Translating Sufi Wisdom: Challenges and Revelations

In this episode I am joined by Dr. William Rory Dickson an associate professor of Islamic Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg and author of “Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy”. Professor Dickson takes a deep dive into the life and works of Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (1207-1273 AD), a 13th century Sufi poet whose works have become famous all around the world. Professor Dickson recounts the fascinating life of Rūmī, including his flight from Mongol invasion, his education in Islamic law, his life-changing encounter with the wild, mystical dervish Shams-i Tabrīzī, and his far-reaching legacy in Asia and beyond. Professor Dickson also explains the anti-Rūmī movements within modern Islam, challenges criticism of Coleman Barks’ popular renderings of Rūmī’s verse, and explores the controversial Sufi metaphors of intoxication by wine and passionate desire to describe the practitioner’s relationship with God. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep289-mystic-poetry-of-rumi-professor-william-rory-dickson-3 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:25 - The life of Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī 03:39 - Neither universalist nor orthodox 05:09 - Rūmī, sharī’ah law, and radical Islam 07:08 - The range of Sufi expression over history 07:56 - The wandering dervishes 08:42 - Rūmī’s life-changing encounter with the radical dervish Shams-i Tabrīzī 09:56 - 3 stages of self-annihilation through love 11:14 - Shams-i Tabrīzī’s illicit alcohol use 13:36 - Rūmī’s spiritual poetry 16:13 - Rūmī’s explicit invectives 17:07 - Rūmī’s mystic father 19:08 - Mongol domination of Central Asia and Rūmī’s flight 21:29 - Rūmī’s colourful insults 22:52 - Challenging empty, orthodox religious forms 26:51 - Lack of nuance in the Rūmī wars 29:22 - Rūmī’s two major legacies 31:37 - The role of Sufi orders in different cultural contexts 33:48 - The anti-Sufis and a radical forgetting of Rūmī within Islam 35:37 - Coleman Barks and the Rūmī wars 37:23 - Criticism of Coleman Barks 39:06 - Coleman Barks was a Sufi 39:50 - Coleman Barks as an entry point 41:21 - The conundrum of translated literature 43:46 - How to communicate across cultures without losing the essence 45:12 - Rory’s enjoyment of Chogyam Trungpa 46:27 - Passionate desire and intoxication on wine 48:30 - Pre-Islamic Arab poetry, “gangster rap” 49:33 - Passionate love poetry 50:55 - Romantic streak in Arab culture 51:53 - Influence of Persian culture on Muslim mystic metaphors 52:46 - Sufism’s Neo-Platonism 55:50 - Remembering the One and Tantric practice 56:59 - Integrating the sensual and the spiritual 59:18 - Appreciation of pleasure as a vehicle to God 01:00:07 - Sufi sexuality and the paths of Jesus vs Mohammad 01:05:28 - Scandalous to orthodox Islam 01:07:48 - Knowing God directly 01:09:53 - Categorising God vs Sufi gnosis 01:11:18 - Executed Sufi master 01:11:54 - Is Sufism inappropriate? 01:13:26 - Wine in Sufism and Islam 01:17:39 - Love is brutal 
… Previous episodes with Professor William Rory Dickson: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=dickson To find our more about Professor William Rory Dickson, visit: - https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/experts-guide/william-rory-dickson.html - https://anqa.co.uk/publications/dissolving-being … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James