We welcomed Ayberk Efendi in Weimar with heartfelt gratitude, and the gathering was filled with love and respect. After a short pause we thanked the police team that had patiently protected us since early morning with sincere applause for their service.
In his sohbet Ayberk Efendi used a simple plate of karnıyarık as a metaphor for the spiritual path. He asked for the dish to be taken to the kitchen and repeated again and again: “Look ahead.” Each step forward met the same gentle reminder: once a task is given and a goal is shown, we keep our eyes on the destination. The voices around us, from right and left, above and below, in front and behind, all try to draw us away from the way. This “first golden rule,” to look only forward until the goal is reached, was the central lesson of the talk.
He then applied the image to a world lulled to sleep by familiar stories such as Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The old “open sesame” became not a magic formula but a call to collective awakening: the time for sleep has passed, and it is our responsibility to wake those who are still asleep.
In closing, Ayberk Efendi asked forgiveness for any opposition that might arise, reminding us that criticism often comes from ignorance. He said farewell with warm affection and promised that future gatherings will be even richer in cultural and spiritual blessings.
Join us at the next live meeting, where teachings like these are shared in real time.
