Rumi's Tales from the Silk Road: A Pilgrimage to Paradise

In her preface, Kamla Kapur tells how Rumi would accuse himself as a storyteller of rambling on and on. She likens this quality to a great branching river or tree. Her intuitive interaction with the rivers and trees of the Mevlana has resulted in short, whole, internally consistent stories. Even in rereading (and this book loves being reread), they are seamless. There is great artistry in what Kamla Kapur has done, and most of it is invisible. Meandering, branching stories that could last through the long time a caravan had to travel make sense to me. But neither the road, nor urban Persia nor rural Turkey is present as a specific place. There's a gathered sense of hot and dusty. There's a cast of caliphs and rascals and saints; there are several donkeys, but no epic heroes. The stories told by Rumi and the other Sufi teachers coming from Persia at that time were apparently influential in converting the villagers of Anatolia to Islam after a millenium of Byzantine Christianity; they presupposed no knowledge of Islam,of the Quran or the Hadith in which many of the stories originated. Perhaps this is why there accumulated in me a strong sense of being in the hands of a master of the purely human. The stories are saturating in an inexplicable way.The book is such a beautifully produced volume that it feels almost a sacred space, as though it should be reserved for contemplative reading. I have found, however, that it's most readable at the laundromat. Women, men, many children,going about this most ordinary dailiness. My reading is stopped by events and conversations, and then reading is resumed without a sense of change or interruption. Because of the stories, I feel the laundromat I'm immersed in become a timeless place, as though we're all on the Silk Road. Highly recommended.

I happened to come across this book of Rumi's tales in a book store. I recently have been getting into Rumi and very much enjoy the portions of his poetry that go into stories. Sometimes in order to follow his poems, one has to be in the right mindset because they often are not presented in linear thoughts (from my limited experience with his poetry). Stories present a more linear framework of his thoughts which are sometimes more accesible. Seeing an entire book of stories I felt I could not pass this up so I purchased the book. It enthralled me so much and I finished it within a few days. Each story was so well written, and so full of spiritual wisdom in a way that touches the heart, and they surely can remind any spiritual seeker of what is important on the path. I must commend as well as thank the author for bringing these tales out from the original poetry into such wonderful prose. I only wish there were more to read! I suppose I will have to dig deeper into the Mathnawi to find more stories. This is a great book to begin to understand what Rumi is all about.

It took me awhile to read this book, largely because I simply enjoyed it too much to want to finish it quickly. I discovered that each of Rumi's stories gave me a glimmer of insight, much like a Zen satori experience, and shifted my perception to a higher spiritual plane. I'm sure this was Rumi's intention and that he would forgive my reference to an experience described in Japanese Buddhist literature. After all, aren't the mystics of all the traditions alluding to the same fundamental reality?I therefore picked up the book at odd times, perhaps once a week or every couple of days, and treated each story as a meditation. The author's style lends itself to this approach. It is transparent yet eloquent. It does not get in the way of Rumi's message but allows each story to shine with its own light like a glittering gemstone.

Excellent teaching stories

Great tales with great lessons :)

I bought this book at Dollar Tree for $1.25 so if you insist on purchasing it see if they have it there first.These a pseudo-translations of Rumi. As I was reading and many aspects did not make sense to me and did not seem like something Rumi would write. For example breast augmentation was mentioned in one story. This was simply not around 800 years ago. Upon reading the back cover description of the book description it says "Kapur brings this dense, intimidating work into a far more readable form, putting her own spin on the stories yet remaining true to Rumi’s vision."And there it is. It is in the Amazon description here as well. She puts her own spin on each story so if you want to read Rumi I recommend a translation of Rumi and not someone who takes his stories and changes them into new stories.It is already a difficult job to translate languages, to translate and change the stories themselves should make it illegal to use Rumi's name on the book.

One of my favorite books of 09. From the first story to the very last page, I was absolutely enthralled with everyword and how it was woven so beautifully creating a magicial and deeply moving tapestry of richness and flavors. Eachstory brings to the reader a profoundly mystical glimpse into the depth and breath of Rumi...a great literary poet belovedthroughout the world. Rumi's Tales is beautifully illustrated and would make a great gift..for any occasion. Easy toenjoy....a great read. If you are looking for a book to crawl up into your favorite chair for some soul nurturance,by all means..treat yourself. If you belong to a Book of the Month Club, it is a lovely book to read out loud and share with others.Kudos to Kamla K. Kapur who also wrote Ganesha Goes to Lunch for another literary treat!Bhavananda LodkeySanta Cruz, California

I stumbled across this book in a local independent bookstore. I've loved learning from the teachings of the worlds great religions, and more so when they are in little short stories.Each story in this book is a gem, and leaves you pondering some very powerful lessons. My favorite is 'You Never Know Why' under the subsection titled 'Embrace Suffering'. I highly suggest reading only a story at a time, and really reflecting upon what it says. There are a lot of deeper meanings hidden inside here as well.

It’s a beautifully written book and a must read if you love the simplicity of the Rumi’s narrative.Commendable job by the author in selecting few of the most beautiful stories and presenting them in captivating way.

brillllll