An interactive seminar

Saturday 20th July 2024
14:00–17:00 BST
The October Gallery, London

Union is the only remedy for separation
Those who do not attain Union cannot be at peace. (Mehmed Muhyiddin Üftāde)

We shall investigate the theme of Union as exemplified in the writings of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Üftāde, Bulent Rauf and others.

This is an interactive seminar facilitated by students of Beshara.

Restoring the Broken Order

Learning from Ibn ‘Arabi

Saturday 20th April 2024
14:00–17:00 BST
The October Gallery, London

An exploratory seminar on some themes from the Wisdom of Breathing Out in the Word of Seth, the second chapter of Ibn ‘Arabi’s Fusus al-Hikam (The Ringstones of Wisdom).

Nestled in the Womb of God

Hindu-Muslim comparative inquiry

9th December 2023
14:00–17:00 GMT
The October Gallery, London

A seminar by Hina Khalid

This seminar ventures into the relatively unexplored terrain of a Hindu-Muslim comparative inquiry into the intimate presence of the divine reality to the finite world. It offers a comparative analysis of the conception of the infinite in the worldviews of two major philosopher-poets of the Indian subcontinent – Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) and Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941).

Work by James Suzman: A Discussion

The history of work from the stone age to the age of robots

Sunday 3rd December 2023
15:00–16:30 GMT via Zoom

A chance to discuss the topic of Work as discussed by James Suzman in a book recently reviewed in Beshara Magazine.

“It is rather hearts, clinging to the door of the Divine Presence”

Learning from Ibn ‘Arabi

4th November 2023
14:00–17:00 GMT
The October Gallery, London

A talk and seminar by Eric Winkel

Mystic, philosopher, poet, sage, Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi (1165–1240) was one of the world’s great spiritual teachers. Since 2012, Dr Eric Winkel has dedicated his life to the first-ever translation of and commentary on the entirety of Ibn Arabī’s al-Futūḥāt al-Makkīyah (The Openings Revealed in Makkah). Ten thousand pages of the original handwritten manuscript make up 37 books of the complete work. In this seminar, he will discuss Ibn ‘Arabi’s seminal work and its significance for us now.

Drowning in the depths of Rumi’s Masnavi

‘You are not a single you, o good comrade; nay, you are the sky and the deep sea’ – Rumi

30th October – 27th November 2023
Weekly Zoom sessions
19:00–20:30 GMT

This course is an opportunity to study and explore some of Rumi’s main spiritual teachings from the Masnavi, which is considered to be his masterpiece.

How Rumi Opens the Eye of the Heart

14th October 2023
14:00–17:00 BST
The October Gallery, London

A talk and seminar by Alan Williams

The 13th century Masnavi of Jalāloddin Rumi is not a story book, yet, like the Bible and the Quran, it is full of stories. What are the secrets the Masnavi reveals? They may be summed up in the phrase ‘the opening of the eye of the heart’. The primary question of this lecture is: how does the Masnavi effect the opening of the heart?

The Mysticism and Spirituality of St. John of the Cross

2 online series of 3 Meditation Workshops

30th September, 28th October, 26th November
Saturdays, 10:00–12.30 BST/GMT
and
October 12th, November 9th, December 7th
Thursdays, 17:00–19.30 BST/GMT

Two poems by St. John of the Cross, The Dark Night and The Spiritual Canticle, will form the basis of our meditation.

Exploring the meaning of ‘Know Yourself’ according to five wisdom traditions

27th September – 6th December 2023
Fortnightly Zoom sessions
19:00–20:30 BST/GMT

This course offers the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of what it is to Know Yourself in the mirror of five Ancient Wisdom traditions and to explore their relevance to each of us and to the current modern era.

This course is now full. If you would like to join a waiting list for the next one, please contact admin@beshara.org

Ibn ‘Arabi and the Ecological Crisis: a Merciful Nemesis? Revisited

September 16th, 2023 (14:00–17:00 BST)
The October Gallery, London

A talk by Peter Coates about the ecological crisis and its deeper significance.

The Ways of the Heart III: The Compassionate Heart

5th September – 14th November 2023
Tuesdays, 20:00 – 21:30 GMT

An online Beshara course exploring a spiritual life in the contemporary world.

An Introduction to Ibn ‘Arabi Study

Mondays 19:00–21:00 GMT
Fortnightly Zoom sessions

This study series is an introduction to Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi’s story and perspective studying The Unlimited Mercifier by Stephen Hirtenstein. The scope of this illuminating book embraces both the inner and outer aspects of Ibn ‘Arabi’s life as each mirrors the other.

The group is underway but is open to anyone interested in joining as each session is fresh and unique in itself.

A field where we can meet…

RUMI 750 – a gathering

Saturday 2nd September – Monday 4th September, 2023
Chisholme Institute, Scottish Borders, UK

An immersive weekend marking the 750th anniversary of Rumi’s death, known as his Nuptial Night. Come and explore how Rumi’s relevance informs every aspect of the current era; from ecological to economic, cultural to spiritual, while also intimately connecting with our own lives.

Exploring the Meaning of Service in the Context of Self Knowledge

23rd July 2023 & 30th July 2023
(Sundays) 13:00–14:30 PDT

Two online sessions reading, discussing and contemplating short papers in the light of this title.

Know Yourself & The Twenty-Nine Pages

Weekly from 16th July 2023
Sundays 11:00–12:30 BST

Online study exploring the oneness of being in the teachings of Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi

Singleness, Oneness & Singularity

Speaker: Avi Abadi

Saturday 15th July 2023
2:00-5:00pm BST
The October Gallery

The metaphysics of unity according to Ibn ‘Arabi

The Beshara Lecture 2023

The Coincidence of Opposites

Speaker: Iain McGilchrist

Sunday 9th July 2023 14:00 BST (via Zoom)

If there is Oneness, what are the Many? Are they the same? What do we mean?

Some Principles of Esoteric Education

Saturday June 17th, 2023
14:00 – 17:00 BST
October Gallery, London, UK

A conversational seminar with texts. Throughout history the “awakening of the potential for perfectibility” of the human being has been the aim of every school of esoteric education no matter how the outward forms differ. In this seminar we shall explore through conversations and readings how each one of us can nurture and develop this knowledge practically in the contemporary world.

Spiritual Addresses of al-Niffari

Weekly from 3rd June, 2023
Saturdays: 13:30 – 15:30 BST

Online study and contemplation of the Spiritual Addresses by al-Niffari.

Qualities of Love: Trust, Certainty, Patience, Resolution and Veracity

Friday to Sunday, 19th – 21st May 2023
The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire

These five qualities have been at the core of practice at Beshara and are considered essential attributes to be developed by those wishing to know themselves in order to know God.

This residential weekend will provide an opportunity to contemplate their meaning and practice through meditation, study and conversation in a tranquil setting.

Singleness, Oneness & Singularity

Metaphysical Foundations of the Fusus

Fridays 21st and 28th April 2023
Online 19:00 – 20:15 AEST

An exploration of the metaphysical foundations of the Fusus al-Hikam, as they are presented in the introduction to the commentary rendered into English by Bülent Rauf and Jandi’s commentary on the Wisdom of Singularity.

Intimate Dialogues with Reality

Saturday April 22nd, 2023
14:00 – 17:00 BST
October Gallery, London, UK

Reading and contemplation of some of Niffari’s “Spiritual Addresses” in English translation, exploring their relevance to us in the present moment.

‘How One Becomes What One Is’

Saturday March 25th, 2023
14:00-17:00 GMT
The October Gallery, London, UK

“Man is a rope, fastened between animal and superman – a rope over an abyss. A dangerous going-across, a dangerous wayfaring, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous shuddering and staying-still. What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal; what can be loved in man is that he is a going-across and down-going” (Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra)

Socrates’ exhortation was to “Know Yourself”: an exploration according to 4 wisdom traditions

22nd February – 31st May 2023
4 sessions on the final Wednesday of each month
19:00–20:30 GMT/BST

*NEW COURSE*

An online opportunity to contemplate this essential concept according to four major traditions of human wisdom – the philosophies of ancient Greece and India, Christian wisdom and Islamic mysticism.

Revisiting the Kernel of the Kernel II

16th–19th February 2023

An immersive three days at Chisholme, in conjunction with the Beshara Trust.

The Ways of the Heart II: Oneness

20th January – 28th March 2023
Tuesdays, 20:00–21:15 GMT

An online Beshara course exploring a spiritual life in the contemporary world.

Neoplatonism and the Islamic Tradition

Saturday, December 3rd 2022
14:00 – 17:00 GMT
The October Gallery, London, UK

The teachings of Plotinus and his followers, known today as ‘Neoplatonism’, became the dominant philosophy of Late Antiquity. Neoplatonism represents a common heritage shared by the cultures which arose out of the three monotheist religions. Its legacy bridges the divide between East and West, North and South. This presentation examines the question of the degree to which the Islamic tradition bears the imprint of Neoplatonism.

Seminar led by Stefan Sperl, Emeritus Professor at SOAS

Revisiting the Kernel of the Kernel

24th–27th November 2022

An immersive three days at Chisholme, in conjunction with the Beshara Trust.

The Letters of Bulent Rauf

Weekly from 19th November 2022

Saturdays 18:00–19:00 CST
Sundays 11:00–13:00 AEDT

A reading group for online study of the Letters of Bulent Rauf.

The Kiss: The Beshara talks of Dom Sylvester Houédard

Saturday, 5th November 2022
14:00–17:00 GMT
The October Gallery, London UK

Contemplative reading of extracts from “The Kiss”, a new collection of the Dom’s talks.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Fables as Contemplative Wisdom

“How if this be the truth – that all are a little true?”

Sunday, 30th October 2022
15:00–16:30 GMT (online via Zoom)

Robert Louis Stevenson’s fables are little-known masterpieces by this supreme story-teller.

This online seminar is the latest in a series under the general title Unity in Diversity.

Led by Robert-Louis Abrahamson

An interactive seminar

RUMI 750 – a gathering

The Coincidence of Opposites

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