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Come out of the circle of time,

---Rumi

This Circle of Love is a gathering rooted in the longing for a profound depth of friendship. A study of social isolation in the United States published in 2006 found that nearly one-quarter of us have no one we trust enough to confide in, and that in general there has been a dramatic deterioration in the network of relationships in which deep trust can thrive. We are losing something precious.

Nowadays people don't have friends; they have psychotherapists,

---Sangharakshita

The inspiration for this Circle comes from the lines of Rumi quoted above. They appear in a book entitled The Fragrance of Faith by Jamal Rahman. This book describes a form of Islamic mysticism (Sufism) which is practiced in the villages of Bengal. One theme the book discusses is the importance of building a circle of love in one's life, both inwardly and outwardly. Rahman emphasizes that those granted admission to our personal circle should pass through three gateways: love, trust and truth. He suggests we ask: “Who is there in my life who can pass through these three gateways: love, trust and truth? That is, from this person I receive unconditional love and nurturance in response to love from me; I trust this person and in this person's presence I can be vulnerable and not be judged; and, finally, this person loves the truth.” In our Circle, the only criterion for admission is a longing for these qualities. This Circle is meant to be a place where people interested in discovering this kind of friendship can join together, a place where this flame of longing can begin to burn bright and clear.

Sweet is the oneness of the Friend with His friends.

---Rumi

The basic principles guiding the Circle of Love are these:

• We seek to come out of the circle of time by letting go of structures and fixations built on the foundation of psychological time. When we gather, there is nothing we need to do, nothing we need to know and nothing we need to be; we simply immerse ourselves in shared presence. Our practice is nothing more than an enlightened hanging out together.

• The Circle is rooted in our community, which extends as far as we are willing to imagine; we gather for the sake of the whole, not just ourselves.

• We endeavor to make children of all ages welcome in the Circle.

• Some people may view what we do as spiritual. Others may see nothing spiritual in it. Still others may find themselves unable to comprehend any distinction between the spiritual and the nonspiritual. All are welcome.

• We draw inspiration from many spiritual traditions, but are confined by none.

• We experiment with practices of various kinds, including meditation, inquiry and contemplation. Practice can be viewed as a path to spiritual advancement, entirely irrelevant to any spiritual goal, or the very expression of enlightenment. We see no need to grant or deny substance to any of these views.

• We endeavor to offer each person who comes an opportunity to experience the wholehearted attention of the group.  We long to recognize and support what is real in each of us.

If any of this speaks to your heart, then please come.  Come just as you are.

Come back. Come back no matter what

---Shaikh Abu-Said Abil-Kheir