Wine of the Mystic : The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam : A Spiritual Interpretation (Hardcover)

by Paramahansa Yogananda (Author) "Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Might Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight: And Lo! the Hunter of the East..." (more)
Key Phrases: cerebrospinal centers, divine realization, mortal consciousness, Practical Application, Cosmic Vibration, Creative Intelligence (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, an 11th-century Persian astronomer-mathematician, has entranced English readers since Edward FitzGerald (1809-83) trans-mogrified a 15th-century version into a hedonistic paean to wine. Some scholars disputed Khayyam's belonging to the ancient Islamic order of Sufism, but in 1967 Robert Graves and Sufi poet Omar Ali-Shah proved the Sufi mystical symbolism in Khayyam's verse. Yogananda (1893- 1952), well known for his Autobiography of a Yogi, employs FitzGerald's fiery first edition of 1859, transforming it into a profound devotional treasure. The wisdom of Khayyam's verses is revealed via a glossary, a glowing spiritual interpretation, and practical application. The quatrains are beautifully illustrated with full-page color plates and Persian calligraphy. It compares well to the 1946 edition's romantic recreations of Isfahan's palace frescoes by Sarkis Katchadourian. Highly recommended.
Dara Eklund, Los Angeles P.L.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
A glowing spiritual interpretation…Highly recommended. --- Library Journal

All seekers will appreciate Yogananda's clear discussion on such topics as karma, reincarnation, destiny and free will, maya, meditation, perfecting love, life's problems, true security, the cosmic drama, and more. Yogananda's spiritually illuminating commentary...is a living treasure which can be read and reread, for each reading will unveil another truth in the infinite mystery of life. --- Yoga International

This literary contribution enhances the enormous achievements and innumerable accomplishments that distinguish Paramahansa Yogananda as among the world's great spiritual geniuses. --- Daniel Ross Chandler, Ph.D., Coordinator, The Academy 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Self-Realization Fellowship (July 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087612225X
• ISBN-13: 978-0876122259
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #542,435 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MYSTICISM REVEALED BY A MODERN YOGI, April 15, 1999

By A Customer

Paramahansa Yogananda has opened up the heart of OMARR KHAYYAM in this uniquely presented commentary of Fitzgerald's 1st English translation.

With the same remarkable insight displayed throughout His other writings, Yogananda has again given inspiration with clarity and wisdom. His informative introduction re Omarr's life is an especially interesting feature of this work, not to mention His whole approach to commentary. It becomes clear on the first few pages that this work gives more than intellectual elucidation. These are the words and vibes of the living experiences from the authors great spiritual adventure carried to a successful completion.

It leaves the reader filled with awe and wonder - what else did this man write?

also recommended: Autobiography of a Yogi(orange cover), Man's Eternal Quest, and Songs of the Soul, by the same author from Self-Realization Publishers.

27 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EVERY QUATRAIN IS NOW A DEEP & ENLIGHTENING SPIRITUAL LESSON, April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Wine of the Mystic : The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam : A Spiritual Interpretation (Paperback)

This wonderful book is not just A TRANSLATION of the Rubaiyat, it is a collection of deep spiritual discourses which are meant as an exhortation to the soul (what we essentially are) to transcend beyond this ephemeral world of temporary illusion and to ever constantly search for the real truth which lies within every one of us.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eternal spiritual truths resurface after a millenium, June 10, 2003

By	richardpinneau.com (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wine of the Mystic : The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam : A Spiritual Interpretation (Paperback)

"It takes one to know one," is here shown to apply to mystics. In this award-winning volume, Twentieth Century Indo-American sage Paramahansa Yogananda applies his irrepressible spiritual pursuit to Omar Khayyam's Twelfth Century masterpiece. Like most cultures through the ages, Kayyam's Persia was much friendlier to his mainstream career (in mathematics and astronomy) than to his spiritual revelations. The wondrous poetic beauties which sparkle through his Rubaiyat express his personal, non-canonical insights into Enlightenment (aka: the Kingdom of Heaven, Nirvana, Samadhi) are in metaphors - symbolisms whose spiritual implications register only for those "who have eyes to see" - who have themselves had a glimpse of higher spiritual realms.

The publisher of Wine of the Mystic has included an eye-opening foreword to this volume that puts these complexities into perspective, including 1) the fact that Edward FitzGerald (translator for the most famous English-language editions) only grudging acknowledged the mystical significance of the work, 2) FitzGerald's poetic techniques that faithfully capture the *spirit* of stanzas even when they are not linear translations, 3) the tradition among Sufi mystical poets of using wine as a symbol for Divine Intoxication.

Why should a poem that is merely (on the surface) a hymn to the joys of drunkenness survive for a millenium and continue to fascinate cultures around the world in languages so unlike its author's? In his introductory words, Yogananda summarizes the miracle of FitzGerald's (apparently materialist) translation by called him "divinely inspired to catch exactly in gloriously musical English words the soul of Omar's writings." To those who have received a hint of the Divine Intoxication, a deep intuitive chord may be struck by Yogananda's explanation: "Profound spiritual treatises by some mysterious divine law do not disappear from the earth even after centuries of misunderstanding, as in the case of the Rubaiyat."

As to the book itself (Wine of the Mystic)? The awards it has won, the beauty of its color illustrations, tastefully selected type faces, and rich reproduction make this volume irresistable immediately upon opening its pages. Readers are then embraced by Yogananda's sensitive and unprecedented bouquet of insights as they are welcomed to a never before dreamed of wine-tasting.

There is *no* edition to compare. This volume will reward your reading and re-reading for years. A gorgeous gift item.

CONTENTS:
Introduction of author's (Yogananda) insights.
Foreword of publisher's (Self-Realization Fellowship) history and spiritual perspectives on the Rubaiyat's.
Presentation of each Rubaiyat quatrain, along with FitzGerald's translation, Yogananda's glossary of spiritual symbolism, Spiritual Commentary, and Practical Implications for the reader's spiritual work.
Addendum reprinting all of the verses (FitzGerald translation) without interruption.