April 26th: Konya and Rumi

The mosques in Konya after sunset 4/25


4/26:

Morning Meditation on Sufism and the transcendent

I want you to think about a time of connection – when you felt a connection to another person, to an animal, to nature.

Or maybe it was about a place or a moment in time when you had the feeling of awe – an opening up to something more than you normally feel.

A student told me about a story she had read. A mother told her daughter about how we live our “normal” reality as if there is a veil over our eyes. But every once in a while, the veil is lifted, and we see everything differently. A moment of clarity or inspiration. But sometimes, the veil is lifted and we don’t recognize it. It could be said that the spiritual path is recognition when those moments of clear sight occur.

Who knows what inspires this. It could be a beautiful sunrise, or the words of a song.

For me, at times, it is the wind. Sometimes it feels like it blows right through me, and cleanses me, and all my worries and concerns disappear. Once, in the very early morning as I sat on my deck at my home, I heard the sounds of birds as I saw a star in the sky, and instantly my whole reality shifted. It was a transformative experience. We have all had these moments when the veil has lifted.

Every civilization, every people in the history of the world, has tried to explain this transformative experience.

Then it becomes “religion.”

And then the religious experience shifts to rules and regulations: cover your head, don’t eat pork, etc.

But there are always those who follow the mystical aspects of the religion – the deeper aspects that are about connection

It is a paradox, for it is about both the personal and the universal

A personal relationship to something more

Sufism is the mystical aspect of Islam – connecting to that which is greater or transcendent than the individual

You can call it God, or Allah, or the universal,

But it is always about experiencing the oneness of the universe

We have all experienced moments that are unexplainable –

When what you are about to say is said by another

Or, when looking at a plant or a sunset we feel a sense of expansion

Even science and physics are come to know is

How what we know of matter is mostly just empty space

Our connections go beyond the border of our body

Sometimes it happens at those moments when we are most vulnerable

When we let down our guard

When our hearts are touched by something or someone half a world away

We can all feel this connection

And every religion has practices which help us sense this

Sitting in meditation, or deep contemplation

In Sufism, it is whirling

A tool or method or letting go of self-identity

And allowing the little “I” to expand and feel the big “I” of oneness

After the guided meditation and a moment of silence to let their minds and hearts wander and see if they could feel the sense of connection, some students shared their thoughts. Then I challenged the students to try and remind themselves of this space throughout the day with the mantra, "Feel the connection."

After the meditation and sharing, some of the kids played Ultimate in the park, while a few of us were beckoned in to a building where there was a sewing coop - mothers, with their children in tow, were making bedspreads, pillow cases and baby quilts. 

Catalhuyuk is the oldest city in the world. This densely packed neolithic settlement dates back over 9000 years. 

Excavations started in the 1960s. The settlement housed up to 10,000 people. There is no evidence that it was a fortress city, or that the settlement had any other reason for leaving together other than the desire of social life and to be near the burial site of their families, which was beneath each home. 

The artifacts found suggest that Catalhuyuk practiced a matriarchical system where "women were respected within an egalitarian society. The female figurines, reliefs, some paintings and symbols suggest beliefs and practices in which female divinity was honored."

Unfortunately, the tour of Catalhuyuk was not that interesting. There are archaeologists working there all summer long, which tourists can watch, but not much happening at this time. We headed back to Konya for lunch and exploring the old markets. 

Mosque in Konya

The old market

The students kept teasing me of all the shots I took of raisins. Unfortunately, none of the raison pictured turned out that well. 

Big containers lined up the the roof of some building

Another mosque

Mevlana Rumi's Mausoleum

This evening we watched a private performance of Whirling Dervishes. It was an amazing event, with music, prayer, and whirling, of course. 

After the performance, the lead Dervish stayed to answer questions. He explained about the rituals and what they mean. For example, the black robes they walked out in represented the soil, how we come from the earth and will return to the earth. The white robes underneath are just like the white cloth that the dead are wrapped in when buried. The shape of the hat represents a tombstone. I haven't talked to the students yet on their take on all of this symbolism about death. For me, I find the paradox fascinating - those cultures or practices that consciously focus on death and  letting go of the attachment often contain the most joyful people. 

We then met with the master in this really tiny room for another question and answer period (see picture above). My favorite quote from him was, "Whirling travels the person from the question, 'God, why am I here? to the statement, 'Thank you God for my being here.'"

Guru Eli and student Alicia

We ate dinner at the Rumi Center. We got a private room for all of us. It was a fantastic meal, and a bit playful as well.