August 2022: The View of A Lover
/باغ سبز عشق کو بی منتهاست
جز غم و شادی درو بس میوههاست
“The garden of Love is without end,
it has more fruits than sorrow and joy.”
~Rumi
Source: Mathnawi I, 1793
Translated by Dr. Fariba Enteshari
© Rumi Educational Center
Reflection on the Quote:
A message from Dr. Fariba Enteshari, Founder & Executive Director
The stories of lover and the Beloved are well known in Rumi’s poetry.
I am often asked, “What does it mean to be a lover of the Universe?
Does it have a sexual connotation?”
The word “lover” in Rumi’s poetry refers to the person who seeks the act of loving. It is one who seeks love and chooses the path of love.
You may have heard that love is a verb, ‘to love’…
The actions of love start from the one who is calling forth love. In no way does this mean waiting to be loved.
Rumi encourages us to be a lover— he is talking to the one who wants love as an active act of loving and this needs practice. In the current world situation, it takes some courage to understand what Rumi says. The spiritual meaning of love always starts in us and our actions. We are the source of love.
It is up to us to open the higher qualities of our spirit or to find an outlet to all the good juices of our being and let them flow out to the rest of humanity.
The answer of Rumi to all questions about love is to be love.
To seek the view of a lover who passionately wants to see the world as love.
Believe it or not, there will not be a world standing if there is no love.
If we are not able to follow what is Rumi’s aim for practice in this troubled world—if we see more troubles in the world than the love that can flow out of us—the answer is clear, we are not ready for this path.
However, if we choose a path that encourages us to practice the act of loving, we can listen to these verses of Rumi and his promise in them.
عاشقی زین هر دو حالت برترست
بی بهار و بی خزان سبز و ترست
“To be a lover is much better than the state of sorrow and joy,
the lover stays green and fresh throughout Spring and Autumn. “
~Rumi
Source: Mathnawi I, 1794
-Dr. Fariba Enteshari