The Root Of The Root Of Your Self, by Rumi

Don’t go away, come near.
Don’t be faithless, be faithful.
Find the antidote in the venom.
Come to the root of the root of yourself.

Molded of clay, yet kneaded
from the substance of certainty,
a guard at the Treasury of Holy Light —
come, return to the root of the root of your Self.

Once you get hold of selflessness,
You’ll be dragged from your ego
and freed from many traps.
Come, return to the root of the root of your Self.

You are born from the children of God’s creation,
but you have fixed your sight too low.
How can you be happy?
Come, return to the root of the root of your Self.

You were born from a ray of God’s majesty
and have the blessings of a good star.
Why suffer at the hands of things that don’t exist?
Come, return to the root of the root of your Self.

You are a ruby embedded in granite.
How long will you pretend it’s not true?
We can see it in your eyes.
Come to the root of the root of your Self.

You came here from the presence of that fine Friend,
a little drunk, but gentle, stealing our hearts
with that look so full of fire; so,
come, return to the root of the root of your Self.

[...]

Poetry of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi
Translated by Kabir Helminski

Seed Questions for Reflection

What does the root of the root of your self mean to you? Can you share a personal experience of a time you returned to the root of the root of your self? What helps you realize that you are a ruby embedded in granite?

Moved by this reading? Join a live Awakin Circle to discuss in community.

Join this week

More ways to connect

Join a Metta Circle

Practice loving-kindness meditation together

Explore peer-learning pods

Small groups diving deeper into shared themes

Start your own local circle

One living room, one intention — we'll help

Add Your Reflection

17 Past Reflections

Roxanna

Apr 25, 2025

A breeze of bliss. Later when disillusioned with world where truth was nowhere to be found...a dream where simulation with
monster chasing kept getting close and fear turned to terror and dream to nightmare .a voice inside said say there is no god but Allah and escape.tried but still stuck.voice said say it from your heart.tried but still chaser said u lie and I stayed stuck in nightmare simulation till finally I cou

ld not run anymore .monster caught me and to my delight death was angel of light who was the only way I could be a true witness and say it as truth from my heart. Simulation vanished and with code restored I was free of fear with no deamons chasing me. The last prophet said" die before u did " most feel scared of what he meant. It is death of fear suffering illusion otherness.it is only way to base reality. I put this poem of Rumi in my father's obituary and strangers called me to say it helped them get over the loss of parents which is more than we imagine .

Melanie Foster

May 29, 2021

Life is a difficult place for most of us, I recall contemplating suicide after my daughter killed herself by hanging. I had bought a dog leash and I picked a sturdy tree in a peaceful place from which to hang myself. My thoughts went from tragedy to a place of quiet in the midst of chaos. I let go and let the emotions take hold of my heart, unbearable grief consumed me for several hours as I sat underneath this tree of eternal freedom. A small bird landed in front of me and I thought about the timing and about my grandson Elijah who was not even 3 years old yet. I thought about the name I gave my daughter HOPE, and a small voice gentle and kind said why don't you wait until tomorrow and see if maybe you can see if it is a better day. I did just that and I prayed thinking about the small joys in life and how I would like to see my grandson go to college and how I would like to know his heart and show him that life can be extraordinary through love. I wake up each day with HOPE and I... View full comment

Zanne Jun 8, 2021

Your response to the poem has moved me. I hope you find more reasons to wake up every day - and that one day you find it is no longer a struggle but a blessing. I hear your story of your pain, and I'll keep you in my thoughts. Your grandson will be grateful for your courage.

joyce Mar 18, 2022

I felt your pain so strongly as I read your comment. I admire your courage and hope so much! Your grandchildren can be the best blessing and source of hope and love, May God continue to bless you with each new day and help you to take one step at a time. Keeping you in my prayers.

sadhana

May 29, 2021

This is what Upnishads say,we are not only body -mind-ego complex but there is a root of root of SELF to be realized.

Revanth

Dec 14, 2020

I first happened to read this poem here in 2019. I keep coming back to it so many times.
Every time I read it, it fills me with inexplicable emotions. Thank you so much for sharing this here.

Stephanie abbott

Apr 9, 2020

OMG this Is Amazing an Powerful all in one Thank you for motivating me to do what I need to do for myself.

Ian

Jun 26, 2019

That’s the Essence of Alchemy! Sacred science. The root of the root is how dimensions embed within each other, tracing the path home on the blue pearl of your soul.

Ariel Oct 13, 2020

Ahhhh..sweeeet Alchemy!!!! Interconnection is what I felt reading your words! Thx you for this moment today

Lindsay Rudland

Jun 23, 2019

Hearing Sadhguru talk about the source of creation that we are all a piece of life a piece of the planet.Forget personality history rejoice in this moment.

Glenda Fields

May 30, 2019

Thank you for this seva that you are doing. Your interpretations are lovely. I need the books source for this quote. Thank you.

Feb 4, 2019

thanks for the post

balasubramanian

Jan 28, 2019

Currently I have been through seven weeks of an affliction in my liver where some tissues hgone into hyperactive mitosis. I am through the attendant hospital visits and confinement to the four walls of my residence. A great opportunity for me to explore my past . I have written a few blogs to get away from the monopoly of immobility. This writing has helped me to find myself out in greater detail.The rest is for the readers.The blogs are being shared now.

Angela C. Montano

Nov 23, 2018

I am so grateful to have received this email....to be reading these words translated from Rumi's poetry. Just reading these words, I begin to return to the root of the root of myself. For me, everytime I am willing to question a stressful thought and realize it is false, I come back to the root of the root of me.

Quacinda Jodyne Topkok

Nov 20, 2018

What does the root of the root of your self mean to you? It means the REAL me.. not the one described with thought and verbal description. Can you share a personal experience of a time you returned to the root of the root of your self? I don't know if I have an exact or a dramatic moment of when I came to realize who I really was. Again, keeping in mind that one cannot describe who we each are, I'd suggest that we are life it's self, and the One who created us is the only one who can help us know or realize who we really are. What helps you realize that you are a ruby embedded in granite? Stories help me.. and when I hear a story or a description of the deepest part of me, I just know if it's true also for me. These stories, these words and descriptions only scratch the surface. They are just words and words are just symbols, they represent an idea or thought. And the descript... View full comment

Jagdish P Dave

Nov 17, 2018

When I am not driven by my selfishness and self-centeredness and my egoic mind, I sense and experience the oneness of all life, the light within, the Root of the Root of My Self. I see and feel the presence of Love connecting me with the source of eternal light. When I hold a baby crying close to my heart, feed a hungry man, help someone deeply saddened by the loss of his beloved, I feel my heart touching the other's heart. These are the times I feel returning to the root of the root of myself. Such selfless and going beyond my self-experiences help me realize that I am ruby embedded in granite.I feel the outer covers of separateness breaking away showing the ruby shining within my inner self. According to my understanding and experience, wisdom tradtions of spiritualiy, the source of creation is within us; there is inherent divinity in all lof us regardless of outward differences. Rumi calls it the Root of the Root of Yourself. The veil of avidya-ignorance-causes the illusi... View full comment

david doane

Nov 17, 2018

The root of the root of my self is my essence, my soul, the extension of God that is me. I don't know when I became aware of the root of the root of my self. I think I was honing in on it for a long time, and got there maybe a dozen years ago, I think by being dissatisfied with beliefs I had, questioning, seeking, being open, listening to me and to the wisdom of teachers like Rumi, and letting go of beliefs that didn't make sense. A ruby embedded in granite means to me that I am an expression of God embodied in flesh and bone and material reality. What helps me to realize that is being open, listening to the wisdom of teachers, letting go, waking up, seeing.