Maulana Jallaludin Rumi’s Masnavi and Ramana Maharshi’s Talk

The word Navi in Masnavi or Mathnavi again reminds one to think its relation to Noah or நாவியம் or as its Sanskrit meaning ‘boat’. Even in Buddhism the Hinayana and Mahayana its ‘yana’ means ‘boat’…guess all roots from Bhagavad Gita’s ‘Arjuna, Cross the ocean of Samsara with wisdom boat’?

It was few years back when I initially read on Maulana Jallaludin Rumi(Persians or people from Afghanistan would like to call him as Maulana Jallaludin Bhalki, during Mongol’s invasion his father migrated to Rum from Bhalki, so he is known by two places but his Masnavi finds its place everywhere now in world and that’s most important for everyone) it was an instant love and attraction and decided to spend time to share few of what I read to the earlier topic on Idols and Forms.

…The building of the prophets was without lust,
And accordingly its splendor ever increased.
Yea, many are the noble temples they have raised,
Though all were not named "The Most Remote Temple."
The Ka'ba, whose renown waxes greater every moment,
Owed its foundation to the piety of Abraham.
Its glory is not derived from stones and mortar,
But from being built without lust or strife.
…The "Truth," which is our real self, lies hidden within our phenomenal and visible self, and the Prophets reveal it to us.
…The Truth is yourself, but not your mere bodily self,
Your real self is higher than 'you' and 'me.'
This visible 'you' which you fancy to be yourself
Is limited in place, the real 'you' is not limited.
.. Your real self lies hid beneath your outward self,
For 'I am the servant of him who looks into himself.' "
…"What a youth sees only when reflected in a glass,
Our wise old fathers saw long ago though hid in stones.

..He is as Azar, maker of idols; I am only the idol;
Whatever instrument He makes me, that I am.


..The significance of forms. 2
Be not intoxicated with these goblets of forms,
Lest you become a maker and worshipper of idols.
Pass by these cups full of forms, linger not;
There is wine in the cups, but it proceeds not from them.
Look to the Giver of the wine with open mouth;

In one 'twas said, "Leave power and weakness alone;
Whatever withdraws thine eyes from God is an idol."

Yea, the Reason of man is a boundless ocean.
O son, that ocean requires, as it were, a diver. 8
On this fair ocean our human forms
Float about, like bowls on the surface of water;
Yea like cups on the surface, till they are. filled;
And when filled, these cups sink into the water.
The ocean of Reason is not seen ; reasoning men are seen;
But our forms (minds) are only as waves or spray thereof.
Whatever form that ocean uses as its instrument,
Therewith it casts its spray far and wide. 9
Till the heart sees the Giver of the secret,

For more find it http://www.sacred-texts.com/isl/masnavi/ and many other sites

Below from Ramana Maharshi’s Talks
Talks between the Master and two Moslems on a previous occasion.
D.: Has God a form?
M.: Who says so?
D.: Well, if God has no form is it proper to worship idols?
M.: Leave God alone because He is unknown. What about you? Have
you a form?
D.: Yes. I am this and so and so.
M.: So then, you are a man with limbs, about three and a half cubits
high, with beard, etc. Is it so?
D.: Certainly.
M.: Then do you find yourself so in deep sleep?
D.: After waking I perceive that I was asleep. Therefore by inference
I remained thus in deep sleep also.
M.: If you are the body why do they bury the corpse after death? The
body must refuse to be buried.
D.: No, I am the subtle jiva within the gross body.
M.: So you see that you are really formless; but you are at present
identifying yourself with the body. So long as you are formful why
should you not worship the formless God as being formful?
The questioner was baffled and perplexed.
http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/downloads/downloads.htm