Bismillah,

Greetings and a report from the German branch of the MOA aka the Dervishes in Deutschland,

In October 2004, Sheikh Jelaluddin and Jose Reyes presented "Opening the Gates of Love" in Germany. The seminar was held outside of Meissen, a city famous for its porcelain. We stayed in an old farm house originally built in 1828 but which had been lovingly restored and was surrounded by beautiful flower gardens.

The ample and beautifully prepared vegetarian fare was harvested largely on site. These "little" details were very important because we were working very, very hard.

Our day began at 7 am with the Great Prayer - a sequence of movements symbolizing the path of humanity - (those who managed to get up, that is. We weren't among them...) At 7:30 there was an hour of meditation followed by breakfast.  Both morning and afternoon sessions were 2 hours each of Gurdjieff movement and Mevlevi practices.  The evenings were devoted largely to formal Zikr lasting late into the night. Basically, we sang and danced Zikr the entire time.  It was outrageous and more than a little aerobic.

First off, we had no idea what the Gurdjieff movements were and would probably never have had the opportunity to encounter them had not Jose Reyes and Effendi planned this seminar.

Imagine being given an irregular rhythm to stamp out with your feet, add to that turning in a 3/4 circle and back, add to that counting from your right index finger to the baby finger in a sequence of 1,2,3,4;2,3,4,1;3,4,1,2;4,1,2,3.

Confused yet? I was. This was also done at break-neck speed. Now add counting on the left hand starting on the baby finger.  Then came the head movements.  I seem to remember that other things were added in too, but I never got past the right hand. There were a lot of different sequences like this, all equally baffling.  Surprisingly enough, it was totally energizing and quite joyous. I have no explanation for this and was always glad when Jose reminded me that it is the striving, not the result, that counts. (ZH)

The reasons for these movements, as we understand it, is to develop discipline in your body, mind and heart, to disconnect the ongoing train of negativity in your head and concentrate on being present in the here and now. In this calm state you can experience God around you. As with Zikr, it is another form of prayer in movement.

Though Maile, Hafiz and the two of us were the only individuals not experienced in these movements, everyone was extremely helpful and patient with us. And, as you can imagine, individuals used to following such detailed instructions were great at following the Zikr movements.

We should add that the participants came from the Dominican Republic, Germany, Taiwan, Spain and America.  Our small discussion groups were an interesting exercise in simultaneous translation. English was used most of the time, but fortunately, most communication was done on a heart level. The groups bonded together beautifully in what Jelalludin Effendi described as a "work-love- affair with the goal to help humanity."

We were divided into small groups and, each day, given a theme that we were supposed to focus on whenever the chime sounded. This was discussed, summarized and presented to the whole group each evening.

The reason we were at the seminar, of course, was to once again spend quality time with our beloved Sheikh. The time with him in our home, during the long train trip to and from Meissen and during the seminar would have been benefit enough, with everything else being a bonus. But what a bonus! We had experienced various parts of the Esterferallah Zikr, but not the entire Zikr with the different layers of instruction, nor the more recent additions. Saturday night was devoted to celebrating the entire Esterferallah Zikr, which we learned throughout the week.

Sunday night was devoted to a presentation of the Gurdjieff movements and a spectacular feast involving a "Toasting Ceremony." There were 7 formal toasts given by various pre-selected participants. A toast is a wish for the rest of the group. Alcohol is used to strengthen the power of the wish because it takes away inhibitions. This was totally new to me and my first taste of Cognac (ZH)

Here in Europe we seldom encounter sung Zikr, much less Zikr with movements and music. What Jelalludin Effendi transmits is truly unique.  What a blessing for us to belong to such a beautiful and creative organization with such a dynamic leader. We look forward to more such seminars here in Europe and, inshallah, to returning more often to America to be with all of you.

Much love to you all,

Zehra Haqq and Christoph Schwaiger

P.S. picture from  my latest patchwork quilt, entitled "Sema" with nearly 1000 pieces. 32 x 39" The middle star repeats Allah and the borders mirror "La Illa ha Il Allah."  ZH