Amir Khusrow: I am a pagan and a worshipper of Love
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Photo: A judge (with a white turban seated in the center of the 'ertman gol' Chodor rug) reads from a paper, apparently rendering judgement in some dispute. Photo by Antoin Sevruguin.
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I am a pagan and a worshipper of Love:
the creed (of Muslims) I do not need;
Every vein of mine has become taunt like a wire,
the (Brahman's) girdle I do not need.
Leave from my bedside, you ignorant physician!
The only cure for the patient of love is the sight of his Beloved –
other than this no medicine does he need.
If there be no pilot in our boat, let there be none:
We have God in our midst: the sea we do not need.
The people of the world say that Khusrau worships idols.
So he does, so he does;
the people he does not need,
the world he does not need.
(Amir Khusrow)
the creed (of Muslims) I do not need;
Every vein of mine has become taunt like a wire,
the (Brahman's) girdle I do not need.
Leave from my bedside, you ignorant physician!
The only cure for the patient of love is the sight of his Beloved –
other than this no medicine does he need.
If there be no pilot in our boat, let there be none:
We have God in our midst: the sea we do not need.
The people of the world say that Khusrau worships idols.
So he does, so he does;
the people he does not need,
the world he does not need.
(Amir Khusrow)
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Recommended Reading:
'An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia, Volume 1: From Zoroaster to Omar Khayyam'
By Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Editor), Mehdi Aminrazavi (Editor)
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Description:
The tradition of philosophy in the Persian-speaking world is extraordinarily rich, creative and diverse. This anthology, which is divided into three volumes, aims to communicate something of that richness and diversity. The term ""philosophy"" is understood to in its widest sense to include theological debate, philosophical Sufism and philosophical hermeneutics (ta'wil). Extending over a period of more than two millennia, and showcasing translations by well-established scholars, the anthology offers full bibliographical references throughout. For anyone interested in exploring, in all their varied manifestations, the fascinating philosophical traditions of Persia, such a wide-ranging and ambitious work will be an indispensable resource. Volume 1 starts with the Zoroastrian period and extends to the time of Biruni and Oma Khayyam, paying special attention to the peripatetic school associated with Ibn Sina (Avicenna). During the pre-Islamic period philosophy was intertwined with religion, and it is within Persian religious texts such as the Gathas, the Denkard, and the Zoroastrian texts of the Bundahisn that philosophical discussions of subjects ranging from metaphysics to cosmology and eschatology are to be found.
'An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia, Volume 1: From Zoroaster to Omar Khayyam'
By Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Editor), Mehdi Aminrazavi (Editor)
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Description:
The tradition of philosophy in the Persian-speaking world is extraordinarily rich, creative and diverse. This anthology, which is divided into three volumes, aims to communicate something of that richness and diversity. The term ""philosophy"" is understood to in its widest sense to include theological debate, philosophical Sufism and philosophical hermeneutics (ta'wil). Extending over a period of more than two millennia, and showcasing translations by well-established scholars, the anthology offers full bibliographical references throughout. For anyone interested in exploring, in all their varied manifestations, the fascinating philosophical traditions of Persia, such a wide-ranging and ambitious work will be an indispensable resource. Volume 1 starts with the Zoroastrian period and extends to the time of Biruni and Oma Khayyam, paying special attention to the peripatetic school associated with Ibn Sina (Avicenna). During the pre-Islamic period philosophy was intertwined with religion, and it is within Persian religious texts such as the Gathas, the Denkard, and the Zoroastrian texts of the Bundahisn that philosophical discussions of subjects ranging from metaphysics to cosmology and eschatology are to be found.
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