currentletter

sightings
meet: Matin
from the spiritual director
from the web editor

Coming around to the north side of Bear Mountain, on the road to the Land, there's a sudden opening -- maybe mountains, maybe clouds, maybe both. Maybe nothing if the cloud is low enough on the mountain. "... taking a step forward in a parth unknown to oneself." It's initiation every trip.

The path to the Maqbara is different again; the creek moved.

Here's the footbridge, still chained to the bank ... but no creek's here now.

The darshan tree is still full of golden, juicy apples. Last year not one, this year more than plenty.

The annual mailing party enjoyed the hospitality of Khankha Jamila Nur in town.

Those donkeys got out again, made it up to the mesa, but Sasha got them back.

A late season lizard explored the new papercrete plaster on Hayra Nur's wall.

Some strange and beautiful characters showed up at the Halloween party Basira and Shems threw at Jamila Nur.

And always, the land.

meet: Matin Mize

I came to live here in silver city and by association become involved in the Southwest Sufi Community in a very round about way. After having moved myself and a good number of my belongings to northern Kentucky in the summer of 05 to help my beloved begin getting ready to put her house on the market. We realized that moving back to California was becoming out of the question because of the high cost of housing, and so began a process of looking at various places we might like to live. In February I had to return to California to teach at a retreat and decided to gather the rest of my belongings and bring them back to Kentucky. So with my truck filled and pulling a large trailer behind, I set out for Kentucky in early March. On the second day of my journey I got a call from Mariam, who was visiting a friend in Silver City, saying she really liked it there, that we should move there and could I divert my journey to Silver City and put my things in storage there. Thus began the process of moving to Silver City, and after a summer of teaching in England and Scotland, I moved there in early August, and right away went to the Sufi Camp at the Southwest Sufi Community. I had been at another camp there in 1998 and forgotten the beauty of the land, but quickly remembered it as I drove in to camp. It was wonderful to see the new structures going up and all the people visiting for the camp. I made my first visit to Moineddin’s Maqbara and thought how happy he would be to see the fragile young plant of his vision turning into the well established one I saw springing up around me. As for myself, I’m beginning to feel established here after four months. Mariam and I are about to move into a permanent place, and my plans are moving ahead for establishing a new source of income. I hope to be making Dumbeks and Tars in the near future since, with my kidneys failing, I’m not able to continue working fulltime in the construction trades which I have worked most of my life. I find that I’m enjoying life here quite a lot, and look forward to many of you visiting here in days to come.

Lots of Love,
Matin

from the spiritual director

Dear Ones,

I have just returned from the annual Jamiat Khas (leaders' meeting for 
the Sufi Ruhaniat International), and what a blessing it was to be once 
again in the circle of loving hearts that carries forward the work of 
the Ruhaniat around the world.

One of the great pleasures for me in being in this circle once again was 
to see how many people, more each year, are holding the Southwest Sufi 
Community and the Voice of the Turtle Retreat Center in their hearts, 
and supporting this vision with prayers, good wishes, and financial 
support.  There is particular interest in the completion of the Murshid 
Moineddin Maqbara Hut, and I already have a list going of those who are 
patiently waiting for it to be available so that they can do long 
retreats there! 

This makes our "Building Green Together" camp next year, May 11-18, all 
the more important.  Insh'Allah, we will get the rest of the foundation 
dug before that camp, the straw bale walls will go up the week of the 
camp, and Darren Craig, one of our Residents, will be here to put on the 
roof.  Then, it is my hope, my goal, and my intention that we complete 
the interior before the end of 2007.  If you or anyone you know is 
interested in learning natural building techniques, you can click on 
this link to learn more about the camp: 
www.southwestsuficommunity.org/flyers/buildgreen.  Come and help us 
create this most sacred space for individual retreats.

Both Pir Shabda and Murshid Wali Ali shared their vision that we will 
one day have many retreat huts situated around the land, and that this 
beautiful, wild, sacred land will be a place of retreat and pilgrimage 
to help many people to deepen in their spiritual development.  Insh'Allah!

With all love, Azima

from the web editor

Who's the Sufi Santa Claus? Oh, right, who else.

To Whom It May Concern:

Our unlikely list of extravagant wishes includes an ATV, to schlep campers and their stuff to places where the roads and trails no longer (or never did) go, and to keep up with the fence lines more easily. Maybe there's one in the back of your garage? Only used by a little old dervish to go to zikr?

A snake resistant tool shed would be nice.

And while we're at it, a covered area for meals during camps would be wonderful.

Money's very useful. We'll have to do something about crossing the creek, probably involving a bulldozer again, very costly.

Oh, and lots of gratitude.

With thanks and love,
Hayra Nur

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LETTER

november 2006