Because mysticism, philosophy and Sufism all tread that forbidden line of Religious Belief, which we as Scadians choose to remove from the medieval equation, we sell ourselves short on the inspiring poetry and incredible influence that these movements and beliefs had upon the society which produced them.

All too often, even the enlightened among us associate Islam with Jihad,Patriarchy, and those Sunni practices which dominate current Islamic societies. It is,therefore,the purpose of this article, to bring forward the remarkable beliefs, works and life of the Persian Mystic. Not that the persona of a Persian Mystic would possibly be attainable by any but the most unlightened individuals.  In our dominantly Euro-Centric Society, the thoughts and purposes of Rumi and his Poetry are a wonderful source material for anyone wishing to have a Persian persona, or engage in a European persona who has travelled in the Holy Land and been exposed to the insightful philosophies which abounded there during this period in history.

Jalaluddin Rumi was one of the world's foremost mystical poets of the 13th Century. Rumi lived from 1207-1273, and in that time he spent part of his life living in Konya, Turkey as a learned and erudite teacher,one who was a conventional Islamic practitioner.

This aspect of his life abruptly ended in 1244 when, upon meeting Shams-e Tabriz, he undertook the life of a Sufi Dervish.  Not much is known of this Master, except that he was a wandering mystic in the Near East and that he and Rumi first met in October of 1244.  Shams and Rumi immediately recognized in one another the Teacher and the student, and had deeply involved spiritual communion for the rest of Shams' life.  Many of Rumi's works end with a mention of the name ofShams-e Tabriz, indicating the depth of influence the Master had upon his student.

In order to place the works of Rumi into some context for those who have a limited familiarity with Persian poets, I would like to cite the rather more familiar text of another mystical poet:

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam.

This is a text,with which many more of us are aware,and which predates Rumi.  Commonly mistaken by many Europeans as purely an erotic work of Eastern Poetry, it is easy to completely miss its analogous phrasing in favor of a more titillating perspective. By mistaking the philosophy of love and the Lover and the Beloved for the union of man and woman rather than as the divine interaction between God (the Beloved)and the faithful(the lover) the casual reader may entirely miss the point.

Rumi's works can also be thus misinterpreted. The deeper truer meaning of this beautiful verse was to reflect the ideals of Sufism, these being:

The Generosity of Abraham -- who was willing to sacrifice his son.

The Surrender of Ismael -- who submitted to God's command and gave up his life.

The Patience of Job -- who endured all.

The Mystery of Zachariah -- who obeyed God's command not to speak.

The Solitude of John -- who was a stranger in his own country.

The Detachment of Jesus -- who was so removed from worldly things that he had only a cup and a comb, the cup which he threw away when he saw someone drink from their hands, and the comb which he threw away when he saw someone comb their hair with their fingers.

The Wearing of Wool by Moses -- whose only garments were woolen.

The Poverty of Muhammud -- who gave up worldly treasure for eternal treasures.

Within these pillars, Sufism reaches to see God everywhere, and to know love in all its glorious forms. Sufism held that every form, every practice, every style of worship which leads toward love is, essentially Sufism. Therefore they were extremely tolerant of other faiths, and also subject to persecution from other Islamic sects.

Rumi expressed the idea that love is the soul of the universe.  A true seeker found that love in everything. To this end he spoke, or rather had God speak through him, in marvelous poetry on this subject.  In fact he would point out that when his mouth opened he never knew what he would say.  It all came as divine inspiration. And his Master upon this path, Shams-e Tabriz (Shams of Tabriz) was represented in his poetry as a saintly man, an earthly manifestation of God's truths.

Thus, there is a parlance to his poetry which one must learn before coming to an understanding of the message.  The Beloved is God in all his loving aspects.  The lover is the one who seeks to know all these aspects.  Wine is the Nectar of God's Love.  Drunkenness is the state of being intoxicated by this knowledge of God's love.

Understanding the context of these words we can read deeper meaning into the poetry.

In the teaching story of Nasuh, a man pretends to be a eunuch in order to get a job in a women's bathhouse.  He enjoys watching the naked and beautiful women, and comes to favor as hairdresser to the Princess and her ladies-in-waiting.  All this goes very well until the day when the royal entourage looses a valuable pearl, and the bath staff is thought to have stolen it. 

Nasuh hides and prays God that the pearl be found before he gets searched and his secret is out!
His impassioned plea:

How many times do we utter such prayers?  Perhaps not in such extreme circumstances... But who among us does not understand this plea?

Although the context of the story makes it seem outrageous and funny, it is easily applied to other circumstances.

The pearl has been found, and the ladies apologize to him for their doubt. Nasuh is saved, in two ways for he has discovered a truth:

These manuscripts of Rumi's poetry open a window on his times, expresses the devotion of a mystic in the hidden nature of all things, and places us in touch with thematic poetry which is sensual and sensitive, humorous and serious, focused and yet wide ranging. Soaring on the wings of his vision, of the utterances which he said he knew nothing about, he displays a character which is at once worldly and removed.  He is kind without being naïve. His wit is outshone only by his accompanying wisdom.

For the modern reader, the translations cited above offer not only understandable translation, but also manage to reflect the flow and beauty the works must reveal in their native dialect.  They also include interesting and informative introductions, notes and glossaries, which help the reader to understand the works. Even so, it takes more than one quick read in order to even begin to comprehend the intensity of the passages.

Many books of Rumi's works can now be found.  One caution:  With the push of New Age gurus, one must be careful which volume one acquires. Some translations take phrases out of context, or place three lines ofverse among six pages of unrelated illustrations.

Although not fully comprehensive of the extensive volume of Rumi's works, this article is based upon three books of translations:

Like This -- 43 Odes. Versions by Coleman Barks. $7.50      Maypop Books, 196 Westview Drive, Athens, GA 30606
This is a short soft cover book, which I believe is appropriate for anyone mature enough to enjoy the poetry.  My recommendation is twelve and up, but probably more enjoyable for folks who can relate more life experience to it.

Delicious Laughter -- Rambunctious Teaching Stories from the Mathnawi. Versions by Coleman Barks.  $7.50 Also from Maypop Books.
Delicious and explicit!  This book contains sections of Rumi's works which had been previously left in Latin so as not to offend the reader. Do not read this book if open discussion of sexual practices offends you! Parents:  Read this and decide for yourselves whether or not to share it with children under seventeen.  My children will have to wait until they are thirty or so! *g*

RUMI In the Arms of the Beloved -- Translations by Jonathan Starr. $21.95 Tarcher/Putnam Penguin Putnam, Inc., 200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016, www.putnam.com

This is a lovely hard cover book.  Again, maturity is a key factor, but I would allow my twelve year old to read it (if he wanted to.)