Universal Worship

First Sunday of the Month, 12 noon.
Interfaith Community Church Sanctuary
1763 NW 62^nd Street in Ballard 98107.

The Universal Worship invokes the One Being through the different religions and the beings of their Prophets, and celebrates the unity underlying the forms of all religious faiths, symbolized by lamps representing the major faiths sharing one altar. We offer prayers to honor all the Prophets, known and unknown, sent to the world to hold aloft the light of Truth.

This service was transmitted in the early 20^th century by Hazrat Inayat Khan as a way to join in worship with all the prophets of humanity. A Cherag (from the Persian word for “lamp”) facilitates the service, which often includes scriptural readings and spiritual practices from various traditions.

Contact: Michael Douglas, by email or call 206.769.1980.

Healing Circle

Mondays, 2pm
at the home of Ushi-Darena Burgess, 206.297.1719.
Please call before attending for the first time.
For more information on the Sufi Healing Order, see
http://www.sufiorder.org/activities_healing.html

Zira‘at Lodge

New Moon ceremony to resume in the Fall

At the home of Manal Dorothy Craig (Phinney/Greenwood) 206.783.0462, or via email

Kinship and Community Service Activities

Nevniyaz Kitchen

3^rd Tuesday of each month, 6–8 p.m.

The Nevniyaz Kitchen is a group of people from various Sufi orders in the Seattle area who come together monthly to volunteer at Food Lifeline. We repackage bulk food and sort and label canned food for two hours at the Food Lifeline warehouse in Shoreline. Food is distributed to Food Banks around the state. Our members range in age from 7 to 70+, and we work to accommodate those who cannot lift more than 10 pounds, and those who cannot stand for long periods.

We come together in zikr, sometimes singing and sometimes silent, to bless the food as we touch it, so that it may satisfy many hungers. We hope to follow in the steps of the many dervishes who have served the poor. Working together we train the nafs.

About the name: the Nevniyaz was the name for the aspirant who has just entered into the Mevlevi 1001 day training. He (for they were only men in those days) worked and slept in the kitchen, learning how to learn by working with others in silence. We are all beginners here, whether shaykh of 20 years or newest arrival to the path.

Contact Tsukina Blessing: 206.782.2935.

“Never refuse to bless and help the needy and the poor…”
— Khwaja Mu‘inuddin Chishti’s instructions to his students

Prison Book Project

The Sufi Order International Kinship Council is collecting spiritual books and donating them to Books to Prisoners in Seattle (volunteering there is fun and rewarding! www.BooksToPrisoners.net) and a similar project in Boston. We insert a flyer in the books we donate, offering a free book on Sufism. These books are then sent to prisoners who request a book on religion/spirituality.

The second part of the project is when we receive a request from a prisoner interested in Sufism, we send them a book by Murshid from Omega Publications. We are continuing the work done for many years by Rabia Longworth and June Ross at the Abode, and trying to expand that effort.

Donations of spiritual books (any type) or money to purchase the books from Omega Publications are happily accepted.

Contact: Manal Dorothy Craig if you have books to donate, 206.783.0462, or via email
Donations: Checks made out to SOI-Seattle Center, P.O. Box 30082, Seattle WA 98113 will be forwarded to the Kinship Council.

top

Special Events & Retreats

Hejirat Day Celebration

Sunday, September 12, 2010

5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

I was transported by destiny from the world of lyric and poetry to the world of industry and commerce....

—Hazrat Inayat Khan

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of Inayat Khan’s journey from India to the West to share the Sufi Message. Come celebrate the jubilee year with Aziza Scott and the local Sufi community. Zikr, prayer, music and refreshments.

$10 donation requested.

Interfaith Community Church
1763 NW 62^nd St. in Ballard

Off-street parking next to the church, through the alley from 20^th Ave NW. Please fill the parking lot before parking on the street. The neighbors appreciate it. Also, please bring a non-perishable food item for the church’s ongoing collection for the Ballard Food Bank.

For further info, please call Michael Douglas at 206-769-1980.

Spiritual Liberty

with Rev. Halima Thea Levkovitz

September 2, 16, 30, October 14, 28, November 11
7: 30 PM Universal Worship; 8 PM Meditation and Sohbet; cookies and tea following.

In this session on Spiritual Liberty, we will use the wisdom of inter-religious mediation, practice and prayer to cultivate the inner spiritual message that is the secret of all religions. From this will flow a deeper understanding of the purpose of our lives.

Rev. Halima Thea Levkovitz is a Cheraga (Minister) in the Universal Worship of the Sufi Order International. A student of world faith mystical traditions for more than thirty years, she has studied with Sufi, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Yoga and other spiritual teachers. She is a communications and organizational development consultant, guides retreats for environmental activists and served as coordinator of the Partnership for Religion and the Environment.

Sacred Healing/Sacred Retreat

Individual 1–21-Day Retreats Guided by Sura Charlier

Sacred space and skilled facilitation
for conscious healing, renewal, transformation and integration
from a soul perspective.
Located in Lake Forest Park, WA (Seattle area)

For details, click here for a flyer in PDF.

Sura Charlier has been a student of Sufism for 25 years and is an authorized Sufi Order International Representative, Guide, and Retreat Guide, as well as a Cheraga (Minister). Her current areas of exploration/interest include facilitation of classes/seminars that seek to promote greater illumination, realization, awakening, and physical embodiment of the Divine; physical, psychological and emotional healing via the spiritual journey, and healing of our relationship with the earth and one another. Sura is a professional composer/performer (a graduate of Cornish College of the Arts). She uses music and sacred dance to emphasize the need for effective Earth conservation/stewardship through Remembrance of Unity/Beauty.

For further information, contact Sura via email or call 206.368.3881.

top

---

Coming Attractions

---

The Healing Heart — with Devi Tide

October 30, 2010

A meeting of healers and those interested in service to our earth.

Through music, practice and meditations, we will explore insight and intuition, flow and vitality. With the increased energy we raise, we will devote time and attention to the need of the planet at this time.

10–12 noon at the house of Tsukina Blessing in North Seattle/Shoreline — call 206-782-2935 or email Tsukina

Bring a cushion to sit on if you wish, and a dish to share for a potluck lunch.

Devi Tide is a student of Sufism and ancient healing meditative practices, and offers seminars, lectures and retreats worldwide. She is a master of meditation, having taught meditation, healing practices and tools for inner unfoldment for over thirty years. As an internationally known speaker, she has offered programs for medical professionals, educators, sociologists, and laypeople in Australia, New Zealand, India, Europe and North America, and has spoken in places such as the Harvard Mind Body Institute, the University of Washington Medical School and was an invited delegate of the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit. She now resides in the Seattle area where she plans to open a healing practice.

Devi has been a student of the Sufi mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan for over 30 years and is the head of the Sufi Healing Order, whose mission is to facilitate and support community access to inner resources which awaken the heart, activate inner power and develop the innate healing capacity.

---

Healing for the Planet

10–noon Saturday Sept. 25^th

Tsukina’s house in north Seattle,
potluck to follow.

In this time of ecological & social crisis, the earth needs our love.
Join Tsukina and Ushi Darena for Sufi practices and the Healing Service of Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Bring a cushion to sit on and a potluck dish to share, if you like.

Call 206-782-2935 or email Tsukina for directions.

---

2011 Gatherings with Gayan Macher

January 7–9 and May 13–15, 2011

(The October 15–17, 2010 session has been canceled.)

In Harmony with Life

The awakened view of Hazrat Inayat Khan is that of all of life as music—the entire existence as an incomparable harmonious unfoldment. The same rhythm is seen in the movement of the galaxies, the seasons and the seas, and in the pulse in our own veins.

During these weekends we will work with practices for tuning to the Infinite, our deepest nature. And we will explore the wisdom teachings for harmonizing with the conditions of life. Harmonizing with life is a gradual process of surrender—first accepting what is, and finally loving what is given from The One We Trust.

These weekends are for those who cherish gathering in the community of the sincere. It is for those who wish, more than anything, to use all that life brings as material for beauty.

All are welcome.

Your life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets. —Oscar Wilde

Location: Kirkland home of Fatima Besharat
$150 suggested contribution for the weekend, scholarship available.
Housing available, meals included.
Please send checks, payable to “Ken Macher”, to:
Fatima Besharat, 338 7^th Ave. W., Kirkland WA  98033

Limited space — early registration recommended.
Contact Fatima via email or 206-999-0715 (mobile)

---

Puget Sound Sufi Community

Unity Zikr

Saturday, October 30, 2010
Potluck 6:00 pm  •  Zikr 7:30 pm

BALLARD ODDFELLOWS’ HALL
1706 NW Market St  •  Seattle

Rifa‘i-Marufi Order  •  (206) 235-1902
Sufi Order International  •  (206) 368-3881
Sufi Ruhaniat International  •  (206) 850-2111
Halveti-Jerrahi Order  •  206) 713-6917
Mevlevi Order of America  •  (206) 784-1532
and Special Guests

Come, sweep out the chamber of your heart,
Make it ready to be the dwelling of the Beloved.
When self-absorption departs, Love enters;
In you, without you, God will display all beauty.

—Mahmud Shabistari

For a flyer in PDF (370Kb), click here.

For further information, contact Sura Charlier at 206.368.3881 or via email

---

Harvesting the Riches Within

Spiritual Retreat with Aziza Scott

September 10 – 12, 2010

In these times of change and transition, when fear and confusion seem to be spreading all around us, spiritual retreat allows us to break from the stressful atmosphere of daily life and discover the riches of the silent, changeless world within. Retreat is an answer to the call of the soul to soar on the wings of spirit. As we awaken to inner guidance, we experience the upwelling of joy, peace, understanding and power that are our true nature. We emerge with renewed purpose, creativity and dedication to service.

In this season of harvest, Aziza will guide us on a sacred journey to the limitless bounty of the inner realms, drawing on Sufi meditation practices with light, breath, and sound. Her humor, common sense, and no-nonsense approach to spirituality encourage self-discovery, personal problem solving and inner realization.

Friday 7 – 9 p.m.
Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. (dinner provided)
Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Location: Sura Charlier’s home in Lake Forest Park.
Space is limited — please register early!
Limited scholarships and work study available.
Pay by check to “SOI-Seattle,” PO Box 30082, Seattle, WA 98113-2082
or by PayPal.

$165

For many years, Aziza has traveled extensively in the U.S. and Europe, guiding retreats as head of the Sufi Order International Esoteric School and Director of Retreat Guide Training for the Sufi Order International. She is one of the core faculty of the Suluk Academy with Pir Zia Inayat Khan. She worked closely with Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan for more than 30 years.

“Let us create an alchemical vessel with our presence together.”

Please contact Manal if you are interested in attending, via email, or at 206.783.0462.

---

Women’s Zikr

Hosted by Sura Charlier

Whatever happens to the world around, show me your purpose, show me your Source.

—Rumi

Saturday, September 25, 2010
6:30 p.m. — Potluck
7:30 – 8:30 p.m — Clothing/Jewelry Exchange
8:30 – 10:30 p.m. — Zikr

$10–$15 requested donation for the Hope Project

18910 33rd Ave NE, Lake Forest Park, WA
Please bring food, drinks, and clothing/jewelry to share.
To download a beautiful flyer, please click here.

via email

---

Healing Retreat for Leaders

with Devi Tide
October 1–3, 2010 — Seattle Area

This retreat is for Healing Leaders or a Leader in another Activity that involves healing. We are breaking new ground. It is a time to solidify our inner and outer connection. The theme this year will be the balance of deepening inner realization and growth, and the expression of joy and service. There will be time to connect with old and new friends, to do inner practice, and to celebrate.

Tuition

Before August 27: sliding scale $125–150
After August 27: $140–160.

Please send your deposit of $100 or more by August 27 to SOI-Seattle, P.O. Box 30082, Seattle, WA 98113-2082.

after 8/28

Sliding Scale

Deposit $100.00 Option 1 $140.00 Option 2 $145.00 Option 3 $150.00 Option 4 $155.00 Option 5 $160.00

For information or special needs please contactl Devi via email or Ushi Darena via email.

Lodging and Meals

Single and double rooms, breakfast and lunch are available at Bastyr for an additional cost. Single rooms $39, doubles $29/night, shared bath. Lodging also available with the local Sufi community or a nearby motel. To reserve space contact Devi or Ushi Darena as soon as possible.

Contact Devi Tide via email for more information about this Leaders’ retreat and to request permission to attend.

Devi Tide, head of the Sufi Healing Order of North America, has over thirty years of experience as a teacher of meditation and techniques of spiritual unfoldment. She gives seminars, lectures and retreats worldwide.

---

Human Will as the Signature of Divine Love

A Seminar with Shahabuddin Less

November 11–14, 2010 — Seattle, WA

The human will is the signature of God in the human being. It is the same power that created the universe, and it is potentially present in each person. The nature of this power of Will is neutral. It has no conscience or desire. Ideally, our awakened heart and mind provide the proper direction and guidance of this power. If not, there is the potential for the misuse of this capacity. When people use the Will wrongly, it backfires and actually works against their own wishes.

One of the greatest lessons on the path of life is the development of the Will and the ability to direct the Will in a conscious way. We need to train ourselves for the proper use of this power.

This seminar invites all who would like to have a stronger voice in the creation of their own life. We will use practices and meditations designed to increase will-power and to make the Will an energy that enhances our joy and appreciation of life, rather than an energy that creates limitation.

We will cover the following topics:
• The difference between will, wish and desire
• Techniques for receiving clear inner guidance
• Exercises to strengthen the will
• How to know if we are using will to further God’s desire or our ego desire
• The development of a collective will for a family and a community
• The use of will in healing
• Using the will power to strengthen personal meditation
• Relationship between will power and soul power
• Harmonizing a conflict of wills
• Healing the spirit from an external overbearing will

Shahabuddin David Less is a murshid in the Sufi Order International. He has traveled and taught the Sufi path for nearly forty years, offering profound teachings on the transformative processes of life. He received mystical training from some of the great spiritual teachers of the 20^th Century, and was a close student of two Western Sufis, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and Murshid Samuel Lewis.

Shahabuddin is the founder of Rising Tide International in Sarasota FL, a center devoted to uniting the hearts of all religions. He is also a founding member of the Abrahamic Reunion, a network of spiritual peacemakers in the Holy Land, whose mission is to use religion as a force for peace. He is the author of Universal Meditations: Recipes for a Peaceful Mind (2009). Shahabuddin brings a depth of spiritual insight and profound attunement to his teachings. Students benefit from his compassionate nature, broad knowledge and gentle humor. Time with him is always lively and enlivening, uplifting and practical, and often deeply transforming.

Dates and Schedule:

Thursday, November 11–Sunday, November 14, 2010
10:00 am–5:00pm
(short day Sunday)
Zikr on Friday evening after class, for seminar participants only

Location:

Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church
14724 1st Avenue NE, Shoreline, WA 98155

Tuition is on a sliding scale as follows:

Early registration with full tuition paid by October 15: $360 to $460
After October 16: $425 to $525
Per day: $105
(no discount for half-days)

Registration:

Checks made out to “SOI-Seattle” may be sent to:
Sufi Order International, Seattle
PO Box 30082
Seattle WA 98113-2082
Please write “Shahabuddin” on your check and on the envelope.

Sliding Scale

$360.00 $371.00 $382.00 $393.00 $404.00 $416.00 $427.00 $438.00 $449.00 $460.00

Daily Rate

$105.00

For more information, contact Jelilah Judith Allen via email or at 206.329.5576

---

Individual Retreats with Taj Inayat

Taj is offering a limited number of two-to-five-day individual retreats in Kirkland, November 15–20, 2010, and February 13^th–18^th, 2011. Please contact Fātima to register, to get on the waiting list in case of cancellations, or for information on future retreats.

For a 2011 flyer in PDF, click here.

Taj Inayat is the vice-president of the Sufi Order International, co-founder of Sufi Retreats, and a Murshida in the Sufi Order International. She is adept at working with the inner worlds, and guides many people in the access of their inner deepest nature and in living this fundamental presence in their outer lives.

Using the insights of personal experience, psychological study, and spiritual discipline, Taj helps others cultivate sensitivity to the subtle movements, obstacles and awakenings that are part of the soul”s unfoldment.

Contact Fātima (Fay) Besharat
via email or at 206.999.0715

---

Top
Home

For questions about this site, or to report corrections or problems, email the Webmaster