RUMI his teachings and philosophy

About RUMI his teachings and philosophy

Maulana Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.) was a mystical thirteenth century Persian Sufi poet, jurist and theologian. He believed passionately in the use of music, poetry and dancing as a path for reaching the Ultimate Reality. For Rumi, music helped devotees to focus their whole being on the Divine. It was from these ideas that the practice of Whirling Dervishes developed into a ritual. Rumi's importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. The Persian world, which are extended from Turkey to India, looks upon Rumi as one of the greatest spiritual poets in history. He has had a significant influence on the Persian and Turkish literature since the thirteenth century A.D. Over the last about one hundred years, Rumi's poetry has spread from the Islamic world and into the Western World. The lyrical beauty of his outpourings of love for the Divine have caught up the imagination of the West which have helped to make him one of the most popular and best-selling poets in America and some other countries in the West. This is so because Rumi's poetry embraces all cultures, nationalities and mythologies. People of all denominations read the poetry of Rumi without feeling as though he is imposing any orthodox beliefs upon them. Rumi, in fact, integrates themes and myths from multiple religious traditions into a universal expression of Divine Love. His writings resound with tolerance, goodness, charity, understanding, fellowship, and awareness through love. In doing so, he does not offend anyone, but includes everyone. The world of Rumi is neither exclusively the world of a Sufi, nor the world of any religious denomination; it is the highest state of a human being – a fully evolved human. The writings of Rumi are timeless and quite relevant even today. Therein lies the importance of Rumi especially in the context of modern world where the need of this understanding is felt all the more. This monograph was written by me in 2007 to mark the occasion of 800th Birth Anniversary of Rumi. Because of the tremendous interest generated, coupled with great demand, has necessitated this second revised edition which is now published. It is hoped that this revised edition will not only meet the requirements of lovers of Rumi's writings, but also of the academicians, students and all those who are interested in knowing about Rumi's teachings and philosophy. R.M. CHOPRA November 2018 Kolkata