July 15, 2014 by IdealisticRebel

Peace

joyful song

Peace

Quiet yourself.

Reach out with your

mind’s skillful hand

Let it go inside of me

and touch

God.

Don’t be shy, dear.

Every aspect of Light

we are meant to know.

The calm hand holds

than baskets of goods

from the market.

The calm soul knows

than anything this

world

can offer from here

beautiful

womb

–By St. John of the Cross, taken from Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West, translated by Daniel Ladinsky

St. John of the Cross has been long recognized as one of the world’s great mystical poets. His verse reveals a profound, tender experience of divine communion.

A heart of love

Sunflowers

October 27, 2012 by IdealisticRebel

Mysticism

The sun can only be seen by the light
Or the sun. The more a man or woman knows,
The greater the sun the more dazzled, until a point
Is reached where one no longer is.

A mystic knows without knowledge, without
Intuition or information, without contemplation
Or description or revelation. Mystics are not themselves. They do not exist
In selves They move as they are moved, talk as words come, see with sight
That enters their eyes. I met a woman once and asked her where love had led her.
“Fool, there’s no destination to arrive at.
Loved one and lover and love are infinite.”

—–Attar

Fariduddin Attar is one of the most ancient poets of Persia, and it is no exaggeration to say that the work of Attar has been the inspiration of Rumi and of many spiritual souls and many poets of Persia.

“And the psychology of the heart is such that once one begins to know the heart life is a continual phenomenon, every moment of life becomes a miracle. It throws a searchlight upon human nature, and all things become so clear 5o clear to him that he does not ask for any greater phenomenon or miracle; it is a miracle in itself.
What they call telepathy, thought-reading or clairvoyance—–all these things come by themselves, where the heart is open.”

—Hazrat Inayat Khan

July 10, 2012 by IdealisticRebel

If I Told You the Truth About God

Many people claim to have the truth about God. Millions of people on our planet are determined that they know God and that they are the only ones who do know God. They are so sure that wars are fought to prove their point. I think it must get difficult to be Divinity because you are supposed to guarantee both sides victory because they know all about you and you want them to win. Where do we go from here? Many mystics, over the millenniums, have had intimate experiences with God, cosmic consciousness, Divinity or whatever name is used, on the inner landscape. The following poem was written by Kabir, a eastern mystic centuries ago. Typically, he and his work were not accepted until after his death. He understood that most people wanted God on their terms; not its. He experienced the presence of the Beloved and was ridiculed by Muslims and Hindus alike until his passing. There is a unique irony in his poems. Many mystics have used poetry, music and nature to help explain the God experience. The following poem is one of my favorites.

I Just Laughed

“If I told you the truth
about God,
you might think I was an idiot.

If I lied to you about the Beautiful One
you might parade me through the streets shouting,
‘this guy is a genius!’

This world has its pants on backwards.
Most carry their values and knowledge
in a jug that has a big hole in it.

Thus having a clear grasp of the situation
if I am asked anything these days

I just laugh!
—Kabir