bed time

[mysticactive]

A bizare few days it has been. I have not eaten anything in two days, after vomiting all night Saturday despite eating the exact same food as everyone else around me for the preceding few hours. This has happened to me a few times and it always mystifies me. Why do I always get the 'bad food' everyone else seems to avoid or, as my boyfriend asked

Comments

zikr

[khalid_hussain]

I found your comments about zikr interesting. It reminded me of some things I read in Nicolaas Biegman's Living Sufism: Sufi Rituals in the Middle East and the Balkans. He points out that some orders hold sitting zikrs only, while others favor standing zikrs (usually with coordinated movement and, of course, vocal zikr). Perhaps there are differences in temperament that are better accommodated by one approach or the other.

Your comments also made me think about the dilemmas that often surround participation in an order: access to a teacher and group rituals tend to bring with them obligations that may or may not truly support the needs of one's individual growth at any given time (all claims to the contrary notwithstanding).

Peace and good wishes for your continuing recovery,

r

Re: zikr

[mysticactive]

Yes, there are definitely a very wide range of techniques. If you are only exposed to the NAJ or Sheikha Nazım's Naqshi lineage, you get the impression that outloud zikr is very central. But, for some groups its not at the core at all. For example, when you were with the nimatullahis was there emphasis on vocal zikr? When I was with them it had almost totally fallen away except for a few minutes that sort of formed a climax of the silent zikr. But I have heard that it was much more intense and loud before