Book Club - 40 Rules of Love

Our book club at our house was so much fun. The book by Elif Shafak, "40 Rules of Love," was about two tantalizing parallel narratives - one contemporary and the other set in the 13th century, when Rumi encountered Shams of Tabriz - the whirling dervish. The author describes how he influenced Rumi, the famous Turkish poet of those times, who put together the timeless message of love.

I was surprised to see how I connected to these Turkish teachings as they felt so close to what I have read in Bhagaved Gita. Below is a glimpse of one of the passages of the Gita which I thought was similar to one of the messages of this book.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पुर्णमुदच्यते पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate || Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih || Meaning: 1: Om, That (Outer World) is Purna (Full with Divine Consciousness); This (Inner World) is also Purna (Full with Divine Consciousness); From Purnacomes Purna (From the Fullness of Divine Consciousness the World is manifested) , 2: Taking Purna from Purna, Purna Indeed Remains (Because Divine Consciousness is Non-Dual and Infinite). 3: Om Peace, Peace, Peace.

39 th rule of love

“While the parts change, the whole always remains the same. For every thief who departs this world, a new one is born. And every decent person who passes away is replaced by a new one. In this way not only does nothing remain the same but also nothing ever really changes. For every Sufi who dies, another is born somewhere.”

Little by little one turns forty, fifty, and sixty and, with each major decade, feels more complete. You need to keep walking, though there’s no place to arrive at. The universe is turning, constantly and relentlessly, and so are the earth and the moon, but it is nothing other than a secret embedded within us human beings that makes it all move. With that knowledge we dervishes will dance our way through love and heartbreak even if no one understands what we are doing. We will dance in the middle of a brawl or a major war, all the same. We will dance in our hurt and grief, with joy and elation, alone and together, as slow and fast as the flow of water. We will dance in our blood. There is perfect harmony and subtle balance in all that is as was in the universe. The dots change constantly and replace one another, but the circle remains intact.

Here are some photos from this Book Club Meeting - "40 Rules of Love" by the Turkish author Elif Safak: