Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi, a 13th-centry Persian Sufi poet, is one of the most widely-read poets today. But who was Rumi really? How do we know what we know about him? How did he become a passionate poet of love? What was the nature of the relationship between Rumi and his beloved friend Shams? What are the key notions in the thousands of Rumi poems? What are Rumi's essential teachings for transformation and spiritual growth? How can we use his poetry as meditation? How is Rumi related to our modern world and life? How do Rumi's views compare with the teachings of the Buddha? What is the...