Rumi’s Profound Wisdom

March 15, 2010

Here is an edited excerpt from my book The Rumi Secret: Spiritual Lessons of History’s Most Revered Poet) See the book page on my website (http://www.drvictorialee.com) for details about this book. You can order it there or on Amazon.com, or from any bookstore.

================================================

Who is Rumi and Why Should We Read Him?

My book, The Rumi Secret is for you, if that’s an unfamiliar question. It’s also for Rumi lovers around the world. This book can show you how to celebrate your losses and find radical joy as a result! It will show you how Rumi can guide you through life’s minefields and lead to an explosion of beauty in your inner life.

I don’t know exactly why Donna Karan, Demi Moore, Madonna and my internist have all found their way to Rumi, but I celebrate those discoveries. I think I might have an inkling of why Huston Smith, Bill Moyers and literature professors around the world explore Rumi in depth, but all I know for sure is that Rumi’s wisdom can be transfor- mational in the life of anyone who approaches him with an open heart.

Jalal al-Din Rumi (Maulana) is America’s best-selling poet, and he is so much more. Rumi can teach us, change us, dissolve despair, and reveal the blessing of every moment and circumstance. His profound love for all things human shines a brilliant light into our inner being.

Whatever our belief or unbelief, Rumi urges us to discover our divine nature.

Rumi has been compared to Shakespeare and Dante; his impact both in his own time and these eight centuries later is even greater than theirs. He has been compared to the saints and masters of every spiritual path, and no one else has inspired such profound and intimate love in people of every religious orientation. Among his tens of thousands of heart-piercing verses, all who seek more sense of the divine in their lives find many jewels. His prayer can be ours:

Dear God, please reveal to us

your sublime beauty

that is everywhere, everywhere, everywhere….

Worldwide, thanks to the devotion of his translators, Rumi is one of the most widely read poets in the English language. His roots, however, are firmly planted in the Middle East, and in Farsi, the language of Iran.

He and his forebears came out of the ancient Sufi tradition. While Sufism is popularly known as a mystical and sometimes heretical branch of Islam, Rumi supported all spiritual traditions. He said “I see one altar in mosque, temple and cathedral.” He also said, “Love is the religion and the universe is the book.”

On the other hand, Rumi was an observant Muslim, and had a scholar’s knowledge of the Koran. While his roots are in Islam, Rumi’s appeal is worldwide. After his death at age 67, huge groups of mourners from every religious tradition came to his funeral to honor him. Each group said he embodied its highest values.

Because Rumi is revered throughout much of the Islamic world, it is my hope that this book will find readers in the Middle East as well as in the West, and that a greater sense of our profound spiritual connection may result. If anyone has the ability to be a bridge between our disparate cultures, it certainly must be Rumi. May we all open our hearts to each other as we feast together at Rumi’s table! Some 800 years after his birth, he speaks eternal truths:

• We are all one family.

• Forgiveness and compassion toward all beings lead us to joyous  living.

• We can find beauty in every rock and flower.

• Devastation and loss can be gateways to unutterable joy.

•  W have nothing to fear from death.

•  Love surrounds us and lingers in our cells; it awaits our discovery.

=====================================

Blessings to you, dear visitor. May Rumi’s wisdom touch you.

You may post a response here, or email me at drvlee1234@aol.com.

I love writing and speaking about Rumi because I believe Rumi to be one of the greatest poets of all time. Rumi offers us profound wisdom for every area of life. This wisdom fits in with and supports any belief system you may have. Rumi said, “I see one altar in temple, mosque and cathedral.”

I am a clinical psychologist specializing in couple and sex therapy. I have more than twenty years of experience, and have trained therapists from around the country and internationally. I have been on the faculty of three universities, and is a past-President of Santa Clara Valley Marriage and Family Therapists.

It’s my great pleasure to give speeches and workshops at conferences and public events around the country; I have been a media guest on CNN, NBC, and other TV and radio stations.

My other book is

Ecstatic Lovemaking: An Intimate Guide to Soulful Sex. This book offers a roadmap for couples who want to transform their relationship, and to find more joy and even ecstasy in their intimate lives.     

*You can get these books directly from Victoria, or from Amazon.com. To see the Table of Contents, Forewords and recommendations, please visit her website at

www.rumisecret.com or http://www.drvictorialee.com

Please post on this blog.

You can see me on YouTube by searching there for: “Victoria Lee Rumi.” My new site is under construction. Revisit here to find out more.

This site will offer valuable information and interviews with spiritual teachers, authors, couple counselors, psychotherapists, and sex therapists.

You can get updates on events and valuable information by joining my email list. Email me at drvlee1234@aol.com and put “email list” in the subject line.

Rumi says:

Inside you are sweet beyond telling!

There is a sun in everyone.

I become a mirror that cannot close its eyes to your longing.

My eyes wet with yours in the early light.

My mind every moment giving birth,

always conceiving, always in the 9th month.

And then, an empty sky,

and everything is soul and flowering.

Everything is soul and flowering!

Blessings, dear visitor!

`

Dr. Victoria Lee’s upcoming events

Workshop: Sacred Sexuality for Couples and Singles

Saturday, March 27, 10:00—4:00 P.M.

Victoria has presented this exciting workshop at Findhorn, Scotland and around the United States. It helps couples take quantum leaps in their intimate lives. Privacy is respected; all sharing of intimate matters is with your partner alone. You will leave with lot of adventures to enjoy together when you get home. Singles will take inspiration for their journey as well.

Call 510.882.2330 to register.

Deepen your Relationship in Victoria’s class:

Sacred Intimacy for Long-Term Couples

Four Tuesday evenings in April: 6, 13, 20 and 27; 7:00—9:00 P.M.

For information, please email Victoria at drvlee1234@aol.com