Dr. Rory Dickson is a professor of Islamic Religion and Culture and author of several publications on Sufism, the mystical path within Islam. He joins Breht to have an incredibly deep conversation about the Sufi poet Rumi, his life and work, Rumi's relationship to his teacher Shams of Tabriz, the concepts of fana (annihilation of the self) and baqa (subsistence in God), the spiritual practices of Sufism, non-duality and perennialism, "dying before you die", Buddhist enlightenment, the Quran, Serving the People in politics and religion, the role of Divine Love in spiritual transformation, transcending the ego, Bodhicitta and the Heart of the Bodhisattva, the counter-cultural aspects of the historical dervishes, The Masnavi  (aka the "Persian Quran"), Christian Mysticism, the evolution of human consciousness, the linguistics of translation, and much, much more!

Check out Rory's book "Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy"

Recommendations for Further Exploration:

• Rumi's World: The Life and Work of the Great Sufi Poet

• The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi

Check out our related episodes with Dr. Adnan Husain:

• Sufism: Islamic Mysticism and the Annihilation of Self in God

• St. Francis of Assisi: Patron Saint of Ecology & Brother to All Creation

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Outro Music: Something's Out There by Neva Dinova

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Willy Massay returns to the show to discuss his recent (second) trip to Gaza as a medical volunteer. He got back two weeks ago and stayed for over a month. He discusses his heart-wrenching experiences, the wintry conditions and terrible air quality in Gaza and how both are impacting the health of every single Palestinian on the ground. He also discusses the ceasefire, the spirit of the Palestinian people, the insane cruelty and horrific war crimes of Israel, and his personal relationships and experiences with Palestinians. Outro Song: "Kettering" by The Antlers

Donate to 3 displaced families in Gaza HERE

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Learn more about Nebraskans for Palestine HERE

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Breht discusses American Capitalism's Death Drive Accelerationism, how the only path that's left for capitalism is to return us to fuedalism "at a higher level", how dialactics plays out in this context, and why the purposeful cultivation of inner silence and stillness and love is more important than ever. 

outro music: 'Breathe' by Alexi Murdoch

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This is an unlocked patreon episode. To get bonus episodes like this every month, and access to our back catalogue of hundreds of bonus eps like this one, support the show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/revleftradio

In this patreon exclusive, Breht discusses the second Trump administration, mass deportations, the crescendo of neoliberalism, the US Oligarchy, the implications and possible trajectories of Artificial Intelligence, Deepseek, what's next for the Democrats, accelerationism in the era of imperial decline, and more!

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Professor of philosophy Colin Bodayle joins Breht to dive into the profound, unique, and almost mystical philosophy of Baruch Spinoza. Together, they discuss the value of philosophy for all of us, Spinoza as a "philosopher's philosopher", his life and death in 17th century western Europe, his complex geometrical structure of writing, God as Nature as Substance, his forward thinking politics, Atheism and Pantheism, what Spinoza thinks a good life is, Stoicism and Buddhism, Marx and Engels connection to Spinoza, dialectical materialism, the underlying interconnectedness of all being, Breht's wild metaphysical speculation, the nature of consciousness, and much more.

Outro Song: "Between Two Mysteries" by Mount Eerie

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Breht listens to, reflects on, and critically engages with a public lecture by the late philosopher Michael Sugrue entitled "Nietzsche and the Death of God". He discusses the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, the politics of modern day Nietzscheans, the death of god and consumer capitalism as a form a nihilism, the ongoing nature of human civilizational and spiritual evolution, the biography of Nietzsche, what the next step of human evolution might be, the synthesis of religion and science,  scientific and ontological materialism, the limits of atheism, the importance of spiritual struggle, and much more. 

Professor Sugrue passed away last year, and Breht has always found his free, public lectures on philosophy to be helpful and really well done. In the spirit of free and open access to education, Breht offers his knowledge of philosophy alongside this offering by Professor Sugrue. The use of this lecture series falls under the protections of the Fair Use doctrine. 

Outro Music: "Temple Grandin Too" by AJJ

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Breht is a guest on Left of the Projector (along with Amanda Joy Moon). Together, with the host Evan, the three discuss Soviet Filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky's film "Mirror" from 1975.

This is our fourth episode focusing on the films of Tarkovsky. You can find all our other episodes on Tarkovsky's films HERE

Left of the Projector:

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Alyson - a lifelong and current resident of Los Angeles - and Breht discuss the wildfires ravaging L.A.

Together they discuss the acute and structural causes of the fires, the role played by Climate Change, the reactionary propaganda surrounding the fires, the class dynamics at play, the self-serving careerist motivations of bourgeois politicans, the organized grassroots community response on the ground, and what it all means for the future of California, the US, and the world. 

Outro Song: Forest Fire by Mount Eerie

Thuraya, Angie, Mohammad, and Edward join Breht to discuss recent events in Syria. Together they discuss what happened, Syria under the Assad government, the hope and concerns of the the Syrian people,  the role Syria plays in the axis of resistance, Syria's connections to Palestine, current conditions in Gaza, Israel's ongoing genocide and its actions in Syria, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and their governing promises, the history of the Syrian civil war and its continued relevance, the role of US-led imperialism in the region and its backing of HTS, Turkey and Iran, sanctions on Syria and the role they've played in destablizing the country, the uncertainty for Syrians about what comes next, and much, much more. 

Recommendations and Resources:

• The Origins of the Syrian Crisis Lecture
• Decolonize The Classroom
• Guerrilla History's episode on Syrian Sanctions
• The Cradle News
• Gaza Funds
• Al Mayadeen News
• Educators for Palestinian Liberation

Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio

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Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio