The Philosophy of Love

The thoughts and words of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi are creating a stir in the world even after 700 years of his passing away. One way in which he described himself is, “My Mother is Love, My Father is Love, My Prophet is Love, My God is Love, I am a child of Love and I have come only to speak of Love.”

A steady husband and father, Mevlana taught in the medrese (a center of learning similar to a university of the time), gave judgements on religious matters, and had many followers. But when he met the dervish of Tebriz, Shamsuddin Shams, Mevlana’s whole life of book learning, canonical views, and conservative behavior changed radically as the burning of Divine Love swept through him. He was completely absorbed with Shams, stayed in seclusion with him for months, and humbled himself in his attempt to meet his every wish. The moment of their meeting is referred to as “the meeting of two seas”. Each of them had attained an in-depth spiritual awareness, which distinguished them from others . Now these two would complete each other in the boundless Sea of Unity.

The spark of passion for the Divine in Rumi was kindled by Shams.All Rumi’s works are based on love. He says that love is the basis and essence of life. God created the Universe out of love. The origin of creation is love. His thoughts on love have been classified under four headings: comparison between intellect and love/ ascendancy and value of love which is for mortal beings; and lastly, the pitiable situation of those who have not a share in love. As per the Sufi philosophy, metaphysical realities cannot be fully understood by science and intellect. However, one with wings of love can soar to great heights.He considered the distance between man and god as an ocean, with intellect being the swimmer and love the ship to take us across the ocean. Only those who can taste this love can appreciate its worth. According to Rumi,”Love for all living beings is every moment fresher than a bud in the spirit and in the wine that increases life. Choose the love of Him from whose love all the prophets gained power and glory.” Someone asked,”What is love”?, the answer was,”you will know when you become me”. ”Whilst the pen was making haste in writing , it split upon itself as soon as it came to Love”, says Rumi.

Mevlana, who found out that the essence of creation and man’s exaltation of his worldly body was in love alone, never considered a loveless life as a real life. When years of fasting and abstinence took their toll on Rumi’s body, he fell seriously ill and on his deathbed comforted his family by saying, ” Don’t grieve that I am leaving this world . Whatever may happen to you , I am with you . As our Prophet said , ‘ Both my life and my death are auspicious for you .’ The purpose of my life was to show the true path and my death is to aid you along the way . ”

Husemuddin Chelebi, who regularly attended the sema and music assemblies as well as discourses of Rumi, documented the Mevlana’s words into the six volume poem known as The Mesnavi.

It is left to the followers of Rumi and those who believe in his philosophy to awaken in themselves an awareness of the need for the gentle and tolerant views, thoughts, and way of a Lover of the Divine.

Seema