The A, B, C's of Contemplative Photography - R

R is for Rumi (and also for Reveal and Reflection and Rhythm and Receptivity and...)

   Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, and more popularly in the English-speaking world simply as Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic.

   I love the writings of Rumi.  He is a constant source of inspiration.  I think contemplative photographers benefit by using literary sources as a foundation of their guided meditations.  I have many Rumi quotations that have helped me focus my attention when I am on location.  One of my favorites is:

Sell your cleverness & buy bewilderment.

   Reflecting on a Rumi quotation heightens my receptivity and will then reveal some hidden wisdom in the landscape. (Indulge me, I've been wanting to do an alliteration line for awhile!)

    I find I am much more open to the whisperings of the landscape if I quiet my mind through some form of guided meditation. A poem, a passage, a musical piece are all ways to focus your attention on what is in front of you and quiet that chatter in your mind. Here's another Rumi quotation that I particularly love...

The wound is the place where the light enters you.

  Perhaps you have a favorite Rumi quotation you would like to share?