Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,

there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase “each other”

doesn’t make any sense.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.

Don’t go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.

Don’t go back to sleep.

                                  -- Rumi

I so love this poem, maybe best of all of Rumi’s work, but then if you showed me another of his poems, I might love that one best.  That’s how it is with me and Rumi.

But this one is so timely.  Of course.  Just as timely as it was in the twelfth century. And that is his brilliance.  We talk endlessly today about opinions becoming ‘so polarized’.  I suspect that back in Rumi’s day opinions became polarized as well. 

But he sees with a poet’s eyes, not the eyes of the body.  He can visualize that place beyond.  That place that we sometimes refer to as heaven.  Or, because there is a religious association to that word, let’s name it ‘bliss’.  It is just a moment out of time.  The present. 

In this present moment let us allow our soul to lie down in that grass.  That lovely, cool, green grass that is so yummy. No pressure to judge.  No reason to criticize.  The cup runneth over with love because the world is too full to talk about.

In that perfect space we are one mind, so of course ‘each other’ makes no sense.  And ‘language’ is of no need.  Don’t wreck it by talking!

What breaks my heart wide open in this beautiful piece is Rumi’s plea.  He begs us to stay awake. 

Hang on to this bliss, he pleads, this treasure that has been uncovered.  Don’t let it slip away. Don’t go back to sleep.  Listen to your heart.  Go where it leads you.

But inevitably we will go back to sleep.  This is the human condition.  Lost in thought.  And then if we are lucky, we will open another book, read another poem, meet another pilgrim on the road to enlightenment, and wake up again.  Each time it gets easier.  We stay awake a little longer. 

Humanity is in a new state of arousal.  We are waking up, even though that may not feel true to you.  It’s happening.  We have a narrow window but I am hopeful.  I feel it coming. 

Be present. Mindful. Listen deeply. Love fully.  Act kindly.

Don’t go back to sleep.

Don’t go back to sleep.