In the poem, How Intelligence Advises Your Spirit, Rumi says:
and then your mean-spirited advisor, Haman, whose nature is to hate, comments, “Do you listen now to men dressed in rags!”
Before Haman scolds, there is a verse that reads: “Sometimes Moses tells your Pharoah something of such tenderness that it would make the rocks give milk.”
The men dressed in rags, for me anyway, are the parts of myself who have not demonstrated their powers. The photographer me is dressed in metaphorical rags. I lack clients, and I lack a reputation. Haman wants me to avoid this ragged advisor. Haman wants me to embrace cynicism and doubt.
But when I contemplate the spirit that moves me to take pictures, and I reflect on my desire to link generations of families through photographs and text, it makes the rocks give milk.
Let me segue from myself to the high-profile yoga teachers whose careers I follow. Several of them recently relinquished their authority to use the Anusara brand name. Some have written blog posts about their anxiety in giving up this affiliation. Would their students still attend their classes? From what I can gather, the loss of a brand name has brought no decline in attendance. I’m not an advocate of branding yoga, and I am pleased that these teachers have declared their independence. Since courage is central to the practice of yoga one might expect accomplished teachers to demonstrate it when it’s needed, and so they have. I applaud them.
I have several friends in various fields who are aching at their jobs because most work places make people miserable. Creating misery is generally held to be a primary role for managers. My friends have inner advisors who dress in rags, as mine does, and their Haman yells at them to be prudent and to ignore these beggars. I spoke at length to one of those friends last night. My comments were to the effect that intelligence is working through him.
Intelligence advises us constantly, but it’s not a crystal clear signal on account of the ruckus from Haman. Rumi’s advice is to put Haman in his place. I’m working on it myself.
Thanks to all the people who know their own sweet nature, and for the reminders I receive from them not to bow before Haman and his annoying tantrums.
Rumi assures us that “The inner king is your spirit.” He adds, “Don’t think that these are just names! They’re realities. Explore them.”
Be well, y’all.
