Pir Vilayat s brilliant understanding and his embodiment of that lovely, hilarious, grieving, courageous, magnificent mystery called Sufism, or the lineage of the Sufi masters, was and is a great gift to Western Civilization. -Coleman Barks, poet and translator of Rumi.
Pir Vilayat was an elegant writer as well as a captivating speaker. But his genius lay in transcending boundaries - cultural, philosophical, and religious - and thinking like the universe . -Yoga Journal
Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan (19 June 1916 - 17 June 2004) was the eldest son of Sufi Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan and Ora Ray Baker. As his father's successor, Pir Vilayat served as head of the Sufi Order International for 50 years. While honoring the initiatic tradition of his Sufi predecessors, Pir Vilayat continually adapted traditional Eastern spiritual practices in keeping with the evolution of Western consciousness, psychology and science. He initiated and participated in many international and interfaith conferences promoting understanding and world peace.