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robinleigh
robinleigh Member Posts: 297
in Spirituality, Prayer, and Meditation #1
So glad to find it because I consider myself a spiritual person but could do without the religious overtones constantly professed. This is no church!and besides, we are all diverse and seeking our own peace through this journey.
I attended my first caregiver's support group this week,
And, lo and behold everyone there had to share what their Sunday sermon was about. Guess they all just assume we're all homogenous. Surprise,surprise...many paths out there!!!
Robinleigh

Comments

  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #2
    welcome, robin
    An interesting and eclectic board here, for sure. It tends to make one think, at least on occasion :).

    Take care,

    Joe
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691 Member
    #3
    Welcome Robin .... your
    Welcome Robin .... your post reminded me of a poem by the sufi poet Hafiz called 'Stop Being So Religious'.

    What
    Do sad people have in
    Common?

    It seems
    They have all built a shrine
    To the past

    And often go there
    And do a strange wail and
    Worship

    What is the beginning of
    Happiness?

    It is to stop being
    So religious

    Like

    That.
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #4
    mariam_11_09 said:

    Welcome Robin .... your
    Welcome Robin .... your post reminded me of a poem by the sufi poet Hafiz called 'Stop Being So Religious'.

    What
    Do sad people have in
    Common?

    It seems
    They have all built a shrine
    To the past

    And often go there
    And do a strange wail and
    Worship

    What is the beginning of
    Happiness?

    It is to stop being
    So religious

    Like

    That.

    hmmmm
    Interesting poem. I thought sufi was an islamic sect...so find it interesting that a 'sufi poet' would be speaking of too much religion.

    Please enlighten me.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691 Member
    #5
    soccerfreaks said:

    hmmmm
    Interesting poem. I thought sufi was an islamic sect...so find it interesting that a 'sufi poet' would be speaking of too much religion.

    Please enlighten me.

    Take care,

    Joe

    Someone people say that
    Someone people say that Sufism dates back to before Islam and Christianity and that people like Hafiz and Rumi were only Muslim because that was the religion in their culture at the time. Many Muslim's trace Sufism back to the Prophet Mohammed's (pbuh) cousin Ali or his first Caliph Abu Bakr. This topic can be debated endlessly.

    What I understand Hafiz to be saying is that we can be so focused on the details and arrangements of religion that we forget what really matters, being spiritually present or surrendering to the presence of God/Allah/the Divine/the Universe/the Beloved. In particular in Islam one can obsess over just how 'Islamicaly correct' one is that one misses the point of the religion itself, that is surrendering to Allah. You can see this in Wahabism (Saudis) and Talibanism and the need for control both of which often consider 'Sufi Islam' as the work of the devil.

    I belong to the Naqhbandi Sufi order which traces its origin back to the Prophet Mohammed's (pbuh) first Caliph Abu Bakr. However at our Zikr meetings at the mosque people of various religious backgrounds show up who may or may not pray in the same way as Muslims and the dress code while always respectful varies quite a bit. The whole point of the meeting is to surrender, let go, remove the veils of delusion/ego and open to the Divine .... then we get to eat great food and socialise:)

    Hope this has enlightened you in some way.
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #6
    mariam_11_09 said:

    Someone people say that
    Someone people say that Sufism dates back to before Islam and Christianity and that people like Hafiz and Rumi were only Muslim because that was the religion in their culture at the time. Many Muslim's trace Sufism back to the Prophet Mohammed's (pbuh) cousin Ali or his first Caliph Abu Bakr. This topic can be debated endlessly.

    What I understand Hafiz to be saying is that we can be so focused on the details and arrangements of religion that we forget what really matters, being spiritually present or surrendering to the presence of God/Allah/the Divine/the Universe/the Beloved. In particular in Islam one can obsess over just how 'Islamicaly correct' one is that one misses the point of the religion itself, that is surrendering to Allah. You can see this in Wahabism (Saudis) and Talibanism and the need for control both of which often consider 'Sufi Islam' as the work of the devil.

    I belong to the Naqhbandi Sufi order which traces its origin back to the Prophet Mohammed's (pbuh) first Caliph Abu Bakr. However at our Zikr meetings at the mosque people of various religious backgrounds show up who may or may not pray in the same way as Muslims and the dress code while always respectful varies quite a bit. The whole point of the meeting is to surrender, let go, remove the veils of delusion/ego and open to the Divine .... then we get to eat great food and socialise:)

    Hope this has enlightened you in some way.

    :)
    It has, mariam...thank you very much.

    Take care,

    Joe

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