or strength of thought - the other with the moral content
of thought. There are people who emphasise positive thinking as being a powerful tool
but do not always link it with virtue as he does here. Thus we may be encouraged by
such persons to use focussed, concentrated, "positive" thinking to gain material wealth,
power, or some other personal ambition. There is a classic joke which (with variations)
runs along the lines of:-
"I can't do it" (loss of hope)
"Why be negative, be positive"
"I am positive that I can't do it"
The essence of the joke lies in the different use of the word positive. The first use urges
hope ( a positive thought) the reply uses the 'positive' to mean being emphatic (having
more force or power).
It would be fair to say that Zahurmian's concept of positive thinking incorporates the
need for more focussed and powerful thought but he implicitly and explicitly links it with
values such as goodness, love, hope and compassion.
The law of substitution.
This technique prescribed here by Zahurmian certainly has its roots in a Qur'anic
injunction.
Nor can Goodness and Evil
Be equal. Repel (Evil)
With what is better:
Then will he between whom
And thee was hatred
Become as it were
Thy friend and intimate.
Qur'an 41:34 (Yusuf Ali translation)
Though he has not referred to it here Zahurmian will have been familiar with an
technique described by Mevlana Jaluddin Rumi in the Masnavi. In this he suggests that
we treat even negative thoughts as guests.
Every day, too, at every moment a (different) thought comes, like an honoured guest,
into thy bosom.
O dear soul regard thought as a person, since (every) person derives his worth from
thought and spirit.
If the thought of sorrow is waylaying (spoiling) joy, (yet) it is making preparations for joy.
It violently sweeps thy house clear of (all) else, in order that new joy from the source of
good may enter in.........
Whenever the thought of sorrow comes into thy breast anew, go to meet it with smiles
and laughter,
Saying, "O, my Creator, preserve me from its evil: do not deprive me but let me partake
of its good!*
Essentially this also follows the Qur'anic injunction of repelling negative or evil thoughts
with good - in this case seeing the potential good hidden within the negative thought.
*Mathnavi book 5. line 3676 (page 220 in vol 3 of the three volume Gibb Memorial set). Translation by R.A.Nicholson.
Quotations.
Macbeth Act 5, Scene 3. (I have altered one or two commas from the lecture to conform
with the printed Shakespearian text)
Notes on editing.
The very basic printing facilities available in Ajmer, at the time the original lectures were
printed, led to various typesetting errors - which despite a lengthy correcting process
often still appeared in the final publication. In reproducing the lectures for the web site
we attempted to correct these.
In a very few cases we have slightly ammended the syntax of some sentences to make it
read more smoothly for the native English speaker - but only where the meaning is quite
unambiguous.
Notes on style.
Zahurmian tended to write these lectures in a very inspirational mode. He worked
furiously with a completely focussed and attentive mind. As far as is known the
quotations were drawn from his prodigious memory without external reference to the
original texts he quoted from. In some cases I have given references.
He tended to prefer short, pithy, paragraphs often containing no more than one
sentence. This seems to have the effect of giving more power to each thought and is an
integral part of his 'voice' or literary style. We have tried to maintain this in editing the
text.
Notes on content.
Positive thinking.
In his emphasis on a good life as being one of virtue and happiness we can see that
Zahurmian's view of positive thought contained two intertwined elements. One was
concerned with the force, focus, or strength of thought - the other with the moral content
of thought. There are people who emphasise positive thinking as being a powerful tool
but do not always link it with virtue as he does here. Thus we may be encouraged by
such persons to use focussed, concentrated, "positive" thinking to gain material wealth,
power, or some other personal ambition. There is a classic joke which (with variations)
runs along the lines of:-
"I can't do it" (loss of hope)
"Why be negative, be positive"
"I am positive that I can't do it"
The essence of the joke lies in the different use of the word positive. The first use urges
hope ( a positive thought) the reply uses the 'positive' to mean being emphatic (having
more force or power).
It would be fair to say that Zahurmian's concept of positive thinking incorporates the
need for more focussed and powerful thought but he implicitly and explicitly links it with
values such as goodness, love, hope and compassion.
The law of substitution.
This technique prescribed here by Zahurmian certainly has its roots in a Qur'anic
injunction.
Nor can Goodness and Evil
Be equal. Repel (Evil)
With what is better:
Then will he between whom
And thee was hatred
Become as it were
Thy friend and intimate.
Qur'an 41:34 (Yusuf Ali translation)
Though he has not referred to it here Zahurmian will have been familiar with an
technique described by Mevlana Jaluddin Rumi in the Masnavi. In this he suggests that
we treat even negative thoughts as guests.
Every day, too, at every moment a (different) thought comes, like an honoured guest,
into thy bosom.
O dear soul regard thought as a person, since (every) person derives his worth from
thought and spirit.
If the thought of sorrow is waylaying (spoiling) joy, (yet) it is making preparations for joy.
It violently sweeps thy house clear of (all) else, in order that new joy from the source of
good may enter in.........
Whenever the thought of sorrow comes into thy breast anew, go to meet it with smiles
and laughter,
Saying, "O, my Creator, preserve me from its evil: do not deprive me but let me partake
of its good!*
Essentially this also follows the Qur'anic injunction of repelling negative or evil thoughts
with good - in this case seeing the potential good hidden within the negative thought.
*Mathnavi book 5. line 3676 (page 220 in vol 3 of the three volume Gibb Memorial set). Translation by R.A.Nicholson.
Quotations.
Macbeth Act 5, Scene 3. (I have altered one or two commas from the lecture to conform
with the printed Shakespearian text)
Peace
Italian
Italian
Thought
Notes
Patience
Stop
hating
hating
Peace
English
English
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