What is
a Cherag?
A Cherag is a
Sufi Minister; the word means "lamp" in Persian.
When one is ordained as a Cherag, he or she is
authorized to conduct the Universal Worship created by
Hazrat Inayat Khan, who first brought Sufism to the
West, and is legally authorized to conduct weddings and
other rites of passage. A cherag may be called to
ministry in any number of ways; perhaps it is the
Universal Worship or derivative Services of Universal
Peace that calls, or the performance of rites of
passage, or chaplaincy work with a hospice program or in
a hospital or prison. Each may design and carry
out the ministry that calls one. It should be
noted that most hospitals and prisons require chaplains
to have degrees from theological schools or
seminaries. If this is your aspiration, contact me
and we can talk about it further.
The
Online Cherag Training Course
This
course is designed to prepare candidates for ordination
as cherags, or to expand the knowledge and deepen the
attunement of those already ordained. if someone
wishes to do the work but is not interested in
ordination, he or she is welcome to join the
course. It is a two-year course conducted via a
Yahoo listserv. Assignments are given at the
beginning of each month. Students are required to
read, write, engage in spiritual practice, journal, and
share with other students on the listserv.
Content
of the Course
The
first year focuses on the study of the Universal Worship
service, the writings of Hazrat Inayat Khan for cherags,
and on the religious traditions of the world, one per
month.
The second year
is intended to develop leadership qualities and presence
through working with the breath, spiritual walks, the
writings of Murshid Samuel Lewis, the conducting of
worship services, and doing an individual retreat of
from one to three days.
The Next Course
The next course
will begin on January 2, 2018 and end on December 31,
2019. Students are asked to register in December of
2017. The first installment of the fee is due
before January 1.
Fees
The cost of the
course is $250 at the beginning of the first year and
$250 at the beginning of the second year, for a total of
$500. Installment payments may be arranged if
needed (see below under Registration).
Who May Take the Course
All initiates in
the Inayati orders (Sufi Ruhaniat International, Sufi
Order International, International Sufi Movement,
Fraternity of Light, Sufi Way) and other inclusive Sufi
orders are welcome to participate. Once you decide
to embark on this adventure, please discuss your
intentions with your Sufi guide and get his or her
blessing to do this work. This is particularly
important if you are connected with an order other than
the Ruhaniat. You would presumably be ordained by
someone in your own order, once it has been established
by someone in that order that you are ready for
ordination. If you are not yet initiated in a Sufi
order, it would be best to find a guide and take
initiation before taking this course. If you will
be seeking ordination, that will be a
prerequisite. Please contact me if you wish to
discuss any aspect of this issue.
Registration
Once you have decided to go forward and have received the blessing of your Sufi guide for this work, you may register by sending an email to me at azima@zianet.com, stating why you wish to take the course, and if you will be seeking ordination. Please include your mailing address, email address, and phone number, and send a check for $250 before January 1, 2018 to Azima Lila Forest, 410 W San Vicente St, Silver City NM 88061. Payment can also be made via PayPal to azima@zianet.com. If you need to pay in installments, include in the email how you would like to pay (two semi-annual installments).
You can contact me at azima@zianet.com or
575-574-7805 if you have questions or concerns.