Fana is of three types — fana-fillah, fana-fi-Sheikh and fana-fi-Rasool. In the first, a person becomes one with God. There are always 56 persons existing in this state.
In fana-fi-Sheikh, a person becomes One with the consciousness of a Qutub. He is One with the infinite consciousness of the Sadguru, but he is not One with the office of the Qutub. In this state he does sometimes use, to a very limited extent, his infinite power-knowledge-bliss. The person in this state drops his body immediately after the Qutub, who had brought him to that state of fana-fi-Sheikh.
There are always five Perfect Masters existing [on Earth]. In fana-fi-Rasool, which is a very rare state and also occurs very rarely, a person becomes One with the Avatar [Rasool]. When it does happen, it is during the Avatar's physical presence in the world and just before the unique worldwide manifestation of the Avatar. It is a rare occurrence. It has happened in the past.1
No one from the state of fana-fillah can attain the fana-fi-Rasool state. Only an ordinary man who is gross conscious is chosen by the Avatar himself and is bestowed with the state of fana-fi-Rasool. In this state, the person chosen becomes like the Avatar, but does not hold the Avatar's office. He drops his body immediately after the Avatar drops his body.
Baba continued:
The fourth plane is called the threshold of the Abode of God. If a pilgrim on the fourth plane tries to harass a pilgrim on the fifth plane with his powers, then the wali on the fifth plane seeks the help of the Avatar, but not of a Qutub. Thus the wali is protected directly by the Avatar from the pranks of the fourth-plane pilgrim, whose powers are curbed. Very rarely, one of the fourth plane acts arrogantly before a Qutub. If there is any mischief at all or arrogance displayed, the Qutub sternly deals with such a person, who eventually surrenders to the Qutub. The Qutub then raises him to the fifth plane of consciousness at once.
In the fana-fillah state, there are 56 souls living on earth. The state of baqa means "to be established" in God and being able to use infinite power, knowledge and bliss. A Qutub is the one who leads the life of God and uses infinite power, infinite knowledge and infinite bliss. Some Sufis believe that fana-fillah is the highest state. Other Sufis believe that a Qutub's state is the highest, while still others believe that the state of the Rasool is the highest.
Footnotes
- 1.It is said that Laxman, the step-brother of Ram, was in this rare state. He followed Ram wherever he went, even into jungle exile, and was known as Ram's "shadow."