ISTANBUL RUMI GATHERINGS AND MEVLEVI MUSIC

Sema dance and Sufi rituals.

Whirling dance is long with many detailed processions, basically very simple musical instruments plays Sufi Music, dancers one hand is facing sky respect and prayer to God the other hand is facing ground connecting spiritual world to Earth and life. Music. Cafe Anatolia and Local Mevlevi Musicians Mevlana is a cultural figure of world stature who gave not only Turkey and the other Moslem countries but people everywhere the transcendent values of ‘the hearts purity’, the images of the Perfect Man, the deathlessness of the loving soul, joys of passion, humanitarian enlightenment, the artistic dimensions of faith, and the poetic euphoria of the belief in God’s beauty and in the human being as a reflection of that reality.He sought to create a ‘ climate of love ‘ when sectarian conflict was rampant and religious wars ablaze. Few faiths in history have shared Mevlana’s total commitment to peace or his insistence on blending ethics with aesthetics. Talat Sait Halman The Sufipath: Ours is not a caravan of despair So Shams el-Din said to Mevlana Rumi: You have gone on pilgrimage You can walk to a blessing anywhere. If you just go for blessing Blessing is excess of everything. Don't be content with being a faqih (religious scholar), say I want more - more than being a mystic Our bodies are created for motion. say I need to move to stay healthy Walk the Sufipath as devotional act take the rough as you learn humility a good human complains of no one; and does not look to faults The best things in life are free. This certainly applies to walking. As that path is open to commune with all truly wondrous and beauty As walking becomes your dhikr Your path will be like clear water; wherever you flow, wondrous blossoms grow >From the Maqalat-e Shams-e Tabrizi (Discourses of Shams Tabrizi) Shams el-Din Mohamed el-Tabrizi (died 1248) This article was presented by H. Nur ARTIRAN in "International Traces of Mawlana in the World" Symposium organized by Konya Selcuk University on December 13th-15th, 2007.

 Based on historical evidence, Mawlana Djalaluddin Rumi's(2) Mathnawi(3) was written between 1260- 1267 and since then it has been read with much interest and admiration by millions of people from all denominations all over the world. Mathnawi informs mainly on Religion, Islamic Mysticism (better known throughout the world as Sufism) and Social affairs, relying frequently on verses from the Quran, ‘Hadith's(4) and folk tales. It covers almost every topic; sociology, psychology, history, mysticism, as well as science - including its more recent discoveries.

Although Mathnawi is generally accepted as didactic work addressing to ‘Reason', it also possesses passionate and exuberant poems appealing to the ‘Heart', similar to the ones in Divan-i Shems-e Tabriz or Divan-ı Kabir as otherwise called. The wisdom of Mathnawi is no different to the revelations of the Prophets who came one after another to enlighten and guide Humanity. Prophets Jesus, Moses, Joseph and David are frequently mentioned. At times a reference is made from an Islamic Philosopher and at other times from a Christian Saint, all in accordance with Mawlana's general view that Humanity is like a single body and different nations are like the different organs of this body. Religions may differ due to their unique ways of devotion but the spiritual eye only sees them as ‘one'. Nationalities may be many, but their spirit is ‘one' and the reason d'etre of all human beings is the same. In all his Works Mawlana has held Brotherhood of Mankind, Peace, Love and Unity above all. In a research conducted by the Nobel Institute in 2002, Mathnawi was included in the Masterpieces of Humanity and has been accepted by all religions and nations as part of World's ‘Common Heritage'. For the Mawlawis(5) however, Mathnawi is all important because it is regarded as the ‘initiating book' for those who are on the Path. Come, come, whoever you are. Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow a thousand times Come, yet again, come, come. I have seen many human beings without a dress on them. I have seen many nice dresses no human being in them. Mevlana C. Rumi Nice insanlar gördüm, üstünde elbise yok.Nice elbiseler gördüm, içinde insan yok Mevlana C. Rumi