Guest guest Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 An apposite Sufi Poem from Ivan Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- The Sufi Way By Seyh Ibrahim Efendi(1591 - 1651) English version by Jennifer Ferraro & Latif Bolat They say the Sufi way is to give one's life away.The Sufi way is to become a sultan on the throne of the soul.In the station of the Path, it is to destroy appearances..In the station of Reality, it is to become a guestin the innermost palace of the heart.They say it is to be pure of body, the light of the Beloved.The Sufi way is to gradually take off the dress of earth and water.They say it is to burn up in Love's fire--The Sufi way is to be utterly inflamed with the light of the Beloved.They say it is to believe and follow the rules--The Sufi way is to discover the rules of the multitude of heavens.They say it is to become a medicine for every ailment--The Sufi way is to know and become all the secrets of creation.They say it is to destroy the illusion of bodies--The Sufi way is to open the secrets of the body with the key of the Divine Names.O Sufi, to comprehend it, one must be it.The one who gets lost in words will never be their meaning.They say it is to become the secret of God within one's innermost heart--The Sufi way is to read the outer signs and know the inner meanings.They say it is to be in wonder at the greatness of creation--The Sufi way is to be constantly amazed by the nature of Reality.They say it is to make each heart the throne of God--The Sufi way is to remove all else but God from the heart's dwelling.They say it is to watch over all humanity--The Sufi way is to cover East and West with every breath.They say it is to shine as brightly as the sun--The Sufi way is to perceive God in every minute thing.They say it is to be in harmony with every kind of person--The Sufi way is to appearin a hundred thousand forms daily.They say it is to be like Solomon to the whole universe;The Sufi way is to understand and speak in every language.They say it is to become an ocean from a single drop--The Sufi way is to make your heart a cellar to hold the wine of the Truth..They say it is to become a human being illuminated with the light of Being--The Sufi way is to destroy Being utterly in the light of Non-Being.They say it is to become a life for each particle of life--The Sufi way is to die a thousand times and return to life each moment.They say it is to become a master of wisdom and eternal justice--The Sufi way is to become an eye looking out from every hair.They say it is to surrender your soul to the Beloved--The Sufi way is to become the soul of the Beloved.They say it is the proof of Muhammad's message--The Sufi way, O Ibrahim, is to embody God as one's own self. -- from Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey, Translated by Jennifer Ferraro / Translated by Latif Bolat Amazon.com / Photo by M.Omair / ============ Thought for the Day: Let every actionbe a perfect stillnessin the heart. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- I'nia Voices of Pilgrims Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -Aksaray Seyh Ibrahim Efendi was a member of the Helveti dervishes and the spiritual head of the Aksarayi Sufi lodge in Istanbul in the early part of the 17th century.His poem "The Sufi Way" has inspired some prominent commentaries.---Regardless of your religious or spiritual tradition, this poem is one worth contemplating deeply. Re-read it. This is one of the reasons I started the Poetry Chaikhana: While so many in religion bog down in the minutia of the tradition, mystics are never satisfied with mere form. They know one must get down to the real ground. The mystic is content with nothing less than to touch the truth in its most universal purity. Merely following the rules never satisfies the heart or soul. O Sufi, to comprehend it, one must be it.Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include: Video: Interview with David Whyte - The central work of my life is to get poetry to as many people as possible in whatever world they live in because it's such a life saver It gives you a language that makes you able for the world, large enough for it, and not to hide from it. - David Whyte More Music: Tabla & Taiko - Comments (2) The great tabla player, Zakir Hussain, accompanied by Japanese taiko drums. Hope you enjoy. More Under Suspicion - Comments (9) When I was 21 I was briefly under suspicion in a murder investigation... More Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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