The Forty Rules of Love
Now I’ve got your attention, haven’t I? Once again I take no credit for the blog title – it is the book I am about to start reading – during my lunch breaks to help keep the food down – LOL
This is a second gift from Deepan — I am almost 75% through the earlier one on Dharma but am on a break from it currently…
As I was reading the foreword I read something that I GOT..and wanted to quickly share this with you.
In an age of deeply embedded bigotries and clashes, he (Rumi) stood for a universal spirituality, opening his doors to people of all backgrounds. Instead of an outer-oriented jihad – defined as “the war against infidels” and carried out by many in those days just as in the present – Rumi stood up for an inner-oriented jihad where the aim was to struggle against and ultimately prevail over one’s ego, nafs
Nafs = Aham or Ahankar? I too am of the view that Hindu spirituality is less about the external activities and more of the internal strife with our ego – our ‘Aham’. Be it through Yoga, Ayurveda or Jyotish, all of these practices are aiming at addressing that part of us that considers itself ‘distinct’ from others and how best to prevail over it. If each of us are to behave like we were truly a part of this world, our actions would be quite different to the norm.
Off late I have also been chewing on our ability to consume — and how that is a true symptom of a pampered Aham. We are truly consuming far more than what we need. Yet as we reflect on consumption and our consumption behaviors I have come to realize how deeply Aham is entrenched into us- physically and then through the other layers – mentally, emotionally etc.
Before we begin with the ‘how to prevail’ we need to also ask ‘what do we mean by prevail’? Is it the total annihilation of aham – is that even possible? Just as a unborn infant is intent on just one thing – survival & growth — how can this being of aham be something that we annihilate? As we explore the answers, we will realize that there are somethings which are quite easy to stop, while there are still others that can’t be stopped but need to be balanced…
Looking forward to reading the story of Rumi and Shams and what that taught Ella Rubinstein about love….
The author of this book is Elif Shafak.
