Immortal Echoes, Mortal Words

16. Ibn Arabi: The Imaginal World & the In-Between Soul | (Khayal p3) | Ibn Arabi Podcast

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Music: Amirmohammad Monjezi: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
In this episode of Ibn Arabi Podcast, I continue examining his conception of imagination (khayāl) and the in-between (barzakh). Drawing from Ibn ʿArabī’s metaphysical vision, as interpreted in Chapter Seven (“The In-Between”) of William Chittick’s book Ibn ʿArabī Heir to Prophets, I explain how divine Essence self-discloses through imaginal existence. Ibn ʿArabī challenges assumptions about reality, perception, and knowledge by noting that everything other than God exists in an intermediate state between being and nonbeing; everything is imagination. This episode focuses on how the soul itself is imaginal, how the cosmos unfolds as an image mirroring divine self-disclosure, and why true understanding requires balancing reason and imagination together.
My questions for you:
When Ibn ʿArabī says, the whole world is imaginal, does he mean that it is unreal, that it does not exist?
What does it mean for your sense of self if the soul itself exists in an in-between state?
How might Ibn ʿArabī’s view of imagination challenge modern materialist or purely rational worldviews?
What would it mean to live while consciously balancing reason and imagination as “two eyes” of truth?
 My latest book: Sarayān: The Real’s Permeation: Ibn ʿArabi on the Divine Presence in the Cosmos with Neoplatonic Insights (available in both digital and print formats): https://immortalechoes.org/pages/our-press
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses
If you enjoy the content and wish to ⁠support our work⁠, your generosity helps us continue creating: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/donations
Watch more from our Ibn Arabi Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HG0qkYvbH9dyTAWnncKZGLp&si=sCNGBNjB7RRRIZat
My recent publications: https://istanbul.academia.edu/RasoulRahbariGhazani
#IbnArabi #Sufism #IslamicPhilosophy #Metaphysics #Mysticism

Fayz Kashani: Divine Love & Self-Emptying | Persian Poetry & Mystical Insights

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
Step into the mystical world of Mulla Muhsin Fayz Kashani, a 17th-century Persian philosopher and poet, as we explore the gradual transformation of the self through divine love in ghazal 824 from his Divan. This episode reveals how spiritual awakening happens "gradually, gradually", guiding the soul toward the Divine while detaching from worldly attachments.
My questions for you:
How do you interpret Fayz Kashani’s metaphor of divine love as a rope pulling the soul?
Why does self-transcendence happen gradually instead of instantly?
Have you ever experienced a "gradual awakening" in your spiritual journey?
What worldly attachments are hardest for you to let go of?
Read our publication about Fayz Kashani's poetry: "Immortal Echoes in Mortal Words: Love, Attraction, and Selflessness in Fayḍ Kāshānī’s Mystico-Philosophical Poetry" https://www.academia.edu/125763814/Immortal_Echoes_in_Mortal_Words_Love_Attraction_and_Selflessness_in_Fay%E1%B8%8D_K%C4%81sh%C4%81n%C4%AB_s_Mystico_Philosophical_Poetry.⁠
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses 
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Watch more from Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HHJERERmZ7fn8cYrLJOzvqy&si=m5l2JJfTOLetqpST
Read my recent publications: https://istanbul.academia.edu/RasoulRahbariGhazani
#FaydKashani #FayzKashani #PersianPoetry #IslamicMysticism #SpiritualWisdom #Sufism

Rumi's: "The Beloved's Face," Divan, Ghazal 5 Explained

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
 Guiding Inference Questions:
Why does the poem begin with such vivid and detailed descriptions of the beloved's form? What does this suggest about the role of beauty in spiritual love?
Why is the lover burning through the night into the day—what does this burning symbolize? How is this fire different from suffering or ordinary pain?
Why does the Beloved push the lover away when he comes close, and call him back when he tries to leave? Is this a metaphor for the paradoxes of divine intimacy?
What does it mean that even the image of the beloved becomes a companion to burning lovers? Can an image be enough to sustain a seeker?
Why does the poem end with silence, “I will not speak another breath”? Has longing exhausted language? What does this silence reveal about the higher stages of the seeker’s path?
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses 
If you enjoy the content and wish to ⁠support our work⁠, your generosity helps us continue creating: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/donations 
Watch more from Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HHJERERmZ7fn8cYrLJOzvqy&si=m5l2JJfTOLetqpST
Read my recent publications: https://istanbul.academia.edu/RasoulRahbariGhazani⁠
#Rumi #PersianPoetry #Ghazal #SufiPoetry 

Mahmoud Shabistari's Poetic Sufi Masterpiece: Gulshan-i Raz (Rose Garden of Mystery)

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
Step into the mystical rose garden of Persian Sufism through Gulshan-i Rāz (The Rose Garden of Mystery) by Mahmoud Shabistari—one of the most profound Sufi poetic works in classical Persian literature. In this episode, I delve into Shabistari’s poetic responses to complex metaphysical questions on divine unity, the soul’s journey, ethical purification, and spiritual knowledge. Shabistari’s verses, written in response to a series of deep mystical questions, offer a concise yet profound blueprint for mystical awakening. “Who or what is the human self?” “What does it mean to have an inner journey?”
 
Timeline:
00:00 intro
00:22 Shabistari's Biography
01:47 Birth of Gulshan-i Rāz
03:22 Questions answered in Gulshan
04:30 Commentaries and Secondary SourcesRelated to Gulshan
05:29 How Shabistari wrote Gulshan
06:02 Gulshan's Themes
06:40 Gulshan Today
08:29 What is next after this video?
08:53 Invitation
 
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses 
If you enjoy the content and wish to ⁠support our work⁠, your generosity helps us continue creating: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/donations
Watch more from Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HHJERERmZ7fn8cYrLJOzvqy&si=m5l2JJfTOLetqpST
Read my recent publications: https://istanbul.academia.edu/RasoulRahbariGhazani
Guiding Questions:
What does Shabistari mean by the “rose garden” as a symbol of divine mystery?
Can we still acquire knowledge the same way that Shabistari received the content of Gulshan?
Why do you think Herawi asked Shabistari for poetic answers?
Would it have been better to write the book in prose
Which verse from Gulshan-i Rāz spoke to your soul most deeply—and why?
#PersianPoetry #MysticalPoetry #Sufism #SpiritualWisdom #GulshaniRaz #roseGardenofMystery #Shabistari

15. Ibn ʿArabī on Theophanic Imagination & the Creative Heart | khayal (P2) | Ibn Arabi Podcast

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Music: Amirmohammad Monjezi: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
In this episode of Ibn ʿArabī Podcast, I explain his “theophanic imagination,” the “creative heart,” and the “conjoined & autonomous Imagination,” drawing on Henry Corbin’s seminal study Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn ʿArabī. Ibn ʿArabī presents imagination as an ontological faculty through which God discloses His Names and Attributes in symbolic form. This imaginal realm stands between intellect and sensory perception, allowing divine realities to become visible without being reduced to matter and without being identical with these forms. Ibn ʿArabī’s vision offers a spiritual epistemology of the heart. The heart (qalb) is the organ of vision, capable of receiving theophanies when purified. Through “himma,” the concentrated creative intentionality of the heart, the seeker does not merely witness forms but participates in their ongoing manifestation.
Guiding questions:
How does Ibn ʿArabī’s concept of imagination challenge modern views that reduce imagination to fantasy or psychology?
How does the idea of an autonomous imaginal world reshape your understanding of dreams, symbols, and visions?
Can “himma” help explain creativity, intention, and transformation beyond purely material explanations?
 My latest book: Sarayān: The Real’s Permeation: Ibn ʿArabi on the Divine Presence in the Cosmos with Neoplatonic Insights (available in both digital and print formats): https://immortalechoes.org/pages/our-press
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses
If you enjoy the content and wish to ⁠support our work⁠, your generosity helps us continue creating: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/donations
Watch more from our Ibn Arabi Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HG0qkYvbH9dyTAWnncKZGLp&si=sCNGBNjB7RRRIZat
My recent publications: https://istanbul.academia.edu/RasoulRahbariGhazani
#IbnArabi #Sufism #IslamicPhilosophy #Metaphysics #Mysticism

Shahriar Tabrizi’s Farewell: “Let Me Die Like an Orphaned Pearl and Legend” | Mystical Poetry

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi⁠
What does it mean to bid “farewell to the tavern,” to “die as an orphaned pearl,” and to transcend societal norms through mystical poetry? In this episode of the Persian Poetry Podcast, I examine the profound mystical and philosophical layers of Shahriar Tabrizi’s celebrated poem “Farewell to the Tavern and the Death of a Qalandar.” This iconic ghazal encapsulates this mystic-poet’s yearning for detachment from world, self-transcendence, and the rebellious spirit of the qalandar—rooted in Persian mystical and Shi’ite traditions. I explore how Shahriar offers a timeless reflection on spiritual freedom, ethical courage, and the mystical journey beyond formality and conformity.While deeply anchored in Persian cultural heritage, this poem speaks to contemporary questions of identity, alienation, resistance, and the quest for authenticity in an increasingly fragmented world.Mohammad-Hossein Behjat Tabrizi, known by his literary name “Shahriar,” was born in 1906 in Tabriz, Iran. He is one of Iran's most celebrated contemporary poets, and he is recognized for his works in Persian and Azerbaijani Turkish. Shahriar began composing poetry in his youth, deeply influenced by Persian masters such as Hafez and Saʿadi. He pursued medical studies in Tehran but, due to emotional hardships—especially a failed, fiery romance—he abandoned medicine and fully dedicated himself to poetry. His poetry is marked by emotional eruptions, mysticism, his early childhood life, and Shiʿa mystico-theology, reflecting his experiences of love, loss, spiritual realization, and alienation. His Persian Diwan includes lyrical ghazals and odes, while his most famous Azerbaijani Turkish poem, "Heydar Baba", nostalgically recalls his childhood and village life, earning him immense popularity among Azerbaijani and Turkish speakers. Shahriar famously wrote poems honoring Shiʿite Imams: Imam ʿAli, Imam Hussein, and Imam al-Mahdi, blending his signature emotional bursts with spirituality and literary beauty. He passed away in 1988. His resting place is in “Maqbarat al-Shuʿara” in Tabriz, his motherland.
Guiding Questions:
What does Shahriar’s portrayal of the qalandar tell us about rebellion against societal norms through mystical devotion?
How does the tavern, as a metaphor, challenge established religious and ethical codes in this poem?
In what ways does the poem explore the tension between the soul’s yearning for transcendence and the pain of worldly alienation?
How might the figure of the lover’s death in Shahriar’s poetry serve as a critique of modern notions of heroism and success?
How do these mystical symbols resonate with your personal experiences of loss, longing, or spiritual struggle?
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses 
If you enjoy the content and wish to ⁠support our work⁠, your generosity helps us continue creating: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/donations
Watch more from Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HHJERERmZ7fn8cYrLJOzvqy&si=m5l2JJfTOLetqpST
Read my recent publications: https://istanbul.academia.edu/RasoulRahbariGhazani⁠
#PersianPoetry #MysticalPoetry #Shahriar #Sufism #SpiritualWisdom #shahriyar#شهریار

The Cry of “Here I Am”: Rumi’s Mystical Journey in Ghazal 1594 of Divan

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjeziWhat does it mean to truly answer the call of love? In this episode of the Rumi Podcast, we explore Ghazal 1594 from Rumi’s Diwan-i Shams, where the beloved is not just a figure of beauty, but a force that burns, transforms, and awakens. Why are lovers called “helpless”? Why do they cry out “Here I am!” at dawn?
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses 
If you enjoy the content and wish to ⁠support our work⁠, your generosity helps us continue creating: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/donations
Watch more from Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HHJERERmZ7fn8cYrLJOzvqy&si=m5l2JJfTOLetqpST
Read my recent publications: https://istanbul.academia.edu/RasoulRahbariGhazani
My questions for you:
What does it mean to be “helpless” in love, and is it weakness or strength?
How do you interpret the dawn cry of “Here I am!” — is it surrender, readiness, awakening, or something else?
#RumiPoetry #DivineLove #Sufism #rumi #rumipoem #SpiritualWisdom

Rumi: Is forgiveness a human act or a divine invitation to transcend? | Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki 
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
"Who am I to ask for forgiveness? You are the Sultan and the One Who commands." In Masnavi VI, Rumi paints a breathtaking vision of divine mercy—a love that does not merely forgive but transforms the soul. He urges us to reflect: What is true forgiveness? How does it surpass human kindness? And why do even sinners become bold in the presence of divine grace? Key Themes in this Episode:
Rumi’s humble invocation of the divine Beloved.
Why divine mercy surpasses all human generosity.
The paradox of sinners emboldened by forgiveness.
Persian poetry, Farsi recitation, and deep mystical insights.
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses 
If you enjoy the content and wish to ⁠support our work⁠, your generosity helps us continue creating: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/donations
Watch more from Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HHJERERmZ7fn8cYrLJOzvqy&si=m5l2JJfTOLetqpST
Read my recent publications: https://istanbul.academia.edu/RasoulRahbariGhazani
#sufism #Islamic_mysticism #mysticism #Rumi #persianpoetry #persian_poem

Persian & American Literature & Poetry | Interview with Professor Roger Sedarat

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi⁠
In this episode, I interview Professor Roger Sedarat on "Persian and American literature & poetry." He is a creative writer and poet, teaching at the English Department, Queens College, City University of New York. The following are the central questions and topics addressed:
1. The influence of Persian poetry on the American verse.
2. The influence of literature/poetry on academic and public domains.
3. Poetry's role in carrying over meaning/culture through performance rituals.
4. Professor Sedarat's own poetry and academic works Professor Sedarat is the author of four poetry books, including Haji as Puppet: An Orientalist Burlesque, (Word Works. 2017). Winner of 2016 Tenth Gate Prize for Mid-Career Poets, Foot Faults: Tennis Poems (David Robert Books, 2016), Ghazal Games (Ohio UP, 2011). Also an Iranian-American scholar and translator, his most recent academic book is Emerson in Iran: the American Appropriation of Persian Poetry (SUNY Press, 2019).
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses 
If you enjoy the content and wish to ⁠support our work⁠, your generosity helps us continue creating: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/donations
Watch more from Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HHJERERmZ7fn8cYrLJOzvqy&si=m5l2JJfTOLetqpST
Read my recent publications: https://istanbul.academia.edu/RasoulRahbariGhazani
#literature #poetry #poem #persianpoetry #americanpoetry #emerson #rumi #hafez #comparative_poetry #comparative_literature

Rumi: Partial Reason (ʿaql-i juzʿī) & Sacred Intellect (ʿaql-i qudsī) | Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
Can reason alone lead us to divine truth? In this episode of the Rumi Podcast, we explore Rūmī’s distinction between partial reason (ʿaql-i juzʿī) and the sacred intellect (ʿaql-i qudsī)—a central theme in his mystical epistemology. We uncover how Rumi neither rejects reason entirely nor worships it, but rather transforms it into a ladder toward divine knowledge. Rumi’s verses reveal that reason alone, confined to the “black ink of books,” cannot grant certainty. True illumination comes when the sacred intellect is united with the Universal Intellect. This sacred intellect is a bridge between human understanding and divine revelation.
Read the paper discussed ("Rūmī's Mystical Epistemology through Sayyid Ḥaydar Āmulī's Framework"): [https://www.academia.edu/143926431/R%C5%ABm%C4%ABs_Mystical_Epistemology_through_Sayyid_%E1%B8%A4aydar_%C4%80mul%C4%ABs_Framework]
Visit our ⁠Academy of Mystic Poetics and Philosophy⁠, and check out our courses: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/courses 
If you enjoy the content and wish to ⁠support our work⁠, your generosity helps us continue creating: https://immortalechoes.org/pages/donations
Watch more from Persian Mystical Poetry Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkz7b_183HHJERERmZ7fn8cYrLJOzvqy&si=m5l2JJfTOLetqpST
 
Guiding questions:
How does Rūmī’s idea of sacred intellect challenge our modern understanding of knowledge and rationality
Can reason become spiritual when guided by love, or must it be transcended entirely?
In your own experience, what moments have made you feel the “light of certainty” that Rūmī describes?
 
#RumiPoetry #Sufism #PersianMysticism #SpiritualWisdom #RumiExplained