Living & Dying with Grace

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Living and Dying with Grace : Counsels of Hadrat Ali,
[A5] Paperback - 120 pages, Back in Stock - October 2017,
Translated into English by Thomas Cleary,
Published by Shambala.

Description :

Living and Dying with Grace is a book of aphoristic Sufi teachings on how to make one's way in the world—especially on how to bring spiritual insight to the affairs of daily life.

"The greatest wealth
is unconcern
with people's possessions."

Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, contains a vast body of knowledge concerning the inner development of the complete human being. Among the greatest of Sufi masters, Hadrat 'Alî (598-661 CE), May Allah be pleased with him, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, May Allah Shower His Mercy upon him, is regarded as a paragon of compassion and virtue and a master of both exoteric and esoteric knowledge. He was not only a great warrior, statesman, and scholar, but also a devoted husband and father.

"Among ways of atonement for major sins
are helping the troubled
and comforting the distressed."

Success in this life, 'Alî teaches, is bestowed on those who maintain generosity, intelligence, perseverance, integrity, and calm reflection. As for success in the hereafter, 'Alî says, "God, the Glorified, admits to Paradise anyone, at will, for truthfulness of intention and of innermost thoughts."

"If a mortal saw
the end of his life
and his final destination,
he would loathe
desire and its deceptions."

This book contains four hundred of Hadrat 'Alî's, May Allah be pleased with him, teachings, showing how people can use the everyday realities of their lives to cultivate wisdom and well-being, both temporal and eternal, offering a path to 'living and dying with grace.'

"The ignorant among you are promoted,
while the knowledgeable are put off."