[AlwaysDayAfterYesterday]

I have noticed that there is a marker we can use to find enlightened words worth reading. There are a few sages of old who never wrote their own words down, but were nonetheless recorded by their followers. Buddha, Jesus, Aristotle, Muhammad, and many others are examples. When you find someone of this nature, the words that flow from them are astounding. Rumi was a Sufi Mystic.

Of all the minds in this world I have had the pleasure of searching, Rumi the Sufi is one of my favorites. Like a time machine, a good book or manuscript is a vehicle for the mind to reflect on realizations and truths otherwise hidden from view.

Below, I will give one of my favorite Rumi quotes on the topic of enlightenment. Rumi is the most read poet in America. The vast majority of his words have yet to be translated, and rumor has it a movie of his life is soon to be produced. If you want to start with his recorded thought, beging by reading the Discousres. From there, move to the Masnavi. Any book store in America will contain volumes of his poetry.

A worthy man once shut himself in a cave for forty days discipline, seeking spiritual enlightenment. A voice came to him, saying, “Such a lofty goal will never be attained by forty days discipline. Abandon your cave so the love of a great saint may reach you and your goal can be realized.”

“Where shall I find that great one?” the man
asked.

“In the congregational mosque,” came the
answer.

“In such a throng of people, how shall I recognize which one he is?” he inquired.

“Go,” said the voice, “he will recognize you
and will gaze upon you. The sign that his love has
fallen upon you will be when the pitcher drops
from your hand and you become unconscious.
Then you will know that his gaze has reached
you.”The man acted accordingly. He filled a pitcher
with water and went around the congregation in
the mosque like a water-carrier. He was wandering
between the ranks of the worshippers when suddenly
he was seized with ecstasy. He uttered a loud cry, and
the pitcher fell from his hand. He remained in a corner
of the mosque unconscious. All the people left. When
he came to his senses he saw that he was alone. He
could not see the spiritual king who had gazed upon him,
but he had gained his goal.

There are certain lovers of God, who, because
of their great majesty and jealousy for God, do
not show themselves openly, but they cause disciples
to attain important goals and bestow gifts
upon them. Such mighty spiritual saints are rare
and precious.

Someone said: “Do the great ones come before
you?”

Rumi answered: There is no “before” left to
me. It has been a long time since I have had any
“before.” If they come, they come before an
image they believe to be me. Some people said to
Jesus, “We will come to your house.” Jesus
replied, “Where is my house in this world, and
how could I have a house?”

Symbolism

---The Cave is the man's inner self / ego / mind. He enters the cave alone, seeking enlightenment to his own nature.

---The voice is his own. It tells him enlightenment cannot be found alone, which is the nature of Yoga (meaning union). Others are necessary.

---The 'Great Saint' is the man himself once realizing his own identity under the mask of the body.

---The pitcher dropping from the hand is death, which allows the person to once again gain union with their other Higher Nature. Mind and true essence once again gain union.

---The Mosque represents the next level of cave, or the sanctuary where people gather to engage in Yoga (union with relatives).

---The pitcher of water represents his own body, or the house of God. Water in Abrahamic traditions is the key marker of baptism, or what Buddhism calls entering the stream of life in a Buddha Body.

---Ecstasy is the state of mental rapture allowing light to flood the house. Once the light from outside the body is translated into realization of self, a person knows the inner self, thereby seeing the world as it is.

---The house of the Lord is the person themselves, or host for the essence of seed we carry. Each of us is a copy of the first man. From this, our inheritance is realization of this source. The part contains the whole and the whole contains the part. Each of us are new creations from one source. That source (light) is shared by all. Outside first, then inside. Life is meditation. Yoga is seeing the other in yourself; yourself in others (Pathos / Love). At One Ment.

The point of this story is that Manu (Sanskrit for man) means, "To Think." Meditation is not something you do alone, but every day. Life is designed for the purpose of Yoga and Meditation, or the process to think and gain union with other minds. From this, you discover the truth of enlightenment and your own identity as one with the whole. Upright posture is your character. Sitting and meditating in this world (traditional sense) then shines the light back to the source of your being (Sattva) above. Union! Both sides must be mastered (both meditation with others in life and single inner reflection within the mind alone). When both sides of the image match, compassion floods the house.

This same hidden essence is found in the Diamond Sutra opening chapter. The house is the robe we wear. What does the house contain?

If you enjoyed this, Rumi is filled with 10,000 other wonderful things to discover. If you find a quote you like, add it to this thread with some commentary. Do some yoga!