Rumi as the Universal Gnostic

Rumi's prose is a pleasure to read. Pure delight. I liken his style to God writing a love letter to his children. "I love you so much that I'm going to spell out exactly why I love you!" and the age-old adage of "Don't sell yourself short."

Living from 1207-1273AD, this Persian led quite a life. After his death, the Sufi order of Whirling Dervishes was born from his followers.

Here are a few snippets of what I've been indulging in. Like fine chocolate, I tell you! Godiva for the soul.

Excerpt 1:

"Once you get hold of selflessness,
You’ll be dragged from your ego and freed from many traps.
Come, return to the root of the root of your Self.

You are born from the children of God’s creation,
but you have fixed your sight too low.
How can you be happy?
Come, return to the root of the root of your Self.

You were born from a ray of God’s majesty and have the blessings of a good star.
Why suffer at the hands of things that don’t exist?
Come, return to the root of the root of your Self.

You are a ruby embedded in granite.
How long will you pretend it’s not true?
We can see it in your eyes.
Come to the root of the root of your Self."

Excerpt 2:

"I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I found Him not.
I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there.
I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God I found not.
With set purpose I fared to the summit of Mount Caucasus and found there only 'anqa's habitation. Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there even.
Turning to philosophy I inquired about him from ibn Sina but found Him not within his range.
I fared then to the scene of the Prophet's experience of a great divine manifestation only a "two bow-lengths' distance from him" but God was not there even in that exalted court.
Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else."

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Discovering Rumi's first poem which talks of selflessness was shocking since I had that epiphany a few days ago. He put into words almost exactly what the emotion was I felt when I discovered such a thing.