Introduction to the Green Rules
Sunday, May 8th at 3pm EST / 9pm CET
The Knighthood of Purity is a path of contemporary chivalry based on the Iron, Copper, Silver, and Golden Rules from Hazrat Inayat Khan’s Vadan. Learning to live in relationship to others according to careful examination of one’s conscience is the practice of putting the resolutions of the Rules into practice.
The conscience of humanity has come to be burdened by the weight of its responsibility for the deterioration of ecosystems and the extreme consequences of widespread pollution. Efforts are underway to counteract the effects of industrial and commercial exploitation of nature. However, a deeper examination of our basic attitudes towards nature and the cultivation of an awareness of “all our relations” when we interact with the natural world is required if we are to learn how to live in harmony with our environment.
The Green Rules are intended to be a means of self-examination to heighten appreciation of our interdependence with the natural world. This introduction is a joint presentation by the Knighthood of Purity and the Ziraat Activity.
Presenters include Alia Arnesen, Firos Holterman, Shams Kairys, Suhrawardi Gebel and Wali Via from the Knighthood of Purity and Ziraat Activities.
We will meet on Sunday, May 8th from 3-4:30 pm EDT (New York)/9-10:30 pm CET (Berlin). All interested seekers are welcome. This introduction is intended for anyone interested in contemporary chivalry and in our ethical relationship with nature.
If you have questions about the content of the course, please contact sg@inayatiyya.org. Questions about registration, payments, and logistical details may be sent to astana@inayatiyya.org.
Speakers
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Suhrawardi GebelSuhrawardi Gebel is Chancellor of the Knighthood of Purity, a member of the Esoteric Training Committee of the Inayatiyya Inner School, a grandfather, a gardener, and author of two books, Root Speaks to Bud and Nature’s Hidden Dimension. He enjoys mentoring retreat guides and leaders in the Inner School. He also mentors Cherags for the Universal Worship. He lives in Boulder, Colorado at the intersection of the great Western prairie with the foothills of the Rocky Mountain range.
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Alia Sura Arnesen
Alia Sura Arnesen is a musician and spiritual guide. Together with Shams Uwais, she welcomes spiritual seekers at Shamali nature- and retreat center at the north-west coast of Norway. She also regularly offers musical attunements and meditations online open to all.
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Wali ViaWali Via has been following the Sufi path since 1978 and serves a number of roles within the Inayatiyya, including as the current Vice President of Ziraat in North America. Wali has spent his adult life farming organically and biodynamically at a commercial scale. He is now retired from farming, though the farm continues on in good hands (wintergreenfarm.com). He spends as much time as he can in the wilderness, hiking, backpacking, climbing mountains, and kayaking, and playing with his grandchildren. Wali is dedicated to providing opportunities for people to deepen their spiritual lives including their relationship with the natural world to foster the Earth’s healing.
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Shams KairysShams has been a student and guide in the Inayatiyya for over 45 years, with ongoing engagement in the Kinship activity. He has worked with many innovative organizations and projects, including Berkeley Area Interfaith Council, Meeting of the Ways, Creating Our Future, Seva Foundation, ReachingOut Project, EarthSave, Youth for Environmental Sanity, and Seven Pillars House of Wisdom. His love of the natural world and growing awareness of its degradation led him to focus on shedding light on the roots of the ecological crisis and the profound challenges it presents. He has advanced ways to deepen our sense of intimacy within the web of life and to cherish and protect it. He enjoys outings in nature with his son and friends, occasional flirtations with his violin, and working with authors as an independent editor.
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Firos Holterman ten HoveFiros Holterman ten Hove has been a student within in the Inayatiyya since 1973. He studied History at the University of Utrecht and Organic Agriculture at “Warmonderhof”. His books include The Soul of Flowers, presenting an overview of the plants mentioned by Hazrat Inayat Khan. Firos is Vice President of the Inayatiyya Ziraat Activity and lives with his family in the German Alps, where he runs a nursery.
