The Prince of Eternity, with commentary


The Prince of Eternity*

Go and seek the truth within.
Throw away your petty rituals
and become a prince of eternity.

Don't take the soul from your soul.
Don't turn this bread into poison.
Can't you see? --
Someone tossed a pearl
into the bottom of a dung heap.
It is only for the sake of that pearl
that we cover our hands with dung.

--rumi


An interesting, very deep little poem.

The things that stuck out for me:

1) Don't turn the Bread into poison: Don't make the spiritual world such an evil or difficult place, but rather keep it as something lifegiving.

2) Throw away your petty rituals: this, to me, indicates a process of continual self-review, to see which rituals are becoming habits, and no longer have meaning. Either throw them away, or make them non-petty. Rituals, themselves, are neither good nor bad. It is when they become automatic, rather than having the meaning enfused in them, that they are worthless.

Something to think about, next time you're doing the dishes.

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