When life got too much, I simply danced.

When life got too much, I simply danced.  I danced.  My dear beloved friend created the dervishes, but I was THE dervish.  I could not handle so much God.  I could not handle so much—and it had nothing to do with fear—so much of life sometimes, so I danced.  I looked at my heart and my heart said, can you feel this rhythm, Shams?  Can you hear this?  Oh, I could! At the most inopportune times I would start twirling!  

“What is his problem?”

And Rumi would just look at them and say, “He’s touched.”

“Ha! That explains it!”

What Rumi didn’t fill in is that he’s touched by God, because they wouldn’t understand.  Rumi did.  For me it was almost as natural dancing, twirling, spinning, as was breathing; because you wouldn’t want to hear me sing.  It was a unique, almost sonorous voice, and so I channeled it, I channeled it into twirling, into dancing.  So maybe you need to dance, or maybe you need to do something because all of this… it’s such a strange time, isn’t it!  

Let me say this, it is weird!  It is so weird, the things that human beings have to endure in these times, it’s beyond weird, it’s crazy.  The way to break through weird and crazy is to get out there and get it on, for nobody’s sake but yours.  And I’m telling you the truth, it worked for me, it’ll work for you.  

Dance, sing, create, do whatever you have to do, but don’t say no.  Don’t do it tomorrow, you do it now; because that’s all that matters.   You are clearing space, you are invalidating an appearance of craziness, and those that accept it will think that you’re crazy.  Oh, you lucky person!  Personally, I loved it.  I loved when they asked, “What’s the matter with your friend?  He is your friend, isn’t he?”

“Oh yes, he’s touched."

“He’s drunk, I guess.”

“He could be!”  

What Rumi didn’t say is he’s drunk on God.  He’s drunk on his own creative essence, he’s drunk because he loves himself so much he can’t stand it, so he has to dance it out, he has to twirl it out, he has to spin it out!  What he also didn’t say is that all of you, everybody that’s around him is blessed with this sacred energy!  Sacred energy. 

But it’s the same for you, isn’t it?  Who understands you? Who has the time to understand you?  Who even cares to understand you, but one or two or three?  I had one for a time; it meant the world to me. Whatever that world was, I was grateful.  I was tough because I had to be, but I was grateful.

Maybe you want to be the same way.  So what do you say?  Let’s be who we’ve never been because, guess what?  You already are, so let it out!  Let it out!  Don’t be afraid, don’t be concerned.  Just be it, and what a beautiful it you are!

Deep love,

Shams

As you drink from the cup of unlimited life

As you drink from the cup of unlimited life, how ever could you live chained, bound and gagged by an empty past?  How could you?  I tell you that you cannot.  The past seeps away from you into the hungry, thirsty ground of God, and God says, “My word!  This is bitter vile!”  And you say, “Good riddance!”  It’s that simple!

As you move into infinity, the concrete world takes up too much space, weighs too much, is too slow, so what do you do?  You follow your heart.  In so doing you become the blood of God, you move in a river of love.  You are brought to peace, to spaciousness, to greater perspective.

Call it building your resolve, if you will.  Call it building the cornerstone of your new life.  Call it letting go the illusion of the past and building your bravery, your fortitude, your strength and your power.  Maybe it takes that, but you have it.

When I am in God, there is only the God I AM.  If others wish to admire me, the line for autographs forms at the left!

I leave you with love,

Shams

Listen to a radio interview with John Windwalker and Jamila Hammad

Listen to a radio interview with John Windwalker and Jamila Hammad discussing Shake Like A Mad Drum.  In a lively discussion, they tell the story of how this book came about, what channeling is like, and why the story of Rumi and Shams is still very relevant today:

https://soundcloud.com/charli-34/john-windwalker-jamilia-hamad-shake-like-a-mad-drum

Are you lonely? Spoke the sun.

Are you lonely? Spoke the sun.

Your back is bent

And you walk on roses that are dried and wizened.

You lift not your head to seek the kindness of my smile.

What troubles you, old man?

I must be hearing things, said the despondent one.

Now even the sun talks to me, mocks me, even.

I mock you not, old man,

I say, look, here’s the pathway.

It is to kindness, it is to rich blue skies across oceans of forgiveness,

It is to the door, the very golden door of the Beloved most high!

I’ve had too much sun, thought the lost soul.

Only the opposite is true, spoke the heavenly body.

You’ve not had enough!

Rumi

Somewhere along the way the sandal was lost

Somewhere along the way the sandal was lost.  I wore but one. 

One foot burned, one did not. 

I came to the town walking with a noticeable limp and two children ran to me.

Are you hurt? the tiny girl said.  Sir, you walk funny.

I gently rubbed the back of their heads. 

I said reassuringly, the sand stole my sandal.

Can sand do that? asked the little boy.

Well, I laughed, apparently this sand did because I could not find that which gave my right foot comfort.

You could have mine, said the little girl.

And you could have mine, chimed the little boy.

I picked up one on each arm.  I kicked off the other sandal. 

I looked both in the eyes. I was drawn into four brown suns of innocence. 

I was peering at God.

And I said, Little Masters, as I began walking limpless. 

Thank you for reminding me that love heals all.

-Rumi

A conversation on Joy between Rumi and Shams

This is a recording of a conversation between the poet Jelalludin Rumi and his friend and teacher Shams of Tabriz, as channeled by spiritual teacher John Windwalker. More of these conversations appear in the book "Shake Like A Mad Drum: The Eternal Friendship of Rumi and Shams" available at Amazon and  at www.RumiShams.com.
To view the video directly on youtube: click here.