Spirituality and Literature
Iranian Culture
February 28, 2018The Spirituality and Literature courses delve into the depth of the spiritual journey that leads to mental and spiritual progress.
Current Courses
The Wisdom of Rumi
The Language of the Heart:
Mystical Metaphors in Persian Poetry
This course is a spiritual journey through the transformative teachings of the Persian mystic poet Rumi (1207-1273). Through this journey, I will, step by step, accompany you to Rumi's healing stories leading to illumination. Through carefully studying Rumi's love poems and teachings, your life will transform into a luminous bonfire of the path of love. This course is for everyone who wants to be inspired and improve the quality of their lives. In this course, a lecture will be given, and there is ground for reaching discussion and active participation. Students will meet four times (8 hours) and meet with their instructor. Prior knowledge of Islamic mystic literature or Rumi poems is not required.
The persian mystics presented their divine message of love through poetry. For this purpose, they used imagery and metaphors so that those intimates understood it. This course is a journey toward understanding mystical motifs in classical and modern Persian poetry. This course familiarizes students with mystic love and its use in Persian literature. Students begin their journey from rich classical literature to twentieth-century poems. Students will read selected excerpts of classical Persian poets, including but not limited to Sana'i Ghaznavi, 'Attar Neyshaburi, Nezami Ganjavi, Saadi Shirazi, Mowlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi, and Hafez Shirazi. Furthermore, they will analyze the poems of modern twentieth-century poets such as Nima Yushij, Shafi' Kadakni.This course focuses on the common themes, imagery, and tropes in the literary works of the mentioned poets. The course is based on lectures, and students will meet five times (10 hours) to discuss the secondary resources provided. Prior knowledge of Islamic mysticism or Persian language is not required.
Be Mindful, Stay Calm: Study Buddhist Practices
This course will examine the life of Siddhartha Gautama –known as Buddha, his teachings, and his enlightenment. The course introduces methods for developing compassion and forgiveness toward others, understanding one's destructive emotions, and the necessity of controlling them for spiritual progress. Students familiarize themselves with positive feelings and develop them. They will explore the main concepts in Buddhism: Samsara, Nirvana, voidness, and enlightenment, and build their understanding of generosity, ethical self-discipline, perseverance, and mental stability.
This course is based on lectures; students will read secondary sources, watch YouTube videos and participate in the discussion. They meet five times (10 hours) with their instructor. Prior knowledge of Buddhist practices is not required.
Become a member of this spiritual community.
Distance Learning
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