• Reveals the actual practices that transformed Rumi from a conventional Islamic scholar into the mystical poet who originated the dance of the whirling dervish.
• Demonstrates how anyone can achieve similar states of ecstatic divine Union through the simple practice of intentional gazing.
• Interweaves the poetry and writings of Rumi to document this radical practice.
One of the most extraordinary events in the history of Sufism occurred in 1244, when the Sufi poet, mystic, and originator of the dance of the whirling dervish, Jallaludin Rumi, met a wandering seeker named Shams-i-Tabriz. Upon meeting, the two men immediately went into private retreat together and emerged 90 days later in a transformed condition. While the relationship between Rumi and Shams is highly revered within the Sufi tradition, the exact nature of what transpired between them has remained a mystery for the past 750 years.
Rumi: Gazing at the Beloved reveals for the first time the actual esoteric practice that Rumi and Shams were engaged in behind the closed doors of their retreat room. Using the poetry and words of Rumi to document this radical practice step-by-step, Will Johnson resolves this long-standing spiritual mystery by conducting an extensive search through Rumi's life to uncover the mystical secrets of divine Union in sacred friendship and intimate partnering. In doing so, he presents a practice that anyone can engage in to attain the same ecstatic state of divine Union experienced by Rumi and Shams so many centuries ago.
