A Journey into Knowing Your Heart
By Salima Adelstein
We spend so much time in our heads. Our heads always have “this thought” and “that thought,” and “should’s,” and “ought-to’s.” Our hearts, however, have a deep secret that’s hidden. Part of the journey is lifting the veils that cover our hearts, the defenses and the protections that we put on our hearts through many life experiences.
The journey of Sufism lifts these veils of protection from our hearts, so that our hearts are protected only by the One who protects us. Our hearts are supported by the One who is the greatest support of all, and our hearts have the wisdom and intellect that allow us to know the true meaning of who we are. This allows us to have true peace and true happiness.
Our hearts open their doors for us to know ourselves and to feel the light inside. This divine love is different than human love because it embraces everything and melts the sorrows. These places of darkness within us get a chance to just melt and wash away through this divine love, so that our hearts become clear mirrors, pure reflections of the divine within us. This leads to our complete happiness and joy and a sense of purpose in life.
This journey opens the door for us to be all that we can be. It sets our life on a course of seeing what’s real and what’s important, not the illusions and separations. It opens the door and allows us to feel the wholeness and the connection with our brothers and sisters, so we have more compassion,more mercy, more support, more love, more guidance to help us through whatever difficult times we encounter.
It opens the door for us to explore all the wonders and the glories. In my past, I used to explore the world and visit this holy place and that holy place, looking for something that was already in my heart. This journey of Sufism helps us to come home, to come home to the place within our heart where we can rest in God’s love.
November Sufi Weekend Retreat
For those seeking the guidance and love that Sufism has to offer, there is an opportunity to learn more at a Sufi weekend retreat this November. “Calling All Souls to the Heart of Sufism” will be held November 11-14 at the Del Mar Hilton in San Diego. Salima Adelstein is one of the featured speakers of the upcoming event. She is the Department Chair of Spiritual Ministry at the University of Spiritual Healing Sufism, which opens its doors to all people who seek to be healed or to be healers and are searching for the truth in the way of God. It is for all people who love truth and justice, all who want to embody the spirit of God in their daily lives, and all who love God regardless of their religion or beliefs. Majors include Peacemaking, Spiritual Leadership, and Spiritual Healing in the Sufi Tradition.
The honored speaker of the event is Sidi al-Jamal, Head of the Higher Sufi Council in Jerusalem. He will be speaking four times: Friday evening at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.; and Sunday morning at 9 a.m. There will also be Sufi University faculty members who will teach classes throughout the day, both Saturday and Sunday. Attendees are encouraged to come for the whole event, if possible, to get the most out of it.
The goal of the Shadhiliyya Sufis is to work in the world while immersed in the Divine. It is to keep God’s name on the tongue and in the heart and to act from that place. The Shadhiliyya centers teach the Sufi techniques of dhikr, or remembrance of God, and healing methods that help to purify the heart. Dhikrs or circles are held weekly on Sunday evenings in the San Diego, Tucson, and Los Angeles areas. All are welcome to attend. These Shadhiliyya Sufi Centers of the Southwest Region have joined together to put on this November event and to invite you to sit with the guide, to taste the fruit of the holy tree. As Sidi al-Jamal explains, “The way is ancient and everlasting. All who are of the way are possessed by the way and carried by the way, even while they carry the way.”“You will see me with the eye of your deepest yearning, if you see me at all. And if you are searching for me, it is because I am searching for you. If you understand what I mean, then let us meet face to face, hand to hand and soul to soul.” —Sidi al-Jamal
For information about dhikrs and healing clinics held in the local San Diego area, for links to circles in Los Angeles and Tucson, and for more information about the upcoming weekend retreat with the guide from the Holy Land, please visit www.SufiCenterSanDiego.org.