Lecture and Session Descriptions On Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon there will be a variety of Sessions offered. These Sessions will provide an experience of Sufism through lectures, meditation, music, dreamwork, zikr, and other mystical practices.

If the eye of the heart is open In each atom there will be one hundred secrets. - Attâr

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November 14th, Friday Afternoon Sessions: 2:30pm - 4:30pm

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In this experiential workshop we will practice together: zazen (sitting meditation); kinhin (walking meditation); sarei (formal tea) bringing the spirit of inquiry to how spiritual practice encourages attention in our life right here, right now. Like the lotus flower, can we stay rooted in the mud of daily life while illuminating our true essence? An introduction to these Zen Buddhist practices will be given at the beginning and a space will be created for questions and sharing. This Session is limited to 25 participants.

 

The Work of Becoming Human
Kabir Helminski

The Human Being is the crown of creation, the interworld (barzakh) between the physical world and the Divine. The spiritual journey is becoming fully Human. Rumi says, "Have your insights and realizations, but for your own spiritual security seal (confirm) them with the Quran and sayings of Muhammad. We shall explore the universal, mystical dimension of the Quran and the work of Becoming Human.

 

The Oneness of Being
Camille Helminski

Foundational to Sufism is the principle of the Oneness of Being. Together we will explore the integration of inner (batin) with outer (zahir) that is the Way of Spirit essential to the sufi. Opening to the light of wisdom of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi and his beloved friend, Shams of Tabriz, we will also reflect on the principles of the Mevlevi sema (whirling ceremony) as a basis and metaphor for the journey of human life and the development ofo the soul, sharing together in moments of contemplation and zhikr as we journey.

 

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November 14th, Friday Evening Zikr: 7:30pm - 9:30pm

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REMEMBRANCE
Zikr with Imam Bilal Hyde

The mystical chant of remembrance blends the complex rhythms of the Nile valley with the mystical breath meditation of Central Asia, concentrating on the inner light meditations of the Masters of Wisdom.

The first chant will touch on the heart qualities of the qalb, the second recitation is designed to resonate with the emotional qualites of the fuad, the inner heart. The inner light of the seer or secret heart is revealed in the 3rd song. The hidden heart al khafi is unveiled in the 4th cantation.The hymn of the angels is recited in the most hidden heart al akhfa. The inner self is celebrated in the manifestation of the 99 names and the infinite realm of placelessness is discovered in the ultimate remembrance.

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November 15th, Saturday Morning Sessions: 10:00am - noon

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Hear the invitation to enter the quiet stillness so that the sacred truth can speak Itself. In meditation one is watching, waiting for the approach to Beauty. She is: a radiant source of Light, the eternal, unveiled. Join Ma Lynn in meditation. We go into the Silence where the divine reality secretly reveals Itself.

 

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Khatiba Grais

We come together to sing our praises to God and to experience our divine nature through prayer in motion where every movement speaks to our embodiment of the essence of the Only Being. We will share in the delicious practice of various zikrs and partake of dances which draw from diverse religious traditions, supporting us in our quest for Realization.

 

This talk introduces the Sufi view of the soul's journey; from the Limitless into Manifestation and back to the Limitless.

 

The Work of Becoming Human
Kabir Helminski

The Human Being is the crown of creation, the interworld (barzakh) between the physical world and the Divine. The spiritual journey is becoming fully Human. Rumi says, "Have your insights and realizations, but for your own spiritual security seal (confirm) them with the Quran and sayings of Muhammad. We shall explore the universal, mystical dimension of the Quran and the work of Becoming Human.

 

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November 15th, Saturday Afternoon Sessions: 2:30pm - 4:30pm

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Chop Wood; Carry Water: Presence in Everyday Life
Myosho Virginia Matthews

In this experiential workshop we will practice together: zazen (sitting meditation); kinhin (walking meditation); sarei (formal tea) bringing the spirit of inquiry to how spiritual practice encourages attention in our life right here, right now. Like the lotus flower, can we stay rooted in the mud of daily life while illuminating our true essence? An introduction to these Zen Buddhist practices will be given at the beginning and a space will be created for questions and sharing. This Session is limited to 25 participants.

 

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Khatiba Grais

We come together to sing our praises to God and to experience our divine nature through prayer in motion where every movement speaks to our embodiment of the essence of the Only Being. We will share in the delicious practice of various zikrs and partake of dances which draw from diverse religious traditions, supporting us in our quest for Realization.

 

Catching the Thread: Dreamwork as a Spiritual Practice
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

Sufi dreamwork helps us to understand the spiritual guidance of our dreams, and to grasp the golden thread that is our own inner path. This thread, hidden within the heart, reveals itself in dreams. Finding this thread we learn to follow our deepest destiny and weave it into the fabric of our life.

 

The Oneness of Being
Camille Helminski

Foundational to Sufism is the principle of the Oneness of Being. Together we will explore the integration of inner (batin) with outer (zahir) that is the Way of Spirit essential to the sufi. Opening to the light of wisdom of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi and his beloved friend, Shams of Tabriz, we will also reflect on the principles of the Mevlevi sema (whirling ceremony) as a basis and metaphor for the journey of human life and the development ofo the soul, sharing together in moments of contemplation and zhikr as we journey.