Whirling Dervish in Rumi's Lineage to hold a Workshop for us in March

Blessings everyone,

I'm very pleased to let you all know that Shaikh David Bellak Effendi has offered to lead a workshop on Rumi's tradition- the Mevlevi Sufi Way- for our Manchester Peacemaker Circle in mid-March, probably on Sunday 16th March. Times to be arranged.

David Bellak Dede, now in his late 60s, lived in Konya, Turkey, and trained very closely with the late Suleyman Hayati Dede, the beautiful dervish who kept Rumi's tradition alive in the last century. David Dede is one of the very few living teachers who have been trained in the old stages of Mevlevi practice, including Sema (whirling) and the wonderful dervish traditions of hospitality. For the past 20 years he owned an oriental rug shop on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, quietly getting on with life and teaching in a very unobtrusive way.

The Mevlevi tradition is very close in spirit to Zen, becoming open and receptive to the beauty and inspiration of each living moment...

"Wonder is like a small bird that lands unexpectedly on your head-
You stay as still as possible, hardly daring to breathe,
So as not to frighten it away!" Rumi

"That which God whispered to the rose,
And which made her charms unfurl like laughter-
he breathed into my heart,

and made it a hundred times more beautiful!" Rumi

I hope you will all come and see what David Dede has to share with our UK Zen Peacemaker community. I feel we are very lucky indeed to have this rare opportunity to connect to the heart of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi's spiritual family!

Let me know if you would like to be involved.

Much love,

Zang

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