At age sixteen, author and Sufi mystic Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee experienced a shift in consciousness when he read the following Zen koan: The wild geese do not intend to cast their reflection, and the water has no mind to retain  their image.

Afterward, a door opened up within him and suddenly there was joy.

On yesterday’s Super Soul Sunday telecast, he spoke with Oprah about Sufism and the universal longing for love. It was interesting to learn that Sufism is inclusive of all religions and helps bridge the gap between the East and West.

I was impressed by this articulate mystic who is concerned with the state of our world. He believes that we are in a state of crisis, much deeper than Wall Street. He spoke at length about the three journeys: from God, to God and in God. Unfortunately, too many people ignore their divine natures and focus primarily on material accumulation. To get on the journey to God, something, usually tragedy, must wake them up. While describing the journey in God, he used Rumi’s words: a return to the root of the root of your own being.

When Oprah mentioned that many of her guests and viewers just want to be happy, Vaughan-Lee replied, “I think they want to be loved.”

Quotable Quotes…

If you go into the core of your being, there is only love or the longing for love.

In order to know God, the ego must be crucified.

For the Sufi, the heart has to break open. Most people are so closed, so contracted; it’s all about “me.”

In God I move and breathe and have my being. (One of Oprah’s mantas)

We are a feather on the breath of God. Hildegard of Bingen