It can be conjectured that because the martial arts of the Middle Ages and
Renaissance period were so broad in scope, and because opulent dress was
such an obvious indicator of specific periods, and because gustatory delights
are so rewarding to reproduce, that we can forget some of the subtler
amenities offered by the period which we, in the SCA, wish to exemplify.
One of these aspects is mysticism.

Because mysticism, philosophy and Sufism all tread that forbidden line of
Religious Belief, which we as Scadians choose to remove from the medieval
equation, we sell ourselves short on the inspiring poetry and incredible
influence that these movements and beliefs had upon the society which
produced them.

All too often, even the enlightened among us associate Islam with Jihad,
Patriarchy, and those Sunni practices which dominate current Islamic
societies.

It is, therefore, the purpose of this article, to bring forward the remarkable
beliefs, works and life of the Persian Mystic.  Not that the persona of a
Persian Mystic would possibly be attainable by any but the most enlightened
individuals.  In our dominantly Euro-Centric Society, the thoughts and
purposes of Rumi and his Poetry are a wonderful source material for anyone
wishing to have a Persian persona, or engage in a European persona who has
travelled in the Holy Land and been exposed to the insightful philosophies
which abounded there during this period in history.

Jalaluddin Rumi was one of the world's foremost mystical poets of the 13th
Century.  Rumi lived from 1207-1273, and in that time he spent part of his
life living in Konya, Turkey as a learned and erudite teacher, one who was
a conventional Islamic practitioner.

This aspect of his life abruptly ended in 1244 when, upon meeting
Shams-e Tabriz, he undertook the life of a Sufi Dervish.  Not much is
know of this Master, except that he was a wandering mystic in the Near
East and that he and Rumi first met in October of 1244.  Shams and
Rumi immediately recognized in one another the Teacher and the
student, and had deeply involved spiritual communion for the rest of
Shams' life.  Many of Rumi's works end with a mention of the name of
Shams-e Tabriz, indicating the depth of influence the Master had upon
his student.

In order to place the works of Rumi into some context for those who have
a limited familiarity with Persian poets, I would like to cite the rather
more familiar text of another mystical poet:

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam.

This is a text, with which many more of us are aware, and which
predates Rumi.  Commonly mistaken by many Europeans as purely an
erotic work of Eastern Poetry, it is easy to completely miss its analogous
phrasing in favor of a more titillating perspective.  By mistaking the
philosophy of love and the Lover and the Beloved for the union of man
and woman rather than as the divine interaction between God (the
Beloved) and the faithful (the lover) the casual reader may entirely miss
the point.

Rumi's works can also be thus misinterpreted.  The deeper truer
meaning of this beautiful verse was to reflect the ideals of Sufism, these
being:

The Generosity of Abraham -- who was willing to sacrifice his son.

The Surrender of Ismael -- who submitted to God's command and gave
up his life.

The Patience of Job -- who endured all.

The Mystery of Zachariah -- who obeyed God's command not to speak.

The Solitude of John -- who was a stranger in his own country.

The Detachment of Jesus -- who was so removed from worldly things
that he had only a cup and a comb, the cup which he threw away when
he saw someone drink from their hands, and the comb which he threw
away when he saw someone comb their hair with their fingers.

The Wearing of Wool by Moses -- whose only garments were woolen.

The Poverty of Muhammud -- who gave up worldly treasure for eternal
treasures.

Within these pillars, Sufism reaches to see God everywhere, and to know
love in all its glorious forms.  Sufi held that every form, every practice,
every style of worship which leads toward love is, essentially Sufism.
Therefore they were extremely tolerant of other faiths, and also subject
to persecution from other Islamic sects.

Rumi expressed the idea that love is the soul of the universe.  A true
seeker found that love in everything.  To this end he spoke, or rather had
God speak through him, in marvelous poetry on this subject.  In fact he
would point out that when his mouth opened he never knew what he
would say.  It all came as divine inspiration.  And his Master upon this
path, Shams-e Tabriz (Shams of Tabriz) was represented in his poetry as
a saintly man, an earthly manifestation of God's truths.

Thus, there is a parlance to his poetry which one must learn before
coming to an understanding of the message.  The Beloved is God in all
his loving aspects.  The lover is the one who seeks to know all these
aspects.  Wine is the Nectar of God's Love.  Drunkenness is the state of
being intoxicated by this knowledge of God's love.

Understanding the context of these words we can read deeper meaning
into the poetry.

In the midst of making form, Love
made this form that melts form,
with love for the door, and
Soul, the vestibule.
Watch the dust grains moving
in the light near the window.

Their dance is our dance.

We rarely hear the inward music,
but we're all dancing to it nevertheless,

directed by Shams,
the pure joy of the sun,
our Music Master.

This does not, however preclude some sexual content in his poetry and
especially in his teaching stories.  This sensual pleasure is not viewed as
sinful. To Rumi, sexual drive formed a convenient metaphor, and one
which all of us are able to understand; however, it was not to be held
more important than the loving communion between God and Man.

In the teaching story of Nasuh, a man pretends to be a eunuch in order
to get a job in a bathhouse.  He enjoys watching the naked and beautiful
women, and comes to favor as hairdresser to the Princess and her ladies-
in-waiting.  All this goes very well until the day when the royal
entourage looses a valuable pearl, and the bath staff is thought to have
stolen it.  Nasuh hides and begs that the pearl be found before he gets
searched and his secret is out!
His impassioned plea:

"I didn't steal the pearl,
but if they undress and search me,
they'll see how excited I get
with these nude ladies.
     God please,
help me!
  I have been cold and lecherous,
but cover my sin this time. PLEASE!
Let me not be exposed for how I've been.
I'll repent!"

How many times do we utter such prayers?  Perhaps not in such extreme
circumstances...  But who among us does not understand this plea?
Although the context of the story makes it seem outrageous and funny,
it is easily applied to other circumstances.

Nasuh is called out:

At that moment his spirit grows wings, and lifts.
His ego falls like a battered wall.
He unites with God, alive.
but emptied of
Nasuh.

The pearl has been found, and the ladies apologize to him for their doubt.
Nasuh is saved, in two ways for he has discovered a truth:

One delight can only be replaced by a greater delight.
Nasuh found a Friend lovelier than the Princess.

These manuscripts of Rumi's poetry open a window on his times,
expresses the devotion of a mystic in the hidden nature of all things, and
places us in touch with thematic poetry which is sensual and sensitive,
humorous and serious, focused and yet wide ranging.  Soaring on the wings of his vision, of the utterances which he said he knew nothing
about, he displays a character which is at once worldly and removed.  He
is kind without being naïve. His wit is outshone only by his
accompanying wisdom.

For the modern reader, the translations cited above offer not only
understandable translation, but also manage to reflect the flow and
beauty the works must reveal in their native dialect.  They also include
interesting and informative introductions, notes and glossaries, which
help the reader to understand the works.  Even so, it takes more than
one quick read in order to even begin to comprehend the intensity of the
passages.

Many books of Rumi's works can now be found.  One caution:  With the
push of New Age gurus, one must be careful which volume one acquires.
Some translations take phrases out of context, or place three lines of
verse among six pages of unrelated illustrations.

Although not fully comprehensive of the extensive volume of Rumi's
works, this article is based upon three books of translations:

Like This -- 43 Odes. Versions by Coleman Barks.  $7.50
     Maypop Books
             196 Westview Drive
             Athens, GA 30606

This is a short soft cover book, which I believe is appropriate for anyone
mature enough to enjoy the poetry.  My recommendation is twelve and
up, but probably more enjoyable for folks who can relate more life
experience to it.

Delicious Laughter -- Rambunctious Teaching Stories from the
      Mathnawi. Versions by Coleman Barks.  $7.50
                      Also from Maypop Books.

Delicious and explicit!  This book contains sections of Rumi's works
which had been previously left in Latin so as not to offend the reader.
Do not read this book if open discussion of sexual practices offends you!

Parents:  Read this and decide for yourselves whether or not to share it
with children under seventeen.  My children will have to wait until they
are thirty or so!

RUMI In the Arms of the Beloved -- Translations by Jonathan Starr.
       $21.95
       Tarcher/Putnam
       Penguin Putnam, Inc.
       200 Madison Avenue
       New York, New York 10016
       www.putnam.com

This is a lovely hard cover book.  Again, maturity is a key factor, but I
would allow my twelve year old to read it (if he wanted to.)