Rumi in the World: April 2021
/Rumi’s teachings invite us to an inward journey. This journey takes us from the path of duality to the path of Unity. Body, mind and soul unify only when we pay attention to the world within us. In this section, from our Monthly Newsletter, we relate Rumi and his wisdoms to the world around us — whether this means current events, culture, philosophies, and much more. We examine how his wisdoms can be used to navigate our every day and to help us understand different aspects of life…
“In the past year, a flood of racial issues have been brought to the forefront of the American mind, from the death of Breonna Taylor, to the recent surge in anti-Asian American hate crimes. In the wake of these horrific events, which are by no means isolated, we as a society have to make a choice in how we confront racial issues and help heal the communities most affected by them. The teachings of Rumi, like many great spiritual teachers, call on us to connect with the divine love within and act only out of that. This love creates space for marginalized communities to share their traumas, and sparks discourse that carries the goal of listening, helping, and healing. Rumi’s work reveals that the greatest sin is the idea of separation, that you and I are distinct. When we realize that there is no “us” and “them”, that we are all connected in consciousness, we are able to recognize the divinity in each person around us, and love them with this recognition in mind. This will not fix the deep systemic racism that prevails in America, but it encourages us to treat each other with greater humility, to listen more intently, and to change.”
