Touched by Rumi: November 2022
/Rumi has the ability to reach people of all backgrounds, ages, religions, and more. His wisdom sparks us to look within and influences us to view ourselves and the world in a different way. In this section of our Monthly Newsletter we ask people to show us how Rumi has affected them and their way of thinking.
Life at the Center: Counting Your Spoons
Newsletter from Renée Tillotson, the Director of the Still and Moving Center in Hawaii
We live in a world of chaotic – sometimes desperate – unknowing, of fervent spiritual seeking, and of an abundance of self-proclaimed spiritual guides and gurus. How can the seeker know whom to trust?
Ralph Waldo Emerson (who lived in the time when one’s ‘silverware’ was actually made of silver) once said of a hypocrite: “The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.” The more self-proclamations I hear from a would-be “teacher”, the more quickly my doubts grow about the individual’s authenticity.
On the other hand, if someone is willing to share wise insights about life in a humble, thus-have-I-heard manner, I’m much more likely to lend an ear. “From the teachings to the teacher” is an ancient adage that I lean upon.
I’d like to share with you a little of the story of Fariba Enteshari, someone who stumbled through many years of unknowing until she encountered the teachings of Rumi. Fariba still considers herself to be a humble student, yet finds herself in a position to teach.