"Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are many ways to kiss the ground."

800 years ago, Jalal-ud-Din Rumi wrote 60,000 verses about our soul's journey, describing the nostalgias of spirit on earth and ways to connect with the Beloved. He is a supreme poet, mystic and prophet, and his words come shining through to us today as fresh as the day they were written. Rumi's words lead us along a universal path, beyond all religious denominations towards spiritual integration in the presence of the Eternal Beloved. Rumi's path parallels and complements many traditional religious paths, offering new insight and deepening of spiritual practice.

We invite you to bring your open and longing heart to a rich and visionary weekend where Rumi will inspire us to love again the world that we have been in the midst of destroying. Let Rumi be our essential guide to a mystical Renaissance that awaits us even in the midst of this time when the divisions among faith traditions often pull our world into violence..

Three unique and dynamic presenters will lead the retreat: Andrew Harvey, Jonathan Star and Fariba Enteshari.

• Andrew is an internationally acclaimed poet, author and mystical scholar.  Andrew's spiritual roots include both Indian and Christian paths.
• Jonathan is a Jewish mystic, who has studied Eastern religion and is a skillful translator of Rumi's works, as well as the Tao Te Ching.:
• Fariba, an international educator, born in Iran, draws her religious roots from the Islamic tradition of her ancestors and her multicultural upbringing. She taught Mathnawi, Rumi's masterpiece in the original language, Farsi, and in English at world class institutions..

More about the teachers:

Andrew Harvey is a distinguished spiritual teacher, mystical scholar, Rumi translator, poet, novelist, writer, and one of the pioneers of what he calls "sacred activism." He is the founder of the Institute for Sacred Activism. His books about Rumi include The Way of Passion and Teachings of Rumi. His new book, The Hope, a Guide to Sacred Activism will be available in fall 2009. Visit his website: www.andrewharvey.net.

Jonathan Star has been widely acclaimed for his translations of sacred texts, including those of the Persian mystics and Chinese sages. His books include, Rumi: In the Arms of the Beloved; A Garden Beyond Paradise; Love Poems of Rumi, and Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition. He is currently involved in work which integrates the meditative traditions of the East with the "creative power of mind" traditions of the West.