
upon the horizons and within themselves ...
until it is clear to them
that it is the Real (the Truth) ...'
- The Quran 41:53
Sufi Enneagram is a sacred tool used for self-discovery and probing deep into esoteric psychology. Some scholars call it the Signs of the Presence of God.
'... Everything in nature but the human 'self' perfects its own nature, to the extent that life allows, by unconsciously submitting to the Will of God... the area with which we are concerned is the completion of nature in its mode of operation...
God breathed His Spirit into human forms so that they gained the powers of consciousness of 'self', which includes consciously following one's conscience and free will. The completion of the perfection of nature becomes a question of choice - to do or not to do...' - God's Will be Done, Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
The origins of the Enneagram symbol are traced from within the Sufi Tradition of Central Asia. The Islamic Sufi tradition incorporated wisdom from past traditions including Pythagorean, Platonic, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Zoroastrian Religions as long as that knowledge did not contradict the principle of Unity or belief in the Oneness of God. The Sufi tradition inherited a sacred tradition of psychology which existed in the past but was the first to develop this psychological teaching into a system based on the nine points, particularly in the work of the 13th century Islamic scholar Nasir al-din Tusi. It was this same traditional psychology that G.I. Gurdjieff encountered through the Sufis in Central Asia which led to his use of the Enneagram symbol in his teaching during the 1920's. - from Laleh Bakhtiar's The Sufi Enneagram Website
Gurdjieff is said to have introduced the Enneagram to the West, having learnt about it in the context of Islamic esoterism and the Sufi tradition. The word “Enneagram” is derived from the Greek words, “ennea” meaning “nine” and “gramma” meaning “sign”. The main problem facing esoteric iconography experts is the complete absence of books or written materials concerning the subject. In reality the system for interpreting the Enneagram has always been that of direct transmission: “word of mouth”. Via certain sources of information, also based on the Islamic culture, it is possible to discover the wide range of symbology related to the Enneagram.
The Enneagram was used: to describe the processes of nature; to study the Holy Scriptures; as a system of cryptography and as a summary to explain psychological mechanisms
Let’s start with the concept that every person has his/her own personality, which is the result of both a series of social influences and his/her own processes. The personality is, however, in sharp contrast with the part known as “Essence”. “Essence” is the sole target of sacred psychology in general. Its intention is to bring “Essence” back into a balanced and flourishing state.
The Enneagram indicates nine aspects of the personality. The personality, in trying to free itself of its identifications, is attempting to find once again its lost originality. The excessive fixation of a person on a particular point of the Enneagram, shows the areas in which it would be necessary to act for that person in order to redress his/her hardness and excesses. Acting in this way, a person moves towards an experience of liberation from his/her personality fixation, which is the main cause of his/her suffering. - excerpts from article by Giovanni Quinti
It is reported that among the Indian Sufis in 1709 Shamsudin Habib Allah, a boy of nine years old had a vision of the Patriarch Prophet Abraham who passed his spiritual powers on to him.
His sheikh Nur Mohammad opened the eyes of his heart and led him to such spiritual heights he would return amazed of. Just a single look from his sheikh was enough to open the way to the nine points which are the key of naqshabandi secrets. From these nine points he discovered the five points until his sheikh allowed him to use them all at any time. credit
Gurdjieff relates in his book, Meetings with Remarkable Men that while in Afghanistan, around 1897, a dervish introduced him to an old man of the Sarmouni sect he had been searching for. As the story goes, this man arranged for an expedition to take Gurdjieff to the Sarmouni monastery in central Turkestan, where he learned their mystical dancing, psychic powers, and the enneagram.
For the Sarmounis the enneagram was important as a means of divination to foretell future events as well as a tool to represent life processes, such as personal transformation.They also used it as a symbol of the conscious and unconscious states in human beings. Later Gurdjieff went to Bokhara, where the Bahaudin Naqshbandi band of Sufis lived.
These Naqshbandi Sufis, also called the Khwajagan or "Masters of Wisdom," claimed to be the "World Brotherhood," composed of all nationalities and religions, teaching that "all were united by God the Truth." Typical of central Asian belief, the Naqshbandis had a legend of an inner circle of humanity who formed a network of highly evolved people with special knowledge. These people allegedly watch over the human race and direct the course of its history. The Naqshbandis also believed in a perpetual spiritual hierarchy headed by the Kutb i Zaman or "Axis of the Age," a personal spirit receiving direct revelations of the divine purpose. This spirit purportedly transmits these revelations to humans through other spirits called the Abdal or "Transformed Ones." (read full article)
'... Everything in nature but the human 'self' perfects its own nature, to the extent that life allows, by unconsciously submitting to the Will of God... the area with which we are concerned is the completion of nature in its mode of operation...
God breathed His Spirit into human forms so that they gained the powers of consciousness of 'self', which includes consciously following one's conscience and free will. The completion of the perfection of nature becomes a question of choice - to do or not to do...' - God's Will be Done, Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
The origins of the Enneagram symbol are traced from within the Sufi Tradition of Central Asia. The Islamic Sufi tradition incorporated wisdom from past traditions including Pythagorean, Platonic, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Zoroastrian Religions as long as that knowledge did not contradict the principle of Unity or belief in the Oneness of God. The Sufi tradition inherited a sacred tradition of psychology which existed in the past but was the first to develop this psychological teaching into a system based on the nine points, particularly in the work of the 13th century Islamic scholar Nasir al-din Tusi. It was this same traditional psychology that G.I. Gurdjieff encountered through the Sufis in Central Asia which led to his use of the Enneagram symbol in his teaching during the 1920's. - from Laleh Bakhtiar's The Sufi Enneagram Website
Gurdjieff is said to have introduced the Enneagram to the West, having learnt about it in the context of Islamic esoterism and the Sufi tradition. The word “Enneagram” is derived from the Greek words, “ennea” meaning “nine” and “gramma” meaning “sign”. The main problem facing esoteric iconography experts is the complete absence of books or written materials concerning the subject. In reality the system for interpreting the Enneagram has always been that of direct transmission: “word of mouth”. Via certain sources of information, also based on the Islamic culture, it is possible to discover the wide range of symbology related to the Enneagram.
The Enneagram was used: to describe the processes of nature; to study the Holy Scriptures; as a system of cryptography and as a summary to explain psychological mechanisms
Let’s start with the concept that every person has his/her own personality, which is the result of both a series of social influences and his/her own processes. The personality is, however, in sharp contrast with the part known as “Essence”. “Essence” is the sole target of sacred psychology in general. Its intention is to bring “Essence” back into a balanced and flourishing state.
The Enneagram indicates nine aspects of the personality. The personality, in trying to free itself of its identifications, is attempting to find once again its lost originality. The excessive fixation of a person on a particular point of the Enneagram, shows the areas in which it would be necessary to act for that person in order to redress his/her hardness and excesses. Acting in this way, a person moves towards an experience of liberation from his/her personality fixation, which is the main cause of his/her suffering. - excerpts from article by Giovanni Quinti
It is reported that among the Indian Sufis in 1709 Shamsudin Habib Allah, a boy of nine years old had a vision of the Patriarch Prophet Abraham who passed his spiritual powers on to him.
His sheikh Nur Mohammad opened the eyes of his heart and led him to such spiritual heights he would return amazed of. Just a single look from his sheikh was enough to open the way to the nine points which are the key of naqshabandi secrets. From these nine points he discovered the five points until his sheikh allowed him to use them all at any time. credit
Gurdjieff relates in his book, Meetings with Remarkable Men that while in Afghanistan, around 1897, a dervish introduced him to an old man of the Sarmouni sect he had been searching for. As the story goes, this man arranged for an expedition to take Gurdjieff to the Sarmouni monastery in central Turkestan, where he learned their mystical dancing, psychic powers, and the enneagram.
For the Sarmounis the enneagram was important as a means of divination to foretell future events as well as a tool to represent life processes, such as personal transformation.They also used it as a symbol of the conscious and unconscious states in human beings. Later Gurdjieff went to Bokhara, where the Bahaudin Naqshbandi band of Sufis lived.
These Naqshbandi Sufis, also called the Khwajagan or "Masters of Wisdom," claimed to be the "World Brotherhood," composed of all nationalities and religions, teaching that "all were united by God the Truth." Typical of central Asian belief, the Naqshbandis had a legend of an inner circle of humanity who formed a network of highly evolved people with special knowledge. These people allegedly watch over the human race and direct the course of its history. The Naqshbandis also believed in a perpetual spiritual hierarchy headed by the Kutb i Zaman or "Axis of the Age," a personal spirit receiving direct revelations of the divine purpose. This spirit purportedly transmits these revelations to humans through other spirits called the Abdal or "Transformed Ones." (read full article)
# Reference and Further Read
. The Enneagram | A Lecture by Gurdjieff
. Tell me who i am, O Enneagram
. Enneagram: The Sufi understanding of the Enneagram
. Gurdjieff and Enneagram
. Overcoming the Knowledge Paradox with the Enneagram
. About the Enneagram
. Enneagram of Personality
. Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar Ph.D. The Sufi Enneagram Interview Jim Gomez
. Enneagram Resources
. Enneagram Institute
. Enneagrams are sufi chakras | Naqshbandi Muhibeen Sufi
. Sir Ahkfa | Secrest of the Hidden
. Tafsir Surah Falaq | Ahkfa Secrets Protection against evil
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