Ep. 30 – The Lover and The Beloved with Kelly Deutsch
Jan 23, 2024
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Exploring mystical love in Sufism with Omid Safi and Kelly Deutsch. Topics include pure hearts, sacred eroticism, radical love, and the trinity of love, lover, and beloved. The discussion touches on Islamic mystics, the mystery of God, heartbreak, and the intertwining of love and justice.
God is seen as love, lover, and beloved in Sufism, emphasizing a trinity of divine essence.
Love in Sufi tradition encompasses tenderness, justice, and diverse forms beyond conventional relationships.
Deep dives
The Sufi Path of Radical Love
In the podcast, the essence of Islamic mysticism is explored through the concept of radical love, emphasizing the interconnectedness of love, tenderness, and justice. The narrative recounts a Sufi story where individuals are presented with choices of avoiding suffering, hellfire, or attaining paradise, yet a few remain seeking God not for rewards but for God's sake. This story highlights the core of the Sufi path, centered on a deep, selfless love for the divine and a desire to unite with God.
Expansive Vision of Love and Tenderness
The podcast delves into the expansive view of love in Sufi tradition, transcending conventional notions to embrace love in various forms, from relationships to nature and community. Love is depicted as a universal force that encompasses tenderness and justice, guiding individuals to navigate life's challenges with a compassionate heart. By recognizing love in its diverse expressions, the Sufi path encourages a harmonious balance between fierceness and tenderness grounded in the essence of divine love.
Immersive Devotion and Unconditional Love
The narrative highlights the depth of devotion and unconditional love in Sufi teachings, illustrated by the profound story of individuals choosing to remain seeking God for God's sake alone. This story emphasizes the core tenet of the Sufi path, focusing on an undivided, pure love for the divine without seeking rewards or salvation. It underscores the essence of selfless devotion and the pursuit of unity with the divine essence.
Striving for Unity and Transcendence
The podcast discusses the aspiration for unity and transcendence through the Sufi narrative of individuals choosing God for God's sake, embodying a devotion that transcends personal gains or salvation. This tale encapsulates the essence of the Sufi path, centered on striving for oneness with the divine essence through unwavering love and selfless dedication. It illuminates the pursuit of spiritual unity and ultimate transcendence as the core objective of the Sufi mystical journey.
Examining how mysticism hides in plain sight, Omid Safi describes God as love, the lover, and the beloved with guest host Kelly Deutsch.
This episode was originally recorded for the Spiritual Wanderlust Podcast, with Kelly Deutsch. Learn more about this series that explores the wild, untamed frontiers of our interior life at spiritualwanderlust.org/podcast
This time on Sufi Heart, Omid Safi speaks with Kelly about:
Discovering Islamic Mystics
Sufism and having a pure heart
Omid’s life in Iran and exposure to masculine displays of emotion
The mystery of being human, the mystery of God
Heartbreak and experiencing the heart breaking open
Sacred Eroticism and using our senses to experience loveliness
What we can learn from the type of love a mother provides
Radical love and going into the roots
Linking together love and justice
“The Sufis explicitly say something that of course we find also in the Christian mystical contemplative tradition. Mischievously, they almost say there is a holy trinity, a language which most orthodox Muslims would avoid and all Jews would have avoided. But they say the trinity is love, lover, and beloved. God is love, God is the lover, and God is the beloved.” – Omid Safi