RESPONSES FROM STUDENTS
This poem – “The Unexpected Blessing” – was written by one of the students, Evlynn Sharp, on the Practical Wisdom of Ibn Arabi course, led by Jane Clark.
The Unexpected Blessing
Evlynn Sharp
Early cadences of knowledge – of love –
Perhaps reveal the ancient longing
For what is real in us, a closeness,
A gratitude that each is a container
Of the sound of all. Whatever word
The ear itself receives between
Direction and the directionless
In-keys as a note, and every one
Everywhere a tone-pure epiphany.
Old conditioning is fathomed and undone;
There is a deeper rhythm of the possible,
The gentle intricacies of a kindness here,
All turning on the subtle whirr of dawn
Or the pitch of night in-kindling –
Determining in some, is a softness
In another – we are each all one,
Unbroken, sometimes broken, too,
A rune, yet nothing carved in stone
But like those stones of Calanais,
Letting through the light into this life,
Here. Where we speak with neither
An embellishment nor veil, and where
A lesser bond of closeness would be
Unthinkable. Did we come pre-existing,
A re-echo in the soul? And the sound
Of tenderness, intimacy – of truth –
As we face the speaking self: one
Witness, one will, one waiting,
One surrendering, one purposing,
And all this container here to hold;
Where the sacred words we laboured
That may have been lost in passing,
At last become the dignitaries
Of the heart; and surely here
In this container of each other,
The unexpected blessing: You.
Listen to audio recording of this poem
UPCOMING
Finding happiness and purpose in today’s world
A Comprehensive Beshara Course for Young Adults
Introductory in-person meeting in London
27th September 2025
(Zoom attendance also possible)
10 x weekly online sessions via Zoom
6th October – 8th December 2025
Weekly on Mondays, 19:00-20:30pm BST/GMT
This is a course for young people who want make sense of the world and their place in it. It is designed as a voyage of discovery toward a more meaningful life. The course addresses the whole person – body, mind and spirit – by drawing on a rich range of wisdoms and techniques. Building on the successful pilot offered last year, the course invites anyone with curiosity and a desire to lead a more fulfilling life.
Contact: besharacourses4@beshara.org
Love and Knowledge in the Light of Unity | the Direct Path
Beshara Foundation Course
Introductory weekend at Sutton Courtenay Abbey, Oxfordshire
10th – 12th October 2025
(Zoom attendance also available)
10 x bi-weekly evening online sessions
23rd October 2025 – 26th March 2026
Thursday evenings, 19:00 – 20:30 GMT/BST
This course provides a full introduction to the principles of Beshara in terms of both knowledge and practice. Taking the metaphysics of Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi as a starting point, the course explores what it means to understand oneself and the world in the light of the Unity of Existence.
Contact: besharacourses3@beshara.org
Mirrors of the Transcendent in the Cosmos of Ibn Arabi: The Body as Metaphor of Divine Self-Revelation
25th-26th July 2025
The Warburg Institute, University of London
A joint symposium held by the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society and The Warburg Institute.
More details: https://ibnarabisociety.org/events/
Booking: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/cosmos-of-ibn-arabi-2025
SEE ALSO
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