Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Why did i read about Rumi - An Arjuna Question

Believe it or not Arjuna, I was planning to write about why/how i started to read about Rumi ? Rumi has always sort of fascinated me. Go to any small hippie kind of shop u will always find a copy of Rumi's love poems. I would always pick it up, read two or three poems and would think - I should read about this guy - he seems to write some real good love poems. All assumed that this love was between a guy and a girl. I guess everyone who picks up Rumi will think the same. Then one fine day as u know i am into reading about different philosphies and different personalities - I decided to learn more about him and here I am :)

He is one of the most amazing person i have read till now - his idealogy is similar to Advaita. He belives in total anhilation - meaning merging with the lord. Hence is death is called his wedding night. But what fascinates me is his poems. Just read them and there is so much that u can relate too.

12 Comments:

Blogger Gnana Kirukan said...

Nanba - thanks for enlightening me :)..u seem to read a lot :) - that's good! I dont have the patience to sit and read nowdays..but hopefully when I start my job in Jan - I will start reading..I have decided not to buy a comp or tv when I shift to Aberdeen..Just read..that means I may seldom blog :(

21 September, 2005 22:34  
Blogger Jeevan said...

Your reason why i read rumi is absalutely good.

22 September, 2005 04:35  
Blogger Ram C said...

Eventhough your preface for your previous posts had come out later, a neat one on 'Why?'...

I didn't get '..death is called his wedding night...'

22 September, 2005 18:39  
Blogger Aatma said...

Ram his death means his merging with the lord/God/divine. Hence called his wedding night

22 September, 2005 18:50  
Blogger Narayanan Venkitu said...

Looks like you are hooked to RUMI. I'll check him out as well.

Thanks for all the posts on Rumi which I am sure would have made several people (like me) interested in reading him.

23 September, 2005 15:47  
Blogger chutneypopcorn said...

Before I start my jabber. Please forgive my ignorance and if I piss any one.

The way atma present this makes me wonder:

Why death is the wedding night. That means god is inherently far or not attainable in the living. If spirituality is to do with the consciousness and not the body then body is irrelevant.

This raises disturbing questions:

1. Does RUMI think body is impure?
2. If one attains enlightenment doesn't the soul itself purify the body.
3. Is god unable to have a wedding night with the body? Or he/she does not want to?

Now, lets compare this "particular" interpretation of RUMI's work by atma.

First comparison. The gopis' are said to be maha yogis who where meditating the danadaranya forest when Rama came. They have had prefect understanding of the soul. But when they saw Rama they desired to have a body-mind-soul experience with him in a conjugal manner. But since Rama didn’t believe in polygamy said I will come again as Krishna and we shall enjoy. Here the yogis wanted a all package deal.

NOW BIG QUESTION for atma, please clarify:

When RUMI say he gets death what does he mean:

1. No more body and only soul.
2. Next birth with body but spiritual (HAS 0 FAT)
3. Body is irrelevant. (if irrelevant why not before death . what is so special about death)

Second comparison. Siddhartha attained enlightenment while in body. So no post death marriage.

Why I concentrate on DEATH, is bcos RUMI makes it a Independence day. Devils question in my head are:

1. Did RUMI know what he was talking about; does this importance to death reflects his inability to attain the goal right away.
2. If I have to die to see the light. It does not sound like a good deal. What if his talk is bullshit?
3. May be he is just a poet a master of words and death is a human mystery hence used ONLY in a poetical sense.

Last comparison. Ramakrishna.

When Narendra asked him, can you see god. he said yes many times. Here I will show and took him into Samadhi. Ramakrishna’s path has like a try it once and you can judge it.

RUMI's seems scary

- chutneypopcorn

Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhe swaha. (heart sutra)

25 September, 2005 01:09  
Blogger chutneypopcorn said...

Wedding Night - Merging - A closer look.

A closer look into to the act of wedding night:

A conjugal union is the union of the lovers. When the body, mind and consciousness are intertwined in resonance. To enjoy you always need two. My mom always says, you can never be truly happy alone. Happiness is always in company. So in a conjugal union both the lovers no doubt are together they are also enjoying each other. This means there is a subtle boundary. Boundary nevertheless. Not a complete annihilation of the self.

To be poised and still needs only one. You can sit alone.


If RUMI means: that before death there is you and god. And after death there is only god. Then this is not a wedding night. Because you are not there to enjoy the wedding night, you are no more there. Hence there is no you to enjoy anything. You just attended the wedding - DEATH.

So RUMI has not sold me on this death idea. Sounds Bad.

My "current" conclusion one of the following:

1. So either RUMI is teaching DVAIDATA philosophy like ANDAL
2. May be he doesn’t have an idea of Advaitam philosophy
3. Had bad experience with women/men (his sexuality is not known)
4. Has poor comparitive skills
5. Just a mere poet and to be taken for its lingual beauty

Please enlighten me.

O RUMIs of today.

- chutneypopcorn

25 September, 2005 01:53  
Blogger chutneypopcorn said...

Okay. I just ordered a book,

Rumi: The Book of Love : Poems of Ecstasy and Longing

Better first sorry second hand info. Will start in a 10 days when the book arrives. Half.com has some of his book for cheap if any one interested.

25 September, 2005 02:46  
Blogger Aatma said...

Oh Chutneypopcorn, we poor mortals didn't think so much in depth as you, for us it meant as simple as "We have endured without you for so long, finally when my death occurs I shall come back to you - a.k.a finally meet my beloved lord"

I don't know whether Rumi believed in it or not. I believe that it is his followers who believe that he is finally merged with the lord.

Not read Rumi so much in detail to be an authority on him, infact i have just started reading about him. And i think the way he writes, it shows of a person who had a deep longing to merge with the lord - just like a devotee who serves/longes to see the lord.

Again all this is my interpretation

25 September, 2005 12:20  
Blogger Jeevan said...

No new post

26 September, 2005 03:20  
Blogger Ram C said...

Check this post of mine. A surprising event awaits you...

26 September, 2005 06:54  
Blogger Gnana Kirukan said...

Dear Chutney,
Good questions :) - Very valid questions too :)..

The wedding night is the one when he dies! So definitely that does not mean that he wasnt realized! It was his followers who assumed that he has merged with GOD after death.

Moksha = Moha + Shyam can be obtained when a person is alive - a person need not have to die to attain it :)

28 September, 2005 13:17  

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