Mevlana - Tower of Love

Hari OM

Story-day is for cultural exploration, puraanas and parables and finding out about leading lights in spiritual philosophy.

As hinted yesterday, we are going to take a look at a saint from a non-Hindu tradition. Previously, when looking outside Vedanta, this has been towards the Christian faith, but today it is within Islam and more specifically, Sufism. This is being given to illustrate the similarities which pervade all the varied paths of 'Knowledge'; there is nothing but a single Truth but due to our limitations as finite beings, we find different ways to express that Truth. Each in its own way is a smaller version of truth - and all of them cannot of themselves constitute that Truth. The important thing is for any ardent seeker to not give up on his or her search and neither to think that any of the small truths is the final Truth. All the high philosophies are but signposts and maps - ultimately each of us must find our own way there and a common thread in all the philosophies is that this can only be done by gaining the best of Knowledge and combining it with the best of practice. Then releasing all of those things.

Rather than recite here any kind of biography (which can be researched for yourselves), this film instead brings forth the essence of the Sufi thinking and how it was crystalised by Mevlana (Rumi). There are those who look to his teachings as being little more than love poetry. If that is all that can be gained from the very fine words, that itself is no mean thing. However, to limit oneself to small, human 'love' is to miss out on the vastness of Love with the capital 'ell'. More disturbingly, there are some who say that Rumi's love for his Sheik (Guru) must have been homosexual - and they are missing the point entirely! Even within Vedanta we find such praise and adoration of a Satguru - there is nothing sexual about it. The Love which is shared is beyond all ken of the human experience. It is the spiritual ecstasy of the Christian saints also. When one has been touched thus by the Great Spirit which shines through these special masters, there is no turning away from the search.