Radio Rumi
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Radio Rumi Program 66: The Lands and Seas Are Vast, and the People Numerous
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this summer special episode, I discuss the worldly awareness of medieval Persian poets and thinkers, emphasizing their attention to cultures differ...
Radio Rumi Program 65: The Blessed Madness That Helps You Find the Moon!
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode focuses on the complexity of the concept of madness in Rumi's poetry. It explores our poet's approach to madness as a tool that c...
Radio Rumi Program 64: Dance Them Out of Your Life!
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This program is dedicated to the significance of dancing in human life. I start with Hafiz of Shiraz, then move on to Sa'di's approach to the ...
Radio Rumi Program 63: The Winter Is Gone, Did You Hear?
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the occasion of the arrival of spring, millions of people across the globe are celebrating "Nowruz." In this program, I explore the liter...
Radio Rumi Program 62: I Saw Angels Knocking on the Door of the Wine-House
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this program, I focus on wine and wine-house in the poetry of Hafiz of Shiraz. In the journey that we take from Konya to Shiraz, instead of asking ...
Radio Rumi Program 61: Persons-in-Community, Not Egos-in-Isolation
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I focus on the ways in which one of my favorite philosophers and a few life-companion poets (including Rumi) discuss an important asp...
Radio Rumi Program 60: The Harmonious Interrelation That Is Life
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I start this program with a quote from a modern Western philosopher about the interconnection of all life everywhere. Comparing his view with that of ...
Radio Rumi Program 59: Before You, The Sun Is But a Sundown!
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A large part of the world has just celebrated Christmas. This program looks into the poetic presence of Jesus in classical Persian poetry and his symb...
Radio Rumi Program 58: Like all Nights, Yaldas Come to an End
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take another poetic journey to Shiraz to spend Yalda with the master poet, Saʿdi. He speaks of the symbolic significance of night...
Radio Rumi Program 57: Dancing Around a Rainbow
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is dedicated to the Iranian children suffering as the violent response to the uprisings causes them harm. I focus on children as the dyna...
Radio Rumi Program 56: The Glow of the Fire that is Life
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I start this episode by describing the concept of the Self - "Khod" in Persian - as an ongoing inner process. I then explore Rumi's words on the way t...
Radio Rumi Program 55: They Clothe Themselves with the Rays of the Sun
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is dedicated to the concept of healing, as Rumi speaks about. In his view, healing is not a thing which happens to us but something that ...
Radio Rumi Program 54: The Autumn Leaves Know I Am Waiting for You
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about seasonal change and the autumn, which we usually see as a sign that the summer has ended. For Rumi, the pale leaves are ...
Radio Rumi Program 53: Let Grapes Speak about Sweetness
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this program I continue to explore what poetry was to Rumi. Sometimes it was the music to his happy moments, and comfort during sadness. But he als...
Radio Rumi Program 52: From Konya to Shiraz
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this program, I start by underlining Rumi's emphasis on the concept of sokhan ('human speech'). For our poet, human beings are made up of their tho...
Radio Rumi Program 51: There are Thieves in Town (1)
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this first of a two-part program, I'll take you on the cosmic journey that Rumi plans for his readers. "There are thieves in town," he tells us but...
Radio Rumi Program 50: The Everlasting is Born Tonight!
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this program I explore the concept of "birth" in Rumi's lyric poetry as it applies to the entire cosmos. The convergence of the Winter Solstice, Ch...
Radio Rumi Program 49: Dancing All The Way to the Garden
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this program I speak of Rumi’s vision on giving thanks. Describing “patience” and “gratitude” as the twin roads to contentment, Rumi poin...
Radio Rumi Program 48: The City of Light
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we stroll through one of Rumi's ghazals with an eye on discovering the vibrancy and glow of this mystical metropolis. In the process w...
Radio Rumi Program 47: Like Strings on a Harp
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We have all experienced varying levels of isolation in our efforts to slow down a pandemic. In this program I focus on the ways in which Rumi thinks a...
Radio Rumi Program 46: Sit Close, Let us See each other's Face!
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this program, I focus on the concept of trust or "tavakkol" which is a stage in the Sufi spiritual journey. I explore this concept through the lens...
Radio Rumi Program 45: Walking around the Pond of Perplexity
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this program, I describe the process of inner fulfillment as a journey in which there are no destinations beyond keeping the momentum of moving for...
Radio Rumi Program 44: Be Faster than a Sparrow!
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rumi's lyric poetry seems to focus on our inner world of ambitions, joys, fears, and spiritual yearnings. In this program we look outwards and try to ...
Radio Rumi Program 43: Love is a Dragon
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I set out to focus this program on the concept of fear. Much to my surprise, I found out that for Rumi the feeling that counters fear is not courage. ...
Radio Rumi Program42: We Are in This Together
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I start this program with Rumi's emphasis on the significance of hope in our lives in these days of struggle with a global threat. There are things th...
Radio Rumi Program 41: The Healing Nowruz Rain
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Spring has just arrived. At the same time, the world is in the grips of a pandemic. In this program I look to Rumi for words of wisdom that help u...
Radio Rumi Program 40: Words can Harm, and they can Heal
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rumi's words have brought us together. What is in his poetic speech that educates, delights, and transforms us? There are many ways to address this qu...
Radio Rumi Program 39: Egos that have turned into dragons
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the election, politics and power are on our minds, I look at Rumi's understanding of the concept of power and his approach to it. As a well-known...
Radio Rumi Program 37: I am not a Christian, nor a Jew, nor a Muslim....
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In light of the recent clashes between my two homes (Iran and America), I dedicate this program to a concept which Rumi values and we need desperately...
Radio Rumi Program 36: "Merry Christmas: Rumi on Jesus, Light, and Healing"
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This program is a Christmas special! In it I discuss some of Rumi's poems focused on the presence of light, giving, and healing as embodied in the sym...
Radio Rumi Program 35: The Rabbit that Danced with the Trees
10 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, recorded right after the Thanksgiving which we recently enjoyed, I focus on Rumi's approach to feeling content and expressing gratitu...
Radio Rumi Program 34: It is a Rainy Day, I Clap my Hands
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this program, I focus on the best ways to understand Rumi's poetry. One of my goals is to counter the idea of turning him into an infallible saint....
Radio Rumi Program 33: Dreaming of that Simple Dance
12 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this program, I focus on a celebrated poem of Rumi which tries to help us make sense of the journey that is our life. The poem is filled with encha...
Radio Rumi Program 32: Be a Waterfall, Always Arriving!
28 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this program I speak about Rumi's special's attention to the concept of arriving. Like many other thinkers, Rumi is aware of our human limitations....
Radio Rumi Program 31: Without Your 'Self' You'll See better Where you are Going!
14 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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Radio Rumi Program 30: Today, You Arrived Smiling
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I conclude my discussion of Rumi and the concept of God focusing on our inner connection with the divine presence which he describes a...
Radio Rumi Program 29: You are at the door, let yourself in!
16 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I speak about the concept of God in Rumi's poetry and the various manifestations that it finds. Is God a person, an energy, a sense of...
Radio Rumi Program 28: The world is a Book. Read it!
03 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this second episode of a duo focused on handling disappointment , Rumi encourages us to step back from our daily personal problems to see the bigge...
Radio Rumi Program 27: You Were Given Wings to Fly.
19 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first of two episodes on Rumi's approach to disappointment in life. In this program I start with his general comments on the the interrela...
Radio Rumi Program 26: Wondrous Birds Grow from the Palm of my Hands!
22 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This program continues to discuss Rumi's relationship with our environment as a space we share with animals, plants and other natural elements. My foc...
Radio Rumi Program 25: You are the Sea, I am the Fish!
28 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
With this episode, I start a discussion of Rumi and the environment. Citing his lyrics, I point to his reverence for nature as a site of the presence ...
Radio Rumi Progam 24: If wheat that grows around my grave...
14 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This program focuses on what Rumi says about the concepts of death and dying. I start with his definition of life itself and move on to the end of lif...
Radio Rumi Program 23: Homeless like a Fly
26 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this program, I elaborate on the significance of the notion of change in Rumi's lyric poetry. If things stay the same, life can turn into a kind sl...
Radio Rumi Program 22: We are the dawn that connects the day and night
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For Rumi, everything in the world is a sign pointing to the presence of the sacred. If we miss one sign, another will come our way. As, in the past we...
Radio Rumi Program 21: How the Earth Turns into a Meadow
11 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rumi speaks of Jesus often. In this program, I discuss the dynamism of this image, and its celestial power. The breadth of Jesus is life-giving in the...
Radio Rumi Program 20: The World is Recreated every Instant!
01 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The idea that we are constantly recreated is not a new idea. The Greeks spoke it, as did the Sufis. Rumi loves the concept because it means we can bre...
Radio Rumi Program 19: Your World is New Every Instant
11 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This program brings you many poems so you hear Rumi's own voice as opposed to interpretations of it. These poems generate a dynamic energy that help ...
Radio Rumi Program 18: All Existence is a Moment of Reflection
14 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rumi discussed abstract ideas as well as practical ways of life including religious practice. Was he a practicing Muslim? Or, did he rebel against rel...
Radio Rumi Program 17: Try to Be in Love!
30 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this program which is a continuation of Program 16, we discuss how Rumi uses the concept of "being in love" to denote being emotionally connected a...
Radio Rumi Program 16: You are Pregnant with God!
19 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this program I speak about Rumi's informal sermons to people who came from many places to hear him speak. He did not write these presentations into...
Radio Rumi Program 15: Weave a Basket, Part II
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the last program I told you about Shams of Tabriz, the simple basket-weaver who turned into an influential teacher transforming Rumi's outlook on l...
Radio Rumi Program 14: Weave a Basket!
05 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this program, I will introduce you to Shams of Tabriz, Rumi's teacher. We will talk about who Shams was as his influence had a great impact on the ...
Radio Rumi Program 13: If you are Enchanted, the Moon will Visit You
21 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We live restless lives feeling - always - that we have not done enough. This is not a modern condition. Rumi's poems refer to it often. His cure is th...
Radio Rumi Program 12: Light & Smoke: am I Together or Dispersed?
07 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rumi shows great recognition of the fact that we may be in full peace one instance and agitated the next. These changes are often caused by being too ...
Radio Rumi Program 11: Rumi, the Storyteller: the Lion, the Rabbit, and the Elephant
24 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Storytelling is humanity's oldest and most favorite way to connect with one another. Those who tell their life story well are no longer strangers to o...
Radio Rumi Program 10: I wonder Which "me" is me?
10 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Who are we, what controls us, emotion or rationality. How should we approach Rumi's poetry, with our hearts or our minds? After the enlightenment, thi...
Radio Rumi Program 9: All Existence is but One Light!
27 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This program looks at the Sufi concept of Oneness of all existence. For Rumi, the source of all existence is one light and we are windows through whic...
Radio Rumi Program 8 - Love ... Again! How to Speak of the experience?
13 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
While the theme of love is going to come up time and again in these podcasts, this is the concluding episode focusing on it as its main theme. How do ...
Radio Rumi Program 7: Kiss my Soul on the Lips
29 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode which was recorded soon after the general election, emphasizes the significance of love as a lasting theme that can help us through disag...
Radio Rumi Program 6: Don't let Your Habitat be your Prison: Albert Einstein and Rumi
15 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, recorded last October, we connect Rumi and Einstein separated by centuries. They are astonishingly similar in their aspiration to mak...
Radio Rumi Program 5: The Courage to Speak of Love
01 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How can one speak of love in a world plagued by disasters like forced migration, starvation, hatred and war? Well, that depends on how we understand t...
Radio Rumi Program 4: I was a cry, I turned into laughter
18 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In Rumi's view, the entire universe is a cosmic movement animated with the force of love which is the force of change. So is our individual life. A tu...
Radio Rumi Program 3: The Everlasting is Born Tonight!
04 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rumi often speaks about his visions, moments of elation expressed poetically. These are often uplifting poems with striking imagery. This program focu...
Radio Rumi Program 2: What I am does not fit in language
18 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rumi's approach to understanding oneself in a deeper sense. At times, he looks beyond speaking, beyond describing us with words. He encourages us to e...
Radio Rumi Program 1: What does the elephant look like?
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The program starts with the significance of Rumi's poetry in Iranian culture and Fatemeh Keshavarz's encounter with this poetry from early childhood. ...
Introduction to Radio Rumi, Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz, University of Maryland
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Radio Rumi is hosted by Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz at the University of Maryland. In this bi monthly series, Dr. Keshavarz explores Rumi's words and invite...