Before I start the presentation I would like to mention a crossroad of

my life and my short story.

MEVLANA CELALEDDIN RUMI

Four years ago when I was 20, I was looking for real happiness in the college years like everybody wanted. I had been accepted one of the best schools in Turkey. At these years, I did a lot of things I wanted because I was living with my classmates. I used to have much money sent by my family, many friends, nicely and cute a girl friend. As you know everything was so easy to do in these days. However, I wasn’t be able to be really happy even I was successful student in the school. These things gave me temporary and fake happiness.

One day when I was surfing in the Internet, I came across these attractive words written by George Sand, French Romantic Writer(1804-1876); “There is only one happiness in this life, to love and to be loved”. “That’s what I am looking for” I said myself. Then I started thinking about these verbs , love and be loved. At the first time it seemed to me very easy, but everything was getting more complicated by and by. Also I had many questions in my head. “How can I love someone and be loved? Who I am going to love and if I love them, are they going to love me? Do I have to love and be loved to get real happiness? Moreover I read a lot of books about this subject but It didn’t work.

One day when I was going back home to visit my family, in Istanbul, I saw someone reading a poetry book written by Rumi in the bus. There were exactly these words in the book “Come, come, come again. Whoever you are, come! I had liked these words so much. Therefore, once I got home I found myself in a bookstore and started knowing Rumi whose poems and ideas give me real happiness, teach me the meaning of the life and change my life…

Mevlana Jelal al-Din Rumi, who is known as “Mevlana” in Turkey and “Rumi” in the western world, can be called a mystic poet, a thinker, a theosophist, a great Anatolian Philosopher or Sufi.

But if you could ask him these two questions “what are you?” he could say “I am nothing but a simple lover of God. “Where are you from? he could also say "I am from no country, but from my Creator and people. I am from parents who were childhood friends and young lovers. I am from people who come in different colors, shapes and sizes and speak many languages”.

In his opinion, a true lover of God has no definite nationality, language or race for he loves everything without discrimination.

He wrote the Mesnevi in six volumes, which gives the message of love, unity, perfection, brotherhood and peace.

For more than seven centuries his Mesnevi has influenced the social life in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and the Central Asia.

He also drown attention of the Western Scholars and poets.

He was born at Balkh, now in Afghanistan, in the year 1207; and was brought up under his father’s good care who himself was a well-respected scholar and a lover of God.

Rumi also studied Arabic, Persia theology, logic, philosophy, mathematic, Islamic history and commentaries on the Koran.

He died on 17 December 1273 in Konya in present day Turkey.

The essence of Rumi’s Masnevi is a masterpiece. In the book we can find his life and works.Some of the important chapters is ; Love, The awakening, The state of an immature man, Devotion and Submission, Observation of God in every phenomenon.

COME, COME OVER, MORE OVER

HOW LONG IS BRIGANDAGE? AS YOU ARE ME AND I AM YOU.

HOW LONG THIS DISCRIMINATION OF YOU AND I?

WE ARE THE LIGHT OF GOD

WHY THIS SEPARATION AMONG US?

WHY LIGHT ESCAPES FROM LIGHT?

WE ARE ALL FROM THE SAME YEAS, OUR BRAINS AND HEADS TOO.

BUT UNDER THIS BOWED SKY WE SEE DOUBLE.

COME, COME AGAIN!

WHOEVER YOU ARE, COME! HEATHEN, FIRE WORSHIPPER OR IDOLATROUS, COME!

COME EVEN IF YOU BROKE YOUR PENITENCE A HUNDRED TIMES, OURS IS THE PORTAL HOPE, COME AS YOU ARE…

I would like to talk about the sema, is part of the inspiration of Mevlana Celalettin-i Rumias well as Turkish Custom, History, beliefs and culture. Mevleviye are known for their famous practice of whirling dances. At their dancing ceremonies, or sema; a particular musical repertoire called ayin is played.

If you love poems by Mevlana CelaleddinRumi the mystic poet, let’s listen "Come My Sweetheart“ by Rumi. The music and the narration is done by Sina...