A. The answer is, it is like learning the alphabet, that is one stage. When he can read a book, that is another stage. He needs books in order to practice reading. It does not matter what book you take up to read, you can practice reading with it. You do not have to take it as being an inspired scripture. Similarly, the exercises which are given in the form of lessons or instructions are just lines of thought to follow along till you get accustomed to the different lines of thought when you are enquiring into the different matters of metaphysics and spiritual things. But you do not have to accept them as rigid tenets or doctrines or principles and then make out that Sufism is limited to them. Therefore I do not restrict my pupils or my friends to the exercises. They are only exercises. After that, life itself is the scripture to read. It is the only real scripture. You must get to understand it. What you do not understand at the first reading, you must read again and try to understand it then.