The New Thought movement, which has come to be well-known due to the teachings of Michael Bernard Beckwith (spiritual leader of Agape International Spiritual Center and star of the movie The Secret) is an all-encompassing spiritual community. All people are welcome, regardless of their particlar faith, regardless of their sexual orientation, regardless of their culture or beliefs. From this point of view, all faiths are simply fingers pointing to the moon of Source, Spirit, God, Allah, Divine Mystery, or which ever holy name works for you.
At Agape, Jennifer studied for several years in the 1990's as a spiritual practitioner student. She was also a very active volunteer with the One From the Heart Ministry and a frequent vocal soloist at Agape. On August 9, 2009, she returned to Agape to share songs from her new CD, Ecstatic Groove, and she will be joining Agape with her musical inspiration on May 16, 2010 and June 30, 2010. "Joining the New Thought movement in the 1990's was like coming into a huge family of truth-seekers. There is so much acceptance and togetherness at the AgapeInternationalSpiritualCenter--everyone is welcome, the music by Rickie Byars Beckwith and the choir is incredible; the truth that channels through Rev. Michael is very amazing," Jennifer says.
Tibetan Buddhism deeply influenced Jennifer as well. As a young adult, Jennifer became intrigued with Tarthang Tulku's books, such as Openness Mind, and began attending workshops with teachers from his lineage and school, the Nyingma Institute. This Tibetan Buddhist lineage, responsible for spearheading the Tibetan Aid Project which helps Tibetan refugees, is very "spacious." Tulku's work can be read over and over, with deep transmissions occurring each time. She has also studied the Medicine Buddha teachings, and most recently studied with Thupten Dadak, an ex-Tibetan monk, in Minneapolis. "I studied Tibetan Buddhism for many years and I still have a deep affinity for the constant prayer and love that radiates from this way. Most of all, I love chanting 'om mani padme hum,' which sends out compassion to all sentient beings," Jennifer says.
The University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism is an Islamic Sufi school for westerners with spiritual leadership by Sufi Shayk Sidi al Jamal, the head of the Masjid al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem. In 1997, Sidi, an author, poet, judge, humanitarian and global leader of peace, restored the 1000-year-old Higher Sufi Council that serves the Holy Land. He is the Head of this council, which serves world peace. As a long-time advocate of "no separation," Sidi has been instrumental in helping to clear up misconceptions about the Islamic way. A strong denouncer of the Taliban's fanaticism, Sidi teaches tolerance and equality among all people to millions of students across the globe.
Jennifer Salima studied Sufism with Sidi al Jamal and teachers from the SufiUniversity, most notably Salima Adelstein, learning about the Sufi path's mystical knowing of God through direct transmission to the heart. While Jennifer disagrees with some of the practices of the Islamic faith, she discovered this particular path to have an extremely deep opening to holiness and healing Light. And yes, Jennifer Salima wears a veil "when I feel called to wear it for spiritual connection. People seem to forget," Jennifer says, "that Mother Mary wore a veil," as the picture below indicates.
She also practices a regimen of sacred prayer (two to four hours a day) that incorporates many Muslim spiritual chants and salats (physical prostration prayers), because, as she says, "They connect me to God, Allah, Source or whatever you wish to call the Ineffable One, in a way that no other practices had been able to do--for me personally--during my long, long spiritual search over three decades. But I call myself a 'New Thought Muslim'--a term I created to indicate my 'hybridization' of the New Thought Movement, a completely all-inclusive spiritual community, and the Islamic faith, for the light transmitted to me from the Shadulliyya Sufi lineage. However, I am absolutely crazy in love with non-dualism and the teaching of Adyashanti and Mokshananda as well. It is a very direct knowing of Beingness that feels like the finishing touch for my heart."
In Jennifer's own words:
"Sometimes our spiritual path chooses us, rather than the other way around. After studying many different paths, I found my way into the Islamic Sufi path, and surprisingly, that seems to have played a very central part in my personal healing and increasing sense of inner peace. As a student with the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism, many of their tenets and dogma were extremely difficult for me initially. I did not agree with many of the Islamic practices. And I had many arguments with the teachers, including the leader, or shayk, of the order, Sidi al Jamal, who was very patient with me. But I prevailed because, frankly, I had hit a total bottom in my spiritual life.
"And then something began to happen that I cannot explain in an intellectual way, which is probably just as well. I began to feel tremendous light, peace, joy, radiating from within my heart whenever I took the time to sit and perform some of the Arabic chants. It happened reliably, time after time, in a way that simply did not happen with any other prayers or practices I had engaged in, and that was a long list! I had practiced Tibetan Buddhist meditation for years. I had been doing a daily sacred yoga practice for years. I had studied shamanism with several medicine teachers. I had embraced the spiritual healing prayers (called "mind treatments") of the New Thought movement. But nothing brought me this same peace.
"A battle began to ensue within me. How could I call myself a Muslim given that I only wore veils when I felt called to wear them? (Generally when I was praying the daily five salats or chanting.) How could I call myself a Muslim when I was so outspoken, when I didn't agree with the role to which women were relegated within the Qu'ran? How could I call myself a Muslim when I disagreed with the Qu'ran's words about gays and lesbians?
"Eventually it became clear that regardless of my differences with the dogma, I am a Muslim anyway, one might say on a level, for lack of a better term, I call, 'of Light.' But it is not all of who I am spiritually. I carry a 'compilation' of spiritual practices and beliefs, as more and more of us are choosing to do on the planet. I dearly love the total inclusion espoused by Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith and the New Thought movement, so the name New Thought Muslim feels appropriate. I am also very immersed in the study of Non-Dualism, or oneness. And I am a Sufi Islamic Muslim in that I chant the sacred chants, I use Arabic in my spiritual healing sessions. In deference to those who are more purely Muslim, I believe calling myself this hybridized term is more respectful.
"I love and respect all spiritual ways, and welcome the spiritual evolution of each person. I am not here to proselytize or "convert" anyone to any particular religion. That is your decision and your inner knowing. But I celebrate your journey to find that which brings you into the Light, Peace, Joy and Freedom of Source. Love and salaams (peace), Jennifer Salima
