Poetry of Rumi: A self love meditation
By Diane Pennington
In a culture enamored with romantic love, Valentines, and coupling, I wanted to lift up a Higher Love for us to focus on. The 13th century Persian poet Rumi is celebrated as one of the most prolific writers about love, and not just love between people, but our connection to the divine, and to ourselves.
Focus on remembering the importance of this love of our own divine nature. When we are not whole within ourselves, accepting of both our humanity and divinity, our perfection and our frailty, we are limited in what we can give to others. Our flow of LOVE into the world is determined by our ability to be a clear channel of that flow out into the world.
{This meditation was originally used during an interfaith prayer gathering for Retreat House Spirituality Center. You may adapt it for your personal meditation or for use in groups or 1:1 spiritual direction; please give credit to the author.}.
I will be reading a Rumi poem, followed by individual quotes, after which we will sit with them in silence in between lines. *
*Read the poem, then read each individual line, inviting silence for 30 seconds between each one for reflection time.
I AM THINE AND THOU ART MINE
Eternal Life is gained
by utter abandonment of one’s own life.
When God appears to His ardent lover,
the lover is absorbed in Him, and not so much as a hair of the lover remains.
True lovers are as shadows,
and when the sun shines in glory the shadows vanish away.
He is a true lover to God to whom God says
“I am thine and thou art Mine.”- Rumi
Rumi Quotes:
Out beyond the ideas of wrong-doing and right doing there is a field, I'll meet you there.
Love, you are my certainty. Lift me to the stars. This "I" is a figment of my imagination.
Go find yourself first, so you can also find me.
Be warmed with love, for only love exists. Where is intimacy except in giving and receiving?
The desire to know your own soul will end all other desires.
Your defects are the ways that glory gets manifested.
How can you ever hope to know the Beloved without becoming in every cell the Lover?
It's your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.
Sorrow said to me, all this Joy that you have brought to the world has killed my business completely.
They say love opens a door from one heart to another. But if there is no wall, how can there be a door.
Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, I am changing myself.
May our Valentine be first to ourselves. Our connection with the Divine will deeply impact the quality of our connection with others. Know you are loved and sink deeply into that knowledge.
Rev. Diane Pennington is the co-leader of Retreat House Spirituality Center’s Common Ground group. She helps to host and lead interfaith prayer every Thursday at NOON (central time) for RH. Learn more about Diane and her ministry. Watch The Poetry of Rumi: A self-love meditation here.