Fakir

A fakir or faqir is a Sufi, especially one who performs feats of endurance or apparent magic. Derived from "faqr" (فقر Arabic), Lit: poverty. ["God Speaks", Meher Baba, Dodd Meade, 1955, 2nd Ed. p. 305]

The word is usually used to refer to either the spiritual recluse or eremite or the common street beggar who chants holy names, scriptures or verses. Its current idiomatic usage developed primarily in Mughal era India, where the term was injected into local idiom through the Persian-speaking courts of Muslim rulers. When used referring to somber spiritual miracle-makers, "fakir" is applied primarily to Sufi, but also Hindu ascetics.

Many stereotypes of the great fakir exist, among the more extreme being the picture of a near-naked man effortlessly walking barefoot on burning coals, sitting or sleeping on a bed of nails, levitating during bouts of meditation, or "living on air" (refusing all food). It is also used, usually sarcastically, for a common street beggar who chants holy names, scriptures or verses without ostensibly having any spiritual advancement.

It has become a common Urdu and Hindi word for a beggar. When applied to Hindu mystics, the term is essentially a non-Indian word for Sadhus, Gurus, Swamis, or Yogis.

Gurdjieff

In the Fourth Way teaching of G. I. Gurdjieff the word "fakir" is used to denote the specifically physical path of development, compared with the word "yogi" (which Gurdjieff used for a path of mental development) and "monk" (which he used for the path of emotional development). ["The Fourth Way: Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff," P.D. Ouspensky, Random House USA, 2000]

ee also

*Dervish
*Mirin Dajo
*Shramana

References