Gratitude For All Of It

It is easy to feel gratitude for the so-called good things that come to us. But the real path is to see how we can cultivate gratitude for all of it. This is the path of liberation and the beginning of the end of suffering. Rumi said this much better than me. This poem means a lot to me. First it was sent to me by a dear friend. It is good to know that people value my friendship. Secondly, I shared it with my dear friends as well. And now I hope it will make a positive difference in your life. Happy Gratitude Day!

I said: What about my eyes?
God said: Keep them on the road.
I said: What about my passion?
God said: Keep it burning.
I said: What about my heart?

God said: Tell me what you hold inside it.
I said: Pain and sorrow...
He said: ..Stay with it...
The wound is the place where the Light enters you.

~ Rumi

Bow To The Essence

Bow to the Essence

A lover has four streams inside,
of water, wine, honey, and milk.
Find those in yourself
and pay no attention to what so-and-so says about such-and-such.
The rose does not care
if someone calls it a thorn, or a jasmine.
Ordinary eyes categorize human beings.
That one is a Zoroastrian. This one a Muslim.
Walk instead with the other vision given you, your first eyes.
Bow to the essence in a human being.
Do not be content with judging people good and bad.
Grow out of that.
The great blessing is that Shams
has poured a strength into the ground
that lets us wait and trust the waiting. ~

Rumi (Translation Coleman Barks)
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If you yearn for more Rumi, here are a few recitations with lovely images. (You will need to ignore the adverts however. A funny juxtaposition of reality and illusion here...especially the roaring lion which last for about 5 seconds. One must wade through a cetrtain amount of debris to get to the beauty....

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7c51k_deepak-choopra-a-gift-of-love-the-l_music

For a short introduction to the life of Rumi, go to the following site. Again, you have to put up with some adverts. Sorry....

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4sbub_introduction-to-rumi_creation