INFLUENCES OF RUMI ON SUFISM AND PSYCHOLOGY-FINAL-REFERENCES



INFLUENCES OF RUMI ON SUFISM AND PSYCHOLOGY ? a discussion

By Zaharah Braybrooke

We, in our interest group can learn a lot from Rumi's life and his journey in his path to Sufism. Through his writing it is evident that he had gone through transformational stages of spiritual development. In recognition for his role as one of the great Sufi Spiritual leaders who transcends religions, race or creed, he was bestowed with the title `Prophet of Love' in 2009, the International

Year of Rumi. For the Sufis, Rumi is a great master who courageously introduced dancing, music, and singing in the sama performed by the whirling dervishes. The Sufis or dervishes meditatively danced in circular movements, seeking elevation of the spirit. Each dervish circumambulates their heart as well as the circle of dervishes paying respect to their Sheikh. During that time such ritual was not allowed in the Islamic world.

Life

Rumi was born in Balkh in present day Afghanistan, in 1207. His father, Baha ` Walad, was a well--known preacher, jurisprudent, and Sufi. He was a scholar of both exoteric and esoteric Islam. During the invasion of the Mongols, Rumi and the family migrated to Konya. On the way, the family met a great Sufi Master, Attar, who gave him a copy of his Asrar--nama (`The Book of Mysteries') telling him, "Your son will soon be kindling fire in all the world's lovers of God" (Chittick, 1983).

Rumi had a very early education on Islamic sciences, under the influence of his father. When his father died Rumi became a Master in Sufism and was further guided by one of his father's disciples. At the age of twenty--four he assumed his father's duties as a preacher and jurisprudent. He had his own disciples.

Rumi was popular with his teachings among his disciples around Konya. In 1244 he met an enigmatic figure Shams al--Din of Tabriz and under his influence Rumi was transformed. Chittick (1983) quotes the following, "My mouth was filled with glorification, but now it recites only poetry and songs" (D 24875--76). Rumi "was transformed from a sober jurisprudent to an intoxicated celebrant of the mysteries of Divine Love. One could say that without Shams, there would have been no Rumi"(ibid).

The stories about the sudden departure of Shams from Konya vary according to different sources. There were reports of intense jealousy from Rumi's disciples because he was very involved with Shams to the exclusion of others. It was also reported that his son Sultan Valad was sent to look for Shams after his sudden departure from Konya the first time.

Shams briefly returned to Konya and briefly married a young woman from Rumi's household. Again intense jealousy by his disciples and one of his sons made it impossible for Shams to stay in Konya.

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What attracted me to Rumi's work is how ingenious he is in balancing his

personal, social, and religious life and his career as a teacher, educator, and

preacher. Rumi views that humans have a tendency to move upwards to realise

their potential. In his poems and prose Rumi writes with passion, commitment

and conviction with what he believes. Shams is often mentioned in Rumi's

Collection of Poems, Divan--e--Shams--e Tabrizi. In one of his poems, Rumi writes

that humans evolve from mineral to vegetable to animal -- and thence to human.

He believes that we all originate from the same source, the Supreme Soul or

Essence.

The unity of one particular soul is connected to other souls under the

Supreme Soul. In this light, Rumi views that the evolution of man is expressed as

necessarily through death of the self as we evolve from one spiritual state to

another. The poem below illustrates Rumi's thoughts on transformation as one

evolves through the different spiritual stages of experience.

I died as mineral and become plant

I died as plant and rose to animal

I died as animal and I was a man

To soar as angels blest;

But even from angelhood, I must pass on:

All except God doth perish,

When I have sacrificed my angelhood,

I shall become what no mind has ever conceived.

Masnavi Book 3 (in Karim Zayyani)

Reading through his writings, it is sometimes difficult to understand the

meanings of the contents of Masnavi, the collected works of Jalalu'ddin Rumi,

due to his particular style. I would say that, in his writings, he is responding to

the ideas that spring moment--by--moment, revealing his feelings or inspirations

directly from his heart. The imagery that Rumi used in his mystical poetry has

recently gained momentum and had a powerful impact on both the western and

Muslim world. In Rumi's explicit and courageous writings, his own commitment

and conviction to his words, deeds and actions is evident -- as is his message of

love of all life in the universe.

Rumi's writings reveal the Hidden Treasures of the human soul for our eyes to

see and our senses to experience and our spirit to ascend. Rumi, exampled by his

own life, influences seekers of truth to find God by purifying their hearts through

self--annihilation. His method of spiritual ascendency is through meditation and

contemplation as a ritual to witness any visions or mystical experience. Rumi's

mystical and religious experience reminds me of Bion's concept of `O' (Bion,

1984). Bion states, "According to need it may be supposed that (i) from O

undeveloped distinctions evolve, or, that (ii) from O, the `void or formless

infinite', the individual (sense) and group (common sense) win secondary and

primary qualities (in Kant's sense)" (page 163).

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Rumi's poems convey multiple meanings beyond words evoking the unconscious

at the personal or collective level. Imageries and hyperbole employed by Rumi

are very powerful metaphors designed to penetrate the unconscious at all levels.

Psychologically Rumi offers a major contribution to Sufism and Psychology. The

clear message in his works is that we are all humans going through life,

sometimes like a roller coaster, sometimes like a still pond, sometimes like the

wild winds and sometimes like the raging fire. These are called shadows; which

become obstacles for the seekers who wish to journey upwards to attain

enlightenment or a pure heart.

Rumi's writings have a lot of similarities to the problems that we encounter in

our practice. The following are some examples:

On Suffering, Rumi describes our self as a guesthouse welcoming guests:

Darling, the body is a guest house:

Every morning someone new arrives.

Don't say, "O, another weight around my neck!"

Or your guest will fly back to nothingness.

Whatever enters your heart is guest

From the invisible world: entertain it well.

Then Rumi says:

Everyday, and every moment, a thought comes

Like an honoured guest into your heart.

My soul, regard each thought as a person,

For every person's value is in the thought they hold.

Then the Beloved says to the Lover in him:

If a sorrowful thought stands in the way,

It is also preparing for joy.

It furiously sweeps your house clean,

In order that some new joy may appear from the Source.

It scatters the withered leaves from the bough of the heart,

In order that fresh green leaves might grow.

It uproots the old joy so that

A new joy may enter from beyond.

Masnavi Book V (Edited by Kabir Helminski)

When Shams left Konya, Rumi's soul was shattered due to the sudden separation,

experiencing the feelings of `madness' and `craziness', which later gave birth to

his poems. The Divan?e--Shams--e Tabriz was written and dedicated to Shams for

his true and spontaneous intense feelings of love for Shams. Shams returned to

Konya twice afterwards and left again, never to come back. However after

Shams' final departure Rumi had Husam al?Din Chalabi and Zarkub as his

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companions and inspirational mentors. The Masnavi was the result of the

influences of the three men on Rumi.

Rumi's Poems

The following verses are an illustration of Rumi's spiritual state upon Shams'

sudden departure from Konya. The effects of separation and loss from his

beloved Shams brought about his anxiety affecting his soul. Rumi could not

comprehend what was happening. His genuine and spontaneous outpouring of

his yearning and laments for Shams to return is shown below:

How could I know melancholia

Would make me so crazy,

Make my heart a hell

Or my two eyes raging rivers?

How could I know a torrent would

snatch me out of nowhere away,

Toss me like a ship upon a sea of blood,

that waves would crack that ship's ribs board by board,

tear with endless pitch and yaw each plank

that a leviathan would rear its head,

gulp down that's ocean's water,

that such an endless ocean could dry up like a desert,

that the sea--quenching serpent could then split that desert

could jerk me of a sudden, like Korah, with the hand of wrath

deep into a pit?

When these transmutations came about

Not desert, not sea remained in sight

How should I know how it all happened

Since how is drowned in the Howless?

What a multiplicity of how could I know!

But I don't know

For to counter

The sea rushing in my mouth

I swallowed a froth of opium.

Lewis, 2000. Pg. 335

After Shams' final disappearance, Rumi came to realise that Shams had become

part of his psyche. Rumi witnessed what was happening to him and experiencing

different states, the paradoxes of both light and dark, chaos and order,

separation and union, duality and oneness as described below:

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What is to be done, O Moslems? For I do not recognise

myself.

I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Gabr, nor Moslem.

I am not of the East, nor West, nor of the land,

nor of the sea;

I am not of Nature's mint, nor of air, nor of fire;

I am not of the emperean, nor of the dust, nor of existence, nor of entity.

I am not of India, nor of China, nor of Bulgaria, nor of Saqsin;

I am not of the kingdom of `Iraqain, nor of the country of Khorasan.

Iam not of this world, nor of the next, nor of Paradise,

Nor of hell;

I am not of Adam, nor of Eve, nor of Eden and Rizwan.

My place is the Placeless;

`Tis neither body nor soul, for I belong to the soul of the Beloved.

I have put duality away, I have seen the two worlds are one;

One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I call

He is the first, He is the last, He is the outward, He is the inward;

I know none other except ` Ya Hu' and ` Ya man Hu.'

I am intoxicated with Love's cup, the two worlds have

passed out of my ken;

I have no business save carouse and revelry.

If once in my life I spent a moment without thee,

From that time and from that hour I repent of my life.

If once in this world I spent a moment with thee,

I will trample on both worlds, I will dance in triumph for ever.

O Shamsi Tabriz, I am so drunk in this world,

That except of drunkenness and revelry I have no tale to tell.

Divan--e Shams--e Tabrizi

{translated by R.A. Nicholson,2001. Pg. 125--127}

In another love poem, `Layla and Majnun', where the lover has gone crazy and

mad, the colours of the two souls were described as red and yellow:

A little apple

half red, half yellow

recalls a tale

of rose and saffron:

sunder lover from beloved

cuteness goes with the latter

pain falls to the former

Love reveals

two contrary colours

in one severance

on the cheeks of each:

yellow clashes on kissable cheeks

When the babe begins to flirt

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