"The aspirant has to be guided by a mentor. The stage at which this guidance can take effect is seldom, if ever, perceptible to the learner."
- Idries Shah
"Now that I have found thee, I know that in the first step I took, I moved away from thee."
"A short time in the presence of the Friends (the Sufis) is better than a hundred years’ sincere, obedient dedication."
"A book, for the Sufis, is an instrument as much as it is something to give information....The key is the teacher."