In Silence – Beautiful Rumi Poem on Becoming Silent for Spiritual Growth

Being silent. It's sometimes the hardest thing in the world, but in this poem, Rumi teaches us why it's so important.

"In Silence" is not just a beautiful poem. It is an incredible spiritual teaching.

Watch this video in its entirety to learn of the secrets Rumi shares, and to cultivate deep silence for your own spiritual growth.

#rumi #rumipoetry #rumipoem

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A guide has entered this life in silence.
His message is only heard in silence.

Take a sip of his precious wine
And lose yourself.
Don’t insult the greatness of his love,
For he helps all those who suffer, in silence.

Polish the mirror between the breaths.
Go with him, beyond words.
He knows your every deed.
He is the one
who moves the wheel of heaven, in silence.

Every thought is buried in your heart;
He will reveal them one by one, in silence.

Turn each of your thoughts into a bird
And let them fly to the other world.
One is an owl, one is a falcon, one is a crow.
Each one is different from the others
But they are all the same in silence.

To see the Moon that cannot be seen
Turn your eyes inward
and look at yourself, in silence.

In this world and the next,
Don’t talk about this and that;
Let him show you everything,
shining as one . . . in silence.

~ Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi

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Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rumi (1207 — 1273), also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Balkhī, Mowlānā, or more simply and popularly as Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet, scholar, philosopher, and Sufi mystic.

When Rumi was a young child, the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, invaded Central Asia, forcing Rumi's family to escape westwards via caravan to avoid persecution and death. On his travels, it is believed that Rumi encountered Attar in Nishapur, during which the elder mystic gave the teenager his Asrar Nama (Farsi: "The Book of Secrets"), which had a significant impact on Rumi's life outlook, philosophy, and poetry.

When Rumi turned 25, his father passed away, leaving a deep void spiritually. He followed his father's footsteps and took over the role of the Islamic molvi, or Muslim doctor of law. For roughly nine years, Rumi practiced Sufism under one of Baha ud-Din's disciples, Burhan ud-Din, who helped prepare him for an even greater spiritual encounter down the road. But it wasn't until November 15, 1244, that Rumi's life turned upside down.

On this day, Rumi met the wandering dervish and mystic Shams-e Tabrizi in Damascus, who transformed Rumi from an accomplished teacher, scholar and jurist to a humble ascetic. Shams (Farsi: the "Sun") saw Rumi's pride in having immense religious knowledge and fame, and threw Rumi's books on the ground, signifying that he knew nothing.

Under Shams' spiritual guidance, Rumi became introduced to divine love, music, poetry, and dance through the mystic Sufi practice of Sama. The two formed an inseparable bond, which is believed to have isolated Rumi from his students and family members, some of whom are said to have grown jealous of Rumi's companion. Two years after they met, Shams abruptly left Konya.

When Shams returned, however, he disappeared shortly after, with several sources suggesting that he was murdered at the order of Rumi's son Ala-eddin. His death sent Rumi reeling into depression, and to express and cope with his bereavement, Rumi began writing hundreds of lyric poems, which altogether formed The Divan of Shams-e Tabrizi (or Book of Shams of Tabriz).

He continued to write many poems, until one of his companions, Husaam al-Din Chalabi, inspired him to produce an even greater masterpiece. One day Husaam explained to Rumi how great it would be if Rumi composed an epic mystic poem, similar to Sanai's "The Walled Garden of Truth" or Attar's "The Conference of the Birds," which Rumi's followers regularly read. Rumi is said to have smiled, took out a piece of paper, and wrote these famous two lines:

بشنو از نی چون حکایت می کند
از جدایی ها شکایت می کند

Listen to the ney, how it tells this sad tale,
Lamenting separations (from the One beyond scale)

Husaam begged Rumi to write more, and the mystic dedicated the final12 years of his life to composing the rest of the epic poem, which eventually made up his greatest work: the Masnavi-e Ma'navi (or "The Spiritual Couplets"). In December of 1273, he fell ill and passed away days later on December 17. Many refer to the day of his passing as Shab-e Aroos (or "Wedding Night") to signify that the mystic has finally united with his Beloved.