Our first obligation after our Rumi Immersion group stepped off the overnight train from Istanbul to Konya was to visit the great teachers whose lives had inspired this visit, Shams of Tabriz and Mevlana Rumi. Readers with only passing familiarity with Rumi may not recognize the name of Shams. He was Rumi's teacher and beloved friend, responsible for "splitting the cardamom seed" of Rumi's heart and opening up the spiritual gifts he gave to the world through his writing.
To visit these teachers and pay your respects, you go to their tombs. The tomb of Shams, unlike that of Rumi, is in an active mosque and not part of a museum that tourist buses visit. Those waiting to enter it are usually pilgrims from around the world and local people. As we approached, the leader of the Russian Sufis who were arrived at the same time recognized our teacher and leader Ibrahim Baba, and warm greetings were exchanged. We all went in together.
Group prayers and singing are discouraged at the tomb to keep the flow of pilgrims moving, but perhaps because of this pilgrimage week, no security officials objected when members of the Russian group began prayer chants. At their invitation, we all sat down and entered into twenty minutes of zikkr, or sacred prayer chant. The room fell still and all who were coming and going after us were caught up in this beautiful moment . It was a glorious way to begin our week in Konya.
Location:Konya, turkey
No comments:
Post a Comment