Rumi was a 13th Century poet and theologian.
He advocated unlimited tolerance, positive reasoning, goodness, charity and awareness through love.
In other words, all the things we could use a little more of.
Anyways, I was recently given a book by a good friend as a going away present before I moved to New York. I hadn’t heard of Rumi before this, but knowing my philosophical nature, my friend decided it would be a safe bet. And boy, was he right.
The book is designed so that you read on of these poems a day for a year. I love it so much I have read the whole thing (and I’ve only had it about 3 months).
All of the poems strike a full on rocking power chord with the distortion turned way up, but I wanted to share the one that spoke to me most. It’s called, “The Many Wines”.
God has given us a dark wine so potent
that, drinking it, we leave the two worlds.
God made Majnun love Layla so much
that just her dog would cause confusion in him.
There are thousands of wines
that can take over our minds.
Don’t think all ecstasies are the same.
Jesus was lost in his love for God.
His donkey was drunk with barley.
Every object, every being,
is a jar full of delight.
Be a connoisseur, and taste with caution.
Any wine will get you high.
Judge like a king, and choose the purest,
not the ones adulterated with fear,
or some urgency about “what’s needed.”
Drink the wine that moves you
as a camel moves when it’s been untied,
and is just ambling about.
Ahhh, that’s nice.
- Tom
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