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Dear Friend
The great Sufi mystic and poet Rumi is among the most popular poets in America. His poetry reaches the heart of the heart, beyond any one tradition or religion, inspiring millions of people with their love and wisdom.
Here is a selection from the wonderful translations done by Coleman Barks.
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Rumi: The Book of Love
Translations and Commentary by Coleman Barks
Don't look for it outside yourself.
You are the source of milk. Don't milk others.
There is a fountain inside you.
Don't walk around with an empty bucket.
You have a channel into the ocean,
yet you ask for water from a little pool.
Beg for the love expansion. Meditate only
on THAT. The Qur'an says,
And he is with you.(57:4)
There is a basket of fresh bread on your head,
yet you go door to door asking for crusts.
Knock on the inner door, no other.
Sloshing knee-deep in fresh riverwater,
yet you keep asking for other people's waterbags.
Water is everywhere around you, but you see
only barriers that keep you from water....
Mad with thirst, you can't drink from the stream running close by your face. You are like a pearl on the deep bottom wondering inside the shell,
Where's the ocean?
Those mental questionings,
form the barrier.
Stay bewildered inside God,
and only that.
pp. 66-67
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Thank you all
for your notes of appreciation for our
newsletter. It's great to hear from you!
Everyone has
the heart to be a true friend of the soul, an
"Anam
Cara." By embodying that ideal we
may serve to help
others to find love and compassion within
themselves and the world.
Our highest nature is always
manifest in
relationship - to all other beings, to the
environment, in relation to our own body and
mind. Becoming mindful of the quality of our
relationships
allows us to learn where the light shines and
where it
needs to shine more. The ideal of Anam
Cara is to
continuously endeavor to expand the depth
and the
inclusiveness of the loving kindness we bring
into
every relationship, every moment, every breath.
If
you have any
suggestions, comments or sharings, for our
newsletter please don't
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respond.
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With
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May all beings know complete freedom from suffering and may all our actions reflect only wisdom, compassion, patience and love.
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