"O Valiant friend, take hold of the skirt of Him who is exempt from 'above' and below'.
God is with you in space and in the spaceless world, when you leave house and shop behind.
He brings forth purity from defilements. He takes your acts of wrong as your faithful performance of duty.
Humanity craves winter in summer, and when winter comes we like it not.
For we are never content with any state of things, neither with poverty, nor with a life of plenty...
How often did the shepherd call to the foolish!
They tore the coats off the Josephs, the prophets and saints, and that which they gave, they got, piece by piece.
Who is that Joseph? Your God-seeking heart, bound as a captive in your abode.
The heart says, "My patience is lost in separation from Your face, O Lord...
O You that bestows happiness on the souls of the prophets, either slay me, or call me back to You, or come Yourself. How should one that belongs to You, be patient without You?"
God said, " Yes, O pure of heart, listen to Me, and have patience, for patience is better.
The dawn in near. Hush, do not wail! I am striving for you, you need not strive."
Rumi (Vol. 3 from 339-411)
Commentary: "The dawn is near".. what a perfect message for the New Year. May the captives.. (and our God seeking hearts) be set free!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Have You Heard?
"God said, that "O Lord" of yours, is My, "Here I am", and that supplication and grief and ardor of yours is my messenger to you.
Your shifts and attempts to find a means of gaining access to me, were in reality my drawing you towards Me, and released your feet from the bonds of worldliness.
Your fear and love are the noose to catch my favor; beneath every 'O Lord' of yours is many a
'Here am I' from Me....
Grief is better than the empire of the world, so that you may call upon God in secret.
The call of the grief-less is from a frozen heart, the call of the grieving one is from rapture."
Rumi (Vol. 3, from 195-204)
Commentary: Rumi insists that grief and pain and sorrow, are signs of grace. When they can feel like abandonment and rejection, it is good to be reminded that this pain of separation is a gift of divine love. Not quite as comforting as chocolates and flowers, but precious nevertheless.
Your shifts and attempts to find a means of gaining access to me, were in reality my drawing you towards Me, and released your feet from the bonds of worldliness.
Your fear and love are the noose to catch my favor; beneath every 'O Lord' of yours is many a
'Here am I' from Me....
Grief is better than the empire of the world, so that you may call upon God in secret.
The call of the grief-less is from a frozen heart, the call of the grieving one is from rapture."
Rumi (Vol. 3, from 195-204)
Commentary: Rumi insists that grief and pain and sorrow, are signs of grace. When they can feel like abandonment and rejection, it is good to be reminded that this pain of separation is a gift of divine love. Not quite as comforting as chocolates and flowers, but precious nevertheless.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Incredulous?
"Become a seeker and a hunter of the hidden game.
If anyone were to say to the embryo in the womb, "Outside is a world, exceedingly well ordered,
A pleasant earth, broad and long, wherein are a hundred delights, and so many things to eat,
Mountains, and seas and plains, fragrant orchards, gardens, and sown fields,
A sky very lofty and full of light, sun and moonbeams and a hundred stars,
The gardens have the appearance of wedding feasts and banquets,
Its marvels are beyond description: why are you in tribulation in darkness?"..
The embryo, by virtue of its present state, would be incredulous, and would turn away from this message and would not believe it.
Saying, " This is absurd, and is a deceit, and delusion, " because the judgements of the blind have no imagination."
Rumi (Vol 3. from 52- 61)
Commentary: We, who are spiritually blind, have many reasons to question whether there is a higher level of consciousness, the kingdom of God, a place where we would experience only love and peace. Rumi tells us that in order to know that reality, we will have to leave the narrow confines of our own current circumstances. Sometimes we get a little too comfortable in the "womb" of this life..but it was never meant to be our permanent home.
If anyone were to say to the embryo in the womb, "Outside is a world, exceedingly well ordered,
A pleasant earth, broad and long, wherein are a hundred delights, and so many things to eat,
Mountains, and seas and plains, fragrant orchards, gardens, and sown fields,
A sky very lofty and full of light, sun and moonbeams and a hundred stars,
The gardens have the appearance of wedding feasts and banquets,
Its marvels are beyond description: why are you in tribulation in darkness?"..
The embryo, by virtue of its present state, would be incredulous, and would turn away from this message and would not believe it.
Saying, " This is absurd, and is a deceit, and delusion, " because the judgements of the blind have no imagination."
Rumi (Vol 3. from 52- 61)
Commentary: We, who are spiritually blind, have many reasons to question whether there is a higher level of consciousness, the kingdom of God, a place where we would experience only love and peace. Rumi tells us that in order to know that reality, we will have to leave the narrow confines of our own current circumstances. Sometimes we get a little too comfortable in the "womb" of this life..but it was never meant to be our permanent home.
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Smell of Prayer
"None who prefers vain desire, or is inclined to ease, or turns back from his search, or who has fears for himself, or feels anxiety about his means of livelihood will ever attain to Knowledge, unless he takes refuge with God, and prefers his spiritual affairs to his temporal ones...
Do not strive so much to complete your worldly work; do not strive in any affair that is not religious...
The smell of pride and the smell of greed and the smell of desire will become, in a manner of speaking, like the smell of onions.
If you take an oath, saying, "When have I eaten them? I have abstained from onion and garlic,"
The breath of your oath will inform against you, and will strike against the noses of those who sit beside you.
Many prayers are rejected because of their smell: the corrupt heart shows up in the tongue.
If you don't have a sweet breath in prayer, go and beg a prayer from the pure in heart."
Rumi (Vol. 3. from the preface and 1-178)
Commentary: And we wonder why our prayers are not answered in the ways we might want?
Do not strive so much to complete your worldly work; do not strive in any affair that is not religious...
The smell of pride and the smell of greed and the smell of desire will become, in a manner of speaking, like the smell of onions.
If you take an oath, saying, "When have I eaten them? I have abstained from onion and garlic,"
The breath of your oath will inform against you, and will strike against the noses of those who sit beside you.
Many prayers are rejected because of their smell: the corrupt heart shows up in the tongue.
If you don't have a sweet breath in prayer, go and beg a prayer from the pure in heart."
Rumi (Vol. 3. from the preface and 1-178)
Commentary: And we wonder why our prayers are not answered in the ways we might want?
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Subtle Discussions
"We are much addicted to subtle discussions, we are exceedingly fond of solving problems:
And to the end that we may tie knots and then undo them, we are making many rules for posing and stating the difficulty and for answering the questions raised by them.
Like a bird who would undo the fastening of a snare, only to tie the snare back together, many times, in order that he might become perfect at this skill;
The bird is deprived of the open country and meadow lands; its life is spent in dealing with knots;
Even then, the snare is not subdued by these efforts. The wings of the bird are always getting broken.
Do not struggle with knots, lest your wings and feathers be snapped asunder through this vain display of effort on your part...
(Instead) fly away with joy from your diversity towards oneness.
Whosoever you may be, turn your face towards the One: this is the thing which God has not forbidden for you, at any time."
Rumi (Vol, 2, 3733- 3745)
Commentary: I love Rumi's beautiful words. His stories are brilliant. His discussions of theology are insightful. And yet...he urges us not to get lost in the mind and the intellect. He says that we are destined for joy, and flight. At some point we will have to leave the knots, (and our skill at knot tying and untying) behind.
And to the end that we may tie knots and then undo them, we are making many rules for posing and stating the difficulty and for answering the questions raised by them.
Like a bird who would undo the fastening of a snare, only to tie the snare back together, many times, in order that he might become perfect at this skill;
The bird is deprived of the open country and meadow lands; its life is spent in dealing with knots;
Even then, the snare is not subdued by these efforts. The wings of the bird are always getting broken.
Do not struggle with knots, lest your wings and feathers be snapped asunder through this vain display of effort on your part...
(Instead) fly away with joy from your diversity towards oneness.
Whosoever you may be, turn your face towards the One: this is the thing which God has not forbidden for you, at any time."
Rumi (Vol, 2, 3733- 3745)
Commentary: I love Rumi's beautiful words. His stories are brilliant. His discussions of theology are insightful. And yet...he urges us not to get lost in the mind and the intellect. He says that we are destined for joy, and flight. At some point we will have to leave the knots, (and our skill at knot tying and untying) behind.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Being Needy
"Conventional wisdom is only for self-advertisement; when it finds a purchaser it glows with delight.
The purchaser of real knowledge is God.; its market value is always splendid...
Without need, the Almighty God does not give anything to anyone.
Therefore quickly increase your need, O needy one, in order that the Sea of Bounty may surge up in lovingkindness."
Rumi (Vol. 2, from 3265-3680)
Commentary: Boxing Day....the day after the celebration. We think that our longing, our hunger and our restless need is a sign that something is wrong with us. Rumi says it is a gift from God; it brings us into God's presence.
The purchaser of real knowledge is God.; its market value is always splendid...
Without need, the Almighty God does not give anything to anyone.
Therefore quickly increase your need, O needy one, in order that the Sea of Bounty may surge up in lovingkindness."
Rumi (Vol. 2, from 3265-3680)
Commentary: Boxing Day....the day after the celebration. We think that our longing, our hunger and our restless need is a sign that something is wrong with us. Rumi says it is a gift from God; it brings us into God's presence.
Friday, December 25, 2009
A Hundred Resurrections
"Half of every person has always belonged to the realm of faults. and the other half belongs to the realm of the unseen.
Oh you, who cannot refrain from delight and luxury, how can you hold yourself back from the Bountiful God?
How should a morsel digest without the sight of Him, without the view of His roses and rose garden?
Oh you, who are dread with anxiety because your hands are empty of bread, what is this fear, since God is forgiving and merciful?
The saint smiles upon you: do not think him to be merely as he appears: in his inward consciousness are hidden a hundred resurrections."
Rumi (Vol.2 from 3035-3105)
Commentary: On Christmas Day and on every day, may we remember that "we have received more than we know, and everything that we need." In Memorium: Ken Waugh
Oh you, who cannot refrain from delight and luxury, how can you hold yourself back from the Bountiful God?
How should a morsel digest without the sight of Him, without the view of His roses and rose garden?
Oh you, who are dread with anxiety because your hands are empty of bread, what is this fear, since God is forgiving and merciful?
The saint smiles upon you: do not think him to be merely as he appears: in his inward consciousness are hidden a hundred resurrections."
Rumi (Vol.2 from 3035-3105)
Commentary: On Christmas Day and on every day, may we remember that "we have received more than we know, and everything that we need." In Memorium: Ken Waugh
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