Shems Friedlander Paperback 9781887752398 Shems Friedlander, whose The Whirling Dervishes and When You Hear Hoofbeats, Think of Zebra became instant classics, now offers us another jewel - unique in that it brings to light hitherto unpublished material on the sacred music and dance, or "sema" of the Mevlevi Dervishes. Friendlander himself, for 25 years, has been a member of the Mevlevi order of dervishes (known in the west as the Whirling Dervishes), founded by Jalaluddin Rumi and has been initiated as a sheikh of both the Mevlevi and Halveti order of dervishes. He brings special insight and understanding of the work of Rumi which links it to the roots of Rumi;s thought. This offers the reader an insider's in-depth view of Rumi which contemporary poets who have adapted his work for the west fail to elucidate. As Friendlander presents the "Roots of His Thought," the story of Rumi's life unfolds in an entirely fresh and accessible manner, sprinkled with the Master's poetic insights. The work concludes with a most admirable explanation of the inner and outer nature of sacred music and we are shown how a "glimpse of Truth is revealed by vibrations and sound."
