Discourses of Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh
Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh is the present Master of the Nimatullahi Order.
With the passing of his father, Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, he assumed the position of leadership of the Nimatullahi Order on October 10, 2008, according to the wishes and written request of his father. His Sufi sobriquet is Reza Ali Shah.
Spiritual Yearning
In Sufism the state of spiritual yearning (talab) is the force that drives an individual on the path towards perfection. Without yearning for the truth, one simply has no desire to embark on a spiritual journey and cannot comprehend why others feel compelled to do so. Read More
Spiritual Guide
Religion has always been a source of conflict in the world. It is, therefore, surprising for most people to hear that one of the reasons for the rise of religious intolerance, violence, and social prejudice in the world is the scarcity of spiritual guides. Read More
The Illusion of Self
Each of us tends to think of him- or herself as a distinct being, a “self” that is both separate from other people and separate from our bodies and our perceptions, thoughts and feelings. We consider our “selves” to be individual beings that live from one moment to the next,... Read More
Caring for Others
Altruism has been a central aspect of Persian Sufism since it was developed by such figures as Ibrahim Adham (d. 782), Shaqiq Balkhi (d. 810), Bayazid (d. 874), Abul-Hasan Kharaqani (d. 1033) and Abu Said Abel Khayr (d. 1049)... Read More
Divine Love
The first time I read Rumi’s story of Moses and the Shepherd, I was struck by the fact that the shepherd was much closer to God than Moses even though the shepherd’s conception of God was not even remotely plausible. Read More