These seven pieces of advice from Rumi touched my heart.
In generosity and helping others be like the river.
In compassion and grace be like the sun.
In concealing others’ faults be like the night.
In anger and fury be like the dead.
In modesty and humility be like the soil.
In tolerance be like the ocean.
Either you appear as you are or be as you appear.
The practice of generosity is the first paramita or practice of perfection of wisdom. We have seen many articles about the paramitas such as The Perfection Of Generosity. Generosity is the entry point for the six perfections.
The other paramitas are moral conduct, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom.
To give from your heart without any thought about what you will gain is true generosity. When we give to others, we give to ourselves.
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh says, “True giving is not an economic exchange; it is a generative act. It does not subtract from what we have; it multiples the effect we can have in the world.”
The practice of generosity is also linked to the practice of gratitude. To be grateful every day for the what we have can result in a noticeable increase of happiness. Remember, “To desire what you don’t have is to waste what you do have!”
Add this practice to your daily life:
At night before you fall asleep and in the morning before you get out of bed, contemplate in your mind at least three things or events you are grateful for.
Compassion is another subject that permeates this blog. But compassion without wisdom leaves room for attachment. “Look at me! I am so compassionate!
Compassion with wisdom means that you go beyond the way you want to do things and creates more spaciousness.
Anger and fury are considered to be unwholesome states of mind. How can we love if we are angry or even worse, furious? The Anger Control Guided Meditation can help you learn to control your anger and fury so you can experience the wholesome states of modesty, humility, and tolerance.
What is your experience when you contemplate Rumi’s verse that states, “Either you appear as you are or be as you appear?” Whet do you think Rumi is saying here? What is the lesson?
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Rumi: The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longingby The Sufi mystic and poet Jalaluddin Rumi is most beloved for his poems expressing the ecstasies and mysteries of love in all its forms—erotic, platonic, divine—and Coleman Barks presents the best of them in this delightful and inspiring collection. Rendered with freshness, intensity, and beau… [Read More…] |
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