Vanished! Into thin air! Grief gives birth to life; sadness to joy. The sudden disappearance of the beloved teacher of Sufi mystic Rumi, plunged him into the depths of despair. One day in the mosque, almost fainting he grabbed a column and slowly walked around and around, counter clockwise. Slowly round and round. Words of poetry came pouring out of him. Remarkable, divine poetry. Breaking through the darkness into light, he radiated a luminescence from inside to out. He was suddenly living the Love and adoration of his God. Poems of Love and Praise emanated from Rumi. His students were overwhelmed with the sincerity and depth of his words. His love of his master and worldly people and objects was transformed to love for Allah or God. For living in this radiance transcends all worldly love. All is one. The shock of this glowing, circumambulating teacher gave way to praise and adoration of all those present. His students began writing down his words and it is these words of Love that inspire us to this day; 800 years later. Old age or new age?

Born in 1207, in a region of Persia, Rumi and his family were forced to flee the onslaught of Ghengis Khan. The Mongols were advancing behind the tiny fleeing caravan, spreading death and destruction in their path. Traveling for years first to Mecca then throughout the Middle East they finally were called to Konya, in central Anatolia Turkey, an important stop along the Silk Road. Currently peaceful, Konya was a crossroads of learning, cultures and religions; Islam, Judeo Christian, Hindu and Buddhist. There Rumi’s father became the head of a Sufi learning community and upon his death Rumi stepped into his place as teacher and healer in the mosque. As is often the case in life, Rumi was settling a little too comfortably into his existence, his human storyline. Life provided a shock, to jolt him along his spiritual path, when a wandering Syrian Sufi dervish and mystic, appeared in the streets of Konya. Shams al Din (Sun of Religion) of Tabriz, possessed an overwhelming personality and for months they were inseparable. Shams al Din revealed to Rumi or Jalal al-Din the mysteries of divine majesty and beauty. Infatuated with these teachings, Rumi neglected his disciples, teachings in the mosque, and family so that they forced Shams to leave the town in February 1246. Rumi’s eldest son travelled to Syria to retrieve Shams in an effort to pull his Father out of despair at the loss of his teacher and friend. Once back in Konya the two again became inseparable, caught up in the ecstasy of living closely, continually and completely in the Love called God.

Jealousy once again reared it’s ugly green head and one night in 1247 Shams disappeared, without a trace, forever. Rumi was heartbroken. In this land of intrigue, the truth of what really happened was unknown for centuries. It was proven in the 20th century that Shams was in fact murdered, and quickly buried next to a well in Konya; not without the knowledge of Rumi’s sons.

Suddenly separated from his teacher and dear friend, Rumi was devastated. From the depths of despair Rumi once again connected to the sunshine of his internal source, but now without the guidance of his friend and master, Shams. His students wrote the melodic words down as he walked. Over 800 years later, the wisdom of the Sufi mystic, Rumi, is being discovered in the west. In fact, Rumi is the best selling poet in America! Rumi is the true poet of the heart.

“A pilgrim visited a Sufi saint.
He was astonished to see that the Sufi’s home was a simple room.
The only furniture was a mat and a kerosene lamp.
Tourist : “Sufi, where’s your furniture?”
Sufi : “Where is yours?”
Tourist : “Mine? But I’m only a visitor here.”
Sufi : “So am I ! “(Rumi)

Rumi went on to compose over 30,000 lyrics of the heart; all of them filled with Love from inside his heart, shining radiant like the moon. The poetry indeed accomplishes the goal to force us out of our minds and into our hearts. Composed in a state of ecstasy, the poetry remained down to earth, often relating and describing this love apparent to all in Nature or simple everyday tasks such as the ‘singing’ of the tap, tap, tap of the goldsmith in the market. The whole world, to Rumi, was making a joyful noise or song unto the Lord. Rumi used to go with his disciples into Nature, often composing verses he heard vibrating or singing from the birds, trees, flowers around him. He was inspired by the music of flutes and drums and often would whirl and recite in a form of ecstasy.

Rumi always remained a respected member of Konya society, and his company was sought by the leading officials as well as by Christian monks. His burial procession was attended by a vast crowd of people of many faiths and nationalities. His mausoleum, the Green Dome, is today a museum in Konya; it is still a place of pilgrimage, primarily for Turkish Muslims.

“Respond to every call that excites your spirit” – (Rumi)

Responding to a call we headed towards Konya, birthplace and school of beloved Sufi master, Rumi. Also known as Mevlânâ, Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic. A fascinating complex, the mosque, school and museum echo the rich history of Rumi. We met a young man during our search for a hotel near the Mevlana museum. We spent most of the day and evening with him. A polite young man, he was fascinated to be in our company practicing his English and we benefitted from his knowledge of the back alleys of Konya.

A rare treat is the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony. Visiting on the day when it was being performed was not a coincidence – just the way our lives and travels open up. This ceremony, performed in the newly built cultural center, represents “the mystical journey of man’s spiritual ascent through the mind and love to perfection.” It takes you on a spiritual journey of dervishes whirling for Divine Love. This 800 year old tradition is stunning and inspiring, performed for Allah or God, not the audience. All of life is in constant motion. We are all constantly spinning or whirling. As beings living on a planet rotating, spinning, whirling through the galaxy, we are always in motion. The Sufi Whirling Dervishes believe that if we join in this force of life we become one with God. Joining in whirling meditation, taught by our new 84 year old friend in Osho’s Ashram in India, I experienced Rumi’s sweet ecstasy of connecting to our internal source, the One, God, Love, Infinite Consciousness. Lost in this Oneness, I was able to whirl for 20-30 minutes. Ecstacy! I long for this connection throughout the day, not just in my morning meditation. It was interesting to note that time disappeared when in the timeless blur of whirling, but as soon as one goes back into the thoughts of the mind you simply fall down, crashing back into the ‘real world’ of human existence.

The Sufi’s are an ancient mystical, spiritual order of Islam. According to many Sufi’s, the essential truths of Sufism exist in all religions. “Wonderful, sublime truths that pierce directly into the very hearts of everyone.” The Sufi’s would mingle with people of all religions and beliefs, sharing their joy; drawing people into the depths of the human well. Timeless wisdom.

“Close your eyes, fall in love, stay there.” (Rumi)

And so it goes…………………………………..Next the western coast of Turkey, completing our circuit back to Istanbul. Until then let’s remember to meet everyone in the field beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing. Too much time is wasted with ego and pointing out others faults. Focus on the good in others, remembering we are all one! Take care, Keep smiling and thanks for keeping in touch!