An International Symposium on Mevlâna Celaleddin Rumi was organized in collaboration with Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies and Humboldt University of Berlin. On the first day of the symposium titled “Mevlâna in Contemporary Education: Rethinking Methodologies,” Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar University, delivered his opening speeches in an online session. Emphasizing that instead of bringing Hz. Mevlâna himself to the present, his ideas should be brought, Tarhan underlined that Hz. Mevlana has a psychotherapeutic, antidepressant effect.
Üsküdar University Rector Advisor Cemalnur Sargut and Institute for Sufi Studies faculty members also participated in the online session.
The symposium, held in the Senate Hall of Humboldt University of Berlin between October 11-13, attracted great interest.
The real danger is the collapse of spiritual fortresses…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who delivered the opening speech of the symposium, underlined that Mevlana diagnosed the spiritual fire and built spiritual fortresses. Tarhan; “For Mevlâna to be discussed in Berlin, for analyses to be made, for it to be handled within the scope of a university, and for scientific measures and standards to be discussed, I think is a historical practice. It is a historical development. When Hz. Mevlâna set off from Khorasan with his father, it is said that someone about him said; ‘We set the log of love on fire and threw it into Diyar-i Rum.’ Hz. Mevlâna truly came to Diyar-i Rum and burned the log of love here. When he burned it, the 1200s actually laid the intellectual foundations of the Ottoman Empire. He diagnosed the spiritual fire of that period and built spiritual fortresses, and after the intellectual foundations he established within those fortresses were laid, the Ottoman Empire rose upon these spiritual foundations together with Edebali. When there was the Mongol invasion, the Mongol commander Baycu Noyan invaded Konya. Mongol soldiers entered, burning and destroying everything, and slaughtering people. At that time, as a spiritual leader there, if we ensure that the Mongols do not kill people, if we ensure that they do not burn the libraries here, this allows them to make more concessions. Then Baycu Noyan writes letters when everyone is in panic during the Mongol invasion. These are referred to as 'Sevakıb-ı Menakıb'. In this work, concerning that period during the Mongol invasion, he says, ‘The walls and fortresses of this city are not made of stone and earth. They are made by the grace of Allah's hands. Do not fear.’ And Baycu Noyan does not kill anyone. He only damages property, saying, ‘I swore to destroy the fortresses here. To keep my word, I will destroy one fortress.’ He informs Mevlana, comforting him by saying, ‘The fortresses of this city are not made of stone and earth. They are made by the grace of Allah's hands. Do not fear.’ It truly implies that it is not about being made of stone and earth, but that it is under Allah's protection, and that this place will not be invaded as long as the spiritual essence there is not extinguished. Most of the Mongols who remained and settled there became Muslim in subsequent generations. So, Hz. Mevlâna actually conquered that invasion spiritually. Mevlâna says, ‘The real danger is the collapse of spiritual fortresses.’ That is understood.” he stated.
“Treatment of illness is difficult, but maintaining health is easy”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, referring to the great need people of this era have for Hz. Mevlana's ideas, said; “As someone who deals with human psychology, I say this. That is, one needs to work to prevent people from getting sick. The treatment of an illness in a sick person is difficult, but maintaining health is easy. Primary prevention is to prevent illness. When I researched what could be done to protect mental health, the principles of positive psychology emerged. When I looked at positive psychology, they had taken Hz. Mevlâna, adapted him to the conditions of our time, systematized it, developed a methodology, and Western culture presents this to us. A positive psychology congress was held in 2009. Upon that, I said, this flaw is our flaw. I can say that one of the motivations for writing the books Mesnevi Therapy, Yunus Therapy, and Aşk Therapy was this. Hz. Prophet was such a prophet of love, Islamic civilization of love was such a compassionate person that Hz. Mevlâna referenced a prophet who went to offer condolences to a child whose bird had died, for example. Also, a Prophet so romantic that he would drink from Hz. Aisha's glass, even from the side her mouth had touched. Can we see this in the men of our patriarchal culture in Turkey today? We cannot see it, it seems funny to us, but Hz. Prophet did it. He was even such a Prophet that, although he was stoned in Taif to the extent that his shoes filled with blood, he did not curse his community.” he said.
“Hz. Mevlana has a psychotherapeutic, antidepressant effect”
Tarhan, mentioning that they use Hz. Mevlâna’s stories as metaphors; “Hz. Mevlana has a psychotherapeutic, antidepressant effect. Let me tell you one example: don't worry when people misunderstand you. What they hear is your voice, but what they think are their own thoughts. This is typically the intention-reading method we use in psychotherapy. The method of reading intentions and reading minds. He is misreading your mind, and when you read his mind, you will see the truth like this. He says it's not worth getting upset over. This has become a saying that we can use in awareness studies of faulty value judgments in psychotherapy. We also use Hz. Mevlâna’s stories as a metaphor. There is a method used in psychotherapy called Bibliotherapy. This method is described as the use of selected reading materials to provide guidance in solving a person's psychological problem. In this therapy, you tell the person to take and read selected reading material, and the person interprets it, drawing analogies with those stories and metaphors, thereby correcting their thought errors, negative thoughts, and the negative thoughts that drag them down. The person's path forward in life is opened up. When we have a treasure like Hz. Mevlâna at hand, and we are sitting on it, if we do nothing here, it is our fault. Instead of saying to them 'why are you using these without referencing Hz. Mevlana?', I tried to write these metaphors with my own interpretations in the Mesnevi Therapy book, saying that it's because we couldn't write it, and let it be material for psychotherapy services providing preventive mental health.” he stated.
“Hz. Mevlâna’s ideas are not ideas of that era”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that instead of bringing Hz. Mevlâna himself to the present, Hz. Mevlâna’s ideas should be brought to the present; “Hz. Mevlâna’s ideas are not the ideas of that era. We will take those ideas from that era and clothe them in today’s attire. Instead of bringing Hz. Mevlâna himself to the present, we will bring Hz. Mevlâna’s ideas to the present. When we explain him with today’s methods, clothes, and style, there is nothing there that contradicts reason and science. Humanity currently needs a project that understands and analyzes humans, that touches the soul. All humanity, civilization is progressing. Material prosperity is increasing. Gross national product has increased 3-4 times in many countries around the world compared to 50 years ago, but the level of happiness is not the same. Happiness is the opposite. Spiritual well-being is going down. Suicides are increasing. We know the events happening in Turkey. These are global events. In a statistic I learned today from a global study, the first country with the most violent incidents in the world was the USA, and the second was Turkey. This does not suit us. Therefore, we need to reach more people with Hz. Mevlâna here. University environments are scientific environments, environments that will influence influential people. The information produced in this environment will be ideas with widespread and original impact. I find this work very valuable.” he said.
Many cultures in Europe, many country societies need this…
Tarhan stated that Mevlâna is the only source accessible to those burning with the love of truth; “There is a wild energy within all of us. Modernism cannot educate that wild energy. Wild capitalism cannot educate it. On the contrary, it transforms it into even more uncontrolled energy. Hz. Mevlâna taught us the method to control the wild energy within us. In our culture, it is called self-discipline. He says, ‘If an enemy is desired, the ego is sufficient.’ He teaches discipline. I find these studies, which synthesize science with reason and unite the mind and heart, and which make a journey to the heart from reason, very valuable. Currently, many cultures in Europe, many country societies need this. Because Mevlâna is solely the representative of religious doctrines and ideologies and the only source accessible to those burning with the love of truth. Therefore, his works were a personality beyond religious doctrine and ideology. That's why it is our responsibility to explain these. If we do not do this, history will hold us accountable. Tomorrow, when we go to the divine presence, we will be held responsible for knowing this information but not telling people.” he said.
“If we become leaders of ourselves, we will also be leaders of others”
Tarhan emphasized that the principle of starting to change the world with oneself was learned from Hz. Mevlâna; “One day, Hz. Mevlâna came home to find his son very sad. Seeing his son so sad, he immediately looked and said nothing. He went outside. He took a wolf skin. He opened his arms inside it. He made some funny movements. His son started to laugh, saying, ‘Father, you made me laugh.’ Then Hz. Mevlâna uttered this wonderful saying; ‘Look, my son, I did not do it to make you laugh, this world you are sad about. Why did you actually laugh at this wolf skin? You laughed because you knew it wasn't a real wolf, but your father was in the background. But the trouble you are currently sad about, this worldly trouble, is like that wolf skin. If you see Allah's hand of mercy in the background, if you see that nothing will happen without Allah's permission, why would you be sad?’ he says. He gives a very beautiful historical lesson against that calamity. That is, this is actually an opportunity education given by Hz. Mevlâna. An event becomes an opportunity, and he turns it into education with his son, and then it has come down to this day in the form of examples. That is, in Anatolia and today, if we read these examples more and first correct ourselves as a mirror in this regard, if we become leaders of ourselves, we will also be leaders of others. We will do our duties as mothers and fathers better. We will do our duties as siblings. We will do our duties as managers better. Therefore, we learned the principle of starting to change the world with ourselves from Hz. Mevlâna.” he said.
“Opening session titled 'The Meaning of Rumi and Sema' was held”
After Tarhan’s speech, the opening session titled “The Meaning of Rumi and Sema” was held. Üsküdar University Rector Advisor Cemalnur Sargut also took part in the session moderated by Prof. Dr. Tuba Işık.