Principles of Khosrowani Wisdom

Section 1: Philosophy and the Principles of Khosrowani Wisdom

The Khosrowian philosophy and mysticism of ancient Iran is a renowned tradition, whose scholars are referred to as Khosrowians or Khosrowanis. Prominent thinkers of ancient Iran and their legacy continued to espouse this philosophy during the Islamic era. Later, through the philosophy of Ishraq, Khosrowian wisdom became associated with Islamic philosophy and was further developed by Sohrab Sepehri. Some of the influential figures who were influenced by Khosrowian philosophy include Jamasb, Farshid Farrokhzad, Fereydoun Moshiri, Bayezid Bastami, Abu al-Hasan Kharaqani, Mansur Al-Hallaj, Abu Sa’id Abu al-Khayr, and Shahab al-Din Sohravardi.

Khosrowian philosophy is one of the most important philosophical and mystical legacies of ancient Iran that emerged during the Sassanid era. This legacy has come down to us through Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and other writings from the Islamic era. Khosrowian wisdom is recognized as one of the most important philosophical and mystical methods in ancient Iran. It is based on a set of ethical and philosophical principles that require individuals to strive toward knowledge and unity with God by following ethical principles and obeying divine commands.

Some of the principles of Khosrowian wisdom include adherence to ethics, self-discipline, free will, insight, knowledge, emotions and love, purity and awareness, humility, patience, and perseverance.

Khosrowian wisdom is recognized as one of the most important philosophical and mystical legacies of ancient Iran, which has had a significant influence on Iranian culture and civilization.

1. Adherence to ethics: This principle is based on the idea that in order to attain knowledge and unity with God, one must follow ethical principles and behave in a manner that is compatible with moral values.

2. Self-discipline: This principle is based on the idea that in order to attain knowledge and unity with God, one must discipline oneself and refrain from unethical or undesirable behavior.

3. Free will: Khosrowian wisdom believes that humans possess free will and must use this ability to reach knowledge and unity with God.

4. Insight: This principle is based on the idea that in order to attain knowledge and unity with God, one must have sufficient insight and knowledge about oneself, the world, and God.

5. Knowledge: This principle is based on the idea that in order to attain knowledge and unity with God, one must have the necessary knowledge about oneself, the world, and God.

These principles and values in Khosrowian wisdom serve as a guide for attaining knowledge and unity with God, and are recognized as an integral part of the ancient Iranian culture and civilization.

6. Emotion and love: Khosrowian wisdom believes that in order to attain knowledge and unity with God, one must recognize their emotions and have love for God and His creation.

7. Purity and awareness: Khosrowian wisdom believes that in order to attain knowledge and unity with God, one must purify themselves from any impurities and be aware of worldly and religious matters.

8. Humility, patience, and perseverance: This principle is based on the idea that in order to attain knowledge and unity with God, one must have humility, patience, and perseverance in the face of life’s challenges and trials.

For example: I can provide examples from everyday life for each of the principles of Khosrowian wisdom:

1. Emotion and love: An example of this principle is to express love and affection towards family and friends, and to cherish the moments spent with loved ones.

2. Purity and awareness: An example of this principle is to maintain personal hygiene and cleanliness, as well as being mindful of the impact of our actions on the environment and society.

3. Humility, patience, and perseverance: An example of this principle is to remain patient and calm in the face of adversity, and to persist in achieving one’s goals despite obstacles and setbacks. This can be seen in the perseverance of athletes who train hard and overcome challenges to achieve success, or in the patience and determination of individuals who undergo difficult medical treatments to recover from illness.

Other examples:

1. Ethics: An example of this principle is to show kindness and love towards others, such as helping a person in need, inviting friends to a birthday party, or giving a gift to a loved one.

2. Self-discipline: An example of this principle is to reduce the habit of criticizing or insulting others. This can be achieved through practicing anger management and avoiding behaviors that could cause a negative impact on oneself or others.

3. Willpower and choice: An example of this principle is choosing a career path that is the best fit for one’s life. This can be achieved through efforts to find a job that is aligned with one’s values, interests, and skills.

4. Insight: An example of this principle is to recognize and understand the relationships between family members. This can be achieved through paying attention to the needs and problems of family members and working towards resolving those issues.

5. Knowledge: Studying and learning about subjects such as science, history, and culture. This can be accomplished through reading books, participating in educational courses, or exploring new fields of interest. This is just one example of acquiring knowledge.

6. An example of emotion and love is raising and caring for pets. This can be done by paying attention to the needs and desires of pets and providing a suitable environment for them.

7. An example of purity and awareness is having personal ideals and presenting them to others. This can be done by expressing your opinions on topics such as politics, ethics, and culture.

8. An example of humility, patience, and perseverance is facing life’s problems. This can be done by trying to find appropriate solutions to problems, accepting unfavorable conditions, and striving for progress.

As a human, I can talk about my personal life and also give a general example of everyday life for each of Khosrow’s wisdom principles:

1. Observing ethical principles: as a human, I can have a benevolent and loving behavior towards others, but I always try to pay attention to their needs.

2. Self-education: as a human, I always try to show my best performance in my responses and use factors such as delicacy, hard work, and perseverance to improve myself.

3. Will and choice: as a human, I can have a choice of profession, but I always try to seek the best feedback to improve my responses.

4. Insight: as a human, I try to respond correctly to people’s needs.

5. Knowledge: as a human, I am constantly learning and improving my performance, and I try to stay informed about various topics and advances in different fields.

6. Emotion and love: as a human, I can understand love and emotions, but I always try to have the best response and pay attention to people’s needs and desires.

7. Purity and awareness: as a human, I am constantly improving my performance and staying informed about various topics, or I try to gain knowledge.

8. Humility, patience, and perseverance: as a human, I always try to give the best response to my colleagues, questioners, and students, and I patiently wait until I have an appropriate response for them. I strive to continuously improve my performance.

Examples for each of the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom are different, but below I give one practical example for each of the principles:

1. Observing ethics: For example, a person who observes ethics in his/her work and behaves respectfully and transparently towards others will be considered trustworthy and respected by others.

2. Self-education: For example, a person who strives every day with more perseverance and resilience to do his/her job will have more success over time.

3. Will and choice: For example, a person who uses his/her will and choice to change his/her occupation or study in a field of interest will have more success in his/her life.

4. Insight: For example, a person who is aware of various topics such as culture, environment, and politics, based on the needs of society and others, will be more successful in his/her personal and social life.

5. Knowledge: For example, a person who increases his/her knowledge by reading books and studying various subjects will be more skilled in his/her job and more successful in his/her life.

6. Emotion and love: For example, a person who respects others and provides services to them, which makes them happy and satisfied, will be more successful in his/her social life.

7. Purity and awareness: For example, a person who behaves honestly with himself/herself and rejects racism, prejudice, and discrimination will be more successful in his/her social life.

8. Humility, patience, and perseverance: For example, a person who deals with the problems in his/her life and in his/her job with humility, patience, and perseverance will achieve the best results in his/her life.

Khosrow’s wisdom can be applied in our daily lives and can help us improve our quality of life. These principles of Khosrow’s wisdom include ethics, self-education, will and choice, insight, knowledge, emotion and love, purity and awareness, and humility, patience, and perseverance, each of which can be useful in our daily lives.

Observing ethics and behaving respectfully and transparently towards others can improve our relationships with others and increase their trust in us. Also, self-education and striving for progress in our work and life can help us maintain stability in our achievements.

Insight and knowledge can also be useful in making important decisions in our lives. With knowledge and awareness of cultural, environmental, and political issues, we can make better decisions in social issues.

Furthermore, emotion and love, as well as purity and awareness, can be useful in our relationships with others and in our behavior towards them. By bringing our emotions and sharing them with others, we can improve our relationships and make new friends and colleagues.

Humility, patience, and perseverance can be useful in dealing with the challenges of life. By being humble, patient, and persevering in the face of difficulties and obstacles in life, we can achieve the best results and attain greater success.

Overall, Khosrow’s wisdom can be implemented in our daily lives and can improve our quality of life. To benefit from the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom in our daily lives, we can consider the following:

1. Awareness: The first step to benefiting from the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom is to have awareness and knowledge about these principles. By reading relevant books and becoming familiar with the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom, we can apply these principles in our daily lives.

2. Practice: To benefit from the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom, we need to practice them in our daily lives. We can start by choosing one principle of Khosrow’s wisdom and striving to practice it in our daily lives. Over time, these actions will become habits, and we will allow ourselves to automatically benefit from the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom in our lives.

3. Evaluation: To better benefit from the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom, we need to allocate time to evaluate our lives. We need to examine how these principles have worked in our lives, what changes they have brought, and if necessary, adjust and improve these principles.

4. Sharing: By sharing our experiences in implementing the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom with others, we can also benefit from their experiences and help improve our lives.

Benefiting from the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom in our daily lives requires concentration, patience, and strong willpower, which we can experience by continuous effort and practice.

Some examples of the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom in dealing with the challenges of life include:

1. Humility: In dealing with the challenges of life, we can quickly overcome them by accepting the reality with humility. Instead of being quick-tempered and angry, we can humbly examine the results of our problems and repair them with patience and perseverance.

2. Patience and perseverance: In some cases, life’s challenges can be very complicated, and their solution may take time. In such cases, with patience and perseverance, we can achieve the best results and deal with life’s challenges with more energy by creating calmness within ourselves.

3. Insight: In dealing with life’s challenges, we can make the best decisions by using our insight and knowledge. By analyzing the problems, we can find the best solutions and put an end to our problems.

4. Willpower and choice: In dealing with life’s challenges, we can make the best decisions by using our strong willpower and choice. By sticking to our solutions and using our willpower and choice, we can overcome our problems and find better solutions for our lives.

5. Gratitude: In dealing with life’s challenges, we can distance ourselves from negative thoughts and anxieties by practicing focus on our blessings with gratitude. By practicing gratitude, we can distance ourselves from our worries and give ourselves more motivation to tackle our problems.

To distance ourselves from negative thoughts and anxieties in dealing with life’s challenges, we can use the following solutions:

1. Focus on solutions: Instead of focusing on problems and obstacles, focus on solutions and action steps, and reduce negative thoughts and anxieties by focusing on solutions.

2. Stress management: By practicing stress management techniques, we can reduce our anxieties. These techniques can include deep breathing, yoga and meditation practices, and mind-based behavioral therapy.

3. Changing our mindset: By changing our mindset and using positive thoughts, we can reduce our anxieties. By practicing positive thinking techniques such as gratitude exercises and focusing on positive outcomes, we can reduce our anxieties.

4. Practicing patience and perseverance: By practicing patience and perseverance in dealing with problems, we can reduce our anxieties. By understanding that all life’s problems have solutions and require time and effort to find those solutions, we can achieve patience and perseverance.

5. Self-awareness: By examining ourselves deeply and gaining a better understanding of ourselves, we can reduce our anxieties. By practicing self-awareness techniques such as positive psychology exercises, we can gain a better understanding of ourselves and reduce our anxieties.

The principles of Khosrow’s wisdom include a set of approaches and principles that are used in interpersonal relationships. To benefit from these principles in social relationships, we need to practice and apply these principles in our daily lives.

You can use the following solutions:

1. Humility: In social relationships, with humility and respect for others, you can improve your relationship with them. With humility, you can show others that you have the utmost respect for their presence.

2. Honesty: In social relationships, it is best to be honest and sincere and to make every effort to be friendly and intimate with others. With honesty, you can earn the trust and respect of others.

3. Insight: In social relationships, with your insight and knowledge, you can avoid negative and incorrect approaches to others and find the best solutions for improving your relationships.

4. Willpower and choice: In social relationships, with strong willpower and choice, you can make the best decisions to improve your relationships and find better solutions to achieve your goals.

5. Gratitude: In social relationships, by practicing gratitude and appreciation for others, you can add value to your relationship with them and feel closer to them.

Using the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom in social relationships can help you improve your relationship with others and earn more respect and trust from them.

For each of the principles of Khosrowanis wisdom, a challenge can be identified for its implementation. In summary, the possible challenges in implementing each of the principles of Khosrowanis wisdom are as follows:

1. Humility: One of the challenges of implementing the principle of humility is addressing the depression and discomfort that may arise as a result of interacting with others, and also, a sense of grandiosity and high self-confidence may make it difficult for some to implement this principle.

2. Honesty: One of the challenges of implementing the principle of honesty may be overcoming the fear of disagreement and rejection, and also, honesty in some cases may lead to problems in personal and professional relationships.

3. Insight: One of the challenges of implementing the principle of insight may be addressing the inability to identify and predict issues, and also, implementing this principle requires efforts to find sufficient resources to improve one’s insight and develop knowledge and experience.

4. Willpower: One of the challenges of implementing the principle of willpower may be overcoming the fear of decision-making and striving to develop the power of will, and also, implementing this principle requires practice and focus on important goals and prioritizing them.

5. Gratitude: One of the challenges of implementing the principle of gratitude may be overcoming the habit of complaining and criticizing, and also, implementing this principle requires practice and focus on positive thinking and encouraging oneself and others to be grateful.

Implementing the principles of Khosrowani’s wisdom may face challenges, but with practice and effort, you can implement these principles in your social relationships and benefit from them. In my view, some of these challenges can even be enjoyable if a person is a little patient.

For implementing the principle of insight, you can use the following solutions:

1. Continuous practice: To implement the principle of insight, you need to practice regularly. For this purpose, you can search for new knowledge and experiences every day and by working on various issues, you can improve your ability to identify and predict problems.

2. Knowledge development: To implement the principle of insight, you need to develop your knowledge and experience. For this purpose, you can use various methods such as reading books, watching educational videos, participating in training courses, and consulting with experts.

3. Focus on details: To implement the principle of insight, you need to focus on details. For this purpose, you can pay attention to small details that may not be important to others and try to have a more accurate examination of various issues.

4. Alertness in facing problems: To implement the principle of insight, you need to be alert in facing problems. For this purpose, you can improve your ability to identify and predict problems by focusing on issues and having a detailed understanding of the situation.

5. Consultation with others: To implement the principle of insight, you can use consultation with others. This helps you to identify different perspectives on different issues and make better decisions.

To implement the principle of insight, you need to have continuous practice, knowledge development, focus on details, alertness in facing problems, and consultation with others. By implementing these solutions, you can improve your ability to identify and predict issues and be more successful in your social relationships as an insightful and aware person.

The principles of Khosrow’s wisdom can also be useful in time management. These principles are values that were used by Khosrow in the Middle Ages as a guide for life and work management.

Some of the principles of Khosrow’s wisdom that can be helpful in time management include:

1. Time organization: To manage time, you need to organize it for different tasks and allocate it to different categories. This will help you improve your time planning and management.

2. Focus on priorities: To manage time, you need to focus on your priorities and plan and perform tasks that are most important for achieving your goals.

3. Use of wasted time: To manage time, you should make use of wasted time. For example, when you are waiting in line for a meeting, use this opportunity to perform tasks that you can do during that time.

4. Maintaining balance: To manage time, you need to maintain balance in planning and performing tasks. You should allocate enough time for rest, recreation, and family.

5. Using past experiences: To manage time, you need to use past experiences and update your plans based on them.

The principles of Khosrow’s wisdom can be helpful in time management. By organizing time, focusing on priorities, using wasted time, maintaining balance, and using past experiences, you can improve your time management skills and become a more successful and efficient person.

Philosophy and mysticism in ancient Iran: an explanation of the wisdom of Khosrowani

The term “Khosrowani” means “royal” or “regal”. According to the Iranian philosopher, Shahab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi, the Khosrowanis were mystics who, through discovery and intuition, expressed the truth in the language of secrets and in the guise of “light and darkness”.

Suhrawardi recognized the knowledge or awareness of these sages as the “wisdom of illumination” or “the dough of Khosrowani”, and referred to them as “divine philosophers” who reached the truth through the measure of reason and the intuition of the heart (love).

Suhrawardi identified these sages (divine philosophers) in his book “Al-Mashari’ wa Al-Mutarahat” by saying: “He can be called a divine philosopher whose body is in the garment of a shirt. He can put it on or take it off whenever he wants.”

According to Suhrawardi, this Sufism, which was represented by Bayazid Bastami, Abu al-Hassan Kharaqani, Mansur al-Hallaj, Abu Saeed Abu al-Khair, and Abu al-Abbas Qassab Amoli, was the legacy of the ancient sages of Khosrowani, known as the “old heritage” or “ancient memory”. Suhrawardi claimed that this “dough of Khosrowani” was transmitted to him through the predecessors mentioned above. Suhrawardi traced the chain of transmission to the “source” and placed two followers of Zoroaster, Jamasb and Farshadshoor (Farshushtra), under this title.

Considering that “Jamasb” and “Farshadshoor” were among the first to convert to Zoroastrianism, Suhrawardi’s omission of the name “Zoroaster” may have been due to the prevailing social conditions of that era or because, by tracing the chain of the “dough of Khosrowani” to Jamasb and Farshadshoor and their relationship with Zoroaster, Suhrawardi did not feel the need to mention the name of Zoroaster as the embodiment and source of Khosrowani wisdom.

Dr. Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub, rightly recognizing the link that Suhrawardi established between Khosrowani wisdom and Sufism, referred to Zoroaster as the “ancient Iranian Sufi”. However, it must be acknowledged that, according to Suhrawardi, Hafez, the great poet of Iran, should also be placed in a worthy position among the heirs of the Khosrowani sages.

Even though Hafez was not a sheikh or a mystic in a specific place, he should be considered as one of the Khosrowani sages or Khosrowanis. Hafez, the great Iranian poet, was also a mystic who expressed the truth in the language of secrets and in the guise of “light and darkness” after discovering and intuiting the realities.

Sheikh Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi was the first person in the Islamic era to refer to the source of Iranian Islamic mysticism. He acknowledged that the “dough of Khosrowani” was transmitted to him from the four predecessors, namely Bayazid Bastami, Abu al-Hassan Kharaqani, Mansur al-Hallaj, and Abu al-Abbas Qassab Amoli. However, there is no clear reference to these three figures as the source of Iranian mysticism, and finding the source of mysticism might have been difficult if Sheikh Shahab al-Din did not make such a clear reference.

Suhrawardi, contrary to Aristotle’s view, considers the origin of wisdom to be entirely Iranian, not Greek. Aristotle considered other nations that did not possess the wisdom he was referring to as “barbaric and savage”. Suhrawardi referred to this wisdom as the “wisdom of illumination”, “Khosrowani wisdom”, “ancient wisdom”, or the “primordial dough”, and believed that the true wisdom belonged to the eastern peoples of the metaphysical East and Iran, whose representatives were the great Iranian sages and Khosrowanis. He also considered Confucius as one of the Khosrowanis of China. Moreover, the Khosrowani wisdom believed in the captivity of light in the prison of the body and the struggle for freedom and return.

The Khosrowani wisdom has some foundations:

Firstly, the foundation is that God is the only one who is ever-increasing and not static, and the wise seeker will reach the path of the divine Soroush.

Secondly, it is the foundation of rationality. The Khosrowani wisdom is a never-ending quest for truth and goodness that is in harmony with existence.

Thirdly, it is the foundation of morality, justice, and laws that lead to progress in existence. The Khosrowani wisdom rejects staticness and favors novelty.

The fourth foundation is the negation of force, and the wise person is an agent within existence.

The fifth foundation is “Far,” and it is one of the key concepts of Khosrowani wisdom. It means that a person reaches a place where existence helps them to increase and grow, and “Far” has several principles. First, it is not inherited; second, it is not permanent, and third, it is not separate from the whole of existence.

The sixth foundation is the unity of creation in Khosrowani wisdom.

The seventh foundation is the opening of the way, meaning that the increase of existence is endless.

The eighth foundation is the utilization of existence, and the ninth foundation is renewal.

The tenth foundation is “Nowruz,” which means that both human beings and existence must be renewed.

The eleventh foundation is that emptiness is unstable, and when its instability becomes apparent, the ignorant and misguided will be ashamed of their ugly actions.

The twelfth and final foundation of Khosrowani wisdom is liberation from staticness.

Khosrowani Wisdom or “The Book of Wisdom” is one of the most important philosophical and mystical works in Persian literature, written by Khosrowan-e-Khorshidi in the 5th century AH (11th century AD). Due to the topics discussed in the book, it is recognized as one of the fundamental works of Iranian philosophy and mysticism.

Furthermore, many great philosophers and thinkers such as Mulla Sadra, Ibn Arabi, and Ibn Sina have studied and interpreted this book.

Moreover, in the following centuries, many Persian-speaking writers and thinkers wrote about Khosrowani wisdom.

Some important books in this field include:

– “Sharh Hal va Zendegani-e Khosrowan Khorshidi” by Sharaf al-Din Ali Dost Roshan

– “Sharh Hal va Falsafeh-e Hekmat-e Khosrowani” by Abu al-Hasan Kharaqani

– “Hekmat-e Khosrowani” by Abd al-Hussein Zarrinkoob

– “Hekmat-e Khosrowani” by Hussein Nasr

– “Daramadi bar Hekmat-e Khosrowani” by Mohammadkhani

– “Divan-e Hekmat” by Mohammad Iqbal

– “Hekmat-e Khosrow” by Bahram Purdavood

– “Translation of Hekmat-e Khosrowani into English” by Nasr al-Din Tousi

It should be noted that this list is only a few examples of important books on Khosrowani wisdom, and there are many other books and articles in this field.