The Essence of Rumi

by John Baldock

Overview

Get drunk on Love, for Love is all that exists. Unless you make Love your business, you will not be admitted to the Beloved.' (Divan-i Shams-i Tabriz 455:A1:54)

The thirteenth-century saint Jalaluddin Rumi has been called the greatest mystical poet of any age, and his work compared to that of Dante and Shakespeare. Over a period of 25 years he composed over 70,000 verses of poetry on the subjects of divine love, mystic passion and ecstatic illumination.

Rumi was also a master story-teller, as this comprehensive exploration of his work so rewardingly reveals. Primarily an introduction to Rumi and the path of self-surrender, it is arranged in such a way that it guides the reader from the poet's outer, historical world to the inner, spiritual essence of his teaching.

The Essence of Rumi offers us the opportunity to overcome the limitations of our human view of the world and transform our sensory eye into the poet's all-seeing Ocean of Reality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848584068
Publisher:	Arcturus Publishing
Publication date:	10/11/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	868,275
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Having initially trained as a painter and art teacher John spent several years in France, during which time he studied the history of art at the École du Louvre in Paris. An interest in the symbolism of medieval religious art led to a curiosity about sacred art as an expression of an underlying spiritual dimension. On his return to England John taught art history, eventually leaving teaching to complete a book exploring the spiritual aspect of religious symbolism. His experience as a freelance editor and editorial consultant for a mind, body and spirit publisher has given John the opportunity to pursue his interest in the spiritual core of mainstream religions including Judaeo-Christian-Islamic teachings. He has given talks throughout Europe and the USA on this and related subjects. He has also studied the world's various religious traditions in some depth. A firm believer in the value of personal exploration of the spiritual dimension of our lives, John continues to question the literal interpretation of spiritual teachings as he undertakes his own journey.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

Chapter 1 Rumi and History 17

Chapter 2 The Life of Jalaluddin Rumi 29

Chapter 3 Rumi and Islam 53

Chapter 4 Rumi and the Sufi Path 81

Chapter 5 Rumi's Cast of Characters 105

Chapter 6 Rumi's Symbolism 139

Chapter 7 Themes from Rumi 163

Chapter 8 Discourses from Fibi mafihi 185

Chapter 9 Tales from the Mathnawi 201

Chapter 10 Odes from the Divan-i Shams-i Tabrizi 217

Bibliography 229

Index 233