Sayings of the Persian Poet with Sensitive Symbolic Art

The 13th century poet popularly known as Rumi is quoted as saying, "Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words."

Then it is a question if Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī would favor words being written of him at all. Respect guides one to avoid imagining, as it cannot be ascertained.

There are however different ways to know a person, or a thing. For example, a rose can be known by its Latin botanical name and hybrid lineage, or it can be known by its fragrance and delicately colored petals through the senses and an appreciation of beauty.

When one seeks to understand the "real" Rumi by reading of him, the filter of perception constructed from a worldview influenced by the environment and one's stage of personal evolution cannot be avoided. It is the essence of Rumi that speaks to the heart, nourishes the soul and makes space for an expansion of awareness.

May your visit here be fruitful. Thank you for your presence.

Images are (c) copyright 2012 Gary R. Smith and available as prints.

Backgrounds are by Ilker, Litkei Márton and Luca Sorin, who generously agreed to their work being used in this way. The hand-drawn original designs and mixed media work are by the Hubmaker.