Turkey 4 : Sema - 800 years of Love

Sema is the inspiration of Mevlana more than 800 years ago, and it is also a part of Turkish culture, history and beliefs.

Watching and experiencing the Sema ceremony live is a touching moment for myself. It represents a mystical journey of the spiritual ascent of man through mind, and love to the Perfect. Turning towards the truth, growing through love, deserting his egos, finding the truth and finally arriving to the Perfect (Kemal). And after that return from the spiritual journey with maturity and greater perfection, to love and to serve the creation.

Sema ceremony consists of seven parts, with different meanings. It is accompanied by Sufi music.

The dervishes will remove the black cloak, and it marks the start of his spiritual journey to maturity and perfection through stages of Sema. The crossing arms of the dervishes testify to God's unity. During whirling, the arms are open, with right hand directed to the sky receiving blessings from God. The dervishes revolve around the heart, from right to left, embraces all humankind with affection and love.

Seven parts of Sema :
(1) Eulogy to the Prophet
(2) Drum sound symbolising the Divine order of the Creator
(3) Instrumental music with a read which represents first breath that gives life to everything - The Divine Breath
(4) Greetings of dervishes to each other and repeated circular walk.
(5) Whirling, with four salutes of different meanings
(6) Quran reading
(7) Prayer

The religious ceremony takes about one hour, and I could feel the human desire to be in unity with God, to reach the perfection, and to spread God's love to the whole creation. It is a wonderful experience for me to witness this ceremony, especially the non commercial ceremony organized by Konya City Council to the visitors. It is no longer just a dance, or just a whirling ceremony to me, and I appreciate the kind of spiritual desire of humankind to our Creator, through prayer and revolving towards perfection and spiritual maturity.

This 800 years of love will continue as we are all created in the image of our Creator, with his Divine Breath, and our longings to be in unity with our Creator and to be like Him comes naturally as part of us.

Turkey 2 : More than a Shrine

"When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men" This is written as epitaph on Mevlana or Rumi tombstone. Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, or commonly know as Mevlana, or Rumi is the famous Persian poet, jurist, theologian and mystic in 13th century. He was born in today's Afghanistan in year 1207, later moved and lived in present day Konya Turkey. This building/shrine, today's Mevlana Museum is the green tomb (Yeşil Türbe) for Rumi upon his death in year 1273.

Mevlana's teachings has inspired many people around the world. You can find many articles about it on website. UNESCO has also declared year 2007 as International Rumi Year to mark 800th anniversary of Rumi's death. Besides that, the dance of whirling dervishes or Sama inspired by Rumi is also UNESCO listed World Intangible Heritage.

When I visit Konya in my journey, no doubt Mevlana Museum with the turquoise dome is one of the most distinctive sights in Turkey, but the simple seven advice of Mevlana as below impressed me more. There are many teachings and inspiration by Rumi, but these basic seven advice is so practical for our daily lives, no matter what religion we have. It is definitely not just a shrine/museum/tomb but just as what is written in his epitaph "When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men".

Seven advice of Mevlana :
(1) In generosity and helping others be like River
(2) In compassion and grace be like Sun
(3) In concealing other's faults be like Night
(4) In anger and fury be like Dead
(5) In modesty and humility be like Earth
(6) In tolerance be like a Sea
(7) Either exist as you are or be as you look

I appreciate this simple advice, in particular the last. God created us as we are today, and we should live as we are or be as we are. My simple understanding is I should live my life to the fullest, and always look forward for better life. Comparing myself with others which resulting in blames and harms will not do any good to my life.