Sufi Cosmology and Psychology

by: Arvan Harvat

The purpose of the present essay is to clear a heap of misunderstanding that has accrued around the Sufi concept of "latifa" ( pl. lataif ). As an adjective, the Arabic word latif means "subtle". During later development ( 12-17 centuries C.E. ) of Sufism, particularly in the area of Iran, Turkestan, Afghanistan and India, a welter of elaborate and frequently conflicting systems of esoteric psychology and physiology had developed; partly generated by endless musings of Sufi contemplatives over Qur'anic verses and hadith in search of cognitive clarification of visionary experiences; or, less likely, due to Hindu-Buddhist cultural exposure and influence.

The author has an obligation to demarcate his presentation from other, equally frequent ( or more frequent ) elaborations
that have, regardless of best intentions, succeeded ( apart from enriching our vocabulary and glimmmers of penetrating analyses, particularly when set in a comparative perspective ) mostly in creating a quicksand-like confusion.

Therefore:
1. This article will not discuss dated Sufi archaic cosmology, which had arisen from the marriage of Hermetic spherical Ptolemaic cosmos and Neoplatonic notions that had percolated through Ikhwan ul-Safa and philosophers like Al-Farabi and Ibn-Sina/Avicenna.  This particular variant constitutes one of the two strands in Ibn-Arabi's comprehensive theosophy ( the other one being almost exclusively Neoplatonic in inspiration ); this one serving as a theoretical basis for spiritual discipline in many tariqas/Sufi orders, where a stage in  progression and purification of the "soul" ( terms will be defined later ) corresponds to a sphere/"planet" in Ptolemaic universe ( Halveti, Mevlevi & other orders. ) It would take us too far to delve into intricacies of the two doctrines, which under closer examination turn out to be irreconcilable and contradictory.

2. The following text will use Arabic and Persian technical terms only insofar as they constitute basic building elements of the exposition. Also, parallels with other esoteric doctrines will be drawn just to illustrate common bonds of spiritual experience.

3. This is not a historical review, nor a textbook on the particular aspect of Sufi contemplative life. So, only sketchy references on the most influential figures and practices will be found.

   The plan of the essay is as follows:

1. To give an overview of Sufi cosmology and psychology ( these two overlap to the degree that an exposition of one without the other would invalidate the entire effort ).

2. To analyze the so-called Lataif Sitta and its role in Sufi spiritual life. Also, various dubieties will be concisely addressed, as well as some historical milestones.

The author has tried to use the most authoritative and explicit literature he has yet found. Although these works exhibit familiar "fuzziness" and indeterminacy in approach, they by far surpass more popular and "alluring" fictions and treatises of Idries Shah or A.H.Almaas.

II

We will present two doctrines, both based on Qur'anic revelation enriched and clarified ( or corrupted- depending on one's taste ) by Neoplatonic emanationist cosmology.

A. According to the first doctrine (ref), God has three dimensions/modes of Being before creation, followed by three worlds/planes of created cosmos.

1. The unfathomable God's Essence; Abyss of the Unmanifest Absolute. The Sufi technical tems are: Ghayb ul-Ghaib ( Mystery of Mysteries ), Amma ( Darkess ), Dhat/Zat ( Essence ). The corresponding spiritual stage is called Ahadiyyat- Oneness.
This is equal to Plotinus's  One - To Hen , or to the Shaivite Tantric Paramashiva or Mahabindu.

2. The Manifest Absolute/God. The Sufi terms are Ar-Ruh al-Qudsi ( the Supreme Spirit ), Aql-i-Awwal (First Intellect) or Aql-i-Kulli ( Universal Intellect ).
The corresponding spiritual stage is named Wahdah. The Neoplatonic equivalent of the Plotinus's doctrine would be Nous ( Divine Mind ), while certain schools of Tantricism speak of Shiva, or Shiva/Shakti union.

N.B. There are tariqas and scholars who deny divine status of the First Intellect and relegate it to the realm of creation.

3. The God's creative energy as manifested through divine names and attributes ( ayan at'-thabita ).  The "energy"/creative aspect is clear from identification with Qur'anic notion of Nafas-i-Rahmani ( The Breath of Mercy ).  Also, it is termed Nafs-i-Kulliya ( Universal Soul ).

The spiritual stage is Wahdaniyyat. The exact correspondence is with Plotinus's Psyche ( World Soul ). Shaivite texts refer to Shakti as activated Shiva's creative energy.

N.B. Having in mind all similarities with Neoplatonism, one must not overlook the difference: in Plotinus's system, emanations are hypostases of the One, flowing, as it were, "outward" and signifying the degradation of the Absolute.  On the other hand, the above noted processes represent a desirable unfoldment of the Absolute in Sufi mythic cosmology.

B. The second doctrine (ref) operates with two concepts.

1. The Unmanifest Absolute ( Alam-i-Hahut/the "world" of "He-ness", Hu-He being the Arabic term pertaining to God's Essence prior to manifestation. The "world" is just a symbolic reference. This, unmanifest dimension is frequently referred to
only as Hahut). Of course, all other Arabic names given under the point 1. of the first doctrine are valid. The spiritual stage is Ahadiyyat.

2. The manifest Absolute ( Alam-i-Lahut/the "world" of God-ness, the root "Lah" one and the same as in Al-Lah ( God). Also, generally spoken of as Lahut). The spiritual stage pertaining to Lahut is sometimes referred to as Wahdah, sometimes as Wahadiyyat. There is no consensus communis re this matter.

Both above elucidated doctrines share the same terminology re the stages of manifestation ( tanazzulat ) of the created cosmos. Following the emanationist scheme, we have top to bottom ( of course, not literally; these are dimensions of manifestation conveniently stratified ):

4. Alam-i-Jabarut/the world of power; also Alam-i-Arwah ( the world of spirits; ruh meaning spirit, arwah being the plural form ). Roughly corresponding to the world of Platonic archetypes, Shaivite Shivaloka ( the world of Shiva ), or causal world of Western occultism.

5. Alam-i-Malakut/the world of angels. This somewhat incongruous term is frequently replaced by Alam-i-Mithal/the world of similitudes.  This Henry Corbin's famous mundus imaginalis/world of imagination, Tantric Antarloka ( the intermediary world ), or subtle/astro-mental world of Western occultists.

6. Alam-i-Nasut/the world of humanity, better designated as Alam-i-Ajsam/the world of bodies. Tantric tradition speaks of Bhuloka/the world of earth. In Western occultism, the name is gross or physical world.

To summarise on tabular form:

Kosmos /Alam Sufi terminology	Kosmos (general)	Neoplatonic equivalent - Plotinus	Tantric equivalent	Western occultism - Theosophy and contemporary Hermeticism
Hahut	The Unmanifest Absolute	The One	Paramashiva	--
Lahut	The Manifest Absolute	The Nous	Shiva-tattwa	--
Jabarut	Causal World	--	Shivaloka (world of Shiva)	Causal Plane
Malakut	Subtle World	--	Tantric Antarloka (intermediary world)	Mental Plane Astral Plane
Nasut	Physical World	--	Bhuloka (world of earth)	gross or physical

 

Sufi Psychology

Anyone who has delved into the study of Sufi psychology knows how chaotic and susceptible to wildest interpretations this field lies helpless before New Age predators and dogmatic and ill-informed shaykhs alike. We will adumbrate central tenets and point to differences of opinion preventing the growth of a coherent doctrine.

Drawing from Qur'anic verses, virtually all Sufis distinguish between nafs, qalb and ruh, the preceding concepts having the meaning of various psychospiritual "organs", faculties of suprasensory perception or foci of contemplative experience.  Their number ( additional faculties will be listed below ), location, function, hierarchy, characteristics- all this is a matter of dispute.

1. Nafs is usually translated as soul or psyche. ( We won't elaborate on etymology because it would take us too far.).  Some Sufis consider under the term "nafs" the entirety of mental/emotional/volitional life; however, the majority are of the opinion that nafs is a "lower", egotistical and passionate human nature. Along with tab (literally, nature - a physical one ), it comprises vegetative and animal aspects of human life ( in the vocabulary of medieval Thomist psychology ). Synonyms for nafs are devil, passion, greed, avarice, ego-centredness etc. The central aim of the Sufi path is transformation of nafs from its deplorable ego-centered state through various psychospiritual stages ( hal- temporary, and maqam- permanent ) to either purity and submission to the will of God (orthodox Sufis) or annihilation and deification ( unorthodox Sufis who are frequently lost in a maze of questions which part of nafs is destroyed and which one is deified or fused with God ).

2. Qalb stands for heart. In Sufi terminology, this spiritual heart ( not a pump in the breast ) is again variously described.  For some, it is the seat of beatific vision. Others consider it the place of divine love/ishq. Yet, for the majority, it is the battlefield of two warring armies- those of nafs ( where nafs-i-natiqa/rational soul is equated with aql/intellect, the "better", rational part of the soul as opposed to animal/passionate ), and ruh/spirit, who will be the object of analysis in the next point. In short, cleansing of the qalb/heart is a necessary spiritual discipline for travellers on the Sufi path.

3. Ruh or spirit is the third "entity" and the second contender in the battle for human life. Again, opinions on ruh differ among Sufis. Some deem it coeternal with God; others consider it a created entity. Be as it may, ruh is the plateau of consensus for the majority of Sufis, especially early ones ( before 11/12 century C.E. ). After ruh, opinions diverge even more ( with the addition that probably the majority of Sufis even don't pay attention to the supposed "higher" spiritual faculties or subsume them under the variety of ruh/spirit- related experiences).

The three "highest" spiritual faculties are a matter of controversy.  Here, we will follow explications offered by spiritual giants Jurjani ( 14.century C.E. ) and Ruzbekhan Bakhli Shirazi ( 12/13 century C.E. ), both Iranian Sufis ( ref, ref ). While holding centrality of these doctrines indisputable, we shall also mention interpretation of these functions or faculties according to the Naqshbandi order of the Sufis.

Three "higher" organs of spiritual perception are sirr, khafi and akhfa.

4. Sirr or secret is the centre of inner consciousness where perceptual contact with the Divine is accomplished. Judging from Hallaj's words, this is a faculty whereby one attains union with his/her Higher/Spiritual Self."..It has been said that the inner consciousness/sirr is part of the ultimate inner consciousness that is God... It is recounted that Husayn ibn Mansur Hallaj said "My sirr is virgin, and cannot be revealed by imagination of anybody" (ref)  From these passages one could deduce that sirr is the faculty of fusion with the Divine, but in its "particular" aspect of Spiritual Self. N.B. The Semnani attributions place the sirr below ruh/spirit.  For him, it is virtually equivalent to mind. We shall adress this, and similar issues, later.

5.Khafi or the arcane is, according to Jurjani, the seat of apperception of the Manifest Absolute/Lahut. ( Although the concept "seat" is a bit problematic. Maybe the term "faculty" would be more appropriate.)  "..In Sufi terminology, the arcane/khafi is a divine subtlety which lies in potential in the spirit/ruh....the arcane becomes the intermediary between the Divine presence and the spirit/ruh in receiving theophany of Divine Attributes and God's emanating grace to the spirit." (ref)

6.Akhfa or the most arcane/the innermost consciousness represents immersion in God's Essence of the Unmanifest Absolute. In Ruzbekhan Shirazi's words, "..The innermost consciousness/akhfa is equivalent to the Ultimate Unseen ( Ghayb-ul-Ghaib )(ref).

So, before briefly presenting the main historical currents and discussing the Lataif phenomenology, we shall draw, as it were, one-to-one parallel between seats/faculties of psychospiritual apperception and the dimensions of Kosmos and its origin.

Latifa	Kosmos /Alam Sufi terminology	Kosmos (general)
Akhfa/ the most arcane	Hahut	The Unmanifest Absolute
Khafi/arcane	Lahut	The Manifest Absolute
Sirr/secret	Lahut( particularia)	Higher Self
Ruh/spirit	Jabarut/Arwah	causal/noetic
Qalb/heart	Malakut/Mithal	subtle/imaginal
Nafs/soul  Tab/nature	Nasut/Ajsam	lower subtle mundane physical

References:

Javad Nurbaksh: The Psychology of Sufism

Henry Corbin: History of Islamic Philosophy

Mir Valiuddin: Quranic Sufism
Titus Burckhardt: Introduction to Sufi Doctrine

Mir Valiuddin: Contemplative Disciplines in Sufism
Mir Valiuddin: Quranic Sufism
Javad Nurbaksh: The Psychology of Sufism
The Sufi Journal, 1994-1995
Titus Burckhardt: Introduction to Sufi Doctrine
Henry Corbin: History of Islamic Philosophy