 WHIRLING
DERVICHES CEREMONY
|
 Semâ
is is the inspiration of Mevlânâ Celâleddin-i Rumî (1207-1273)
as well as part of Turkish custom, history, beliefs and culture… It
symbolizes in seven parts the different meanings of a mystic
cycle to perfection (Ascension - Mirac). Contemporary science
definitely confirms that the fundamental condition of our
existence is to revolve. There is no object, no being which
does not revolve and the shared similarity among beings is
the revolution of the electrons and protons in the atoms,
which constitute the structure of the smallest particle to
the stars far in the sky. As a consequence of this similarity,
every thing revolves and man carries on his life, his very
existence by means of the revolution in the atoms, structural
elements in his body, bye the circulation of his blood, bye
his coming from the Earth and return to it, by his revolving
with the Earth itself.
However, all of these are natural, unconscious
revolutions. But man is the processor of a mind and intelligence
which distinguished him from and makes him superior to other
beings…
Thus the whirling dervish or Semâzen causes
the mind to participate in the shared similarity and revolution
of all other beings…
- The Semâ ceremony represents all a mystical
journey of man's spiritual ascent through love, deserts his
ego, finds the truth and arrives to the “Perfect”. Then he
returns from this spiritual journeys as a man who reached maturity
and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service
to the whole creation, to all creatures without discriminating
in regard to belief, class, or race… The dervish with his head-dress(his
ego's tombstone), his white skirt (his ego's shroud) is spiritually
born to the truth, by removing his black cloak, he journeys
and advances to spiritual maturity through the stages of the
Semâ. At the onset and each stage of the Semâ holding his arms
crosswise he represents number one, and testifies to God's
unity. While whirling his arms are open, his right hand directed
to the sky ready to receive God's beneficence, gazing his left
hand turned toward the earth, he turns from right to left,
pivoting around the heart. This is his way of conveying God's
spiritual gift to the people upon whom God “looks with a Divine”
watchfulness. Revolving around the heart, from right to left,
he embraces all of humankind, all the creation with affection
and love…
The Semâ is consisted of several parts,
with different meanings…
 A- It
stars with a eulogy “Nat-ý Ţerif” to the Prophet, who represents
love, an all Prophets before him. To praise them is praising
God, who created all of them.
B- This eulogy is followed by a drum
sound symbolising the Divine order of the Creator.... ''Kun=Be!''
C- Then follows an instrumental music
improvisation '' taksim '' with a read '' ney '', it represents
the firts breath which gives life to everthing : The Divine
Breath.
D- The fourth part is the dervishes gretings
to each other and their thirice repeated circular walk ''Devri
Veledi'' accompanied by music called ''peshrev'', it symbolize
the salulation of soul to soul concealed by shapes and bodies.
E- The fifth part is the Semâ (whirling)
it concists of four salutes or ''Selam''s. At the end of each
as in the onset, the dervish testifies by appearance to God's
unity.
1- The first salute is man's birth to
truth by feelingand mind. It represent his complete conception
of the existance of God as Creator and his own state of creature.
2- The second salute expresses the rapture
of man witnessin the splendor of creation, in front of God's
greatness and omnipotence.
3- The third salute is the dissolution
rapture into love and there by the sacrifice of mind to love.
It is a complete submission, it is the annihilation of self
in the loved One, it is unity. This state of ecstasy is the
highest grade defined as ''Fenafillah'' in Ýslâm. However,
the highest rank in Ýslâm is the rank reached by the Prophet
: He is called God's servant foremost and subsequently his
messenger. The aim of Semâ is not unbroken ecstasy and loss
of concious thought, but realization of.
4- The fourt salute: Just as the Prophet
ascends the ''Throne'' and then returns to his task on earth,
the whirling dervish, folloving the termination of his spiritual
journey and his ascent, returns to his task, to his state of
subservience. (He is a servant of God, of His prophets and
all the creation...) Sura Bakara 2, verse 285. At the end of
this salute, he demonstrate this again by his apperance, arms
placed crsswise representing the of God, conscjously and feelingly.
F- The sixth part of the Semâ is a reading
of the Quaran, especialy of the verse from Sura bakara 2, verse
115. (Onto God belong the East and the West, and wherever you
turn, there is GOD's countenance. He is All-Embracing. All-Knowing).
G- The Semâ ceremony ends with a prayer
for the peace of the souls of all Prophets and all believers...
After the completion of ''Semâ'' ritual all the dervishes return
silently to their cells meditation (tefekkür).
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