Sufi Self-development In Lessing’s Mara And Dann:An Adventure

Doris Lessing（1919-2013）is one of the most influential British writers,and the winner of the Noble Prize in Literature in 2007.In 1960 s,Lessing was influenced by Sufi sheikh Idries Shah（1924-1996）and started her journey to Sufism.Later on,she learns about the Sufi Path,Sufi Sheikh and Sufi Love,and integrates them with her life experience,creating science fiction Mara and Dann: An Adventure.In the light of Sufi sheikh Idries Shah’s Sufi thoughts,the thesis analyzes the three main thoughts in Mara and Dann: An Adventure,including Sufi Path,Sufi Sheikh and Sufi Love and explores the self-development of Mara and Dann.The world depicted in Mara and Dann: An Adventure by Lessing is utterly destroyed.Human beings suffer from degeneration due to the process of industrialization and anthropocentrism.The thesis mainly discusses Mara and Dann as Sufis solving their own confusion,pursuing self-development and self-improvement through Sufi Path,Sufi Sheikh and Sufi Love.First and foremost,in Sufi Path,Mara and Dann get rid of the intertwine with human beings and objects from three aspects: confusions,bearing the ascetic practice and self-knowledge to set up orientation for their self-development and free from confusion.Then,it mainly focues on the co-existential and mutual relationship between Sufi sheikhs and dervishes.Every sheikh cares about the survival and spiritual plight of human beings and makes effort to teach dervishes cope with it.There are three important sheikhs and dervishes relationships in Mara and Dann: An Adventure,Daima and Mara,Daima and Dann,and Mara and Chelops people,based on surviving from crisis,cultivating individuality and awaking family memory.At last,the process of industrialization and anthropocentrism has great influence on human beings.However,love as highest stages for self-development in Sufi love guides Mara and Dann resisting earthly love,adapting the slave of love,and pursuing divine love to regain perceptual cognition,rational thinking and achieve selfdevelopment and self-improvement.The thesis makes careful analysis to Mara and Dann who are under the guide of sheikhs to get rid of the intertwine with human beings and objects,and reveals that the people’s physical existence and spiritual plight.With Sufi Love,the Sufis achieve self-development and self-improvement.The novel reflects the material shortage and spiritual nothingness of people in the post-human period,warning people to return to human nature and it advocates the necessity of correct guidance and the importance of culture and history so that humanity can be reconstructed by culture and belief for achieving self-development and selfimprovement better.