From Your Soul

Topic: Immanence & Transcendence

When you do things from your soul,
you feel a river moving in you, a joy.
When actions come from another section,
the feeling disappears.
Don’t let others lead you. They may be blind,
or worse, vultures. Reach for the rope
of God. And what is that?
Putting aside self-will.
Because of willfulness people sit in jail.
From willfulness, the trapped birds’ wings are tied.
From willfulness, the fish sizzles in the skillet.
The anger of police is willfulness.
You’ve seen a magistrate inflict visible punishment.
Now see the invisible.
If you could leave selfishness, you would see
how your soul has been tortured.
We are born and live inside black water in a well.
How could we know what an open field of sunlight is?
Don’t insist on going where you think you want to go.
Ask the way to the Spring.
Your living pieces will form a harmony.
There is a moving palace that floats through the air,
with balconies and clear water running in every part of it,
infinity everywhere, yet contained under a single tent.

Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, born on September 30, 1207, and also known as Jalaluddin Mevlana (Mawlānā) Rumi, J. M. Rumi, or simply as Rumi in the Western world, was an extraordinary poet, philosopher, and Sufi mystic. He was a prominent figure in the Islamic world, born in the region of present-day Afghanistan, then within the greater Persian Empire, and later settled in Konya, present-day Turkey. Rumi's passionate love for humanity and his deep spiritual insights transcended geographical, linguistic, and cultural barriers, making his poetry and teachings resonate not only within the Islamic world but also with audiences globally.

Rumi's spiritual journey led him to develop a unique approach to Sufism that emphasized love, tolerance, and the pursuit of enlightenment. He created a fusion of traditional Islamic beliefs with mysticism, nurturing a school of thought that flourished in his followers. They established a sect known to the Western world as the 'Whirling Dervishes', a term derived from their mesmerizing practice of whirling as a form of physical meditation. The proper name for this branch is the Mevlevi order, dedicated to preserving and promoting Rumi's teachings.

In addition to being a mystic, Rumi was an accomplished scholar and theologian who left behind an impressive literary legacy. His best-known work, the Mathnawi or Masnavi, is a six-volume poetic epic that explores themes of love, divine mystery, and human connection to the spiritual world. Rumi's poetic style is marked by profound emotion and philosophical depth, weaving metaphors and allegory to create timeless pieces that continue to inspire readers today. Rumi's influence reaches far beyond his time, as his teachings on love, compassion, and unity continue to touch the hearts of millions, transcending barriers of religion, culture, and era.

(1207-1273) Islam

Rūmī Jalāl al-Dīn. The Essential Rumi. Translated by Coleman Barks, HarperCollins, 2004 [Moving Water by J. M. Rumi].

Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi

Theme: Our Soul

About This Rumi Quotation [Commentary]

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi’s statement, “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy,” highlights the vitality that emerges when one’s actions align with their innermost being. The river metaphor suggests a natural, unforced flow—a life-giving energy that nourishes and sustains. This joy is the soul’s affirmation of living authentically and in harmony with its divine nature.

The broader context deepens this understanding, warning against willfulness and selfishness, which Rumi portrays as traps that bind and confine the soul. Images of trapped birds and sizzling fish convey the pain of actions driven by ego or self-centeredness. In contrast, the “rope of God” symbolizes surrender to a higher, unifying guidance. By releasing self-will, one steps into the clarity and expansiveness of an “open field of sunlight,” a vivid contrast to the “black water in a well” where many dwell. Rumi’s message urges readers to leave behind ego-driven constraints and move toward the soul’s liberation.

His call to “ask the way to the Spring” reflects a vision of renewal and unity. To act from the soul is to align with this harmony, letting joy permeate life. The “moving palace that floats through the air” illustrates the boundless potential of living with divine guidance, where infinite possibilities coexist with balance and order. Rumi encourages readers to trust the soul’s deeper calling, releasing limitations and discovering joy in alignment with the sacred.

To Clarify Rumi’s name

Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, also known as Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi, has multiple variations of his name due to his diverse cultural and linguistic background. “Jalal al-Din” is his given name, meaning “Glory of the Faith” in Arabic. “Muhammad” is his first name. “Rumi” is a nickname meaning “from Rum” or “Roman,” referring to his time spent in the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum in Anatolia, which was formerly part of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire. “Mevlana” or “Mawlana” is an honorific title meaning “our master” in Arabic, reflecting his status as a respected spiritual teacher. These various elements of his name are combined differently in different contexts, with some emphasizing his given name and others focusing on his honorific titles and geographical associations.

Love Makes All the Difference: An Introduction to Rumi, by Jason Espada [Excerpt]

To say that many of us don’t see this world as it is, would be a huge understatement, I know, but we have to start somewhere. For a lot of people, human beings are little more than animals, and life is mostly about struggle―it’s something to be gotten through, with only brief moments of light or happiness. Or else, there’s a quality of ‘nothing special’ about it, with no feeling one way or another.

The tragedy of course is that our experience here doesn’t have to be this way. There are a few other people who tell us that, far from being a burden, this life is something to be celebrated. There are people who say this world is Divine―that it can be an unending source of wonder and joy. What do you think?

Most people usually don’t see it this way, and so they take advantage of each other, they prey on each other, or else they waste time, or feel bored, or dissatisfied. This is all so common.

In the greatest contrast to the way most people experience this world, there are those who have found a deep source of nourishment in this life, such that everything they say, and everything they do comes out of that joy. Such people throughout time have been called ‘mystics’.

The 13th century Persian teacher and poet, Jelaluddin Rumi was one such person who was able to offer the world an inspiring vision, and also the guidance and encouragement to live from this realization. He tells us:

“Every object and being in the universe is

a jar overflowing with wisdom and beauty,

a drop of the Tigris that cannot be contained by any skin.

Every jarful spills and makes the earth more shining,

as though covered in satin…”

And he says:

“Make peace with the universe. Take joy in it.

It will turn to gold. Resurrection

will be now. Every moment,

a new beauty.”

And:

“Human beings are mines.

World-power means nothing. Only the unsayable,

jeweled inner life matters…”

And:

“A man sleeps heavily,

though something blazes in him like the sun,

like a magnificent fringe sewn up under the hem…”

Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi was born 1207, in what is now Afghanistan. As a child, Rumi’s family traveled and settled in Turkey. Rumi succeeded his father as a Muslim teacher. Then, when he was 37 years old, Rumi met a mystic named Shams-I-Tabriz, and the two formed a deep spiritual relationship. Rumi’s students, it’s told, were jealous, and Shams disappeared, apparently killed out of jealousy.

Rumi grieved for his loss, having seen the Divine in Shams, or we can say having seen Shams as God, and as a doorway, to further understanding the mysteries of this life. In his grief, Rumi created the Turning Dance (called ’Whirling’) that is still a part of the Sufi Tradition today. The turning represents the search for Truth, the Beloved, the Divine, or God.

The Sufis are the mystics of Islam. The Sufi Path is sometimes called ‘The Path of Love’, or ‘The Way of Passion’, as love is such a strong element in their search for Truth, in their way of life, and their teaching.

Although they have some elements in common with more Orthodox Muslim Traditions, the Sufis are also unique in some ways. They are not only looking for an intellectual understanding of the Divine – they aim for personal experience, and for union with this deep Truth, or with God.

Another feature that stands out is that the Sufi’s love, for God, for the Divine, or for this life is often expressed in earthy, sensual language, like a lover speaking or writing to his beloved. And so their writing moves from the experiences of longing, to the joy at being touched, to those of fulfillment…

And:

“In your light I learn how to love.

In your beauty, how to make poems.

You dance inside my chest,

where no one sees you,

but sometimes I do,

and that sight becomes this art.”

In the translations that have reached the West, there are included many teaching stories that are meant to guide people to living more deeply. In addition to being beautifully expressed, there is a whole way of life described in these writings.

Rumi describes how we can grow and develop as individuals, how we can learn to see, and to live more authentic lives; how we can find fulfillment. He describes many of the processes and obstacles that are a part of life―often in a humorous way, but always with compassion and respect for his listeners.

A few additional quotes from Rumi:

Don’t ask what love can make, or can do.

Look at the colors of the world!

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty, and scared.

Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading.

Take down a musical instrument and start to play.

Let the beauty you love be what you do.

There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

Be patient.

Respond to every call that excites your spirit

Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull

of what you really love

When you do things from your soul, a river moves though you,

Freshness and a deep joy are the signs…

―Jason Espada [My Favorite Rumi, presented by Jason Espada, A Buddhist Library website, p. 67 (From: We Are Three, #44 When you do things from your soul].

Resources

Jason Espada, My Favorite Rumi [A Buddhist Library - pdf]

From Your Soul

Resources

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