THE MIDEAST IN THE NEWS

Ibn 'Arabi & Rumi: Teachings for the Modern World

In recent years, many museums, cultural and art centers have worked towards creating a truer understanding, and laboring to overcome this imbalanced view of Islam and its culture, by promoting the region’s culture, arts and music. But little has been done to address the rich and vast knowledge found in the written works of Middle Eastern mystics. Works that express profound wisdom and sentiments of unity, love and beauty. Most often found in the hands of scholars and spiritual leaders, they are rarely discussed among a general audience.

It was the desire to fill this gap that led to a partnership between the Open Center in NYC and the Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society, based in Oxford, UK, and Berkeley, CA, who’s scholars translate the Arabic texts of the great mystic, Ibn Arabi, regarded as one of the two pillars of Sufism (the other being Rumi).

The Ibn ‘Arabi Society educates throughout the world, bringing much inspiration and joy to those who find common ground within these works. In the U.S., this is already true of Rumi’s work. The study or the reading of this material serves to benefit us in immeasurable ways, where we can explore at length our relationship to the creator or the universe, to ourselves, and to others, all with an underlying theme of understanding and connection to the greater whole.

Together with the works of Rumi, the more well-known figure in the United States, and the comparison of their works, one Arabic and one Persian, one intellect and the other, poet, we will discover how interchangeable they truly are- both are deeply profound and poets at heart. Much is yet to be discovered about them, and we hope others will be inspired and healed by their words. These sacred teachings are the culmination of mystical exchanges at first, hidden from the world, and at points, I believe come to the surface in time to serve humanity, to appease us in our darkest hour, when we are in most need of hope, consolation, and direction when there is none to be found. This is at the heart of the sacred teachings of all faiths, as it is here in the works of Ibn ‘Arabi and Rumi, where we will try to touch upon in this conference.

We hope you can join us at this event on Friday and Saturday, November 4 & 5, 2011, in New York City.

For more information, visit: http://www.opencenter.org/ibn-arabi/

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By E. Aracely Brown, Conference Director, Ibn ‘Arabi & Rumi Conference 2011

Existence is one

Its movement is love

Its fullest expression is you

- Ibn ‘Arabi -