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

Video Credit: HeyYouImage

Gil's Wisdom

Of late I have observed that for some reason I have been losing touch with all my good friends (it's not that I have many). I think it's that I don't want to be seen as lonely and needy that I don't bother them and keep waiting for them to call. Whatever the reason may be I thought rather than think about it I do something about it. Last year on my trip to Dharamshala (the seat of Tibetan Government in exile) with some 'friends' I met a very interesting personality. His is Gil and is theater artist and Zen Buddhism teacher from Israel. We met at a cafe and he started talking to one of my friends in Tamil. It was later that he told us that he could also speak fluent Hindi!! During the conversation somehow we got talking and really connected. None of my 'friends' know I am gay and so that didn't figure in the talks. But we talked about all kinda stuff for a little while. Then we had to part cause I had to leave for the night with my 'friends'. We decided to meet the next day (all of us) and once gain we shared some interesting conversation. 

Ever since we have been touch through email and now Gil is back in India though way south and very far from where I live and we have spoken a few times over the phone. Today during one of my lonely moments I decided to call him and once again we got talking about all kind of stuff. Somehow we seem to never run out of things to talk about and I share a great comfort level with him which is very rare for me.

I also told him how he was the first person whom I saw doing the thing in life he really enjoyed and that showed in his aura. He has a presence of tranquility, calmness and happiness on his face which is hard to miss. Single guy in the city in his latest post has mentioned how people in jobs that they don't like age earlier than their counterparts and I think that is true. I told Gil how I wanted to one day be able to own a quaint little cafe with art work by little known artist on display and lots of books and my favourite music. A place to share all the above. But as of now my folks aren't very excited about the idea and I don't have the means to make it happen. 

He replied that the main problem in the world is that our parents want us to be something other than what we may want to be and that they aren't proud of what we may become but they are proud when we have turned into a copy of them or the vision that they imagined for us. He told me to follow my heart and said that 

" Following the path that our heart asks us to may be difficult but choosing the other path will end up being 1000 times more difficult in the end."

I agree with each word he said but I don't know if and when will my dreams come true. It's a long journey but I hope some day I do reach my destination. And that when I do I have the arms of someone I truly love and who truly love me to rest in!!

The pictures on the top are of my favourite cafe at Ubud, Bali which have inspired me to one day own a cafe. The 1st one is the Lotus Cafe at Ubud which is situated around a temple surrounded by a pond with Lotus. In the courtyard of the temple every night live performances of Balineses dance are held. The other is a cafe in Ubud, Bali called ' Coffee and Silver'  and is owned by a Dutch and his Balinese wife. He has on display silver jewellery designed by his ex wife and some great homeware and antiques. The cafe serves the most amazing Chocolate cake (picture attached) for which we had to visit the cafe thrice because everytime that we went they were sold out. But it was worth the trips. It just melts in your mouth.

Constantine P Cavafy

I was introduced to Constantine P Cavafy's poetry through a friends profile on a website. I read a few of his poems online and I fell in love. The raw sensuality and simplicity of the poetry struck me.  He was born of Greek parents in Egypt and worked as a Civil servant. His poetry was in Greek but translations are available online. Cavafy was  homosexual and his most well known relationship was with Alexander Singopolous. I am posting a few of his poems here and more can be found online.

Desires

 

Like beautiful bodies of the dead, who had not grown old

and they shut them with tears, in a magnificent mausoleum,

with roses at the head and jasmine at the feet --

that is how desires look that have passed

without fulfillment; without one of them having achieved

a night of sensual delight, or a moonlit morn. 

Body Remember

Body, remember not only how much you were loved

not only the beds you lay on. 

but also those desires glowing openly 

in eyes that looked at you, 

trembling for you in voices- 

only some chance obstacle frustrated them. 

Now that it's all finally in the past, 

it seems almost as if you gave yourself 

to those desires too-how they glowed, 

remember, in eyes that looked at you, 

remember, body, how they trembled for you in those voices. 

He vows

 

Every so often he vows to start a better life.

But when night comes with her own counsels,

with her compromises, and with her promises;

but when night comes with her own power

of the body that wants and demands, he returns,

forlorn, to the same fatal joy. 

One Night

 

The room was penurious and common,

Hidden over a disreputable tavern,

The alley could be seen from the window,

Unclean and narrow. From below

Came the voices of a few workmen

Who were playing cards and having a good time.

There on the vulgar on the humble bed

I had the body of love, I had the lips,

The sensuous, the rosy lips of wine,

Rosy with such a wine, that even now

Here as I write, after so many years,

In my solitary house, I am drunk again. 

Photo credits: All the paintings are from artists at deviantart and if the artist wants I'll remove them from the blog.

The poetry of Rumi

Paintings by: Sufi Art Gallery, Kuta, Bali (email: sufi_art01@yahoo.com)

I bought these beautiful paintings from an Art Gallery in Kuta, Bali during my vacation there in February 2007. 

I stumbled upon poetry by Rumi while going through the amazing library at Mr. Big's home. For those who haven't read my earlier post Mr. Big was someone I was in a relationship with (my longest relationship no pun intended). I read a couplet written by Rumi (translated to English from Persian) and the simplicity and deep connotations of the couplet made me a ardent fan of his poetry. The couplet was

"When I die,

lay my corpse to rest,

but do not be at all surprised

if His kiss on my tattered lips

brings me back to life"

The story of Rumi's life cannot be condensed but I'll try to do it for you readers. I may have misunderstood parts of his life but I have formed my opinion about him based on my readings which are not complete. Rumi was the son of a famous religious teacher in Konya, Turkey and inherited his father's Khanaqah (kind of monastery where the disciples called Murid and the teacher called Pir would get together and discuss spirituality).  Rumi was famous and highly respected. One day a  wanderer called Shams of Tabriz came to Konya and met Rumi. Both Rumi and Shams were looking for the other half or the medium under whose influence they would be united with their Beloved i.e. God. In each other they found the medium and became inseparable spending all their time together. Rumi's disciples and his family (wife and son) became jealous Shams and Rumi relationship. One day they forced Shams to leave the city. 

Rumi couldn't bear the separation from Shams and send his son in search of him. Shams was brought back to Rumi but the bliss didn't last for long. One day Shams disappeared (rumoured to have been murdered and disposed off). Rumi kept looking for him until one day it dawned upon him that the one he was looking for was already a part of him.  The couplet he wrote on that occasion was

"Why should I seek? I am the same as

He. His essence speaks through me.

I have been looking for myself!"

That's when he started to write his most famous work Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi. It is Rumi's disciples who whirl while in a trance trying to attain unity with God through the medium of music and dance (whirling in this case). Sufis believe music (singing praises of the Beloved i.e. God) is the most potent medium of attaining the union with the beloved called Sama which is like a trance like state. Thus his followers are called Whirling Dervishes. Another form of Sufi music popularised in the Indian subcontinent by the disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusro is Qawwali. The greatest exponent of qawwali was Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and now is Abida Praveen you could listen to their music here and here or in my playlist in the sidebar of this blog.

There are many more examples of such close relationships between the Sufi priest and their inspirations (in form of their disciples or just mediums). The story of Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusro from the Indian subcontinent is one such relationship.

I may not the most accurate information about Rumi and if you are interested you could start by looking at Wikipedia. A good collection of his poetry is at Khamush. Then there are book by Coleman Barks and Andrew Harvey which have translations of Rumi's poetry.

When I read Rumi's poetry it resonated with the feeling of emptiness and the search for the beloved within me. Though it took me some time to realize that while Rumi's search was for the Beloved who would unite him with God; mine wasn't all that pure and pious. But I do believe that once we meet the right person he or she would lead to our and their spiritual growth and maturity. I hope someday I meet my medium, inspiration, beloved. That is the top most priority in my 'Life list'(things I intend to achieve before I die).  Yarravilepaul asked me to try to explain why the poetry means so much to me. I could try but I wouldn't be able to. It's like listening to a song 100 times and feeling nothing and then one day in a particular situation you listen to a song and it resonates so much with your situation or state of mind that it leaves you shaken. Rumi's poetry about Shams always resonates with my current state of mind. I don't know if I am making any sense anymore so I would leave it here and post another beautiful poem by Rumi. It's is addressed from me to the medium, inspiration the beloved or in plain terms Mr. Right. Hope it resonates with you.

If anyone asks you

how the perfect satisfaction

of all our sexual wanting

will look, lift your face

and say,

Like this.

When someone mentions the gracefulness

of the nightsky, climb up on the roof

and dance and say,

Like this.

If anyone wants to know what "spirit" is,

or what "God's fragrance" means,

lean your head toward him or her.

Keep your face there close.

Like this.

When someone quotes the old poetic image

about clouds gradually uncovering the moon,

slowly loosen knot by knot the strings

of your robe.

Like this.

If anyone wonders how Jesus raised the dead,

don't try to explain the miracle.

Kiss me on the lips.

Like this. Like this.

When someone asks what it means

to "die for love," point

here.

If someone asks how tall I am, frown

and measure with your fingers the space

between the creases on your forehead.

This tall.

The soul sometimes leaves the body, then returns.

When someone doesn't believe that,

walk back into my house.

Like this.

When lovers moan,

they're telling our story.

Like this.

I am a sky where spirits live.

Stare into this deepening blue,

while the breeze says a secret.

Like this.

When someone asks what there is to do,

light the candle in his hand.

Like this.

How did Joseph's scent come to Jacob?

Huuuuu.

How did Jacob's sight return?

Huuuu.

A little wind cleans the eyes.

Like this.

When Shams comes back from Tabriz,

he'll put just his head around the edge

of the door to surprise us

Like this.

From ˜The Essential Rumi€™, Translations 

by Coleman Barks with John Moyne