Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion Poetry and Teaching Stories of Rumi

by RUMI, JALALUDDIN

• ISBN13: 9781570625220
• ISBN10: 1570625220
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-02-01
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

These selections from Rumi'sMathnawi- a classic of Sufi spiritual literature - express the "lion's roar" of courage, discipline, clarity, and integrity. The lion represents the fierce intensity that recognizes no authority except the highest truth. At the same time, Rumi's lion is full of heart and devotion. Through these poems the reader will explore the qualities that are vital to the spiritual aspirant who seeks to overcome the imprisonment of ego.

Author Biography

Jalaluddin Rumi (1207–1273) was not only a poet, mystic, and the founder of a Sufi order, he was a man of profound insight into the nature of human existence and possibly the greatest mystical poet of any age.

Table of Contents

Introduction - ``The Lion''	xi
The Gazelle	1	(10)
Seashell Toys	11	(2)
The Lion's Shoulder	13	(5)
The Grasses	18	(2)
The Thicket	20	(4)
Various Disguises and Scams	24	(3)
The Earthquake That Frees Prisoners	27	(5)
Who Is the Teacher?	32	(1)
One Silver Coin a Day for Forty Days	33	(2)
The Berry of Relishing	35	(2)
Let That Laughter Lead You	37	(2)
The Flap of the Wallet	39	(2)
Ascending and Descending	41	(1)
The Prophet's Vision	42	(1)
Neglecting Meditation and Refusing Kindnesses	43	(3)
Dervish at the Door	46	(2)
The Circle Around the Zero	48	(1)
Eat! Bread-bird	49	(1)
Sending to the Christian Quarter for Wine-I	50	(5)
A Spider Playing in the House	55	(3)
Desire and the Importance of Failing	58	(6)
You Are the Only Student You Have	64	(1)
Sending to the Christian Quarter for Wine-II	65	(4)
Doing Donkey Work	69	(2)
Fake Friends	71	(1)
Tending Two Shops	72	(2)
At Dawn	74	(1)
Joseph in Prison	75	(2)
The Two-Way Pull of Freewill and the Freedom of the Involuntary Ball	77	(3)
A New Life	80	(3)
Arrangements to Meet	83	(3)
The Open Window	86	(4)
Why the Prophets Are Human	90	(1)
Ali in Battle	91	(2)
The Witness, the Darling	93	(2)
Notes	95