It Is What It Is: The Personal Discourses of Rumi

New Translation and Commentary by Doug Marman

It Is What It Is: The Personal Discourses of Rumi brings you across time to sit at the feet of one of the world’s greatest spiritual teachers. Jalal al-Din Rumi lived over 700 years ago, yet his voice still echoes around the world today. Rumi’s discourses have long been recognized as a key to unlocking the depths of his wisdom.

It Is What It IsThis new translation, with all new commentary, brings one of the most difficult of Rumi’s manuscripts to life. You can now experience the impact of listening to Rumi as he shares his universal and timeless teaching.

Rumi says: “These words are for the sake of those who need words to understand. As for those who understand without words, what use do they have for speech? The heavens and earth are words to them. . . . Whoever hears a whisper, what need do they have for shouting?”

Rumi is not using words to just explain, but to move us beyond the need for explanations. He describes that moment when truth reveals itself directly to us like an open book. His tales and metaphors are luminous, beckoning us to new states of consciousness.

This is more than just a book. It is designed to be a personal study program with Rumi. This includes free access to Internet discussions on each discourse, so that you can interact with others, hear their insights, ask questions, and share your own realizations from what Rumi says. This provides a more complete learning experience. You can start below, after reading sample Discourse Two. Feel free to jump right into the dialogue.

ISBN 9780979326059 / 370 pages / $19.75 

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Printed throughout with two colors and illuminated letters. A beautiful book to own for a lifetime. See sample and excerpt below.

It Is What It Is - pages 278-279

EXCERPT FROM IT IS WHAT IT IS:

Discourse Two

omeone says: “Our Master does not utter a word.”

Rumi answers: Well, it was the idea of me that brought you to my presence. This thought of me did not speak with you saying, “How are things with you?” The inner image without words drew you here. If the reality of me draws you without words and transports you to another place, what is so wonderful with words? Words are the shadow of reality, a mere branch of reality. Since the shadow draws, how much more the reality!

Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words. If someone should see a hundred thousand miracles and divine blessings, still, without an inner connection to that saint or prophet who was the source of those miracles, all these phenomena would come to nothing. It is this inward element that draws and moves us. If there were no element of amber in straw, the straw would never be attracted to the amber [Rumi is referring to static electricity here]. They would not cling to each other, even if you rubbed the amber with fur. This exchange between them is hidden, not a visible thing.

It is the idea that brings us. The thought of a garden brings us to the garden. The thought of a shop brings us to the shop. However, within these thoughts is a secret deception. Have you never gone to a certain place thinking it would be good, only to find disappointment? These ideas then are like a shroud, and within that shroud someone is hidden. The day reality draws you and the shroud of thought disappears, there will be no disappointment. Then you will see reality as it is, and nothing more.

Click to download Discourse Two

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