HeartBeat Summer 2009 - Sufi Ruhaniat International

On Hosting This Year’s Jamiat Ahmby Yaqin Lance SandlebenLike other great gatherings, this one began with Abraham, Abraham Sussman, that is. At the 2007Jamiat Khas, Abraham asked me if Prescott would like to host the 2009 Jamiat Ahm. I felt the immediatespark, like the first time I heard the name, “Sufi Sam.” I knew this was something to followup on, to learn about, to experience. When I returned to Prescott, I began spreading the idea amongour circle, officially known as Prescott Peace Dances and Sufi Circle. Others also felt the spark, andthe spark began to smolder. It took a few months of talking, asking questions, and getting feedbackbefore we decided by consensus (our way of working) to take on the task. As the Sufi sage said, itwas like shooting an arrow at a target we could not see.About fifteen years ago, some Prescott residents began attending the Mendocino Sufi Camp.At the same time, and independently, a zikr circle began at the home of a Sufi Order initiate, and acouple of other locals with musical talent started hearing the call of the Dances of Universal Peace.It wasn’t long before these three streams crossed, feeding each other. Like other circles, we formeda group to support the dances and Sufi activities, and began inviting teachers for weekend retreats.Our community grew. In the days when there were few opportunities for spiritual practice outsideof traditional Christian churches in our conservative cowboy town, the Dances flourished.Also like other circles, we went through growing pains, working with the nafs and shadow, andfinding opportunities still to this day to practice rising above “distinctions and differences which divide.”We have used agreement by consensus, and speaking and listening, as beneficial techniques.We are not affiliated with any one Sufi organization as our circle includes members of 3 Inayati lineages,as well as another Sufi lineage. Belonging to a lineage is not a requirement of participation.Love is, however.It seemed like when we were ready, then came the request to host the Ahm. We had never hosteda residential retreat and saw this as an opportunity to expand our capabilities. We each began tocarve out our work territory, with much overlap. We discussed possible themes and settled on LoveInward and Outward—strengthening love towards ourselves, embodying it, and spreading it out intothe world. For most of us, this was rather like the old story, “I asked God for strength, and God sentme barbells.” In the preparation for and hosting of the retreat, we were tested in unique ways, andthe experience itself became a profound lesson for us in manifesting love inwardly and outwardly.For our location, we found a camp owned by a Christian church but run by a family that resonatedwith our inclusive spirituality and had a special appreciation for the deepening that can happenat a retreat camp. They rose with grace to the challenge of our various dietary requests, whichresulted in menus quite different from their usual church camp fare. Though they might not use theterm themselves, they were karma yogis.The week the camp began, a cold front swept through Arizona. We were shivering as we movedtables, chairs and beds in preparation for our guests. We built a fire as we decorated the main hall.It began to snow lightly, but when people began to arrive, we were ready. With the fire cracklingin the fireplace, hot chai steaming, and warm cookies just out of the oven, we welcomed our muchanticipated guests, happy that over 100 people were coming from across the country to our home!We did a lot of work before and during the retreat, but when that first dance began, when we feltthis large and cozy group dropping in…our purpose was fulfilled.Our dear teachers Murshid Wali Ali and Murshida Leilah Be, with contributions from Pir Shabdaand Murshida Asha Greer, used teachings and practices that took us all deeply into the theme in»Sufi Ruhaniat International 13