Fana and baqa: annihilation and subsistence

Feb 17, 2025

Dr. Rory Dickson is a professor of Islamic Religion and Culture and author of several publications on Sufism, the mystical path within Islam. He joins Breht to have an incredibly deep conversation about the Sufi poet Rumi, his life and work, Rumi's relationship to his teacher Shams of Tabriz, the concepts of fana (annihilation of the self) and baqa(subsistence in God), the spiritual practices of Sufism, non-duality and perennialism, "dying before you die", Buddhist enlightenment, the Quran, Serving the People in politics and religion, the role of Divine Love in spiritual transformation, transcending the ego, Bodhicitta and the Heart of the Bodhisattva, the counter-cultural aspects of the historical dervishes, The Masnavi (aka the "Persian Quran"), Christian Mysticism, the evolution of human consciousness, the linguistics of translation, and much, much more!

Check out Rory's book "Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy"

Recommendations for Further Exploration:

• Rumi's World: The Life and Work of the Great Sufi Poet

• The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi

Check out our related episodes with Dr. Adnan Husain:

• Sufism: Islamic Mysticism and the Annihilation of Self in God

• St. Francis of Assisi: Patron Saint of Ecology & Brother to All Creation

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Outro Music: Something's Out There by Neva Dinova

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