Rumi Collection: “… In Rumi, the full rose of the human divine opened … He gave a sign to us all forever of what is possible in a life surrendered wholly to the light …” ~ Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch

Our original reasons for A Brief Pause … into Stillness (back on Sep 13, 2023) are still with us … but we are resuming content publishing – at least to a limited degree – as part of a “soft restart” … the regular weekly publishing will resume in January 2024 … will keep everyone updated on the website and via the newsletter … HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

Indeed Rumi’s gifts to humanity are timeless … gifts that were best “expressed” in the form of poetry … which were his utterances over many years – thankfully captured by scribes – so we can all appreciate (in our unique individual ways) “… what is possible in a life surrendered wholly to the light …”

It is no wonder that Rumi’s poetry drew translator-scholars like Kabir Helminski, Camille Helminski, Coleman Barks, Andrew Harvey, Robert Bly and more …

Kabir Helminski, of course, is one of the leading and preeminent translators – steeped in Rumi for over forty years – along with his wife Camille. Together, they have offered many collections, including Rumi: Daylight,  Jewels of Remembrance: 365 Selections from the Wisdom of Rumi,The Rumi Collection, The Pocket Rumi, and The Rumi Daybook: 365 Poems and Teachings from the Beloved Sufi Master. 

In his most recent book, The Rumi Collection, Kabir – as the editor – offers an essential anthology of Rumi’s work including a “… comprehensive introduction to {Rumi’s} life and thought …” …

Shambhala Publications – the publisher of this 2023 edition – sums up the book as: “… With contributions from numerous leading translators—including Robert Bly, Coleman Barks, Camille Helminski, Andrew Harvey, and many other esteemed expositors of the Sufi tradition—The Rumi Collection provides an indispensable resource for all to explore the richness of Islamic mysticism and Rumi’s monumental contribution to the language of spirituality. Whether you are new to Rumi’s work or a longtime admirer, these classic works of Sufi poetry invite you to enter Rumi’s world—and to be immersed in his timeless wisdom …”

In honor of the approaching American Thanksgiving day (tomorrow – November 23, 2023), we offer Rumi’s words on gratitude … excerpted from the section The Gift and the Giver … as part 1 of a multi-part series on this book.

For additional background and context, we highly recommend you read Andrew Harvey’s Introduction via the look inside link on Shambhala Publications book summary page.

This series is part of our ongoing Shambhala Publications series that offers substantive previews of selections from Shambhala Publications new and classic titles …

All italicized text here is adapted from The Rumi Collection An Anthology of Translations of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, © 1998 by Kabir Helminski. This post is about the 2023 edition. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO. Shambhala Publications has also generously offered a free downloadable PDF of the Table of Contents (link is at the bottom of the post).

You can purchase the book at Shambhala Publications or Amazon.

As we stated back in July: for the foreseeable future some (maybe even all or a majority) of our posts will be shorter than usual.

The Rumi Collection: The Net of Gratitude

Giving thanks for abundance
is sweeter than the abundance itself:

Should one who is absorbed with the Generous One
be distracted by the gift?

Thankfulness is the soul of beneficence;
abundance is but the husk,
for thankfulness brings you to the place where the Beloved lives.

Abundance yields heedlessness;
thankfulness brings alertness:
hunt for bounty with the net of gratitude.

MATHNAWI III, 2895-2897
Translated by Kabir Helminski and Camille Helminski

[…]

Stay tuned for more Rumi poetry from this collection…

All italicized text here is adapted from The Rumi Collection An Anthology of Translations of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, © 1998 by Kabir Helminski. This post is about the 2023 edition. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO. Shambhala Publications has also generously offered a free downloadable PDF of the Table of Contents (link is at the bottom of the post).

You can purchase the book at Shambhala Publications or Amazon.

And, click here for the free, downloadable PDF of the Table of Contents.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

Images (edited & Logo added): Header: Annapurna mountains by saiko3p, 1 & Featured) Rose by X-etra, 2) The Rumi Collection An Anthology of Translations of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi cover image from Shambhala. 3 & 4) Shambhala Publications logo. All images (except ones from Shambhala Publications) purchased from depositphotos or 123rtf. All are for use only on our website/social channels (these images are not permitted to be shared separate from this post). 2, 3, & 4) generously provided by Shambhala Publications with permission to be used on our website and other digital assets.

Further Reading...

How Do We Become The Unifying Solution? Rumi & Kabir Helminski Oneness: Self-Interest to Benefit of All? Mysterion, Rumi & Kabir Helminski Lover & Love a la Rumi – Kabir Helminski Wonderment Despite Climate Crisis? Susan Bauer-Wu Future We Can Love Kabir: Why Catch The Supreme Moment? Andrew Harvey Engoldenment