Page 10 - English 11 | Activity Book 6

Reading Activity

1 What comes to your mind when you hear the word Sufism?

Love and Life Lessons from Rumi’s Perspective

From songs and poems to novels and movies, love has been one of the most permanent subjects for artworks
through the ages. All forms of love affect our lives so profoundly that we may feel both positive and negative
emotions in different periods during the day. However, we generally choose to reflect the negative ones. We

like to express our regret and make deductions and criticism by uttering sentences starting with ‘I wish …’, ‘He
must have…’, ‘You should have…’. Negative emotions are the result of our thoughts surrounding an event. The
way we interpret what happened can change how we experience the event and whether or not it causes stress.

There is hardly anyone who might have not heard of the Islamic dervish, and a
Sufi poet Mevlânâ Celâleddîn-i Rûmî.
Rumi understood that when people criticise, this is a reflection of their
insecurities. He has composed 3000 love songs in the love of God and the beloved
Prophet Muhammed. Rumi’s quotes on love and life have been affecting millions

of people. His choice of words and their description were quite effective. Here
are four of them:
“In your light, I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance

inside my chest, where no one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight
becomes this art. Drumsound rises on the air, its throb, my heart.” - Rumi
In this beautiful verse, Rumi speaks about the inspiration of love. As a spiritual man, he may have referred to
his love for God. However, love comes in different forms; from a parent, a child, or a companion. That love gives
the most significant source of inspiration, expressing itself through art, music, and goodwill.

"Humble living does not diminish. It fills. Going back to a simpler self gives wisdom." – Rumi
Rumi describes how true happiness comes when you keep things simple. When you cherish the basics of life, like
a walk in the sunshine or the breeze on your skin, you learn to find joy in every moment.

“Don’t grieve from what doesn’t come. Some things that don’t happen keep disasters from happening.” – Rumi
When things don’t go as planned, it can make you sad. For example, a job fails before completion or a relationship
doesn’t work out. If you have faith and let go of expectations, you relieve your pain. Rumi reminds you to trust
the direction and timing of your life, and you will flow through the ups and downs.
‘‘Love is the bridge between you and everything.’’ - Rumi

As we all know, love is God for Rumi; he must have meant spiritual
love with this quote. But, from a broad perspective, this quote
means that love is the best alternative for achieving everything in

life. It has the power to create a bridge between you and anything
you want to reach there.
If love is the bridge between you and abundance, acceptance,
courage, judgment, health, meaningful relations, peace, pleasure,
success, and wisdom, wouldn’t you like to be pushed by this incredible force every day of your lives? If your

answer is yes, start today with yourself, and that action will be the key that will unlock all the doors.

ORTAÖĞRETİM 10 ENGLISH-11
GENEL MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ