About this series <i>Messenger of the Heart</i> <i>The Essential Swami Ramdas</i> <i>The Laughing Buddha of Tofukuji</i> <i>The Sufi Doctrine of Rumi</i> <i>The Golden Age of Zen</i> <i>Honen the Buddhist Saint</i> <i>Samdhong Rinpoche’s Uncompromising Truth</i>

slide 5 of 8 There are now countless books of Rumi’s poetry available in English translation, and he has become one of America’s favorite poets. There are, however, almost no authoritative books readily available for the general reader that provide in clear and accessible language an introduction to the underlying spiritual perspective illuminating Rumi’s magical poetry. In this beautifully illustrated work, William C. Chittick, a leading scholar of Sufism and Rumi, opens doors that give us access to the inner sanctum of Rumi’s esoteric, and Sufi, thought. "The immense popularity of Rumi's poetry in 21st century America shows that his message is one which transcends both time and space. William Chittick addresses with admirable succinctness the fundamental themes of this message, both in its own terms, and with continuous reference to the school of sophia perennis. The result is a deeply satisfying discourse on Rumi's poetry from a point of view that is faithful to the universality of its essential content." —Reza Shah-Kazemi, scholar and author on Islam and Sufism