The Inspiration You Seek Is Already Within You

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“The inspiration you seek is already within you. Be silent and listen.” – Rumi

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī ( 1207 – 1273) or simply known as Rumi, was a Persian poet and an Islamic scholar known for his insightful messages that are valued until today. His poems have been translated around the world, making him “the most popular poet” especially among Muslims. His poems are widely loved for their spiritual wisdoms and timelessness.

Even when Rumi was a young man, he was already seen as a great spirit. He was the son of the “Sultan of the Scholars”. After the death of his father, he became the head of the spiritual community or the madrasah. It was the start of his journey as a spiritual teacher he was widely known as.

The quote speaks about self-enlightenment, a concept similar with Buddhism. Rumi’s belief on spirituality is not far removed from Buddhist principles that emphasize that importance of compassion and meditation, among other things. He believes that humans are capable of being enlightened themselves, because knowledge and wisdom is inherent in everyone.

Rumi’s significance in the spiritual and literary aspect is adeptly described by Coleman Barks: “Rumi is one of the great souls, and one of the great spiritual teachers. He shows us our glory. He wants us to be more alive, to wake up… He wants is to see our beauty, in the mirror and in each other”. One of Rumi’s themes is the realization of one’s wisdom, something that nobody else can teach.

Galileo Galilei, a known Italian philosopher in the 1500’s, expressed an identical thought: “We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.”