Vraje Abramian – författare

Sufism (esoteric Islam) has, in the last half century, become a respected spiritual tradition no longer limited to Islam or the Middle-East. Any responsible work of translation of Sufi literature from original sources, therefore, is a step in helping further the appreciation of the Sufi heritage in spirituality. For anyone interested in Sufism in particular, or mystical understanding in general, Attar's works are indispensable. His influence on later giants, such as the mystic poet Jalaleddin Rumi, is well documented. Born in 1119, Attar lived in infamously chaotic times when petty warlords never relented and famine and disease were the order of the day. He was killed in 1221 during the utter destruction of his hometown of Rey at the hands of invading Mongol hoards. Despite outward circumstances, the value of Attar's influence as a beacon of light during these times cannot be overestimated. He always seems to be focused on his belief in basic human goodness. Attar insisted that the individual should concentrate on refining his or her sensitivities in order to escape ignorance and become worthy of being called a "human being." Many generations since Attar have taken refuge in his writings to strengthen their faith to choose what cannot be seen, over all that can. His writings also include stories about the lives of mystics who lived before and around his time, and in this sense, he provides one of the few sources about their biographies, though his is popular rather than academic information. Attar is mostly known in the West for his Biographies of the Saints and for Conference of the Birds; but he has also produced a number of other masterpieces well-known among lay persons and Sufi practitioners in Iran and in cultures influenced by the Persian language. Sweet Sorrows is the first compilation of Attar's lesser-known works in English. The translator, Vraje Abramian, has selected 350 short verses that cover a wide range of Attar's poetic moods-from somewhat satirical and humorous to tender and heart-breaking. Background information on Attar, as well as an essay on the translator's task make this a fascinating and authoritative book. An Appendix contains a large selection of one of Attar's classics, Moseebat-nameh (The Book of Travails).

Sufi Masters throughout the ages have always reminded seekers that the final answers lie in Silence, where the ego-mind is absent. Still, they have also been great poets and storytellers, whose words were capable of life-altering effects. This is a fresh and extensive collection that will both instruct and encourage individuals on the path of love and transformation. Readers and seekers today need such roadmaps of sanity and wisdom, pointing the way through life's detours. Reading the works of saints and sages serves as a GPS for today's wayfarer. Includes selections from today's most well-recognised and highly acknowledged masters, like Rumi, Hafiz and Jesus. More uniquely, however, it introduces us to teachings and anecdotes of the obscure hermit, the mad but unknown dervish, the crazy naked ascetic. Many of these voices offered a shock to his or her contemporaries, jarring them from the complacency which makes automatons of humans. Others, contained a paradoxical twist on the religious life or practice of their times, but soaked with an age-old wisdom that is still vital to practitioners today. Read between the lines here! The translator instructs us. Abramian advises readers that the language adopted by Sufi teachers was designed to break the habits that normally deaden our sensitivities. He has therefore selected pieces that remind us to wake up, to take stock, to continue carefully observing. And by careful sequencing of topics, the book gently guides readers toward the essence-truths or core-teachings of these wise ones. Translator and editor Vraje Abramian is uniquely qualified to make this offering to religious studies today. As an Iranian by birth, a lifelong practitioner of spiritual disciplines and an accomplished teacher of English, his collection and translations are characterised by academic authority, poetic word-craft and spiritual insight.