Shaykh Burhanuddin
Living Spirituality in the Modern World
The Teacher
Shaykh Burhanuddin Herrmann is a contemporary mystic of ancient tradition, called onto the Sufi path at a young age. At the age of 10, he started to practice Yoga. Later, between the ages of 14 to 18, Shaykh Burhanuddin practiced meditation under the guidance of the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, within the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
After that, he invited the grandmaster of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al Haqqani ar Rabbani, to his hometown in Germany. When Shaykh Burhanuddin saw him the first time, he fainted in the middle of the street. For the next thirty-five years, he was constantly at his beloved master’s side, accompanying him around the world spreading the particular Sufi touch of grace and love.
Shaykh Burhanuddin went through the classic dervish training under the direct guidance of the Master, which entails keeping an intense daily practice of meditation and prayer; accepting instructions for one’s inner and outer life; creating a family; going through long retreats in solitude; conducting assigned journeys and facing regularly challenging tests in one’s daily life.
He received direct transmission of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, one of the most ancient and authoritative of the many existing Sufi Orders, known variously through the ages as the ‘School of the Masters of Wisdom,’ the ‘Way of the Scientists of the Soul,’ and the ‘Path of Love.’
Today, Shaykh Burhanuddin leads spiritual meetings and retreats worldwide in service of people’s spiritual needs. In addition, he is the author of three books: ‘Il Cammello Sul Tetto’ (The Camel On The Roof), ‘Il Derviscio Metropolitano’ (The Metropolitan Dervish) and ‘Il Sufismo’ (Sufism). He is also a musician and the founder of the Dervish Orchestra (www.dervishorchestra.com).
The Teaching
“There is no religion, no belief, greater than Life.”
These simple words sum up Shaykh Burhanuddin’s teaching, the main intentions of which are to get to know oneself and to bring spirituality into one’s daily life. In his teaching, Shaykh Burhanuddin combines methods from his Sufi Tradition with contemporary knowledge of psychology.
As an appointed Shaykh (spiritual guide), he was trained to develop an eye to detect the expressions of beauty in life, whatever shape they may take. Moreover, he was taught that love and respect towards the Creator and the Creation are what we are called to practice here on this Earth in order to become true human beings.
With great love, compassion, and humor Shaykh Burhanuddin invites people to see through their drama, to live their lives in happiness, and experience spiritual freedom. Moreover, students are gently invited to enter into a wider orbit, the orbit of Love that pervades everything, and to recognize the illusion of separation from the Whole.
Shaykh Burhanuddin says: “When you sing, you cannot think.” Therefore singing is a vital part of his approach. He uses dhikr, Dhrupad, songs from the Amazon, and his own compositions.
Video Courses by Shaykh Burhanuddin:
Foundational Pillars
In this course, Shaykh Burhanuddin introduces main practices and provides foundational steps into the world of the dervish and Sufi tradition. He gives an in-depth overview of the foundational principles within the Sufi tradition and presents practices to integrate those principles into daily life.
The Idealized Image
In this course, Shaykh Burhanuddin offers insights into the foundations of the Ego, introduces the traditional Sufi hierarchy of self-realization – Nafs (Lower Self/Ego), and provides practices we can leverage to progress along the Nafs. The course aims to help us stabilize different areas of our lives, improve our conscious awareness, and build an understanding of how the Lower Self/Ego functions, getting us to a point where we are finally ready to go beyond personality toward awakening.
Dhikr: Sufi Mantras and Sounds
In this course, Shaykh Burhanuddin covers the practice of Dhikr (Sufi mantras) and how they can be integrated into daily life to unify your heart and mind and act more skillfully in relation to others. In addition, he teaches singing meditation from the Dhrupad singing tradition, among other Sufi practices related to sound.
