Great Works of Literature, Spring 2017 (hybrid)

Balanced Fire and Water

The way in which things are perceived in our 3D world only comes from the universe that you subside in within your own conscious mind. If you only see Elephants as big animals that run through villages and destroy everything, than you are allowing your universe to only distinguish elephants in that way, by not being open to the fact that elephants can be nice and friendly you may never look at them in that way. Rumi, not just the author but as a life mentor to many, speaks about all sides of life having balance and portraying things in a true almost naked nature. The concept of fire to most is destructive and causes pain. While on the other side, water is something we specifically consume and use to give life from plants to even our dogs. Stemming from the 2nd century of the Dong Zhongshu dynasty, Yin and Yang were the first form of moral dimensional balance that comes from life and nature. Rumi speaks the truths about these balances in nature and even brings to life thought processes that may be uncharted with the concept of fire and water in our everyday lifes.

Fire today is usually causing destruction in a forest or burning down homes as we sit and watch on our plasma screen TV’s. If one was to go back in time even one hundred years, fire is a primary ingredient to the circle of life. Even creating that plasma screen TV uses fire, you just never see the background work done to our physical items. Fire allows one to eat, heat, light, smelt anything, forge everything, and even signals sent to others. We portray fire as we see it fit our everyday eyes, through our very own personal universe. Where Rumi brings in even another aspect to fire not the physicality of it but the one burning within all of us. “Set your life on fire, seek those who fan your flames”, Rumi is saying to be balanced in life by being active, engaged, and almost “awake” in our own way. While also surrounding yourself with others that allow you to grow. Even though this fire that burns within can not be measured on a physical scale we all can have this fire within to be actually helpful in our lives, allowing others to grow off our fire.

The Earth is more than 75% water and we are almost fully made out of water in our bodies. People generally look at water as a life generating item that allows growth. But with all balance you need a negative and a positive. Water can actually cause typhoons, deaths at sea, shipwrecks, drownings, and even slipping on water at any moment. Rumi was quoted saying “Not only the thirsty seek the water, the water as well seeks the thirsty”. To me this says so much about life with the rich get richer. If you are selling water for people to survive just another day than you are searching for these thirsty people who want your water. In the Gift of Water, Rumi says “Someone who does not know the Tigris River exists, brings the caliph who lives near the river, a jar of fresh water. The caliph accepts, thanks him, and gives in return a jar filled with gold coins.” We see water as such a daily easy thing to get yet why is it not free to all on our planet? The balance of even water in society has a positive and negative effect on us.

There is a balance in life with the negative and positive, almost everything brings out both from one’s perspective in their own universe. Maybe we do not see or agree with the way the see the situation but at some point we must try to view it from their shoes. To some of us water is just something we get out of the faucet, to others this is obtained by walking miles and bringing back only enough to carry. Likewise with fire being looked at as something destructive to a modern day western society. Where in other cultures fire is a needed daily necessity and if they do not figure out how to maintain and make this amenity daily death is near certain. Water is like our physical body with fire being our spiritual consciousness. We need both to survive and both need each other to be needed. Together they make our planet and together they allow us both a positive and negative life, where we must choose our own ways of finding the positive in the negative in our very own shoes, with our very own fire that no one else shares with you.

Rumi and Hafez were essential poets, Sufis and philosophers in twelve century. Both poets had written tremendous amount of poetry on love and freedom. Both poets had different perception of love. Rumi philosophy of love was based on his life while Hafez was more on religious and divine. Both poets’ poems of love and freedom were based on comparing and contrasting the metaphor with personal life. After reading the Rumi’s poem I have realized that his view on love was very straightforward and open-minded. On the other hand, Hafez philosophies on love were mostly religious and used wine as a symbol.

In class, we discussed how the two ancient poets, Rumi and Hafez, separated by about a hundred years, were both a part of the small Suni sect within Islam. As such, they both held to a lifestyle of asceticism, whereby withholding from the many pleasures of life in order to reap the rewards in the next life. This believe was prevalent within Rumi’s prose in, The Question, where Rumi details of a scenario where he is caught between water and fire, and while water seems to be the easier path and fire the burning one, he writes the more rewarding is the fire in the end. This coincides with the Suni belief that the more painful option leads to the path of glory. While Rumi seems to coincide with the ascetic beliefs of his Islamic practice, Hafez seems to do the opposite. In, Thanks be to God, Hafez seems to be thanking god for opening the wine-shops and talks of the pleasure of women and the like. While Hafez might be a self ascribed ascetic, it doesn’t seem as though he is so devout in his practice. And therein lies the biggest difference between the two, while both ascribe themselves to life without pleasure, Rumi seems to be the only one to actually live and write about it.

Love is an element that guides Dante throughout the Commedia. It is something that helps him start his journey and continue it. One of the main reasons he begins his journey is because of his wife which can be attributed to the love he has for her. Dante also wants to receive love from god so he does not end up in hell. He is able to use love to do things and to keep himself from doing things. Overall love is a major factor in the choices he makes.

In Hafez’s poem, I love how he creates a conundrum within himself. Hafez talks about his love towards Islam and God, but at the same time, he presents the reality that exists. He quite clearly states and showcases his admiration towards drinking and indulging in pleasure through women. Many of which is prohibited in Islam. He takes a unique approach to showcasing his love and appreciation to Gods creation. I am a practicing Muslim myself and I have often given in to such pleasures in life. I found his approach to be very unique creating a ‘state’ a ‘route’ to portray his own form of love and devotion.

“Only Breath” (a poem by Rumi on page 353 in the Norton Volume B) is an extraordinary piece of poetry that really grasped my attention and imagination. This poem is a perfect example of how “mystical” and unique Rumi’s style is. The meaning of this poem can be up for interpretation for the audience, since part of the beauty of this work is to not explicitly state the purpose of it. The reading experience requires some creativity on the reader’s side as well. The “two worlds” that are described could mean “mother and father” or “inner self vs. the outside” or even “inner self vs. relationship with God.” For me, the meaning behind this poem is that in reality, regardless of origin/religion/race/ethnicity, we are all humans defined by our breath, co-existence, and survival.

Please let me know if you have any opinions to share about this piece!

It is pretty obvious that Hafez, unlike Rumi, reveals his passion towards ‘worldly pleasures’ while showing his religious belief in his works. I personally think that we should not just conclude that Hafez is less ascetic than Rumi because, as we discussed in class, measuring the degree of one’s asceticism is impossible and very subjective. In his poem, ‘thanks be to God,’ he appreciates God for giving him a wine shop and such pleasure. He might think that what we called ‘worldly pleasures’ are actually came from God with permission and therefore, those are allowed, necessary pleasure. We may judge Hafez’s asceticism or his religious belief solely based on human or social standards. What we see as worldly pleasures can be ascetic in God’s world. (Although Bible/Koran is words from God, we need to remember that it is written by religious leaders who, at that time, wanted to politically control and manipulate people.)

In Hafez’ work, his poems are mostly about pleasures that he would not be able to practice in his own life, because he’s a Sufis that practices asceticism. I assume what he had written in his poems were his desires, but it can also be what he had experienced. A glass of wine was what made him try to forget what he was doing, and he continues to do it in one of his poems in order to not feel the guilt. And Hafez truly believed pleasure is what gives you happiness, despite all the heartbreak, drunkenness and everything else that comes with it. It goes against everything he is, but that is humanity.

” O glory love and light of all other poets, let my long study and great love avail that made me delve so deep into your volume. You are my teacher and my author”

Dante shows his praise for Virgil. He thinks that virgil occupies an immortal literary position. He see Virgil as his academic mentor.

When Dante got lost in the forest, Virgil is the person who find him a way out. Moreover, Virgil is a famous poet. So he represents light, knowledge and a right direction.

I don’t believe that Dante had any sympathy for Odysseus. In Greek culture, Odysseus was portrayed as “god like” and worthy to be among the gods. In Dante’s Inferno, however, Odysseus is a sinner burning in hell for his crimes during the Trojan War. In addition, Odysseus is deep in hell in the Eighth Pouch of the Eighth Circle of Hell. Dante mentions Odysseus to illustrate that Odysseus’ crimes went against Christian morals. Among the Greeks, Odysseus’ role in the Trojan War may have been seen as heroic. On the contrary, in Dante’s Inferno, nobody can escape punishments if they act against Christian standards. Also, Dante reveres Rome, which back then was an enemy of the Greeks. Thus, showing one of Greek’s greatest hero in hell, Dante sheds light on the relationship between the Romans and the Greeks.