What a sad world it is today, when we have untalented writers given newspaper columns to spout their hatred and division amid different faiths, when the works of Rumi have long been forgotten. Rumi was a Muslim scholar born to a mystic, and when he died, Christians and others paid their respects, as his words have inspired all faiths ever since.
Written mostly in Persian, thankfully scholars have now translated his works into beautiful volumes to keep by your chair or bedside. He died back in 1273, but these works are timeless. Here are a few of our favourite quotes:
Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.
The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep!
Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.
Who was Rumi?
Rūmī was born in 1207 and was a poet and Islamic scholar from Iran. His works were mostly in Persian, but also sometimes in Greek, Arabic and Turkish. It’s amazing that he is now the best-selling poet in the USA, especially in a country that its fair share of Muslim scaremongerers amid the religious and political right-wing.
Born in a village on the bank of the Wakhsh river, he was influenced by both his father (a mystic and thologian) and Persian poets of the time. From a family of preachers, it’s no wonder his beautiful poems are influenced by spiritual faith and beliefs. Legend has it that mystic poet Attar saw him walking behind his father, he said ‘Here comes a sea, followed by an ocean’.
Rumi was married with two children, then widowed and married again with two more children. At his death, fellow Muslims were amazed to find Jewish rabbits reciting psalms and Christian priests who read the Gospels. This is what religious should be about:
When you see
my corpse is being carried
don’t cry about my leaving
I’m not leaving
I’m arriving at eternal love
the poetic wisdom of Dodinsky
Dodinsky is another wonderful find. Searching for life’s meaning at an early age, this Russian man who eventually lived in the USA, came to view the world from a unique perspective. He recognises simplicity in complex situations and weaves words of power and emotion to inspire people’s spirits.
Some people will never ‘get you’. Do not spend eternity asking why. People will see you differently, just cherish those who lift your soul.
When faced with senseless drama, spiteful criticism and misguided opinions, walking away is the best way to stand up for yourself. To respond with anger, is an endorsement of their attitude.
People relying on others or someone to complete them, are delaying the opportunity to discover the person they are meant to be.
how creative minds & words help world peace
Rather than politics, often it’s the arts that create peace, by appealing to the creative brain within all of us. A simple song (say Imagine by John Lennon) has probably done more for world peace than any politician, whether you like the song or not.
Playing for Change is a wonderful organisation created by skilled musicians, where they bring musicians from different parts of the world together online for wonderful concerts. Often covering classic songs, these are often sung in different languages, and the organisation also help foster children learning musical instruments in different parts of the world.
LIFEexplained is a wonderful website where a trained artist uses simple cartoons to explain everything about life, from karma to why people commit suicide to living your dream and why manifesting does not always work. Likewise, spiritual seeker Anna Sayce has a wonderful blog, where she condenses over a decade of study into blog posts for everyone to understand. Your soul’s path has a huge amount of say in what you can ‘manifest’, it’s not just a case of simple ‘cosmic ordering’. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it!
We also love the site Calm Down Mind, from a wise man and wonderfully creative writer. In one of his posts, he writes of how creating the life you love is pretty simple – just calm down! One commenter asks ‘Do I just focus on inner peace and calm and then wait for everything to unfold, or am I just being lazy’. Sen replied ‘Yes, that’s just how it works!’
Another person full of words of wisdom is young American Helena Woods, who says ‘manifesting your ideal life’ is firstly dependent on your astrological chart. But for things you are able to do, then it’s simple: just write a list and then focus on lifting your energy. You don’t have to make vision boards or any of that nonsense, nor write affirmations all day. Her life looks pretty swell, so it looks like she knows her stuff!
