Radio Rumi

In this summer special episode, I discuss the worldly awareness of medieval Persian poets and thinkers, emphasizing their attention to cultures different than their own. Three figures are showcased: the philosopher Aziz Nasafi, Rumi, and Sa'di of Shiraz.

This episode focuses on the complexity of the concept of madness in Rumi's poetry. It explores our poet's approach to madness as a tool that curbs the power of rules and regulations to allow the formation of human spiritual originality.

This program is dedicated to the significance of dancing in human life. I start with Hafiz of Shiraz, then move on to Sa'di's approach to the topic and end with a ghazal of Rumi which uses the refrain "Come on! Dance!" We explore what these medieval poets think dancing does for us.

On the occasion of the arrival of spring, millions of people across the globe are celebrating "Nowruz." In this program, I explore the literary, symbolic, and spiritual meanings of the concept of spring through a few examples from the ghazals of Hafiz, Sa‘di, and Rumi. 

In this program, I focus on wine and wine-house in the poetry of Hafiz of Shiraz. In the journey that we take from Konya to Shiraz, instead of asking whether the wine that Hafiz drank was real or allegorical, I explore the wine-house itself as a counter space to places of worship.

In this episode, I focus on the ways in which one of my favorite philosophers and a few life-companion poets (including Rumi) discuss an important aspect of our life journey: traveling from the isolation of an ego to the generosity of sharing ourselves with trusted companions.

I start this program with a quote from a modern Western philosopher about the interconnection of all life everywhere. Comparing his view with that of a medieval Persian Sufi, I then share with you Hafiz and Rumi's poetic expressions of the same idea: life as a harmonious interrelation.

A large part of the world has just celebrated Christmas. This program looks into the poetic presence of Jesus in classical Persian poetry and his symbolic dedication to perpetuating life and honoring its sanctity.

In this episode, we take another poetic journey to Shiraz to spend Yalda with the master poet, Saʿdi. He speaks of the symbolic significance of nights as moments of repose, and of cruelty to others as the true darkness. We return to Konya wishing Iranians' suffering in this Yalda of cruelty to come to an end soon.

This episode is dedicated to the Iranian children suffering as the violent response to the uprisings causes them harm. I focus on children as the dynamic, playful, and growing presences in our lives. Rumi speaks of them frequently as he alludes to our child within, the part of us which yearns for growth.

I start this episode by describing the concept of the Self - "Khod" in Persian - as an ongoing inner process. I then explore Rumi's words on the way this Self, when liberated, can become a Lover or "Ashegh," a site for the glow of the fire of life.

This episode is dedicated to the concept of healing, as Rumi speaks about. In his view, healing is not a thing which happens to us but something that we build gradually. It begins by taking action, observing results, and building on them with more action. To teach us this difficult concept, he uses examples from nature.

In this episode, I talk about seasonal change and the autumn, which we usually see as a sign that the summer has ended. For Rumi, the pale leaves are more than that. Dealing with the short days and cold winds, waiting for the spring, the autumn leaves know the story of lovers' separation.

In this program I continue to explore what poetry was to Rumi. Sometimes it was the music to his happy moments, and comfort during sadness. But he also used it for more complex things like keeping us curious, or showing us the value in perplexity. Most of all, he loved helping us discover the movement in things that seem unable to move, like grapes' journey to sweetness. I end with our own journey to Shiraz, again, where Saʿdi's poetry helped me reach my ailing mother.

In this program, I start by underlining Rumi's emphasis on the concept of sokhan ('human speech'). For our poet, human beings are made up of their thoughts, which they give birth to when they speak. Like roads, even superhighways, human speech connects peoples and cultures across cities and continents. Then we do something new: we travel from Konya where Rumi lived all the way to the Southwest of Iran, to hear the Great Saʿdi of Shiraz on the same topic.

In this first of a two-part program, I'll take you on the cosmic journey that Rumi plans for his readers. "There are thieves in town," he tells us but who are these thieves, and what do they want? Why does Rumi celebrate their arrival and what does he tell us to do when facing them?

In this program I explore the concept of "birth" in Rumi's lyric poetry as it applies to the entire cosmos. The convergence of the Winter Solstice, Christmas, and the Iranian Yalda celebrations indicate the symbolic significance of birth in many cultures. What does birth mean to Rumi? How does he put his poetic mark on this universal human experience?

In this program I speak of Rumi’s vision on giving thanks. Describing “patience” and “gratitude” as the twin roads to contentment, Rumi points to our capacity for anticipation as a great source of strength. “The one who has sensed the scent of the rose,” he says ” will dance all the way to the garden.”

In this episode we stroll through one of Rumi's ghazals with an eye on discovering the vibrancy and glow of this mystical metropolis. In the process we meet a few of its inhabitants some as majestic as Moses, and connect with the core of our own being.

We have all experienced varying levels of isolation in our efforts to slow down a pandemic. In this program I focus on the ways in which Rumi thinks and talks about loneliness and isolation. Was he ever lonely in his own life? What caused it, and how did he speak about it?

In this program, I focus on the concept of trust or "tavakkol" which is a stage in the Sufi spiritual journey. I explore this concept through the lens of Rumi's poetry and as much more than a spiritual necessity. Rather, Rumi views trust as central to our personal and social well-being.

In this program, I describe the process of inner fulfillment as a journey in which there are no destinations beyond keeping the momentum of moving forward. Using images and ideas from Rumi's lyric poetry, I present Perplexity and wonder -- not clear cut answers - as the fuel for this inner journey of exploration.

Rumi's lyric poetry seems to focus on our inner world of ambitions, joys, fears, and spiritual yearnings. In this program we look outwards and try to see the birds the way Rumi sees them. Not surprisingly, we find the inner and the outer realms to be connected closely.

I set out to focus this program on the concept of fear. Much to my surprise, I found out that for Rumi the feeling that counters fear is not courage. It is love. And love is obtained by building a mirror-like inner space that...let me leave the rest of that to Rumi. He says it through a fascinating story.

I start this program with Rumi's emphasis on the significance of hope in our lives in these days of struggle with a global threat. There are things that we can learn from this pandemic though. Not reducing life to notions of loss and gain, or victory and defeat is one of them. The way Rumi sees it, life is about presence and we are in it as one big global family.

The Spring has just arrived. At the same time, the world is in the grips of a pandemic. In this program I look to Rumi for words of wisdom that help us celebrate the arrival of Nowruz "the Persian New Year" and listen to his teachings about illness and healing, ourselves and our world.

Rumi's words have brought us together. What is in his poetic speech that educates, delights, and transforms us? There are many ways to address this question. In this 40th episode of Radio Rumi, I discuss our poet's understanding of the concept of speaking, its impact on our lives, and on those of others around us.

With the election, politics and power are on our minds, I look at Rumi's understanding of the concept of power and his approach to it. As a well-known and respected figure, Rumi received attention from the wealthy, the noble, and the politically powerful people of his time. How he handled these delicate situations, and what he recommended to his followers are remarkable.

In light of the recent clashes between my two homes (Iran and America), I dedicate this program to a concept which Rumi values and we need desperately: the concept of oneness of all humanity. Rumi lived in a time burdened by division and disagreement but refused to accept the categories that divided the people of his time.

This program is a Christmas special! In it I discuss some of Rumi's poems focused on the presence of light, giving, and healing as embodied in the symbolic person of Jesus. We will see how in these lines light, which for Muslims is a manifestation of the divine, is connected with Jesus as a healer of suffering and one who spreads the force of life.

In this episode, recorded right after the Thanksgiving which we recently enjoyed, I focus on Rumi's approach to feeling content and expressing gratitude. I look at the way he defines this foundational concept and its function in our daily lives? We will also look at places in which we can find examples of contentment and learn to express it.

In this program, I focus on the best ways to understand Rumi's poetry. One of my goals is to counter the idea of turning him into an infallible saint. Equally important, poets from distant times and unfamiliar traditions are hard to understand. I make suggestions about ways to put Rumi's lively and effective poetry into their context to become understandable to western audiences in the 21st century.

In this program, I focus on a celebrated poem of Rumi which tries to help us make sense of the journey that is our life. The poem is filled with enchanting images and life-changing questions. Are we a rare bird sitting in the royal aviary, Jacob separated from his Joseph, or the Greek philosopher, lamp in hand, looking for a perfect being? And, what does dancing have to do with these?

In this program I speak about Rumi's special's attention to the concept of arriving. Like many other thinkers, Rumi is aware of our human limitations. For example, we are confined in time and space. His solution? Do not wait for the moments to happen to you; arrive in them and let the arrival transform both time and space for you, be a waterfall!

aw

In this episode I conclude my discussion of Rumi and the concept of God focusing on our inner connection with the divine presence which he describes as "the sun," "the truth," and "the friend" among other things. In his view, God is not this exacting teacher or prosecutor. He/she/it is the sea to which the waves of our existence are rolling. Once there, no one can tell the wave from the sea, not even ourselves.

In this episode I speak about the concept of God in Rumi's poetry and the various manifestations that it finds. Is God a person, an energy, a sense of joy, a pervasive light, a force of goodness? Where is he/she/it? Is he in us, is he us knocking on door to get inside a room which already belongs to us?

In this second episode of a duo focused on handling disappointment , Rumi encourages us to step back from our daily personal problems to see the bigger world. This silent world will speak if you lower your voice and listen. Think of it as a mirror. What you see in others, is a reflection of yourself. Think of it as a mountain. It echos your own voice.

This is the first of two episodes on Rumi's approach to disappointment in life. In this program I start with his general comments on the the interrelation between hope and disappointment, the sources of the pain caused by disappointment, and the best tools to help us rise above it which he calls "your wings." In the next program I will bring you Rumi's more in-dept approach to causes of disappointment and ways to handle them.

This program continues to discuss Rumi's relationship with our environment as a space we share with animals, plants and other natural elements. My focus is more on the way he celebrates our similarities with nature as a possibility to expand our vision of who we are by merging with this limitless expanse. He views his own poems as wondrous birds which take wings and fly away. They belong to anyone who catches and cherishes them.

With this episode, I start a discussion of Rumi and the environment. Citing his lyrics, I point to his reverence for nature as a site of the presence of the Divine. Seeking the Koranic description of God in a green tree, Rumi views our natural habitat as beautiful, lively, and closely connected with us. What we need to do is to discover it as a source of inspiration, and to preserve it for the generations who will follow.

This program focuses on what Rumi says about the concepts of death and dying. I start with his definition of life itself and move on to the end of life as we see and experience. I make an effort to minimize philosophical debate and stay focused on his attention to the human experience.

In this program, I elaborate on the significance of the notion of change in Rumi's lyric poetry. If things stay the same, life can turn into a kind sleep with little to explore. New encounters, even if challenging, are opportunities for learning and growth. That is why love says to human beings: "If you make a hundred houses like the bees, I'll make you homeless like a fly." Traveling in search of a home could be a destination.

For Rumi, everything in the world is a sign pointing to the presence of the sacred. If we miss one sign, another will come our way. As, in the past week, many people celebrated the beginning of the spring as their new year, Nowruz, we in this program look at the way, in Rumi's poetry, spring breeze brings life after the cold winter.

Rumi speaks of Jesus often. In this program, I discuss the dynamism of this image, and its celestial power. The breadth of Jesus is life-giving in the Qur'anic tradition and in Persian poetry as a whole. I, then, turn to the way Rumi expands the poetic power of this image by bringing it into the environment around us and into our day-to-day living. Once more, we are in the picture as this divine force turns the earth into a meadow.

The idea that we are constantly recreated is not a new idea. The Greeks spoke it, as did the Sufis. Rumi loves the concept because it means we can break and rebuild ourselves. We can end and begin the way the seasons do. In this episode, you will hear many more lively and musical verses from the Divan, Rumi's collection of lively lyrics. Through them, he shocks, and enchants his readers as he pushes them to ignore every limit - even time and space - to be a part of the world's constant recreation.

This program brings you many poems so you hear Rumi's own voice as opposed to interpretations of it. These poems generate a dynamic energy that help Rumi break out of his old habits. He describes them as birds that break open the cage of his body to fly free. Once they are out, they are ours too. They make sadness leave, and tears go away . In his words, they help us wash our body and soul in ways of wisdom. We see/discover a new world being created around us every instant, a new world of our own.

Rumi discussed abstract ideas as well as practical ways of life including religious practice. Was he a practicing Muslim? Or, did he rebel against religion as well. What is Zikr? Is there a connection between Zikr and reflection? I will explore these as well as some of Rumi's ideas, which could seem out of place in our competitive world such as "belonging to the sea," and being "co-travelers," whose souls are one.

In this program which is a continuation of Program 16, we discuss how Rumi uses the concept of "being in love" to denote being emotionally connected and involved with the world around you. It might seem strange to tell someone to try to be in love. Our natural reaction is that we are either in love or not. How could we be asked to feel something that we are not feeling? Well, you need to listen to Program 17 to find this out for yourself.

In this program I speak about Rumi's informal sermons to people who came from many places to hear him speak. He did not write these presentations into a book, his followers did. It came to be know as Fihe ma fihe which means "It is in it, what is in it." The title which echos a famous line of poetry highlights the unconventional nature these talks. They contain stories, jokes, rebukes, and basically his words of wisdom. Like everything else that Rumi said, their focus is love. Again, the purpose of this love is to give us the stamina to work on understanding the purpose of our existence. We are each a Mary, pregnant with God. If we understand our body- and the sacred nature of what we carry - we will give birth to our sacred being/God in due time.

In the last program I told you about Shams of Tabriz, the simple basket-weaver who turned into an influential teacher transforming Rumi's outlook on life. Today, we will continue with that conversation by listening to some of sayings of Shams where his thoughts are crystallized in his candid - yet caring - words. Being down to earth, so to speak, is a major characteristic of Shams and Rumi both. Presence, and teaching, for both of them are discrete qualities rather than loud words. Stars shed light on your way without uttering a single word. To recognize these presences, however, it is important to protect your solitude particularly when surrounded by people. Thus you will notice the beloved walking inside your soul invisible to others -- and that you are a sea without shores.