Rumi's Untold Story is written from 30-year research by award-winning Rumi translator, scholar and author Shahram Shiva. It provides a clear record of highlights of Rumi's life and clarifies certain aspects of his very colorful history which have been kept secret from public until now. It covers Rumi's unconventional relationship with his mentor Shams and Sham's controversial and doomed marriage to Rumi's daughter Kimia. TOPICS: 1. Preface 2. About Rumi 3. The Growing Phenomenon of Rumi 4. Why Rumi? Here are 12 Reasons 5. Rumi & Shams: A Love Story, Tragedy or Personal Necessity? The Untold Story 6. Who was Kimia Khatun? (Kimya, Khatoon, Khatoun) 7. The Collective Poems of Shams or Rumi? 8. What Really Went On Between Rumi and Shams in those Precious Several Months? 9. Rumi, Hafez, Omar Khayyam and Global Artistic Perspective 10. Rumi, a Pop Star Celebrity at the Time? 11. Is Rumi the Inspiration for Today's Love Songs? 12. Was Rumi a Sufi? 13. A Rumi for All Seasons 14. Rumi was Gloriously Blasphemous 15. Rumi Belongs to the Whole World and Cannot Be Marginalized 16. The Famed Whirling Dervishes of Turkey do not Represent Rumi, they Epitomize his Son 17. Why the Academia Will Never Come Close to Understanding Rumi and Other Mystic Poets and Writers 18. Rumi's Untold Story - Conclusion 19. Selection of Rumi Poems with Original Persian 20. Shahram Shiva's Unique & Proven 4-Step Method to Whirling 21. How to Manifest Your Vision 22. Understanding Mystic or Yogic Dreams 23. Soul Evolution Principal: The Four Stages 24. Personal Gratitude 25. References 26. About Shahram Shiva

Retold in award-winning writer Kamla K. Kapur’s elegant, flowing language, Rumi’s tales of wisdom and humanity are given fresh life in this modern masterpiece. Rumi: Tales of the Spirit is a sweet, comforting, and at times, fiery guide to nourishing the spirit. In a hopeful but pragmatic tone, timeless storyteller Rumi and award-winning author and playwright Kamla Kapur guide us through the trials of life and teach us to embrace suffering, to pray even when it feels hopeless, and ultimately, to surrender to the cosmic will. In twelve fresh and powerful tales of wisdom, we learn to trust in ourselves and in the universe, experience joy in good times and bad, and find the strength to persevere through life’s struggles. Kapur has been studying Rumi for twenty years. Through her detailed analysis of his life and work and her own understanding of the human condition and the present-day literary scene, Kapur brings new life to these centuries-old stories while staying true to their roots in Rumi’s time and place. These retellings convey Rumi’s deep insight on the human condition and bring to light the vast and subtle meanings of his stories that are often lost in translation. Through this work, we see that people around the world and across time have always been connected by the hopes, dreams, and inner struggles that make up the human experience. Personal, poignant, and woven with fierce passion for life and the divine, Rumi: Tales of the Spirit will leave you with heart-wrenching gratitude for life’s trials and gifts.

Philip Pullman, author of 'His Dark Materials' trilogy, has remarked that "after nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world." This new collection of Rumi stories fills that need. This fresh prose translation of 105 short teaching stories by Rumi, which form the core of the six-volume Masnavi, explores the hidden spiritual aspects of everyday experience. Rumi transforms the seemingly mundane events of daily life into profound Sufi teaching moments. These prose gems open the mystical portal to the world of the ancient mystic. These stories include well-known and popular tales such as "Angel of Death," "The Sufi and His Cheating Wife," "Moses and the Shepherd," "Chickpeas," and "The Greek and Chinese Painters" as well as the less commonly quoted parables: "The Basket Weaver," "The Mud Eater," and "A Sackful of Pebbles." Rumi's voice alternates between playful and authoritative, whether he is telling stories of ordinary lives or inviting the discerning reader to higher levels of introspection and attainment of transcendent values. Mafi's translations delicately reflect the nuances of Rumi's poetry while retaining the positive tone of all of Rumi's writings, as well as the sense of suspense and drama that mark the essence of the Masnavi.

"Includes anecdotes of intimate moments with Rumi's family, gatherings of the circle of friends who surrounded him, teachings of his beloved friend and mentor, Shams of Tabriz, and stories of his descendents, with bits of his poetry interspersed"--Back cover.

Rowdy, ecstatic, and sometimes stern, these teaching stories and fables reveal new and very human properties in Rumi's vision. Included here are the notorious "Latin parts" that Reynold Nicholson felt were too unseemly to appear in English in his 1920s translation. For Rumi, anything that human beings do--however compulsive--affords a glimpse into the inner life. Here are more than 40 fables or teaching stories that deal with love, laughter, death, betrayal, and the soul. The stories are exuberant, earthy, and bursting with vitality--much like a painting by Hieronymus Bosch or Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The characters are guilty, lecherous, tricky, ribald, and finally possessors of opened souls. Barks writes: "These teaching stories are a kind of scrimshaw--intricately carved, busy figures, confused and threatening, and weirdly funny. This is an entertaining collection from one of the greatest spiritual poets of all time, rendered by his most popular translator. "The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along."--Rumi

A powerful personal journey to find meaning and life lessons in the words of a wildly popular 13th century poet. Rumi's inspiring and deceptively simple poems have been called ecstatic, mystical, and devotional. To writer and activist Melody Moezzi, they became a lifeline. In The Rumi Prescription, we follow her path of discovery as she translates Rumi's works for herself - to gain wisdom and insight in the face of a creative and spiritual roadblock. With the help of her father, who is a lifelong fan of Rumi's poetry, she immerses herself in this rich body of work, and discovers a 13th-century prescription for modern life. Addressing isolation, distraction, depression, fear, and other everyday challenges we face, the book offers a roadmap for living with intention and ease, and embracing love at every turn--despite our deeply divided and chaotic times. Most of all, it presents a vivid reminder that we already have the answers we seek, if we can just slow down to honor them. You went out in search of gold far and wide, but all along you were gold on the inside. Become the sky and the clouds that create the rain, not the gutter that carries it to the drain. You already own all the sustenance you seek. If only you'd wake up and take a peek. Quit being a drop. Make yourself an ocean.