Author : William C.Chittic
the Sufi Path of Love This is the most accessible work in English on the greatest mystical poet of Islam, providing a survey of the basic Sufi and Islamic doctrines concerning God and the world, the role of man in the cosmos, the need for religion, man's ultimate becoming, the states and stations of the mystical ascent to God, and the means whereby literature employs symbols to express "unseen" realities, William Chittick translates into English for the first time certain aspects of Rumi's work. he selects and rearranges rumi's poetry and prose in order to leave aside unnecessary complications characteristic of other English translations and to present Rumi's ideas in am orderly fashion, yet in his own words. Thorough, non technical introductions to each chapter, and selections that gradually present a greater variety of terms and images, make this work easily accessible to those interested in the spirituality of any tradition. "I consider this work to be of great importance in the field of Islamics in particular and of the humanities in general. It is superbly conceived and guides the reader through the theory, practice, and mystical realisation of Rumi's thinking.... I cam think of no better way for a Westerner, and nowadays for a Westernised Muslim to get to know the deeper aspects of the Islamic faith than through a work such as this. As far as I am aware of, it is the first work of its kind, providing the reader with a complete exposition of Rumi's fundamental notions through Rumi's own words. No one else has dome this with the thoroughness and meticulousness shown by Chittick." Victor Danner, Indiana University. FROM THE BOOK: n referring to form and meaning or the outward and the inward, Rumi employs another set of terms which emphasises the "negative" face of meaning in relation to the "positive" side of form. From this point of view form is "place" and meaning is "No-place"; form is "colour" and the sea is "Colourlessness." For meaning is opposite to form and can only be attained by form's negation, by "formlessness." "Everyone has turned his face toward some direction, but the saints have turned in the direction without directions." (M V 350) "In the direction without directions all is spring; any other direction holds nothing but the cold of December." (D 20089) "He appears to be still and in movement, but He is neither this nor that; He manifests Himself in place, but in truth He has no place." (D 6110) "You are from place, but your origin is No-place: Close down this shop and open up that, shop!" (M 116 12) "How long will you give signs? Silence! For that Origin of signs has no sign." (D 7268) "Colourlessness is the root of all colours, peace the root of all wars." (M VI 59) "Colourlessness is the root of colours, pictureless-ness the root of pictures, wordless-ness the root of words and the mine the root of coins so behold! (D 13925) "Thousands of colours have come from the Vat, which transcends blue and white." (D 28249) "Form comes into existence from the Formless, just as smoke is born from fire." (M VT 3712) "Lord of lords! Formless Giver of forms! What form art Thou pulling over me? Thou knowest, I know, not." (D 14964) from "EXISTENCE AND NONEXISTENCE", p. 23
Size : 14x23 / 6 x 9 inches
Weight : 700 gm / 1.54 lbs
Pages : 433
Binding : Hard Bound