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Şeb-i Arûs

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From 13 to 21 December, 2023.

13 — 18 December — Konya

The programme includes: visits to ancient towns of Meram and Karaman, and to sacred and historic places in Konya — the Mevlana Museum, Sems-i Tebrizi Tomb and Mosque and other sites, also, Ebru marbling workshops, the Sema ceremony, the night of poetry, lectures and zikrs.

18 — 21 December — Istanbul

The programme includes: visits to the Suleymaniye Mosque, Aya Sophia, the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque), the Museum of Art, as well as discussions and lectures based on psychology of Sufism.

For more information write to: mevlana.riga@gmail.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][us_image_slider ids=»3294,3303,3306,3261,3192,3354″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Sheb-i Arus

[vc_row][vc_column width=»1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]“When we are dead, do not turn your eyes to the ground, seeking my grave!
My grave will be in the hearts of the wise”

Jalaluddin Rumi… He made his first breath when he honored this world with his birth, it happened in Balkh many centuries ago, and now he was prepared to breath his last in Konya…  The allotted to him heartbeats, measured in blessings, love and faith, were coming to their end.  Rumi’s will was gravitating towards the other side.

“How can you know my soul’s Sultan and the universe?!
Be not confused by gilded yellow face. My foot is iron-hard.
I am the glorious sun, the ocean filled with pearls.
My heart is heaven-sized.
I am the bee that flies around the bowl of world.
But hardly can you hear my buzzing.
I fill my hives with verbal honey.
And ‘tis more sacred than Kalam.
I have a dove house built for doves of soul.
Oh, doves of spirit, come to me, yet, come!
I will subside: your mind is weak, no strength you gained for understanding.
You look spellbound: “My mind can grasp what you are hiding.”
Forget, you cannot fool me!”

At the hour the red sphere of the sun touched the Tekeli mountains, the Head of the Konya Medrese, Mevlana Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi was gone.

But the author of “the Mathnawi” and “Fihi Ma Fih” (“It is as it is”), the inspirer of the Sufi tariqa Mevlevi, the poet, the philosopher, one of the greatest sages — Jalaluddin Rumi — has remained with the mankind forever to be reborn with each new generation for as long as the mankind itself remains to exist.

The day of the meeting with the Beloved one

For Mevlana the completion (end) of our terrestrial life is a spiritual transformation and true existence: a human is happy before their birth, because their spirit is free and unchained, but after being born they become a hostage in their own body.

Rumi believed that our soul becomes free from terrestrial chains and reunites with the Beloved, the Creator of all things. And it is not what we need to be afraid of, because a transition to the other side, in its essence, is a meeting with the Almighty and the beginning of eternal life. This is why Mevlana called the day of death “Sheb-i Arus”, which stands for “the wedding day” or “the day of the meeting with the Beloved”. He asked his friends not to grieve after his death.

On the day I die, don’t wring your hands
Don’t cry, don’t talk about separation!
This is not parting, but a goodbye day.
The luminary has gone down, but it will rise.
The grain has fallen into the ground — it will sprout!

Since that time several centuries have passed, but Jalaluddin Rumi’s teaching continues to enlighten human souls and paths.

His poetry is addressed to all people, beyond times, cultures and beliefs. And its effect will last as long as generations of people are born: “If all nations translate and read Mevlana’s works in their languages, hostility, wars, revenge and hatred will disappear from this world.” (I.Melikoff).

Mevlana’s messages, which incorporated grains of wisdom, were aimed at seeding love, peace and understanding among people, are gaining a special meaning nowadays, and light the way to life in peace and harmony.

This year, by the will of Almighty, we organized on 16 December 2021 a live broadcast of the Sema ceremony from Riga, and having united our hearts in common aspiration, we honoured the memory of the Great Sage Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi.

 

Love,
The Mevlevi Order in Riga

Sources:
R.Fisch, Sh.Jan, Open Educational Resources.

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Concert “The Touch” — 19.08.2021

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On a wonderful summer evening, under the celestial noise of the Starfall every heart will be touched by the performance of the string quartet from Cesis. The programme features pieces of classical and light music.

The Cesis string quartet was founded in 1997 and since then has performed in many cities of Latvia. In 2001 the musicians enrolled in Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, and in 2003 all the quartet musicians could feel proud about the awarded master degrees. Alongside the concert performances the Cesis string quartet actively expands its repertoire choices in and beyond classical music.

The musicians:

ILZE PETROVSKA. The best cellist of Vidzeme, the principal cellist of the Vidzeme chamber orchestra, leads cello classes in Cesis Music Secondary School named after Alfreds Kalninsh, and in Jāņa Norviļa Madona Music School.

FIONA VILNITE.  The 2nd principal cellist of the Vidzeme chamber orchestra, leads cello classes in Cesis primary school No. 1.

AGNIS KRUZITIS.  The principal violist of the Vidzeme chamber orchestra, leads violin classes in Cesis Music Secondary School named after Alfreds Kalninsh.

ANDRIS RIEKSTINSH. The winner of the international contest “Synfonia Baltica”, leads violin classes in Cesis Music Secondary School named after Alfreds Kalninsh and in Dzerbene Music School, the principal of the orchestra of Jāņa Norviļa Madona Music school.

Time and venue: 19 August, 19:00, 46 Priedaines str., Riga.

Tickets: EUR 15.00 (for students and seniors EUR 10.00). Tickets are available at the venue prior to the start of the concert.

Concert host: the society “AUSTRUMU KULTŪRAS CENTRS”

The concert visitors are asked to comply with the listed below criteria, to be proved by the digital Covid-19 certificate:

  • vaccination against Covid-19;
  • recovery from Covid-19 within the last 6 months;
  • a 48-hour old or less negative Covid-19 test, with SARS-CoV-2 RNS;
  • a negative rapid antigen test. Valid for 6 hours.
  • Children under 12 years old (do not need any certificate).

Upon arrival at the concert, you will be asked to present your identity document together with the valid digital Covid-19 certificate, which is available on www.covid19sertifikats.lv.

         Please check the Covid safety requirements for updates on the day of the concert.

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Holy month of Ramadan

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The time of the holy month of Ramadan is coming. This year Ramadan starts on 13 April and will last until 12 May. Ramadan is a rejuvenating period for all true believers, a chance of soul-enrichment, inner strength, purification from all troubles, having dwelled in our souls and hearts. This is another chance to make a step towards God.

Sincere prayers, reflections about the life and laws of genesis help on the way of self-perfection, help to understand which direction is to be chosen for active development. This time is beneficial for rightful deeds, when by the guidance of heart we can recall about people in need and close relations who urge for a helping hand, even if they cannot always admit it. This time is beneficial for spiritual reading and reflections about the Prophet’s words. This is a period of consious actions, which are first and foremost useful for our souls, as only our soul keeps the keys to the tru happiness. The most important is to believe that you are always under God’s patronage, and that He will always lead you onto the correct path and will give you calm. He let us be born to live in happiness and wisdom, to strengthen our spirit.

Our congratulations on this valuable and significant event. We wish you a feeling of new unique miracles of earthly life, happiness, love and extraordinary kindness.

With Love,
the Mevlevi Order in Riga[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Şeb-i Arus — 17.12.2020

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As-salamu Alaykum, dear friends!

17 December is a very meaningful day for all the dervishes of the Mevlevi order in Riga – the commemoration day of the great Master, poet, mystic and inspirer of the Mawlawia tariqa, Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi, who passed away in 1273.

Mevlana considered the day of death as the day of resurrection and continued eternal life. Rumi believed that at the moment of death a soul is deliberated from the prison of an earthbound mortal body and unites with its Beloved one, with the Creator. He did not believe in death as ultimate disappearance, it meant for him continued life in a different quality, in a unity with the initial source.

It is the day of Mevlana’s passing away that is called Şeb-i Arus, which can be translated as “the wedding day” or “the day of meeting with the Beloved”- the time, when a soul bird flies off to be free. For those, who follow the path of the Mevlevis, Şeb-i Arus is the feast of spiritual purity and unity, love and beauty, revealed to us by the Almighty to his lovers in every moment of life.

Nearly 750 years have passed since then. Pilgrims and guests come to Konya every year to take part in solemn events of Şeb-i Arus. Same as we did, believing Konya to be our second home, if not the first one… This year, by the will of God, we can visit Konya only in a common aspiration of our hearts, addressing there our thoughts and abiding in the soul’s memories.

Our meeting is going to be organized in the format of Zoom-conference.

Certainly, none of technologies can replace the warmth of personal communication. But owing to and despite everything, touching and wise poetry of Rumi and music played by the Mevlevi dervishes will be on air this day.

For more information, please write to the e-mail:

info@mevlana.lv

Date and time of the meeting: 17 December 2020, at 19.00.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Changes as an integral part of our life

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Changes occur all the time – it is a natural and inevitable process of our life. Everything is changing around: we can observe us getting older, our kids growing, our body changing, our attitude to our partners, friends and parents getting different. We always find something new in the surrounding world – as everything in it is being a subject to changes.

Still the human nature is arranged so, that any changes cause us to feel resistance or rejection, as they become a sort of stress to our world. Any intrusion of something new into our life is accompanied by disillusionment – we are afraid to lose control over circumstances. Basically, people resist not to changes themselves, but to their sequences – we are not sure in the results of these changes and in their influence upon our well-established life, in new emotional states, feelings and conclusions.

Changes themselves are neither positive, nor negative. What matters in acceptance of changes is how we treat them – our reactions, conclusions and dominating emotions. Actually this lets these changes come into our life impact it in a positive or negative way. To let us ride out all life moments and face the future, it is necessary to percept changes as a natural course of life – fill it with a new meaning, feelings and emotions, and live our lives as a mystery and be less afraid and anxious.
There are many theories, techniques, practices related to this issue. Here, we are calling your attention to a summarized version of change perception stages concept.

So…

5 stages of changes, or how our change perception undergoes five sequential stages.

1 stage – Rejection, or “No, it can’t be so”.[/vc_column_text][us_single_image image=»3165″ size=»full»][vc_column_text]Such phrases as “I can’t believe it”, “It can’t be so”, “It couldn’t’t happen to me!” could describe our reactions. But what you have to remember is that changes come to our life to let us change something in ourselves or in our lives. Surely, when something is changing in our conventional routine, it is very difficult to accept and the first reaction to appear is rejection.

For instance, when a person is fired from work or something happens in partner relations: perhaps, they have reached their limits, or they have become “dead” in fact. At the stage of rejection a person may think that there is a chance to save the situation, or that it has just seemed. This stage features the paradigm “I will survive it, and tomorrow my life will go its usual way”.

The stage of rejection means our reluctance to accept the changed conditions or the seriousness of the situation we are in, and also our expectation that everything will just fall into place by itself. At this stage a person is not able to integrate new information into life paradigms. All the information related to existing changes is often rejected or ignored. A typical reaction is like: “It can’t happen to me” or “If I ignore it, all this will pass at a distance”.

This stage can last for an indefinite period of time – all depends on a person’s willingness and ability to move to the next stages. The danger is that getting stuck here a person cannot draw a line and move on.

2 stage – Irritation.[/vc_column_text][us_single_image image=»3170″ size=»full»][vc_column_text]This stage is also quite normal, because a person loses his customized life mechanisms. Here come anxiety and fears about the future. Appear the thoughts like “Why me?”, “It’s unfair!”,”No! I can’t accept this!”, “When is it going to finish?”

Here comes a new stage, when we do not know yet how to act and our irritation is a natural reaction. When we recognize that the changes are real and they have already touched us, our rejection turns into irritation and anger – we start blaming someone or something for what is happening to us. Curiously enough, our irritation can be directed at anything. People can become annoyed by their bosses, by themselves, by the economic situation, and even by God. You can get peeved at colleagues or family members, and you can discover that people start clashing for the sake of nothing. At this stage we need to be extremely careful, as our irritation has impact on the people closest to us.

If are at this stage, try to find the mechanisms, which could help you to cope with your irritation. Most effective are some dynamic activities: active recreation – jogging, exercises, dancing to dynamic music, housework and cleaning. Men can do sports or work outdoors. Those, who tend to “eat their emotions”, need to be very cautious – perhaps, they will be attracted to the fridge.

3 stage – Bargaining.[/vc_column_text][us_single_image image=»3173″ size=»full»][vc_column_text]Bargaining takes place when we understand clearly that the situation has already occurred, and that if we are in it, we have done something wrong. At this stage we try to make a deal (bargain) with ourselves, with the universe, just to remain in the former positions. Most of deals we try to make with God, with life. We say: “If I promise to do this, then … “. We start bargaining just to pull the changes away or to find the way out – “I will do, if …”, “Only…”.  A person starts making a deal with himself and the people around just to avoid the negative sequences of changes. There appears kind of a list of promises, based mainly on fears. For example, if a person worries about health, he promises to walk more, to take vitamins, to do exercises, etc. At this stage it is necessary to correlate the activated fears with the promises we give ourselves. Still it is important to remember that unfulfilled promises become frustrations and “anchors”, which afterwards impact negatively on the future life.
Important note: the previous stages included different forms of rejection – this stage gets us closer to the process of acceptance.

4 stage – Sadness.[/vc_column_text][us_single_image image=»3176″ size=»full»][vc_column_text]At this stage understanding and appreciation of the changes appear – that time and those opportunities are gone. Life “BEFORE” was planned and had set priorities, but now is the stage of total unknown. Here such questions as “How to live on?”, “How to cope with all this?” come to mind. When we understand, that bargaining does not give any effect, the coming changes become real. When we embrace all the possible changes in life, which will lead to further changes, it makes us feel sadness and kind of despondency.

But there is good news! At this very moment when we recognize that fighting changes does not help, we move to the stage of acceptance. For the first time we start assessing the prospects – assessment of the prospects might give rise to inspiration and creativity, as it makes people explore and search for new opportunities. We discover something new in ourselves, being necessary for the stage of acceptation.
In real life we submerge into different stages at different times and even can come back to the stages we believed to remain in the past, stages can last for different periods, can alternate or exist in parallel, until the moment when the changes become certain deeds or prospective projects. At that very second stage 5 starts – we have not just accepted the changes, but we reorganized our life in the present reality: our relations with beloved people, attitude to health, to work, etc. and we are happy in our today.

5 stage – Acceptance.[/vc_column_text][us_single_image image=»3179″ size=»full»][vc_column_text]Acceptance means that a person is already prepared to work effectively in new conditions. In their essence not changes, but restrictions and losses we suffer are frightening for us. In the situation of pandemic, for instance, lots of people had to change their normal routines, met restrictions or impossibility to act in a usual way (eat in restaurants, go shopping, visit theatres, meet with people, etc.). And the clearer is our understanding of what we have lost, the clearer is the picture – was it really important and vitally essential. We need to analyze our losses, to think of what we are really afraid to lose. It can help us reduce the zone of stress, will give us a clue for direction of further reorganization of our life and we will face the future more peacefully. This hope brings faith that the changes have good prospective, and that everything what is happening has its own special meaning, which we will understand after a while. It is an important characteristic of our ability to cope successfully with the changes – any situation gives an opportunity of growth and development, understanding of the meaning of our actions and emotions.

Someone gets puzzled facing unexpected turns of destiny, but someone comprehends that in the essence crucial changes are always accompanied by surprises – you can feel surprised, or irritated. The choice is always up to us – we spend our forces on resistance or we accumulate energy to integrate the changes with our life.

In conclusion, a short yet very simple practice, which will help to see the routine from the different point.

Practice: Day as a GIFT!

[/vc_column_text][us_single_image image=»3182″ size=»full»][vc_column_text]See your new day as a GIFT! Not as an ordinary everyday, loaded with different kind of affairs, obligations, obscure feelings, but as a gift. And think of how would you like to use it? What would you like to do during this day, what positive emotions and feelings would you like to fill it with, what colours would you like to paint it with?

To let the tomorrow of our dream come true, we need to have the today, where we feel ourselves happy, healthy and deserving.

 

With Love,
The Order of Mevlevi[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Merits of Ramadan

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This year the holy month of Ramadan started on 24 April.

Compliance with the rules of Ramadan is of great importance for believers and has impacts as on the human body, as on the human spirit – we restrict ourselves to food, but our soul is filled up. Since ancient times the calendar of oriental nations had a holy month, which banned any military actions, robberies, looting, conflicts, lawsuits, divorces, and carouses. That period allowed people to rest from violence and disputes; farmers, herdsmen, and merchants could take a breather and have no worries about attacks, the society was returning to balance. Prophet Muhammad added this wise tradition with the necessity of Ramadan fasting.

Patience as a part of divine nature of humans[/vc_column_text][us_single_image image=»3225″ size=»tnail-3×2″ align=»center»][vc_column_text]First of all, observance of fasting and rules of Ramadan helps to build and practice patience. Patience, as one of supreme goodnesses, means to see divine providence in everything, and to accept the will of Almighty. It is thanks to patience that we change our attitude to different things in our life – we can control our anger, impulsive actions and not to give over to the emotion of irritation, being a part of our primordial nature. Patience is not in our human nature, but it is in the divine one, therefore we have an opportunity to build and strengthen it. Observance of Ramadan fasting gives us calm. Such a balanced state of soul gets us closer to the source – this calm teaches us to live in harmony with our thoughts and emotions, because we distance ourselves from the vanity of worldly desires.

Reflections on values and intentions[/vc_column_text][us_single_image image=»3228″ size=»tnail-3×2″ align=»center»][vc_column_text]Ramadan gives an opportunity of privacy, reflection and concentration. We can concentrate on our inner state, formulate our intention (niyat) based on reasons of the soul for the whole period of Ramadan, or for every new day optionally (for instance: to look at our life from outside, reevaluate it).
Prior doing something a person initially makes up the roadmap and the ways to reach the goal, for example: getting rid of some addiction, or habit. Intention has a key role in evaluation of one’s steps and ability to focus on them. This rule may be applied to all spheres of human life. Following it, we have a chance to act consciously at any moment of human life, witnessing God in every moment.

Healing effect of Ramadan[/vc_column_text][us_single_image image=»3231″ size=»tnail-3×2″ align=»center»][vc_column_text]The change in daily rhythm and diet, mandatory pray in certain times of the day provide an opportunity to stop identifying ourselves with our body and emotions, with earthly life. In the fuss of everyday routines we identify ourselves through outer factors and circumstances, not through our divine qualities. Showing esteem to the needs of our physical body, taking into account its specifics, we still understand that the body cannot manage our life, subordinate us and our interests, that it is just a shell for our soul. During Ramadan we learn to switch our thoughts, to redirect them, to refrain from usual earthly demands of our body. Here, reading, also of spiritual literature, music, walks are of great help. Due to Ramadan, as to any kind of fasting, we become more stress-resistant, more flexible and adaptable to changing life circumstances.


The diet during Ramadan can give tremendous therapeutic effect to our metabolic and digestion systems (liver, kidney, lymph purification, etc.). As in everything in our life, eating habits also need to be moderate. Following Ramadan rules is extremely important, but personal sincerity and desire of a person, who decided to observe the holy month of Ramadan are important too. In the societies, where Ramadan is not traditional, people may feel it difficult to get to observe stricter rules, specified for this period. This is why it is necessary to be honest to oneself and understand where our inner resistance is, and where is a real reason, connected to our health problems, what our reluctance is based on. We can start accustoming ourselves bit by bit, by forsaking some habits for this time. We can try to get this tremendous experience as a conscious experiment, listening to ourselves, observing our thoughts and desires, learning who we are.

We are wishing to everybody new marvelous discoveries in themselves and in the surrounding world, good health and mood.

With love,
The Mevlevi Order[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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“Love is wonderland”, afterword…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The unforgettable evening of 2 February, 2020 made an enjoyable musical atmosphere, every moment was woven of love and art – the sounds of the instruments from different continents and epoques united into a harmonious melody. The arph touched the strings of our souls, the ney penetrated the hearts, and the rhythm of the daf tuned us in pulsing of creation: „Its ring is the world, the universe; the skin stretched over it is an absolute existence; a struck on it is a transfer from inner world to external being” – the holy scriptures say about it.

In ancient times the arph was considered as the instrument of gods, in Medieval times – the one of priests and theologians, at the end of the last century it became a popular guest of aristocratic salons, but today – it is a formidable instrument mainly played by women, but listened by everyone, without exception. Its strings are like golden sunny rays, its shape  is like a buterfly wing – so it is not surprising that it is the arph, which is considered as the most beautiful and poetic musical instrument. And what is more – as a mysterious on, because Lilian Langsepp’s mastership, her knowledge and proficiency in other struck string instruments, her talent of improvisation and synthesis allowed the union of the unlikely instruments. The daf played by Arad Emamgholi showed a real sense and unity with this ancient instrument, release of its potential — its acoustic diapason, strength and intensity. Dariush Rasouli is a rare ney player, whose mastership makes it sing the melody of heart. It is the gift of chosen to get such a tender, clear and soft sound out of the ney: with smooth cadences it turned the audience to the sacramental origins of birth – because a human gets life as a gift with the firsth breath by the will of Almighty.

Such music cannot leave modern people indifferent despite technologies and everyday fuss they are surrounded with. The moments, when God speaks to us with help of music and musicians are expecially precious nowadays – the public will be looking forward to new meetings with the talented musicians, who will give concerts in Riga again and again.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Photo by Ivan Varshavsky:

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The trip to our “roots” (11 – 18 December, 2019)

[vc_row][vc_column width=»1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]The trip to our “roots” (11 – 18 December, 2019)

(11.12.) Our trip started in Istanbul, where our large group had been coming to by different routes. Our decent, esteemed and dear friend Hameed Chishty from the far away Ajmer (India), the sheikh of the Chishty order, also joined us and shared the whole journey with us.
Right on the first evening of our stay in Istanbul we had an unforgettable meeting with the sheikh of the Bektashi order — Mehmet Rasim Mutlu – Mutlu Baba, who invited us to his house. We didn’t even know how the time passed when having an engaging talk about Sufism and zikr. Who are we? Where are we from and where are we going to? What do we live for and what do we wish? The wisest sheikh with sparkling eyes was catching us off-guard with more and more eternal questions – such simple and complex at the same time. The questions, which we will be answering during the whole life, and, as out Master explained afterwards, which we will ask ourselves over and over again, in attempt to get to the very core of our inner transformations. At the end we received a Mutlu Baba’s good-bye instruction – the sheikh called on us not to be afraid of wishing, making mistakes and falling, as everything in our lives happens only by the will of God, and even when we fall we are given wings from the heaven, which help us to rise and to continue our Way.

(12.12.) God gave us another wonderful day in Istanbul, sunny and warm like in the spring. Some of us for the first time had an opportunity to feel the busy rhythm of the Taksim area, to travel by tram around Istanbul and to take the tube. Having prayed in the mosque of Sultan Ahmet, and having admired its beauty and greatness, we set out to the Temple of Transformation, which itself had passed through amazing transformations: there were neither swimming fish, nor water.  It turned out that the water, having accumulated all the energies of modern life in the megapolis started destroying the underground temple from inside. Restoration experts had to pump all the water out to protect the walls and the columns of the temple. To our joy the ancient sacred place has not lost its mystic powers and reminded us that souls come to this Earth from the divine ocean as perfect drops, but, just as a ray of light, which passes through the layer of water and changes its path, our “ray” undergoes refraction when passes through the thick earthly space.
After the underground temple we went to the mosque of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. This is the most beautiful mosque in Istanbul – Suleymanie – the architect Sinan’s masterpiece. The yard of the mosque keeps tombs of the Sultan himself, his wife Hurrem Haseki-sultan, and their daughter Mihrimah, as well as of two other Ottoman Sultans – Sultan Ahmet the Second and Sultan Suleyman the Second. We had a rare opportunity to enter the sepulcher, to bow our heads and to pray that a great power of love for good would prevail in our lives, same as in the life of Suleyman the Magnificent, who was inspired by it to create the most powerful and prosperous empire of that time. Same evening we visited one of the most ancient Sufi darghas in Istanbul ­ — the Rifai dargah — AYNA ALI BABA.

(13.12.) Early in the morning, on a comfortable train, going with an incredible speed of 250 km/hour we set out to our spiritual roots, going to our “home” city – Konya – the city of Rumi and Shams. Having accommodated and relaxed a bit in the wonderful hotel Pasapark, with throbbing hearts we went to the tombs of our Peers – Nuri Baba and Ali Baba. In the evening, after the conversation with our Master about Sufi issues, we were meeting our dear friends at the hotel for zikr. Our old and dear friends and participants of the festival “RUMI FEST” from different years – Nurullah Özdem, the skillful hattat and wonderful singer, the ney player Hulusi Özbay and the kudum and bendir player Engin Baykal. It was an amazing evening filled with gratitude and remembrance of God.

(14.12.)  In the evening, on the square in front of the Mevlana mausoleum, under the starry sky of Konya, our zikr found new sound, colours and depth – the voice of ney and whirling dervishes — just as in ancient times of Rumi and Shams – were inviting to celebrate together life and love. That morning we went to Karaman. First we visited the mausoleum of Yunus Emre, the Turkish poet considered to be the founder of Turkish prosody. His most famous verses are “Sevelim ve sevilelim”, translated from Turkish as „Let’s love and be loved”. Yunus Emre was a Kuran hafiz, he knew perfectly the Hadiths and helped common people to understand the holy scriptures by retelling them in everyday Turkish language. Afterwards we made namaz and zikr in the mosque that keeps the tomb of Mümine Hatun – Rumi’s mother inside.  In the evening, in Konya, we expected to meet with our good friends from Istanbul and Iran. And, by convention, at the end of another wonderful day, we made zikr in the circle of close friends.

(15.12.) That was the day of hospitality, art, music and beauty – there was arranged the sufi session “Heart speaks to Heart”. By 2 o’clock in the afternoon we were expecting the guests from all over the world, so that we could share with them our memories, gratitude and love to the heritage of Jalaladdin Rumi and our dear Peer Ali Baba – the Sultan of Sultans, the peer of many orders and tariqas, the sheikh of the Mevlevi order. Together with our kindred friends from Konya – representatives of the centre Destegül Güzel Sanatlar Merkezi, and magnificent musicians from Konya and Iran we had prepared the program, which featured three parts. The first part of the program presented the master class of the famous hattat (the master of calligraphy) Ali Kemal Kakan, the founder of the cultural centre Destegül. The master told about the stages of calligraphy learning, and we could see the creation of a new masterpiece to the incredibly beautiful tune. And we are expressing our special gratitude to Serpil Kakan for her perfect translation from Turkish to English. In the second part of the program we were admiring how fabulous flowers and astonishing ornaments were appearing on the water under simple waves of brush by the Ebru artist Yonji Eryilmaz and could enjoy performance of songs to Rumi’s poetry by the Iranian musical group. The program finished with the performance of Latvian and Turkish musicians – the singer Hulusi Özbay and the ney player Tayyip Enes Korkmaz. Nothing better than mysticism of zikr and sema could finalize the Sufi session and brighten up the evening in Konya.

(16.12.) Our last day in Konya we started by visiting the sacred places: the Mevlana mausoleum, the tomb of Ali Baba and the tomb of Shams. Having received the blessing, we gathered for the last Sufi conversation in this trip. Filled with joy we went to Ali Baba’s dargha. After dargha, under the starry sky, near the Mevlana mausoleum, we were singing zikr together with kindred people and then we went to celebrate Seb-i-Arus in a huge concert hall of one hotel in Konya, where Mevlevi dervishes (Riga) were whirling to the music of Iranian musicians.

(17.12.) Leaving home – our beloved Konya – is always sad. But there is no reason for sadness, because this place lives eternally in our hearts, and we, in sha’ Allah, will return there again. We will return there to meet with everything and everybody that is dear and precious for us…

Besides, Seb-i-Arus hadn’t finished yet, and we were going to Istanbul, where we were invited for the dinner at the oldest dargha of the Kadiria order, existing since more than four hundred years. The megapolis met us with dazzling sunshine.
After a short rest we set out to the dargha. During the ferry tour along the bendy gulf of Golden Horn (turk. Haliç) we could see marvelous sights of Istanbul. Exactly at the set hour we stepped over the threshold of the oldest dargha.

The dargha of the Kadiria order has not ceased to exist for many centuries and has kept the Mevlevi Sema ceremony tradition. When political thawing came and the Mevlevi order could renew its activities officially, the Kadiria dargha returned the right to perform the Big Sema Ceremony to the city of Rumi, Konya.

The women had an opportunity to get acquainted to the honoured Betül Erkmenkul, the wife of the current sheikh. We learned a lot about the history, customs and traditions of the ancient dargha. The men talked in the presence of eight sheikhs of different sufi tariqas headed by the Peer of Kadiria, highly esteemed Kamil Eren Erkmenkul – Eren Bey.

That festive night we became a part of the ancient mystery of the Mevlevi order – a part of the Big Sema Ceremony, performed by semazens of the Mevlevi order (Riga) and our brothers, Turkish musicians Nurullah Özdem, Hulusi Özbay, Ahmet Cavit Altınkaynak and Harun Korkmaz. This will remain with us forever.

(18.12.) Having safely returned back home, we could not believe that we had been away from Riga only for eight days. So meaningful and eventful was our unique trip to Turkey.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][us_gallery ids=»3085,2848,3082,2836,3046,2842,3049,2914,3031,2827,3043,2839,3079,2818,3076,3073,2845,3064,3067,3070,3061,3058,3055,3052,3016,3019,2831,3022,2986,2983,2980,3025,2989,2992,2821,3013,2815,2833,3028,2788,2995,2806,2803,3034,3037,3001,3004,3040,3007,3010,2977,2998,2974,2971,2968,2965,2962,2959,2956,2953,2950,2947,2944,2908,2911,2917,2920,2923,2926,2929,2935,2932,2938,2941,2905,2902,2899,2896,2893,2890,2887,2884,2881,2878,2875,2872,2851,2854,2857,2860,2863,2866,2869,2824,2812,2809,2800,2797,2794,2791″ columns=»5″ indents=»1″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Events Publications

Visit of the Chishti sheikh (Pakistan) to Riga

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This year in the middle of September our tekke welcomed a like-minded friend and associate – the esteemed Chishti sheikh (Pakistan) Sahibzada Asim Maharvi Chishty accompanied by his closest companion Punjabi Baithak.

Sahibzada Asim Maharvi Chishty was born in Maharsharif (Pakistan). He comes from the family of the great Sufi saint of Chishti order – Hazrat Khwaja Noor Muhammad Maharvi. He studied in a spiritual Sufi environment and has absorbed all the traditions since very childhood. He started travelling very early for learning and sharing of knowledge in Central Asia, Russia, England and the USA, also he met Sufi masters of different tariqas, and was privileged to serve them. Sahibzada Asim Maharvi founded a publishing house, publishes classical Sufi works. Gives lectures, organizes spiritual and training workshops around the world.

In a friendly atmosphere we discussed relevant themes of belief and wisdom of holy scriptures; of moral compasses and inner experiences of a human, of cultural heritage, and of the world and humanity as a whole in the époque of globalization.[/vc_column_text][us_gallery ids=»1418,1421,1424,1430,1436,1439,1442,1445″ columns=»6″ indents=»1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]