Samsara

I thought today of our time in Istanbul and all of those walks we took along the streets on our way to explore mosques, markets and other interesting sites. You may remember that during those days we found ourselves a number of times unexpectedly wandering into cemeteries. I remember you commenting to me on one very cold afternoon how well kept the graves were kept compared to other places you had visited. We studied the names inscribed there and I took some photos of the beautiful script and shapely headstones and even of the cats that seemed at home warming themselves against the tombs, not to mention the colourful flower beds laid out in neat rows throughout the place as well.

Without realizing it, I can see now that this theme followed us back to England where we spent some time looking at the inscriptions and memorials in Bath Abbey and even in the John Sloane Museum on our last days there together, when we stopped to read the memorial poem dedicated by Soane to his wife. We even talked about but missed a chance in Paris to go to the famous cemetery of Pere Lachaise, but we will surely do that one day in the future.

It is strange perhaps to think of this tonight but it came to mind as I remembered a beautiful poem by the Sufi poet Rumi on the subject of the cycle of  life, death and rebirth which I liked very much. I share it with you here:

I died as a mineral and became a plant,

I died as plant and rose to animal,

I died as animal and I was Man.

Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?

Yet once more I shall die as Man, to soar

With angels bless’d; but even from angel hood

I must pass on: all except God doth perish.

When I have sacrificed my angel-soul,

I shall become what no mind e’er conceived.

Oh, let me not exist! for Non-existence

Proclaims in organ tones,

To Him we shall return.

ز جمادی مُردم و نامی شدم — وز نما مُردم بهحیوان سرزدما

مُردم از حیوانی و آدم شدم — پس چه ترسم؟ کی ز مردن کم شدم؟

حمله دیگر بمیرم از بشر — تا برآرم از ملائک بال و پر

وز ملک هم بایدم جستن ز جو — کل شیء هالک الا وجهه

بار دیگر از ملک پران شوم — آنچه اندر وهم ناید آن شوم

پس عدم گردم عدم چو ارغنون — گویدم کانا الیه راجعون

-Rumi

What struck me most about this when I first read it was how many parallels it has to Buddhist thought and philosophy. This is something you have not had much exposure to yet I guess, but you will very soon. It is just two weeks now until you will be here with me in Thailand and I am very much looking forward to sharing many interesting and I think 'new' things with you about the people, culture and beliefs of this place I have come to love and call my home. It will be a very special time for us both for certain.