Rumi was a 13th century Persian poet, thinker, and mystic; still world-renowned as one of the most insightful and enlightened human beings ever to live. Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, or just 'Rumi' as he is commonly know, is still considered the most popular poet in America, and many parts of the world.
I am a huge fan of Rumi's words, and faced a profound problem when starting to collect his quotes for this anthology; they were all great. Not good, but great. Through much deliberation and reluctant deletion, I managed to narrow the list down to 60 of Rumi's best quotes - though I didn't dare amend to 50. Upon reflection, I really should have included 100.
We often just scan blogs, articles, and content online, but I highly encourage you to take the time to actually read every one of these quotes.
I guarantee that at least one of Rumi's quotes will set you free.
-Norm :-)
I am a huge fan of Rumi's words, and faced a profound problem when starting to collect his quotes for this anthology; they were all great. Not good, but great. Through much deliberation and reluctant deletion, I managed to narrow the list down to 60 of Rumi's best quotes - though I didn't dare amend to 50. Upon reflection, I really should have included 100.
We often just scan blogs, articles, and content online, but I highly encourage you to take the time to actually read every one of these quotes.
I guarantee that at least one of Rumi's quotes will set you free.
-Norm :-)
1. “Set your self on fire. Seek those who fan your flames”
2. “Forget safety.
Live where you fear to live.
Destroy your reputation.
Be notorious.”
3. “Open your hands
if you want to be held.”
4. “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop”
5. “Gamble everything for love, if you are a true human being. Halfheartedness does not reach into majesty.”
6. “Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.”
7. “This place is a dream. Only a sleeper considers it real. Then death comes like dawn, and you wake up laughing at what you thought was your grief.”
8. “Your depression is connected to your insolence and refusal to praise.”
9. “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.”
10. “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
11. “A pen went scribbling along. When it tried to write love, it broke.”
12. “Be empty of worrying. Think of who created thought!”
13. “It is certain that an atom of goodness on the path of faith is never lost.”
14. “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
15. “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
16. “Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.”
17. “Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.”
18. “Silence is the language of god,
all else is poor translation.”
19. “What you seek is seeking you.”
20. “The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along.”
21. “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.”
22. “When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.”
23. “Be melting snow.
Wash yourself of yourself.”
24. “Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”
25. “If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”
26. “Travel brings power and love back into your life.”
27. “I closed my mouth and spoke to you in a hundred silent ways.”
28.“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”
29. “What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is your candle.”
30. “Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.”
31. “Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”
32. “People want you to be happy.
Don’t keep serving them your pain!
If you could untie your wings
and free your soul of jealousy,
you and everyone around you
would fly up like doves.”
33. “Be empty of worrying.
Think of who created thought!”
34. “Why do you stay in prison
When the door is so wide open?”
35. “The lion is most handsome when looking for food.”
36. “Suffering is a gift. In it is hidden mercy.”
37. “Either give me more wine or leave me alone.”
38. “Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.”
39. “I have lived on the lip
of insanity, wanting to know reasons,
knocking on a door. It opens.
I’ve been knocking from the inside.”
40. “Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah…it makes absolutely no difference what people think of you.”
41. “I didn’t come here of my own accord, and I can’t leave that way.
Whoever brought me here will have to take me home.”
42. “The cure for pain is in the pain.”
43. “For one moment
quit being sad. Hear blessings
dropping their blossoms
around you.”
44. “I know you’re tired but come, this is the way.”
45.“And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?”
46. “Not only the thirsty seek the water, the water as well seeks the thirsty.”
47. “Respond to every call
that excites your spirit.”
48. “These pains you feel are messengers. Listen to them.”
49. “The way you make love is the way God will be with you.”
50. “When someone beats a rug,
the blows are not against the rug,
but against the dust in it.”
51. “Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal..”
52. “Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again , come , come.”
53. “You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.”
54. “When you feel a peaceful joy, that’s when you are near truth.”
55. “The moon stays bright when it doesn’t avoid the night.”
56. “They say there is a doorway from heart to heart, but what is the use of a door when there are no walls?”
57. “You wander from room to room
Hunting for the diamond necklace
That is already around your neck!”
58. “The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you
Don’t go back to sleep!
You must ask for what you really want.”
59. “In Silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.”
60. “You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.”
***
Which one(s) were you favorite Rumi quotes and really moved you?
2. “Forget safety.
Live where you fear to live.
Destroy your reputation.
Be notorious.”
3. “Open your hands
if you want to be held.”
4. “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop”
5. “Gamble everything for love, if you are a true human being. Halfheartedness does not reach into majesty.”
6. “Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.”
7. “This place is a dream. Only a sleeper considers it real. Then death comes like dawn, and you wake up laughing at what you thought was your grief.”
8. “Your depression is connected to your insolence and refusal to praise.”
9. “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.”
10. “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
11. “A pen went scribbling along. When it tried to write love, it broke.”
12. “Be empty of worrying. Think of who created thought!”
13. “It is certain that an atom of goodness on the path of faith is never lost.”
14. “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
15. “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
16. “Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.”
17. “Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.”
18. “Silence is the language of god,
all else is poor translation.”
19. “What you seek is seeking you.”
20. “The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along.”
21. “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.”
22. “When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.”
23. “Be melting snow.
Wash yourself of yourself.”
24. “Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”
25. “If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”
26. “Travel brings power and love back into your life.”
27. “I closed my mouth and spoke to you in a hundred silent ways.”
28.“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”
29. “What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is your candle.”
30. “Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.”
31. “Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”
32. “People want you to be happy.
Don’t keep serving them your pain!
If you could untie your wings
and free your soul of jealousy,
you and everyone around you
would fly up like doves.”
33. “Be empty of worrying.
Think of who created thought!”
34. “Why do you stay in prison
When the door is so wide open?”
35. “The lion is most handsome when looking for food.”
36. “Suffering is a gift. In it is hidden mercy.”
37. “Either give me more wine or leave me alone.”
38. “Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.”
39. “I have lived on the lip
of insanity, wanting to know reasons,
knocking on a door. It opens.
I’ve been knocking from the inside.”
40. “Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah…it makes absolutely no difference what people think of you.”
41. “I didn’t come here of my own accord, and I can’t leave that way.
Whoever brought me here will have to take me home.”
42. “The cure for pain is in the pain.”
43. “For one moment
quit being sad. Hear blessings
dropping their blossoms
around you.”
44. “I know you’re tired but come, this is the way.”
45.“And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?”
46. “Not only the thirsty seek the water, the water as well seeks the thirsty.”
47. “Respond to every call
that excites your spirit.”
48. “These pains you feel are messengers. Listen to them.”
49. “The way you make love is the way God will be with you.”
50. “When someone beats a rug,
the blows are not against the rug,
but against the dust in it.”
51. “Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal..”
52. “Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again , come , come.”
53. “You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.”
54. “When you feel a peaceful joy, that’s when you are near truth.”
55. “The moon stays bright when it doesn’t avoid the night.”
56. “They say there is a doorway from heart to heart, but what is the use of a door when there are no walls?”
57. “You wander from room to room
Hunting for the diamond necklace
That is already around your neck!”
58. “The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you
Don’t go back to sleep!
You must ask for what you really want.”
59. “In Silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.”
60. “You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.”
***
Which one(s) were you favorite Rumi quotes and really moved you?
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