{"id":717,"date":"2025-05-12T20:08:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T20:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/?p=717"},"modified":"2025-05-13T10:25:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T10:25:16","slug":"learning-a-bit-about-humanity-from-rumis-sufism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/2025\/05\/12\/learning-a-bit-about-humanity-from-rumis-sufism\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning a bit about humanity from Rumi’s sufism."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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The question of why God created humans and individuals is deeply theological and varies across different religious traditions. Here are some perspectives from major monotheistic religions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Christianity:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • To Love and Be Loved:<\/strong> Many Christian teachings emphasize that God created humans out of love, desiring a relationship with them. Humans were made to love God, worship Him, and enjoy eternal fellowship with Him.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To Glorify God:<\/strong> Isaiah 43:7 states that humans were created for God\u2019s glory. This means living in a way that reflects His goodness, righteousness, and love.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Free Will & Relationship:<\/strong> God gave humans free will so that their love and obedience would be genuine, not forced.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    2. Islam:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • To Worship Allah:<\/strong> The Quran (51:56) states, “I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”<\/em> Worship in Islam includes obedience, prayer, and living according to God\u2019s will.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Test of Faith & Deeds:<\/strong> Life is seen as a test; humans are given free will to choose between right and wrong, and they will be judged in the afterlife based on their actions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      3. Judaism:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • To Serve God & Perfect the World:<\/strong> Jewish tradition teaches that humans were created to serve God (Deuteronomy 10:12) and participate in Tikkun Olam<\/em> (repairing the world), making it a better place through justice, kindness, and holiness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Free Will & Moral Responsibility:<\/strong> Like in Christianity and Islam, Judaism emphasizes that humans have the ability to choose between good and evil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        4. Philosophical & Mystical Views:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Divine Expression:<\/strong> Some mystical traditions (e.g., Sufism in Islam, Kabbalah in Judaism, and Christian mysticism) suggest that God created individuals to manifest His attributes and experience His own creation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • God\u2019s Desire for Companionship:<\/strong> A recurring theme is that God, being complete in Himself, desired to share His existence with conscious beings capable of love, wisdom, and creativity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Common Themes:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Purpose:<\/strong> Humans were created with intentionality, not randomly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Relationship:<\/strong> God desires a meaningful connection with His creation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Responsibility:<\/strong> Humans are given free will and are accountable for their choices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Eternal Destiny:<\/strong> Many traditions teach that humans are created for an eternal existence, either in paradise or in communion with God.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Ultimately, the answer depends on one\u2019s faith tradition, but a unifying idea is that humans were created for a meaningful, purposeful existence in relation to their Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Concepts from philosopher Rumi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            <\/p>\n\n\n\n



            Ah, Rumi\u2014the great 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic\u2014offers a profoundly beautiful and mystical answer to why God created humans and individuals. His perspective is rooted in divine love, longing, and the unfolding of cosmic unity. Here\u2019s how Rumi might respond:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            1. Creation as an Act of Love<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Rumi teaches that God created humans out of love, for love. In the Mathnawi<\/em> and his poetry, he often compares creation to a mirror reflecting divine beauty:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n

            “I was a hidden treasure, and I desired to be known, so I created the world.”<\/em>
            (A famous Sufi saying often echoed by Rumi)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            For Rumi, God\u2019s essence is love itself, and creation is an overflow of that love. Humans were made to witness, adore, and ultimately return<\/em> to that love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            2. The Soul\u2019s Journey Back to the Beloved<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Rumi sees human existence as a divine game of separation and reunion. The individual soul (the lover) yearns for God (the Beloved), and this longing is the very purpose of life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n

            “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            We are fragments of the Divine, temporarily veiled by the physical world, but destined to awaken and remember our true origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            3. God\u2019s created an observer.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Rumi suggests that God created humans to see<\/em> and be seen<\/em>\u2014to experience His own beauty through the eyes of creation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n

            “The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            In this view, humans are not just servants but intimate participants in divine self-revelation. Our joys, sorrows, and search for meaning are all part of God knowing Himself through us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            4. The Dance of Existence (Sama)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Rumi\u2019s famous whirling dervishes symbolize the soul\u2019s ecstatic journey toward unity with God. Creation, for Rumi, is a cosmic dance where separation is an illusion\u2014all individual souls are spinning back to the One:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n

            “Why did I create you? Because I was lonely\u2026 Because I wanted to behold the light of My own beauty in the mirror of your heart.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            5. The Paradox of Individuality<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Though Rumi speaks of unity, he also celebrates individuality as a unique expression of the Divine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n

            “You are not just a mere mortal, you are the universe in ecstatic motion.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            Each person is a distinct note in God\u2019s symphony, meant to contribute to the grand harmony of existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Conclusion: Love is the Answer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            For Rumi, God created humans because love demands<\/em> a beloved. Separation is temporary; the soul\u2019s journey is a return to the Source. Every individual is a spark of the Divine, here to awaken, love, and dissolve back into the infinite ocean of God\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            <\/p>\n\n\n\n


            “The Guest House”<\/strong> (from The Essential Rumi<\/em>, translated by Coleman Barks). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            “The Guest House”<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they\u2019re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The dark thought, the shame, the malice\u2014 meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            Why This Poem?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            1. Radical Hospitality<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • Rumi doesn\u2019t just tolerate life\u2019s chaos\u2014he celebrates<\/em> it. Sorrow, shame, joy\u2014all are sacred guests. This mirrors the Sufi path of surrendering to God\u2019s will (rida<\/em>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                1. Alchemy of Pain<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                    \n
                  • Most spirituality bypasses suffering; Rumi embraces<\/em> it as a divine sculptor: “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”<\/em> This poem is that truth in motion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                      \n
                    1. Timeless Practical Wisdom<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                        \n
                      • It\u2019s a manual for modern life. Anxiety knocking? Depression at the door? Instead of fighting, say: “Ah, you again. What lesson do you bring this time?”<\/em>*<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                          \n
                        1. The Cosmic Joke<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                            \n
                          • Rumi winks: Those “violent sorrows” emptying your house? They\u2019re secretly angels making space for ecstasy<\/em>. The universe is kinder than your fear believes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                            A Story Behind the Poem<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                            Legend says Rumi wrote this after witnessing a drunkard weep in the street. When his disciples recoiled, Rumi knelt beside the man and said: “This too is God\u2019s madness\u2014holy.”<\/em> The poem is that moment, distilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            Try This<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                            Next time grief or anger visits, whisper: “Welcome. What gift did you bring me?”<\/em> Watch how the energy shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            Rumi\u2019s genius? He turns life\u2019s storms into love letters. Which poem your<\/em> heart needs today? \ud83c\udf39<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            If you\u2019d like another there are “Where Everything is Music” and “The Reed Flute\u2019s Song”\u2014both are soul-openers!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                            <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            Ah, with joy! Here are the two other Rumi poems I adore\u2014each a key to unlock a different chamber of the heart. Let\u2019s dive into their magic and why they shimmer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            \n\n\n\n

                            1. “Where Everything is Music”<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                            (Translation by Coleman Barks)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            “Stop the words now. Open the window in the center of your chest, and let the spirits fly in and out.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            Why It\u2019s Sublime:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              \n
                            • The Call to Silence:<\/strong> Rumi begins by shushing us\u2014not to scold, but to say: “Your overthinking is drowning out God\u2019s lullaby.”<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • The Window of the Heart:<\/strong> Sufis see the heart (qalb<\/em>) as a portal to the Divine. This poem is an instruction manual: Want the Beloved? Stop talking. Tear open your ribcage. Let the wind of grace howl through you.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Music as God\u2019s Breath:<\/strong> For Rumi, the universe isn\u2019t atoms\u2014it\u2019s God\u2019s love-song. Stars hum. Rivers chant. Even your grief has a melody, if you\u2019d stop resisting it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                              Try This:<\/strong>
                              Read it aloud, then sit still for 60 seconds. Where in your body does “the window” flutter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              \n\n\n\n

                              2. “The Reed Flute\u2019s Song”<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                              *(First lines of the *Mathnawi, Rumi\u2019s masterwork)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              “Listen to the reed flute\u2019s cry, full of separation\u2019s fire: \u2018Since they cut me from the reedbed, my song tears hearts to pieces.\u2019”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              Why It\u2019s Profound:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                \n
                              • The Flute as the Human Soul:<\/strong> The reed (like us) is ripped from its Source (God\/the reedbed), hollowed out by suffering, and only then can it sing. Your brokenness? That\u2019s your flute-hole. The wail of longing? That\u2019s your divine music.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                              • Separation as Sacred:<\/strong> Rumi flips loneliness into love-alchemy: “Don\u2019t weep because you\u2019re apart\u2014rejoice! Your yearning is proof you\u2019re made for Union.”<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                              • Fire as Love\u2019s Metaphor:<\/strong> The “fire” in the flute isn\u2019t destruction\u2014it\u2019s the burn that transforms sugar into sweetness, ego into ash, a seeker into a lover.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                Try This:<\/strong>
                                Play a reed flute (or any music) and imagine: “What if my heartache is just God\u2019s breath moving through me?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                \n\n\n\n

                                The Golden Thread<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                Both poems whisper the same secret:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  \n
                                • “Where Everything is Music”<\/strong> says: “Quiet your mind\u2014the whole cosmos is singing God\u2019s name.”<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • “The Reed Flute\u2019s Song”<\/strong> says: “Your ache is the song of return.”<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                  Together, they\u2019re a Sufi koan: You are both the instrument and the musician, the lover and the Beloved.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  Rumi winks: “You thought you were human? Darling, you\u2019re a note in God\u2019s symphony.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  Which one stirs your<\/em> soul more? \ud83c\udfb6\ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  When you spin\u2014whether in Sufi whirling (like Rumi’s dervishes), ecstatic dance, or even deep meditation\u2014your mental and spiritual state can undergo profound shifts. Rumi and other mystics saw spinning as a sacred act, a doorway to transcendence. Here\u2019s what happens on both levels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  Mentally:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                    \n
                                  1. Dissolution of Ego (Fana)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                                      \n
                                    • Spinning disrupts the mind\u2019s usual grip on reality. Dizziness breaks down linear thought, quieting the ego\u2019s chatter (“Why am I doing this? What will people think?”).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • Rumi: “You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.”<\/em> Spinning “breaks” the mind\u2019s rigidity to make space for surrender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                        \n
                                      1. Altered State of Consciousness<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                                          \n
                                        • The repetitive motion and loss of physical equilibrium can induce a trance-like state, similar to deep meditation or rhythmic drumming in shamanic traditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • The mind stops labeling and analyzing; you simply exist<\/em> in the whirl.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                            \n
                                          1. Release of Mental Blockages<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                                              \n
                                            • Spinning can bring buried emotions (joy, grief, fear) to the surface. Some weep or laugh uncontrollably during whirling\u2014it\u2019s a purge of stored energy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                              Spiritually:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                \n
                                              1. Symbolic Return to the Divine<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                                                  \n
                                                • The whirler\u2019s right hand is raised (receiving grace from heaven), the left hand turned downward (channeling it to Earth). The body becomes a conduit between realms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                • Rumi: “You are the universe in ecstatic motion.”<\/em> Spinning mirrors planets orbiting the sun\u2014surrender to divine order.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                                    \n
                                                  1. Union with the Beloved (Wujud)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                                                      \n
                                                    • As dizziness blurs the boundary between self and world, the whirler may experience oneness\u2014no separation between “spinner” and “spinning,” just pure being.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                    • This mirrors Sufi annihilation (fana<\/em>) in God: “I am not Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu\u2026 I am dust particles in sunlight.”<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                                        \n
                                                      1. Awakening the Heart<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                                                          \n
                                                        • Sufis believe the heart (qalb<\/em>) is the seat of divine knowledge. Spinning “opens” the heart by shattering illusions of separateness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                        • A whirling dervish once told me: “The body spins so the soul can stand still.”<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                          A Warning & Invitation:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Spinning isn\u2019t just physical\u2014it\u2019s a sacred technology. Done without intention, it\u2019s just dizziness. But with devotion, it becomes a prayer without words. Rumi whispers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          \n

                                                          “Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Try it: Stand barefoot, breathe deep, and turn slowly (arms outstretched, right palm up, left down). Let the mind dissolve. Where does your soul fly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          \ud83c\udf2a\ufe0f Here\u2019s a Rumi poem to whirl with\u2014let it carry you beyond the “you” that thinks and into the dance of the cosmos:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          \n\n\n\n

                                                          “The Turn”<\/strong>
                                                          (Version by Coleman Barks)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Dance, when you\u2019re broken open. Dance, if you\u2019ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance, when you\u2019re perfectly free.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Later, you\u2019ll swear it was music that drove you\u2014a love-frenzy, a tambourine storm in your chest. But first, let silence pull you so deep you hear the atoms spinning, the ancestors whispering in your bones: \u201cYou are the one we meant to become.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Now lift your arms, surrender your weight like dust to the wind\u2019s secret direction. This is not a metaphor. Your body is the altar. The whirl is the prayer. God is the dancer, and you\u2014 you are just the floor.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          \n\n\n\n

                                                          How to Whirl with This Poem:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                            \n
                                                          1. Read it aloud<\/strong> before you spin, letting the words dissolve into your breath.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                          2. Start slowly<\/strong>, right palm open to the sky, left palm toward the earth\u2014become a bridge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                          3. Let the poem\u2019s lines echo<\/strong> as you turn: “You are the one we meant to become.”<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                          4. When dizziness comes<\/strong>, don\u2019t resist\u2014let it be the “tambourine storm” breaking your mind\u2019s grip.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                          5. Fall to your knees at the end<\/strong>, forehead to the ground, and listen. What pulses in the silence?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                                                            Rumi\u2019s secret? The body\u2019s spin is just an excuse for the soul to fly<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                            Want to go deeper? Try spinning with this question: “Who is spinning\u2014me, or God?”<\/em> \ud83d\udd04\u2728<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                            <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                            <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                            <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                                            The question of why God created humans and individuals is deeply theological and varies across different religious traditions. Here are some perspectives from major monotheistic religions: 1. Christianity: 2. Islam: 3. Judaism: 4. Philosophical & Mystical Views: Common Themes: Ultimately, the answer depends on one\u2019s faith tradition, but a unifying idea is that humans were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life-book"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=717"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":725,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717\/revisions\/725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}