Wednesday 5 August 2015

31 Quotes by Rumi that will Inspire You to be Better!

I never thought living in 21st century I would love something written in 13th century. Yes you read it right. This 808 year old poet has magical power in his words. His works are written mostly in Persian, but occasionally he also used Turkish, Arabic, and Greek. Today three countries claim him as their national poet : Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan. He is none other than "Rumi"

Its said that Rumi's meeting with the dervish Shams-e Tabrizi in 1244 completely changed his life. From an accomplished teacher and jurist, Rumi was transformed into an ascetic. Shams and Rumi were close friends for about four years. In December of 1248, Shams disappeared; it is believed that he was either driven away or killed. Rumi left in search of his friend, travelling to Damascus and elsewhere. Eventually, Rumi made peace with his loss, returning to his home believing Shams to be a part of him.

My Favorite Quotes By Rumi 

  • The wound is the place where the Light enters you.
  • Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you.
  • These pains you feel are messengers. Listen to them.
  • Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.
  • The moon stays bright when it doesn't avoid the night.
  • You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?
  • Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.
  • If you dig a pit for others to fall into, you will fall into it yourself.
  • People want you to be happy. Don't keep serving them your pain!
  • If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?
  • You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.
  • Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.
  • When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.
  • Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.
  • Love rests on no foundation. It is an endless ocean, with no beginning or end. 
  • I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.
  • Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
  • Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.
  • Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.
  • Ignore those that make you fearful and sad, that degrade you back towards disease and death.
  • Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I am changing myself. 
  • Listen with ears of tolerance! See through the eyes of compassion! Speak with the language of love
  • Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone's soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.  
  • Very little grows on jagged rock. Be ground. Be crumbled, so wildflowers will come up where you are. 
  • Let's get away from all the clever humans who put words in our mouth, let's only say what our hearts desire. 
  • If you could untie your wings and free your soul of jealousy, you and everyone around you would fly up like doves. 
  • Never lose hope, my heart, miracles dwell in the invisible. If the whole world turns against you keep your eyes on the Friend. 
  • Hardship may dishearten at first, but every hardship passes away. All despair is followed by hope; all darkness is followed by sunshine. 
  • The world's flattery and hypocrisy is a sweet morsel: eat less of it, for it is full of fire. Its fire is hidden while its taste is manifest, but its smoke becomes visible in the end. 
  • When you go through a hard period, when everything seems to oppose you, when you feel you cannot even bear one more minute, NEVER GIVE UP! Because it is the time and place that the course will divert!
  • Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover others' faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear. 

Rumi (1207-1273)
(Source)

I am one of those who keep looking for quotes to motivate myself and others around me. But if some of you are thinking why I am so much into quotes I would say we all go through ups and downs and quotes somehow are able to relate to many of us. Sometimes the words perfectly explain our situation or what we are going through in life. 

4 comments:

  1. Many of my favorites in this list. You are right, even these are centuries old, but still they have relevance.

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  2. Profound, universal and timeless quotes that never lose their relevance.

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