Rumi is quoted everywhere. My guess would be Einstein, Ghandi, then Rumi. Some might see him as the pumpkin spice latte of poetry.

Part of this is because much of his poetry is pithy, able to fit on the side of a mug or neatly inside a square instagram format. You would be doing yourself a disservice to dismiss this great soul's body of work if you didn't take some time do deeply drink in what he is offering.

His words have layers and layers of meaning that unfold as my own awakening has deepened. I've been reading him over twenty years. Specifically this edition and translation (Translations by Coleman Barks with John Moyne).

Rumi was a Sufi mystic. Like other Sufis he followed a form of mystical Islam that sought a personal and direct experience of God. Rumi has a personal and emotional relationship with the Divine. His work has been described as ecstatic and magical. An argument can be made for the tantric currents of his work. He fearlessly sees God in all aspects of reality, in the nitty gritty of human life. Rumi scales the spiritual heights and digs deep into the mud of human experience.

I'll start with a little history of Rumi quoted from the introduction of this book and then share with you some of my favorite quotes. You can skip to the quotes section here.