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MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE AS REVEALED IN JALALUDDIN RUMI’S POEMS: “THE TAVERN” AND “HOW VERY CLOSE”
A THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education
By: Intika Putri Widiarti Student Number: 031214142
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2008
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE AS REVEALED IN JALALUDDIN RUMI’S POEMS: “THE TAVERN” AND “HOW VERY CLOSE”
A Thesis Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education
By: Intika Putri Widiarti Student Number: 031214142
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2008
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This thesis is dedicated to
Suma Ching Hai, Dad, Mom, as well as my two little Sisters.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all I would like to express my thank to the Almighty God. He is not only the one who saves me, but He is a loyal and great companion. He gives me strength, He stays on my side, and gives me tremendous bless that I can stand up once again and again. He helpful hands support me that I can finally finish this thesis. I would like to express my high appreciation to my major sponsor Dr. Wigati Yektiningtyas Modouw, M.Hum., for her patient, understanding and her motivating guidance in helping me finish this thesis. I will not forget those great moments we share together. My deepest gratitude also goes to my co-sponsor Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum. She assists me on my every page of this thesis. She is unbelievably efficient and critical although she has a very little time. I am honored to be one of her students. I would also like to express my great thanks to all lecturers for their great contribution in my development, their honest and critical sharing and unforgettable memories. I would like to express my thanks to all staff in the secretariat, especially Mbak Tari and Mbak Dani supporting me since the first semester until now. My special thanks go to my father Ir. Kunto Prayogo. He is my hero and my idol since I was a little girl until now and forever. He is my everything. He supports me with his endless love, continuous assistance and enriches me with his encouraging wisdom. I learn about respect for individual difference from him. My special thanks also go to my beautiful mother Sri Ratna Hardiati, who has become my loyal bestfriend. Nothing in this world can replace her and her great love and
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caring. To my lovely sisters Dita and Lila who has become little angels in the house. No one can make me as happy, as sad, as proud, as angry, as confuse as they do. My sincere thanks go to my best friends, Bunga Ajeng and her family, Timur Pamenang (Timmy), Fendi, Sharylin Childers (riil). I found precious friendship, honesty, and respect and share the greatest feeling of friendship with them. For all my ‘children’ gorgeous cats whom I love so much, Tukul (kungkung), Rio (yoyoh), eta’ and all her kitties, Hj. Maria chiripa and all her kitties, cindy and all her kitties, lusi, ruben (ubeng), iteng, and mas lilo. I also thank to my precious friends of PBI: Bunga, Dera, Timur, Debby, Helen, Winny, Fendi, Ellen and mas moi, mbak Desty, Bertha, Cipox, Rinto Dudung, Dudy, Andre 98, Andre 02 and others for the greatest support. Also, my friends Sharylin Childers, Mbak Citra, Mas Adi, Mbak Ayu, Eric Manning, Jenny Hayes, Mas Hari, MD, Mas Indra, Mas Alex, Mbak Marina, Yobie Rukanda as well as my family Mas Adit, Mbak Leni, Mbak Ivy, Papa and Mama Raharjo Yudhono, Bupoh Dien, Ajeng Hayu, Bude Anik, Bude Arum, Mbak Yurni, and others whom I could not mention one by one here. In addition, I give my best appreciation and compliment to Suma Ching Hai, Eyang Jimat as well Kuinjabihari who have always guided me in enduring my journey of life, released my pain as well as giving the enlightment, freedom and wisdom both for me and for all the living things in this world. My great appreciation, finally, goes to my greatest man, Yogi Priandhika. Thanks for supporting words, inspiring encouragement, and greatest love. He is everything to me. He is the one I want in this life. Intika Putri Widiarti viii
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE……...............................................................................................
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PAGE OF APPROVAL…...................................................................................
ii
PAGE OF ACCEPTANCE………......................................................................
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STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY....................................................
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PAGE OF DEDICATION.................................................................................... v STATEMENT OF PUBLICITY………………………………………………..
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS…................................................................................ vii TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………….………
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ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………..….…..
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ABSTRAK…………………………………………………………………...…..
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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION…...................................................................
1
1.1 Background of the Study............................................................................
1
1.2 Objectives of the Study..............................................................................
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1.3 Problem Formulation.................................................................................
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1.4 Benefits of the Study..................................................................................
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1.5 Definition of the Terms..............................................................................
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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE..............................
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2.1 Theoretical Review....................................................................................
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2.2 Reviews on Religious Ground and Sufism................................................
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2.2.1 Religious Ground..............................................................................
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2.2.2 Sufism………………………………………………………………
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2.3 The Life and the Work of Jalaluddin Rumi………………......................
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2.3.1 The Life……………………...……………………………………..
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2.3.2 The Work…………………………………...……………………...
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2.4 Criticism...................................................................................................
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2.5 Theoretical Framework………………………………………………....
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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY...................................................................
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3.1 Subject Matter..........................................................................................
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3.1.1 “The Tavern”……………………………………………………...
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3.1.2 “How Very Close”………………………………………………...
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3.2 Approach..................................................................................................
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3.3 Procedures……………………................................................................
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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS................................................................................
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4.1 The Explication of Jalaluddin Rumi’s Poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”….........................................................................................
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4.1.1 The Tavern…………………….….………………………………..
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4.1.2 How Very Close………………………………..……………..........
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4.2 Mystical Experience Represented in Jalaluddin Rumi’s Poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”……………………………………….
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4.2.1 Bondageless………………………………………………………...
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4.2.2 Transcendent Love………….……………………………………...
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CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION.....................................
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5.1 Conclusion…………………………...………………………………….
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5.2 Suggestion……….……………………………………………………...
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5.2.1 Suggestion for the Further Researchers…………………...……….
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5.2.2 The Implementation of Teaching Poetry…………………………...
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5.2.2.1 The Importance of Applying Biographical Background to Analyze Rumi’s poems in Teaching Poetry…...……………………...………………….
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5.2.2.2 The Implementation of Teaching Rumi’s Poems by Applying Author’s Biographical Background………………...…………………………….......
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BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………
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APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………..
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Appendix 1 “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”…………………………..…
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Appendix 2 Jalaluddin Rumi’s Biography………………………………..........
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Appendix 3 Jalaluddin Rumi’s Picture……………………………………........
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Appendix 4 The Middle East Map 13th Century……………………………….
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The Ottoman Empire’s Map……………………………………….
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The Middle East Map……………………………………………..
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Appendix 5 Lesson Plan………………………………………………………..
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Appendix 6 Short Description about Poetry I………………………………….
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Appendix 7 Interview Transcription with Kuinjabihari.......................................
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ABSTRACT
Widiarti, Intika Putri (2008). Mystical Experience as Revealed in Jalaluddin Rumi’s Poems: “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”. Thesis. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma University. This thesis discussed and analyzed “The Tavern” and “How Very Close” (2004), two poems written by Jalaluddin Rumi. This thesis explored the concept of true happiness through mystical experience offered by Jalaluddin Rumi which was manifested into both poems. It was interesting to discuss mystical experience because it offered the values we could learn. This thesis presented two main questions: 1.What does Jalaluddin Rumi say in his poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”? 2. How is mystical experience represented in “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”? This thesis is aimed to answer the problems mentioned. The writer applied Structural-Semiotics approach by Julia Kristeva to answer the questions. To answer the first question, Structural approach was employed to get the meaning in the intrinsic level. The analysis of the intrinsic level was based on the elements of the poems in a text level which were seen from language, namely words, prosodic features, and the interpretation of the words written in the poems. Thus, the use of dictionary was essential. The second question employed Semiotics approach to explore the extrinsic level of the poems. To construct the meaning in extrinsic level, it needed information from the contextual background which were seen from religious ground, Sufism, Jalaluddin Rumi’s biographical background as well as the information suggested by spiritual practitioner. This information was employed as the supporting information in understanding the essence of the poems. The findings of this thesis are, furthermore, two imperative messages that Rumi wishes to convey through both of the poems. The first finding in intrinsic level of the poem “The Tavern” refers to the finding of the author’s self identity while “How Very Close” refers to the intimacy of the author’s beloved. This finding directs to the same point of Rumi’s spiritual Journey. The second finding in extrinsic level, pointing to the same similarities, namely: ‘bondageless’ and ‘transcendent love’ as the mystical phase of Jalaluddin Rumi. To this point, the phase refers to his primary life reflection of his spiritual journey which enables him to attain higher level of spiritual understanding. For future researchers, the writer suggests to analyze further influence of mystical experience toward humans’ mode of vision about life, especially the intention to find the difference of one’s psychological attitudes building before experiencing mystical experience and that of after it. It is imperative to see one’s motivational background which changes his or her point of view toward this life so that one may have some particular opinions about the essence of life.
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ABSTRAK Widiarti, Intika Putri (2008). Mystical Experience as Revealed in Jalaluddin Rumi’s Poems: “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”. Thesis. Yogyakarta: Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma. Skripsi ini menganalisis dan membahas puisi berjudul “The Tavern” and” How Very Close” (2004) yang ditulis oleh Jalaluddin Rumi. Skripsi ini menggali konsep dari kebahagiaan sejati melalui pengalaman spiritual yang ditawarkan oleh Jalaluddin Rumi yang termanifestasikan kedalam kedua puisinya. Pengalaman spiritual merupakan suatu hal yang menarik untuk dibicarakan karena hal ini menawarkan nilai-nilai yang dapat kita pelajari. Skripsi ini mengajukan dua pertanyaan utama: 1. Apakah yang Jalaluddin Rumi katakan dalam puisinya yang berjudul “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”? 2. Bagaimanakah pengalaman spiritual yang direpresentasikan di dalam “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”? Skripsi ini bertujuan untuk menjawab dua pertanyaan yang telah disebutkan. Penulis menggunakan pendekatan Structural-Semiotics dari Julia Kristeva untuk menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang telah disebutkan diatas. Untuk menjawab pertanyaan pertama, pendekatan Struktural digunakan untuk mendapatkan arti dalam lapisan intrinsik. Analisis dari lapisan intrinsik ini berdasarkan elementelement dari puisi dalam level teks yang dilihat dari segi bahasa, element prosodik, dan interpretasi dari kata-kata yang terdapat didalam puisi-puisi tersebut. Oleh karena itu, penggunaan kamus sangatlah penting. Pertanyaan kedua t pendekatan Semiotik untuk menggali lapisan ekstrinsik dari puisi-puisi tersebut. Untuk membangun interpretasi lapisan ekstrinsik, dibutuhkan informasi dari latarbelakang kontekstual yang dilihat dari dasar religius, Sufi, latar belakang Jalaluddin Rumi, dan informasi yang diperoleh dari praktsi spiritual. Informasi-informasi ini digunakan sebagai informasi pendukung untuk mengerti esensi dari puisi-puisi tersebut. Hasil dari studi ini adalah dua pesan yang sangatlah penting yang ingin disampaikan Rumi melalui kedua puisinya. Hasil pertama dalam lapisan intrinsik dari puisi “The Tavern” menunjuk pada penemuan identitas diri sang pengarang sedangkan “How Very Close” menunjuk pada hubungan yang sangat intim sang pengarang dengan kekasihnya. Hasil ini menuju titik yang sama yaitu perjalanan spiritual Rumi. Hasil penemuan kedua dalam lapisan ektrinsik menunjuk pada inti yang sama yaitu “bondageless” dan “transcendent love” sebagai suatu fase perkembangan kehidupan mistik Jalaluddin Rumi. Pada titik ini, fase ini menunjuk pada refleksi kehidupan yang terpenting dari perjalanan spiritualnya yang memudahkan Rumi mencapai tahap pengertian spiritual yang lebih tinggi. Untuk para peneliti selanjutnya, penulis menyarankan untuk menganalisis pengaruh lebih jauh dari pengalaman spiritual terhadap cara pandang manusia tentang hidup, dengan kata lain, analisis ini bertujuan untuk mencari perbedaan dari perkembangan sikap-sikap psikologis seseorang sebelum mengalami pengalaman spiritual dan sesudah mengalaminya. Hal ini sangat penting untuk melihat latar belakang motivasi seseorang yang merubah cara pandangnya tentang hidup ini sehingga seseorang tersebut dapat memiliki pendapat-pendapat tertentu tentang esensi hidup. xiii
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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This chapter is divided into five sections. The first section is Background of the Study. It deals with the reasons for choosing mystical experience as the main concern of the study. The second section is the Objectives of the Study. This section discusses the main purpose of this study. The third section is Problem Formulation, which contains questions to be answered by this study. The fourth section is the Benefits of the Study. It puts forth the advantages of conducting this study. The fifth section is Definition of Terms. It explains the terms used in this study in order to enable the readers to understand this thesis better.
1.1
Background of the Study Every human wants to live in peace and harmony with nature and the society
they inhabit. They expect to be happy. They have made many efforts and attempts to make their lives become more peaceful and harmonious. In relation to this statement, religions have been one of the main facilitators to control and improve human life1. The word religion is derived from Latin language. Re means ‘to come back’ and lagare means ‘to connect’. The purpose of religion is therefore to reconnect a soul to his Creator (1990:10). However, life is sometimes not easy as it looks. Over time, humans have abandoned the tenets of the religions which have been upheld for thousands of years as a result of modernity. It is due to this religions do not have the capacity to facilitate the practical problems that humans face in everyday life and in 1
See appendix 7 interview with Kuinjabihari (Solo; April 18, 2007; 09:00am – 01:30pm)
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the present era by preventing them for going in the wrong direction. When humans fail to solve the practical problems in everyday life and feel that God does not answer their prayers, humans tend to find another way which is much faster and easier to achieve what they want. The example of this phenomenon is Lia Eden’s case. She founded a new religion named Salamullah. This religion came about as a tool to answer the practical problems occurring in everyday life in the context of questions about God. While their former religions had failed to aid them in answering these questions, the Salamullah believers consider this religion as the answer to the questions they have been waiting for so long2. In conjunction with the failure of religions to aid humans in answering practical problems occuring in everyday life, Bernard Lonergan has identified the shift in thinking as “the turn to interiority” (2003: 316). The interior side can be found in every religion. It empowers its believers to have a comprehensible understanding of the religions’ core objective. It directs people to the same point, which is to create a balanced life synchronized with nature and both living and non living creatures of God. For example, Islam, has an interior side called Sufism, with Jalaluddin Rumi being one of the most famous individuals who practiced Sufism. The role of the interior side in creating a balanced life is to provide the knowledge as well as the wisdom to its believer so that they feel God in everything they perceive through their five senses. Then, the understanding of God slowly changes. God is seen as a manifestation of the living and non-living creatures in the universe instead of God who just observes from the sky and is distant from His creatures. This
2
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lia_Eden
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understanding is called mysticism, and the experience called mystical experience3. Margaret Smith explains the notion mysticism clearly as follows: Mysticism is not to be regarded as a religion in itself, but rather as the most vital element in all true religions, rising up in revolt against cold formality and religious torpor. Nor is it a philosophical system, though it has its own doctrine of the scheme of things. It is to be described rather as an attitude of mind; an innate tendency of the human soul, which seeks to transcend reason and to attain to a direct experience of God, and which believes that it is possible for the human soul to be united with Ultimate Reality, when “God ceases to be an object and becomes an experience” (1980: 20). Jalaluddin Rumi (1207- 1273) has been recognized as the greatest mystical poet of Islam, and as the supreme mystical poet of all mankind. He was born in 1207 C.E. in the city of Balkh, which was then in the Persian province of Khorasan but is now in Afghanistan. His most well – known work, The Mathanawi, contains a broad expanse of Sufi teaching and of Islam itself. It is considered by many as the most magnificent work of Persian ever written (1983: 11). His insights into the human heart and soul are deep. Rumi’s universe is shaped by the Koran, the prophet of Islam, and the Muslim saints. Rumi’s message is nevertheless so universal and full of liberal use of imagery drawn from sources common to all human experience that his meaning is accessible to people of various backgrounds and religious perspectives (1983:9). As one who is interested in Rumi’s teachings, I came to realize that many of his mystical doctrines and practical wisdom taken from real life are very interesting to explore since they offer valuable meanings for readers which can be implemented into one’s life. This study is employed in order to analyze and investigate the essence of mystical experience as it is found in Rumi’s poems. My intention is, therefore, to
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The notion mystical experience has the same meaning with transcendental experience.
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explore and observe the messages of what Jalaluddin Rumi tries to convey through his poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”. I try to reveal the message of the concept real happiness through mystical experience which Rumi wants to convey. I hope this thesis is able to give a new perspective in understanding God better so that humans can make a deep consideration and self-definition of their lives. In addition, I give the limitation to this thesis that I am a practical and empirical observer of English as an English education program student who is investigating and deepening my knowledge of the English language by exploring Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems. The analysis about mystical experience is taken from Jalaluddin Rumi’s point of view which is conveyed through his mystical poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close.”
1.2 Objectives of the Study The study aims, first, to explore Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”’ and what Jalaluddin Rumi tries to convey in both of poems. The second aim of the study is to understand the meaning of mystical experience according to Jalaluddin Rumi which is manifested in his poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close.” These two objectives are undertaken with the view that Rumi’s message is highly valuable to humankind because it highlights other ways of understanding and appreciating God but also offer a concept of real happiness in life.
1.3 Problem Formulation Based on the background of the study discussed above, the problems of the study are formulated as follow:
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1. What does Jalaluddin Rumi convey in his poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”? 2. How is mystical experience represented in “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”?
1.4 Benefits of the Study The study is beneficial for both readers and those who are interested in literary works. This study helps the readers to understand more about the poems, so that the readers are able to enjoy reading Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems. The readers can also enrich their knowledge of literary studies, particularly, about mysticism in the Sufi order and mystical experience as an inherent dimension of human existence. The other advantage is that this study may make a useful contribution to other researchers who want to analyze Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems “The Tavern” and ”How Very Close” on other topics related to Sufism.
1.5. Definition of the Terms In order to clarify the meaning of the term ‘mystical experience’ used in this study, below is the definition of the term. Mystical Experience According to Rahner and Vorgrimler in Theological Dictionary mystical experience means the following: (a) An experience, the interior meeting and union of man with the Divine infinity that sustains him and all other beings in Christian mysticism, in Judaism and Islam, with the personal God as well as, (b) the attempt to give a systematic exposition of the experience, on reflection upon it (1965: 301).
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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter contains mostly theories and approaches, which will strengthen and accompany my analysis of the work. This chapter is important to help me work objectively and develop my comprehension logically. The first section is the Theoretical Review which discusses the theories used in analyzing the poems. This thesis employs the Structural-Semiotics theory. The second section is the Review of Related Studies which is employed as the important element in deepening the analysis. This section is divided into two parts, namely: Religious Ground and Sufism. The third section is The Life and Work of Jalaluddin Rumi which later will be correlated with the Structural-Semiotics theory used to analyse the poems. The last section is the Theoretical Framework.
2. 1 Theoretical Review This thesis employs the theory of Structural-Semiotics ‘text and context’ proposed by Julia Kristeva in analyzing Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems. Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems are seen as a complex structure. However, to fully understand the meaning of the poems, I include the information from the text itself and the context in which the poems were written. To understand Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”, Structural-Semiotics theory is used as the main element in understanding the poems. The text is used to explore the intrinsic level of poems, while the context is used to explore the extrinsic level of the poems. To get a whole
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unity of meaning, then, the approach is divided into two priorities, namely Structural and Semiotics. The first priority uses structural theory to reveal information at a structural level of interpretation (intrinsic). A structural level of interpretation investigates the comprehensible linguistic signs. The analysis of the intrinsic level is based on the elements of the poems in a text taken from language, namely words, prosodic features, and interpretation of the language in the poems at the intrinsic level. In order to understand the meaning at the intrinsic level, the assistance of a dictionary1 is needed. The role of the dictionary is to explicate the structural meanings of the poems which later serve as a basic foundation in organizing the essence of the poem at a extrinsic level. The second priority, semiotics, is employed to discover the essence of the poems through a deeper level of interpretation (extrinsic). Semiotics theory explores the extrinsic level of interpretation which is seen from the context of the poems. The context’s role is to provide information about the background which influenced Rumi and how he was able to create such poems. When we know how the background influenced Rumi to create such poems, we are able to infer the message of Rumi’s mystical experience and construct the essential meanings based on the information provided in its entirely. Thus, it is relevant that I provide information from religious ground, Sufism, Jalaluddin Rumi’s life, as well as the information about spiritual life suggested by Kuinjabihari. The information from the extrinsic level is employed as referential information in understanding the essence of the poems. Religious ground plays a 1
Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners: International Student Edition, 2002
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significant role in explaining the essence of religion’s interior side which aim to create a harmonious life. The understanding lies in the explanation that, to create a synchronized life, humans need the correct concept of what a religion is. So, later, human feels happy in running his life. Sufism is used as referential information for the reason that Sufism is the core of the religion of Islam (the interior side), the role of this information is to give knowledge for the readers. The readers will be able to understand and make a connection between Sufi concepts and the essence of the poems. Jalaluddin Rumi’s life is used as the referential information of how he was shaped, through his journey in life, to be somebody who realized his true essence and was able to create such works in which his essence was manifested. The information from a spiritual practitioner of Sufism named Kuinjabihari serves to give the significant in making sense of the theory I read from many written sources. It also helps readers and I understand what spiritual life is like, which is essential for readers to understand the poems deeper. The significance of this overall information is to help readers to have a better understanding of the poems. The understanding of the poems comes when the readers know the context of Rumi’s life which influenced him to become a mystic, and the values explained in the religious ground and Sufism. Thus, by employing Structural-Semiotics theory, I expect to get the complete meaning of mystical experience according to Jalaluddin Rumi which is manifested in the poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close.” Literary works are seen as structures of meaning-structures which have meanings. As a matter of fact, literary works are a sign system which has a meaning that uses language as the medium. Thus, to analyze structure system, it needs
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structural criticism to grasp the sign meanings which correlate with the structure system. The science to analyze the signs is called semiotics (Preminger et al, 1974:980). Therefore, semiotic analysis cannot be separated from structural analysis. The semiotic notion of intertextuality proposed by Julia Kristeva refers to the terms text and context. According to Julia Kristeva in her book entitled Desire in Language, text is defined as a trans-linguistic apparatus that redistributes the order of language by relating communicative speech, which aims to inform directly, to different kinds of anterior or synchronic utterances (1980: 36). The text, in brief, gives meaning directly through the structural level which is in the poems. This opinion is supported by Culler in his book entitled Structuralist Poetics, where analyzing and criticizing literary works are the efforts to catch and to give meaning to the texts of literary works (1977: VIII). The term context is defined as the procedure of a semiotics that, by studying the text as intertextuality, considers it as such within (the text of) society and history. The construction of the context is the focus where knowing reality grasps the transformation of utterances into a totality (the text) as well as the insertions of this totality into the historical and social context (1980:37). In brief, the context is therefore an effective tool to investigate the pre-textual experiences, which serve as a base from which it influences the author of the literary works to generate such works. The nature of every element in any given situation has no significance by itself, and in fact is determined by its relationship to all the other elements involved in that situation. The full significance of any entity or experience cannot be perceived unless it is integrated into the structure of which it forms a part (Hawkes, 1977:18). Between those elements, there is coherence; the elements are not situated as
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autonomous, but it is more on a part of difficult situation and from its relationship with other parts, the elements form meanings (Culler, 1977:170-1). Therefore, to understand poems, we have to notice the correlation of the elements as a part of the whole meaning. Semiotics is science of signs. Signs have two aspects, signifier and signified: both elements function as aspects of the ‘indissoluble unity’ of the sign (Hawkes, 1977:126).
Signs have various meanings which are based on the relationship
between signifier and signified, namely icon, index and symbol. In the icon, the relationship between sign and object, or signifier and signified, manifests as ‘a community in some quality’: a similarity or ‘fitness’ of resemblance proposed by signs. A painting has an iconic relationship to its subject in so far as it is resembles it. In the index, the relationship is concrete, actual and usually of a sequential, causal kind. Smoke is an index of fire. In the symbol, the relationship between signifier and signified is arbitrary; it requires the active presence of the interpretant to make the signifying connection. Saussure gives a following example, the major systematic manifestation of signs in this mode occurs in language. The observation of a leaf could be said to be the index of a tree; where painting of a tree constitutes an icon of the tree, my utterance of the word ‘tree’ is a symbol of the tree because there is no inherent, necessary ‘tree-like’ quality in that signifier: its relationship to an actual tree remains fundamentally arbitrary sustained only by the structure of the language in which it occurs, and which is understood by its interpretant, and not by reference to any area of experience beyond that (1977:129). In conclusion, this thesis applies Structural-Semiotics theory. This theory is divided into two priorities, namely Structural and Semiotics. Structural explores the
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textual level of the poems (the intrinsic level of the poem’s interpretation). Thus, the assistance of dictionary is needed to explicate the meaning in the structural text level. Meanwhile, Semiotics investigates the contextual level of the poems (the extrinsic level of interpretation): the information beyond the text which influences the author so that he is able to generate such works. The information of religious ground, Sufism, Jalaluddin Rumi’s life as well as the information suggested by the spiritual practitioner, Kuinjabihari, indeed, are relevant to discover the essential meaning of the poems in this study.
2.2 Reviews of Religious Ground and Sufism 2.2.1 Religious Ground In this part, a discussion of religion as a vital element which has a role in the analysis of the poems will be put forth. This part is useful in the fact that it highlights for the reader the value of religion. This part is useful as it gives a significant description which supports the essential meaning of mystical experience through the poems written by Jalaluddin Rumi. Thus, this description will help to obtain a deeper understanding of Rumi’s works “The Tavern” and “How Very Close.” Religion as a search for the Transcendental is an inherent dimension of human existence, although its external form seems to vary from person to person, tradition to tradition, and culture to culture. Religion is treated as a loving reality that runs through every aspect of human beings who must live it wholeheartedly each and every moment in their continued religious existence irrespective of the status, affinity, or affiliation. According to Saju Chackalackal in Journal Dharma Rationality of Mysticism,
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Religion is seen as a trans-rational existential approach to human conditions; resolutions of these problems are searched for within an initial framework supplied by certain fundamentals assumptions about reality, a framework… (2005:383). Friedrich von Hugel, in his work The Mystical Element of Religion, lists three elements that are essentially present in any institutionalized religion. They are (1) organizational or institutional, (2) speculative or intellectual, and (3) experiential or mystical (1923:51-53). Although von Hugel is of the opinion that a proper balancing of all these three elements is necessary for a proper and healthy approach to religion as a unified reality, Chackalackal tend to think that any ignorance of the experiential or mystical dimensions of religion will misrepresent its own inner spirit, leaving only a lifeless structural construction, which in turn, would become a drained system incapable of providing any assistance to its believers in appropriating a transcendental or trans-rational perspective in approaching and realizing the ultimate nature of reality in finding answers to the ultimate questions about God and life . Moreover, Chackalackal also adds that experientially-oriented or mystically disposed believers (if they are on the right track) will reinvigorate and sustain their respective religions against sheer emotionalism, self-centeredness, and unbecoming idiosyncrasies on the part of individuals… (2005: 384). Although there are a lot of sense-related practises within religions, these practises by themselves are unable to lead a seeker to a long-lasting experience of the God. These practises have value only insofar as they are symbolic in reminding an initial and intermittent understanding and experience of the Ultimate, which could be further enriched and strengthened by an ongoing practise of various methods (mostly related to the structural and dogmatic practises). A lasting and long-lasting experience of the Ultimate (God) could be gained at this level by going beyond
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rational frameworks and sense-bound experiences. It requires an inward turn so as to identify the inner spiritual meaning. It calls for transcendence over the sensual and nonessential meaning and reach of those methods (including sacred scriptures, ritualistic observances, etc) to the mystical, which according to every religion has a prime, of place: ...the mystical belongs to the very essence of every religion, even though that essence usually contains other elements as well. Not only does it occasionally take a complete hold of some, but, more importantly, it shapes and informs, inspires and renews, all religious activity, whether it be ritual, moral, or theoretical. Without some share of spiritual experience religions withers away in sterile ritualism, arid moralism, or theological intellectualism... (1988: 6-7) For a person, belonging to religious tradition especially, experiencing the essence of his or her religion and being a mystic constitute an ongoing process, an unending pilgrimage in faith; bring someone to an end of love and trust in God. As Underhill puts it, a mystic is one “in whom the transcendental consciousness can dominate the normal consciousness, and who has definitely surrendered himself to the embrace of Reality.” (2006: 75). What is essential in this regard, therefore, is orienting oneself totally and generously towards the Real by cultivating an open perspective motivated by an attitude of love and communion towards every being, living and non-living. As we know that there are a huge number of multitude methods but no single method could be put aside as the most excellent method. Every method seems to contribute its might; but no single method seems to finally attain such an ultimate experience. The reason is, all the methods that are available to us are mediated through logical reasoning and an experience already conveyed through the linguistic categories that we normally employ for communication. Therefore, use of symbols
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becomes an essential element in suggesting an approximation of the transcendental experience, encountered by the mystics. The incapability in explaining the transcendental experience would limit the value of symbolic expressions to a great extent. The role of religion in facilitating mystical experience is crucial. A believer who is capable of distinguishing between the essentials and non-essentials and of accepting the absolute character of God wholeheartedly will definitely be able to soar high in religious experience without losing the firm foundations in radical faith (2005: 387).
2.2.2 Sufism The word “Sufi” originates from Arabic word “Suf” which means wool, implying a cloak and refers to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore. But one should also note that not all Sufis wear cloaks or clothes of wool. Another etymological theory states that the root word of Sufi is the Arabic word “saaf”, meaning pure, clean or blank. This etymology refers to the emphasis of Sufism on purity of heart and soul. One should notice and to be distinguished here that, Sufism is different than the teaching of Islam in general. In fact, commonly we know that Sufism belongs to Islam. However, according to Annemarie Schimmel, Sufism is in its early stages of development meant nothing but the interiorization of Islam. According to the history of Sufism, Sufism originates in the esoteric teaching of the Prophet Muhammad. A.J. Arberry explores, in his book Sufism: An account of the Mystic of Islam that Sufi’s high interest toward certain aspects of Koran i.e., the
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way how to deeply recognize God by communing with Him instead of doing a tasteless or empty rituals of conventional religions: While the Moslem Scriptures prescribe in detail the religious duties incumbent upon the believer, and regulate his behavior as a servant of God and a member of the faithful community, we are not immediately concerned here to summarize this aspect of the Koran. We are interested rather to examine those passage beloved by the Sufis as testifying to God’s Nature and Attributes, His self-revelation to mankind through the voice of Gabriel (the angel) speaking to Mohammed. For these mystical texts are the chief encouragement and justification of the Sufi in his belief that he also may commune with God (1950: 16-17).
In the same book, Arberry also explains that the Sufis seem to notice the essential message through a deep comprehension of the Koran. Such knowledge of the essence of God takes the Sufis to start and continue their appreciation toward God: Remember God often is a phrase which constantly recurs in the Koran: in its context it has an obvious, neutral meaning, but the Sufis interpreted it in a special way, and the word “remembrance” (dhikir) acquired in time a very particular connotation. “Everything upon the earth passeth away, save His Face” seem where it stands to be innocent of all but its apparent intention;it is taken by the Sufis as the peg upon which to hang their characteristic doctrine of the passing away (fana’) of human attributes through union with God, whereby the mystic achieves the eternal continuance (baqa’) of spiritual life in Him (Arberry, 1950:22) The characteristic of the Sufi order is that there is the existence of a master (shaykh or pir) and “apprentice” (murid) relationship. An “apprentice” places himself under the spiritual direction of a “Master” (shaykh or pir). This is a very esoteric and private relationship between them. The relationship, then, advances into the teaching of the values of life and also spirituality. It concerns such topics as: mystical experience, education of the heart to rid itself of its lowermost instincts, the love of
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God, and especially the approach towards God through a series of progressive stages or stations and states. The basic belief of Sufism is Love, since love is a projection of the essence of God to the Universe. Sufis believe that everything is a reflection of God. The Sufi conception of divine love is not restricted to what the term of "love of God" implies; it also includes human loves with a perspective that views everything a manifestation of God. The importance of Sufis is that they inspire man to lift his eyes to what exists beyond the physical world. Sufis believe that love is the most evident when the object of love is absent. The chief aim of all Sufis then is to let go of all notions of ‘duality’ (and therefore of the individual self also), and realize the divine unity which is considered to be the truth. Islam, in general, believe that Humans are God’s slaves. However, as it is said above, Sufism does not believe in the duality which means God and humans are separated. Humans and God are One; and this also includes everything in this material world, as it was there before God created us. Humans come from God and must return to God whatever the way. Since Sufis follow that principles, God and humans are one, Sufism’s rituals, teachings and aims are to be united with God. The desire to experience God, the Creator, the Supreme Entity has brought about transcendent experiences. When they unite with God, the experience, then, is called a mystical experience. However, as the consequence of the Sufis’ intimacy with God, they have never argued the different ways that people from different religions choose in establishing their relationship to their God.
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2.3 The Life and the Work of Jalaluddin Rumi 2.3.1 The Life Persian and Afghanis call Rumi “Jelaluddin Balkhi”.
He was born on
September 30, 1207, in Balkh, Afghanistan, which was then part of the Persian Empire. The name Rumi means “from Roman Anatolia.” He was not known by that name, of course, until after his family, fleeing the threat of the invading Mongols armies, emigrated to Konya, Turkey, sometime between 1215 and 1220. Due to Rumi’s years in which he fled to safe places to avoid the destructive army of Mongols, Rumi and the Sufis group “performing the pilgrimage to Mecca, returning northward to Syria and Asia Minor, visiting Sufi centres” (Shah, 1964: 132-133). This information may lead us logically to think that in the journey to find a safe place to reside, he stayed in or, at least was familiar with the tavern, since a tavern in early times was a hut placed at caravan stops in the Middle East for the shelter of traders and travellers. So, Rumi might have been familiar with taverns as a result of his travels from one country to another to find a safe place to stay due to the massive destruction of the Mongol army’s invasion of Persia and the Near-East in 1215-1220. It might help us to analyze the significance of a tavern in Rumi’s poem. His father, Bahauddin Walad, was a theologian and jurist and a mystic of uncertain linage. Bahauddin Walad’s Maarif, a collection of notes, diarylike remarks, sermons, and strange accounts of visionary experiences, has shocked most of the conventional scholars who have tried to understand them. He shows an astonishingly sensual freedom in stating his union with God. Rumi was instructed in his father’s secret inner life by a former student of his father, Burhanuddin Mahaqqiq. Burhan and Rumi also studied Sanai and Attar. At his father’s death Rumi took over the
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position of sheikh in the dervish learning community in Konya. His life seems to have been a fairly normal one for a religious scholar – teaching, meditating, helping the poor- until in the late fall of 1244 when he met stranger who put a question to him. That stranger was the wandering dervish, Shams of Tabriz, who had travelled throughout the Middle East searching and praying for someone who could “endure his company. There are various versions of this encounter, but whatever the facts, Shams and Rumi became inseparable. Their friendship is one of the mysteries. They spent months together without any human needs, transported into region of pure conversation. This ecstatic connection caused difficulties in the religious community. Rumi’s students felt neglected. Sensing the trouble, Shams disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. Annemarie Schimmel, a scholar immersed for forty years in the works of Rumi, thinks that it was at this first disappearance that Rumi began the transformation into a mystical artist. “He turned into a poet, began to listen to music, and sang, whirling around, hour after hour.” What makes Rumi’s mysticism different from any other mystics is that his relationship with Shams is considered as a homosexual relationship which makes both Rumi’s family and his scholars suspicious and envy about their togetherness, as it was said by Rumi: “You are the light of my house, don’t go away and leave me alone (Iqbal, 1983: 115). According to Iqbal, it cannot be argued that both Rumi and Shams were looking for the essence of life, as it is stated below: Rumi, himself on a high spiritual pedestal was restless and was in quest of a man worthy of his confidence and so also was Shams. Both were men of great spiritual eminence and, when they met, they naturally discovered each other
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on account of their highly developed sense of intuition. Each of them felt like a traveller who reaches his destination after years of labour and toil. Perfect harmony was established between two. Both found the long-sought-for confidant in each other, and they opened out their hearts as they would do to no one else. The meeting brought about a unique peace and restlessness. (Iqbal, 1983: 113-114) According to Iqbal, there are some reasons why Shams was not welcomed by the people closed to Rumi in Konya, namely: (a)it was under his influence that Rumi gave up the professional gown for a peculiar dress of dervish; (b) to all appearances Shams did not rigorously follow the Islamic tenets and sometimes he uttered words which ordinary people attributed to irreligion; (c) to a casual observer Shams gave the impression that he did not care much about Islamic discipline (Iqbal, 1983: 119-120). Word came that Shams was in Damascus. Rumi sent his son, Sultan Velad, to Syria to bring his Friend back to Konya. When Rumi and Shams met for the second time, they fell at each other’s feet, so that “no one knew who was lover and who the beloved.” Shams stayed in Rumi’s home and was married to a young girl who had been brought up in the family. Again the long mystical conversation (sohbet) began, and again the jealousies grew. On the night of December 5, 1248, as Rumi and Shams were talking, Shams was called to the back door. He went out, never to be seen again. Most likely, he was murdered with the involvement of Rumi’s son, Allaedin; if so, Shams indeed gave his head for the privilege of mystical Friendship. The mystery of the Friend’s absence covered Rumi’s world. He himself went out searching for Shams and went for journey again to Damascus. It was there that he realized and he wrote the poems as follow: Why should I seek? I am the same as he. His essence speaks through me. I have been looking for myself!
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The Union became complete. There was full fana, annihilation in the Friend. Shams was writing the poems. Rumi called the huge collection of his odes and quatrains The Works of Shams of Tabriz. After Sham’s death and Rumi’s reunion with him, another companion was found, Saladin Zarkub, the goldsmith. Saladin became the Friend to whom Rumi addressed his poems, not so fierily as to Shams, but with quiet tenderness. When Saladin died, Husam Chelebi, Rumi’s scribe and favourite student, assumed this role. Rumi claimed that Husam was the source, the one who understood the vast, secret order of the Mathnawi, that great work that shifts so fantastically from theory to folklore to jokes to ecstatic poetry. For the last twelve years of his life, Rumi dictated the six volumes of this master-work to Husam. He died on December 17, 1273.
2.3.2 The Works
Rumi’s major works are the Diwani-Shams-i-Tabrizi of some 40,000 verses and the Mathnawi of about 25,000 verses. There also some collections of his talks and letters are Fihi ma Fihi (“In it is what is in it”), Majalis-I sab’ah (“Seven session”), and finally Rumi’s Makatib or “Letters,” 145 documents of an average length of one or two pages. The Diwan (“Collected poems”) is composed of 3,230 ghazals totally of 35 thousands verses; 44 tarjiat, a type of poem composed of two or more ghazals, a total of 1,700 verses; and 2,000 rubaiyat or “quatrains.” The Diwan contains all of Rumi’s poetry other than the Mathnawi which are arranged according to the rhyme schemes.
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The Mathnawi (“Couplets”) comprises six books of poetry in a didactic style, ranging in length from 3,810 to 4,915 verses. The Mathnawi represents a single work which was composed in its present order. According to Afzal Iqbal, the Mathnawi was called as ‘the Qur’an in the Persian.’ (1983: 175). Fihi ma fihi, in fact, represents transcription of talks given by Rumi to various disciples. Like Mathnawi, it is very much a didactic work, explaining in detail and through a great variety of comparisons and analogies different dimension of Sufi teachings. The Majalis-I sab’ah is a short work which comprises a number of sermons obviously delivered not to an audience comprised only of Sufis but to a larger public. The last work, Rumi’s Makatib is mostly addressed to various princes and noblemen of Konya and in fact are letters of recommendations or requests for various favours written on behalf of disciples and friends. A small number are addressed to family members and disciples. In contrast to many collections of letters by Sufi masters, the Makatib contains only one letter addressed specifically to someone who has asked for spiritual counsel (Chittick, 1983: 5-7).
2.4 Criticism Jelaluddin Rumi is so famous in the east that people there call him “Giants come forth from Afghanistan and influence the world” (Idries Shah, 1964: 115). In the introduction of Afzal Iqbal’s book The Life and Work of Jelaluddin Rumi, A.J. Arberry put a high appreciation toward the poet when he says that Rumi is the best Poet of all whose come from Persia and his Mathnawi is ‘the great poems all the time’ (1983:11).
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Idries Shah, in his book The Sufis supports the familiarity of Rumi’s translated books among the readers in the West when he said that Rumi’s familiar presentation help people much to obtain the essential values in religion (1968:110). In the same book by Idries Shah, Doctor Johnson, best known for his unfavourable pronouncements, mentions the undoubted quality of Jelaluddin Rumi: ”He (Rumi) makes plain to the Pilgrim the secrets of the Way of Unity, and unveil the Mysteries of the Path of Eternal Truth” (1969:115). According to Iqbal, the values offered in Rumi’s work are always in accordance with demands found in each era along human’s histories. He also has an excellent mode of vision toward humanity (1956:132). Another good thing from Rumi is his sincerity towards other religions’ ways of thinking. Rumi’s work can be received universally since they contain relatively the same experience in various religious backgrounds as it is mentioned by William C. Chittick in his book The Sufi Path of Love: Rumi’s universe is shaped by the Koran, the prophet, and the Moslem saints, just as Dante’s is shaped by Christ, the Bible, and the church. But fortunately, Rumi’s message is go universal and he is so liberal in his use of imagery drawn from the sources common to all human experience that this obstacle (of reading Rumi’s book by Western readers) is not a fundamental one (1983:9). Many people admire Rumi’s work and Professor R.A. Nicholson is one of them who puts a high appreciation toward Rumi’s works: “The Mathnawi (one of the sources of The Essential Rumi) contains a wealth of delightful poetry” (Shah, 1969:117). Iqbal in The Life and Work of Jelaluddin Rumi continues his high appreciation towards Rumi’s spiritual life:
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Rumi is a truly great artist. He is not afraid of death, for as a creative artist he draws his inspiration from his own immortal self for which there is neither decay nor death but which, on the other hand, grows and develops continuously (1956:136).
2.5 Theoretical Framework In this thesis, I will just apply one theory; Structural-Semiotics in order to obtain a better understanding of the background and the message of mystical experience as revealed in Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems. This theory is divided into two priorities, namely Structural and Semiotics. Structural explores the textual level of the poems (intrinsic). The analysis of the first layer is based on the elements of the poems which are seen from language, namely words, prosodic features, and interpretation of the language in the poems at the intrinsic level. To construct the meaning in the first layer of interpretation, the assistance of dictionary is needed. The role of dictionary is to explicate the structural meanings of the poems which later serve a basic foundation in organizing the essence of the poem at a deeper level. Semiotics investigates the contextual level of the poems (extrinsic level of interpretation). Semiotics is used as the contextual information (beyond the text) which influences the author so that he is able to generate such works. This information involves the information from religious ground, Sufism, Rumi’s life as well as the information suggested by the spiritual practitioner, Kuinjabihari, and indeed, is relevant to discover the essential meaning of the poems.
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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the methodology in analyzing Rumi’s poems. There are three sections in this chapter. The first section is the subject matter, which concerns with the topic of the thesis. The second is the approach employed in answering the problem. The last section is the procedures, which discuss about the process in doing the study.
3.1 Subject Matter 3.1.1 “The Tavern” “The Tavern” was taken from a book The Essential Rumi by Coleman Barks, et al whom they have dedicated most of their life to interpret Jalalludin Rumi’s poems from Arabic to English. Coleman Barks, et al proclaim in the introduction of The Essential Rumi that the book is the compilation from many categories: the quatrains (rubaiyat) and odes (ghazals) of the Divan, the six books of the Mathnawi, the discourses, the letters, and the almost unknown Six Sermons. This book is divided into twenty-eight divisions which shed a light on Rumi’s esoteric thinking of other realms. His collection of quatrains and odes is called The Works of Shams of Tabriz (Divani Shamsi Tabriz). The six books of poetry he dictated to his scribe, Husam Chelebi, are simply titled Spiritual Couplets (Mathnawi), or sometimes he refers to them as The Book of Husam. The wonderfully title of the discourses, In It What’s in It (Fihi Ma Fihi,), means “what’s in the Mathnawi is in this too”. From the source of origin, “The Tavern “was translated by Coleman Barks., et all in 2004 and this poem is taken from The Works of Shams of Tabriz. Since this 24
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poem is taken from The Works of Shams of Tabriz, I fully realize that this poem is made intentionally to recall Rumi’s master, Shams of Tabriz. I definitely sure that this poem was designed deliberately to remember and give the best appreciation to his truly master. Even though Rumi felt so despair losing his mystical friendship, later in the development, he might have known that the person he was trying to seek for is in his heart (refer to Chapter 2). This poem was made when Rumi lost his mystical friend for the first time, later in the development Rumi asked his son to go to Damascus to bring Shams back to Konya. This is the time when Rumi started writing his mystical poems dedicated to his mystical companion to express his deep longing and grief whose feeling separated from his partner. This poem consists of 6 stanzas and 26 lines. This poem describes about the origin of human being and the ecstatic union of the present of the Truth which enables human being to build direct connection to his own God and feel the union symbolizes with the mystical experience. This poem also describes how human in his grief and deep longing searches for the truth, thus human has to find the way back home to the true nature; Supreme Entity (God Hirmself), even how hard it takes. The obstacles to find the truth are so beautiful that human need to release worldly attachment which bound them to unite with the Supreme Entity, Rumi put this fighting into words which are awesome.
3.1.2 “How Very Close” Having similar mystical potential like the previous poems, “How Very Close” was also taken from the compilation of The Essential Rumi with different categories, namely Fihi ma Fihi. Based on the information above, we know that Fihi ma Fihi is
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a kind of spiritual couplets and was created when Rumi was in his great grief of losing his truly friend, Shams. We can feel how Rumi in his great despair of losing Shams. To truly understand this poem, we suppose to think about somebody we love very much, our true lover. True love cannot be exchanged with something else in this world. We are to think about a truly lover in which between the lover and us, there is a strong connection of pure love that cannot be substituted with something else; love is the perfect unity between the lover and the love. As an addition, “How very Close” was translated by Nader Khalili. He is one of the devotee of Jalaluddin Rumi who has dedicated most of his life translating Rumi’s poems from Arabic to English. This poem consists of 7 stanzas and 35 lines. This poem was made when Rumi lost his mystical companion for the second time and it was the time that changed Rumi to be a real devotee of God. The grief, longing and sorrow expressed in the poem turned out to be an intimate relationship with God (refer to Chapter 2), while it used to be; the first disappearance of Shams; expressed with a certain distance to unite with his beloved. This poem best describes as the union momentum between Rumi and God with the help of a master. This poem discusses about how Rumi intoxicated to the mystery of Divine Love. It also describes as a sense of total submission, completeness and devotion to something he loves more than everything in this world. Since this thesis uses qualitative study, I do not include the whole twentyeight divisions of the poems in the book, but then I chose two of them which mainly imply the relationship to the title of my study. My consideration of choosing two of the poems is that the poems seemingly correlate the title of study, mystical experience. I find a similarity in both poems that
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is a role of master significantly influences Rumi’s attitude toward his vision of life and by the assistance of a master, Rumi found the Truth which transforms and leads him to undergo mystical experience. This experience furthermore is manifested into Rumi’s mystical poems. The role of a master, in my opinion, is really essential since this is the starting point for Rumi to be the real devotee of God. Being a real devotee of God makes Rumi realize what a true happiness is. The notion to explain his happiness is called ‘ecstasy’. Coleman Barks in his book The Essential Rumi also highlights this noticeable relation: “No one can say what such friendship is. In the commingling I heard a voice saying something close to my own sense of failure, joy, grief, ecstasy. Why is it so difficult to say the content of Rumi’s ghazals? I feel happy inside them, continuous, whole, in the simplicity of just taking in sunlight, no pretext, no excuse, empty in the present moment.” (2004: xvii)
It cannot be argued, anyway, that there are still some other poems which also seem to have relationship to my study, however, after reading the book several times I found that the two poems are the most suitable among all in terms of their correlation to my study. The reason why I choose those two poems is because I find that they are closely related to my thesis, which focuses on the mystical experience.
3.2. Approach This thesis employs Structural-Semiotics approach in order to get better understanding of the background and the message of mystical experience as revealed in Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems. This approach is divided into two priorities, namely Structural and Semiotics. Structural explores the text level of the poems (intrinsic level of the poem’s
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interpretation). Semiotics investigates the context level of the poems (extrinsic level of interpretation). This approach is employed to get a whole unity of the essence meaning of mystical experience through Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close.”
3.3. Procedure When I conducted this study, I applied two sources which, hopefully, guided me to explore each path of Rumi’s work. The sources were divided into two parts; primary and secondary source. The primary source was the two poems taken from The Essential Rumi. These two poems, hopefully, were the representation of Rumi’s mystical experience. While, the secondary sources were books which were significant to the work, i.e., the references of Rumi’s biography, religious ground, Sufism and also an approach Structural Semiotics as well as the other sources, namely articles, newspapers, magazines, websites, journals, etc. I mostly consulted my sources from Kolsani’s library and spiritual practitioners named Kuinjabihari. The importance of interviewing Kuinjabihari is to give the significance meaning in making sense the schemes of sources I read. It also helped me and readers to understand of how spiritual life was and it was essential for readers to understand the poems deeper. The significance of this overall information was to help readers to have a better understanding of the poems, in this case mystical experience. This study employed library research in analyzing the poems. I began my work by establishing some steps to have a systematic and logic understanding toward Rumi’s works. The steps were, first, I read the book persistently and I then chose two poems which I think represented Rumi’s mystical experience, and after that I
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continued reading the theory of Structural Semiotics. Next, I read others related literature and critics towards the author. Finally, I started my analysis toward the poems. The analysis assisted the information from Rumi’s biography, religious ground and Sufism as well. To investigate more information about Sufism and mysticism, I went to Solo to meet Kuinjabihari whose name means The God of the Universe on April 18, 2007 at 9:00 am - 01:30 pm. He is a spiritual practitioner whose belief is Sufism. I interviewed him to get any information related to Sufism and mysticism. I noted everything important and he explained clearly that to find our self essence, we needed assistance from an enlightened spirit in a form of human who helped us to bring us back to God or our true nature. Once a human has found his true nature, it was told that a man was considered to be a whole being. This stage means that human can directly communicate to God with the ability within the human being. In brief, to be a whole being is the manifestation of the characteristic of God hirmself. If human being has acquired the characteristics of God, it is told that he has united with the God. So every act, utterance and attitude was representation of God hirmself. When human has been in a stage of union with God, thus, it was possible for human being to communicate to God directly, as this messages revealed in Rumi’s poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”. He also gave explanation that a journey to find self essence through many ways of beliefs rooted to the same source that is God. However, mysticism was the private relationship between human and God. Again, he emphasized that God was not anywhere but God was inside yourselves. At the end, I drew my conclusion just after contrasting the work and the approach above. During running the steps, I was accompanied by my advisors through routine consultation.
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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS This chapter discusses Rumi’s appreciation toward God and his mystical experience expressed in the works. The analysis will consistently limit my scope of study only over a discourse of Mysticism in Islam i.e., Sufism. In order to have critical understanding of the work, I firstly try to explore the background of Sufism which later in the development will be strongly and directly connected to essence of mystical experience expressed in the poems. Although the experiences found in every religion are relatively similar, their ways to attain them are different. Idries Shah describes the meaning of Sufism which is not far different from the Mysticism in other religions: “Sufism is the knowledge whereby man can realize himself and attain permanency. Sufis can teach in any vehicle, whatever its name” (1968: 312). Menahem Milson, in the introduction of a book Menjadi Sufi: Bimbingan untuk Para Pemula, describes that the Sufi read the verses of the Koran repeatedly. By doing so, they try to comprehend and internalize the essence of God’s words, and thus the process of approaching the Owner of the words is begun (1994: 12). In Islamic Mysticism, we can find two systematic states of having mystical experience namely “fana i.e., passing away from self and “baka i.e., the consciousness of survival in God” (please, see chapter II). These two states indicate a long hard effort to achieve the superlative state i.e., uniting with God. Islamic Mystics believe that they can make a contact with God since the previous prophet, Mohammed, was able to mystically communicate with Him through the voice of Gabriel. The Mystics in Islam do not see any difference between
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them and the prophet. Since the later is also a man, the Mystics see an opportunity to have the same mystical experience. Sufism believes that love is the essence of their core belief. Sufism believes that everything is a reflection of God. Through love, Sufism breaks the barrier of physical world which produces the loss of consciousness of everything which is distant to the Truth, even forgetfulness of our own state of forgetfulness (Brown, 1982: 542). This may lead Sufism to experience mystical experience or intoxication.1 The analysis is divided into two sections. The first section is to discuss the poems as seen in the intrinsic level. The usage of dictionary, then, is needed to explicate the meaning of the poems. The second section is to explore the poems in extrinsic level. It investigates the essence of the poems which Rumi wants to convey. Thus, the comprehension of religious ground, Sufism, Rumi’s biography as well as the information from spiritual practitioner Kuinjabihari have achieved in order to understand the concept of real happiness which Rumi wants to convey in both of his poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”. As an addition, the values both in the intrinsic as well as extrinsic level play important roles in shaping the concept of real happiness in life through Rumi’s mystical experience.
4.1 The Explication of Jalaluddin Rumi’s poems “The Tavern” and “How Very Close” This section analyzes text level of interpretation (intrinsic level) through the investigation of the comprehension linguistic signs. The analysis of the intrinsic level is based on the elements of the poems in a text level which seen from language, 1
Intoxication and mystical experience has the same meaning in terminology. Intoxication refers to an act of being ecstasy while mystical experience involves intoxication to experience the mystical event.
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namely words, prosodic features, and interpretation of the language in the poems in the first layer. Thus, the assistance of dictionary is needed. The role of dictionary is to help me to understand the meaning in text/structural level. The structural meaning of the poems, later, serves a basic foundation in organizing the essence of the poem in extrinsic level. Hawkes argues that structures can be obtained when the full significance of any entity or experience cannot be perceived unless and until it is integrated into the structure of which it forms a part (1977:18). This section will be divided into two sub sections which contain Jalaluddin Rumi’s poem “The Tavern” and “How Very Close” of which analyzed according to its stanzas.
4.1.1 “The Tavern” This poem consists of 6 stanzas and 26 lines. The rhymes used are free verse. This poem uses lyrical “I” expression. This poem is understandable since the diction is very simple and clear so that it will make the reader easy to understand. The first lines of the poem expresses as followed: All day I think about it, then at night I say it Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that and I intend to end up there The speaker starts to think who he/she is, where he comes from and what he is supposed to be doing. He asks himself that he does not belong in this place. He is sure that he comes from a place and will return again one day later. The speaker feels confused; he has no clue about what is happening. The one he knows that he is not supposed to live here.
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This drunkenness began in some other tavern When I get back around to that place, I’ll be completely sober. Meanwhile, I’m like a bird from another continent, sitting in this aviary The day is coming when I fly off But who is it now in my ear who hears my voice? Who says words with my mouth? The speaker talks about a place for having fun. The speaker is so desperate, so he decides to go to a tavern. According to Macmillan English Dictionary for Advance Learners, Tavern is an old word for a pub (2002:1470). Still in the same sources, Pub is a place where people go to drink alcohol (2002: 1138). What comes to our mind is that a tavern is a sort of place where people drink alcohol and release their fatigues of their problems in life. The word Tavern derives from the Latin taberna and the Greek ταβέρνα/taverna. According to wikipedia encyclopedia, a tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and, more than likely, also be served food, though not licensed to put up guests. According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, the earliest public houses were empty huts placed at caravan stops in the Middle East for the shelter of traders and travelers. To pilgrims, temples and religious houses gave rest and refreshment. Tavern is an old language which in present is no longer used. The speaker believes by going to the tavern, he will have a sort of temporary shifting thought with the intentions of releasing his wearies, grief and fatigues. The speaker feels happy when he is there; felt that all the problems in life, all the misses he has, all the troubles, all the grief in the way back home vanish in a moment, in eyes wink. Then, he becomes addicted to it, for a while, since it is just that place
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which is able only to make him forget temporarily about all the problem of life he has. According to Macmillan English Dictionary, Aviary means an enclosed area where birds are kept (2002:80). It is somehow understandable that the speaker go to the tavern is just a matter of releasing his fatigues, wearies and grief in his life, but still a part of his heart and mind yearn a deep longing for the warmth of house where house is a representative of a love; an empty feeling of yearning something satisfied of a warmth of love. The speaker feels he is separated from his own place. He feels longing, isolated and alienated since this place is not his own place. The speaker thinks that this place is like a prison which separates him from outside world. The speaker also believes that someone out there believes his story and trusts him. The speaker is truly sure that there will be someone else come to him and listen to his longing of home, definitely have the same view of his and release him from the distressful life he has by taking him back to his home. When we talk about tavern, the image exposes is a sort of refreshing place which sells alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, etc. Relating with this point, I, as the writer, have found out, through some supported references, that alcoholic beverages was legal in the early Islamic tradition since it was beneficial. It may be argued that alcohol is sinful in its morality, but beneficial in its health for the body (e.g. helping digestion). However, these alcoholic beverages were used to attain a higher spiritual state and to loose consciousness bounding humans with their selfidentity through some sacred utterances and lead them to the intoxication. In present, Allah through Koran condemns alcoholic beverages due to the morality effects coincide it.
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Prior to the time of the Prophet Muhammad (632), Arabia was not known for its cultivation of the vine, but there were exceptions to this rule. Parts of Yemen produced wine, and wine of some quality was made in the Arabian cities of Medina and al-Ta’if. Somehow these supplies apparently could not keep up with the demand with which Christian merchants sold it to visitors from abroad. However, when we relate the origin of wine in the middle-east and the history of tavern, it sheds a light that Rumi moderately familiar with the tavern when his families fled from places to places, to find safe living area to stay. Who looks out with my eyes? What is the soul? I cannot stop asking. If I could taste one sip of an answer I could break out of this prison for drunks. I didn’t come here of my own accord, and I can’t leave that way Whoever brought me here will have to take me home The speaker thinks that he is so miserable as if he was in the prison. The speaker keeps asking the same questions about where he comes and the purpose why he is here, in this place. No one can answer his questions. Macmillan English Dictionary explains that the word own accord means to do something without being asked, forced, or helped by someone else (2002:9). It means that the speaker has been in this place, where he lives now, does not happen unintentionally and somebody shall take him home, back to his own place. The speaker may think that some superior sovereign state has asked him, forced him to live his life right now and he can not escape from his life but to accept the fact condition where it contradicts with his conscience. This condition distresses him and pushes him to go to the tavern to have temporarily shifting thought and hopes better for the future. The speaker
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believes that someone will help him to get his out of the prison and take him back to his origin place whom he misses very much. According to Macmillan English Dictionary, prison is an institution where people are kept as punishment for committing a crime (2002: 1120). Based on this meaning, it is somehow understandable that the speaker, to some extent, feels like a people punished for committing a crime. Since the speaker beliefs that he is not supposed to live where he lives right now, he feels alienated as if he was a prisoner who yearns for a freedom. Prison to him is an obstacle that bounds him to find one sip of an answer about who he is and blocks his intention to go back again to his home. The speaker really wishes to escape from the place he lives now, which he thinks it is a prison, and drunks to shift his thinking for a while by going to the tavern. This poetry I never know what I’m going to say I don’t plan it When I’m outside the saying of it, I get very quiet and rarely speak at all. The speaker is speechless, does not know how to convey the chaotic feeling he has. He has no exact planning about what he should do. When he thinks or says about the home that he really loves, he becomes so quiet and says nothing. For him, Home is love. He does not have anything to say because he really misses his home. All that he wants is just to go back over his home. As a conclusion, this poem talks about the origin of human nature; how human questions himself, asks his purpose of life and what his life is going to be. The sense of loneliness and sorrow emerged when human has not found his true happiness. These feelings raised when human are cut-off from The Source of Life.
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As a matter of fact, the true happiness comes when human has unified with his Source of Life.
4.1.2 “How Very Close” This poem consists of 7 stanzas and 35 lines. The rhymes used are free verse. This poem uses lyrical “I” expression. This poem is understandable since the diction is very simple, common vocabularies and clears so that it will make the reader easy to understand. The first lines of the poem expresses as followed: How very close is your soul with mine I know for sure everything you think goes through my mind The speaker tells about the intimacy of his relationship with somebody he loves. The speaker shows about how he has a strong connection between himself and somebody he loves. He knows exactly what his beloved wants, no more blocks since the lover and the beloved are one. According to Macmillan English Dictionary, soul means the part of a person that is capable of thinking and feeling (2002: 1366). This thinking and feeling unite within the speaker and the beloved so the result is so spectacular, they feel the intimacy one another. Macmillan English Dictionary continues to explain the notion that it is the ability to feel strong emotions such as happiness and sadness. It will then be understandable what kind of relation they have. They can feel one another’s feeling both sad and happy which may unite them in a sort of intimate relationship. This kind of intimacy may result to a strong connection circle of trust, of which they
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gain magnificent kinds of relationship. This powerful relationship bounds and attaches the speaker and his beloved to encourage more intimacy to give their love again and again; a never ending circle of love. I am with you now and doomsday not like a host caring for you at a feast alone According to Macmillan English Dictionary, Doomsday is the time in the future when some people believe the world will end (2002: 412). The speaker shows the attachment they have; they are inseparable, now until the doomsday. In brief, the speaker and his beloved will remain together now until the future and forever that nobody can separate them. Logically, when a thing is in unity, somehow there’s one try to break them apart; to some extent; they will feel lonely, ineffective when one role can not cover the function, worthless when one thing breaks apart; a feeling of separated arise. The role of the beloved is irreplaceable; the one who just understand the speaker is just his dearly beloved. Here, the speaker assimilates the valuable point of the beloved by comparing with a host at the party. According to Macmillan English Dictionary, a host means someone who invites people to a meal or party (2002: 694). A host at the party must serve his guests perfectly, but a host, to some extent, has some limited information about his guests’ interest. A host does not know how to please his guests one by one. So a host just serves them in average, tries to position them in general without considering each guest preferences. In reverse, beloved’s role is irreplaceable since he knows the beloved well. No one can replace his beloved’s role in his heart even the host who always serves his guests well.
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The speaker, if he is separated from his beloved, feels like he is a hostage, whose freedom is limited by someone else who intends to break his intimacy apart from his beloved. Macmillan Dictionary explains that a hostage is someone or something that is controlled by people or things that reduce their freedom (2002:694). It somehow makes sense that the speaker feels his freedom taken when someone change the beloved’s role with someone else by breaking them apart. His freedom means a lot for him, since nobody else knows what kind of feelings he has for his beloved. with you I am happy all the times the time I offer my life or the time you gift me your love The speaker tells about how lucky he is to have that such a beloved. The speaker also gives detail that his relationship is based on trust and ‘take and give’ relationship. Every single second of their life, they dedicate it each other to their beloved and the lover. Love is everything they give. According to them, life is a matter giving and giving. Offering love in the life is such happy times for this partner. offering my life is a profitable venture each life I give you pay in turn a hundred lives again The speaker tells about a never ending relationship. They grow a very strong connection one another. According to Macmillan English Dictionary, venture means a new business or activity (2002: 1592). If we compare the speaker’s relationship and the notion in business terminology (venture), it somehow makes logical connection
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that the more we give for our business, the more we get. This notion, then, may be applied to the speaker’s relationship. The more the speaker gives his love, the more the beloved pay in turn. So does the beloved. The speaker and his beloved believe that life is a matter of giving and giving. The more he gives, the more he gets. Thus, it is a never ending love. The more they give each other, the tighter the connection they have. in this house there are a thousand dead and still souls making you stay The speaker tries to explain about the obstacles he has whenever he wants to see his beloved. These obstacles might make the speaker stay for a while to finish his problems and after he finishes it he will be able to meet his beloved. The logical explanation will be like this, Macmillan English Dictionary explains house as a building for living in (2002: 697) of which the speaker feels comfortable and secure in this place and situation. The house may means something that people may stay in one particular place due to its security, convenience, contented and satisfied sort of situation. These conditions pamper the speaker not to leave a circle of comfort and make him weak, since the speaker feels and shows no emotion to set his body free; not remain in the same place. This state of situation is also supported by Macmillan English Dictionary which means dead; Dead can also mean very tired, weak, or ill or showing little emotion (2002: 354). The feelings of insecure combine with the meaning of souls, which relate to the conformity, may result to the condition that makes the speaker so stressful. In one side, the speaker feels happy with his happy situation but steady and makes his
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feeling dead (weak), on the other side, due to his comforts, he no longer feels the intimacy one another since he is so busy with his pampered situation. For his beloved, life is a matter of giving. However, since the speaker feels so comfort, he forgets to give; he just takes and takes. That is why the speaker thinks that he should stay for a while to have self-reflection about how he sees his life now. as this will be yours a handful of earth cries aloud The speaker tries to explain his longing that he cannot see his beloved. The speaker gives all his heart and everything to his beloved but still he cannot see his beloved. The speaker cries to express his grief since they are inseparable. According to Macmillan English Dictionary, handful means the quantity of something that you can hold in your hand (2002: 644). This can be explained that the speaker would like to present everything that has good quality to his beloved. Furthermore, even the earth through his hand; the speaker would like to present it to his truly beloved as a realization of his love. As a matter of fact, the speaker still cannot see his beloved, they are inseparable. It might due to the comfort zone the speaker has as it is mentioned above. I used to be hair or I used to be bones The speaker expresses his past life that he is just an ordinary person. Hair and bones imply an absence picture of a complete man, which involves a picture of whole complete body and organ. In fact, the speaker used to be somebody who feels lonely symbolized with hair and bones. The speaker feels empty before he meets his beloved.
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In brief, the speaker would like to express that he used to be a common man, who feels incomplete of everything he has and longing to find refuge. Thus, when the speaker meets his beloved, everything changes. His beloved offers safety, comfort, refuge and love, where he did not get it in his life before he meets the beloved. Hair and bones are parts of human body. A body is considered to be a complete one is when the body fulfills the criterion of having a whole body parts. This entire body parts support each others’ role with a hope to make a body healthy. In this poem, bones and hair are parts of body which its role cannot support one another. Since it is just bones and hair, the picture of a complete body organ supporting each others’ role has diminished. One can not execute its functions since it is not complete, or even it can accomplish its’ task, it must take a little longer and heavy to execute something in harmony. In this poem, the speaker would like to show that he thinks he is incomplete since he was alone without somebody to support him. However, since he meets his beloved, everything changes. and just the moment when you are all confused leaps forth a voice According to Macmillan English Dictionary, the word confused means unable to understand something or think clearly about it (2002: 291). In this stanza, the speaker expresses his confuses with screaming out loud with the consideration it can help to reduce his terrible feeling cannot see his beloved. The speaker cannot think clearly and so desperately need for his beloved. The speaker confuses how he will meet his beloved since they are not in-contact each other. The speaker really
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wishes to meet his dearly beloved. The speaker believes that with screaming, it will minimize the deep longing inside his heart to seek his beloved that he cannot meet. hold me close I’m love and I’m always yours According to Macmillan Dictionary, the word close means only a short distance away, or separated by only a short distance (2002: 256). Based on that meaning, we might conclude that the speaker does not want to separate far away from his beloved. The speaker expresses his promise to always stay beside his beloved. They are one, inseparable. The speaker assures his love for his beloved that he will love the beloved forever, unity and harmony forever. As a conclusion, this poem explains about the intimate relationship between the lover and his beloved. The important element is showed in this poem is that to love is a matter of giving and giving so that when the lover loves his beloved, the return is so spectacular since the beloved gives his love in return and it, furthermore, is told as a never ending circle of love. This intimate shows a pure love that most lover and beloved have. However, this is a symbol of transcendent love which lives in every heart of human being. In conclusion, “How Very Close” emphasizes on the love of human has for his creator, which is symbolized with the beloved’s love, whose love is derived and projected directly from God himself, the truth and the reality. This is the divine love which satisfies human being as it is described above which it symbolizes the intimate relationship between the lover and the beloved. The intimate relation that bounds the lover and the beloved whose final destination is to achieve the truth or self realization
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by the strong connection between them. This divine and intimate love from human to God is, in the further discussion, called as transcendent love. One more appealing fact revealed in the relevancy of those two poems is when we correlate the poems with the biography of Jalaluddin Rumi, especially his mystical life development. These poems, in later development, show the primary reflection of his spiritual journey, as can be seen in the next discussion talking about the importance of those two poems and Rumi’s biography.
4.2. Mystical Experience Represented in Jalaluddin Rumi’s Poems: “The Tavern” and “How Very Close.” This section explores the extrinsic level of interpretation of mystical experience according to Jalaluddin Rumi through the context of the poems. The context of the poems signifies the information taken from religious ground, Sufism, author’s background as well as the information suggested by Kuinjabihari. In both poems, Jalaluddin Rumi would like to convey the message of mystical experience so that the concept of true happiness is able to be fully understood. In analyzing these poems, the writer hopefully, gives a light to the essence of life that Rumi’s would like to convey to the reader.
4.2.1 Bondageless I have come to a conclusion that the essences of mystical experience Rumi would like to convey through both poems are the notion ‘bondageless’ and ‘transcendent love’. These notions are gotten from the understanding of the context
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background mentioned before. The context background answers the extrinsic level of the poems that corresponds to the essence of Rumi’s mystical experience. According to Dictionary of Symbol, bondage is a symbol of chains of communication and command, and consequently, of marriage, the family, the city, the nation and of all collective or communal activity (Brown, 1982: 354). Bondage is like a chain. Chains, in sociopsychological context, symbolize the need to adapt to communal life and the ability to integrate with the group. In fact, human lives in the community which mark their personal development. As a matter of fact, the bonds of society are essential in the case of being the external forces that bonds people to have good behavior so that it creates justice, loyal, and public security. This bondage also happens in spiritual path. One, who is regarded as a truth seeker, is expected to loose this bond so that his spiritual development will be in a rapid progress. This opinion is supported by Brown: ‘bind’ and ‘loose’ are technical rabbinical terms; primarily they have a disciplinary reference; one is ‘bound’ (condemned) to or ‘loosed’ (absolved) from excommunication. Their secondary usage is connected with doctrinal or juridical decisions: an opinion is ‘bound’ (forbidden) or ‘loosed’ (allowed) (1982: 177). Thus all obligations are comprehended in these words, not simply those which derive from juridical acts but also those which proceed from an internal acceptance, like faith. In the latter case bonds no longer symbolize only those imposed by force, but also those willingly assumed by the different parties which feel united among themselves. The symbolism is positioned in front of us: liberty and bondage are no longer at opposite ends of the varieties; the binding chain has become free acceptance. Within the context of the Gospels, bonds are related to the powers of
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the keys and to the gates of Hell or of the Kingdom of Heaven. Obedience to the bond opens the gates of the Kingdom, its betrayal leads to the gates of Hell. Both poems tell about the human journey to seek his self-nature. Being human means entering this place where entrancing varieties of desire are served. Human beings’ purpose of life is just to remember God. In the book I Have Come to Take You Home, Master Ching Hai explains that the only purpose human being live in this life is to realize God (1995:4). Human beings’ true nature or evidently we say purpose of life is to remember God since we are God’s creature. The way to remember God might be quite different in every culture and religion but the essence is still the same that is to remember God. By remembering God in our thought, automatically our attitude will be fully controlled by our mind (mindful). This will raise full-consciousness that it will guide us to behave well-mannered in running our journey of life. This well-mannered behavior, if we do it constantly and permanently, will lead us realize our true nature, that is when we become the whole being that have a set-governed attitudes leading human to create the peacefulness and heaven in their life. In this era, human finds it hard to realize God or even remember God, since humans are tightly bound with material objects that are so enchanting in the eyes of human. In fact, the purpose of humans’ life is to realize God but humans feel more attracted to this world, this artificial world since it is more attractive and enchanting. However, in the poems, Jalaluddin Rumi reminds the readers always to remember themselves. This acts is a kind of self-reflection so that human always aware that they just live for a while in this world. It is stated in the first stanza of the poem “The Tavern” stanza (st.) 1, line (ll.) 1-3:
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All day I think about it, then at night I say it where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea. This line describes about the nature of human being. This poem highly represents an essential manifestation of the purpose of life of the Sufis and human being, how human questions himself and starts to find his own true nature. This line sheds a light on how Jalaluddin Rumi has the ability to explain his experience put into a poem. The lines of the poem enable the readers to break the limitation of their background and attain the deepest secrets of nature and of the universe. However, Rumi would like to give enlightment to human being nowadays. He views that human beings originally come from the superior source and in the end, will be back again to it. Rumi would like to show that human has a mission living in this world and are supposed to remember this mission in order to be back to the Higher Source, in the end. As it is stated in “The Tavern” st. 2, ll. 5-6: I didn’t come here of my own accord, and I can’t leave that way Whoever brought me here will have to take me home This line represents that there is a force from a celestial being whose power brings the speaker to this place and in the end he believes that the being will take him home. According to Dictionary of Symbol, home is image of the universe (1982:529). In the relation with Sufism, Buddhism also states a similar belief that home identifies as a human body regarded as a temporary refuge. If we take conclusion, it could result in the fact that human body is just a temporary refuge for a soul in order to find its source, through the finding of truenature coincides with the raise of awareness which results to the spectacular state of
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losing ego self of which brings human experiences the mystical experience. Mystical experience is the private relation between human and God hirmself of which in that relation they have a strong intimate relation, God takes a short cut and reveals hirmself face by face. Mystical experience is a direct experience of God. According to Lukoff: the mystical experience is a transient, extraordinary experience marked by feelings of unity, harmonious relationship to the divine and everything in existence, as well as euphoria, sense of noesis (access to the hidden spiritual dimensions), loss of ego functioning, alterations in time and space perception, and the sense of lacking control over the event (Lukoff & Lu, 1988)
Since human comes to this world is not by his own accord but there is a Higher Source who takes us down here and we, later, ought to be back again to this Higher Source when death comes to us. Every human when they die, they want to go to heaven. Heaven is almost can be found in every religion. Heaven is the almost universal symbol expressing the belief in a celestial divine being, who created the universe and guarantees the fecundity of the earth (by pouring rain down upon it). These beings are endowed with infinite foreknowledge and wisdom; moral laws and often tribal ritual as were established by them during a brief visit to the earth; they watch to see that their laws are obeyed and lightning strikes all who infringe them (Elliade, 1958:38). Heaven is also a symbol of awareness. As it is stated by André Virel in his book Histoire de notre image: The word is often used to mean ‘the absolute human aspiration, like the achievement of a quest, like the place where the human spirit may come to perfection, as if Heaven were the spirit of the universe… It is understandable that the thunderbolt – splitting the heavens with its lightning- should be so fitting symbol of that opening of the spirit which is the onset of awareness’ (1965:108).
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As it is stated above that human purpose of life is to be back to God. This is strongly related with the understanding of the notion ‘soul’. As it is stated in “How Very Close” st.1, l. 2: is your soul with mine We can find the same word in “The Tavern” st.1, ll. 4-5: My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that and I intend to end up there Many of the people know about soul. Their answers are varieties. However, if we ask them what the definition of the soul is, they will not be able to answer it. According to Dictionary of Symbol, the word ‘soul’ conjures up an invisible power which either has separated existence as part of a living individual or is simply the phenomenon of life. It may be either material or immaterial, mortal or immortal; it is a governing, active principle; except for fleeting appearances, it is invisible and displays itself only in its activities (1982:892). The chief of these symbols is breath, and all its derivatives. The etymology of the Latin word animus is in itself related to ‘breath’ and ‘air’ as principles of life. According to Brown, Animus is the intellectual principle and the seat of desire and the passion. Its properties are intellectual and emotional and its range, male, while the anima is the principle of inhaling and exhaling air and its range is female (1982:893). These is like a take and give relation, supporting each other; male and female, heaven and earth, darkness and brightness, fire and water, human and master, Rumi and Shams. It is all the same thing; it does support each others’ role in order to make something works.
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Soul, in the end, must find his own nest that is to return to the Reality, as stated in the Koran (see Surah 2: 46)2. This is supported by Dictionary of Symbol which says that all cosmic symbolism, all spiritual progress and the symbols which it shares, denote a return to the centre or to the Garden of Eden, a reintegration of manifestation with its First Cause (1982:798-9). Again, it is explained that every spiritual’s progress destination is heading to the same centre of where human starts and ends the journey. Brown also give his opinion which is described as follow: When ‘true man’ has achieved a return to the paradisal state, he will have returned ‘from the circumference to the centre’. Now the centre of the world and the centre of the Garden of Eden were and are that specific point of contact between Heaven and Earth, the point from which the individual can rise to superhuman states (1982:799). A very similar symbolism was present among Muslim esoteric, the word ta’wil, denoting the interpretation of symbols, itself carries the meaning of ‘coming back’, that is to say, of passing from the appearance to the reality, from the accidence to the substance. The spiritual path is a ‘regressive’ path, leading from the manifold to the One and from the circumference to the centre. The symbol of return is that of the final phase of the cycle (1982:800). As it is stated in “The Tavern” st.2, l. 4: I’m like a bird from another continent, sitting in this aviary The speaker represents himself as a bird from another continent which does not come from this place. The speaker feels as if he was in a prison which the speaker symbolized it with aviary. According to Dictionary of Symbol, bird represents the soul escaping from the body. The flight of birds leads them, naturally,
2
Surah 2: 46 The Heifer: “Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord, and that they are to return to Him”.
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to serve as symbol of the links between heaven and earth. In more generalized sense, birds symbolize spiritual states, angels and higher forms of being. In Islam, birds are more especially symbols of angel (1982:86). Birds as travelers, as describes by Farid al-Din Attar, are souls involved in an initiatory quest. Hence, coming to the idea that the soul itself was a bird, in accordance with the belief that soul migrates from body to body until its final flight to the nest where it is safe from the perils of transmigration (1982:86). We can take a conclusion that Rumi is aware that he is just a soul who travels from body to body to find his own nest; God’s Kingdom; as it is shown in this line. This is why we understand why Rumi feels so lonely and understands that this life is just nothing temporary but finding his own nest, the source of human’s life. In brief, this line describes the connection of a bird which symbolized as the soul whose final flight is to find its nest; God’s Kingdom / true nature; a bird ought to pass a journey. In order to find its nest, there is a need to attain a higher level of awareness; a bird has to pass a journey of initiation which undergoes a transformation that is to leave this worldly attachment; to a higher level of awareness, a beginning of a new life. As it is stated in the poem “The Tavern” st.3, ll. 3-4: If I could taste one sip of an answer I could break out of this prison for drunks Based on the information above, we are definitely sure that in order to find his own nest, he has to accomplish a quest of finding the true nature within himself through an initiation of a new life which may result to the raise of self-awareness; attain to the higher level of consciousness. In fact, the speaker feels that he can not
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do that since he is bound to so many kinds of earthly rules and secular attachment of which this situation makes him depressed and there is a strong force to find the Higher Source to create him peace, tranquil, and serene. This is somehow a kind of dilemma for Rumi, he is eager to find his true nature; God’s Kingdom with his beloved mystical friend Shams, but however, the society cannot accept the changing of Rumi and blame Shams who have the courage to change Rumi internally and externally. However, the first starting point to the changing of Rumi is the disappearances of Shams. To that point, furthermore Rumi started writing his first mystical poems which dedicated to his friend Shams of Tabriz. The works which contains the collection poems dedicated to Shams are called The Works of Shams of Tabriz (Divani Shamsi Tabriz). Prison for Rumi is the limitation that bounds him not attaining a higher level of consciousness due to the worldly attachment he has. There are so many obstacles to walk on to search for the truth; this is called a journey. This feeling of separation can also be seen in “How Very Close”. The feeling of separation emerges when Rumi is cut-off from his beloved. What makes them separated is the ego to love this material world. As it is stated in “How Very Close” st.5, ll. 1-4: in this house there are a thousand dead and still souls making you stay In the previous poem, it is explained that house is just a temporary refuge to face the migration of souls from body to body to attain the nest. However, this stanza proves to us as the common reader to always remember our life’s purpose in this
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earth so that we will not be trapped in a worldly problem that bound us to step in a path of the truth. The notion bondageless offered by Jalaluddin Rumi helps human to be more realize that nothing in this life is eternal and human need to go to the real destination. This is due to a reason that every human wants to be happy and human has the full authority to choose what life he wants. Life is seen as a journey which is described as an arrow going from one place to another in order to achieve the final destination. The attachment to the previous places will definitely prevent one to continue to the next step of life’s journey. That is why one needs courage to leave the memories from the previous places that strongly attach. Human can have a much better life although it is hard to leave the attachment we have before. As a conclusion, human is created by God to achieve perfection or to be back to the Higher Source. However, human should realize himself was born in this world is temporary. As a matter of fact, human’s life is like a quest to find the perfection. The perfection is found within one’s self. This perfection, therefore, develops to the finding of self essence. Once human has found his self essence, it is told that human fully understands about his self definition (Osborne and Loon: 2006:8). Human feels more aware about what he wants in life and what the purpose of his life so that he can gives a worthy meaning on his life. Thus, the explanation above makes sense for Rumi’s poems in the way human live for temporary and prepare him or herself to be back to God by living in this world and make all the problems in their life as a lesson. However, if we have comprehended this essence of life, we will have a different point of view of life since we cannot attach and depend on this world forever, we are just a traveler whose soul,
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in the end, finds the perfection and whose destination is to be back to God. As human should have courage to leave this worldly attachment. This courage to leave such attachments is called bondageless. This essence grows along with the fact that nothing in this world including human can hold except the love it self. In other words, everything created in this world is to help us realize our true nature and help us to be back to God, the Higher Source or Reality.
4.2.2 Transcendent Love We have known that the purpose of human’s life is to be back to God, thus everything which is not related with our origin purpose ought to be vanished. However, in order to be back to God, a soul is expected to be holy resembling God’s symbol itself which is Holy, serene, tranquil and peaceful. We have known previously a soul flies from body to body and migrates in order to be close to the perfection. Human in order to find his nest, needs a help from a bigger power to lead the way to God’s Kingdom. This person is called Master, Avatar, Mesias, Saviour, Guru, Mursyid, Sheikh, Holy man and others various names but it will direct to the same quality. In this study, I will use the notion Master to make easier for the reader to follow the study. “The Tavern” and “How Very Close” are related to each other, like cause and effect; However, I found an interesting finding that in order to find the nest (final destination human goes to) through the transmigration (this life is described as a suffering journey), soul (human) needs guide to lead him direct the precise way to the nest. This guide will help human to guide the way to the nest where it is safe from the threats of transmigration. It is definitely sure that the guide has passed all these stages
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of life through in order to achieve the final destination, the nest. Since the guide has passed all the stages and managed to achieve the nest, this guide comes back again to help the others, to show the precise way to the others. This guide has already found his own essence and he helps others to realize the treasure within self. However, a Master, as mentioned above, points to someone who has been into enlightened stage and helps people to realize his own treasure, true nature within them self. According to Master Ching Hai, a role of a master in this world is to remind human beings’ duty that they should remember their source of life. A master is somebody who has found his true-self and helps others to find the unrevealed treasure within the human beings. Thus, he is able to communicate with God, the holy intelligent, since it within ourselves (1995:98). A master can be found in every religion. In Islam, we have Mohammed. In Christian, we have Jesus Christ. In Buddhism, we have Shakyamuni Buddha who is well known as Buddha. In short, in every era, there is a master whose role is to bring us back to God through the holy teachings. According to Dictionary of Symbol, it is believed to be the companion of every human being, as double, demon, guardian angel, counselor, intuition or suprarational voice of conscience (1982:427). Grimal also support that the companion symbolizes the flash of enlightment which, uncontrolled, engenders the deepest and the strongest of convictions. Immanent in every individual, physical or moral, it symbolizes the spiritual being (1963:165). Jean Beaujeu wrote that: every individual had a Genius whose precise nature and significance are open to argument. Rather, however, than being an embodiment of the fertility principle (qui gignit = who engenders), it would seem that the Genius was, in Dumézil’s words, the human personality made divine. (1967:5).
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The role of a master is to initiate his apprentice so that he can pass through the fiery curtain which separates the sacred from the profane. According to Brown, “initiation is passing from one world to another. The initiate3 undergoes a transformation, changes the plane of existence and becomes a different being” (Brown, 1982: 540-1). Masters or Saviors always can be found in every religion, since religions were established right after the Masters or Saviors left this physical world. If we look back to Jesus Christ’s spiritual life, it is mentioned in the Holy Bible that Jesus has a master named John the baptize who baptize Jesus until he got his high spiritual state4. However, Islam has savior, too, named Prophet Muhammad who initiated by Gabriel (see chapter II). Since they were all initiated, they could break the wall of physique (ego and consciousness) of limitation and attain God directly, this state we call it mystical experience. As an addition, master is someone who helps us realize God, the bridge that connects us directly to achieve the place we are heading at. The evidence that Muhammad is the Master of Moslems, as it is stated in The Koran: “Allah chooses Messenger from Angels and from men for Allah is He Who hears and sees (all things).5 Again, on the other Surah, it’s stated that Muhammad is our Master that was sent down to help us return to God (see Surah 47: 2).6 It is somehow quite surprising for me when facts point to a new finding, after observing many of the works of Jalaluddin Rumi, that there is a significant role of a master (teacher) who helps Rumi find his own essence. “How Very Close” explores 3
Initiate refers to the person who receives the blessing of initiation from a master. See: Mat 3 of The New Testament 5 Surah 22: 75 The Pilgrimage 6 Surah 47:2 The Prophet: “But those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and believe in the (Revelation) sent down to Muhammad – for it is the Truth from their Lord, - He will remove from them their ills and improve their condition. 4
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the beauty of pure love. The love that cannot be found in anywhere but it exists between Rumi and his master, Shams of Tabriz. “How Very Close” emphasizes more on the union as a man has found his own essence. Human being is said to have found their essence of him or herself is by searching his existence through the loss of ego and consciousness. The loss of ego and consciousness enables the spirit to break the normal physic limitations and to attain a higher spiritual state through a direct contact from the divine which is called mystical experience or spiritual intoxication. In this case, it is the same like Jalaluddin Rumi whose master is Shams of Tabriz. Before Rumi meet Shams, he used to be a theologian preacher and a preacher (please, refer to chapter II). He runs his life smoothly, until Sham comes and changes Rumi. It can be argued that he changed Rumi’s profile from “a cool, self-possessed professor of theology left his lectures only to become a humble devotee of the sage.” It is somehow understandable, to some extent, that Rumi leaves his ego to take the spiritual path, since the purpose of Sufi (Rumi) life is therefore to remember God, no matter how tough it is the way to attain divine love. This intimate relationship could not be described easily since human language is so restricted to explain and explore to this beauty of love relationship. This relationship has left this ego body and directly attain to the divine love. As it is stated in “How Very Close” st.1, ll. 1-2: How very close is your soul with mine The line above shows the tight relationship between the speaker and his beloved. However, this relationship cannot be explained by words. Since words are just the facility to communicate the things we experience. When the soul is ready to return to the truth, that is to realize the true-nature within self to which it results is to
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attain divine’s qualities through the loss of ego, the master will be ready to bring you to find the truth, our nest, our original place. The line expresses the intimate symbol between the lover and the beloved. This happens because the beloved offers pure love that God offers to human kind through delegation of which this love satisfies God’s seeker wandering for the essence of life. This intimate also can be seen in “The Tavern” st.2-3; ll. 7-8, 1: But who is it now in my ear who hears my voice? Who says words with my mouth? Who looks out with my eyes? What is the soul? This stanza describes more about oneness; the state of being one. According to Dictionary of Symbols: One is the immanent First Cause from which, nevertheless, all manifestation originates and to which, once its fleeting essence is exhausted, it returns. It is the active principle: the creator. One is the symbolic place of being, the beginning and end of all things, the cosmic and ontological centre. As well as being the symbol of being, it is also the symbol of Revelation, the intercessor which raises mankind through knowledge to a higher plane of being (1982:720) In brief, oneness refers to a state of union where human and God are one, inseparable of which human gains wisdom to a higher state of spirituality. A high state of spirituality may result human to be a whole human being; that is to attain Divine’s qualities. In order to inherit Divine’s qualities, a master should bring one uplift entering the gate of renewal which undergoes transformation and results to be a new whole being. As it is stated in “The Tavern” st.2, l.6: The day is coming when I fly off As the explanation above, it is written that souls involved in initiatory quest; souls migrates from body to body until its final flight to the nest. I believe that the
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initiatory quest is a beginning for a soul to find its nature. Dictionary of Symbols states that to initiate is to bring one in. At the same time, it has the meaning to die, in some way to put to death, or cause to die. Death, however, is not regarded as the end, but as an escape, crossing the threshold of a gateway and leading to another life. Going out of the one is followed by going into the other. The initiate passes through the fiery curtain which separates the sacred from the profane. By passing from one world to another, the initiate undergoes a transformation, changes the plane of existence and becomes a different being. According to Brown, the ‘death’ of the initiate is unrelated to human psychology but is death to the world in so far as it implies surmounting the profane state (1982:541). The candidate seems to undergo a process of regression. The ‘death’ of the initiate foreshadow physical death, which itself should be considered as an initiation into a new life. As it is stated by Master Ching Hai in her book I Have Come to Take You Home, Initiation means a beginning of a new life in a new order. Initiation, actually, is just a notion to the releasing of souls (1995:120). In different shapes and under different names a belief in the transmigration of souls is to be found in many different cultural environments. Christianity and Islam reject it, since they adopt a linear rather than a cyclical notion of time. This is not the place to discuss these beliefs, but whatever their theoretical and pragmatic arguments are their base, they all direct to a symbol of bearing. On the one hand, they manifest their yearning to grow into the light of the One and on the other a feeling responsibility for past actions. The two forces, the power of those actions and aspirations towards purity, set in movement a cycle of rebirths until perfection is
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gained, opening the doors of eternity and freeing from the wheel of life. This notion is called Metempsychosis or reincarnation. According to Dictionary of Symbol, Metempsychosis may be seen as a symbol of ethical and biological continuity. Once an individual is brought into being, he or she can escape neither from life nor from the consequences of his or her actions. Life is no longer a gamble: belief in metempsychosis does away with chance (1982:652). In some instances it is hard to separate metempsychosis from metamorphosis, the latter affecting only the outward appearance and not the inner essence. According to Dictionary of Symbol, These metamorphoses may be to a higher or to lower states depending upon whether they represent a reward or a punishment, or upon the ends for which they are designed. Such metamorphoses betray a definite belief in the basic oneness of being, outward appearance having a passing or illusionary quality. Changes of shape do not seem to have affected the inner personality, persons generally retaining their original names and psychic make-up. From the analyst’s view point, one might conclude that metamorphoses rise from the depths of the unconscious and are shaped by the creative imagination as expressions of desire, guilt, inhibition or idealism. Metamorphosis is an identification symbol in a personality in process of individuation who has yet to take on fully the role of his or her ego and realize the full range of his or her potential (1982:651). The higher state of one brings him to be closer to the light, of which symbolize God. This state is called enlightment trough an initiation. As it is explained above that to initiate is to bring one in that is to acquire Divine Characteristics so that the worshiper and the beloved feel so close, unity and one. According to Dictionary of Symbol, Enlightment is a symbol of a condition
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experienced by candidates during the rites of initiation. The known pattern of these rites involves death, a journey to the spirit world and a rebirth (1982:355). In order to end the final phase of the cycle, human should come to this earth to end his suffering quest and continue his journey to find its nest. The most important question is why this world does mean something deep for the soul to attain the higher level of spiritual state and achieve the nest (God’s Kingdom). As it is stated in the Koran: “Do they not travel through the earth, and see what was the End of those before them (who did evil)? Allah brought utter destruction on them, and similar (fates await) those who reject Allah.7 In brief, this world is created for human as the training to continue to find the nest. However, Human should run his journey through this earth and find his own master (as it is explained above) and find the perfection (enlightment). According to Dictionary of Symbols, wheel (of life) symbolized a degree of imperfection since it is related to the world to come; it symbolizes cycle, new beginnings and renewals (1982:1099). In the centre of a wheel, there will be a constant part that does not move. This is the emptiness of the centre where celestial activity deploys (Brown, 1982:1100). Thus, one is told to union with his God when he has achieved these stages, emptiness, where one and God is face by face so that one can transform to be a new human being by entering the gate of initiation in the emptiness with the help by a master. In the previous explanation, we have discussed how human’s soul escape from this body ego by releasing their souls to the initiatory stages. However, once human has passed this initiatory level, they will face to the new stages in spiritual 7
Surah 47: 10 The Prophet
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path and definitely they will pass the gate of body ego to the higher consciousness and acquire divine’s qualities with the help of master. According to Dictionary of Symbols, gate has a great meaning in explaining the initiation experience. This describes as follow: gateways symbolize the scene of passing from one state to another, from one world to another, from the known to the unknown, from light to darkness. Doors open upon the mysterious, but they have a dynamic psychological quality for they not only indicate a threshold but invite us to cross it. It is an invitation to a voyage into the beyond (1982:422). In Islamic tradition, gates play a vastly important role since they open the way to revelation and they become reflections of the harmony of the universe. The symbol points to the Ka’bah whose meaning as places of channel and particularly of entry- potential entry into a higher reality and on the other hand, of the diffusion of heavenly blessing upon Earth. That is why Moslems, in order to meet God, they go to Mecca to do Pilgrimage and they believe that Mohamed is the one who guides them to pass this journey of life and attain God, the perfection. After undergoing the transformation and becoming a different being, human feels elevated and gets closer to the light of which it means a master has opened the gate of profane and human can have a better view which it results human to be a whole being (enlighten person). This condition happens to the human who has passed the steps of losing the ego clothes before, as it is noted as follow in “How Very Close” st.3, ll. 1-5: with you I am happy all the times the time I offer my life or the time you gift me your love
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This line symbolizes the intimate relationship with the beloved. Since, the poem is dedicated to his master whose characteristics resemble Divine Qualities; we can say that this intimate relationship has the bold line that connects the speaker and his beloved. This connection is called vertical axis. According to Dictionary of Symbol, Vertical axis is a symbol of a powerful symbol of elevation and progress in self development. This opinion also supported by André Virel in his book Histoire de notre image which is explained as follow: Some psychotherapeutic techniques based upon the interpretation of dreams allot a privileged role, property and significance to the vertical axis… On the one hand, the history of religion displays the frequency of ascensional imagery in certain ascetic practices and, on the other; both psychology and ethnography allow us to allot to the appearance of the vertical dimension the properties of a definite stage in the development of self-awareness (1965:36). However, once human has passed the initiatory level, human will feel unity, harmonious relationship to the divine, loss of ego functioning, and the sense of over happiness which is called mystical experience. As stated in “The Tavern” st.2, l. 1: This drunkenness began in some other tavern When we hear the word tavern, what comes inside our mind is a sort of imitation of heaven-like place that provides worldly glamorous pleasure. In the tavern, there are many wines- wine of delight in color and form and taste. In the Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, wine is the symbol of knowledge through initiation and this is the preserve of the few. The Sufis called it ‘the drink of divine love’ (Brown, 1982:1113). Brown also adds that Sufis mysticism wine stands for love, ardent longing and spiritual intoxication (1982: 1114). Wine is the symbolism of the ocean of divine love that drown God seeker in intoxication (Mystical experience).
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This is also supported by Nabulusi in Dermenghem’s book which is described as follow: “Wine signifies the draught of Divine Love…for this love engenders intoxication and utter forgetfulness of all that exists in this world. This wine is the everlasting Love Divine which is to be seen in the manifestation of creation…And this wine is light, too, the light which shines everywhere. And, again it is the Wine of true Life and of the true vocation. All things have drunk of this wine” (1982: 1115) Wine holds an important role in experience the mystical state; wine is the spirit, the force of realizing the truth. With wine, people might forget everything that exists in the world; since they have found something more beautiful than that of they know before. Wine, in my opinion, can also mean as a means of having mystical state by facilitating human beings to get rid of their ego and to experience the divine love and drown them into it so they will experience mystical intoxication instead of a kind of liquor that make us drunk. Wine is always identical with fermentation. Fermentation is one of the oldest symbols for human transformation. Fermentation regarded as an essential manifestation of life triumphant, along with the symbolic qualities conferred upon it (1982: 376). According to Dictionary of Symbols, fermented drinks are described as follow: fermented drinks are images of effervescence of knowledge which enables the spirit to surmount its normal limitations and to attain trough intuition or in dreams a knowledge of the deepest secrets of nature and of the universe (1982:375). So, in brief, fermentation is a stage for human being to pass trough the wall of limited knowledge and attain the secrets knowledge of nature and universe beyond the limitation. So, when we relate wine and fermentation, the conclusion arises is, fermentation is the stages for human being to transmute or regenerate from a lower
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state to a higher state and wine is the facility for human being to achieve a state of happiness (true happiness) which symbolize with being ecstasy or intoxication. This stages makes human communicate their God easily and finds the meaning of real happiness through a direct experience of God, mystical experience. In Sufism, people should pass fana and baka before they experience mystical experience. Spiritual intoxication is a universal symbol. Spiritual intoxication is more than a mere ‘transport’ of the mental faculties, since wine itself a synonym for knowledge. Nor is it entirely a verbal symbol, analogy. Almost throughout the world recourse is had to physical intoxication as a means of inducing spiritual intoxication, by freeing oneself from the constraints of the external world and from life ruled by consciousness. But after some time in the tavern, a point comes; a memory of elsewhere, a longing for the source, and the drunks must set f from the tavern and begin the return. The Qur’an says, “We are all returning.”8 ‘The end is the return, Creation, made by God, returns to Hirm.’ The tavern is a kind of glorious hell that human beings enjoy and suffer and then push off from in their search for truth. A breaking part, a crying out into the street, begins in the tavern, and the human soul turns to find its way home. This is what lets two drunks meet so that they do not know who is who. Pronouns no longer arise in the tavern’s mud-world of excited confusion and halfarticulated wanting. The expression above explains that tavern is a unique place. With it glamorous, it makes human enjoy and suffer. On the one hand, human feels drown in the enchanting and fascinating package offered by the tavern. On the other hand, 8
See Surah 42: 13
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tavern can also symbolized a place to perform metamorphosis of humans from a lower spiritual state into a higher state trough the steps I mentioned above. This metamorphosis of a spiritual state is the state of alternating the ‘self ego’ and attains the truth which is said to be a whole being. The tavern which may denote the place where friends and confidants are, that is to say those who share the same spiritual secrets, come together or, in an even more mystical sense, a centre of initiation. Initiation passes through the fiery curtain which separates the sacred from the profane. By passing from one world to another the initiate undergoes a transformation, changes the plane of existence and becomes a different being (1982:540-1). Both of these poems explore the beauty of love, transcendent love. The love that most humans do not have, but it exists. I believe, in this poem, that Rumi symbolizes his master as his beloved (could be God also, since the master represents the love that God has) and himself as the lover which implies that they have a strong connection with God. This means that the existence of the beloved neither is not provable, nor is it fantasy. Rumi has opened our mind to the unlimited border and broken the wall of human senses to go far beyond into the transcendent one. When we are talking about love, what comes to our mind is a sort of relationship which involves men and women. What I mean is love in general. All forms of love that exists in this earth. Talking about love, it is not an easy way to define since love has vast meaning. However, we are truly sure that love can satisfy human beings. We all know that human is never satisfied, but love gives its power for human being to feel satisfied. Satisfaction can not be bought by money. Love itself gives satisfaction. As it is stated in “How Very Close” st. 2, ll. 1-2:
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I am with you now and doomsday In this stanza, we can see how the speaker expresses his deep feeling toward his beloved. This is what I mean with the real happiness, the happiness that arises from within heart and glows to everybody who sees it. It is somehow contrasted by lust, since lust is never satisfying; it is always seeking the object of its desires and is full of tricks to achieve its ends. According to Dictionary of Symbol, love is the soul of the symbol and is the realization of the symbol since the latter is the welding together of two separated parts of knowledge and being (1982:619). Like yin and yang, Rumi and Shams, light and dark, positive and negative. According to Dictionary of Symbol: Yin and yang denote the bright and dark faces of all things, their heavenly and earthly, positive and negative, male and female aspects; in other words, they epitomize the twofold and complementary character of the universe. Yin and yang exist only in relation the one with the other. They are inseparable and the rhythm of the world is the rhythm of heir alternation (1982:1140). So, we can have a conclusion that Rumi and Shams fulfill each others’ need for true love and they are inseparable since they complete each other so that will come to perfection. This is supported also by other stanzas in “How Very Close” st.6, ll.1-3: as this will be yours a handful of earth cries aloud According to Dictionary of Symbol, Earth does have important meaning: Symbolically Earth is contrasted with Heaven as the passive with the active principle; the female with the male aspects of manifestation: darkness with light; yin with yang; tamas (heaviness) with sattva (lightness); density, fixity and concentration with rarity, mobility and dissipation (1982:331).
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Earth is the support, while Heaven is the cover. It is somehow understandable that Earth without Heaven is nothing. They cannot stand alone. They have to stand in rhythm, support each other; inseparable. In this case, it is the same like Rumi and Shams who are inseparable, they support each other. When they are separated, one of them will be in a great grief and deep mourning, cannot support each other role. As it is stated in “How Very Close” st. 7, ll.1-2: I used to be hair or I used to be bones When we see the words hair and bones in this stanza, it somehow points to some particular valuable meaning underlying it. I am truly sure that it has the essence underlies it. According to the Dictionary of Symbol, hair is believed to preserve an intimate connection with its owner even when it ceased to be part of him or her (1982:459), while bones has two meanings. “The symbolism of bones follows two main lines of development. In the first place the bones are the framework of the body and its essential and relatively permanent element. Second, bones contain marrow, as the shell contains the almond “(1982:109). However, we can take a conclusion that bones and hair are the elements involves when someone walk in a path of the truth. They work as a supportive element which helps the body (soul) runs his role in this world. “How Very Close” shows the intimate symbol that Rumi would like to prove to us as a common man is that human and God is one, inseparable through the help of a Master and through the quest to find the truth. Master is someone who helps us to recognize God, our true-nature. Once human has found his true-nature, with the help of master and the stage I mentioned previously, human will possesses God’s qualities
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which settle within the human and finally Human and God is One, inseparable. Since human and God is one, inseparable, human can be said that he is a true or a whole human being (superhuman state). Human it is said to be a true human being is when human possesses the Divine’s characteristics. The private relation to attain divine love is called mystical experience. However, this poem explores how love can be a great thing. In Moslem Religion, we can find one example from the prophet Mohammad and his apprentice Abu Bakar as Siddiq who had been so loyal to the prophet until Isra Miraj. It somehow shows a sincere feeling toward his master. However, Master’s love cannot be altered with anything in this world but the love itself. An apprentice‘s love will never be greater than his own master. This is why an apprentice always wants to be near his master all the time since it is so peaceful when he gets near his Master. The more love the apprentice gives the more he gets from his master, since it is a never ending love. It bounds people to gain more and more love to share. Another illustration given is when Jesus Christ sacrified himself to his people. It is the love that cannot be explained since language is restricted to explain it. This closeness is described in “How Very Close” st.9, ll. 1-3: hold me close I’m love and I’m always yours As conclusion, mystical experience represented in both poems of the term bondageless and transcendent love is a vital element to find the true happiness in life offered by Jalaluddin Rumi. Mystical experience is an interior side within human’s belief to communicate with God directly. This interior side develops human being into a state of understanding towards God. The understanding of God, in a whole,
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brings a concept that living and non-living things are manifestation of God and then shapes human being’s self essence. To get a real happiness in life, through to the mystical experience offered by Rumi, human need to release the entire bounds (bondages) of the worldly attachments. One should be aware that this life is just temporary. Thus, human needs courage to leave the attachment so that human can have a better life and have a better point of view about what life is. Bondageless refers to courage to leave worldly attachments since human’s purpose of life is to be back to God. The second, the notion transcendent love refers to the same happiness that Rumi wants to convey. In order to get a real happiness, one should ask himself what their happiness experience is. However, a true happiness refers to God hirmself. However, in order to achieve the real happiness, we need a guide to show us the way precisely so that we cannot go to the wrong way. This guide called a master. A master is someone who represents God’s qualities and help us giving the way to find the happiness that always searched by human through his teachings. So that after possessing the God’s characteristics, one finds it easy to communicate with God. Since human has possessed God’s characteristics, human is said to have found his true essence. True essence is the state where human and God are one, inseparable. However, when human and God are one, human definitely knows what they want in life so that they can decide what their life is going to be without leaving the harmonious from the society, God’s living and non living creatures, nature and universe. Thus, the real happiness in life can be achieved. At this point, how the mystical experiences of Jalaludin Rumi, as reflected in his biography, give out big influence to his works, as seen in his distinguished
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poems; “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”. This philosophy of Rumi’s life amazingly can be manifested and implemented in human’s life journey. In other words, the intention to find the difference of one’s psychological attitudes building before experiencing mystical experience and that of after it is therefore relevant for other researchers. What motivation’s background of someone emerges which make one change his point of view about this life so that he may have some particular opinions about the essence of life.
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CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
This chapter consists of two parts. The first part is the conclusion of the study. I draw conclusion based on the problem formulation that is formulated in chapter one and also based on the analysis in chapter four. The second part of this chapter is suggestions for further researcher and English teacher who apply this study in his or her teaching-learning activity.
5.1 Conclusion This thesis analyzes Jalaluddin Rumi’s mystical poem, “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”. “The Tavern” and “How Very Close” are just two small parts of many great literary works he has ever made. The tavern is a poem consists of 6 stanzas and 26 lines, while “How Very Close” consists of 7 stanzas and 35 lines. These poems awaken the heart of people reading them; hence people seem involved to sense the mystical experience message which Rumi would like to convey. This thesis explores the concept of true happiness offered by Jalaluddin Rumi through mystical experience that he wants to convey in “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”. However, in analyzing Rumi’s two mystical poems, I apply Structural Semiotics theory. Structural discusses the textual level of the poems while the Semiotics explores the contextual level of the poems. The findings of this thesis are, furthermore, two imperative messages that Rumi wishes to convey through both of the poems. The first finding in a text level of
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the poem “The Tavern” refers to the finding of the author’s self identity while “How Very Close” refers to the intimacy of the author’s beloved. This finding directs to the same point of Rumi’s spiritual Journey. The second finding in a context level, it concerns with the notion ‘bondageless’ and ‘transcendent love’. In brief, bondageless refers to mankind courage to leave such worldly physical matters which bound people in continuing life journey. Meanwhile, the ‘transcendent love’ is emphasized more on the need of a master to fasten our journey to realize God “The Supreme Entity”. However, to this point, the findings direct to the same root that is the development phase of Rumi mystical life. The implication of Jalaluddin Rumi’s mystical experience can be manifested through the readers’ life that one must has the courage to leave his negative habits due to his psychological development in continuing his new life. The second would be the need of having a master to facilitate one’s spiritual development. Both of the values of Rumi’s mystical experience teach one that one can love everything in this world but one should not attach to it. Thus, the concept of true happiness through Rumi’s mystical experience has achieved.
5.2 Suggestion 5.2.1 Suggestion for the Further Researchers In conducting my study, I also found other interesting things to explore inspired from both of Rumi’s poems. I am definitely curious to know the further influence of mystical experience toward Sufis’ mode of vision about life. In other words, I intend to find the difference between one’s psychological attitudes building before
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experiencing mystical experience and that of after it. Thus it is imperative and intriguing. This may involves the fundamental background which underlies one’s motivation that makes one changes his point of view about this life, so that he may have some particular and inspiring perceptions toward the essence of life is indeed demanded. In Rumi’s case, I found some changes in Rumi’s attitude in perceiving the life. As it is said in chapter II, before having acquaintance with Shams, Rumi was a teacher of the Islamic theology. However, after the meeting with Shams, Rumi left his material earthly attribute and devoted the rest of his life for the ‘real’ religious activity. He decided to dedicate the rest of his life to find the essence of life through the mystical experience; that is to unite with the Truth / God. The other changes are that Rumi was longer considering that Koran is the only way to achieve Reality. He drew on dance and poems to express his mystical experience. In order to find the changes, we need to adopt critics to help us to obtain a comprehensive knowledge about Sufis in a deeper way. The possible and relevant critics we use are Psychoanalysis since we can refer to the biographical and also the socio-cultural historical background of Jalaluddin Rumi.
5.2.2 The Implementation of Teaching Poetry 5.2.2.1 The Importance of Applying Biographical Background to Analyze Rumi’s Poems in Teaching Poetry I frankly admit that my study would not be useful if I had not included biographical background in analyzing Rumi’s work. Rumi’s dynamic of life since it
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contributes greater influence in his personality’s development while creating the poems I observed. His educational background, his father’s influence, his meeting with the saints, and also his religious ground determined the colors of his work. Briefly, biographical background could possibly minimize subjectivity to the study I have conducted. Based on the analysis obtained in my study, the use of biographical background is important in analyzing Rumi’s poem in the fact that it will ease the readers to understand the poems. Seeing that Rumi came from unique background (both a poet and a Sufi), the use of this background is appropriate and relevant to comprehend his literary work. This essences of study are relevant to be applied in Poetry class with the fact that poetry class’s goal expect the students more to understand and acknowledge the values hidden both in the curriculum or the poems. The Students are expected to have more understanding and critical appreciation on the meanings and purposes of poetry, the shape and the content, literary style of a poem and the experience of life students can obtain from reading a poem. A teacher of poetry is suggested to introduce the background knowledge of the author first before involving his work to his or her students. This background knowledge of the author includes his educational and family’s background, his social, economical, cultural attitudes as well as social paradigm. This knowledge will enable us to enter and understand his works so that we do not make any arbitrary interpretation and to fully understand the whole unity of meaning represented by the poems.
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5.2.2.2 The Implementation of Teaching Rumi’s Poem by Applying Author’s Biographical Background
In my opinion, when an author creates a poem, he definitely puts some values and messages within, therefore, we as the reader can catch the essence or the meaning of the poem created. When an author writes his work, he intends to share his concerns, ideas, experiences, or opinions about any dimensions of life to other people, instead of the form that covers the work. The forms or media are only the medium to communicate his ideas, experience, imagination, etc. to the readers or listeners. The underlying reason why I apply biographical background in Rumi’s poem is to make the readers easier to understand either reading or interpreting the poem. Furthermore, it is important for teacher who teaches poetry to direct their students to dig into the deeper meaning from a literary work, so that their students do not stop their study only on the forms of the work. By the assumption above, author’s biography is then considered significant in teaching poetry. Thus, the biography can be a help in the process of studying poetry (in this case, Rumi’s poems, “The Tavern” and “How Very Close”). Consequently, in designing the poetry class’ lesson plan, preparations need to be carried out, thus we are able to see the sketch of the classroom activity. Those general preparations include the followings. 1. The teacher prepares Jalaluddin Rumi’s biography.
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2. The teacher prepares some explanation of the chosen area the students discussed deeper. Then, those general classroom guidelines can be described in details as follows: 1. Students listen to Jalaluddin Rumi’s song. This is done with the reason that students will have first description about what will they learn. 2. Students are divided into several groups. Distribute the handouts of the poem and ask the students to analyze the poem based on the students’ interpretation. 3. Ask them to discuss the poem in the groups. 4. Teacher invites students in each group to check their interpretation about the poem. 5. Teacher gives students Rumi’s Biography. 6. Students discuss the poem one more time to meet their potential new interpretation. 7. Teacher invites the students in each group to comment on the interpretation after reading Jalaluddin Rumi’s biography. 8. Teacher gives explanation about the essence of the poem. Teacher asks the student to make self reflection about ‘What have they learnt today?”.
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Bibliography
Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. 2004. The Glorious Qur’an. Hillwood Avenue: Halal Co. Arberry, A.J. 1950. Sufism. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Barks, Coleman, Reynold Nicholson, A.J. Arberrry, John Moyne. 1995. The Essential Rumi: New Expanded Edition. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. Beaujeu, J, J. Defradas, H. Le Bonniec. 1967. Les Grecs et les Romains. Paris: Maspero. Burtt, E. Arthur. 1964. Men Seeks the Divine: A Study in the History and Comparison of Religions. Second Edition. New York: Harper and Row, Publisher. Chackalackal, Saju. 2005. “Editorial” in Journal of Dharma: Is There a Reason for Admitting Mysticism. India: Dharma Research Association. 381-394. Chevalier, Jean and Alain Gheerbrant. Translated by John Buchanan Brown.1982. The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols. England: Clays Ltd. Chittick, William C. 1983. The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teaching of Rumi. Albany: State University of New York Press. Culler, Jonathan. 1977. Structuralist Poetics. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd. Dermenghem, E.1931. L’éloge du vin. Paris: Maspero. Dupre, Louis. 1988. “General Introduction,” in Louis Dupre and James A. Wiseman, Light from Light: An Anthology of Christian Mysticism. New York: Paulist Press. 6-7. Education, Macmillan. 2002. English Dictionary for Advance Learners: International Student Edition. Oxford: Bloomsburry Publishing Plc. Eliade, Mircea. 1958. Patterns in Comparative Religion. Translated by Rosemary Sheed. Oxford: Bloomsburry Publishing Plc. Grimal, Pierre. 1963. Dictionnaire de la mythologie grecque et romaine, with preface by Ch. Picard. 3rd corrected edition. New York: Harper and Row, Publisher. Hai, Supreme Master Ching. 1995. Aku Datang Untuk Membawamu Pulang. Jakarta: Yayasan Supreme Master Ching Hai Indonesia. 78
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Hawkes, Terence. 1977. Structuralism and Semiotics. London: Routledge. Hugel, Friedrich von. 1923. The Mystical Element of Religion as Studied in St. Catherine of Genoa and Her Friends. London: J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd. 51-53. Iqbal, Afzal. 1983. The Life and Work of Jalaluddin Rumi. London: The Octagon Press. Kapur, Lal Daryai. 1990. Panggilan. Jakarta: Yayasan Radha Soami Satsang Beas Indonesia. Kristeva, Julia. 1980. Desire in Language: A Semiotic Approach to Literature and Art. New York: Columbia University Press. LAI. 2000. Holy Bible Contemporary English Version. Jakarta: Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia. Lonergan, Bernard. 2003. Method in Theology. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Osborne, Richard and Borin Van Loon. 2006. Introducing Eastern Philosophy. UK: Icon Books Ltd. Preminger, Alex (ed.) et al. 1974. Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Rahner, Karl and Herbert Vorgrimler. 1965. Theological Dictionary. New York: Herder and Herder. Rohrberger, Mary and Samuel H. Woods Jr. 1971. Reading and Writing About Literature. New York: Random House. Shah, Idries. 1964. The Sufis. London: Thirty Bedford Square. __________. 1968. The way of the Sufi. London: C. Nicholls & Company Ltd. Smith, Margareth. 1980. The Nature and Meaning of Mysticism. Edited by Richard Woods, O.P. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. Underhill, Evelyn. 2006. Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. Virel , André. 1965. Histoire de notre image. New York: Herder and Herder. Zoetmulder, P.J. 1995. Pantheism and Monism In Javenese Suluk Literature. Leiden: KITLV Press.
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Websites http://www.bestirantravel.com/culture/poetry/rumi_poetry.html. (Accessed on May 11th, 2007) http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/sources/rumi_biography.html (Accessed on October 7th, 2007) http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index/php?title=Rumi&redirect=no (Accessed on June 24th, 2007) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Muhammed_Rumi.png (Accessed on June 24th, 2007) http://maps.bpl.org/ex/min/iraq/context/# (Acessed on November 8th, 2007)
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Appendix 1
The Tavern
All day I think about it, then at night I say it Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that And I intend to end up there
This drunkenness began in some other tavern When I get back around to that place, I’ll be completely sober. Meanwhile, I’m like a bird from another continent, sitting in this aviary The day is coming when I fly off But who is it now in my ear who hears my voice? Who says words with my mouth?
Who looks out with my eyes? What is the soul? I cannot stop asking. If I could taste one sip of an answer I could break out of this prison for drunks. I didn’t come here of my own accord, and i can’t leave that way Whoever brought me here will have to take me home
This poetry I never know what I’m going to say I don’t plan it When I’m outside the saying of it, I get very quiet and rarely speak at all.
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How Very Close
How very close is your soul with mine I know for sure everything you think goes through my mind I am with you now and doomsday not like a host caring for you at a feast alone with you I am happy all the times the time I offer my life or the time you gift me your love offering my life is a profitable venture each life I give you pay in turn a hundred lives again in this house there are a thousand dead and still souls making you stay as this will be yours a handful of earth cries aloud I used to be hair or I used to be bones and just the moment when you are all confused leaps forth a voice hold me close I’m love and I’m always yours
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Appendix 2
Rumi’s Biography Mawlānā Jalāl-ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (Persian: دمحم نیدلا لالج انالوم )یمور, also known as Mawlānā Jalāl-ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī (Persian: دمحم )ىخلب, but known to the English-speaking world simply as Rumi, was a 13th century Persian poet, Islamic jurist, and theologian. Jalaluddin Rumi was born in September 30, 1207 C.E. ( i.e. Common Era aligned with A.D.) in Balkh. This city was then in the Persian province of Khorasan but is now in Afghanistan. Balkh was then a prominent city and his family had a tradition of service there in legal and religious offices. Despite this background he moved, in his youth and with his family about 1218 C.E., away from Balkh in order to avoid the warlike Mongols who were then conquering extensively under the leadership of their Khans.
The family travelled to Baghdad, to Mecca on pilgrimage, and to Damascus and eventually settled at Karaman near Konya in what is now western Turkey. Following this move to Konya, then the capital of the western Seljuk Turks Jalaluddin's father was busy as an Islamic theologian, teacher and preacher. Jalaluddin followed in this tradition and, upon his father's demise in 1231 C.E. succeeded to his post as a prominent religious teacher.
This part of the world was then known to its inhabitants as Rum, a name derived from the Byzantine Roman Empire that had formerly held it. Jalaluddin's name in religion and literature - Rumi - is itself derived from Rum.
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Rumi is today thought of being a Persian mystic and poet and is closely identified with Sufism and Sufi mysticism. This Sufism being a mysticism within Islam where devotees sought a mystical union with God. From around 1232 C.E. and the arrival of one of his fathers former Balkh students in Konya Rumi was thoroughly familiarised with doctrines of Sufism that had emerged in Persia and in 1240 C.E. he was recognised as being a Shaykh in his own right.
In about 1244 C.E. Rumi befriended Shams ad-Din (Sun of Religion), a wandering dervish or Sufi devotee who was formerly from Tabrìz, who became his mentor. For over two years he and Shams ad-Din were very closely associated in a platonic friendship and living in the same house. Sufis had a tradition of such close platonic friendships based on a commonality of spiritual endeavours.
Rumi had previous to this all absorbing friendship been busy as a teacher and leader of a Mevlevi discipleship. His former pupils were most discomfited by the friendship with Shams and threatened violence. Shams ad-Din disappeared unexplainedly in 1247 C.E. and Rumi subsequently composed approaching to 30,000 verses of poetry, the Lyrics of Shams of Tabrìz, expressing his feelings at the disappearance of his friend. He later formed other deep spiritual friendships that were not really welcomed by his disciples in the Mevlevi Order.
One of these friendships again inspired poetry, notably the epic poem Masnavi I Ma'navi (Spiritual Couplets), which has had an immense influence on Islamic literature and thought. This friend, Husam ad-Din Chelebi, became leader of the Mevlevi Order upon Rumi's death in 1273 C.E.
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Rumi had taught that "Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians should be viewed with the same eye" and it is said that people drawn from five faith backgrounds followed his funeral bier. His mausoleum, the Green Dome in Konya, is today a place of pilgrimage for many thousands.
Adapted From: http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/sources/rumi_biography.html
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Appendix 3
Jalaluddin Rumi’s Picture
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Muhammed_Rumi.png
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Appendix 4
The Middle East Map 13th Century
Taken from: http://maps.bpl.org/ex/min/iraq/context/# BBC News:World:Country Profiles: Iraq /news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791014.stm
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The Ottoman Empire’s Map
Taken from: http://maps.bpl.org/ex/min/iraq/context/# BBC News:World:Country Profiles: Iraq /news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791014.stm
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The Middle East Map
Taken from: http://maps.bpl.org/ex/min/iraq/context/# BBC News: World: Country Profiles: Iraq /news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791014.stm
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Appendix 5 LESSON PLAN
Subject
: Poetry
Goal
: Students are able to have more understanding and critical appreciation on the meanings and purposes of poetry, the shape and the content, literary style of a poem and the experience of life students can obtain from reading a poem.
Topic
: Element of poetry and language style of “The Tavern”
Level
: 6th Semester of English Language Education
Time
: 2 x 50’ Basic Competencies
Achievement Indicators
Learning Experiences
Learning
Form of Evaluation
Strategies - Students are able to understand about the elements of poetry (subject, sense, feeling, tone, intention, construing) and language style
- Students are able to understand the poem given - Students are able to generate sentences and make conclusion about the
- Students read the biography of Rumi to understand the content, to explore more about what is the essence of the poem.
- Lectures -Discussion -Paper Assignment
- Paper Assignment
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(imagery, figures of speech, essence of the poem. rhymes). - Students are able to summarize particular meaning conveyed in the poems
- Students are to observe, understand and comprehend experience of life of Sufis. - The teacher models the way the students should do the task. - The teacher asks the students to do it by themselves.
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Learning Activities 1. Ice breaking PreActivity 15’-20’ 1a. Students listen to Jalaluddin Rumi’s song. This is done with the reason that students will have an imagination and get the atmosphere about what will they learn. 2. Ask the students that they need to form groups. Divide the students into several groups. Distribute the handouts of Whilstthe poem and ask the students to analyze the poem based on the students’ interpretation. Activity I 60’-65’ 3. Ask them to discuss the poem in the groups given. 4. Teacher invites student in each group to check their interpretation about the poem. 5. Teacher gives students Rumi’s Biography. This is done expect students have a better understanding towards the poem by applying author’s biographical background. 6. Students discuss the poem one more time. 7. Teacher invites the students each group to comment on the poem’s interpretation after reading Jalaluddin Rumi’s biography. 1. Teacher gives explanation about the essence of the poem. Teacher asks the student to make self reflection about ‘What Postthey have learnt today’. Activity 5’-10’ V. Learning Media and Learning Devices Common classroom Handouts White board and board marker CD Player VI. Assessment and follow-up.
PERFORMANCE[STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION)AND PAPER ASSSIGNMENT
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Appendix 6
Short Description about Poetry I
Poetry I is taught in sixth semester of English Language Study Program in Sanata Dharma University. Goal
: Students are able to have more understanding and critical appreciation on the meanings and purposes of poetry, the shape and the content, literary style of a poem and the experience of life students can obtain from reading a poem.
Topic
: Element of poetry (subject, sense, feeling, tone, intention, construing) and language style (imagery, figures of speech, rhymes).
Learning Strategies
: Lectures, Discussion, and Paper Assignment.
Evaluation
: Quizzes, tests, and paper assignments
Taken From: Panduan Akademik Program Study Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris untuk Dosen dan Mahasiswa (2004)
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Appendix 7 Interview Transcription with Kuinjabihari Solo; 18 April 2007; 09:00am – 01:30pm
Proses sosial dari perkembangan spiritual seseorang dikelompokkan menjadi tiga, yaitu Asceticism (abstinence from worldly pleasure), Mysticism (penyatuan onsepsi-konsepsi dalam jalan spiritual. Contohnya Tasawuf dalam Sufi) dan yang terakhir adalah corporatism (dalam ajaran islam ini disebut jalan tarekat menuju makrifat; proses penyatuan diri dengan alam dan Tuhan). Sufi adalah cara pendekatan diri secara kerohanian terhadap Allah secara Islam. Buktinya adalah Isra’ Miraj dalam Islam yang mana itu adalah suatu bentuk dari perjalanan spitual seseorang. Tehnik pengajaran dalam perjalanan spiritual seseorang diajarkan langsung tidak secara tertulis /literatur tapi langsung ke arah amalan. Karena itulah ajaran spesifik (Sufi) dalam islam tidak dijabarkan di dalam Al-Quran. Alasan lain adalah karena Al-Quran itu adalah Syariat. Kehidupan religius seseorang dapat dilihat dari sikap hidup pola makan, pola hidup yang disesuaikan dengan ajaran-ajaran yang benar yang didapatkan dari agama atau kepercayaannya sehingga rohaninya menjadi bersih. Religius sendiri juga berarti perbuatan, tidak hanya ketika pas beribadah. Sesudah melakukan praktek keagamaannya pun, sesorang sebaiknya tetap menjaga kebersihan rohani yang telah dibangun ketika ia melakukan ibadahnya tadi. Karena menjaga kebersihan rohani merupakan ibadah tersendiri bagi kita umat manusia.
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Fungsi agama secara duniawi bertujuan untuk mengatur hidup manusia menjadi lebih baik; agar manusia hidup secara baik, benar dan damai dan juga memberi batasan-batasan dengan baik dan benar. Adapula manusia yang sudah melakukan segala sesuatu dalam Agama tetapi tidak menemukan kepuasan. Itu dikarenakan: yang pertama, kehampaan (dia melakukan segala sesuatu bentuk ibadah tetapi tetap tidak bahagia), yang kedua, ia mempunyai segalanya tetapi tidak bahagia,yang ketiga karena kemiskinan.Yang terakhir adalah kesadaran untuk kembali kepada Tuhan . Jalan kepuasan inilah dalam Islam disebut jalan Tasawuf / Sufi melalui Tarekat. Ajaran Islam secara garis besar dapat dilukiskan sebagai berikut: Syariat Tarekat Hakikat Makrifat Makrifat adalah suatu tahap spiritual peleburan diri dengan Sang Nur Ilahi. Jika kita ingin membicarakan tentang pengalaman spiritual seseorang maka kita harus bisa keluar dari konsep pancaindera. Karena pengalaman ini tidak berkaitan dengan panca indera dan bersifat transenden. Dalam perjalanan spiritual terdapat pengalaman. Pengalaman ini adalah pengalaman yang dialami langsung orang tersebut. Bilamana seseorang itu mengalami suatu peristiwa kerohaniaan maka orang tersebut orang tersebut mengalami kebahagiaan yang luar bisa. Hal berhubungan dengan
rasa.
Pengalaman
berhubungan
dengan
penglihatan.
Rumi
ingin
mengungkapkan pengalamannya yang berhubungan dengan rasa dituangkan dalam bentuk puisi. Perbedaan kebahagiaan dan kesenangan: Bahagia muncul karena menyatunya cipta, rasa dan karsa, sedangkan
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 97
Senang muncul karena berkaitan dengan panca indera. Disaat menyatunya cipta, rasa dan karsa maka akan terhubung kepada rasa Ilahi. Pada saat menyatunya cipta, rasa dan karsa , invidualitas sirna. Dalam penyatuan ini, seseorang tidak merasakannya tubuhnya lagi. Rumi dalam hal ini memanifestasikannya
kedalam
puisinya
dimana
puisi
ini
menggambarkan
pengalaman mistik dengan cinta kasih. Dalam menjalani jalan spiritual,sebaiknya mencari seorang pembimbing. Seorang pembimbing bertujuan membantu kita menemukan jalan kembali pulang, karena hidup ini adalah sementara. Pembimbing ini membantu kita mempersingkat waktu dan tenaga sehingga manakala kita mempelajarinya, kita tidak melalui jalan percobaan dan kesalahan terus-menerus. Singkat kata, pembimbing diperlukan untuk membantu kita mempercepat pencapaian ajaran-ajaran yang diajarkan agama-agama sehingga kita bisa mengefisiensikan waktu dan tenaga kita untuk suatu perkembangan spiritual yang sedang ditapaki. Seorang pembimbing juga dengan membantu kita agar mencapai tahapan yang sama seperti dirinya. Ketika
seseorang
sedang
menapaki
jalan
spiritualitasnya,
seorang
pembimbing diperlukan untuk membantu kita menemukan siapa jati diri kita sebenarnya. Ketika seseorang telah menemukan jati dirinya itu berarti ia telah menemukan Allah. Karena di dalam diri sejati, semua ego dan eksistensi lenyap, yang ada hanya si manusia itu sendiri dan Allahnya. Di dalam diri sejati, semua yang ada lenyap, yang ada hanyalah semua yang indah dan suci. Ini adalah representasi dari sifat Allah itu sendiri. Ketika seorang manusia telah menemukan diri sejatinya, ia dikatakan sebagai manusia seutuhnya. Manusia seutuhnya adalah suatu gambaran sifat-sifat Allah yang tereprsentasikan/ termanifestasikan ke dalam diri manusia
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 98
tersebut. Manusia tersebut telah memiliki sifat-sifat keTuhanan. Jadi bisa dikatakan bahwa manusia itu sendiri telah melebur dengan Tuhannya karena ketiadaan existensi dirinya, yang ada hanya Tuhannya. Kondisi peleburan ini bisa dikatakan ia dan Tuhannya adalah satu. Ketika ia dan Tuhannya menjadi satu, manusia tersebut melakukan tindakan,pemikiran dan perbuatan sesuai apa yang dipikirkan dan diinginkan Tuhan. Dalam kehidupannya ia selalu merasakan rahmat / blessing dari Tuhan. Kedekatan hubungan ini disebut pengalaman spiritual (mystical experience), karena hanya Tuhan dan manusia tersebut yang mengetahui keintiman hubungan tersebut. Pengalaman spiritual seseorang menggambarkan betapa kedekatan manusia dan Tuhannya. Tuhan menjadi sangat nyata didalam kehidupannya. Maka dari itu, pengalaman spiritual sangatlah bermakna ketika seseorang belum mengetahui apa arti
dan
tujuan
hidupnya.
Pengalaman
spiritual
menjadi
jembatan
yang
menghubungkan manusia dan Tuhannya. Dan ketika tuhan menjadi sangat dekat dan nyata dalam kehidupan manusia, manusia tersebut mengetahui bagaimana ia memaknai hidupnya dan lingkungannya.
