Leeds Zikr

-



We held a gathering this afternoon in Leeds for Rumi's 'Wedding Night'. David Bellak Dede led Mevlevi zikr, explaining its gentleness and straightforwardness... how compared with very strenuous zikrs in some traditions, the Mevlevi approach is natural and unforced.

Dede wore a wonderful white felt dervish cap from Konya while sharing zikr, it really suited him! The venue was a beautiful retreat space built almost like a tree house at the edge of a wooded ridge overlooking a river, with wooden floors and walls and an oriental carpet...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suleyman Hayati Dede, Shaikh of Konya - A Biography

-
Image
    “I come to plant Mevlana’s message of universal love in this soil. The way of Mevlana, of Rumi, will grow in the West in its own way.” Suleyman Hayati Dede Suleyman Hayati Dede was the Mevlevi Shaikh of Konya until his passing in 1985. "Hayati", meaning "Divinely Alive", was his sufi name. He was born Suleyman Lorasulam around 1904 in Konya, Turkey, the old Roman city of Iconium which rose to prominence as the seat of the Seljuk Sultans of Rum a thousand years ago. The young Suleyman Lorasulam was fascinated by the Whirling Dervishes - the Mevlevi Sufi Order, created by followers of the great poet and mystic Jelaluddin Rumi to continue their teacher's spiritual influence after his death in 1273. Rumi was known by his students as Mevlana, meaning "Our Master", and so the sufi lineage stemming from him was called Mevlevi. Rumi was buried in Konya and his sufi descendants had their central training centre, or "tekke", beside his tomb. Suleym
Read more

Remembering Süleyman Hayatı Dede

-
Image
  This Friday just passed, 19th January, was the annual commemoration of Süleyman Dede, who passed from this world in 1985. Here are his own strikingly fresh words on Divine Rememberance, the sufi practice of zikr: “In order to become human, we need to always be within the Divine Presence – to be aware of God, to hold Him in our hearts. When a human being performs Zikhr, their spirit – their heart starts to open. Their intelligence becomes more refined and more expansive. Their bodies become healthier. A beautiful condition comes about – similar to the one that is brought about by good music. The whole being opens up like a flower, and the Divine Secret – the things you couldn’t understand or know about before – begin to be revealed to you." Süleyman Hayatı Dede, may his Secret abide with God
Read more