Rumi and interfaith wisdom

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There is a poem by the famous Sufi poet Rumi which has always yanked at me somewhere visceral, like a pointing out instruction. I actually got this poem tattooed on my body about 12-ish years ago; it is, quite literally, a part of me. Some of you may have come across it before. Here it is, as translated by Coleman Barks:

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are walking back and forth across the doorsill,
Where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open
Don’t go back to sleep.

Now, like Andrew, I believe no one (ie. no one faith) has a monopoly on enlightenment, or however he puts it- and Rumi was definitely WAY farther along the path than I currently am! Whether the fruition of any given religion is truly identical to another, that’s above my pay grade. However, from the first time I heard that poem I knew that it would carry me through this life. It wouldn’t “get old”. Sure enough, my understanding of its mysteries have shifted and deepened over time.

The reason I am sharing it with this group is that one meaning that has revealed itself to me since I began studying dream yoga is its application to, well, dream yoga and illusory form. The word “breeze” could quite possibly be a translation of a word in the original language that also means “wind” (which of course has a whole correlate in the Tibetan tradition)- I have been unable so far to find information to explore the translation more deeply. “Sleep” of course- as in “don’t go back to sleep”- the outer (sutra?) meaning of course is literal sleep, and the inner (tantra?) meaning would be the sleep of samsara… as Andrew says, if you see things as solid/lasting/independent, you’re dreaming. Don’t go back to sleep… wake up! wake up! (to your true nature) The reference to two worlds touching immediately evokes a liminal space between the bardos… regardless of what bardos we are talking about. I always interpreted it as between life and death, but now I am keen on the potential meaning of between waking and dreaming. And to “ask for what you really want”… well that is the million dollar question, now isn’t it.

I simply wanted to share all this. It is a potent one for me I hold close and don’t want to discuss/dialogue on it (although by all means if others want to do so feel free!!!) - I like to keep the hot potato in the oven. :slight_smile: But given my recent reflections on it from a dream yoga perspective, I thought it would be nice to offer up for others’ contemplation. <3

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“The Breeze at Dawn” by Rumi

LOVE this!

Thank you for this amazing offering. I am stealing this for the treasure chest. :star_struck:

I think you are on to something with this interpretation. Not sure if it originally had a title, but I included the one it goes by because I think it holds great significance, and the first 3 lines hold some of the greatest depth (its all really deep).

I interpreted the ‘breeze’ to be Ether/Consciousness/God, something beyond the winds of Buddhism, but the poet uses wind because it adds a ‘pulse’ or energy and personification to the Ether/Awareness(Consciousness), or is God manifest in a very subtle way. I think this may be supported by the following words [God] “has secrets to tell you”

“Dawn” I think greatly ties into this above interpretation. Have you heard of the term The Great Eastern Sun in Buddhism? The sun and light have long stood to symbolize God, or Awareness (Consciousness), or Truth, or all the above, in many different faiths.

If you have watched enough sunrises, you know there often a shift in the winds that takes place, as the sun light heats the earth, and creates pressure shifts. I think Rumi may be commenting on this phenomena, and saying the breeze is either God, or force driven by God (the words of God). Also in the Muslim faith, and many other faiths, sunrise is accompanied with a Call to Prayer, or a call to connect with God and listen deeply. If sunsets symbolize death, sunrises often symbolize birth, rebirth, and awakening.

Amen. I think this line is connected to line 1, and goes with the personification of the ‘breeze’ is stating that you can not only listen to God, but also communicate with this ‘Ether’ breeze, and ask God for the things you really need (‘want’).

You are spot on with your interpretation of this line I think Definitely referring to being blinded by samsara, or deeply unconscious.

People are dying and being born. Find enlightenment or a deep connection to God while you can.

Awaken
:sunny:

Happy Ramadan my friend, thank you for this precious gift
:green_heart:
:blue_heart:

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Very curious to know if anyone can provide the original text in the original language, with a detailed breakdown of the vocabulary used, and whether certain words in that language have multiple interpretations.

So much of the beauty of great art and language is lost in translation.

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I would like this too. One thing about poetry is there are often double meanings built into words; that is what creates some of the sense of joy and deeper meaning to it that prose often lacks.

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Most definitely, that is why I liked this one so much. Like any good artwork or song, there are many layers of depth.

I think the most straightforward interpretation is:
CARPE DIEM
(a line stollen from an ancient poem with hidden hedonistic ‘depth’)

Carpe Diem in todays language = Make the most of this precious human life.

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My original interpretation took this line at more face value. I think a deeper view might look at it as not only are souls moving across worlds, but also that your spirit can move between these worlds without having a physical death.

For seekers, the Kingdom of God is open to all. And we can access it here on earth, if we seek it out.

The more literal interpretation of this line could be Death does NOT discriminate.

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Shunia – “Breeze At Dawn” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

nice song

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@_NightHawk999. I don’t know the original text, but I do know that Rumi wrote mostly in Persian which is an Indo-European language. In many of these languages, the word for “wind”, “breath” and “spirit” are inter-changeable. For instance in Hebrew, “Ruach” means “spirit” and “wind” and “breath.” In Greek (the language of the New Testament) “Pneuma” means “wind” and “breath” and “spirit”. The “Holy Spirit” can also be translated “Holy Wind” and “Holy Breath.”
Then look at Sanscrit (also an Indo-European language) where the word “Prana” means both “breath” and “life energy” (and hear the connection to the Greek “pneuma”?
Also think of the Chinese concept of “Chi” - not an Indo-European language, but the concept of connecting breath and life energy is there. Think of “Chi Gong” where breathing practices are used to revitalize life energy.

Now that reminds me . . . I’m going to post a Prana song on the Sacred Music topic thread. Check it out.

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@fenwizard I stole these lines from @_Barry who posted a really awesome article:

" Tara represents chi and life energy

For Tara, who in life represents chi and wind and life and activity, Her Pureland is visualized as the most verdant — forests, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, birds, wildlife everywhere.

Other practitioners aspire to their personal Yidam’s Pureland. Vajrayogini practitioners aspire to Kechara. Others may aspire to Abhirati (Aksohobya’s Pureland), or the eastern Pureland of Medicine Buddha called Vaidūryanirbhāsa, the Lapis Lazuli Pure Land."

Brilliant! In latin the word:
Spiritus= Breath, life force, spirit

Inspiration and many other words take their root from Spiritus.

Its no wonder so many cultures linked breath to life force, and eternal life. When one stops breathing or loses their breath, death arises.

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@_NightHawk999. Yes indeed!

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