A Cornerstone of Hafiz The Great 14th century Persian Poet

I was invited to write this article, some years back, for Lion's Roar, which to me is a wonderful Buddhist magazine. And if you clink on this link, and then click on the article you will see how they published it. 

https://www.lionsroar.com/author/daniel-ladinsky/

The article speaks about "the cornerstone of Hafiz.” And indeed I think it is. A poem, 21 words, that Hafiz then expounds upon in literarily hundreds of unique ways. And the short poem reminds me of some, I think, very significant lines of Rumi, a translation-rendering by Coleman Barks in a poem that begins: 

Out beyond the ideas of right doing

and wrong doing there is a field I will

meet you there.

— Rumi

Right and wrong can get so tricky. And no doubt most everyone can benefit from intelligent restraints. From drawing lines in the sand and saying with all your heart sometimes: “No way I am crossing that, doing that!” 

But I really wonder, how a Buddha or Jesus might look at everything. I would think with less judgement then moon's light shows. That is: the compassion, the understanding, the love (call it moonlight) will just shine forth and offer all itself to all things, and all acts. All acts: that is a big one ... way beyond God 101, but think that is where we are all heading.   

Another Hafiz poem mentioned in this article (and both are in my books), goes:

How did the rose ever open its heart 

and give to the world all of its beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light

against its being,

otherwise, we might remain too closed,

too frightened.

—Hafiz

“We need to become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye, that keeps saying with that sweet moon language ... what ever other eye is this world  is dying to hear.” 

That is part of a Hafiz poem of mine titled, “With That Moon Language.” The poem is very playful in part, and has become rather famous. Just google that title with the word Hafiz next to it, and the poem should pop up several places on the web, where people have shared my work— and I was gladly surprised to find it. 

And how wonderful, that even after several centuries we can open up a good Rumi and Hafiz book— and there it is, that ... sweet moon language, that even gets wild too in poems, cause they are ever for cranking up the party! If no one gets hurt.

If no one gets hurt. Indeed.  And one of the wonders— cornerstones— to me about both Rumi and Hafiz is: they are sooooo much all about safeguarding you and empowering you at the same time. Aka, good buddies to hang with. They have stuff dropping from their pockets all day and night long—  custom made to feed us birds and help us become golden again. 

Another Hafiz cornerstone being: to help our wings taste the sun, to taste God. To know more and more of our miraculous selves.

A big hug, 

Daniel Ladinsky