The Knowing Heart: A Sufi Path of Transformation

Kabir Helminski is a gifted spiritual teacher. This book is hard to find, so I bought it used. It came in perfect unread condition, exactly as advertised.

This book is full of high energy…just reading it will take you to a higher realm…God bless

It gives another perspective of thinking about self actualization. It is an interesting read with concrete examples to help the reader visualize the author's perspective.

A wonder to explore!

all love here great book with much knowledge and many spiritual wisdoms and insights

Good read to understand

I was raised Christian. As I got older I was looking for more spiritual meaning than I found in church. I first came to Thomas Keating and centering prayer from “Open Mind, Open Heart”, his rediscovery of the meditation practice of the desert fathers centuries ago.My further exploration led me to Sufism, which has a continuous line of transmission for fourteen centuries. Its essence has not changed, but its presentation has in order to be relevant to the society in which it exists. This led me to Kabir Helminski, a living contemporary, and his writings.In “The Knowing Heart” he describes the world as it is currently:“All that unifies us is a synthetic, dollar-driven ‘culture’.”“We strive to consolidate our powers so that we can acquire what we want and keep out what we don’t want.”“The vast majority of human beings are living in a state of alienation from spiritual reality…”He then goes beyond this to describe what is called a complete human being.“Sufism…offers a path to complete humanness, a state in which the spiritual and the human are unified, in which the world of spiritual qualities and material existence are seen as one.”“In Sufism, the moral and the material, the spiritual and the practical, have always been integrated into a pattern of life.”While much in the book is descriptive there are specific recommendations for practice. They seem to be laid out in a subtle way that isn’t always easy to discern. For example the zikr practice: it is mentioned in passing in a few places and a specific practice is also given. Meditation practice at its best has much in common with zikr.An additional part of this path is “…living a human life with a socially useful livelihood within the context of family and community.” The best traits of a human being are described.The book is highly recommended as a step for anyone searching for a spiritual path that also supports living in this material world.

Having read, re-read and now reading it again, this book is a bible for the those choosing to embark on a path of transformation. Each reading brings with it more depth and new insights. A must read for anyone interested in spirituality.

This is an eloquent and beautiful book written by a true lover and someone who is striving to purify his soul. I am reading this, as well as his other book Living Presence: The Sufi Path to Mindfulness and the Essential Self, because I have lost my way doing New Age spirituality. I am hoping that the words will open up my heart and mind, and I will ind my way back to my self and to God. It is a beautiful book and a few passages gave me the answers I have been seeking for years regarding people who are psychic and gifted, but not humble or spiritual and are dangerous as teachers.

This book was recommended in t he further reading section of “On Becoming an Alchemist” (which is also outstanding).I can not recommend it highly enough: beautiful prose, a clearly defined vision and genuinely uplifting on every page.A remarkable piece of work.

This book was reflecting so much of what has been in my heart, all the knowing, and the not knowings. Only a true teacher who really practises what they write about could have written these words. I found this easier to read than the Living Presence, his other book, as I guess the Sufi quotes felt familiar and it wasn't as dense for someone like me who was knew to ideas of mindfulness, presence. Very moving experience I'm very thankful that I got to read it

The knowing heart is exceptional. I am not worthy of making any comments about Kabir Helminski valuable contribution. He explains the lessons precisely and clearly almost poetically.Not only what he explains is profound but also what he implies. He has a clear vision of our condition and he goes right to the heart of the matter. Basically the book is about how to free ourselves from egoism and selfishness but it's a lot more then that and unless you read it your self you will not be able to feel it's weight.

A comprehensive book of the heart. This is a must have guide to spiritual transformation.