Earthquake Relief in Turkiye and Syria
An update on the recent earthquake appeal for Turkiye and Syria
Within Your Eternal Well-Being ~ March 19th, 2020
A message from Camille Ana during these challenging times
Eighteen Stages of Service
Eighteen Stages of Service[1] The soul of the Mevlevi Dergah (training center) is the kitchen (matbah). In the kitchen, the Head Cook Dede (Ashchi Dede; Ser-tabbah),[2] the Cauldron Dede (Kazanci Dede), the Internal Affairs Dervish, the person in charge of the house work in a dervish convent (icheri meydancisi) and the Dish-washing Dede (Bulashikchi Dede) [...]
Ya Sami, Ya Basir
Ya Sami, Ya Basir Ahh! The moon is full! No wonder I can’t sleep. Thank You for bringing me out into its radiance. The cicadas drone in celebration, and tree frogs “ribbit” in response. Vibration pulses everywhere, in light, in sound, in hearts. This week I learned it really matters who tunes your piano, what [...]
The Joyous Disciplines of Dervishood
ONE DAY as I was having a cup of tea outside a small hotel in Istanbul, I noticed that the street was named Dervishlersokak, which means “alley of the dervishes.” At that very moment, a man pulling a cart stacked high with sacks of chickpeas passed by, a single man carrying the kind of burden [...]
GRATITUDE, Kabir Helminski
We can be grateful for the possibilities of service that life presents us with. The more we serve the better we feel, especially about ourselves. The mature character does not need, nor expect, to be thanked by others. The chance to serve, which is so good for ourselves, is itself a gift and is its own reward. Maturity is to serve without any expectation, and to be grateful to simply be.