Me and Rumi the Autobiography of Shams-I Tabrizi

Second part of book is great. Love to read and continue reading.

It's hard to overstate the importance of this beautiful book to anyone who has been touched by the Sufi path, and especially Rumi. Chittick has provided us with a portrait of Rumi's master, Shams of Tabriz--and he's not what one might expect. Rumi has become famous in the contemporary West for his divine poetry--and rightly so: he is one of humanity's greatest lovers and poets, and this comes across in every line. But as others have asked: Do we honestly know what this "love" Rumi talks about really is? Here we have Shams of Tabriz, master to Rumi, the man Rumi loved most in the world, in Rumi's eyes a spiritual being of the first order. And he can be cruel, insensitive, and harsh. Lots of people around him hate him. If I remember correctly, he even makes a fart joke at one point. He's seen as almost an embarrassment in a company of dervishes and scholars. And yet one suspects that this has more than a little to do with his ruthless and relentless practice of exposing imposture and hypocrisy--reminiscent of the work of Jesus, with the same sad, predictable result. The connection between Rumi's love and this wild man's character is the absolute, uncompromising love of God. For this, really, is the love of Rumi: it brooks no insincerity or reservation. It is the essence of Islam: utter submission to the divine. Shams reminds us, as he reminded those around him, that this has nothing at all to do with sweet words and noble sentiments, with putting on spiritual airs and gaining the admiration of the faithful. This can be a painful reminder. It threatens what the ego craves. And the love of God threatens the self as well--as Rumi and Shams both show us, when we truly love God, there is only love and God: we disappear. Shams' job was to show Rumi what this really meant. Rumi's job was to show us--despite the fearful protestations of the ego--what it really is: beautiful and joyful. God bless William Chittick for this wonderful gift.

Traduction admirable d'une haute présence, d'une grande force. Elle donne accès, pour ceux qui le souhaitent à un moment crucial de la rencontre de deux esprits, permet d'aborder la pensée de Shams de Tabriz et par ricochets celle de Rûmî. Une traduction en français n'aurait peut-être pas cet impact...

William Chittick's fascinating work is a fitting addition to the great translations of Sufi texts in the West by Nicholson, Arberry, and Schimmel.

One of the best books for all mankind, great lines I read of Rumi here : this book is not a caravan of despair, come whoever you are, read read read.