~Thought for the Week~
No mirror ever became iron again; No bread ever became wheat; No ripened grape ever became sour fruit. Mature yourself and be secure from a change for the worse. Become the light.
~Mevlana Rumi
Many thanks to my beautiful sister, who not only sent me this amazing quote -- but provides me with inspiration on a daily basis. Stay well and stay strong.
I tell ya that Rumi is a quote machine! Love that guy. Anyway, nice reminder to live in and enjoy the present and not pine for the "good old days." Great quote - thanks Dr. Terri, and of course, thanks to you sweetie and the always wise Dalai BoBo.
Love you
Posted by: Joel | 03 June 2007 at 10:33 AM
Did you know that his actual name, in Farsi, is Molana Jalaledin Mohammad Molavi Balkhi? Abroad, they call him Rumi and other erroneous variations but yeah there you have it (part of Loverboy's many insightful "let's educate this boho non-Iranian Iranian wife of mine" endeavours I tell you!)...
I LOVE the little I have been able to see of his work... little because I refuse to read his translated works because, sadly, there is no translated work of his out there that even captures an ounce of the true beauty of his poetry as written in the original Farsi... part of my problem with it all is that non-Farsi speakers are the only ones who have translated him and they do so from second, at times third, hand accounts as told them by actual Iranians (Iranians themselves don't even dare touch his work he is just such a legend there!)... the worst of them all is Coleman Barks, who, ironically, has become famous and is known as THE Rumi translator.
We saw him give a talk once, on Valentine's Day no less (I missed out on the Vagina Monologues because of that dufus!!!!) and both Loverboy and I were ready to jump on down from our terrace seats and smack him silly... well, more me than Loverboy and much more damage than "smack him silly" but I digress...
That having been said, to think that such badly translated works of his touch so many is beautiful in and of itself as, somehow, his energy shines through... just imagine the works in their full glory! But alas, my Farsi being a spoken one and never having been taught the more complicated and formal Farsi that is attached to reading the language, well, I need him explained to me or else I don't understand what is being read to me in Farsi...but even so, I can so attest to the fact that the choppy explanations of the original Farsi by lay Iranians moved me to tears whereas the translations... nothing (so WOOH! We can have Loverboy sit and entertain us thusly when we finally meet! :-) )
Dammit! I have gone and written a book! Well, my connection to this Rumi theme and my frustration with what is often lost in translation was the theme of my poem from long ago that can be found here...
As for the quote... it is beautiful and what I love the most about it, is that when applied to the self it is all about moving forward, being responsible for one's decisions, being the creators of our destiny, looking only ahead and fostering no regrets... so much more, I know, but I am tired of myself... I have rambled on too much amiga mia! Oy!
Beautiful choice and truly moving and, wouldn't you know it, it entered my life at just the right time and at a much needed moment so for that, and oh so many more things, I thank you my dearest Neva de mi corazón!
And the dedication to your veryeryvery smart sister? Faboo! I love seeing the love between you two... it is truly touching and just adds beauty to the world I tell you!
Mil besos and all my boho love always!
Posted by: Miz BoheMia | 04 June 2007 at 10:57 AM
OH MY GOD!!!!! WHERE is the delete button??? I didn't know it was THAT long!
Now I am off to bury my head in the sand, THE SAND I tell you!
Posted by: Miz BoheMia | 04 June 2007 at 10:58 AM
Beautiful quote.
Posted by: Nessa | 04 June 2007 at 12:41 PM
Wow, that's profound. So, is blogging a part of maturing, and does it help to become the light? Even if it's not, it sure is a lot of fun. And, as far as I'm concerned, a ripened grape should only become a fine wine.
Posted by: Theresa | 04 June 2007 at 12:54 PM
I think it was Richard Feynman who said it takes very little energy to scramble an egg and yet all of science is insufficient to reverse the process.
I'm not sure that has anything to do with anything we're talking about but it makes a fascinating conversation over breakfast.
Posted by: Doug | 04 June 2007 at 01:02 PM
On those occasions when I want to regress to more simple times in my life, I will remember this.
Posted by: jan | 04 June 2007 at 01:13 PM
Wait! I'm mature and sour as hell about it. Oh. No. I'm not. Mature I mean.
Posted by: tanlucypez | 04 June 2007 at 05:12 PM
That really is a thought-provoking quote. Now I need the how-to book:)
Posted by: actonbell | 04 June 2007 at 07:05 PM
As Carly Simon sang and Bobo made reference to above, "stay right here cause these are the good old days". Sorry that that song provokes nothing but a ketchup/catsup commercial right now, but those words are good. As were the wise words of this quote.
Thanks to you and to Terri for a better perspective from which to view the rest of my day. XOX
Posted by: G | 06 June 2007 at 02:59 PM
That is a great quote and that Terri (with all that´s going on in he rlife!) finds that standpoint every day, is more than wonderous.
Both of you are amazing, and Bobo is just that beautiful!
Posted by: Minka | 06 June 2007 at 05:35 PM
Rumi! I love his mystic poetry. My good friend, Coleman Barks, is the world's leading translator and scholar. To hear him read Rumi is to enter a new realm altogether. Have a wonderful week!
Posted by: Old Mule | 06 June 2007 at 10:11 PM
The quote is beautiful. Great that it came from your sister and Rumi is a poet/thinker/philospher for the ages
The comments are priceless. Wow
Posted by: pia | 08 June 2007 at 01:05 PM
It´s sorta Sunday here...but I gues sthis quote is good enough to cover two weeks. Hope you are well!
Posted by: Minka | 10 June 2007 at 07:53 AM
Honey: and a grand "quote machine", at that. these words struck a particular chord with me the day i saw them, not a bad thing to remember at any given moment of any given crisis. lovelovelove YOU!! xox
Miz B: ah, amiga de mi corazon! i had no idea this quote would elicit such a passionate and amazing comment from you, but i'm sure glad it did! thank you for that information, and for your own insightful words of wisdom. you, my friend, are a constant surprise, and i mean that in the absolutely BEST way possible. something i said, i believe after reading that amazing poem you shared with us all, last year! (it was beyond beautiful then, and it still is, now) besos and hugs to you, beloved friend! xox
Nessa: thanks, girlfriend. i thought so, too. xox
Theresa: or, in my case, grape juice. that said, i'm fond of raisins, too! ; ) xox
Doug: you just blew my mind AND made me hungry. xox
Jan: not such a difficult task, especially if you surround yourself with a beloved puppy, or two! ; ) xox
TLP: heh heh. neither am i. and thank G*d for that! ; ) xox
Actonbell: as a runner, i'm pretty sure you already know the route to a calmer state of mind. nothing lifts the endorphins and eases the nerves like a quick jog down a shady path! xox
G: ah... and thank YOU , my dearest NBFF. pretty sure these are the good old days. gotta live 'em/love 'em when they're here, because we'll never have 'em again. (yikes, suddenly i'm hearing Richard Harris singing "MacArthur Park", and it ain't pretty!) : ) xox
Minka: were you to meet my sister (and i truly hope you get to, some day) you'd see that she is exactly that kind of person. but then, like you, she's ALWAYS been wise beyond her years. nothin' like coping with crisis to remind you to count your blessings when you have them, and live every day to its fullest -- because the one thing we know for sure is that once lived, every good day is gone, forever. xox
Old Mule: WHOA. now THIS is something i would lovelovelove to hear more about! hmmmm... apparently we'll have more than a few things to discuss next year in Chicago, eh? (i'm guessing Miz BoheMia will find that little tidbit pretty damn fascinating, too.) you are just one cool surprise after another, aren't you? (why yes, yes you are!) xox
Pia: priceless and more than a little humbling. having YOU here most certainly adds to my sense of honor and humility, by the way -- especially since i know you're still on vacation! thank you my friend! it means worlds to me to see you here!: ) xox
Minka: d'oh! yeah, it's "sorta" Sunday, here, too! heh heh. actually, i did my newest Sunday quote last night, guess i should have published it then, eh? (maybe you'll check back and notice it's up, and still manage to be first!) hope YOUR Sunday is as beautiful as you are, my friend! xox
Posted by: neva | 10 June 2007 at 09:20 AM