A Poem by Rumi
A baby pigeon stand on the edge of a nest all day. Then he hears a whistle, Come to me. How could he not fly towards that? Wings tear through the body’s robe when the letter arrives that says, “You’ve flapped and fluttered against limits long enough. You’ve been a bird without wings in a house without doors or windows.” Compassion builds a door. Restlessness cuts a key. Step off proudly into the sunlight, not looking back. Take sips of this pure wine being poured. Don’t mind that you’ve been given a dirty cup. – Rumi
Pigeons, like us humans, have extraordinary homing senses. It knows how to find its way back home, no matter how far it has gone. Standing on the “edge” of a nest is like standing on the edge of our potential, but yet, staying where it is safe. What would my life be like 10 years from now? Will I still have the leisure and delight of dreaming 10 years down the road, when I am 10 years down the road from today? So, I realize that I have been standing on the edge of my life for some time now.
Inner transformation is not only normal but an innate necessity in our evolution. Every day, the chaotic world we call life pulls us further away from spiritual truths and the deepest part of ourselves. The “whistle” is the calling of our higher soul, our higher calling. The internal wings emerge from the heart or light of the soul, tearing or surpasses the efforts of the physical means – body’s robe – in accomplishing the same task of taking flight. The desire to follow the calling of one soul can end all other desires. The hungry soul cannot be satiated any longer. The pull towards the calling of one’s soul can be powerful and all- encompassing. This “letter” or message from our higher soul comes to us at a time when we release the physical struggles of flapping and fluttering and never making progress.
The “way out,” the door is built through a compassionate heart. The heart must be developed first for the spiritual energy or energy of our soul to flow through us. Our restlessness, or desires to act upon the energy of the heart is the means to which we open the door, the “key”.
Walk in the direction of the light of one’s soul without question, hesitation, or regret. We sip, grow, and assimilate small amounts even though there is an abundance and “pour” of divine energy available. We have imperfections and struggles but do not mind these are much as the precious purity of the wine we are privileged to enjoy. This knowledge from within which is present in each of us just knows.
