Entering the Sophic Whorl
w/ Pir Zia & Mir Ravanbakhsh
A Seven-Part Series – Sundays, 27 February to 10 April 2022
3-4:30 pm EST (New York)/9-10:30 pm CET (Paris)

Course I, Spring 2022 The Whirs of the Whorl: A Contemplative and Musical Passage Through Seven Stations of the Soul

Parts of the earth which water does not touch remain barren; so the centers in the body, with all their intuitive, innate capacities, remain unproductive if the breath does not reach them.
– Hazrat Inayat Khan

Hazrat’s teachings point to seven subtle centers within the human body. To bring breath to these centers is to begin to awaken and realign them. Moving through the centers in spiral fashion – in tune with the whorl of a fingerprint, a flower, or a galaxy – harmonizes the polarities inherent in our constitution and strengthens the central heart (sirr).

In this introductory contemplative expedition we will advance through the spiral of the centers – the Sophic Whorl – week by week, at each step reflecting on the spiritual task of the station at hand. The course is open to all, and a gentle approach will be taken. Participants are encouraged to attend all seven sessions but there is no requirement.

Each class will include a musical meditation in which we will listen contemplatively to the classical musical mode (maqam) linked with the center to which we are sending breath. The various modes will be played by Ravanbakhsh Yüzkhan, Pir Zia’s son.

Station One: Standing Strong

• If one lacks the knowledge of the battle of life, one lacks the most important knowledge of all.
• How do we navigate the unprecedented social and ecological context in which we live with integrity and resilience?

Station Two: Letting Go

• The true emptiness is filled by the Divine light.
• What does it mean to face one’s shadows and, ultimately, the great unfathomable mystery that can never be quantified or grasped?

Station Three: Born Again

• For the soul to be born again means that it is awakened after having come on earth
• Spring is a resurrection. What is the art and science of rebirth?

Station Four: Imagining Things

• Imagination is everything. To the real all is real, to the unreal all is unreal.
• How is our self and our world shaped by the hand of imagination, individually and collectively?

Station Five: Ripening

• It is the aim of every object in life to ripen and to develop.
• What does the fulfillment of our earthly existence require of us, and what does this fruition look like?

Station Six: Always New

• Life is always new and always old. It is always the same and yet it is always new.
• How can one steer clear of ruts, and instead gain access to the fresh life and inspiration constantly pouring into the Universe?

Station Seven: Eyes of the Universe

• The purpose of the whole Creation is the realization that God gains by discovering God’s own Perfection through this manifestation.
• What does the world reveal when we experience ourselves as a pair of eyes through which the Absolute surveys itself?

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Advanced registration is required for this seven-part course, offered in English, Deutsch, Francais, and Turkish. A registration fee of $49 is recommended ($7 per class). We also provide a sliding scale where you can attend for free or for any donation amount.

Audio & Video will be posted to a special Dropbox folder and sent to you each week, so you may participate in real time or anytime you’d like. Registration is required to access the audio & video.

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions about The Sophic Whorl spring course, please email us at astana@inayatiyya.org.

We will continue this teaching for Course II: Fall 2022: The Whorl and the World: An Alchemical Exploration of the World Soul and the Future of the Earth (Details TBA).

BIOGRAPHIES

Pir Zia Inayat Khan carries the Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. He received his Ph.D. in Religion from Duke University. His books include Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity, and the Mystical Quest, Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions, and Dream Flowers: The Collected Works of Noor Inayat Khan. Pir Zia is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Suluk Academy. Now based in Richmond, Virginia, when not in a pandemic, he and his family live both in the United States and France.

Mir Ravanbakhsh Yüzkhan currently studies Religion at the Honors College at George Mason University and works at the university. He plays traditional Turkic music and is proficient in several instruments, with a focus on the oud and dombra. Some of his recordings can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4g4rpc3nGApnzBo6Aeofig