Rumi’s magnum opus, the Masnavi, is often read as a profound exploration of sacred love. That, of course, is true. But it is much more than that. Wisdom lurks in the crevices of the poem, and verses that we may otherwise read without second thought carry the seeds of life lessons.

Take the following translated lines as an example:

Unchain yourself, my son, escape its hold! How long will you remain a slave of gold? You’ve tried to fit inside a jug the sea— It only has a day’s capacity: A greedy eye is never satisfied, Shells only when content grow pearls inside

Unchain yourself, my son, escape its hold!

How long will you remain a slave of gold?

You’ve tried to fit inside a jug the sea—

It only has a day’s capacity:

A greedy eye is never satisfied,

Shells only when content grow pearls inside

Collectively, they warn against the dangers of greed and avarice. But it is the way that Rumi teaches us that sets him apart from other........

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