Sufi Journal

Jessika Kenney: Singing from the Heart

Sholeh — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:53:16 +0000

For Issue #84 of SUFI, singer Jessika Kenney shared with us her journey from singing jazz in her teens, through her musical explorations in Indonesia, to her discovery and love affair with Persian music and culture.

“What’s the difference between the myna bird making the sound of a camera flash and an actual camera making that sound? It’s a very strange relationship, and I think it leads into some of the same territory as Persian Sufi poetry. It says something about our notions of reality and non-existence. The more exactly you mirror something, the more separate existence fades away; you begin to set yourself aside.”

Since experiencing Persian Avaz for the first time, listening to the great Ostad Mohammad Reza Shajarian’s CD Bidad, Jessika Kenney has become an accomplished singer of this Persian style of singing, and one of the few non-Iranians to do so. She has approached her study of the Persian language and Sufi culture – crucial to the understanding of many classical poems that make up the majority of the lyrical repertoire of Avaz – with as much enthusiasm as her singing practice.

She shared her insights into the process of learning and understanding Avaz, [...]

LATEST ISSUE: Altruism, Healing and Sufism in West Africa

Sholeh — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:11:27 +0000

SUFI #84 Winter 2013

Featuring MERCAN DEDE, MARK NEPO, JESSIKA KENNEY, JAN SHOEMAKER, POETRY, ART, REVIEWS and more!

For virtually all mystical teachings, selfless service to others, sometimes called altruism, is a critical tenet.

This 84th issue of SUFI touches on how altruism is fundamental not only to our spirituality but to our identity as human beings. Beginning with a discourse on the subject by Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh, this Issue also explores altruism as found in the powerful healing combination of Sufism and shamanism embodied by Shaikh Rahmi Oruç Güvenç and in the ancient Blessing Way chants of Medicine Woman Sheila Goldtooth.

At the heart of these explorations is a common truth, that the beauty of healing, service and spiritual practice lies in the loving relationships they bring between people. Jan Shoemaker’s narrative piece reveals the beauty of one such relationship – that of a woman with her elderly mother during the last months of her life.

Readers will also find a fascinating exploration of Sufism in West Africa, its history across the region and its intercourse with local politics through the eyes of a contemporary Sufi Shaikh in Senegal, as well as Zachary Wright’s concise introduction to the [...]

I Pet Goat, II

Sholeh — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 11:48:58 +0000

For Issue #84 of SUFI we spoke to Louis Lefebvre, artistic director of Heliofant productions, the animation outfit behind the short film I Pet Goat, II which created a viral whirlwind of speculation when it was released online last year. Numerous blogs and comment threads have become dedicated to deciphering the animation’s meaning – a bold artistic realisation of “a story about the fire at the heart of suffering.”

Bringing together dancers, musicians, visual artists and 3d animators, the film takes a critical look at the events of the past decade that have shaped our world, and visualises a global-scale spiritual awakening featuring spiritual entities from various cultures across the world.

You can see the video below and contribute to our Facebook conversation about the film here. Subscribe to SUFI to read our full interview with Lefebrve to hear his motivations behind the animation and Heliofant’s interests in “exploring the common ground that underlies many spiritual and philosophical traditions in a lyrical form.”

I, pet goat II from Heliofant on Vimeo.

Read the full interview by subscribing to the SUFI print edition

To see what else is in Issue #84 click here

Caring for Others: Sufism and Altruism

Sholeh — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:57:53 +0000

“If we are to survive as a species on this planet, we need to embrace views or belief systems that are inclusive of others.”

By Alireza Nurbakhsh

Altruism has been a central aspect of Persian Sufism since it was developed by such figures as Ibrahim Adham (d. 782), Shaqiq Balkhi (d. 810), Bayazid (d. 874), Abul-Hasan Kharaqani (d. 1033) and Abu Said Abel Khayr (d. 1049) in the region of Khorasan, now the north-eastern part of Iran. Altruism, as developed by these early Khorasanian Sufis and practiced by Persian Sufis for centuries down to the present day, advocates that Sufis—indeed all human beings—should serve God by remaining in society and helping and serving others. It stands in stark contrast with the Sufi tradition that was developed in Baghdad by Junaid (d. 910) and his followers, which advocated the practice of renunciation and withdrawal from society as the central tenet of Sufism.

Altruism is a disposition in human beings and some animals that enables them to do something for other beings with no expectation of reward or even of receiving recognition for one’s altruistic act. Certain acts of altruism come naturally to most of us. If we see a blind [...]