Jan 2 — Entering, Here Now
Recording of Living Sufism session, Jan 2, 2022
Entering, Here Now
As we embark on this living journey along Sufi trails, we will look at the challenges facing our world through the lens of curiosity: What is it in the nature of being human that has brought us to the crossroads of a divided world? And what in our nature will bring our world together again?
REACHING OUT
'The meaning of the word 'initiation' can be understood from its association with 'initiative.' It is through this spirit of initiative that anyone in the world who has accomplished something great, has been able to do so. At the beginning of his or her efforts, people call such a person mad, fanatical, crazy or devoid of reason, but when they see the results, they think that he or she is most wise. Great prophets, the builders of nations, famous inventors and great discoverers have all proven this. One may ask then, do they see what is before them in the same way that a reasoning person does? They do, but with different eyes. Their point of view is different; it does not always agree with the point of view of the average person.
There are different kinds of initiation that souls experience. One is natural initiation, a kind of natural unfoldment for which the soul cannot give any cause or reason. It comes to the soul although no effort or attempt is made by the soul to experience it. Sometimes this initiation comes after great illness, pain or suffering. It comes as an opening up of the horizon, it comes as a flash of light, and in a moment the world seems transformed. It is not that the world has changed; it is that they have become tuned to a different pitch. They begin to think differently, feel differently, see and act differently; their whole condition begins to change. One might say that from that moment on, they begin to live. It may come as a vision, as a dream, as a phenomenon – in any of these forms – one cannot determine the manner in which it will manifest." ~The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan
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Mipham Rinpoche: "The path is not going to happen on our own terms."
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Niels Bohr: "The opposite of a great truth is another great truth."
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Kierkegaard: "There comes a critical moment where everything is reversed, after which the point becomes to understand more and more that there is something which cannot be understood."
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Rumi: "Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."
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Heraclitus: "Invisible connection is stronger than visible."
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Pema Chodron: "Fear is a normal reaction to moving closer to the truth."
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William Irwin Thompson: "Both myth and science seem to agree on an ontology in which the universe is catastrophically transformative."
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Alfred North Whitehead: "It is the business of the future to be dangerous...the major advances in civilization are processes that all but wreck the societies in which they occur."
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From Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim: “A man that is born falls into a dream like a man who falls into the sea. If he tries to climb out into the air as inexperienced people endeavour to do, he drowns... No! I tell you! The way is to the destructive element submit yourself, and with the exertions of your hands and feet in the water make the deep, deep sea keep you up.”
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James Hillman: "Dreams show us to be plural."
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From Ursula LeGuin's translation of the Tao te Ching:
"Knowing other people is intelligence,
knowing yourself is wisdom.
Overcoming others takes strength,
overcoming yourself takes greatness."
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Thich Nhat Hanh: "The intention of deep listening and loving speech is to restore communication, because once communication is restored, everything is possible." Collected by Trace Farrell
WATCHING RIVER OTTERS
by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
"...The Earth has not forgotten what is real, even if we are increasingly lost. Buds still break open in springtime, leaves turn golden in Autumn. And our bodies still awake every morning into this world, even if our minds are quickly caught in other patterns. While our attention is drawn to our smartphones, sunlight filters through the clouds.
And in our hearts there is a thread that connects it all together, the heart that knows the meaning of love and companionship, care and community. Our hearts can recognize the simple magic in birdsong, the essential beauty of a sunrise, the joy of a child's laughter. Our hearts have not forgotten that we are all a part of one living community, bonded together since the very beginning, since the early days when we walked and played, sang and dreamed in harmony with the Earth and its magical nature. That thread is still present, even if it is covered over by the confusions of today, by our materialistic dreams. Like the otters playing in the water it is too simple to be caught in distortion, too primal to be fractured. It can be found in the most ordinary things, a bowl of soup cooked with love and attention, a few kind words exchanged with friends or strangers."
Before we bowed to cross the threshold into the zikr hall
My sheikh used to say,
“Leave your shoes and your baggage outside the door–
ALL of your baggage–
Your sorrows and your hopes
Your past and your future–
You can take it all up again
when you leave
If you still want it!
Now, bow and enter.
Now you have arrived.
–Basheera Ritchie
in remembrance of Sheikh Ishaq Judd
Amanda Gorman's New Year's Poem
'New Day's Lyric'
May this be the day
We come together.
Mourning, we come to mend,
Withered, we come to weather,
Torn, we come to tend,
Battered, we come to better.
Tethered by this year of yearning,
We are learning
That though we weren't ready for this,
We have been readied by it.
We steadily vow that no matter
How we are weighed down,
We must always pave a way forward.
This hope is our door, our portal.
Even if we never get back to normal,
Someday we can venture beyond it,
To leave the known and take the first steps.
So let us not return to what was normal,
But reach toward what is next.
What was cursed, we will cure.
What was plagued, we will prove pure.
Where we tend to argue, we will try to agree,
Those fortunes we forswore, now the future we foresee,
Where we weren't aware, we're now awake;
Those moments we missed
Are now these moments we make,
The moments we meet,
And our hearts, once all together beaten,
Now all together beat.
Come, look up with kindness yet,
For even solace can be sourced from sorrow.
We remember, not just for the sake of yesterday,
But to take on tomorrow.
We heed this old spirit,
In a new day's lyric,
In our hearts, we hear it:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
Be bold, sang Time this year,
Be bold, sang Time,
For when you honor yesterday,
Tomorrow ye will find.
Know what we've fought
Need not be forgotten nor for none.
It defines us, binds us as one,
Come over, join this day just begun.
For wherever we come together,
We will forever overcome.
From: https://www.newsweek.com/read-amanda-gorman-new-years-poem-new-days-lyric-full-1664343
PRACTICUM
Exercises, Practices, Chilla
Entering, Here How
Each of the seven “curators” of the Living Sufism 2022 series, “Reaching Out – Reaching In: Love in a Divided World” prepared a 2-minute Introduction for the first online session, each in our own way.
It was an interesting exercise to focus on what is most important to us in this broad topic. You may want to try to do the same, and prepare your own summary, in as creative way as you can. And if you wish, you could share it with us for the webpage, and with your enhancement group, if you will be part of one. From Gabriel
The instructions for this practice are brief and precise: Sit down for 5 minutes.
Sit Down
The first question that comes back when I offer this practice to someone is, “You mean sit down and meditate or get in touch with myself, or...?” To which I repeat the instructions: Sit down for 5 minutes.
That’s it; that’s all. To sit and do something—even the most sublime meditation—is once again creating a context with criteria which will filter your observation. The same applies if you think the instructions mean “sit and do nothing”; observation would be subtly distorted by that intention.
Often there is a second questioning, ”I don’t get it, what am I supposed to do while I’m sitting there?” To which I simply repeat. Sit down for 5 minutes.
If you still “don’t get it”, It might be helpful to remember that the purpose of this practice is a steady, clear, unbiased encounter with yourself as you are in place, not with yourself in the midst of doing (or not doing) something. But please don’t turn “encounter with yourself as you are in place” into a doing or not doing. From Puran
Where is Love
in a Divided World?
A practice revealing Here and Now
as fountainhead
Find a moment when you can sit quietly in front of your computer screen.
Read through the list of evocations at the bottom until you find one which evokes release and relief for you.
Close your eyes and follow the feelings of release and relief for as long as you can.
Whenever thoughts arise, start again with your chosen evocation. This is Emptying.
After release and relief fade, you have arrived Here.
From Here, drink from the continuous edge of the emerging Now for as long as you can. This is Filling.
Before departing, locate the heart of your heart and give it a kiss. Take that Love with you wherever you go.
EVOCATIONS
Rest in the in between
“Find the place between you and yourself!”
The Dervish sits at the threshold,
The gracious host for all Becoming
Everything is happening all at once
“Be Still and know that I Am”
My eyes reveal that I have no head
Above my heart spreads all of creation
The Now is poised perfectly between the past and the future
Catch THAT wave!
What is listening?
What is listening?
What are you working so hard to hold up?
Imagine, just for a moment, how it would feel to let it go?
From Basheera
L I S T E N I N G
Think of a friend or family member with whom you have 'unfinished business'. You are still, at least in your experience, living in the 'divided world' of different, perhaps polarised opinions, values or beliefs about a matter which both of you deeply care about. This divided world between you remains painful.
Ask to arrange a series of conversations in which you both sit down with each other and engage in deep, open, curious non judgemental listening to each other's point of view.
Listen without comment. Try to really hear what the other is saying. Repeat back the essence of this to check in with them and make sure they feel heard. Ask the other to fine tune their message if they do not yet feel heard.
Allow approximately 10 minutes for this then swop.
Aim for at least one such exercise within the month but try for two or three times, to give yourself a chance to practice.
From Angelica
Alternate Sources
Entering Here, Now is a manifestation of being and becoming in time and space, offering expressions and understanding of what is going on both within and without our world.
It is a common pitfall to become certain in our understanding of this world and reality. Our positions and language of the where, when and why of things can become, at times, to set and settled.
As an exercise in expanding your perspective, seek out alternative sources and points of view which, while seeming at odds to your own, may upon deeper reflection and understanding, harmonize and enhance the richness of your sense of what makes up your world.
For example, a few of these sources might be the work by or about Loren Eisley in the world of natural sciences, Hannah Fry in the world of mathematics, Robin Wall Kimmerer in the world of traditional ecological knowledge, Richard Davidson in the field of neuroscience or Sarah Stewart Johnson in the field of Biology and Planetary Science.
There are, of course, many more. Seek and you’ll find.
From Isha
Consider this useful advice...
from Marcus Aurelius, who knew from conflict, war, and plague, by running an empire and coming out of it rather well-regarded:
"Whenever a person’s lack of shame offends you, you should immediately ask yourself, 'So is it possible for there to be no shameless people in the world?' It isn’t, and you should therefore stop demanding the impossible. He’s just one of those shameless people who must necessarily exist in the world. You should keep the same thought readily available for when you’re faced with devious and untrustworthy people, and people who are flawed in any way. As soon as you remind yourself that it’s impossible for such people not to exist, you’ll be kinder to each and every one of them."
Do this: Start by reflecting, for a moment, on the infinite diversity of the universe…
Next: Wherever you are, look around and find something to object to—a stuck traffic light, a harsh voice, an offensive advertisement, a person-in-a-mask/a person-not-in-a-mask, etc.
Ask yourself: Is it possible for there not to be a stuck light/harsh voice/offensive ad/persons masked and unmasked, in the infinite diversity of the universe?
Notice if your relation to this thing alters in any way...
Now recall someone you personally know, specifically dislike, consider “crazy,” find deplorable (or as Marcus says, “shameless”).
Ask yourself: Is it possible for there to be no dislikable/crazy/deplorable/shameless people in the infinite diversity of the universe? (Is it?)
Notice if your relation to this person alters in any way…
Now consider that, in the infinite diversity of the universe, there is necessarily someone who perceives you yourself as dislikable, “crazy,” deplorable, shameless...
Notice how you relate to this unavoidably objectionable (to someone!) aspect of yourself.
From Trace
Love in a Divided World
I saw the worst that humans do to each other
In the Holocaust of the Second World War,
A store window with bodies piled to the ceiling.
I’ve also seen some of the best:
Random acts of kindness,
Altruistic sacrifices.
We live in a divided world,
Bigotry, racism, inequality.
But that isn’t new.
New divisions arise
From climate-change killing our Earth,
Pandemics and their restrictions.
The media trumpet pessimism,
Spread by the worldwide net.
Harassment by social media.
But many of us, lots of groups,
Committed to making this
A better world.
I’m part of the interfaith movement,
Interspirituality, pluralism,
Working towards unity.
We’re all members of one human family,
Sisters and brothers.
We can’t live with those hatreds.
Universal Sufism
Teaches us
Love, harmony and beauty.
Deep down,
In our spirituality,
We find unity in diversity.
We CAN love our neighbor!
AND love ourselves!
Reach out – reach in!
~Gabriel Leslie Mezei
Exercise on Grounding/Creating a Touchstone
Welcome to ‘Being Here Now’
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What is ‘Here Now’? It’s really about embodiment because our body is the present, right here and nowhere else, with breath our friend, our vital life source. In our spiritual endeavours we can often overlook the significance of our body, along with physical processes, so it becomes the missing piece in our quest for integration and wholeness. Shifting our perspective, we appreciate how much our body gives us, rooting us in nature whose vast intelligence is the portal through which we can access deeper consciousness. The powerful immediacy and totality of ‘Being Here Now’, the ground of our being, is about being grounded in our body.
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I am inviting you to participate in an exercise to connect with the place in your body where you feel most at home and grounded – we can call this our ‘chill’ spot, safe space, being centred, the ‘alive and well’ place of rootedness.
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Before we begin, take a moment to get settled and comfortable. I would recommend doing this exercise with your eyes closed to enhance concentration – if you’d rather not, I suggest softening your gaze to enable you to be with your body without distractions.
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Waking up the body: Let’s start by waking up the body, infusing it with deep breaths: let the air fill the base of your lungs, then take your breath further into your abdominal and pelvic area allowing the air swirl around as if you’re bathing this space- check your shoulders are relaxed, your chest soft. Some call this ‘360 degrees breathing’ because you are filling both front and back with your breath. Lower abdominal breathing also helps strengthen mind-body connection. Do this about five times, each time taking your breath further down through your torso, your limbs, right down to your extremities. Pause…Now let your breath find its natural rhythm being aware of the rise and fall of your ribcage and stomach with each breath. Breathing in nourishes and energizes you, breathing out dissolve tensions and softens any discomfort. You and your body in relationship, as one….
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Awareness through the senses: With your body awake, let’s tune in to the senses…starting with skin, this permeable border between inside and outside; consider for a moment how it encases and protects all that is inside you - internal organs, blood moving through arteries and veins, an outer sheath for muscles and tendons and skeletal structure. Can you be inside your skin and feel it breathing? Notice the feel of your garments on your skin, how the air meets the hairs on your arms – what’s the sensation when you run your fingers over your skin right now, how does it respond to your touch? Perhaps you can recall that feeling of skin to skin with another. Skin is constantly renewing – the stories it has held which are now being let go as your skin is shedding.
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Moving to other senses – what about smells? Your own smell, can you bring it into your awareness? (the smell of you that others may smell) Is there a particular smell you detect in the air around you? Can you conjure up an evocative smell from memory – bringing it into here, now? Notice the sensation of taking a particular smell in through your nose and letting it enter into your throat and mouth. How does this affect your sensation of taste? How does it feel to move your tongue around your mouth, touching surfaces, generating saliva? As you swallow how far can you follow the path your saliva takes inside of you?
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Bring your attention now to sounds around you – are they near or far, high pitched or low, intrusive, just right or ambient – are there any sounds setting up a vibration in your body? Let yourself make a sound, such as humming or oohing, allowing yourself to feel the vibrations, experiencing your body as an instrument. Where in your body do you most feel these vibrations? Is this affected by the pitch of your hum (what happens when you take it as low as you can)? What do you notice if you place your hands where your body is vibrating? Your body as a drum, beating heart, vibrating with sound….
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Filling your body with deep breaths, embrace the symphony of these sensations in this moment: the touch on your skin, sounds, taste, smells. You are immersed ‘here now’ in the awareness of all these different senses. Notice what this invokes in you. This is all yours, allow yourself to celebrate being in this fullness, this embodied expansiveness.
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Coming to the grounded place inside of you: Now you are ready to connect with the grounded place inside of you. Soften your breath and bring it back to its natural rhythm. Focusing on your in-breath, let your intention clear the way for you to connect with the place in your body where you feel most grounded and centred. Let your breath guide you there. Nothing is to be forced, let it happen naturally, knowing you are now attuned to your body. There may be an image, a colour associated with this internal place. Notice whatever emerges, while your breath infuses this place and nourishes it.
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If it is not possible for you to locate your centred place directly through intention and breath, think of an image or a place outside that generates this feeling of balance and being grounded – a place of beauty perhaps that you have visited, or an image that represents these qualities. You can use that image or scene and bring it inside taking it to the place in your body which feels most receptive.
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Creating your touchstone: Feeling well connected to this place inside of your body, allow a gesture to emerge so you can anchor this sensation kinaesthetically. For example, touching the place outside your body that corresponds with the inside accompanied by a key word, such as Remember. Let your creativity guide you. What’s important is to have a meaningful way to recall your grounded place whenever you need to. Pause…By creating your touchstone you have made a direct pathway so you can activate or locate at any moment this place and experience being grounded and centred.
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Open your eyes/bring yourself back. This touchstone is personal to you and is at your disposal should you feel stressed or reactive to divisions both internally and externally. What you have embedded in your touchstone allows you to come back into balance, feeling connected and grounded. This is also the place in your body from which you can relate with depth and safety – your own portal. Thank you for participating.
Binah Taylor
2nd January 2022
Love in a Divided World
Chilla
Grounding your Being in Here, Now
Part One:
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First, either listen to the guided meditation I offered during the Living Sufism ‘Love in a Divided World: Entering Here Now’, which was held on 2nd January 2022, or read the transcript, which is posted on the Living Sufism website.
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Secondly, practice this meditation at least twice a day (soon after waking and then early evening) for at least 14 days. Notice over this time how your experience of your senses widens and deepens, as well as how directly you are able to access your ‘touchstone’, which represents the place within you where you are grounded and in balance – your ‘alive and well’ centre of rootedness, the place where you also feel safe.
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During these 14 or more days, become aware in your daily life of how you access this place within you, perhaps using the gesture you chose to anchor this feeling of groundedness. Is your breathing helping you to connect? Are there any other means that you find yourself drawing upon as you are using this process? What are you experiencing holding in mind this embodiment of your being, being grounded as you go about your everyday activities? Is it starting to become a natural ‘go to’ place within your relating? If not, be curious and stay open to self enquiry.
Part Two:
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Without actively seeking it, notice how you react to a situation or an encounter where you feel at odds with a situation or in conflict with another. What strategies do you use to ‘win’ the argument or have your point of view prevail? This may of course occur within the 14 days of practising solidifying being grounded in your body – hopefully you have had some opportunity to prepare grounding your being first!
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When encountering division, how soon are you able to reconnect with this grounded and safe place withing you? Are you able to use your touchstone to connect? What may be the overriding triggers or impulses that drive you into conflict?
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Without judging, notice your process, staying with and watching the emotion(s) triggered in you whilst not merging with it. Notice too, how cultivating awareness may begin the shift to disengage from a divisive position: if so, what is happening in your body to move out of reactivity, including your rhythm of breathing. What else is helping you connect with your grounded place?
Throughout this chilla I suggest keeping a diary to track your experiences and note your reflections, also recording the feelings associated with the state of groundedness along with noting instances of reactivity and triggers. How are you self-soothing? Do you need to modify your touchstone and deepen or ‘relocate’ your inner space of groundedness? Notice too what movements may have emerged to help you come back into balance – these can become part of your ‘touchstone template’.
For Part 1 and 2, suggest you allow for a 28 day period, with the first part focusing your awareness on strengthening grounding, and then the second part to putting it into practice.
You are encouraged to debrief and discuss your experience with another following the chilla.
Binah
7th January 2022
This program is sponsored and presented by The Sufi Way
*You can find the essay, "Beloved Community" by Pir Elias Amidon here
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