A RELIGION of LOVE
An Address by Lyanne Mitchell
My interest and curiosity about Sufi ideas was first stimulated a number of years ago when I attended a Conference called "the Secret Heart of Music" - which brought together a diverse collection of musicians from many different traditions and cultures - not only to perform their music, but also to explore its effect on us as human beings. Among many memorable presentations, was one that I have never forgotten - given by a Sufi master - a small, quiet man with a happy face. He was exploring something I had long puzzled about ..... why certain cadences of notes - musical phrases and shifts in key within songs and instrumentals, can move us to tears? What mysterious force is at work here on our emotions?
His presentation was very deep, involving pure maths - and I could only follow parts of it - but he explained that we human beings are in fact living, breathing musical instruments....and musical sound vibration enters our bodies through the Chakras or energy centres - and we receive these vibrations and feel them "playing us" inside. He even demonstrated these sound vibrations and helped us to become aware of how they affected our energy centres...and through them, our emotions. It was a wonderful presentation. I felt honoured and privileged to be there.
More recently, wearing my other hat as Editor of the Unitarian Earth Spirit Network, I received a contribution for our Winter File from a regular contributor, Liz in Sweden. She sent a charming sketch of her cat, along with three Sufi poems, by Hafiz. This re-awakened my interest in Sufism and led me to do some research ...on the Internet - (what would we do without it?)
Sufism is the mystical branch of ISLAM - a path of LOVE and devotion. God or truth is experienced as the BELOVED. The inner relationship of lover and Beloved is the core of the Sufi path. Through love, the seeker is taken to God.
To be "in the world, but not of it" is the Sufi ideal. Sufis aim to remove the veil between the individual and God - lover and Beloved - they strive to free themselves from ambition, greed, pride and blind obedience to custom - and as they travel their path, the Sufi's heart abounds with love and laughter.
This short verse by Hafiz sounds remarkably contemporary, don't you think?
'The Happy Virus'.
I caught the happy virus last night
When I was singing beneath the stars
It is remarkably contagious
So kiss me...'
Sufis believe that EVERY spiritual path leads the sincere seeker to the truth that can only be found WITHIN. The Sufi says that there are as many roads to God as there are human beings - "as many as the breaths of the children of humankind".
Because we are each individual and unique, the journey of discovering our real nature will be different for each of us. At the same time, different spiritual paths are suited to different types of people. Sufism is suited to those who need to realise their relationship with God as a LOVE AFFAIR - who need to be drawn by the thread of love and longing back to their Beloved.
ISLAM literally means "surrender" and while the esoteric side of Islam teaches the outer religious law of surrender to God, an INNER esoteric side developed which teaches of the lover's surrender to the beloved. A century after the death of the prophet Mohammed, small groups known as "LOVERS OF GOD" began to emerge throughout the Muslim world. They were also known as "Travellers' or "Wayfarers" on the Mystic path. Later, they became known as "SUFIS" possibly referring to their white woollen garments (SUF) or as an indication of their purity of heart (SAFA).
Perhaps the first thing we think about when we think of Sufism is the famous "Whirling Dervishes". This Sufi practice which is a blend of worship, celebration and meditation, is designed to bring about an altered state of consciousness, in order to create union with the Divine. In one dance known as "SEMA", the whirling dancers cast off their black coats which represent death. Their long white skirts represent the shroud. They extend their arms, while whirling, and receive Universal Energy through the right palm facing upwards - which passes through the body into the left palm, facing downwards to the earth. The Sheikh represents the sun and the Dervishes represent the planets turning around him in the solar system.
Through celebration - dance and song, music and whirling, Sufi gatherings become joyous ceremonies of blissful love and ecstasy of union with the Divine. A huge body of art forms has emerged from this ecstasy. Sufi poetry and invocations of the Divine presence and the effect of melding with this presence, has a universal appeal.
The core of Sufism is to be able to step out of ordinary life and be closer to God, truth and knowledge, without cutting oneself off from it permanently. There are various routes the Sufi may follow to bridge the gap between the Beloved and the self....LOVE being intrinsic to each. Techniques vary - but they have three things in common - RHYTHM, REPETITION and ENDURANCE. This is manifest in the use of chants, music and dance.
Here is a quote from one of the Sufi websites I visited during my research which sums it all up:-
"To be a Sufi - the world need not be abandoned. Instead, bring the Sufi quality to your life. In this age of transcending time and space, when life is a quest for meaning, when the individual is contemplating and questioning cultural and social definitions, Sufism is an ADVENTURE : looking at life differently and growing with changed perceptions :-
Today, like every day, we wake up empty and frightened.
Today, don't just open the door to the study and begin reading.
Today, take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we LOVE be what we DO.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing there is a field. I'll meet you there."
Well, what do we Unitarians make of all this? Here are a few of my own reactions and reflections. You will have your own.
First of all, Sufi aspires to be INCLUSIVE - like Unitarianism. It allows for individual development and exploration....I very much like that reference to there being as many roads to God as there are human beings - as many as the breaths of the children of humankind.
Secondly, I respond very positively to the HAPPINESS and JOYFULNESS of the Sufi path. I wouldn't mind catching that "Happy Virus" of Hafiz's.....wouldn't you? and it appears to be a very pleasant way to catch it - a kiss!
I am also very attracted to the Sufi idea of God as "The Beloved" - and the relationship of follower as the lover which lies at the core of Sufi beliefs. When we think of the Judeo- Christian model of God as the Father - and followers as the erring children....I feel a tremendous difference here .... a feeling of emancipation. Within HUMAN relationships, the Father/child interaction is often laced with judgemental, controlling, even fearful elements. The father is a figure of authority. Of course, there is also the loving, caring, protective side of Fatherhood/parenthood.....I am not denying this.
The Sufi model, the lover and the Beloved - is a divine love affair. Again, Let's look at this model in HUMAN relations. If we are lucky enough to fall in love and have our love returned...we experience almost a heightened state of consciousness ... euphoric, exciting, transforming (we usually lose our appetites!!!) Think of all the love songs written down the centuries....!! When we are "in love" we are all forgiving - euphoric - incredibly happy - we 'walk on air' we have 'wings on our heels' - these symptoms may not LAST.....but while they exist, we feel accepted, adored, respected, special..... our Beloved brings out the very best in us.
It occurs to me that most religious interpretations of God have consistently missed or deliberately suppressed two powerful elements - HUMOUR and PASSION. The Sufi Beloved appears to have both. Personally speaking, I much prefer God as a Beloved rather than a Father or a Parent. It implies many things, among them, that we are all grown up!
I enjoyed my research on the 'Whirling Dervishes' and have come to understand its symbolism. At first sight, it may appear to be a strange, foreign practice from another culture, but for me, it throws up various links. Many forms of meditation use rhythm, chant, repetition to achieve an altered state of consciousness. My goodness, when young people dance till they drop to loud, rhythmic music in sweaty night clubs....they achieve an altered state of consciousness .... unlike the Sufis, who experience a NATURAL ECSTATIC 'HIGH', many people achieve it through a chemical high on the drug, ECSTACY. Even work-outs at the gym, accompanied with rhythmic music played straight into eardrums from Ipods, can create the very same results....and they become addictive. I don't know if this 'addiction' could be judged as a positive one?
As a Reiki practitioner, I am quite comfortable and familiar with Universal energy entering the palms (which are important and sensitive Chakras or energy centres) and of the palms being a link between earth energy and Highest energy.
Another obvious link is Shamanic Drumming - where the drum beat acts in the same way. Also, modern pagans meet together in a positive and happy atmosphere - "Merry meet - merry part - and merry meet again" is a favourite closing verse for pagan gatherings. It is a common misunderstanding of paganism that it is the WORSHIP of nature, rather than the worship of the Creator of Nature. (Of course, there are MANY misunderstandings about the 'p' word!) Paganism was effectively demonised by early Christianity and many of its festivals were stolen/ borrowed and adapted to fit in with the Christian model. There is no DEVIL or SATAN in pagan philosophy. The word "pagan" literally means "Country Lover".....here we have that word "lover" again! Pagans do not worship nature, they celebrate being a part of it - the wheel of the year, the natural evolution of the seasons, solstices, equinoxes, and the cosmos.....the music of the spheres.
Speaking as a Unitarian and an "Earth Spirit" - I greatly enjoy the huge CREATIVITY and positive energy of the contributions to our File and our gatherings. We are looking forward to one next month at Hucklow - where we will celebrate the ancient festival of IMBOLC - the dying off of the old to make way for the new season of growth - the first stirrings of Spring deep in the earth and within ourselves.
The Unitarian Earth Spirit Network, founded by the Rev Peter Roberts, a former minister of this church (GUC), set out to offer a third way within our movement. He felt that there were two main streams flowing through Unitarianism - liberal Christianity and Humanism. He believed there was a crying need for a third voice to find its expression - a Nature based, creation spirituality voice. I feel that the Unitarian Earth Spirit Network creates a forum for this - it is creative, mystical, spiritual - and I feel these elements were somewhat lacking within our movement.
Most of the world's religions offer a "human face" to their believers - Jesus the Saviour, the Virgin Mary, and all the saints....Buddha, Mohammed, the many Hindu Gods and Goddesses, ....these are human figureheads with whom believers can build a personal relationship.
I wonder if any of you saw the film "Sister Act" over the holidays? It's a comedy and really quite daft - but entertaining. A nightclub singer, played by Whoopie Goldberg, witnesses a murder and the New York police decide to hide her away for her own protection in a downtown convent - in a poor part of the city, where almost no one attends the sisters' church services. The Mother Superior, is played by the excellent Maggie Smith. She lives among the nuns who think she is visiting form another convent, wearing her habit and has a hard time adjusting to the hardships of convent life ...until she is put in charge of the choir. She brings about a revolution, by teaching the nuns adaptations of pop and love songs from her nightclub background......one of the best examples of her adaptations is the pop song "My Guy" which she changes to "My God" and the sisters sing it with huge energy, as Brides of Jesus, to their spiritual husband. ( Sing the last verse!)
"No muscle bound man
Could ever take my hand
Away from my God (my God)
No handsome face could ever take the place of my God (my God)
He may not be a movie star,
But when it comes to being happy - we are!
There's not a man today could take me away from my God."
Well this new "Sister Act" from the choir, attracts hoards of young people and local people to the church and the Mother Superior realises that Whoopie has brought about a transformation, through music...in fact, the choir become so famous, the Pope comes to hear them during his visit to New York.
Pure fantasy of course ....but a lot of fun ....perhaps the GUC singers should get in on the act!!?? (I'm joking!) Sufis, would recognise these elements of singing to the Beloved, I think.
There are also links with the happiness and celebration within Gospel singing.
The Sufi idea of the "Beloved" is more abstract than the other personal figureheads in religion - there are no images of the Beloved - I feel it bridges the gap between those very realistic, figurative religious icons - Jesus, Mary, the saints and all the other manifestations of God ....and a path like Unitarianism, where there are none at all. We have no personal figureheads for God - we embrace abstract concepts and ideals like TRUTH, FREEDOM, and TOLERANCE. We are known to be RATIONALISTS.....down to earth......workers for life BEFORE death..... for PEACE and all kinds of SOCIAL JUSTICE.....we are more up in the head than down in the heart......
More rational than emotional.
Please do not think I am discrediting these fine ideals and principals - I applaud them and feel proud to be a member of a religious community that strives for them and honours them...... but I think we can learn something from the Sufi path....about the many ways to approach DIVINE LOVE and acknowledge the mystic relationship with the SPIRIT. We are all crying out for LOVE - every living being needs it for life and happiness - physical LOVE and DIVINE LOVE. Dearly Beloved - we are gathered here not only to be open-minded....but also, let's not forget to be open-hearted too. Let us not disown our emotions, and our need to celebrate together.
As the Sufi readings expressed it earlier in the service –
"Today, like every day, we wake up empty and frightened.
Today, don't just open the door of the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument.
Let the Beauty we LOVE be what we DO.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing there is a field.
I'll meet you there..."
and:-
"The heart is a thousand - stringed instrument that can only be tuned with LOVE."
Amen.
An Address by Lyanne Mitchell — Glasgow Unitarian Church — Sunday 15th Jan 2006