Rumi... Again...

Since yesterday I am reading the translation of great Rumi's poetry at following website
http://www.rumi.org.uk/divan.htm

I shared couple of the pearls on my blogsite yesterday, but its such a lovely poetry and so beautifully translated.

http://www.rumi.org.uk/divan.htm

My heart, sit only with those
who know and understand you.
Sit only under a tree
that is full of blossoms.
In the bazaar of herbs and potions
don't wander aimlessly
find the shop with a potion that is sweet
If you don't have a measure
people will rob you in no time.
You will take counterfeit coins
thinking they are real.
Don't fill your bowl with food from
every boiling pot you see.
Not every joke is humorous, so don't search
for meaning where there isn't one.
Not every eye can see,
not every sea is full of pearls.
My hart, sing the song of longing
like nightingale.
The sound of your voice casts a spell
on every stone, on every thorn.
First, lay down your head
then one by one
let go of all distractions.
Embrace the light and let it guide you
beyond the winds of desire.
There you will find a spring and nourished by its see waters
like a tree you will bear fruit forever.

Rumi: The Hidden Music
by Maryam Mafi & Azima Melita Kolin

WHISPERS OF LOVE

Lover whispers to my ear,
"Better to be a prey than a hunter.
Make yourself My fool.
Stop trying to be the sun and become a speck!
Dwell at My door and be homeless.
Don't pretend to be a candle, be a moth,
so you may taste the savor of Life
and know the power hidden in serving."

Mathnawi V. 411-414 (translated by Kabir Helminski)
'The Rumi Collection', Edited by Kabir Helminski

Rumi's Poetry

Rumi's Poetry
Mathnawi VI: 255-260

Wealth has no permanence: it comes in the morning,
and at night it is scattered to the winds.
Physical beauty too has no importance,
for a rosy face is made pale by the scratch of a single thorn.
Noble birth also is of small account,
for many become fools of money and horses.
Many a nobleman's son has disgraced his father by his wicked deeds.
Don't court a person full of talent either,
even if he seems exquisite in that respect:
take warning from the example of Iblis1 Devil.
Iblis had knowledge, but since his love was not pure,
he saw in Adam nothing but a figure of clay.

Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996

Sparkling Quotes

"I searched for God and found only myself. I searched for myself and found only God".
Sufi Proverb

Outer calmness is the reflection of inner awareness.
Nader Angha

A man's behavior is the index of the man, and his speech is the index of his understanding. Ali ibn Abu Talib (raa)

Yetzer hara....

Excerpt from : Who is God to judge ?
http://www.aish.com/spirituality/philosophy/Who_is_God_to_Judge$_.asp
A wonderful article indeed ...jewish concept of yetzer hara seems to be same as concept of nafs in islam....

Does God have a yetzer hara, the force within that encourages us to do negative and destructive things, that He has to fight everyday? Does God live in this seedy world, where people will do the unthinkable to make money .."

No, God does not have a yetzer hara. It is only we who have to battle this powerful inner foe.

The yetzer hara is a profound Jewish concept. We all have an inner adversary that tries to keep us from doing the right thing. What's so conniving about this evil inclination is that we think it is really our true selves talking.

Take dieting, for example. When most of us decide to start a diet, we hear a little voice that says, "Eat it, eat it -- just this one bite!" It certainly happens to me. And when I try to start a morning exercise regimen, that same voice says, "This morning you need to rest in order to exercise better tomorrow." Can you relate?

As soon as we decide to do something positive, the little voice tries to get us to do exactly the opposite of what we really want to do......

Courtsey:
http://www.aish.com/spirituality/philosophy/Who_is_God_to_Judge$_.asp

DEVOTIONAL ROOTS

Understanding the origin of a word can deepen our experience of its meaning. We begin our first issue by looking at the roots of the word 'devotion'.

Devotion comes from the Latin 'devovere' which contains the two Latin roots 'de' meaning down and 'votum' meaning vow. So 'devotion' means to lay down a vow and promise something. Someone who is devoted is said to be 'devout'.

'Votum' is the root of the word 'vote' meaning to make a conscious choice from a group of options. When you vote you are promising your support to the choice you made. Votum is also the root of 'votary' which is a term applied to someone who takes a vow to live a religious life of worship or service.

Therefore, when you are 'devoted' you consciously choose to promise your time, energy, thoughts and love to a person, a group, or a cause.

'Peace comes with ease when in true devotion the mind is dyed deep in the color of the Lord's Love.'
-Guru Amar Das, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Page 36

'By devotion one truly understands what and who I am in essence. Having known Me in essence, one immediately merges with Me.'
- Sri Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 55

'Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God.'
- 1 Chronicles 22:19

Reference: www.etymonline.com, www.worldwidewords.com, http://dictionary.cambridge.org

Courtsey:http://yogaunlimited.com/newsletters/august_2006/august_2006.htm

Love

Love ...A four letter word that encompasses so much ...So many meaning ..so many emotions .. so many relationships..so many viewpoints..so many perspectives ...so much depth associated to a single word ...The way I think about it is that it is the most powerful 'medicine' in the world ..a cure for all the problems and all the hurt in the world ...

I had heard a beautiful quote when I was in college .... and had really liked it ...

"One who deserves to be loved the least, needs to be loved the most ..."

People who get unconditional love and support as kids grow up to be most confident and emotionally healthy adults ...

Talking about love ,reminded me of a wonderful excerpt that I had read long back ... I had just started college . It was Bsc First year ..there was a debate competetion . I am not much of a speaker . And had not voluntered to participate , but somehow one of the participants was sick on the day of debate and i found that i was "voluntered" to participate just 5 minute before round-one started . I dont even remember what the topic was .. the only thing i remember that i was tongue tied for most of the time ..... Apparently the other participants on my team were pretty good so we made it to second round ...It was scheduled for the next day .. We were given the topic at the end of the day so that participants could prepare overnight .. Again I dont remember the exact topic ... but it was somehow related to love ...

I still remember the beautiful excerpt that I had read in a "Readers Digest" special publication "How to live life"... -- the excerpt that got us the first prize in the debate ...

LOVE
by Emmet Fox

There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer,
no disease that enough love will not heal,
no door that enough love will not bridge,
no wall that enough love will not throw down,
no sin that enough love will not redeem...

It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble,
how hopeless the outlook,
how muddled the tangle,
how great the mistake...

A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.
If only you could love enough, you could be the happiest and most powerful being in the world...

Thoughts and Actions

Read a beautiful quotes from Veda Upnishads today ...I would like to take time out and read more ..Sometimes I feel there is so much beauty so much wisdom ..so much to learn in this world..and so little time .. The more you read the more you realize that how less you know ...

This quotes tells why it is so important to be aware of your each thought and each action ..why it is important to stop judging others and start judging our own actions ...

“As one acts and conducts himself, so does he become. The doer of good becomes good. The doer of evil becomes evil. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action, bad by bad action.”
[Veda Upnishads]

The secret of happiness

The key to happiness is to appreciate what you have. Sounds simple. So why are so many people unhappy?

"Happiness is not a happening. Happiness is a state of mind. You can have everything in the world and still be miserable. Or you can have relatively little and feel unbounded joy."

"Who is rich? The one who appreciates what he has." (Talmud - Pirkei Avot 4:1)

[Courtsey :http://www.aish.com/spirituality/foundations/The_Secret_of_Happiness.asp)
This website has many inspirational stories and articles...