Two Sufis Two Shamans
Two American Sufi Mureeds, friends for some time on Facebook, finally meet in person in Chungju, Korea. I, Edward, based for more than 40 years in Japan, still doing my best to hold the vibration of the Universal Sufi Message here, though it’s been more in a “hidden” mode the last 20 years. Cybele, based in Korea for more than 20 years, specializing in sacred music, is the founder of the Ureuk World Music House (WMH), a music and artist retreat site in the countryside outside Chungju, with a stage for the performing arts in a traditional Korean lord's house. It is also a “hidden” Sufi retreat and power spot known to some as Sufianna an Nur (Sufi gathering place of Light) and soon to be outwardly known as the Cosmic Light House.
Cybele and I first met virtually during the pandemic through a photo I posted of a sacred tree in Kyoto on the Inayatiyya Facebook group. We decided to meet up when I made a short work visit to Korea in August. Cybele wanted to take me to a sacred shaman nature site nearby in the mountains. The spot is marked by a huge rock spot topped by a dead tree (Cybele said it died immediately after a fence was put around the rock by the local government to keep people from praying there); evidently the mountain spirits were not happy, now again it is a place to offer prayers to Nature. The spot used to be a sacred crossroads for travelers. There is a small alter in front of the rock to make offerings.
As we were thinking and imagining what to offer, and ready to light some incense, we noticed there were already two other Korean local ladies there getting ready to do some kind of ceremony. They said we could watch from a distance, and this is what we saw with our eyes and poem below the photos for what we felt:
Shaman Ladies
Braided bound chords of cloth
Shaken then ripped
Ripping the knots of humanity
two lay shaman ladies
in their daily clothes
standing, bowing with passion
calling upon and
appeasing the spirit of a giant rock
and a dead tree at
ancient crossroad
scared gathering spot.
In sweltering heat their voices barely heard
they call upon the mountain gods and energy
that controls our lives….
my friend and I stand and watch
unexpected sudden guests to this ritual event
us too, hot with the heat of the boiling summer day
watching sacred colors
Red Yellow Black White Blue
symbols of Humanity
weaved and waved by
these believers
in the Spirit of the Land
patient local shamans
global in their intent.
They also have work to do.
Afterwards the ladies followed us to the WMH to get a feel for the place and possibly offer some advice on the energy present there. All I know is that the next morning I had a very special meditation time in my simple, beautiful, private room (too many bugs to sit in the garden as planned). The above poem was inspired in an instant that morning.
After breakfast I helped Cybele with some gardening. Cybele was cleaning up around the big tree at the entrance, partly so we could get the car in and out more easily. My task was to cut and unravel some tenacious vines that had taken over three small fruit trees during the summer. It was not unlike the shaman ladies unknotting the weaved chords they had prepared, clearing the so-called knots in humanity and our relationship with Nature as well.
vines in the trees
battle the sickle
hot sun me
(Haiku by Edo, aka Edward Levinson)
Finally taking a break in the shade under a big tree, sitting on a prime view veranda, I was touched by Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan’s being. He seemed so pleased that this space in Korea existed and how my spot in Japan balanced with it and how we had created spaces for the Message here in Northeast Asia. Validation in any form is always dear.
Meditation time and hard labor work done, we were ready to take the car and treat ourselves by going out to lunch. Being super cautious driving out the narrow gravel road, we felt a hard bump and heard a shockingly loud hissing. We had hit a sharp rock (invisible to us in the high grass) that demolished the tire. While we waited for the wrecker, the “why” of our predicament came to both of our minds. A rock in the road could be a symbol, but interpretation of that is personal. I'm pretty sure somewhere Murshid’’s teachings it says, "the work of a Sufi is to remove rocks from paths of others" or something similar to that. Could have been Pir Vilayat who said or repeated it. My simple gardener mind always remembers the phrase and image. With extra unexpected effort, we certainly removed that rock from the path! I tossed that now broken thing off the road where hopefully it wouldn’t bother anyone else. I suppose the spirits of the land and the beings who knew we were there wanted us to slow down a bit. And so, we did.
sharp rock on the road
our so-called plans
a blow-out
(Haiku by Edo)
This is some guidance we came across after our untimely tire blowout!
By Edward Levinson with help from the spirit of Cybele.
Cybele is a musician from New York who came upon an abandoned traditional lord's house in the countryside of Korea. Entranced by the spot and the open-air stage of the house's porch, she spent the next 20 years creating a dream and then acquiring and restoring the house as a stage to preserve and promote world performing arts, and gather people in meaningful ways to expand the peace (inner and outer), joy, and connection in the world through music, the creative arts and culture. Cybele on Facebook.
For more info on Ureuk World Music House visit:
www.facebook.com/worldmusichouse
Unpublished poem and haiku copyright Edward Levinson.
Share with discretion.
For Edwards books visit the book page and his essay memoir book page "Whisper of the Land"
To see photos of Edward's Solo Hill Garden and House visit this link.
My Photos with Greek Haiku
Greek poet and visual artist Ms. Maria Papatzelou has composed 8 haiku to go with 8 of my black and white pinhole photographs from the “Moments in the Light” series and book. Her lovely haiku are in English and Greek. Maria’s soft touch with the words blends effortlessly with the soft pinhole atmosphere. A most enjoyable collaboration. Thank you Maria!
ギリシャの詩人および芸術家、マリア・パパツェロさんは、私のモノクロームのピンホール写真8点に合わせて､８句の俳句を作りました。写真は「きらめきのなかに」のシリーズと本よりです。これらの素敵な句は英語とギリシャ語です。彼女の言葉の柔らかいタッチは、ピンホールの柔らかい雰囲気に自然に溶け込んでいます。楽しいコラボレーションでした。
マリアさん、ありがとうございました。
http://www.monocleread.gr/2020/12/27/moments-in-the-light8-photographs-by-edward-levinson-8-haiku-by-maria-papatzelou/
