Boston Book & Teaching Tour with Pir Zia Inayat Khan

May 29 & 30, 2026

Join us for two wonderful events in the Boston area with Pir Zia Inayat Khan!

Friday May 29, 7–9pm

Free Public Book Reading with Pir Zia in Conversation with Kythe Heller

We invite you to share an evening with us to celebrate the new book, Tears from the Mother of the Sun, written by Pir Zia Inayat Khan, featuring striking artwork by Amruta Patil. In this globe-spanning chronicle, Pir Zia sets forth an astonishing sequence of legends revealing little-known connections between ancient cultures and spiritual lineages, resulting in an unexpected marriage of myth and history.

Following a reading, Kythe Heller will open a conversation on the book, exploring sacred poetics as a mode of transmission across cultures, and the ways spiritual traditions disclose a shared, living continuum of meaning through poetry. The evening will conclude with a short meditation, welcoming guidance from the illuminated souls called upon in the book. All are welcome.

Books: Tears from the Mother of the Sun

Guests can bring their book to be signed or reserve a signed copy when they register, to pick up upon arrival. A limited number of copies will be available at the event, as supplies last.

--> To purchase a book online: https://pirzia.org/tears-from-the-mother-of-the-sun/

Saturday May 30, 10am–5pm

Aligning with the Illuminated: A Day of Teachings w/ Pir Zia Inayat Khan

The Sufis live for God alone; They have no other impetus.
Their bodies may be skin and bone, And yet their hearts are limitless.
— Pir Zia Inayat Khan, from Tears from the Mother of the Sun

Join us for a full day of teachings with Pir Zia Inayat Khan, a mystic, scholar, and teacher of the Inayatiyya, a universalist Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan, in the Boston area! This event is open to all: seekers, initiates, and anyone curious about developing the capacity of the heart and living a life of spiritual liberty.

Our time together will connect us with the Diwan, or High Council (mala al-a’la), which consists of the illuminated souls we call on in Sufi prayers. These souls collectively work to guide us toward divinity as the destiny of creation unfolds. The masters, saints, and prophets who compose the Diwan are shining exemplars of the Divine Qualities of love, harmony, and beauty.

When the procession of these illuminated souls is viewed in its planetary entirety, the unity of the Message is seen in full relief. When this vision is experienced directly, human life takes on a profound dedication to the path of service and glorification for which we were all born.

Schedule

We will gather from 10am until 5pm on Saturday May 30th, with a generous lunch break.

9:30 Doors Open
10-10:15 Musical Attunement
10:15 -11:15 Teachings with Pir Zia
11:15 -11:45 Break
11:45 – 1:00 Teachings with Pir Zia
1:00 – 3:00 Lunch
3:00 - 3:15 Musical Attunement
3:15 – 4:15 Teachings with Pir Zia
4:15 – 4:30 Break
4:30 – 5:00 Closing
5:00 – 5:30 Book Signing

Note: Exact schedule subject to change.

Registration & Pricing

Participants can choose to attend one or both gatherings. While Friday is free, we ask that everyone RSVP to reserve their spot. Tuition covers a full day of teaching on Saturday. Meals are not included. This program is in-person only and will not be livestreamed.

Event Tuition: $125

There are a limited number of partial scholarships available for those who need it — no application or explanation required. Reach out to astana@inayatiyya.org as soon as possible, to request assistance.

General Details --

Accessibility

For elevator access to the Mikelson Room on the 2nd floor, enter through 3 Church Street.

Transportation & Parking:

First Parish is easily accessed via public transportation. For those driving in, please visit the church website for directions and parking lots in the area. www.firstparishcambridge.org/directions

Bios --

Pir Zia Inayat Khan, PhD, is a scholar of religion and teacher of Sufism in the universalist Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Sulūk Academy, a school of Sufi contemplative study and practice. He is author of Tears from the Mother of the Sun with visual artist Amruta Patil, Immortality: A Traveler’s Guide; Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions; and Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest. Pir Zia divides his time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France.

Kythe Heller Bio

Kythe Heller is a poet, scholar, and interdisciplinary artist whose work explores the transmission of knowledge across spiritual traditions and the arts, with a particular grounding in Sufi thought and practice. She holds a ThD / PhD from Harvard University in the Study of Religion, with a focus on comparative mysticism, philosophy and theology, and the arts, alongside training in poetry and contemplative practice. Her research and creative work engage the metaphysics of sound, the phenomenology of perception, and the ways artistic practice can become a mode of knowing and cultural transformation. Her books include Firebird and The Soul Conveys Itself in Shadow / El alma se mueve en la sombra, alongside collaborative works that bring poetry into relation with image, sound, film, and ritual. She is the founder and creative director of Vision Lab, an interdisciplinary laboratory founded at Harvard Divinity School that convenes artists, scholars, and spiritual practitioners in sustained dialogue, integrating artistic practice, contemplative inquiry, and critical research to cultivate attentive, relational, and ethically responsive forms of knowing and making.

To see other stops on the Book & Teachings Tour in New York, Washington DC, Boston MA and Berkeley CA, click here.

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