Persiana/sufism

Metaphysical arts and conceptual paintings by Rassouli ..

.. "a contemporary Iranian artist whose sensual artwork is influenced by romantic expressionism, [Persian] Miniature paintings, Sufi occult and mystic [Iranian] poetry of Rumi and Hafez."

'Fountain of Grace'

In wide Eternity's vast space,
Where no beginning was, wert Thou:
The rays of all-pervading grace
Beneath Thy veil flamed on Thy brow.
Then Love and Nature sprang to birth,
And Life and Beauty filled the earth.
Awake, my soul! pour forth thy praise,
To that great Being anthems raise---
That wondrous Architect who said,
"Be formed," and this great orb was made.
Since first I heard the blissful sound-- *

'Ecstatic Dance'

O happy hour! when I shall rise
From earth's delusions to the skies,
Shall find my soul at rest, and greet
The traces of my loved one's feet:
Dancing with joy, whirled on with speed,
Like motes that gorgeous sunbeams feed,
Until I reach the fountain bright
Whence yonder sun derives his light. *

~ Hafez of Shiraz (1325-1389)
Trans: Charles F. Horne

'Soul's Journey'

Sama: an Angels' trick (?)

From the French language press:

(Al Bayane - Casablanca, Maroc - Vendredi, Février 9, 2007)

Sama (1) in Sufism refers to spiritual hearing. Sama is practiced at the time of the evening's meetings of the Sufis brotherhoods, according to the cases, accompanied or not by musical instruments.

Ethnomusicologist Jean During, in his book on mystical hearing, says: "First musical Sama is ascribed to the Angels who managed by this stratagem to capture the ecstatic soul of Adam and to lock it up in the body. The inversion of this myth is that the music can also make it possible for the soul of the mystic to escape from the body and to free itself from the contingencies of time and space."

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