Sufis aim to refine human consciousness. This is Sufi mysticism: not mystification or magic, but a specific Path.

The Sufi way is through knowledge and practice, not through intellect and talk.

Materialism, attachment to things of the world, includes pride. Many religious people suffer from pride: taking pleasure or even delight in being good, or religious.

One cannot learn from someone whom one distrusts.

The human being, whether he realises it or not, is trusting someone or something every moment of the day.

But one may say something and yet not be able to do it. Try, for instance, lifting yourself up by the bootstraps.

If wine is the enemy of religion, I shall devour the enemy of religion.

The Sufis regard systems which treat everyone alike as mechanical and degenerate.

A man must be a Solomon before his magical ring will work

A man must be a Salomon before his magical ring will work. (Hafiz)

Imagination blocks you like a bolt on a door. Burn that bar. (Rumi)

Art is a way to express yourself and through that you can escape a bad situation.

Adversity often hatches out the true nobility of character.

All that produces longing in the heart deprives it of its freedom.

I feel like Alain Delon, who once said, "It doesn't matter that I'm not a star in America because I'm a huge star in France, I'm a legend in Spain, and I'm a god in Japan.

I'm from Planet Nomi where I wear black lipstick so you can see my lips and what I am doing with them.

Some things are better when it’s raining. Like reading. Or sleeping. Or this.” “Lying in bed with me?

I'd seen too many troubling things to be easy in my mind. I knew too much and not enough. I'd better go out, I said to myself, I'd better go out again.

The more I separate myself from my upbringing, the more I appreciate what it's done for me.

Meritocracy has nothing to do with who gets in. It's more who you are and where you come from and where you are employed.

He liked to play chess and do intelligent things, and I was a serious drinker and nonthinker.