Divine Love

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The Master of Divine Love

Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu,
Buddhist, sufi or zen. Not any religion.

or cultural system. I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up.

From the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
composed of elements at all. I do not exist,

am not entity in this world or the next,
did not descent from Adam and Eve or any

origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.

I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
world as one and that one call to and know,

first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.

by Mevlana Jelauddin RUMI

Date of Birth: September 30, 1207
Date of Death: December 17, 1273
The place: Konya, seat of the Seljuk Empire in Asia minor
The scene: Greeks, Jews, Turks, Moslems, all crowded; music of flutes that fills the air with cries; chanting and prayers rising up from each religion.
The occasion: The earthly death-spiritual reunion of the King of Hearts with his beloved.
Place: The 13th century Mevlana Mausoleum with its mosque, dance hall, dervish living quarters, school and tombs of some leaders of the Mevlevi Order continues to draw pilgrims from all parts of the Muslim and non-Muslim world.
Who is that? He is Mevlana Jelauddin Rumi.

Well, why over 800 years after his death he is still important? Why his words and thoughts are causing such a stir? Who is he? Here is one of the ways in which he described himself:

My Mother is Love,
My Father is Love,
My Prophet is Love,
My God is Love,
I am a child of Love,
I have come only to speak of Love.

Saint Mevlana came as a unifier to all humanity. For him, the essential meaning of the brotherhood is to be in service for all the world people and to rescue the people from pessimism and hopelessness. The sufist thought initiated by Mevlana in Anatolia took and takes large masses under its influence, with its infinite tolerance towards to people and its humble approach.

So, UNESCO decided to be associated with the celebration of 800th anniversary of the birth of Mevlana in all member countries with theme of ''2007 Year of Mevlana''. You can visit Mevlana Museum here.

In Turkey there is lots of art and culture activities titled Mevlana. Inspirational traces of Mevlana can be seen in Fine Arts from ceramics, fiber arts to glass, for many. Art displays an attitude fitting to Mevlana's wealth of heart. To see a spectacular event at the glass furnace where glass meets the philosophy of Mevlana, read here. Here are another art studies from artists, including me as well:) One of them is the Ceramic Show ''Whirl of Earth and Fire'' which met with viewers at Art Gallery of Turkish-American Association in capital city Ankara. Below you see the show of artist Serdar Mutlu that he transferred his Sufism and Mevlana research onto original ceramic surfaces (photo taken from Journal of Turkish Ceramics Federation):

In Mevlana's way to all people with love and affection, that the men and women of this path mary, raise families, work and take part in the joys and sorrows of the world while at the same time attempting to attain a reunion with God by giving emphasis to their spiritual state. Their intention is to live as true human-beings, cleansed of animalistic characteristics. While developing the spiritually each one is to be an example to others of loving kindness, patience and tolerance. So the relationship with the spiritual master is of essence in the Mevlana's path.


* Photos taken by my DS Bengi -dear sister- during a Sufi concert in Istanbul given by Mercan Dede, a Turkish composer, ney and bendir player.

In the sufi tradition, Sema dancing -also known as the dance of the Whirling Dervishes- represents a mystical journey of spiritual ascent through mind and love to ''Perfect''. Sema and its mystic music are food for the spirit. As the dervishes enter the circle their arms crossed across their chests. In this position, they resemble a ''one'', signifying the Unity of God. During the Sema their arms are extended with the right hand opened upward, the left hand turned downward. The meaning of this is:

From God we receive, to man we give, we keep nothing to ourselves.

The Sema, both for those turning and those participating but not turning is to bringing them closer to the realization of the Unity of God. Four full hours of nothing, but joy and words of love and always smiling faces while dancing. As an extra information, that Sema is widely used as a name for women in Turkey:)

In the words of Mevlana, he says that: ''If you have entered the Sema, you will leave both worlds; the world of the Sema is outside both worlds.'' Sufi Music Concert and the formal Sema Ceremony is being offered at a 500-year-old former Mevlevi Temple. Thus, the Sema is an appropriate place to worship together. In God's eyes, men and women are the one. So the Sema is the meaning for humans to reach Divine Reality.

We are pleased hosting Queen Sophia of Spain since yesterday, the rest of news here. She made shopping at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalicarsi), that's one of the largest covered markets in the world with 4,000 shops and ~ 250,000-400,000 visitors daily, and then she went to Konya City in the central part of Anatolia, where is the home of dervishes, for a Mevlana event and ceremonies. (Source photo taken from the local newspaper, Hurriyet)

My wish is ''A Mevlana in every space'' and to reach ''A wealth of heart'' like him.

Come, come again!
Whatever you are...
Whether you are infidel,
Idolater or fireworshipper.
Whether you have broken your vows
of repentance a hundred times
This is not the gate of despair
This is the gate of hope.
Come, come again...