Jalaluddin Melvana Rumi, a 13th century mystic, a poet, a theologist, a jurist and a scholar was born on 30th September 1207 in Balkh, present Afghanistan. He settled in present day Turkey, where he lived and wrote most of his life. His writings gradually became such an influential tool in the entire world, not only in the east but also in the west, that he began to be celebrated like Shakespeare, Beethoven and Mozart. Today his poems can be heard in churches, synagogues, Zen monasteries, as well as in art/performance/music scene in every part of the world.
The turning point in his life is considered to be his meeting with Shams Tabriz, a wandering holy man. In Rumi’s own words after meeting with Shams he transformed from a bookish scholar to an impassioned seeker of universal truth and love. After their separation, Rumi’s mourning for the loss of his friend led to the birth of more than 40,000 verses. These poems are collected in two books named Divan-e-Shams-e-Tabrizi and Massanavi.
Rumi’s contribution to literature, philosophy and poetry had been tremendous. His poetry, verses and quotes have helped us to be more alive, happy and motivated. They give us the message of looking at our inner-self to realise the vast ocean of the universe leading to the eternal state of peace. I for one, am an admirer of Rumi’s writing. All of us look for sources of inspiration and motivation around us. For me it is the ultimate source I reach out to in times of despair. Reading Rumi, gives me calm, peace and ecstasy all at the same time.
Below I have compiled few of Rumi’s verses which are my favourite. Hope they work the best for you as well.
-THEMOONLIGHTREVERIE
Themoonlightreverie 