Like-mindedness

      "I began to wonder about the calmness exuded by so many of the "sisters" and "brothers". Not all; these are human beings we're talking about. But many. And on my visit to Iran this September, the washing, kneeling, chanting recitations of the prayers at the mosques I visited reminded me of the west's view of an entirely different religion; one that is known for eschewing violence and embracing peace and love through quiet meditation. A religion trendy with movie stars such as Richard Gere, and one that would have been much easier to admit to following in public – Buddhism. Indeed, the bending, kneeling and submission of Muslim prayers resound with words of peace and contentment. Each one begins, "Bismillahir rahmaneer Raheem" – "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate" – and ends with the phrase "Assalamu Alaykhum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh" – Peace be upon you all and God's mercy and blessing."

                                  Lauren Booth in The Guardian, full article here.

        I have finally stumbled upon an article of a convert's experience that is very close to mine, particurlarly for this "discovery" of muslim prayer feeling like a buddhist experience ( or what we imagine in the west being a buddhist experience ) : the utter feel of peace and calmness with repetitive words and gestures on (pretty much often) a pretty little rug. This experience I had in Hebron in the West Bank, when out of curiosity I asked the mother of the family I was staying with to show me how it was done. I was then very much in a great indecision, I was pulled towards Judaïsm as much as Islam or anything else. I knew I wanted to convert to something else than my christian/catholic/deism I was born into, I always knew that and always kept ( and still do ) a great interest in other religions and beliefs, but the more I went, the more the idea of monotheism fitted me, on a personal level. And I was there, on this now-tortured land I always dreamed of visiting, "the Holy Land", and especially its spiritual capital Jerusalem/Al Quds which remains to this days my favorite city ever. And I expected anything, any sort of glorious "revelation" or deafening experience, anything, but something big, huge, loud. And instead the only religious feeling I found was this, during this prayer in a house somewhere in the destroyed and invaded land, an utter peace of soul and mind for 5 minutes, induced by simple coordination of words and gestures. So contradictory to what I was seeing all around me in terms of injustice and violence. People, a lot of them, actually managed to stay calm, when there was every reason to be revolted and violent (as my french spirit was telling me).

        So I expected everything, anything, but this small yet powerful little moment of utter calm. Of evidence. And so I'm happy to see I wasn't the only one experiencing this.