This month, our wisdom school is continuing to journey ever deeper into the nondual yet devotional path of the great Sufi mystic poets of the Islamic golden age. We have already enjoyed readings of the poems of Hafiz and Abu-Saeed and now we are being saturated with the ecstatic wisdom of the revered Farideddin Attar. Our sangha book group, led by Shunyamurti, is analyzing and reading aloud a collection of Attar’s poems beautifully translated by Vraje Abramian entitled Sweet Sorrows. What better way to inculcate love for the One Self than by reading the works of lovers who felt so acutely that liberating passion for the Divine—and particularly the Persian Sufi poets whose authentic connection and heartfelt dialogues with the Beloved One also channels so much wisdom and psychological insight? As Shunyamurti notes:
“These poems of true lovers of God are one of the most priceless jewels we have in our human heritage, to keep alive the ability to connect with the divine love in our hearts, and then open up to the fullness of a relationship to God that will become the realization of nonduality.”
On the first night of the book group, the ashram community gathered together with Shunyamurti for a brief historical and biographical introduction to the author of these pithy, haiku-and-koan-like verses. This was followed by a deeper dive into the mystical knowledge contained in these sparkling, immortal lines. We could appreciate the subtle relationship of duality within nonduality that is so beautifully captured by Attar, as Shunyamurti recited a selection of poignant lyrics from Sweet Sorrows. Our yogis entered into a trance of deep listening from the heart. A lively discussion followed, revealing how strongly our souls still resonate with such magnificent expressions of Truth penned eight centuries ago in another culture and another tongue.
This beautiful teaching transmission on Farideddin Attar’s Sweet Sorrows, entitled “Where Reason Fails, the Heart Prevails”, is available to watch in full on our Members Section. Sign up for your free 10-day trial and discover a treasure trove of our wisdom school curriculum studies, teachings, essays, book groups and guided meditations. LEARN MORE
The next meeting in this series offered an opportunity for the sangha to bring alive these magical poems in a Saturday night Drama Therapy session! The theme of the poses and playlets for the night was embodiment of divine love and the sorrow of separation by enacting Attar’s songs through dialogue and creative movement. Each group was given a selection of poems and tasked with bringing them to life. Some created little plays, some wove their poems into grand narratives, while others created expressionist dances. It was a blissful way to end a transformational week of wisdom teachings!
Last week, the study of Sufism continued with back-to-back evenings of documentary film presentations. We screened two fascinating lectures by the British Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad, probably the most highly respected European Muslim philosopher alive today. Shunyamurti offered a short, written introduction to each talk, which was read by a sangha member who later facilitated a sharing session after the discourse. These brief preambles are posted below, in addition to the links to the videos. As Shunyamurti observed:
”There were so many beautiful wisdom schools among the Sufis, which produced incredible books of poetry that are still living animators of soul-consciousness and heart opening, and that have the power to revive a heart that maybe feels it has gone dead and can no longer feel such deep feelings.”
This exploration of the Sufi path and the study of their divine teachings continue to unfold here at ashram in our daily and weekly wisdom school classes. Stay attuned, for we will soon post another blog on this unit of study. And after that, we will provide all the further book groups and satsangs from Shunyamurti on the Sufi tradition, plus all relevant guided meditations.
May these transmissions awaken the same intensity of healing love in your heart for the true Beloved Who is our eternal Self.
In-joy!
Vajra (on behalf of the Sat Yoga Sangha)
Are We Heading Towards Extinction? – Abdal Hakim Murad
In order to appreciate the poems of the great Muslim mystic Attar, it behooves us to dive deeper into the heart of Islam itself. The lecture you are about to hear is possibly the most profound explanation of the ancient roots of Islam that you may ever encounter. There is more wisdom expressed per minute than in most such talks. The concepts are subtle and you will have to listen closely. The speaker is Abdal Hakim Murad, one of the most highly respected European Muslim philosophers alive today. He is able to contextualize in global theo-historical terms the development of Islamic practices and theological rhizomes that underlie the enduring power of Islamic faith and inspiration and are attracting so many Westerners to the Sufi energy field. Listen particularly to what he says about the Ka’aba stone and connect that with the symbol of the Shiva Lingam. And coordinate the supreme idea of unity with that of nonduality, and you will feel the seamless essence from which we all as individuals emerge—and to which we are now called to return.
The Nature of Nature – Abdal Hakim Murad
Please forgive the repetition of a documentary film presentation tonight, but there are good reasons. This fascinating lecture is too important and too closely tied to yesterday’s wisdom video to delay in showing it to you. Unlike yesterday’s masterful explanation of the paradigmatic roots of Islam, this discourse by Abdal Hakim Murad is an extraordinary history lesson, a portrait of the aberrant logos of modernity, but also an analysis of the relationship of modern consciousness to Nature and to our own inner natures.
The concepts are thankfully very well illustrated, and they flesh out—a phrase of significance to the shift in humanity’s locus of attention and identification—the devil in the details of the defeat of Christendom to atheistic secularity. However, the modern western intellectual elite’s encounter with Islam, and especially the profound influence of Sufism’s very different approach to the realm of duality, has also brought the seeds of a new potentiality to bear upon our exhausted, failing, and fragmenting cultural archetype.
Thus, the evolution of the West’s cultural dismemberment and radical value revision (and I would add, ego restructuring), is nourished at a soul level by a small reservoir of absolution at the feet of Merciful Allah. In addition to augmenting our understanding of the history of this convoluted cosmic theodrama we are seemingly in, Hakim’s insights into core spiritual issues open up the immediate relevance of this knowledge to our own spiritual journeys to healing and Liberation.
