And sometimes the Muslims, they’re working outside, they don’t have the mosque, they’re not in the mosque, but at certain times, they go wash their hands and they spread out their mats and they sit together, maybe two, three, four people, and they sing just as sincere. And that’s very beautiful. They really do it wholeheartedly.
(I’d like You to see this if You may, the card,) Yes. (because it says the famous Arabic phrase that Muslims use, which is: besmellah-e rahman-e rahim. “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.”) Wow, it’s beautiful! (It’s the other way around, upside down, Master. Sorry, Master.) Well, it still looks beautiful! Like something going up to Heaven. That’s what I was thinking. (Yes!) Like this, it’s going down. Oh, yeah, yeah, it’s still going up. It doesn’t matter. But it’s so beautiful either way. (Yes!) Yeah! Because it’s like a painting. So if you don’t know Arabic, you’d think it’s a painting. (Yes.) It’s beautiful either way. (Yes!) Like this, also nice. Or that.
Wow, so she wrote it in Persian? (Yes.) Wow! Persian is one of the Arabic languages, or is it... (No, it’s its own language, basically. It’s like the difference between French and English. The same alphabet, but...) Similar, OK. (Yes!) So powerful! (Practically.) Can you read it again? (Yes.) I mean, do you remember, or you have to read this? Have to read this, right? (Yes, I think I’d prefer to.) It’s very beautiful. Read it again. It sounds so nice! (Yes.) Sounds so powerful! (Yes, Persian language. I don’t know whether You’ve read any of Rumi’s poetry.) Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah! (That’s the same language.) Yes, of course. (In Persian or in English?) Persian! (Persian!)
(God blessings be upon You. If I can see You, You definitely can see me. With devoted love, For You who is the Messenger and the Torchbearer of Love in today’s dark world.) Wow! Sounds beautiful! Sounds very strong, also. Powerful and beautiful! Even if you don’t understand it, you feel it is very strong. (Yes!) (It’s made my hair stand on end.) Hmm? (It’s made my hair stand on end.) It’s a kind of ancient kind of language, and it’s imbued with the power of the inside thinking and spiritual heritage of the Arabic world. (Persian language, for your information, is very ancient. And before Iranians predominantly became Muslims, they were Zoroastrians. And one of the first teachings of Zoroaster was: “Clean thinking, clean speech, and clean action.”) Yes, of course. He was a Master, yes! One of the Masters, of course. It’s clearly!
(Thank You for the opportunity, Master. Thank You!) Wow! Beautiful! Beautiful! And you made us all so nervous by talking so much. Just read it! It’s so simple! Right? Only two sentences, and she made it so long like a book. Sometimes you can be overprotective. Just let the flower be shown. Just let the flower be seen, and we judge for ourselves. “Oh, you know what? The rose is... oh, it’s nice, but it has some thorns on it, and sometimes the color, it may not be to your taste.” Just show us! It’s really beautiful.
Can you read it again, in Persian? (Yes.) Can you read something longer in Persian? Do you have anything? (Not on me, but I can) (Recite.) (A poem.) (recite something.) Do you have like, a Rumi original poem in Persian? (Yes, I know one line or a couple of lines off by heart.) Yes, just read it, read it.
(There is one... I think this is Hafiz, another, he’s as famous as Rumi.) Yes. (It says: I am a bird from the Kingdom of Heaven, I am not from this earthly world. For a few days, they have built a cage from my body. Translation goes: I am the bird of the Heavens, but only temporarily they have built a cage of my body.) (Wow!)
Nice! Rumi’s poems are very strong. Especially in their own language. Persian language. Beautiful, eh? (Yes.) It sounds so nice.
My God! Now I understand why a lot of people follow the Muslim religion. It is a beautiful language as well, and the beautiful tradition. I mean, even though they don’t understand the real meaning behind Muslim religion, but even just to listen to all that, listening to the Quran in their own language must be a very powerful experience. I told you, the language does have power. (Yes.) Be careful what you say. (Yes.) Doggies! Puppies!
Are you still all right? (Yes!) We’re OK with the neighbors? They are all... sleeping? Yes? There’s nobody crazy like us, sitting here and talking, reading poems! Who needs poems! “This fast-moving world, who needs a poem? And Rumi poems! Who is Rumi? Sounds like Rum!” They only know Rum, they don’t know Rumi.
Anything else you can read for us in Arabic? (Arabic?) In Persian, you know. (I can read You one of the surahs of the Quran.) Yeah, yeah, read it, read it! (Without the book, can do it as well.) Read it. Oh, the first page maybe. (The first page only.) You know it by heart? (Yes, the surah, because I used to do the prayers) Yes. (five times a day.) Cool. You still do! (Well, I do it in a different... in the real form.) You still can read the Quran, though. (Yes.) It’s beautiful. (When I read it now...) Now you understand it more. (I understand it.) Yes, OK. Read it for us.
(In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Praise be to God, The Lord of the Universe, The Compassionate, the Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Judgment, You alone we worship, And to You alone we turn for help Guide us to the straight path, The path of those whom You have favored, Not of those whom have incurred Your wrath, Nor of those who have gone astray.)
Wow! (I don’t have an Arabic accent, but that’s the only thing I can do.) It’s good, it’s good. It’s good enough already. I mean, I think in Muslim they do sing, like, they pray, but like singing. (Yes.) They make it like poetry. Can you do that? The way they do it? (No, they have years of training.) They have to train? (Yes!) But you could imitate! I mean the way you read it, you just make it more, you know, the way they do. (I don’t know, perhaps somebody else likes to try that.)
Can somebody do that? Anyone? There was a Muslim brother, before, told me. Yes! Can you do a few pages for us? (I can’t do it.) You can or not? (No.) No? You have not been trained? You? OK, good! There, there! Because I have heard it sometimes before, and it’s very beautiful, like singing. (Yes.) Yes. And they do it with their heart, you know. I don’t know if anyone can pray as sincerely as the Muslims, I have to tell you. And it’s a shame that somebody blackens the name of the Muslim religion by doing some terrible things. They are not Muslim! They just use the name to do nonsense. They’re just extremists, who’ve lost faith. They don’t understand true Muslim.
OK, sing us some Muslim prayers. You want the... or you don’t? (Anything.) OK, fine. All right.
(I seek refuge in Allah from the cursed satan Say, Hes is Allah, [who is] one Allah, the eternal refuge Hes neither begets nor is born Nor is there to Hirm any equivalent In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful Did we not expand for you Your breast [O Muhammad]? And we removed from you your burden Which weighed down your back And raised high for you your fame For indeed, with every hardship will be ease Indeed, with every hardship will be ease So when you have finished [your duties] then stand up [for worship] And to your Lord direct your longing.)
Very good, very good. But I still like your voice, sister! You’re OK, you’re doing fine. Yes, you were doing fine. He’s just more professional maybe. But you’re doing with your heart, that’s good.
I’ve seen the Muslim people pray. They are really, really devoted. I mean, we have all kinds of religions, but the Muslim people, when they pray, they are the most sincere among the sincere prayers that I’ve ever seen. One of the most sincere praying religious people that I have seen. When they pray, they really do pray. No matter where, they really do pray.
(I’m Turkish as well, and I was Muslim faith before as well. But in Istanbul, when they start praying, you hear them at certain times, and the whole city’s just singing out, and you just stand still) Yeah, yeah. (and you just think of God, and it’s just so beautiful.) That’s nice, yes.
And sometimes the Muslims, they’re working outside, they don’t have the mosque, they’re not in the mosque, but at certain times, they go wash their hands and they spread out their mats and they sit together, maybe two, three, four people, and they sing just as sincere. And that’s very beautiful. They really do it wholeheartedly.
Anyone else? OK. There. You want to say something? (I’d like to thank You.) All right, so you thank me, fine. What happened? (I’d like to thank You. We are really lucky to get to celebrate the New Year with Master. And also, I’m really happy to meet You in person. Also gives me a really best bonus to start a new year. I’m really holding the treasure in my heart.) You’re welcome. (So, just to let You know in case…) You’re welcome, love. (Thank You.)
So today is a competition of language. One is trying to be better than the other. It’s so nice, so nice. I was always wondering, sometimes when I sing in Aulacese (Vietnamese) and all that, does it sound funny to you. I don’t think it does, because today they sing in Arabic, and it’s so nice. Because if it’s a nice and powerful song or poem, you can understand it, right? I mean with the soul.
(Master.) More songs? Yes? (Master, sing an Aulacese [Vietnamese] song for us.) I don’t feel like doing it now. I don’t even remember any. You guys keep singing, or maybe we have to go to sleep, baby, because... (No!) Or sit, meditate...
Yeah? You sing in Arabic now? (Yes, I’m going to sing a song that I composed on one of the days on Your birthday when we all gathered in the Northolt or Wembley Center. And there are some of us who know that song, so anyone can join in if I’m singing, and if you feel like it, you want to join in.) What song? My bad day? My birthday! Oh, got it! OK, OK. Sing, sing it! Sing it! I thought, how can it be my bad day? OK, go ahead. Is that in Arabic or English? (No, it’s in English.) Oh! OK, OK. Go ahead. (And the song is called, “Thank You for Your Love.”)
(Master, You are great Thank You for Your Love We are fortunate to be Your initiates Thank You for Your guidance We are fortunate to be with You, Master. And have Your protection Master, You are great Thank You for Your love.) (That’s it. Thanks.) Wow! Very brave! English is not his language, and he tried. Thanks for your love.
Are you still here tomorrow? Somehow? (Yes!) Then what do you do tonight? Some go home, some meditate, right? (Yes, meditate.) Some meditating, some... if you have to go, you go, OK? Then come back later. I mean tomorrow or something? I’ll try to see if tomorrow I can come, OK? But what is the deadline tomorrow evening, that you have to go? That the first ones have to go, what time? (Evening time.) Eleven o’clock? (No, evening time.) Oh, evening time. OK. Then maybe I can come back. Maybe, OK? If you’re still here, then you’re here. If you’re not here, you’re not here. And if I come, I come. If I don’t come, I don’t come.
OK, so I let you free a little bit. You can refresh yourselves, and then meditate or go home or whatever. (Thank You, Master.) Have a great time! (Thank You, Master!) See you later. I go do some work. OK? Wow, bananas! I like bananas. There, the rest are yours. Hula-hop! Om Mani Padme Hum. See you soon. God bless.
