Hello everyone. I just spent the weekend in an online workshop on Sacred Sound, intended for Sufi teachers and prospective teachers. It was an intensive review of Sufi practices about sound. So that includes Zikr and Wazifa, working with the sound as well as the meaning of those practices. It includes working with the sounds of the subtle energy centers, the lataif. And it includes working with vibration, and countless related topics.
There were 12 of us, plus Naima and Sitara as the two teachers, using Zoom, so we could see each other. We could ask questions and give feedback, and two times we broke into groups of two, greatly increasing the feeling of personal involvement. Online is not at all the same as being there in person, but it works amazingly well. It’s also much cheaper and is easier to fit it, avoiding the time and expense of travel. I really encourage you to take advantage of all these opportunities.
I had a special interest in the subject of Sacred Sound. Recently I had an experience in meditation of a new inner sound that I hadn’t recognized before. It was touched off by reading Dara Shikoh’s description in Sufi Meditation and Contemplation . He says there’s the sound of objects hitting, like clapping hands; there’s the sound of air passing an object, like a flute or the wind or the voice; but the inner sound is something different. When I discovered this different sound/vibration I wanted to do nothing but listen to it for three days. (Not that I really indulged in such a thing.) I can’t tell you how to find it, but this will let you know if you’ve experienced it: It is very misleading to call it a sound.
As this was a class for teachers and prospective teachers, I also wondered how one would teach such a thing. It can’t be described, only hinted at, and Murshid is full of hints:
“Souls when they start from the angelic heavens are vibrations. They have no earthly harps; they are the harps themselves .” -Aphorisms
So I was eager to review all of our teachings and practices about sound, which is exactly what this weekend was offering. Anything about vibration was directly relevant and had completely new meaning for me. It was now describing an experience and not just a teaching.
We talked about mujahada and mushahada as two approaches to spiritual practices, the first being through effort and striving, the second by listening or witnessing. I see this as a rising theme in our teachings, to find a balance between those two approaches. Over the weekend, after every single practice, I believe, we were told to take a few moments and “experience our state.” That’s very mushahada, though of course it takes strong powers of concentration to hold your attention on something so abstract.
We also worked with the wazifa Ya Sami’ , the One who listens. Mushahada makes a fine complement to Murshid’s teachings, which so much stress mujahada. Murshid’s poetry, I’ve noticed, is full of mushahada:
“Thy music causeth my soul to dance; in the murmur of the wind I hear Thy flute. The waves of the sea keep the rhythm of my dancing steps. Through the whole of nature I hear Thy music played, my Beloved. My soul while dancing speaketh of its joy in song.” - Gayan, Ragas
We worked with Murshid’s Sung Zikr in a very effective way. We took turns leading one cycle of four lines, with each of us doing it two times. This gave new people a chance to try leading it, and it was great to hear each person’s voice. Have you noticed that the Sufi Movement sings it as a march, in 4:4 time, the Ruhaniat as a waltz, in 3:4 time, and the Inayati Order often as a lullaby, in 5:4 or 6:4 time? And with slightly different words? Singing online is difficult because of the time lag, so a drum wouldn’t help. The emphasis was on the attunement and on Remembrance I do like the Sung Zikr best, though, when there’s a clear and steady rhythm.
The whole schedule of upcoming Modules is on the Inayati web site, under Courses.
After the weekend, I was surprised at what had affected me the most. We had talked about the music of life, how human interactions with others and with nature can be brought into harmony and become musical. And I found many situations where just the right instrument, the right rhythm, the right melody can be added. It’s not always the trumpet that’s called for. Remember Sousa’s march, Stars and Stripes Forever ? Sometimes the piccolo is just what’s needed.
“When the soul is attuned to God, every action becomes music.” –Gayan, Boulas
In my Sufier Days I used think that people were always making love with each other. Maybe we’re making music instead.
“In the swinging of the branches, in the flying of the birds, and in the running of the water, Beloved, I see Thy waving hand, bidding me good-bye.
“In the cooing of the wind, in the roaring of the sea, and in the crashing of the thunder, Beloved, I see Thee weep and I hear Thy cry.
“In the promise of the dawn, in the breaking of the morn, in the smiles of the rose, Beloved, I see Thy joy at my homecoming.” – Gayan, Ragas
Lots of blessings,
Jami Klein
Washington DC, USA