St.

Francis of Assisi enjoying the music of the spheres, my will and my desire were turned by love, the love that moves the sun and the other stars [Dante], in harmony with the angels singing in unison with the man from Assisi and the birds listening to and gazing in rapture at the terrestrial/celestial spectacle

Verbal and Visual Resonance A Facebook Conversation Compiled and annotated by Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju

Mysticisms in Dialogue

Ade Lohenragrin Lawal It is open to debate if we can with effrontery consider Ibn Arabi the greatest thinker in the Abrahamic traditions per se. Arabi's Magnum Opus *Futuhat Al- Makkiyya* (The Meccan Openings/Illuminations) is more of a cornucopia on Sufsm than Islamic theology. Rumi is the greatest in my opinion...

The Dhyani Buddha Dorje-Chang, an idealization of the historical Buddha, conceived as a cosmic personality embodying ultimate human possibility. His pose of total physical poise and contemplative absorption reflects the Buddhist ideal of reflective balance in the flow of the transmutations of existence. The vajra, the thunderbolt scepter in his right hand, represents Divine Method and Spiritual Power, the capacity to penetrate to the hidden truth of phenomena, a truth represented by the bell in his left hand, symbolizing the Voidness as Intellect, the understanding of the ultimate emptiness of all things, empty beceause they do not last and empty beceause their emptiness is the ground of existence, the bell also possibly evoking the call to diligent striving after ultimate knowledge, resounding from the Buddhas dying words Seek your salvation with diligence! These are my last words! . Adapted from Tibets Great Yogi, Milarepa

Toyin Adepoju Thanks. Very interesting. This will spur me to read Rumi. Are you assessing Rumi in relation to Sufism alone or to all Islam , except the Prophet perhaps, or in relation to all of the Abrahamic religions? I hope you are doing well. Its been a long time.

Ade Lohenragrin Lawal Rumi's theosophic message reaches [across] all religious divides. Arabi is great- no doubt...there is this element of elitism in his philosophical and mystical thoughts...I'm well Kindred Spirit...