ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY FROM RUMIS POINT OF VIEW Bagher Ghobary Bonab b'ghobaryuws'edu'au Paper present

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ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY FROM RUMIS POINT OF
VIEWBagher Ghobary Bonab b.ghobary_at_uws.edu.au
Paper presented at UWS PASS Meeting 17 April 2008
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Introducing Rumi

• What is to be done, O Muslims, for I know myself
  not,
• Neither a Christian am I, nor Jew, nor Magian nor
  Muslim.
• Neither of the East am I nor West, nor of the
  land, nor sea
• Nor of natures quarry, nor of heavens circling
  above.
• I am not made of earth or water, not of wind or
  fire
• Nor am I of the Divine Throne nor of floor
  carpeting,
• Nor of the realm of the cosmos, nor of minerals.

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Introducing Rumi cont.

• I am not from India, nor China, nor Bulgaria, nor
  Turkistan
• I am not from the kingdom of the two Iraqs, nor
  from the earth of Khorasan.
• Neither of this world am I nor the next nor of
  heaven nor hell
• Nor from Adam nor Eve nor of Eden, nor paradise
  or its porter.
• My place is the placeless, my mark the markless
• Not either body nor soul for I am myself the
  Beloved.
• Rumi, Diwan-I Shams-I Tabrizi

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I) Distinctiveness of Islamic Spirituality

• A) Level of Abstraction
• B) Procedures to decrease level of abstraction
• 1) Tales of Koran
• 2) Prophets ascendance to God
• 3) Relation between form and meaning
• 4) Sufi interpretation of Islamic spirituality
  (e.g., Rumi)
• 5) Combining procedures of ascendance to
  Transcendental Being and descending toward the
  creation in the world

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II) Stages of Spiritual Evolution

• A) Stage of Unity
• Union with divine manifested in
• union with Self,
• union with Others,
• union with Nature, and
• integration of intellectual, emotional,
  behavioral, and spiritual faculties in
  individuals
• Union of Rumi with his spiritual mentor (Shams)

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• B) Stage of Manifestation
• The hidden treasure
• Reflection on the existence
• Mirroring of Gods attributes
• Manifestation in Adam (complete human)

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Stage of Manifestation Cont.

• 5) Multitudeness of unity and colorfulness of
  one Reality
• 6) Different opinions about the same Reality
  (Sura Kahf)
• 7) Different observation about the same Reality
  (Moses Staff, Snake)
• 8) Manifestation of Gods attributes (e.g.,
  forgiveness, acceptance, and compassion)

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• C) Stage of Separation
• Separation of positive and negative Archetypal
  forces (Adam vs. Satan)
• 1-1) Separation of Satan from the divine being
• 1-1-1) Shortsightedness
• 1-1-2) Dualism
• 1-1-3) Adams Position
• 1-1-4) Extreme Pride
• 1-1-5) Lack of having a gestalt view

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Stage of Separation Cont.

• 1-2) Separation of Adam from divine being
• 1-2-1) lack of integrity in psycho-spiritual
  status (duality/dichotomy)
• 1-2-2) conflicting desires (carnal vs. spiritual
  motives).
• 1-2-3) Separation of Rumi from his spiritual
  mentor (Shams)
• 1-2-4) Separation of Human kind from the
  internal guide
• 2) Separation of positive and negative
  psychological forces

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Stage of Separation Cont.

• 3) Emergence of Conflict
• 3-1) Conflict among opposing forces
• 3-1-1) Archetypal opposing forces in the nature
  (mythological forces)
• 3-1-1-1) Adam vs. Satan
• 3-1-1-2) Abraham vs. Nimrod
• 3-1-1-3) Moses vs. Pharaoh
• 3-1-2) Opposing forces in the human psych
• 3-1-3) Opposing forces in the nature

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Stage of Separation Cont.

• 4) Synthesis of opposing forces
• 4-1) Dialogue initiated among forces
• 4-2) Conclusion and synthesis
• 4-3) Thesis, antithesis, and synthesis
• 4-4) Dynamic of psychological forces

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Stage of Separation Cont.

• State of suffering due to separation
• 5-1) Loss of proximity
• 5-2) Loss of integrity
• 5-3) Loss of heaven of safety and security
• 5-4) Spiritual and psychological discomfort
• 5-5) Disconnectedness and alienation
• 5-6) Loss of intuition and divine knowledge

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D) Stage of Reunion with Divine Being

• 1) Primordial covenant (covenant of Alast, Koran
  VII, 172)
• 2) Moses and his mothers breast
• 3) Arabi and his lost camel
• 4) Love as an attracting force toward Allah
• 4-1) Love as an instrument to obtain Gods
  proximity
• 4-2) Love as an instrument to reach Nirvana

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Stage of Reunion Cont.

• 5) Love as an instrument to go beyond
  dichotomous thinking
• 6) Love as an instrument to go beyond ego
  boundaries and connect efficiently with the
  universe.
• 7) Love as a straw robber (Kahruba) attracting
  parcels in the universe towards divine being

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Stage of Reunion Cont.

• Love as a process of gradual Spiritual Union
• 8-1) Human love as a bridge and preparation for
  divine love
• 8-2) Gods love toward human initiated
  forgiveness of sin and acceptance
• 8-3) Love of human toward God initiated
  nostalgia and desire to return
• Observing unity in multitude existence
• Observing unity in spiritual practice of
  different religious sects

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• E) Process of Reunion
• 1) Observing Oneness
• 2) Expansion of love to the creation
• 3) Connection with God in the inner most level
  of psych (Self)
• 4) Going beyond dichotomous thinking
• 4-1) Moses and Shepard
• 4-2) Moses and Pharaoh
• 5) Performing Rituals
• 6) Abstinence and Taqwa

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Process of Reunion Cont.

• Contemplating on the inner meaning of outward
  observances
• 7-1) Khezr and Moses
• 7-2) God and Satan
• 8) Reunion through practical virtues
• 8-1) Reliance on God
• 8-2) Refuge to God
• 8-3) Surrender to God

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Attachment to God

• Primordial attachment bond
• Evolutionary paradigm vs. primordial approach
• Psycho-social development vs. manifestation
• Ascending approach vs. descending
• Nurturing primordial attachment through
  developmental means
• Attachment to parents and others as manifestation
  of attachment to Divine
• Story of fall of Adam and its implication for
  attachment

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Significance of Studying Rumis Ideas

• 1) Understanding process of spiritual evolution
  (historical perspective)
• 2) Process of spiritual development in
  individuals
• 3) Individuals connection to Divine Being
• 4) Individuals connection to others
• 5) Individuals connection to the Nature
• 6) Psychological integration of individuals

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Significance of Studying Rumis Cont.

• 7) Observing unity behind multitudeness
• 8) Appreciation of different ideas and belief
  systems in regard to Divine
• 9) Initiating dialogue with others to
  understand their perspectives
• 10) Understanding source of conflict among
  individuals, cultures, nations
• 11) Encouraging tolerance, love, forgiveness, and
  peaceful life
• 12) Implications of Rumis points to understand
  attachment to God in Islamic Paradigm

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References

• Rumi, Mathnavi, trans. R. A. Nicholson, Rumi
  Poet and Mystic (Boston Unwin Paperbacks, 1978).
• Rumi, Selected Poems from the Diven-e Shams-e
  Tabrizi, coll. and trans. R. A. Nicholson
  (Bethesda, MD Ibex Publisher, 2001).
• Rumi, Mathnavi, ed. Mohammad Estelami (Tehran
  Zawwar Press, AH 1346 Solar.
• Rumi, Divan-I Shams, ed. Badi al-Zaman Furuzanfar
  (Tehran Amir Kabir Press, AH 1363 Solar.