Rumi

Juliet Mabey presents verses from the Mathnawi and the Divan-i-Shams to "demonstrate the breadth, in both style and range of subject matter, of Rumi's spiritual writings." Her topics include "Becoming a Lover of God", "The Purpose of Life", "Purifying the Heart" and "Avoiding Pitfalls". The selections are short, well chosen and presented in accessible modern English. She has achieved this with a clarity which demonstrates her understanding of and familiarity with Rumi's work.

Her introduction gives a moving and concise insight into the ideals and practices of Sufism. This book is sincere, genuine and firmly rooted in the spiritual context of a great teacher. It abounds with wisdom and methods for spiritual development and every page contains a subtle gem.

Know that the outward form passes away,
But the world of reality remains for ever.
How long will you play at loving the shape of the jug?
Leave the jug; go, seek the water!
Mathnavi II:1020-1

The suggestions for further reading are of the most academic and scholarly available and include Franklin D. Lewis's unsurpassable Rumi: Past and Present, East and West. For anyone who seeks profound spiritual understanding, this has to be the introduction to buy. As an introduction to Rumi's work this book cannot be bettered. It distils the essence of his wisdom. It looks good, it feels good and it does your heart good. This Spiritual Treasury is an undoubted treasure in itself. --Amar Hegedus

View other editions of Rumi.
View books by Jalal al-Din Rumi.

Persian mystic ranks with the best - Rated
Yes, he's good, very knowing. This 13th century Persian mystic has a nice, artful way with words and metaphors and, along with his 13th century German contemporary, Meister Eckhart, Rumi demonstrates beautifully with his rich, penetrating poetic style (not poems as such) that the divine Presence is WITHIN you and waiting to be discovered. This timeless insight - so horrendously concealed by the literalism of institutional religion - shines out on virtually every page. A few segments are perhaps too vague and prosaic, but overall this little books sits well alongside any of the mystical classics.

Fabulous book, and a great introduction to Rumi's thought - Rated
I have several books on Rumi that I have bought over the years, and originally I got this for a friend. I liked it so much I bought a copy for myself, and it is definitely my favourite collection of Rumi's poetry.

Not only is the translation by far the best I have come across so far (and it is now the standard by which I judge all the rest) but the selection is very thoughtful and the categories so useful for both reading through and dipping into that I find my other Rumi books oddly disatisfying or even irritating.

By far the MOST irritating is the Coleman Barks edition, which, even with the rather grandiose adjective "Essential" in the title, comes across as a highly dubious and unconvincing "translation". In fact, some parts sound so completely made up by the translator, you get the impression you are reading 20th century Coleman Barks, not Rumi at all. Instead of reading some of the greatest gems of Sufi thought, you find yourself transposed to a strange American alternate universe.

But I suspect it is also personal taste. For me, this spiritual treasury really does live up to its title - spiritually uplifting and a joy to read.

Rumi - a great conveyer - Rated
This book is brilliant, its a small collection of some brilliant writings of Rumi.
http://www.ahmed2004uk.blogspot.com/
I love the way is which he is able to convey some deep messages with regards to spirirulity etc in such a few words. I am constantly referring to this book as a treasure of his works. Family and friends that have seen this book have the same opinion as me.

Rumi - a great conveyer - Rated
This book is brilliant, its a small collection of some brilliant writings of Rumi.
http://www.ahmed2004uk.blogspot.com/
I love the way is which he is able to convey some deep messages with regards to spirirulity etc in such a few words. I am constantly referring to this book as a treasure of his works. Family and friends that have seen this book have the same opinion as me.

Wonderful insights into Rumi - Rated
I had bought a book of Rumi poetry from a bookshop and looked for another one browsing Amazon. This one caught my eye - it's got such a lovely cover - but when it arived I was even more impressed with the inside of the book. The introduction gives a very good overview of Rumi and his work, but then his words are left to speak for themselves. They are collected up under different headings, which I found very helpful and easy to follow, and it's a book I dip into again and again. I've just bought a second copy for a friend, and he loves it. Definitely one of the best Rumi collections around.