] Sarmad - He dwells not only in temples and mosques --

April 16, 2009

Dear Ramesh,

I also believe this to be the truth.

Love,

Yours in Sri Bhagavan's Boundless Grace,

Alan--- On Thu, 16/4/09, ramesh chivukula <ramesh_chiv wrote:

ramesh chivukula <ramesh_chivRe: Sarmad - He dwells not only in temples and mosques -- Date: Thursday, 16 April, 2009, 3:55 AM

One only way of life is destined to survive .. That of the Sanatana Dharma .. which encompasses all religions of the world ..

love

ramesh

--- On Wed, 4/15/09, Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobs@ .co. uk> wrote:

Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobs@ .co. uk>Re: Sarmad - He dwells not only in temples and mosques --Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 9:17 PM

Dear Ramesh,

It is novel to find a Jewish- Sufi- with Hindu connections. Our Israeli friends may be interested in looking him up on wikipaedia.

Love,

Alan--- On Wed, 15/4/09, ramesh chivukula <ramesh_chiv@ > wrote:

ramesh chivukula <ramesh_chiv@ >Re: Sarmad - He dwells not only in temples and mosques --Wednesday, 15 April, 2009, 4:44 PM

Yes indeed .. PRAYER IS NOT TO BE CONFINED TO SOME PLACE AND TIME BUT MUST BE A CONSTANT REMEMBRANCE. .

love

ramesh

Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobs@ .co. uk> Sarmad - He dwells not only in temples and mosques --Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 9:09 PM

A short poem sent to us from IvanGranger. Read his notes at the end.

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

He dwells not only in temples and mosques --

By Sarmad(? - 1659)

English version by Isaac A. Ezekiel

He dwells not only in temples and mosques --The whole creation is his abode.The whole world is bewitched by his tale, but wise are those who are lost in his love.

-- from Sarmad: Martyr to Love Divine, by Isaac A. Ezekiel

Amazon.com / Photo by gonc._a /

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You can only perceivewhat you already are.

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Hi Alan -He dwells not only in temples and mosques --The whole creation is his abode.We humans tend to like our categories and definitions, a sort of thinking that's very effective in the world. But that same form of thinking ensnares us when we engage with the deeper aspects of reality. We want to know where to go to find God. We want to know what to do, how to act, what to keep separate from, so that we might know ourselves to be holy. That approach can help to focus our intention... in the beginning. But at some point we need Sarmad's reminder: Everything is sacred. All of creation is holy ground. There is no boundary to the Eternal.Where you are, worship.The whole world is bewitched by his tale,but wise are those who are lost in his love.I really like these two lines. All of existence isn't 'real' in the way we usually imagine it to

be. Creation isn't fixed; it flows. Things don't exist in and of themselves; they are really relationships, an immense network of interaction. Seen this way, everything we experience is part of a drama. Any good storyteller knows that a good tale plays with fears and joys and questions of survival, hooking our attention while surreptitiously revealing something of the deeper truths of life.As Sarmad says, the whole world is a story told by God. It is so rich and detailed that we can become "bewitched" by it. We become like actors who forget that there is a backstage. The wise, however, lose themselves, their egos. They know, once they've said their few lines, how to fall silent again, unbutton their costume, and enjoy the unfolding tale from the wings.---Sarmad (sometimes called Sarmad the Cheerful or Sarmad the Martyr), is a fascinating and complex character who seems to have bridged several cultures in Persia and India.

Apparently, Sarmad originally lived in the Kashan region in Iran, between Tehran and Isfahan. He was from a minority community; some biographies claim Sarmad was originally from a Jewish merchant family, though others say he was Armenian. Because of his possible Jewish heritage and his later migration to Delhi, he is sometimes called the Jewish Sufi Saint of India.He had an excellent command of both Persian and Arabic, essential for his work as a merchant. Hearing that precious items and works of art were being purchased in India at high prices, Sarmad gathered together his wares and traveled to India where he intended to sell them.Near the end of his journey, however, he met a beautiful Indian boy and was entranced. This ardent love ('ishq) created such a radical transformation in his awareness that Sarmad immediately dropped all desire for wealth and worldly comfort. In this ecstatic state, Sarmad abandoned his considerable wealth and,

losing all concern for social convention, he began to wander about without clothes, becoming a naked faqir.Some biographers assert that Sarmad formally converted to Islam, while others claim he had a universalist notion of God and religion, seeing no conflict between his Judaism and the esoteric truth of the Sufi path he adopted. In his own poetry, Sarmad asserts that he is neither Jew, now Muslim, nor Hindu.He continued journeying through India, but now as a naked dervish rather than as a merchant. He ended up in Delhi where he found the favor of a prince in the region and gained a certain amount of influence at court. That prince, however, was soon overthrown by Aurengzeb. The new prince and many of the orthodox religious authorities were offended by Sarmad's open criticism of their social hypocrisy and mindless religious formalism. Sarmad was greatly loved by the general population and Aurengzeb, in fear of the people, staged

a show trial to make it appear as if the process of law was being followed. Sarmad was initially accused breaking an injunction against public nudity, but that was later dropped in favor of the charges of atheism and unorthodox religious practice, for which he was convicted. The army was called in to occupy Delhi and prevent a popular uprising, and the naked saint was publicly beheaded. The story is told that, after the beheading, Sarmad's body picked up its own head which recited the Muslim affirmation of faith the kalima-i taiyaba (There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet) and then proclaimed to the crowd, "Ana al-Haq" (I am Reality, I am one with God), a statement famously made by another beloved Sufi martyr, Mansur al-Hallaj. Sarmad thus proclaims the continuing stream of truth despite violent repression, and also his unity with the Ultimate.Sarmad's tomb in Delhi is today visited by pilgrims of all faiths: Muslim, Jewish, Hindu,

Sikh, and others.Have a beautiful day today!Ivan

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