Polish the heart, so Divine manifests: Sufi story by Mevlana Rumi

Polish the heart, so Divine manifests: Sufi story by Mevlana Rumi

Maulana Rumi was born in Balkh [modern today Afghanistan] in a Persian-speaking family. His father left his house due to Mongol invasion and settled in Konya [Turkey], where he gained respect of Sultan Alauddin Kaikobad ifor his knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence.

Rumi’s inherited his father literary and religious qualities as he became an important scholar and jurist of Islamic law. Following Rumi’s meeting with Shams, he turned to Sufism, Sufi whirling and Sufi music of Ney. Between the reality and human, there is an veil. To see the divine, the Sufi discipline is required [or Sufi order], which is what Sufism is about i.e. discovery of God via discovery of self.

Mevlana Rumi Shrine [Museum] Entrance

Below excerpt is from Masnavi, which is great explanation of this:

Prophet Muhammad SAW stated that “There are some people who see me with the same Light as I see them. Our natures are One, irrespective of lineages, texts and traditions as we drink the Life-Water together”

The story below unravels Prophet’s saying.

The Chinese and the Greeks were debating who were the better artists. The King said, “We’ll settle this matter with a debate.”

The Chinese suggested then that they each be given a room to work on with their painting, two rooms facing each other and divided by a curtain. The Chinese asked the King many colours and each morning they came to paint

The Greeks took no colors. They went to their room and began polishing the walls. All day every day they made those walls as pure and clear as a mirror.

The Chinese finished and beat the drums in the joy of completion. The King entered their room, shocked by the gorgeous color and detail.

The Greeks then pulled the curtain dividing the rooms. The Chinese figures and images reflected on the clear Greek mirror.

The Greek art is the Sufi way. They don’t study books of philosophical thought but making their loving clearer and clearer with controlling their wanting and anger. In that purity they receive and reflect the images of every moment, from here, from the stars, from the void.

Read more Rumi Poems and Stories here.