REVIEWS

SUFI TALKSTeachings of an American Sufi Sheikh By Robert Frager Quest, 2012, 296 pp., $19.95, ISBN 978-0835608930 Reviewed by Paul Rest ufi Talks is an extraordinary book. It takes the reader inside the Sufi world from the perspective of a man who is a Sufi Sheikh and the Founder of Sofia University (formerly the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology). Frager is a gifted writer who is at ease discussing Sufi terms and practices with the American reader in a relaxed and often humorous manner that draws one into this fascinating world. The book begins with the author telling how he came in contact with his teacher Muzaffer Efendi. This came about when Muzaffer Efendi visited Sofia University to speak. Frager writes that during one of these visits, I knew that I had found a teacher of profound wisdom, and integrity, a teacher I could trust to guide my spiritual life. Frager relates how he and a group of Americans became dervishes in the Halveti-Jerrahi Order, which he describes as the Turkish branch of the Halveti Order [which] was founded in the fourteenth century. Frager and the others were initiated into the Order. He writes, No one in our little group of new dervishes knew much about Sufism. We had fallen in love with Muzaffer Efendi and with his teachings, so we started this path with enthusiasm and ignorance. Frager was later initiated as

a sheikh himself. He headed his group and found as a result of his own initiation that he could interpret . . . dreams in ways I had never before imagined in my psychological training. The book is made up of transcribed and edited sohbets, or talks Frager as sheikh gave to his followers. A sohbet is similar to a sermon in that it addresses the spiritual growth of the members of a Sufi community. Frager states his sohbets have been taken primarily from what I have learned over the years from my teachers. The chapters provide a rich glimpse into the Sufi world with a description of many of the rituals, as well as observance such as Ramadan and going on the Hajj. Fragers eloquent words encourage, cajole, and remind his community about the many perils while being on the spiritual path, especially with the ego (the different levels of ego, or nafs, will be recognized by all who work in the helping professions). The stories (or oral traditions) are often touching and with the core teachings or truths as real today as when they originated. Much of what Frager writes could be written for a community of any faith. And his professional training often adds a pithiness that cuts through the tome-like dullness books in this genre can often slip into.

Sufi Talks is therefore more than a sociological study or anthropological query into another belief system. This reviewer found it to be a profound journey into a world that was often unfamiliar and yet so familiar in many ways. The struggles he and his community recount in the book clearly shows that our growth, spiritual and otherwise, is much the same everywhere and with everyone. This especially comes through at the end of some sections where he includes questions that were asked of him by dervishes in his community after his sohbet was concluded. Once again, these are questions Im sure many priests, ministers, rabbis, and psychologists have heard over and over again. For example, one follower asks, Baba (Father a term of respect that is used to address a teacher or an elder), how should I behave with someone who is in a position of power in relation to me? It is difficult for me. I was wondering if you had some thought about that. This would appear to touch many current issues, including even workplace bullying. What the reader will learn is that Sufism is grounded in common sense and a practical relationship with everyday life. It is

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about responsibly helping others less fortunate and always working to recognize the tricks the ego will play on useven when doing good works. The book abounds with insights and phrases that this reviewer found himself wishing to remember. Soon, a pen was found and passages and phrases were underlined. Dont be surprised if you end up doing the same. The book contains Notes that explain the unfamiliar terms. An excellent Glossary is also included for easy reference when the meaning of a word needs to be reviewed again. There is also an Index and a Bibliography that rounds out the book. The book is also well-designed so it is very reader-friendly. It is not often that a reviewer reads and reviews a book and then keeps that book on the stand next to a favorite reading chair for easy access. But that is exactly what happened with Sufi Talks. I think this book can be a reference book; a book that will inspire you, and a book that can take you the reader on a fascinating journey that includes spiritual and human insights, both great and small. PAUL REST has reviewed many books for the AHP Perspective. He writes regularly for a number of publications. He has also been one of the core members of the Aikido and Psychotherapy workshops (that will be held this year at Sofia University). He can be contacted at paulrest@paulrest.com for more information about the workshop. Note: The reviewer is an Aikido student of Robert Frager who is also a highly ranked American Aikido Sensei, but the reviewer is not a member of Roberts Sufi Community.

THE POWER OF THE POSSIBLE: A Book of Hope and Inspiration By Auriela McCarthy Beaufort Books, 2008, 260 pp., $18.95, ISBN 978-0825305764 Reviewed by Barbara U. Jones

f you have clients who have not been successful in creating fulfilling relationships and are puzzled as to why, The Power of the Possible would be a helpful book to recommend to them. Using stories of transcendence and healing from her own life and the lives of friends and clients, Ms. McCarthy lays out the changes she believes individuals must make in order to have the successful, loving relationships they want. The author dedicates the book to Lazaris, whose love, she declares, is behind everything she is and every word she writes. Lazaris is an entity who has been channeled by Jach Purcell since 1974. Through Jach, Lazaris is said to speak privately with people all over the world, sharing his wisdom while generating a remarkable body of tools, techniques, and processes for spiritual development. Much of the wisdom woven throughout Ms. McCarthys stories originates from him. Some might be skeptical that entities channel wisdom through living beings. What is important to this reviewer is the content of Ms. McCarthys writing, not the source

from which it might originate. Ms. McCarthy speaks from the wisdom of her own experience on the spiritual path. Born in Riga, Latvia, she escaped from the former Soviet Union in 1980, fled to the United States as a political refugee, and became successful as a high-end art dealer. A spiritual awakening led her to leave her prior marriage and career to live a life of reflection and study in metaphysics. Currently she helps people to live more functional lives and to solve their relationship issues. Her book draws heavily on her encounters and work with them. She has found that many of the people she knows and works with share a predominant belief that the destructive things that happened to them in the past have scarred them forever. This can leave them feeling hopeless. Ms. McCarthy uses their stories to help the reader come to understand how they can transcend their own past painful experiences. In addition to the use of everyday stories, the author offers wisdom common to many spiritual and psychological traditions, such as Nothing changes until you do. She reminds the reader that many people stubbornly look for reasons outside themselves in order to explain why life remains fraught with problems. What we need to do instead, she advises, is

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