Immortal Echoes, Mortal Words

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

Ep.12. Ibn Arabi's "Fixed Entities" (a'yan thabita) vs. Rumi's "Meanings" (Ma'ani)

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
What is the difference between Rumi’s “meanings/realities” (maʿānī; singular: maʿnā or maʿnī) and Ibn ʿArabī’s “fixed entities” (aʿyān al-thābita)? In this episode of the Rumi Podcast, I explore one of the most profound debates in sufi philosophy and mystical poetry. Rumi’s poetry is filled with images of eternal "meanings," truths hidden beneath the passing forms of this world—while Ibn ʿArabī carefully articulated the doctrine of fixed entities as eternal realities in divine Knowledge. Some scholars see these as two expressions of the same reality, while others highlight the crucial differences in their metaphysical frameworks. In this video, I address this important question: Are Ibn Arabi's aʿyān thābita and Rumi's maʿnā the same?Interpretive Questions:
Do you think Rumi intentionally avoided Ibn ʿArabī’s terminology to make metaphysical truths more accessible?
How do you personally understand the difference between “fixed entities” and “meanings”? 
Which approach resonates more with your spiritual journey—precise metaphysical concepts or poetic images? 
How might Rumi’s “meanings” help us navigate the challenges of contemporary life?
What role do love and imagination play in accessing these eternal realities in your own experience?
 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

Ep.8. Ibn Arabi: Divine Words & Breath | Ibn Arabi Podcast

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
In this episode, we explore Ibn Arabi’s profound metaphors: the Divine Breath and Words. Every being is seen as a unique word spoken into existence, carried by the eternal Breath of the Divine. Join me as I dive into this mystical journey. Question: What are the implications of these two metaphors in our lives?
 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

Ep.7. Ibn Arabi: “Universals” (umur kulliyya) | Fusus al-Hikam, Chapter 1 | Metaphysics of Existence

Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani
Music: https://www.youtube.com/@amirmohamdmonjezi
Unveiling one of the most profound and subtle teachings in Sufi Metaphysics—this episode of Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam dives into Ibn ʿArabī’s conception of “universal realities” (umūr kulliyya)—shortly translated as “universals.” This metaphysical topic bridges the divine Essence (dhāt) and cosmos, revealing the structure of existence itself. Here, I explore the critical distinction between “fixed entities” (aʿyān al-thābita) and “universal realities” in Ibn ʿArabī’s metaphysics and how they underpin Ibn ʿArabi’s vision of reality. These insights challenge conventional theology and open pathways to inner transformation and spiritual awakening. This topic offers timeless wisdom for those on a journey of spiritual growth, personal development, and esoteric understanding of Islam in a modern world fragmented by duality. Guiding Questions:
What does this chapter reveal about the nature of divine wisdom (Hikmah) in Ibn Arabi’s thought?
Ibn ʿArabī talked about witnessing God’s signs in the cosmos. What implications does this have for us? 3. In what ways does this interpretation challenge conventional understandings of Islamic theology?
 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