The guesthouse

March 16, 2020

I’ve recently been staying with one of my close friends for a couple of days. It’s always great fun to share food and stories with him, particularly so because despite sharing common interests like technology, music and food, we come from very different backgrounds. He’s from a small country in central Asia whereas I’m from Western Europe. One of the many great benefits of this difference in cultural backgrounds is the way he manages to surprise me by showing me bits of art and culture, and ways to see the world, that are refreshingly alien and not seldomly outright beautiful to me. One striking example he recently showed me was a poem by Persian poet Rumi, which goes a little something like this:

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

RUMI

Listening to this version of the poem genuinely brought me to tears. Regulalry suffering from mental health problems, depression, and anxiety these few lines dissolved the knot that had been resting inside my stomach for days at that point. Its message also reflects how I experience my friend most of the time - humble, accepting, and modest. To me, it was quite awe-inspiring to say the least and the main takeaway is probably to be exactly these three things more whilst try to not beat myself up to much for what I am or how I feel.

You can also listen to the poem narrated on the Tube: