Step by Step Up to Union With God
| Author | Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob |
|---|---|
| Original title | پلهپله تا ملاقات خدا: دربارهٔ زندگی، اندیشه و سلوک مولانا جلال الدین رومی |
| Translator | Majd ad-Din Keyvani[1][2] |
| Language | Persian |
| Subject | Rumi's life, thought and conduct |
| Publisher | Elmi |
Publication date | 1980[3] |
| Publication place | Iran |
| Pages | 394[4][5] |
Step by Step Up to Union With God (Persian: پلهپله تا ملاقات خدا) is a book by Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob, a scholar of Iranian literature, history of literature, Persian culture and history.[6]
The book is about the life, thought and spiritual conduct of the 13th-century Persian Sufi poet, Mowlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi Rumi (1207–1273). The author, Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob, unlike his other writings, refrained from giving various references and sources in the book and has written all the contents in a simple, fluent and common sense.[7][8][9][10]
The title of the book is taken from a distich from the section called "Books 3" from "Masnavi" written by "Rumi":[11][12]
Plot
The book Step by Step Up to Union With God: Life, Thought and Spiritual Journey of Jalal-al-din Rumi tells the story of the "Rumi 's" life from his birth to the end of his life.[13] It starts from "Rumi 's" childhood, and gradually reviews his whole life, mystical conduct and spiritual ascension. The book is mostly written as a story; But it is a documentary story whose subject matter is not one of the conventional categories of the story.[8] The book covers the poet's childhood and his travels with his father from Khorasan and Baghdad to Anatolia, where he remained in Konya for the rest of his life. Everywhere in the book, there is talk of "Rumi 's" love for God and his efforts to reach the god and the beloved, and only a few parts of the book deal with his daily activities, mostly including mystical aspects of "Rumi 's" life. The author has tried to present a simple book to readers without cumbersome contents.[13][14][5][15][16]
The text of the book depicts the revelations of "Rumi 's" childhood years, his asceticism and austerity, the illusions of his school years and then the interruption of them in the sequence of years, the levels of a spiritual conduct that is the result of his life and the basis of his book "Masnavi".[17]
The book appraises "Rumi 's" spiritual excitement, his love for the perfect man, his ecstasy and his obsession with poetry, dance and music, which separates him step by step from his belongings and prepares him to ascend to meet the Lord. The author pursues events separately and in the sequence of normal life, without going into the details of the secrets of "Rumi 's" teaching, draws a picture of his condition and thoughts to the extent that shows traces of "Rumi 's" long secrets throughout the "Masnavi", and sequels the sixty-eight-year life of Rumi and its unique attributes such as the spiritual, uninterrupted and indefatigable journey step by step from cutting off the heart's desire from the world to disappearing self-existence and unity with the whole wisdom.[17][18]
Thus, the book shows the path of "Rumi 's" conduct which starts from the discard dependencies with one's own belongings and continues until the severance of ties with one's ego, and this path is the base of the elegance theme of "Masnavi" and a summary of the "Rumi 's" life too.[17][19][20]
Book chapters
The book "Step by Step Up to Union With God: Life, Thought and Spiritual Journey of Jalal-al-din Rumi" has about 400 pages[21] and 100 sections. The chapters are:[17][19][20][6][22]
- "بهاءولد و خداوندگار", means: "Baha ol-Valad and the Lord"
- "هجرت یا فرار", means: "Emigration or escape"
- "لالای پیر در قونیه", means: "The aged mentor in Konya"
- "طلوع شمس", means: "Advent of Shams"
- "غیبت بیبازگشت", means: "Irreversible absence"
- "رقص در بازار", means: "Dance in the bazaar"
- "حسام الدین و قصه مثنوی", means: "Hesamuddin and the story of Masnavi"
- "عبور به ماوراء شعر", means: "Crossing beyond poetry"
- "از مقامات تبتل تا فنا", means: "From the stations of asceticism to the passing away (from self-existence)"
- "سالهای پایان", means: "The last years"
- "یادداشتها و کتابنامه", means: "Notes and bibliography"
An excerpt text
The following text excerpted from Chapter 9 "From the stations of asceticism to the passing away (from self-existence)":[6][20][23]
— Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob, "Chapter 9", Step by Step Up to Union With God (1980)
Translation
The book "Step by Step Up to Union With God: Life, Thought and Spiritual Journey of Jalal-al-din Rumi" has been translated into English[24][25] and published in the United States in 2009.[26][27] It has been translated into Turkish and published in Istanbul,[28][29] and has been translated into Kurdish and published in Erzurum, Turkey.[30][31]
See also
- Two Centuries of Silence
- The Hundred Tales of Wisdom
- Understanding Islamic Sciences
- Spiritual Discourses
References
- "انتشار ترجمه انگلیسی _پله_ پله تا ملاقات خدا_ در آمریکا - خبرگزاری مهر" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "در نقد "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا" عنوان شد: زرين كوب به مولاناشناسي بار علمي داد - ایسنا" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا by Abdolhosein Zarrinkob" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب پلهپله تا ملاقات خدا: درباره زندگی، اندیشه و سلوک مولانا جلالالدین رومی - کتاب گیسوم" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب پله پله تا ملاقات خدا - ایران کتاب" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب پله پله تا ملاقات خدا، عبدالحسین زرین کوب - کتابخانه تاریخ ما" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا - هشت کتاب" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "معرفی کتاب پله پله تا ملاقات خدا - خواندم" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "Step by Step Up to Union With God: Life, Thought and Spiritual Journey of Jalal-al-din Rumi - libsan". Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا - بانک کتاب رایا" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "Ganjnama - مجموعه آثار مولوی ... » مولوی » مثنوی معنوی » دفتر سوم » بخش ۲۰۲ - ذکرخیال بد اندیشیدن قاصر فهمان" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "Rumi's Masnavi - (That) from the stations of asceticism to the passing away (from self-existence), step by step up to union with God". Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب پله پله تا ملاقات خدا اثر عبدالحسین زرین کوب - معرفی کتاب بوک لیرا" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب پله پله تا ملاقات خدا اثر عبدالحسین زرین کوب انتشارات علمی - برات بوک" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا (درباره زندگی اندیشه و سلوک مولانا جلال الدین رومی) - کتاب اسم" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب پله پله تا ملاقات خدا - کتاب رسان اشراق" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب صوتی پله پله تا ملاقات با خدا اثر عبدالحسین زرین کوب – Jcity" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا - انتشارات علمی" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا - بوکیکو" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "معرفی کتاب پله پله تا ملاقات خدا - شهر کتاب" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب پله _پله تا ملاقات خدا_ درباره زندگی، اندیشه و سلوک مولانا جلال_الدین رومی [چ40] -کتاب گیسوم" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب پله پله تا ملاقات خدا اثر عبد الحسین زرین کوب - علمی -30بوک" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "پله پله تا ملاقات با خدا - گودریدز" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- Step by Step Up to Union With God: Life, Thought and Spiritual Journey of Jalal-al-din Rumi - Amazon Books. ISBN 1934283150.
- "Mazda Publishers - Step by Step Up to Union with God". Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "ترجمه پله پله تا ملاقات خدا در آمریکا منتشر شد - خبرگزاری مهر" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا" اثر دکتر عبدالحسین زرین کوب به انگلیسی ترجمه و در آمریکا منتشر شد" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "كتاب 'پله پله تا ملاقات خدا' به زبان تركی استانبولی منتشر شد - ایرنا" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "ترجمه و انتشار کتاب "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا" به زبان ترکی استانبولی - ابنا" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "کتاب _پله پله تا ملاقات خدا_ به زبان کردی منتشر شد - ابنا" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- "انتشار کتاب "پله پله تا ملاقات خدا" به زبان کردی - لیزنا" (in Persian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
External links
- Step by Step Up to Union with God: Life, Thought and Spiritual Journey of ... - ʻAbd al-Ḥusayn Zarrīnʹkūb - Google Books
- A.-H. Zarrinkub, Step by Step up to Union with God: The Life, Thought and Spiritual Journey of Jalal-al-Din Rumi
- Pelle pelle ta molaghate khoda - goodreads
- Step by step up to union with God: life, thought and spiritual journey of Jalal-al-Din Rumi (Book, 2009) [WorldCat.org]
- Step by step up to union with God: life, thought and spiritual journey of Jalal-al-Din Rumi in SearchWorks catalog
- ADAB FOR A PEACEFUL WORLD: A Study of Jalaluddin Rumi’s Concept of Sufism
History of Iran after Islam
From the Astute Men's Alley
Step by Step Up to Union With God
The Dawn of Islam
The Workbook of Islam
The Value of Sofia Heritage
The History of Sufism
The Secret of the Reed
With the Grandee's Caravan
The Old of Ganja in Search of Nowhere
The Sea in the Jug
In the Realm of Conscience
The Book of the Days
A Journey in Persian Poetry
The Design on the Water
From the Other Things
Literary Criticism
Times; History of Iran from the beginning to the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty
The Escape from School
Political History of the SassanidsOther
Ghamar Ariyan
Rouzbeh Zarrinkoob
Categories: Works by Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob
Iranian books
Rumi
===
Step by Step Up to Union with God
Life, Thought and Spiritual Journey of Jalal-al-Din Rumi
By
A-H. Zarrinkub
Translated from Persian by
M. Keyvani
Published by Persian Heritage Foundation
New York
2009
Abd-al-Hosayn Zarrinkub
Step by Step Up to Union with God: Life, Thought and Spiritual Journey of Jalal-al-Din Rumi
translated by Majdoddin Keyvani
Copyright held by the Persian Heritage Foundation @2009
Published in the United States of America.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation, no part of this publication may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system, published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast, transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form by any means, without permission of the copyright owner.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Zarrin'kub, 'Abd al-Husayn. [Pillah pillah ta mulaqat-i Khuda. English]
Step by step up to union with God: life, thought and spiritual journey of Jalal-al-Din Rumi/ by A.-H. Zarrinkub; translated from Persian into English by M. Keyvani.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-934283-15-8 (alk. paper)
1. Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana, 1207-1273. 2. Mevleviyeh members--Biography. 3. Sufis--Biography. 4. Poets, Persian--747-1500--Biography. I. Title.
BP189.7.M4223713 2009
297.4092--dc22
[B]
2009012189
===
Table of Contents
Dedication
vi
Foreword
vii
Introduction
ix
1. Bahā Valad and Khodāvandgār1
2. Migration or escape?35
3. The old tutor in Konya73
4. The appearance of Shams101
5. Absence with no return137
6. Dancing in the bazaar176
7. Hosām-al-Din and the story of the Mathnavi224
8. Ascending beyond poetry250
9. From the stations of renunciation to annihilation288
10. Final years333
11. Notes383
12. Bibliography399
401
13. Index
====
This translation is dedicated
to two exceptional women:
Dr. Qamar Aryan, the spouse of the late A-H. Zarrinkub,
whose love for her husband and whose wish to have some
of his many publications translated into English, was my
main source of inspiration in doing this translation, and my
wife, Forough, whose support, understanding and
encouragement provided a great incentive as well as peace
of mind throughout the ten months of continuous work on
the job.
M.K.
Professor Abd-al-Hosayn Zarrinkub (1923-1999) was one of the
most eminent Persian scholars of his time. A prolific writer, he
devoted his entire life to Iranian cultural history in its widest
sense through a meticulously comprehensive series of studies of
major literary and mystical milestones in the Persian language.
He authored more than 30 substantial books, one of which, as
well as two extensive articles, have already appeared in English.
As Professor of Persian Literature at the University of Tehran, he
also trained a number of students, and his palpable enthusiasm
and unflagging dedication to his cultural heritage were greatly
admired by his colleagues, and continue to have a lasting impact
on his readers to this day.
Professor Zarrinkub was married to a classmate of his, Qamar
Aryan, a noted scholar in her own right, who received her Ph.D.
in Persian literature from the University of Tehran and taught at
the National University in Tehran. After Professor Zarrinkub’s
passing, Dr. Aryan conceived the idea of having some of his
works translated into English so that they could reach a wider
audience worldwide. She asked me, as an old friend and admirer
of Professor Zarrinkub, to help with the realization of her plan.
In consultation with her, Step by Step Up to Union with God
(Pelleh pelleh ta molaqat-e khoda, Tehran, 1991) was chosen as
the first in this projected series; and Dr. Majdoddin Keyvani, a
distinguished translator and Emeritus Professor of Applied
Linguistics and Translation at the University for Teachers’
Education, Tehran, was invited to undertake the task.
The book deals with the life and works of Rumi (1207-1273), the
great Persian mystical poet who settled in Konya in Anatolia and
whose life and spiritual orientation were revolutionized in mid-
life through an encounter with the elusive mystic Shams of
Tabriz. The meeting transformed this hitherto orthodox preacher
into a passionate poet who thought love, not reason or learning,
was the key to the ultimate truth. By renouncing and abandoning
the self and devoting oneself to love one could succeed
becoming eventually absorbed in the divine.
The large collection of Rumi’s lyrics is a fervent hymn to
passionate love, earthly and transcendent. His Mathnavi, a poem
of some 25,000 verses in couplet form, is a long meditation on
his mystical ideas, expressed through anecdotes, stories, and
parables. In this book Professor Zarrinkub traces Rumi’s career
and his spiritual journey towards reaching God and finding a
new life in and through Him
Ehsan Yarshater
February 2009
INTRODUCTION
Pelle Pelle ta molaqat-e Khoda (Step by step to union with
God), this title I have chosen for my book because it
demonstrates the direction of Mawlana Rumi Jalal-al-Din
Mohammad’s life in his life-long spiritual discipline, although,
in his Mathnavi-ye Ma’navi, it occurs slightly differently in the
form of a hemistich reported from a railing woman (ta ’@na) who
supposed that there was no sign of such discipline in the
Mathnavi-ye ma’navi, a book itself representing one facet of
Mawlana’s life and Sufi spiritual itinerary. The second segment
of the line in question is some kind of translation of the Qor’anic
verse: “...whoever expects to meet his Lord...” (18:110), and
based on God’s unquestionable word there remains no doubt
concerning the expression and the title, while the possibility of
some esoteric exegesis in this respect would not necessitate
adhering to the surface of the expression.
The irony is that, because a jealous railing woman [or
detractor] did not look at the Mathnavi with an affectionate eye
and lacked the belief and knowledge which, according to Aflaki,
Mawlana_ considered as _ necessary for comprehending
Mathnavi’s aphorisms and esoteric ideas, she, in the habit of the
people of imitation but with the pretentious tone of a critic and a
scholar, railed at the Mathnavi for being void of exquisite
spiritual secrets and empty of the exposition of the spiritual
stations, which friends of God would hasten to reach, and the
awareness of which, according to Mawlana, would raise the
spiritual wayfarer “from the stations of renunciation or
asceticism (tabatto!) to the station of annihilation / step by step
to union with God”.
Of course, the title of the present book is based on
Mawlana’s own word, but it is not exactly the same as his own
expression. Our choosing it as it is now, with slight modification
done [in the original], has more to do with the description of his
spiritual stages of ascension (‘oruj) - his passing through the
gradations of perfection.
Thus, what Mawlana calls “the blight of ignorance” (Gfat-e
ndshenakht) causing a man to be close to his beloved while
unable to court with her, prevents the detractor, who is deprived
of perception because of jealousy, from witnessing what she
pretends to be seeking — the very thing that vividly prevails all
throughout the Mathnavi; and before she has studied the
Mathnavi in depth, the detractor, either in blind imitation or out
of rancor, describes Mawlana’s great work as lacking in what
constitutes the thematic substance of all the [six]books of the
Mathnavi and is Mawlana’s path throughout his entire life.
However, for a book that wants to present a brief description of
Mawlana’s very productive life and his spiritual itinerary, and to
include the meaning of this not-a-very long life, yet in not-a-very
long account trying to prove the jealous detractor’s accusation
unacceptable — while portraying the effulgent route of Mawlan’s
life -, what statement can be chosen more expressive and more
crystal-clear than this hemistich from the Mathnavi itself?
From its very title, this book attempts to demonstrate that
what the detractor of Konya denies its existence in the Mathnavi
was the harvest of Mawlana’s life. It makes his spiritual states
and stations, in his daily life events, demonstrable and
perceivable. One by one, it depicts Mawlana’s revelations of
early age, his austerity and ascetic practices, his school days’
visions and then his abandonment of all this in the course of
years, and the stages of a spiritual itinerary that is the outcome of
his life and the essence of the Mathnavi. Then, one by one, it
follows Mawlana’s spiritual emotions, his love for the perfect
man, his ecstasy and spiritual audition (samda’) and his
preoccupation with poetry, dance and music that gradually
detach him from his own interests and desires preparing him for
ascension toward meeting the Lord. And, without entering the
details of his secrets of teaching, it portrays a vista of his states
and thoughts as seen everywhere in the Mathnavi, describing the
happenings of the sixty-eight years of Mawlana’s life in a
successive order, with his spiritual development occurring
nonstop, and vigorously along the spiritual path from the stations
of tabattol to annihilation — from the station of tabattol that, in
the language of the wholly Qor’an (8:73) involves abandoning
the world, to the stage of self-obliteration which entails
liberating from one’s self and distancing from all but Allah.
Therefore, the course of spiritual discipline begins with the
renunciation of the self’s attachments and desires (ta’allogat-e
khodi) and continues till the link with the ‘self? is broken, and
this is both the choice theme of the Mathnavi and the summary
of Mawlana’s life, of which the present book is a narrative- like
account.
The present book is more concerned with relating the events
of Mawlana’s life than with judging and evaluating his thoughts
and teaching; and if, in its present form, it looks as a story-like
biography, it is not because the author has wanted to purposely
include in it an element of myth and imagination. Rather, it is
because Mawlana’s life appears to be so unfamiliar in contrast to
the wonted, conventional daily life — especially life in our time
and in our world — that the reader’s mind unconsciously tends to
tint it with imagination and myth, being unable to comprehend
most of the details of such a life but from among myth and
imagination.
So, the apparent fantasy and imagination surrounding
Mawlana’s life results from the astonishing unexpected and
unthought-of accordance witnessed between his spiritual
itinerary and his spiritual thought and understanding mixed by
his associates and followers — among the few and somewhat
biased and unique documents - with fictitious stories and
miraculous grace (karamat). Inevitably, his biography here
consists of an eclectic narrative taken from the existing
narratives about him — a narrative gleaned from many other
narratives which seem necessary to be ignored both for the order
and coherence of the narrative in this book and salvaging the
reader from the labyrinth of simplistic elusions that, sometimes,
even the poetical exegeses and psychoanalytically- based
interpretations can hardly explain.
The truth is that, while there is the rich teaching of highly
elevated mystical ideas presented in his Mathnavi and Divan in
the form of poetry, Mawlana’s life also, in a continuous mode of
spiritual practices begun early in his childhood, was a poem
which he never composed; rather, he developed it, realized it and
brought it to an end. In my estimation, without understanding
this ‘uncomposed’ poem and without getting deep into the
motivations that moved Mawlana’s life, in the course of years,
close to the spiritual end of a path of spiritual soluk
(progression), it would be impossible to comprehend the
miraculously amazing correspondence in Mawlana’s life
between him and his poetry- if, of course, what he says in the
language of poets could be lowered at all to the level of poetry in
its prevalent sense.
Considering certain of its characteristics, which I have
intentionally committed myself to observe, this book may appear
somewhat “unusual” to some of my old readers who expect a
different style of expression. This is because, here I have more
preferred to positively respond to what the “ordinary” reader
expects from me. Therefore, despite the longtime practice which,
over the years, has committed me to observe brevity and avoid
verbosity, this time, I have, to some extent, freed myself from
that restriction lest, by being too brief and insisting on allusions,
I would confuse and overburden the reader who, does not like to
go to various references and search for materials which have
little to do with the main topic, or are not of much urgency. This
is exactly what young readers and a number of my students have
demanded of me when visiting me in person, by mail or by
telephone.
In fact, following the publication of Serr-e Ney and Bahr dar
Kuze, the number of those requiring of me a plain biography of
Mawlana, free from so many references and allusions, has been
increasing every year. Their demand, especially in recent years
for such a book, where they would not need to constantly refer
back and for through many pages in it or go to inaccessible
writings, has been such that I could not afford to ignore their
need in the work I was doing about Mawlana. In writing the
biography of an unparralled mystic who, in both kinds of his
poetry -life and work — shunned sticking to conventions, I
decided not to insist so much on tradition and conventional
norms and, as an excuse for avoiding repetition and the necessity
of frequent references to further information, involve the reader
in the maze of a technical piece of writing.
All these years among the many people who have asked me
to refrain, at least once, from my commitment to brevity and
concision, I would like to mention one dear reader whom I have
never met. He has had - often one-way - correspondence with me
about what I have written about Sufis, Mawlana in particular,
insistently asking me, in many cases, questions whose answers
could be found in any dictionary. Now and again he has
emphatically requested and sworn that I write my books in a
simpler language with plainer elaboration.
This unseen friend, who lives at Qalamestan, Tehran and,
according to him, has long been retired with his hand shaking
when he writes, signs his letters as Mohammad Reza
Mohammadzade, and I suppose this is his real name. After the
publication of Serr-e ney, once he wrote me thus: “Mr.
Zarrinkub, you should not write only for a number of M.A.
graduates and professors (sic!). Others like me...and ... have the
right to read and understand your writings. These enormous
numbers and, glossaries and references, this much directing your
readers to books accessible to none but those graduates and
professors, have seriously outraged the likes of me. Why do you
leave some of the matters so compact and vague? Why do you
not repeat your lessons several times just as a sympathetic
teacher does? Instead of stating part of your words directly and
plainly, why on earth do you keep referring [your reader] to
other books, more difficult and really more inaccessible books?”
Why! That is simple, Mr. Mohammadzade! That is simply an old
habit and an outstanding tradition in the mode of expression,
which is more or less the same with others. Nevertheless, for my
part, I am ashamed, dear friend!
I like to make mention here of another friend’s letter. She is
one of my ex-students named A. Khoda-doost, and although she
lives abroad, she maintains relatively regular correspondence
with me about my books — again, more on a one-way basis
without expecting my regular response. A few months after the
publication of Bahr dar Kuze, this friend who studies philosophy
in the United States wrote me this: “I enjoyed reading this book,
but this enjoyment cost me a lot of trouble. It was extremely hard
for me to accommodate ali those numerous signs of (*) and (+).
The moment I managed to ignore all those redundancies —
redundancies for the likes of me —, I could then read the book
from beginning to end, drawing joy, similar to the joy of
drinking a glass of cool fruit juice — from the essence of exotic
fruits of Africa and India. Thank you Mr. Zarrinkub, but I must
admit that for drinking this single glass of exceptionally
delicious and tasty fruit juice, I constantly had to “blow” to the
sides of the glass those huge amounts of skin and seeds which
you have left there as glosses, notes and references. Is it not
possible for you to adopt a simpler method at least in the books
that you know are read by all kinds of readers?”
Of course, it is possible, Ms Khoda-doost! Besides, in a short
note to Mr. Mohammadzade’s last letter, 1 promised that next
time, when writing a book on Mawlana, I would write it as
simple as possible, free of notes and references; I would not
eschew what he has called “the repetition of lessons” and would
refrain from referring the reader to other books, even to the
previous chapters of my own text. This appears boring to me and
the “unusual” reader who wants references and trustworthy
documents would hardly find this method useful. But, this book
is for the “ordinary” reader, the method of which is exactly what
people, like these two readers, have more often than not
demanded of me.
The reader who does not like to be moved away from the
ambience of the actual narrative by frequent references to other
sources or to the previous sections of the same text - whose
repetition is not appropriate -, or the reader who is not interested
in going to various sources and in seeking further information as
to the contents of the book, and yet likes to depict in his mind a
coherent and consistent image of Mawlana’s life and his
methodical progression, may find the method in this book to his
taste, although it is hardly my normal and habitual way of
expression.
Of course, I apologize to Mr. Mohammadzadeh and other
readers who may possibly be still unhappy about some of the
unfamiliar words and strange expressions in the book. I love
simple writing, but given that there is a longtime tradition in
stating and expressing certain thoughts, I hate breaking the link
between the present and the past by adopting neologisms, taking
into account that the sense of cultural continuity for the reader is
impossible without such a link. Even if, as some of my friends
suppose, by opting for this mode of expression, I want to
immune my word from the criticism and censure of a few
malevolent persons who, out of malice, find fault with
everybody’s word, I do not regard myself blameworthy; and
offer my apologies to those who may have to stop to reflect in
order to understand any of my allusions or expressions.
In order for Mawlana’s image to appear in this book as
brilliantly and gloriously as it did to his friends and followers,
and to represent itself in a halo of sacredness as it did in their
minds, I looked at Mawlana from their perspective. Inevitably,
whatever his old intimates - Fereydun Sepahsalar and Ahmad
Aflaki — have written about Mawlana and his father was taken as
the basis of our narration providing the acceptance of their
accounts did not give scope to naive beliefs in charismatic
abilities (karamat) or did not negate psychological explanations
of the experience of spiritual vision, and analysis based on the
empathy between Mawlana and his intimate friends.
Amongst contradictory — or paradoxical — accounts, greater
trust was put in what was more in accord with the historical facts
of Mawlana’s time, or could give better coherence to a consistent
and relatively sensible description of his life story. In the
composition of this, certain elements and details were included
here and there, as deemed necessary, from Mawlana’s own
sayings, from the Ma ’aref of his father, Baha Valad, from Valad
name by his son Sultan Valad, from Sayyed Termedhi’s
Ma’aref, and Shams’s Maqamat. This all better demonstrates the
spiritual greatness of Mawlana and the truthfulness and sincerity
residing in the circle of his disciples, in an age of spiritual
deterioration, and an environment full of moral decadence and
corruption; and this is a fact that any historian, when studying
the documents and sources left from that period, will find as
indisputable.
Nevertheless, the projection by later generations of some
unreasonable nonsensical rumors onto the previous periods
necessitated the author’s mistrust in prevalent and sometimes
repeatedly related hearsay, considering that such rumors had
originated in the feeble illusions resulting from selfish
malevolent motives. Moreover, in certain cases, when
considering Mawlana’s own biography and those of his
following — to the extent that the existing documents and
evidence imply —reference to some of the human weaknesses in
their behaviors and thoughts was unavoidable. On this last point,
I suppose that as long as man’s life is assumed to be free from
any kind of possible human weaknesses, that is no real life, it is
more an imaginary myth. Naturally, neither Mawlana nor any of
his associates could possibly reach the pinnacle of their
sacredness and wholly glory without passing through the narrow
strait of human defects.
*
There is one more word that I cannot help mentioning before
concluding this introduction: I am glad that at last there has been
found some trace — much as it is blurred and inaccessible — of the
lost Nardeban-e Gsman (Ladder to the Sky). If the gracious
“wise man” who has laid hand on that manuscript and demands a
handsome amount of cash in return for giving it back, instead of
bringing nasty accusations against it, publishes the book in his
own name, as he has threatened to do so, or in the name of
anyone else who is willing to pay that much money, it would set
my mind at ease, making me even grateful to him. With the
lassitude and depression that I suffer now, it seems impossible
for me to reconstruct the book from the remaining scattered
notes. Even if any part of it could possibly find a chance of being
reconstructed within the remaining days of my life, its feasibility
would all depend on the assistance from a young friend, whose
cooperation could arouse in me some ffesh interest and
excitement, making the return to the past days easy. But, in this
scarcity of friendship and succor, “Let there be neither the heart
nor time, what would happen?”
Abd-al-Hosayn Zarrinkub
June 1990
===
세진님, 요청하신 압돌호세인 자린쿠브의 <신과의 합일을 향한 단계별 여정: 자랄 알 딘 루미의 삶, 사상, 그리고 영적 여정>에 대한 요약과 평론입니다. 나에게 향하지 않은 본문 글이므로 요청하신 대로 반말과 <해라> 체를 사용했으며, 두 개의 별표 대신 < > 기호를 적용해 가독성을 높였습니다.
<신과의 합일을 향한 단계별 여정> 요약과 평론
1. 도입 및 배경: 자린쿠브가 바라본 루미
이집트와 이란을 비롯한 중동 학계의 거두이자 이란 문학 비평의 대부로 불리는 압돌호세인 자린쿠브(Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob)의 저작 <신과의 합일을 향한 단계별 여정>(원제: Pelleh Pelleh ta Molaghate Khoda)은 13세기 영적 시인이자 수피즘(Sufism)의 거장인 자랄 알 딘 루미(Jalal al-Din Rumi)의 삶과 사상을 다룬 전기적 입문서이자 깊이 있는 영적 비평서다. 자린쿠브는 이 책에서 학술적인 주석이나 딱딱한 참고문헌의 나열을 과감히 생략하고, 대중이 쉽게 접근할 수 있는 서사적 필체로 루미의 영적 상승 과정을 그려냈다.
이 책의 핵심은 단순한 위인전의 집필이 아니다. 저자는 루미가 평범한 이슬람 법학자이자 설교가에서 어떻게 우주적 사랑을 노래하는 수피 성인으로 변모해 갔는지, 그 내면의 <단계별 여정>을 추적한다. 자린쿠브는 루미의 생애를 세속적 시간의 흐름에만 묶어두지 않고, 영혼이 물질적 결핍과 지적 오만을 넘어 마침내 영원한 신적 실재와 결합하는 영적 진화의 과정으로 재해석한다.
2. 본문 요약: 영적 상승의 서사
1) 방랑과 형성기: 호라산에서 코니아까지
루미의 여정은 동부 페르시아의 호라산(발흐)에서 시작된다. 몽골의 침략을 피해 아버지 바하 알 딘 발디(Baha al-Din Walad)와 함께 길을 떠난 어린 루미는 바그다드를 거쳐 아나톨리아의 코니아에 정착하기까지 수많은 물리적, 정신적 이동을 경험한다. 자린쿠브는 이 시기의 방랑이 루미에게 단순한 고난이 아니라, 세속적 공간에 대한 집착을 버리게 만드는 영적 예비 단계였다고 서술한다. 아버지가 사망한 후 루미는 전통적인 이슬람 학문과 율법을 섭렵하며 코니아에서 존경받는 정통파 법학자이자 종교 지도자로 자리 잡는다. 이 시기까지의 루미는 지성과 이성에 의존하는 영혼의 <첫 번째 단계>에 머물러 있었다.
2) 샴스 드 타브리즈와의 만남: 지성에서 사랑으로
루미의 삶을 송두리째 뒤흔든 전환점은 신비주의 방랑자 샴스 드 타브리즈(Shams de Tabriz)와의 만남이다. 자린쿠브는 이 극적인 조우를 루미의 내면에 잠재되어 있던 영적 불꽃이 폭발한 사건으로 묘사한다. 샴스는 루미가 쌓아 올린 책과 지식, 종교적 권위를 무력화하며 오직 <신성한 사랑>만이 진리에 이르는 유일한 길임을 깨닫게 한다. 루미는 지적인 설교를 중단하고 황홀경에 빠져 시를 쓰고, 음악에 맞춰 몸을 돌리는 수행인 <세마>(Sema)를 시작한다. 자린쿠브는 이를 이성의 세계에서 직관과 사랑의 세계로 도약하는 영혼의 격렬한 해체 과정으로 분석한다.
3) 이별의 고통과 영적 승화: <삼스 시집>과 <마스나비>
샴스의 갑작스러운 실종은 루미에게 참혹한 상실감을 안겨주었으나, 자린쿠브는 이 고통이야말로 루미를 완성한 마지막 용광로였다고 지적한다. 외적인 스승을 잃은 고통 속에서 루미는 마침내 자신의 내면에서 샴스를, 즉 신적 존재를 발견하게 된다. 이 영적 변형을 통해 탄생한 것이 바로 격정적인 사랑을 노래한 <샴스 시집>(Ghazaliyyat-e Shams)과, 수피즘의 백과사전이자 인류의 영적 보물로 평가받는 <마스나비>(Masnavi)다. 자린쿠브는 루미가 남긴 25,000여 행의 <마스나비> 속 우화와 비유들이 어떻게 인간 영혼의 불완전성을 치유하고 신에게로 한 걸음씩 나아가게 만드는지 그 단계를 세밀하게 추적한다.
4) 최종 단계: 신과의 합일(Fana와 Baqa)
책의 종착지는 루미의 죽음, 즉 그가 <신의 결혼식 날>(Shab-e Arus)이라고 불렀던 육체의 소멸이다. 자린쿠브는 루미의 죽음을 슬픔이 아닌, 영혼이 마침내 육체라는 감옥을 벗어나 궁극적인 애인인 신과 하나가 되는 완전한 합일의 순간으로 묘사한다. 수피즘의 개념인 자아의 완전한 소멸(<파나>, Fana)을 거쳐 신 안에서 영원히 살아가는 상태(<바카>, Baqa)에 이르는 것이야말로 자린쿠브가 이 책 전체를 통해 보여 주고자 한 영적 진화의 최종 단계다.
3. 평론: 이성과 신비주의의 탁월한 중재
1) 문학 비평의 거장이 이룩한 보편적 서사
자린쿠브의 <신과의 합일을 향한 단계별 여정>이 지닌 가장 큰 미덕은 복잡하고 난해한 수피즘의 영적 발달 단계를 지극히 인간적이고 보편적인 성장 서사로 변모시켰다는 점에 있다. 저자는 자칫 독단적이거나 맹신적으로 흐를 수 있는 신비주의적 체험들을 문학 비평가 특유의 객관적이고 세련된 필치로 다듬어낸다. 주석을 최소화한 서사적 구조는 독자가 루미라는 한 인간의 호흡을 따라가며 영적 고뇌에 자연스럽게 동참하도록 유도한다. 이는 단순한 종교 연구서를 넘어, 인간 내면의 성장을 다룬 보편적인 정신사적 서사로 읽히기에 부족함이 없다.
2) 애국주의와 배타성을 넘어선 세계주의적 시선
이 책에서 돋보이는 또 다른 지점은 자린쿠브가 루미를 특정 국가나 민족의 전유물로 가두지 않는다는 점이다. 루미는 페르시아어로 시를 썼고, 오늘날의 아프가니스탄에서 태어나 터키에서 생을 마감했다. 자린쿠브는 루미가 겪은 방랑의 궤적을 그리면서, 그가 겪은 영적 해방이 지리적 국경이나 제도 종교의 틀을 완전히 초월해 있었음을 강조한다. 루미에게 있어서 유일한 조국은 <신성의 세계>였으며, 유일한 정체성은 <사랑을 수행하는 자>였다. 저자는 이러한 루미의 세계주의적 면모를 왜곡 없이 담아냄으로써, 이 책을 읽는 현대의 독자들에게도 국가적 충성심이나 배타적 애국주의를 넘어선 우주적 연대의 메시지를 전달한다.
3) 한계와 아쉬움: 학술적 엄밀성의 양보
다만 대중성과 서사성을 극대화하는 과정에서 발생한 학술적 단점은 존재한다. 루미의 사상적 배경이 된 이븐 아라비(Ibn Arabi)의 존재론이나 당시 아나톨리아의 복잡한 정치·사회적 맥락에 대한 깊이 있는 분석은 다소 생략되어 있다. 루미와 샴스의 관계를 지나치게 신화화하거나 비유적으로만 처리하여, 역사적 실증주의를 중시하는 현대 비평가들에게는 다소 감상적인 정기(傳記)로 보일 여지가 있다.
4) 총평: 시대를 초월한 영혼의 안내서
그럼에도 불구하고 이 책은 루미 연구의 대가인 자린쿠브의 학문적 내공이 대중적 서사와 완벽하게 결합한 명작이다. 저자는 물질과 이성의 과잉 속에서 길을 잃은 현대인들에게, 내면의 오만을 깨부수고 영원한 가치를 향해 한 단계씩 걸어 올라가는 것이 왜 여전히 유효한지를 루미의 삶을 통해 증명한다. <신과의 합일을 향한 단계별 여정>은 단순한 과거 성인의 일대기가 아니라, 자아라는 좁은 울타리를 넘어 우주적 실재와 결합하고자 하는 모든 방랑자를 위한 정교한 영혼의 안내서다.
==
==
==
No comments:
Post a Comment