Rumi, Dickinson, and Whitman: A Dialogue of Possibility and Self

Emily Dickinson once wrote: “I dwell in Possibility — / A fairer House than Prose.” Her metaphor of the self as a dwelling with infinite windows and doors has its counterpart in Rumi’s Masnavi, where the soul is described as a house for passing states.

Persian (Masnavi V, 155):
هست مهمان‌خانه این تن ای جوان
هر صباحی ضیف نو آید دوان

This body is a guest house, O young one.
Each morning, a new guest comes rushing in.

Rumi’s guest house is Dickinson’s house of possibility. Both imagine the self not as a fixed structure but as a dwelling open to arrivals from beyond. For Dickinson, these arrivals are “possibility” itself, enlarging the chambers of being. For Rumi, they are the visitors of joy, sorrow, fear, or wonder — each to be welcomed, each to be let go. Both affirm that life’s fullness is not in closure but in receptivity.

Another Masnavi passage expands this sense of openness into a vision of perpetual becoming.

Persian (Masnavi IV, 135):
آمده اول به اقلیم جماد
وز جمادی در نباتی اوفتاد

At first he came to the realm of mineral;
from mineral he passed into plant.

Rumi traces existence as a journey through forms — from mineral, to plant, to animal, to human, and onward. Dickinson’s “chambers as the cedars” resonate here: each stage is another room, more spacious than the last. Life, for both poets, is not confinement but expansion — an invitation into ever-wider possibility.

If Dickinson finds kinship in Rumi’s house of possibility, Walt Whitman finds his mirror in Rumi’s cosmic self. Whitman’s “Song of Myself” exults: “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” In the Masnavi, Rumi sings the same truth:

Persian (Masnavi IV, 117):
ما ز بالاییم و بالا می‌رویم
ما ز دریاییم و دریا می‌رویم

We are of the Above, and to the Above we rise.
We are of the sea, and to the sea we return.

Here the self is not bounded; it belongs to sky and sea alike. Whitman’s multitudinous “I” and Rumi’s wave-soul both dissolve into the Whole, affirming that individuality and universality are one.

And just as Whitman delights in the newness of each perception, so too Rumi celebrates renewal:

Persian (Masnavi IV, 124):
هر زمان نو صورتی و نو جمال
تا ز نو دیدن فرو میرد ملال

At every moment, a new form, a new beauty;
in seeing anew, weariness fades.

This is Whitman’s sacred present tense, where each blade of grass or pulse of the body is fresh. Rumi affirms the same: creation is not finished but endlessly unfolding, and the soul that can see with new eyes never tires of life.

Conclusion

Placed alongside Dickinson and Whitman, Rumi’s Masnavi becomes a voice in a centuries-long conversation. Dickinson dwells in possibility; Rumi opens the door of the guest house to welcome new possibilities. Whitman sings the self as cosmos; Rumi declares that we are of the Above, of the the Unbounded Ocean of Being. Each affirms that human life is not a cage but a dwelling, a journey, a song — and when we are open to what comes, we are renewed by what is and what may come.

Tell me how you feel

 

Masnavi, Book V 

These words go beyond measure.
my friend, now tell me how you're doing

describe your states of being.

Your states rise from a wellspring that's ever new—
how could you settle for the stale and worn?

Tell us of those luminous moments.
where dust is lifted from lessons and numbered rules,
for the light of the heart shines greater.

If your inner state cannot be spoken,
then tell us of the outer one.

By the grace of the Friend,
even bitterness has become sweeter to the soul
than sugared cane.

A grain of that sweetness,
cast into the sea,
would turn its vast salt waves into honey.

Hundreds of thousands of states appear like this—
and then return again to the unseen.

Each day’s state is like the song of the reed,
a stream flowing, bound by no dam.

Each joy is new in kind,
each thought leaves another mark.

---

This body is a guest house, O young one.
Every morning, a new guest rushes in.

Do not say, “This one is an additional burden around my neck!”
For soon enough it will return to nothingness.

Whatever comes from the hidden world
is a guest in your heart.
Welcome it.
Receive it with joy.

---

And hear this story—

of that guest whom the woman of the house said,
“The rain detained him.
He has stayed upon our neck until dawn.”

The guest replied,
“O woman, speak not in excuses!
The rain does not fall so much—
he should have gone quickly.”

But again the guest remained another night.
And the woman said,
“It was the rain that held him back.”

The guest answered,
“O woman, make fewer excuses!
The rain does not fall so much—
he should have gone quickly.”

---

Waves of states come and go,

like guests who stay but never remain.
Excuses are illusions—
for each one is only passing through.
All that comes, comes from beyond.
The heart’s work is only this:
to welcome,
to receive,
to let go.

Welcome to the Guest House

 The Guest House — 

This body—
listen to it from within.
Think of it as a guest house,
who welcomes those who arrive.

Each morning,
a new guest comes hastening in.

Do not think:
“Why another? Another that I'm stuck with.”
For the guest may suddenly
fall back into the Unmanifest,
into the realm of Pure Being from which it came.

Whatever comes to you
from the Hidden realm— the Unmanifest
welcome it,
as you would welcome a guest at your door.

In your heart,
every feeling, every thought,
is but a guest.

Hold them with care.
Receive them with openness.
Welcome them.

The Path Towards Realizing the Divine

Rumi's poem offers a rich and complex tapestry of themes and ideas, all woven together to illuminate the path towards realizing the Divine. Here's a step-by-step analysis of the key elements:

1. Awakening to Love and Longing:

The journey begins with an awakening to the pain of separation from our true source, the Divine. This longing, symbolized by the reed's lament, is not a negative feeling but a catalyst for spiritual growth. It motivates us to seek reunion with the Beloved and embark on the inward journey.

2. Cultivating Self-Control and Discipline:

Rumi emphasizes the importance of self-control and discipline as essential tools for traversing the spiritual path. He warns against the dangers of indiscipline, illustrating its consequences through stories of Moses and Jesus. By mastering our desires and impulses, we create the inner space necessary for Divine inspiration to enter.

3. Seeking Divine Guidance and Inspiration:

The king's dream guides him to the divine physician, representing the importance of seeking guidance from a true spiritual master. This master, acting as a conduit for Divine inspiration, can diagnose the ailments of the soul and prescribe the necessary remedies. Even when these remedies seem harsh, they ultimately serve to purify and refine the seeker.

4. Discerning Truth from Illusion:

Rumi cautions against mistaking appearances for reality. The vizier, despite his outward piety, is ultimately revealed as a deceiver motivated by envy and self-interest. This highlights the importance of spiritual discernment, the ability to distinguish between genuine spiritual guidance and mere trickery or self-serving manipulation.

5. Balancing Trust and Action:

The debate between the lion and the beasts of chase explores the relationship between trust in God and personal exertion. While complete reliance on God is essential, Rumi also emphasizes the importance of actively engaging in good works and striving for spiritual growth. True faith inspires action and motivates us to fulfill our potential as human beings.

6. Recognizing the Divine in All:

Rumi points to the presence of the Divine in all creation. The wind, fire, water, and earth all obey God's commands and serve as instruments of His will. By contemplating these natural phenomena, we can begin to see the Divine reflected in everything around us.

7. Transcending the Limitations of the Material World:

The poem reminds us that the material world is ultimately a prison for the soul. True reality is spiritual and transcends the limitations of form and image. By detaching ourselves from worldly attachments and desires, we can begin to experience the infinite and eternal realm of spirit.

8. Seeking Union with the Beloved:

The ultimate goal of the spiritual journey is union with the Divine, the Beloved. This union is not a static state but a dynamic and ever-deepening relationship of love and devotion. By surrendering our ego and dissolving into the Divine, we achieve true liberation and fulfillment.

9. The Importance of Love and Compassion:

Throughout the poem, Rumi emphasizes the transformative power of love and compassion. Love for the Divine leads to love for all beings, dissolving the barriers of separation and uniting us in a web of interconnectedness. By cultivating love and compassion, we contribute to the healing and transformation of the world.

10. The Never-Ending Journey:

Rumi's poem concludes with an emphasis on the ongoing nature of the spiritual journey. There is always more to learn, more to experience, and more deeply to surrender to the Divine. The path to realization is not a linear one but a continuous cycle of ascent and descent, of seeking and finding, of losing ourselves and being found by the Beloved.

By following these steps, we can embark on the same path of love and devotion that Rumi describes, ultimately leading us to the realization of the Divine within ourselves and in all things.  

I Seek

 

 Ghazal 1400: The beloved's presence, I seek

Original Persian.

I hasten, I hasten, to catch up with you, the riders I seek. 

I dissolve into nothing, to arrive at the beloved's presence, I seek.

I become joyful, a fragment of fire

burn this house down, to reach the open, fields that I seek.

I become dust, I become earth, I prostrate like water 

So I can arrive, at the field of roses, that I seek.

I fell from the sky, a trembling speck, to my journey's nexus. 

I’ll tremble no more, be safe and secure when I arrive at what I seek.

The sky was a place of honor, the earth a place of loss. 

I'll escape both dangers when I reach the Sovereign that I seek

That balanced King of the world seeks a balanced lover. 

My face has turned into a gold coin to reach the value on the scale I seek.

God's mercy is like water; it does not go except to what is low. 

I become humble and pitied so that I reach the Merciful I seek

No doctor administers pills or medicine without an ailment. 

So I become entirely pain so that I may reach the remedy I seek

Sit with one who knows the heart

Rumi, Book of Shams,  Ghazal 563 

Sit, my Heart, with someone who truly knows about the heart, 
Sit beneath the shade of a tree that has fresh fruit and flowers, 

Don't wander aimless in this market of dubious sellers 
Only enter the store you know sells sweetness and sugar

Without a scale to weigh your purchase, soon, someone is bound to swindle you
They will color counterfeit coins an ornate yellow and you'll think it's gold

The deceivers will tell you, wait here by the door, I'll be right back 
Don't wait for them there, for that house has two doors

Don't go sit with any kitchen boiling stew, bowl in hand
For each boiling pot has something different brewing inside

Not every sea will have pearls and not every reed will be sweet
Not every eye has power to see; not every downside conceals an upside

دلا نزد کسی بنشین که او از دل خبر دارد به زیر آن درختی رو که او گل‌های تر دارد در این بازار عطاران مرو هر سو چو بی‌کاران به دکان کسی بنشین که در دکان شکر دارد ترازو گر نداری پس تو را زو رهزند هر کس یکی قلبی بیاراید تو پنداری که زر دارد تو را بر در نشاند او به طراری که می‌آید تو منشین منتظر بر در که آن خانه دو در دارد به هر دیگی که می‌جوشد میاور کاسه و منشین که هر دیگی که می‌جوشد درون چیزی دگر دارد نه هر کلکی شکر دارد نه هر زیری زبر دارد نه هر چشمی نظر دارد نه هر بحری گهر دارد بنال ای بلبل دستان ازیرا ناله مستان میان صخره و خارا اثر دارد اثر دارد بنه سر گر نمی‌گنجی که اندر چشمه سوزن اگر رشته نمی‌گنجد از آن باشد که سر دارد چراغست این دل بیدار به زیر دامنش می‌دار از این باد و هوا بگذر هوایش شور و شر دارد چو تو از باد بگذشتی مقیم چشمه‌ای گشتی حریف همدمی گشتی که آبی بر جگر دارد چو آبت بر جگر باشد درخت سبز را مانی که میوه نو دهد دایم درون دل سفر دارد

Where are you?

 

Ghazal 206 - Divane Shams

You from whom all good flows , who are you, 

The flower at the door of the garden, 

Tell me where are you, where are you?

Lily of the Valley with a hundred tongues

Did not give me any sign that it  found you

Don’t go, don’t seek any thing from me but prayer, and exaltation!

A sweet mouth is fed from the palm of your hand

O Full Moon of the Garden.

Some don’t know about your palm, 

Even if they benefit from its green thumb, raising trees and plants.

If the pine grew tall how could it match your height?

Flower if it used its hundred eyes 

would not be able to see you.

If the bird sang a sermon or the flower flourished and opened

and the grass grew sharp, they 

still could not catch up and see you.

The drink of a flower comes from a cloud, 

the drink of the heart comes from patience

Clouds, the plant’s best friend and light is a friend to patience 

They are lined up everywhere, 

people, ghouls and demons

But in this tavern none of them can set foot.

Search for me in any direction and say anything you want

You won’t make a hair of progress 

until I reveal some direction

the surface of this water is warmed by the suns’ rays

Again its the sun alone that can raise 

it to to the height of the sky