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Written by: Kamran Mofid

Published: 06 November 2013

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Cultivating a living wisdom for our time

"OUR JOURNEY is TO THE ROSE-GARDEN OF UNION”-Rumi

Whilst researching for a research project on Spirituality, I came across a wonderful old book, “WISDOM OF THE EAST-THE PERSIAN MYSTICS: JALALU'D-DIN RUMI”

The book was written BY F. HADLAND DAVIS, and was published by JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, London, in 1912.

I am not scholar of Sufism, Rumi, Hafez, or indeed Persian mysticism, by any stretch of imagination. However, as an interested student of spirituality and mysticism, I have really enjoyed reading this book, and this is why I so much wish to share it with you.- Click here to read the book online

Now, I would also very much like to share with you another book. A book about Hafez, the 14^th century Persian poet, whom like Rumi is the philosopher of love, a seeker of wisdom who became a poet of genius, a lover of truth, who has transcended the ages. I discover this book a few years ago. I have read it again and again: A truly inspirational book.

The book is called “Spiritual Wisdom of Haféz: Teachings of the Philosopher of Love”. It was written by HALEH POURAFZAL (1956–2002) who was the daughter of Abdol-Hossein Pourafzal, a lifelong student of Persian linguistics and direct descendant of the creator of the contemporary Farsi prose form. Haleh grew up tuned to the spirit of the great poet during her childhood in Tehran, where her father would perform daily recitations of Haféz’s poetry. She drew upon her father’s expertise in developing her own interpretations of the poet’s verse. From the moment Haleh introduced her husband, ROGER MONTGOMERY, to the poetry of Haféz, they shared a deep love and respect for his work. It was in the spirit of gaining a greater understanding of this great poet, sage, and philosopher that this book was born.

Spiritual Wisdom of Haféz: Teachings of the Philosopher of Love

“Haféz has no peer.” Goethe

“Haféz fears nothing. He sees too far; he sees throughout; such is the only man I wish to see or be.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The unity of spirit and mind is the legacy of Haféz." Nietzsche

'For six hundred years the Persian poet Haféz has been read, recited, quoted, and loved by millions of people in his homeland and throughout the world. In Haféz: Teachings of the Philosopher of Love new contemporary translations by one of the leading scholars of Haféz connect this traditional spiritual and philosophical wisdom to a modern vision of the world. The book includes over thirty complete poems by Haféz, accompanied by commentary from the authors on the meanings and contexts of the poetry and philosophies of this spiritual teacher. Authors Haleh Pourafzal and Roger Montgomery show how the visionary poet Haféz--whose work inspired Goethe, Nietzsche, and Ralph Waldo Emerson--can serve as an ideal source of inner renewal in our often troubled world, as well as a bridge between the West and Middle East, two cultures in desperate need of mutual empathy.'

Spiritual Wisdom of Haféz: Teachings of the Philosopher of Love

http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Wisdom-Hafez-Teachings-Philosopher/dp/0892816678

*(A note from Kamran)

After reading the book, in late 2004 I wrote an email to Haleh Pourafzal, thanking her for this most wonderful book. I did not hear back for a while. Then, I had a reply, not from Haleh, but from her husband, Roger, telling me that Haleh had succumbed to cancer and had passed away in 2002. Roger and I kept our dialogue going. I then told Roger about our forthcoming GCGI Conference to be held in Nairobi and Kericho, Kenya in 2005. Roger told me about their fond memories of Kenya. He came to our conference, presented a paper on Hafez. It was one of the most beautiful moments for me, when we all remembered Haleh and her love of Hafez. 

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Written by: Kamran Mofid

Published: 06 November 2013

Hits: 3673

Photo: spectator.com.au

In January 2011 I wrote an article under the heading of Why Happiness Should be Taught at Our Universities? where I wrote about life’s bigger questions in our search for happiness.“What are the Biggest Questions? I had asked. “Questions which are Deeply Spiritual” I had noted. Questions such as the ones below:

“What is it for a human life to be going well and be happy? What is the value of happiness, and what is the relation between the value of happiness and other types of values, especially moral and ethical values? What is the source of true happiness and well-being? What is the good life? What is the purpose of economic life? What is true affluence? What is genuine wealth? Does money hold the secret to having a happy life? Should money be a means to an end or the goal itself? Other questions include: What is education? What is knowledge? What is wisdom? What is a University? What does it mean to be a human being living on a spaceship with finite resources? How can we contribute to creating the new civilisation for the common good?”…

And now, we couldn’t have clearer evidence of what I had written in 2011 than a recent research study of Depression in the journal PLOS Medicine: “Depression: 'Second biggest cause of disability' in world”

Let me first quote you the Editors' Summary below:

“Depressive disorders are common mental disorders that occur in people of all ages across all world regions. Depression—an overwhelming feeling of sadness and hopelessness that can last for months or years—can make people feel that life is no longer worth living. People affected by depression lose interest in the activities they used to enjoy and can also be affected by physical symptoms such as disturbed sleep. Major depressive disorder (MDD, also known as clinical depression) is an episodic disorder with a chronic (long-term) outcome and increased risk of death. It involves at least one major depressive episode in which the affected individual experiences a depressed mood almost all day, every day for at least 2 weeks. Dysthymia is a milder, chronic form of depression that lasts for at least 2 years. People with dysthymia are often described as constantly unhappy. Both these subtypes of depression (and others such as that experienced in bipolar disorder) can be treated with antidepressant drugs and with talking therapies.”

In summary, The study compared clinical depression with more than 200 other diseases and injuries as a cause of disability.

Depression was ranked at number two as a global cause of disability, but its impact varied in different countries and regions. For example, rates of major depression were highest in Afghanistan and lowest in Japan. In the UK, depression was ranked at number three in terms of years lived with a disability.

Dr Alize Ferrari from the University of Queensland's School of Population Health led the study. In an interview with the BBC News, she noted that:

"Depression is a big problem and we definitely need to pay more attention to it than we are now."

"There's still more work to be done in terms of awareness of the disease and also in coming up with successful ways of treating it.

"The burden is different between countries, so it tends to be higher in low and middle income countries and lower in high income countries."

Policy-makers had made an effort to bring depression to the forefront, but there was a lot more work to be done, she added.

"There's lots of stigma we know associated with mental health," she explained.

"What one person recognises as disabling might be different to another person and might be different across countries as well, there are lots of cultural implications and interpretations that come in place, which makes it all the more important to raise awareness of the size of the problem and also signs and how to detect it."

The data - for the year 2010 - follows similar studies in 1990 and 2000 looking at the global burden of depression.

Commenting on the study, Dr Daniel Chisholm, a health economist at the department for mental health and substance abuse at the World Health Organization said depression was a very disabling condition.

"It's a big public health challenge and a big problem to be reckoned with but not enough is being done.

"Around the world only a tiny proportion of people get any sort of treatment or diagnosis."

Further readings:

Depression: 'Second biggest cause of disability' in world, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24818048

A Path to a Spiritual Education for the Common Good: Education for a Just and Sustainable World

The Story of the GCGI: Why Love, Trust, Respect and Gratitude Trumps Economics: Together for the Common Good

Our Crises are not merely Economic but Spiritual: A Time for Awakening

“What does Spirituality Mean to You?”

Children of the Earth Pioneering Spiritual Activism

The Wisdom of Compassion: The path to Peace, Contentment and Well-being

If you want to be happy, be a volunteer. If you want others to be happy, be a volunteer

A book opn depression: The great depression