Steve Brewer

If you had told me at some point in my past that I would start enjoying poetry, I would have looked at you cross-eyed. Last year, I asked for a book of writings by Rumi, as translated by Coleman Barks. I asked for it not because of the poetry, but because of the spirituality in Rumi’s writings. I really didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into.

For those unfamiliar with Rumi, he was a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic renowned for his profound spiritual wisdom. His work celebrates divine love, emphasizes the unity of all existence, and continues to inspire millions worldwide with its universal messages of compassion, spiritual longing, and transcendence.

One poem has particularly stuck with me, and I think about it often: “The Guest House.” When I read it for the first time, I realized I had heard it before. If you’re a fan of Coldplay, you’ve likely heard it too. The track “Kaleidoscope” on their 2015 album “A Head Full of Dreams” features Coleman Barks reading some of the poem.

My commentary on why it speaks to me

I hope the poem resonates with you.  Below you will find the sections from the poem and my interpretation and what the poem means to me.

This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Right from the beginning, Rumi lays out the human condition. We have emotions that arrive unexpectedly. Not a day goes by without encountering them. But there’s good news…

Welcome and entertain them all.
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

We have agency in our lives! We can decide how to anticipate these emotions, aka welcoming them, and prepare for how we’ll respond. There’s centuries-old wisdom here that I hear echoed in modern podcasts. These podcasters and their guests are simply resurfacing wisdom that has existed before Rumi lived and wrote his poetry. We have a say! How empowering is that? And that last line gives us a hint of what’s to come. “What new delight?” When I’m overwhelmed by whatever I’m going through, it’s hard to imagine some new delight awaiting me on the other side.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Now he’s really challenging me. Invite these negative emotions and experiences in? Really? Here’s another piece of wisdom that appears throughout many different spiritual teachings. Jesus told his followers to drop everything and follow him into discomfort and a risky existence. The Buddha taught that suffering is inherent to existence, and when we resist and try to escape all discomfort, we increase our suffering. To echo what I hear from those podcasters: we must step into those hard things to grow and become the person we want to be.

Then comes the key to the poem, in my opinion:

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Rumi saves his best for last. “Each has been sent as a guide from beyond.” Boom. Mic drop! The reason we can laugh at them and welcome them is we know they will strengthen us, teach us something, and we’ll be better for having experienced them.

We can incorporate this wisdom into our lives

1. Everyone and everything is a teacher — Imagine how we might go through life if we experienced the world as if we have these teachers available to us – all the time. I know I would be less judgmental, more loving and forgiving, more present in the moment. Seems like a better way to live to me.
2. Take time for reflection — At least weekly, sit quietly and reflect. Consider what you’ve experienced and what you’ve learned. What does a guide do? A guide helps you navigate situations. We have another guide available to us and it is always there inside of us. You have it, I have it, everyone has it. We must sit in stillness to tap into it. It’s hard—I often hate it—but I know it’s necessary for growth.
3. Stop avoiding! — This is at the top of my list. I want to crawl under a rock. I avoid conflict like it’s the plague. But we must step into these hard situations, and we will come out stronger on the other side.

I hope you take some time this week to read and reread this poem. Let it sit with you. Let it teach you. Let it guide you to take some small action that you’ve been avoiding. I need this more than ever, and this is a call to action for myself as much as for you.

Brewer