Seeking the Simurgh
Online Retreat with Pir Zia Inayat Khan
Friday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 25th 2021
Among the most beautiful stories of the Sufi tradition is the tale told by Farid ad-Din ‘Attar of a flock of birds of many feathers who set out under the guidance of the Hoopoe in search of the Simurgh, the Bird of Birds. Along the way they pass through seven valleys, each heralding a stage in the path that leads to the fulfilment of life’s purpose. They struggle with inner obstacles and make numinous discoveries, and at last thirty birds reach the throne of the Simurgh, where they meet with a bewildering and illuminating surprise.
In this online retreat, through meditation, invocation and music, we will accompany ‘Attar’s birds in the journey of the soul, sharing in their conundrums as well as their flights of inspiration, valley by valley.
The retreat will be offered in English, with translation into German and French. All are welcome!
If you can’t join live due to the time difference, this retreat will also be recorded.
Daily Schedule (Central European Time):
The program will begin on Friday, July 23rd and go through Sunday, July 25th, 2021. Please see times below for Central Europe (CET). To check the corresponding time for your location, please visit timeanddate.com.
2:30 – 3:00 pm CET: Opening Attunement with Zumurrud Butta
3:00 – 4:15 pm CET: Session One with Pir Zia
4:45 – 6:00 pm CET: Session Two with Pir Zia
8:00 – 9:30 pm CET: Session Three with Pir Zia
To make the workshops as accessible as possible, we offer two different price ranges. Once you select the ticket, you’ll then have to fill out your personal information and proceed to payment, where you can choose between Credit Card and bank transfer. We will send the Zoom links together with the confirmation email.
Pir Zia Inayat Khan
Pir Zia Inayat-Khan is a scholar and teacher of Sufism in the lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. He received his B.A. (Hons) in Persian Literature from the London School of Oriental and African Studies, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Religion from Duke University. Pir Zia is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Suluk Academy, a school of contemplative study with branches in the United States and Europe. He lives with his wife and two children in Richmond, Virginia. For further information see www.pirzia.org
Zumurrud Butta
has been walking the Sufi path for more than twenty years under the guidance of her teachers Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and Pir Zia Inayat Khan. She works closely with Pir Zia and teaches together with him in the Suluk Academy. She has full authorization to transmit the teachings and the initiation lineage.