The Spy of the Heart (e-book)
(Author's original color photos now included)

By Robert Abdul Hayy Darr

The Spy of the Heart
(BBC News Documentary - Persian)

By BBC Persian

Sailor, Sufi, Spy is a documentary portrait of Robert Darr–a teacher of traditional wooden boat building and of traditional Sufi spirituality in Northern California. As he restores the Freda, the oldest wooden sailboat on the West coast, he reflects on the intersections between art, beauty, adventure and spirituality. (56 min. RT).

Film by Raeshma Razvi

Sufi Garden is operated by The Afghan Cultural Assistance Foundation for the purpose of sharing the rich literary and cultural heritage of the Islamic spiritual tradition known as Sufism. A Sufi is someone who feels the presence of God, and who knows God by direct experience, not just by belief. Tasawwuf originated with the life of our blessed Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who said, "Whoever knows himself knows his Lord." The Prophet (pbuh) meant that it is possible to know God within oneself, and that this is the easiest way to come into direct experience of God. The prophet (pbuh) was not speaking about the usual egoic self that dominates most people. He was referring to what is possible if the self becomes purified of egotism. Our path was founded by the late Ustad Raz Mohammed Zaray who passed away on October 24, 2010 (May Allah's Mercy be upon him). For many years, Ustad Zaray taught through 'sohbat,' companionship, in which he shared his inspired teachings with students, both individually and collectively. Ustad Zaray was a devout Muslim who stressed the religious observances of Islam as well as the practices of Sufism, Islamic spirituality. His circle of spiritual seekers continues to meet bi-weekly.