The conversation between the editor-in-chief of our magazine, and Ms. Esin Celebi Bayru, the direct descendant of the famous medieval poet Jalaluddin Rumi, and the leader of the International Mewlana Foundation, took place at her hospitable home in Istanbul, in February of 2012, in Turkish.
-During our conversation over tea, the hafizes were mentioned. The hafizes are the people who know the Quran by heart, and can recite it. I remembered a story from life of our holy man Mewlana. This story was published in a book by one of his followers.
One time people came to Mewlana and said, "There's a young man who knows the Quran so well, all you have to do is just say a word, and he will tell you, if this word is mentioned in the Quran. And if it is mentioned, he will tell you how many times, and in what chapters and verses. He also has a beautiful voice. When he starts reading the Quran, you become mesmerized just by the sound of his voice".
Mewlana smiled and said, "Mashallah! This young man learned well how to count walnuts. May Allah grant him wisdom to learn how to crack the walnuts, and see what's inside."
The people who read the Quran, who know it, are like those who learned how to count walnuts. But the true purpose is in cracking those walnuts, and understanding the meaning. The goal is to eat what's inside of the walnut. To go beyond the surface, to allow oneself to be penetrated by the deeper meaning, is what really means to live according to the Holy Quran.
At one time I got a feeling that God wanted to give me a certain commission to fulfill. One night I got up and walked across the corridor toward the bookstand. I picked a random book, sat down to read it, and only then I realized that it was the Holy Quran. I opened it on the surah Taha (chapter 20), the ayahs (verses) which spoke of the prophet Musa (Moses) praying to the Lord after God called him to the prophetic ministry.
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An interview with Vladimir Mokiy, the director of the Institute of Transdisciplinary Technologies
-Dr. Mokiy, first of all I would like to ask you about the purpose of your recent trip to Mexico.
-Our institute received an invitation from The Instituto Politecnico Nacional of The United Mexican States in November of 2011, to take part in the conference, which marked the 75th anniversary of this institute. This school is known for the commitment of its leadership, professors and students to the interdisciplinary method. They are convinced that a modern professional must look beyond his own tasks, must be able to see the big picture. One needs to expand his worldview in order to see the big picture. Modern science calls this approach a transdisciplinary method.
This Mexican institute invites specialists from the various world's schools of transdisciplinarity to tell their professors and students about the latest achievements in this field of studies. This is a way to keep a high professional and scholarly level among their faculty and students.
-You represented the Russian school of transdisciplinarity and the Institute of Transdisciplinary Technologies, of which you are the head of. Could you tell us when and under what circumstances was this young science born?
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Azret-Ali Chotchayev is a director of the Belaya Vezha spa complex in the city of Kislovodsk, situated in the North Caucasus region of Russia. He graciously accepted the request for an interview by the magazine's editor-in-chief, in April of 2012.
We represent an international magazine for cultural and business affairs. Our publication is devoted to the idea of human values, not only from the cultural and spiritual point of view, but also from the point of view of the business world. What do you think about the connection between ethics and entrepreneurship? In your opinion, how spirituality and moral values should be reflected in business?
I think, every person was born as an entrepreneur. Your path in life, your prosperity depends upon the right choices and the right decisions in everything you do. All of your capabilities, strengths, thoughts, opportunities, education, all of these factors must be used for your advancement in life. However, the path you chose in life, whatever that may be, must serve for the common good, must improve the lives of the people, the level of education and culture.
I encountered people of many nationalities and ethnic groups in the business world. I came to a conclusion that if a person behaves in the right manner, there is a 90% to 99% chance that people will react in kind. You must never cheat in business, just like in any other fields.
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