Introduction Written by: Mohamedali Sultan Abdul Cader Outline For This Introduction Establishing The Shaikh-Disciple Relationship - back to outline Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim - In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. By the Grace of Allah, I have completed the translation of the manuscript "Guru Mani" (The Pearl of The Guru) by His Holiness Guru Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. Praise be to Allah! Under the mystical guidance and inspiration of His Holiness I have undertaken this onerous task with great trepidation and awe. "The Pearl of Wisdom", as I have named it, is, therefore, a tribute of love and dedication to my Shaikh from the depths of my heart. The Difficulties Overcome In Completing This Task - back to outline It has taken two years to complete "The Pearl of Wisdom", the English translation of the book, "Guru Mani", during which I suffered two setbacks. I had two bouts of illness after two falls, but neither of these deterred me from my purpose. I am humbly aware that a few others before me had unsuccessfully attempted this task. About The Original Book, "Guru Mani" - back to outline The original "Guru Mani" was written in the 1940's in Tamil, a Dravidian language deeply rooted in tradition and in a rich cultural background. It is said that under the dictation of His Holiness, "Guru Mani", was hand written by an unsophisticated goldsmith at a time when modern equipment like typewriters and tape recorders were not available at Bawa's ashram in Jaffna. This book is a continuous narration in conversational style between Guru and disciple, spoken in the traditional sufi way of imparting knowledge to the un-initiated of the mystery of life, here and in the hereafter. Up to now, this rare work has been beyond the reach of the English speaking reader who is in pursuit of truth within truth, and of wisdom within wisdom, and seeks to delve into the mystical realms of the sufis. "The Pearl of Wisdom" is the caption I have chosen for my translation because it is indeed a veritable pearl of purity and wisdom which His Holiness reveals to the world within the pages of this book. Organization of the English Version of "Guru Mani" - back to outline I have re-arranged a few portions of the narration to maintain a smooth flow of thought, and to make the rendition more intelligible to the English language reader. This book is compartmentalized into forty chapters (in itself a mystical number) not losing sight of the continuity of the original. Sitting At The Feet of His Holiness - back to outline People of all faiths and religions, and of many races and hues, gathered round His Holiness, to listen to His discourses during His life time on earth. In Jaffna, North Sri Lanka, which has a predominately Hindu cultural background, His Holiness often sought to clarify or explain a point by referring to the Hindu epics. Some of these references quoted in this book, for example, are found in Chapter 33, "The Ten Evil Sins". These ten characters were men of great eminence who had to suffer degradation because of a flaw in their character. "This Pearl of Wisdom" I hope, will satisfy the English speaking disciples of His Holiness in particular, and the seekers of truth in general. Acknowledgements of Help In Producing This Book - back to outline Those who encouraged me and helped me in my work, I have separately thanked in my formal acknowledgement. But I must specifically speak of my friend Dr. P. Balchanthiran, who day after day, came to my Villa to help me through the editing stage of the translation. His help has been invaluable. My wife, Ameena Cader, assisted me in no small measure by computer typing the entire manuscript despite her household duties. My son, Dr Abdul Mahir M.Sc., Ph.D., volunteered to publish "The Pearl of Wisdom" at his own expense, for which Allah will reward him. Ameen. My friend, Hilmy Mohideen, the President of the Colombo Serendib Sufi Study Circle, was a great source of encouragement with his inimitable gentle, soft, spoken words. The other stars in my firmament are my beloved children, Dr. Mahir, Alia, Inshirah, Ahmad Sasha, Khwaja Muhaiyaddeen, Noorul Nissa, and my grandson Arshad Hamdan Mahir, and many close relatives and friends who helped to kindle the lamp of inspiration at all times. Among the few pictures contained in "The Pearl of Wisdom" are two portraits, one by my son Dr. Mahir at the age of 15, and the other by my son-in-law, Ahmad Alexandre Vladimirovich Smeiman, a Russian artist who is a great devotee of His Holiness. In the original "Guru Mani" are many tributes in verse to His Holiness by His loving disciples, some of which are anonymous. I have translated two of them. Closing Prayer - back to outline I seek forgiveness from His Holiness, Guru Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and from all of His disciples, for any omissions and errors that I may have inadvertently committed in my translation. May Allah forgive me for any mistakes. And for the successful completion of this task, I say, "Al-hamdu lillah, Mashallah, Subhanallah, Allahu Akbar." Mohamedali Sultan Abdul Cadir (Formerly of the Ceylon Administrative Service, and Minister of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Moscow, USSR). Mailing Address: Telephone Number: 561674 MSA Cader "Villa Quadir" No 2, Keell's Private Homes, Potuarawa Road, Malabe, Sri Lanka. Date: January 1, 2000 End of Introduction .................................. |
Introduction Written by: Mohamedali Sultan Abdul Cader Outline For This Introduction Establishing The Shaikh-Disciple Relationship - back to outline Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim - In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. By the Grace of Allah, I have completed the translation of the manuscript "Guru Mani" (The Pearl of The Guru) by His Holiness Guru Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. Praise be to Allah! Under the mystical guidance and inspiration of His Holiness I have undertaken this onerous task with great trepidation and awe. "The Pearl of Wisdom", as I have named it, is, therefore, a tribute of love and dedication to my Shaikh from the depths of my heart. The Difficulties Overcome In Completing This Task - back to outline It has taken two years to complete "The Pearl of Wisdom", the English translation of the book, "Guru Mani", during which I suffered two setbacks. I had two bouts of illness after two falls, but neither of these deterred me from my purpose. I am humbly aware that a few others before me had unsuccessfully attempted this task. About The Original Book, "Guru Mani" - back to outline The original "Guru Mani" was written in the 1940's in Tamil, a Dravidian language deeply rooted in tradition and in a rich cultural background. It is said that under the dictation of His Holiness, "Guru Mani", was hand written by an unsophisticated goldsmith at a time when modern equipment like typewriters and tape recorders were not available at Bawa's ashram in Jaffna. This book is a continuous narration in conversational style between Guru and disciple, spoken in the traditional sufi way of imparting knowledge to the un-initiated of the mystery of life, here and in the hereafter. Up to now, this rare work has been beyond the reach of the English speaking reader who is in pursuit of truth within truth, and of wisdom within wisdom, and seeks to delve into the mystical realms of the sufis. "The Pearl of Wisdom" is the caption I have chosen for my translation because it is indeed a veritable pearl of purity and wisdom which His Holiness reveals to the world within the pages of this book. Organization of the English Version of "Guru Mani" - back to outline I have re-arranged a few portions of the narration to maintain a smooth flow of thought, and to make the rendition more intelligible to the English language reader. This book is compartmentalized into forty chapters (in itself a mystical number) not losing sight of the continuity of the original. Sitting At The Feet of His Holiness - back to outline People of all faiths and religions, and of many races and hues, gathered round His Holiness, to listen to His discourses during His life time on earth. In Jaffna, North Sri Lanka, which has a predominately Hindu cultural background, His Holiness often sought to clarify or explain a point by referring to the Hindu epics. Some of these references quoted in this book, for example, are found in Chapter 33, "The Ten Evil Sins". These ten characters were men of great eminence who had to suffer degradation because of a flaw in their character. "This Pearl of Wisdom" I hope, will satisfy the English speaking disciples of His Holiness in particular, and the seekers of truth in general. Acknowledgements of Help In Producing This Book - back to outline Those who encouraged me and helped me in my work, I have separately thanked in my formal acknowledgement. But I must specifically speak of my friend Dr. P. Balchanthiran, who day after day, came to my Villa to help me through the editing stage of the translation. His help has been invaluable. My wife, Ameena Cader, assisted me in no small measure by computer typing the entire manuscript despite her household duties. My son, Dr Abdul Mahir M.Sc., Ph.D., volunteered to publish "The Pearl of Wisdom" at his own expense, for which Allah will reward him. Ameen. My friend, Hilmy Mohideen, the President of the Colombo Serendib Sufi Study Circle, was a great source of encouragement with his inimitable gentle, soft, spoken words. The other stars in my firmament are my beloved children, Dr. Mahir, Alia, Inshirah, Ahmad Sasha, Khwaja Muhaiyaddeen, Noorul Nissa, and my grandson Arshad Hamdan Mahir, and many close relatives and friends who helped to kindle the lamp of inspiration at all times. Among the few pictures contained in "The Pearl of Wisdom" are two portraits, one by my son Dr. Mahir at the age of 15, and the other by my son-in-law, Ahmad Alexandre Vladimirovich Smeiman, a Russian artist who is a great devotee of His Holiness. In the original "Guru Mani" are many tributes in verse to His Holiness by His loving disciples, some of which are anonymous. I have translated two of them. Closing Prayer - back to outline I seek forgiveness from His Holiness, Guru Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), and from all of His disciples, for any omissions and errors that I may have inadvertently committed in my translation. May Allah forgive me for any mistakes. And for the successful completion of this task, I say, "Al-hamdu lillah, Mashallah, Subhanallah, Allahu Akbar." Mohamedali Sultan Abdul Cadir (Formerly of the Ceylon Administrative Service, and Minister of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Moscow, USSR). Mailing Address: Telephone Number: 561674 MSA Cader "Villa Quadir" No 2, Keell's Private Homes, Potuarawa Road, Malabe, Sri Lanka. Date: January 1, 2000 End of Introduction .................................. |
This page was last updated on: December 29, 2001
