On the 17th of December I had been so fortunate to have been invited to this extraordinary event, Rumi's birthday celebration with performance artist Gabrielle Young performing Rumi poetry accompanied by excellent musicians. (click on image below).
The evening began with passionately read Rumi poetry with soulful and beautiful music illustrating the words perfectly. As soon as she started reading the room filled with spiritual fire and I burned hot and so did many others I am sure. After a long while of this fire of the spirit it calmed down a bit and then began burning again off and on. The words and the reading of the words transported one into other places and it was like satsang totally. The fire, the heat and the burning.
After a long performance of gorgeous poetry the room was cleared of chairs and open space was created for Sufi dancing, dervish whirling for those who wanted. I didn't want to, just wanted to sit on the side lines and observe. Many partook and the music was ecstatic and it took me by surprise that my legs carried me to the floor and I began to move as well.
After a long performance of gorgeous poetry the room was cleared of chairs and open space was created for Sufi dancing, dervish whirling for those who wanted. I didn't want to, just wanted to sit on the side lines and observe. Many partook and the music was ecstatic and it took me by surprise that my legs carried me to the floor and I began to move as well.
We had been instructed in how to whirl and it wasn't difficult, or so it seemed, it shouldn't be difficult. With arms reached out to the sides, with right hand turned up as in receiving and the left hand turned down as in giving and with eyes on ones left hand one was to walk counter clockwise around ones left leg and turn as fast or as slowly as one could. As I started turning I found that it was an extraordinarily focused exercise. I had to concentrate completely on what I was doing or I would stumble and fall. I kept my eyes on my left hand and focused my attention on my chakras and staying aligned. I felt my chakras align and open to the earth and to the sky. It was an extraordinary experience of focus and concentration. I managed to do one and a half song and then my body stopped at exactly the right step and I found that my body knew what to do perfectly. My arms closed in around me and I stood for a while and then went to sit down. The meditation I entered was like none I had experienced before. Perfect alignment and clarity and focus, even though most of the group was dancing all around me wildly and ecstatically to the drum beat and only a few had managed to remain focused on the whirling.
This has been an extraordinary experience for me, the whirling. Surprising and powerful. All evening, after the performance, at a gathering at this woman's house, my head was spinning and it was hard to talk and concentrate on conversation. The following day my head was spinning still and I felt it in my whole body. I had to sit for a while in meditation with one hand turned up and the other turned down, with a cat in my lap, and slowly find balance, calm and centeredness again.
After that I went to the Buddhist stupa up the road from my house and sat there by myself for a while and experienced my head clear finally of all mental debris that comes from so much heavy thought pollution.
So now I can't think, again. All I do is watch, observe, if even that. All that which is meant to be will be and I have no thoughts about it.
After that I went to the Buddhist stupa up the road from my house and sat there by myself for a while and experienced my head clear finally of all mental debris that comes from so much heavy thought pollution.
So now I can't think, again. All I do is watch, observe, if even that. All that which is meant to be will be and I have no thoughts about it.
I am blank.
