Sema

I don't have a very deep understanding of Sufi mysticism but from the little that I have read I understand that for Sufis music and dance is the path to union with God. There are many Sufi orders all over the world and one of them is the Mevlevi Order of Rumi associated with the Whirling dervishes. Music and dance i.e whirling represents Sema or Sama i.e a mystical journey of spiritual ascent through mind and love to "Perfect." In this journey the seeker symbolically turns towards the truth, grows through love, abandons the ego, finds the truth, and arrives at the "Perfect"; then returns from this spiritual journey with greater maturity, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation without discrimination against beliefs, races, classes and nations.

                                       

I recently read a beautiful article explaining the nuances of the ceremony and am sharing the same with you today:

"...The chanting begins to the accompaniment of the music. Silently, five Mevlevi dervishes or semazen enter single file, wearing costumes that symbolise the death of ego. The hirka or black cloak represents its tomb and the sikke, the slender tapering earth-coloured headdress, is its tombstone. Beneath the cloak is the tenure, a full skirted long white gown depicting the shroud held in place with a black cummerbund.

Walking in circles and bowing to each other in acknowledgement of the centre of Divine Truth within the heart of each. The drumbeat represents the Divine command 'Be'. The flute represents the soul given to universe.

Slowly the dervishes rise from the floor, and casting off the black robes, they fold their arms across their chest with hands hugging the shoulders, and walk slowly. Then, they begin to turn. The position of the arms signifies Unity with God. 

As the whirling gains momentum, slowly the arms are unfurled from across their chest and gravitate upwards as though in total surrender, head inclined at an angle to the right, eyes half closed, intoxicated with love. The graceful movement of the arms- one palm turned upwards, receiving from God, and the other face downward, giving to all.

The whirling is so swift you can no longer distinguish figure from movement, space from time, reality from unreality, or present from past. Then they slow down This was the first cycle of Sema, when the dervishes are viewing all the worlds, the way to reach the grandeur and majesty of God. The lovers are freed from doubt and testify their faith in unity of God. They now slow down, and then once again begins the second cycle. The whole existence is dissolved within this Divine Unity.

During the third cycle the lovers cleanse themselves and reach the level of maturity. In the fourth cycle they arrive at the junction of non-existence within Divine Existence..."

- Narayani Ganesh , Times of India, 07.07.2007

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