Sorry for the noughties song reference, this morning I've been lifting my mood by shaking my stuff around the living room; as the only spiralling I will be thinking about today is the whirling of the Sufi dervishes. For today my loves, is Rumi day... His poetry always ignites my soul, and his wisdom was far beyond his time. However before I go and get swept up in the rhythm of his texts and wrap myself up in another books cosy pages, below is the book l spoke about the other day if anyone is interested, and while it's on my mind.
Ted talk here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI (Waldinger)
and remember...
"We come spinning life out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust."- Rumi
Addendum:
I just wanted to share a few more words on Rumi, as well a photo of one of my oldest books in my library (1956).
Starting with one of my favourite quotes from Rumi;
"You are your own shadow- become annihilated in the rays of the Sun! How long will you look at your shadow? Look also at His light!"
I have often wondered if Jung had been inspired by his works.
Rumi was a 13th century Sufi mystic from Konya, Turkiye (I have always wanted to visit his tomb), and is known as the most widely read poet in the world. Opening my mind to Islamic spirituality, there is a central theme of the purification and refinement of the "nafs" found throughout his work, as well as finding love and unity with God. (Made me think of the Songs of Solomon in the Bible and Plotinus' Nous)
In Islam, "nafs" is a concept that refers to the self, soul, or psyche. It encompasses various aspects of human experience, including emotions, desires, intellect, and consciousness. Like the ego, nafs can refer to different states or conditions of the self, ranging from the lower, animalistic self (nafs al-ammara) to the purified, God-conscious self (nafs al-mutma'inna), and involves us as humanity cultivating self-awareness and inner peace, by controlling desires, and not giving into things like greed, anger, pride and envy, but rather embracing things like patience, humility, compassion, and gratitude instead.