A talk by Camille from a weekend of “Rumi Alive” with friends gathering in Alabama in remembrance in 2007. It opens with Mevlana’s prayer offering from Book IV of the Mathnawi which seems a wonderful prayer to offer in remembrance as we begin a New Year.
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Bismillah arRahman arRahimThe Mevlevi SemaOffered by Camille HelminskiThe PreparationBefore one begins the Sema ceremony, one makes the ritual ablution and prayer, cleansing and focusing the body and the mind, heart, and soul. Then one dons the ritual garments. First one puts on long loose fitting white cotton pants and a collarless buttonfront shirt and black [...]
The Urs of Sultan Veled is 11/11 (1312 CE). The era of Casa Paloma as our main center has come to completion and 11/11 is the day Kabir and Camille depart from California and inshallah arrive in Louisville, Kentucky to dwell in the new tekkye there. Here is the talk Camille gave at the Sultan Veled Symposium in Konya last year for Mevlana's Urs. Thanks be to God for this beautiful tradition.
~ Offered by Camille Adams Helminski[1] In 1980, we were graced with a meeting with Suleyman Dede. The moment we met him, we felt received, into the presence of a soul deeply devoted and at one with his Lord. Our two small sons were with us, and as soon as he heard that the younger [...]
Trees are metaphysical witnesses, prophets from all the traditions as well as suppliers of refuge and gifts for all of creation. Rumi and Shams address surrender, satisfaction, remembrance, real Friendship, and contentment.
To be in Paradise, stop complaining; greet whatever comes as if it’s our greatest happiness. Say, “It's just like that,” and keep going.
The Friend is generous and wise, removing obstacles even if we don’t know it, providing our daily portion from His granaries in the mysterious world of the beyond. We are not given too much all at once so we don't become rebellious and wayward.
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Talk by Camille Helminski delivered in Konya during the Shems Symposium hosted by TURKKAD and the International Mevlana Foundation.
In mid-June of 2011, I was a guest of Camille at the Snowmass Inter-Spiritual Dialog, held in the lovely setting of St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado. The Dialog is an on-going process with more than a 25 year history in seeking to promote communication and exchange among many of the world’s spiritual or contemplative traditions and to identify “points of agreement” among them. Each of the core members or “mentors” of the group, of which Camille is the current Islamic/Sufi representative, invited several guests.
Iqama, Salaat and Tesbihat recited by Camille Helminski: https://media.sufism.org/recordings/Threshold-Society-Salaah-Camille-Helminski.mp3
We are living in the midst of very challenging times. Shams and Mevlana also lived in the midst of very challenging times, yet what a possibility opened with the example of being they unveiled. They invite us into the garden of seeing God’s beauty and abundance in the midst of everything, seeing the Unity, and encouraging souls to be people of Paradise now, here.
Fourteen of the most beloved short surahs and passages from the Qur'an, recited in Arabic, repeated for learning; accompanying pdf file for memorization (Arabic text, with English translations from The Light of Dawn).