Information about Whirling Derwishes and Music Therapy

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Sema: Human Being in the Universal Movement

Text by Dr. Celaleddin Celebi, illustrations by Ingrid Schaar «Dr.

Celebi's other writings»

 

Sema is part of the inspiration of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi (1207-

1273) as well as of Turkish custom, history, beliefs and culture.

 

From a scientific viewpoint we witness that contemporary science

definitely confirms that the fundamental condition of our existence

is to revolve. There is no object, no being which does not revolve

and the shared similarity among beings is the revolution of the

electrons, protons and neutrons in the atoms, which constitute the

structure of each of them. As a consequence of this similarity,

everything revolves and man carries on his live, his very existence

by means of the revolution in the atoms, structural stones of his

body, by the revolution of his blood, by his coming from the earth

and return to it, by his revolving with earth itself.

 

However, all of these are natural, unconscious revolutions. But man

is the possessor of a mind and intelligence which distinguishes him

from and makes him superior to other beings. Thus the " whirling

dervish " or Semazen causes the mind to participate in the shared

similarity and revolution of all other beings… Otherwise, the Sema

ceremony represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent

through mind and love to " Perfect. " Turning towards the truth, his

growth through love, desert his ego, find the truth and arrive to

the " Perfect, " then he return from this spiritual journey as a man

who reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to

be of service to the whole of creation, to all creatures without

discrimination of believes, races, classes and nations.

 

 

Sema consists of seven parts.

The first part

The dervish with his headdress (his ego's tombstone), his white

skirt (his ego's shroud) is by removing his black cloak spiritually

born to the truth, he journeys and advances there. At the onset and

each stop of the Sema, holding his arms crosswise he represent the

number one, and testifies to God's unity. While whirling his arms

are open, his right hand directed to the skies ready to receive

God's beneficence, looking to his left hand turned toward the earth,

he turn from right to left around the heart. This is his way of

conveying God's spiritual gift to the people upon whom he looks with

the eyes of God. Revolving around the heart, from right to left, he

embraces all the mankind, all the creation with affection and love…

It starts with an eulogy " Nat-I Serif " to the Prophet, who

represents love, and all Prophets before him. To praise them is

praising God, who created all of them.

 

The second part is a drum voice,

symbolizing God order to the Creation: " Be. "

 

The third part is an instrumental improvisation " taksim " with a

reed " ney. " It represents the first breath which gives life to

everything. The Divine Breath.

 

The fourth part is the " dervishes " greetings to each other and their

thrice repeated circular walk " Devr-i Veled, " with the accompaniment

of a music called " peshrev. " It symbolize the salutation of soul to

soul concealed by shapes and bodies.

 

The fifth part is the Sema (whirling). It consists of four salutes

or " Selam " s. At the end of each as in the onset, the dervish

testifies by his appearance to God's unity.

 

The first salute is man's birth to truth by feeling and mind. His

complete conception of the existence of God as Creator and his state

of creature.

The second salute expresses the rapture of man witnessing the

splendor of creation, in front of God's greatness and omnipotence.

The third salute is the transformation of rapture into love and

thereby the sacrifice of mind to love. It is a complete submission,

it is annihilation of self with in the loved one, it is unity. This

state of ecstasy is the highest grade in Buddhism, defined

as " Nirvana " and in Islam " Fenafillah. " However, the highest rank in

Islam is the rank of the Prophet, he is called God's servant first

and his messenger afterwards. The aim of Sema is not unbroken

ecstasy and loss of conscious thought. At the termination of this

salute, he approves again by his appearance, arms crosswise the

Unity of God, consciously and feelingly.

The forth salute Just as the Prophet ascends till the " Throne " and

then returns to his task on earth, the whirling dervish reaching the

state of " Fenafillah, " return to his task in creation, to his state

of subservience following the termination of his spiritual journey

and his ascent. He is a servant of God, of his Books, of his

Prophets and all his creation.

 

First Salute

 

 

 

Kiss of hand

Permission to whirl (dance)

 

 

 

Second Salute

 

 

 

 

Third Salute - Whirling

 

 

 

 

At the sixth part Sema ends with a reading of the Quran and

specially of the verse from sura Bakara 2, verse 115, " Unto God

belong the East and the West, and whither over ye turn, you are

faced with Him. He is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. "

 

The seventh part is a prayer for the repose of the souls of all

Prophets and all believers.

 

 

 

 

* Alternative spellings: Mawlana, or Mowlana, and Jalal Al-Din, or

Jalaluddin

 

 

 

For details visit the web

http://www.mevlana.org/sema.htm