Lessons From Babel

This is a talk given at Fordham University during an interfaith symposium. It gives expression to a Sufi's reflections on the Old Testament account of the Babel story and its relevance to the existential situation in which we are immersed today.

Many people confuse the mystical with the occult and believe that mystics are individuals who are interested in acquiring various kinds of exotic powers when, actually, the main focus of the mystical path is to go in search of one's essential nature and, thereby, gain insight into how to acquire mastery over oneself -- in other words, to be able, on the one hand, to limit, if not curtail, our potential for developing or encouraging destructive ways of engaging life, while, on the other hand, to struggle toward realizing our inherent constructive capacities to activate principles of character as well as push back the horizons of ignorance concerning our existential purpose and responsibilities in conjunction with ourselves, others, and creation in general. These activities can induce one to critically reflect on many issues -- from: Philosophy, to: Science, medicine, vaccines, virology, biology, pandemics, spirituality, mysticism, sovereignty, the constitution, education, and more.