Rumi

Rumi, the 13th century Persian mystic poet, has been called the greatest mystical poet of any age. His Spiritual and literary influence is so pervasive in the East that his name is often prefaced by the reverential term "Moulana" (Our Master). During a period of 25 years, he composed over 70,000 verses of poetry -- poetry of divine love, mystic passion and ecstatic illumination. Scholars of his work today believe that Rumi is one of the greatest poets of all time, and that his work is comparable to that of Dante and Shakespeare. Barely known in the West as recently as 10 years ago, Rumi is now the most read poet in America. His is an exciting new literary and philosophical force. One reason for Rumi's popularity is that "Rumi is able to verbalize the highly personal and often confusing world of personal/spiritual growth and mysticism in a very forward and direct fashion. He does not offend anyone, and he includes everyone. The world of Rumi is neither the world of a Sufi, nor the world of a Hindu, nor a Jew; it is the highest state of the human being, an ensaan-e kaamel, which means a complete human. And a complete human is not bound by cultural limitations; he touches every one of us. Today Rumi's poems can be heard in churches, synagogues, Zen monasteries, as well as in the downtown New York art/performance/music scene." says Shahram Shiva. The new age author Andrew Harvey says Rumi is "not only a supreme poet, but also an essential guide to the new mystical renaissance that is struggling to be born today. He is the spiritual inspiration for the 21st century."