Category: The Jewelled Garden

Jakushitsu  Genko (1290 – 1367 CE) was a Japanese Rinzai monk, flute player and poet. In his later years, he was the abbot of Eigen-ji temple, which was in fact Continue Reading →

For some information about the mystic and martyr Mansur al Hallaj, see this post. Kill me, my faithful friends,For in my being killed is my life. Love is that you Continue Reading →

For some background on the Advaita saint Sir Ramakrishna (1836 – 1886 CE) see this earlier post. Will you tell me one thing? Why did you harp so much on Continue Reading →

Ala al-Dawla Simnani (1261 – 1336 CE) was a Persian Sufi and scholar born in Semnan and a member of the Kubrawi Order. There seem to be no details available Continue Reading →

Abul Hassan Kharqani told the following anecdote about Abu Yazid Bistami. To understand properly the reaction of the students in this tale, it might help to recollect that Bistami’s fundamental Continue Reading →

Many great souls have urged seekers to be persistent, to continue to call for the kindness of the One, and Salih Murri’s statement below might make us think of the Continue Reading →

The 10th C. CE Hindu poet-saint Devara Dasimayya was devoted to Siva, who was the supposed founder of the holy city of of Benares, or Varanasi as it is now Continue Reading →

The Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar is the author of a highly revered text, the “Tirukkural,” composed of over a thousand couplets on ethics, political craft and love. Although it Continue Reading →

Although Wu Ts’ailuan is an admired and revered poet of the Taoist tradition, it not possible to say anything certain about her life. She may have lived in the 9th Continue Reading →

Fariduddin Attar told the following tale, that a non-believer arrived at the door of Abraham’s house and asked to be fed. Abraham said that he would feed him provided that Continue Reading →