Ruzbihan Baqli : The Unveiling of Secrets, Diary of a Sufi Master,
[A5] Paperback - 176 pages,
by Ruzbihan Baqli, [d.1209
CE]
Translated by Carl W. Ernst.
Description :
The Unveiling of Secrets: Diary of a Sufi Master is a visionary
diary of astonishing intensity, written by one of the outstanding
figures in Persian Sufism, Ruzbihan Baqli,
may Allah be pleased with him.
Ruzbihan, who died nearly a
century before Rumi, was known throughout the Middle East and India as
one of the most profound authors in the Sufi tradition. Nevertheless,
by the early 1900's, his name had become almost forgotten. It is only
within the past few decades that his works have been rediscovered and
printed.
This translation by Carl W. Ernst from the original Arabic is
the first complete translation of any of his writings into English.
Comparable to St. Augustine's Confessions or St. Teresa's Interior
Castle,
The Unveiling of Secrets is one of the most powerful documents
in the history of mysticism. In it Ruzbihan recorded intimate visions
in which he saw God appear to him in human form, in overpowering
manifestations of divine qualities. He portrays his spiritual encounters
with remarkable poetic descriptions that testify to his extraordinarily
rich inner life. As he observed in the diary, "Not a day or night has
gone by me, by God, during all the time extending up to now, when I am
fifty-five years old, without an unveiling of the hidden world."
The Unveiling of Secrets is
a rare document that displays the elemental mystical experiences which
form the basis for Sufi descriptions of the spiritual path. This
classic of spiritual autobiography by one of the greatest visionaries in
the realm of mystical love will appeal to anyone seriously concerned
with the life of the spirit.
Reviews:
"This book opens before us a world of fragrant roses, visions of incredible
boldness, described by one of the greatest visionaries in the realm of mystical
love in Islam, Ruzbihan. The reader is transported by this congenial
translation into the sphere of Absolute Beauty, and overwhelming Divine Love.
May many readers enjoy this work which seems so far from the image of Islam
current in the West!" — Dr. Annemarie Schimmel, Professor of Indo-Muslim
Culture, Harvard University, and author of Mystical Dimensions of
Islam.
"Ruzbihan is back! One of the great Sufi mystics from the century just
before Rumi, almost unknown for hundreds of years, comes among us again in this
powerful and necessary book. I am grateful to Carl Ernst, who leads us through
these spiritual diaries." — Coleman Barks, translator of The Essential
Rumi.
"This is the first work of Ruzbihan Baqli, one of the colossal figures of
Sufism, to be translated into English. Rendered into a language that is at once
elegant and accessible, this beautiful classic of spiritual autobiography
should appeal not only to scholars of Islamic thought, but also to anyone
seriously concerned with the life of the spirit." — Seyyed Hossein Nasr,
University Professor of Islamic Studies, The George Washington University.
Carl W. Ernst, translator of
The Unveiling of Secrets, is Zachary
Smith Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of a number of books on
Sufism and Islamic studies, including the
Shambhala Guide to Sufism and
Teachings of Sufism.
