"Love in it's truest form has no language or words, it just has a thousand and one actions we all wish we could describe"
~K B Emery~
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Hope this week's beautiful song invites you to celebrate the light and love in your own heart. "Roo-ba-roo Roshni" means coming face to face with light and may this song remind you of the beautiful Maori proverb “Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.”
In a recent pilgrimage through Turkey to deepen my experiential understanding of the Sufi culture, I was invited to the ancient city of Bursa by Azim and Bahar, wonderful friends who had touched me by their loving presence and deep wisdom at the inter-faith wedding celebration of Marian and Aslinur, our Awakin Istanbul hosts.
As they picked me up from the bus station, I learnt that they too had just entered Bursa after spending a long Ramadan weekend with family and wanted to immediately visit the shrine of Hazret-i Pir-i Üftade, a humble poet saint who lived in the 15th century. One important practice in their tradition was a deep reverence for saints, both living and those who have passed on. So whenever a Sufi from their lineage enters any city, he/ she bows down and seeks the blessings and guidance of all the saints of that land. And whenever possible, they always visit and seek the blessings of the patron saint of their city.
I was moved by the spirit of bowing to the saints, and was thrilled when they invited me along as well. During the 20 minute car ride to the shrine, they shared that Bursa is home to the shrines of over 500 saints and was an ancient centre of spiritual practice with over 150 monasteries on the Keşiş Dağı (Mountain of the Monks) that overlooks the city. What a spiritual powerhouse!
The shrine was located in a quiet neighborhood of the old city and as we silently walked into the main hall, I felt a gentle energy pervade the atmosphere. As we bowed down to pay our respects to Üftade Hodja, the stillness of the space touched me deeply, and I slipped into a prayerful gratitude. I sat quietly for a long time soaking in the sanctity, until an inner prompt nudged me to open my eyes.
To my delight, I noticed a beam of sunlight streaming into the room and a little boy standing right across from me looking deeply into my eyes. Something about the moment melted a knot in my heart and tears of gratitude streamed down my eyes as I remembered a similar incident at St. Francis' shrine at Asissi reminding me to be child-like.
As the little boy continued holding space for me (probably wondering why I was tearing up), I was feeling even more grateful for his presence and decided to take a picture of him. The boy first nonchalantly posed for the picture, then indicated to my right where a bunch of kids were in "playful prayer", which he joyfully went over to play/ pray with, leaving me to marvel at the delightful and mystical ways of the Universe.
Lyrics:
Aazaadi
Jeene Lagi
Yen edayangalil
Liye khushi
Zubaan pe hai
Bhasha meri
Yen bhashayo
Mera nishaan
Vandadevu
Meri zameen
Amaar bhoomi
Ghuroor mein
Hai zindagi
Yedehigisi
Hai pyaar bhara watan mera
Hai ek jaan, dil-ek, chaman mera
Hai saat sur hi sa juda jahaan
Ek naam se juda
Hai pyaar chaman bhara watan mera
Hai ek jaan, dil-ek, chaman mera
Hai saat sur hi sa juda jahaan
Ek naam se juda
Sab buraai mita jo de
Sangeet hai..
Dil khile dosti chale
Wohi geet hai
Yeah!
We shine as bright as the sun
With hearts of gold, we define divinity
We stand united as one
When the rhythm of the beat combines with melodies
The pride from talking to you in my mother tounge
Never fails to elevate my soul
Together as one, in peace we live by
Music, for that’s connective force
Hey…
Rubaru Roshni..
Roobaroo Roshni.. hai (hai zindagi)
Roobaroo Roshni..
Rubaru Roshni.. hai
Aazaadi
Yen edayangalil
Liye khushi
Yen bhashayo
Amaar chinho
Amaar bhoomi
Ghuroor vich hai zindagi
Zari bandhane
Zari sankate
Sau rang raa
Sau raasta
Judi judi
Chhe reet par
Vandadevu
Yedehigisi
Re roobaroo…
