The Sufis have been using carefully constructed stories for teaching purposes for thousands of years. Though on the surface these often appear to be little more than fairy or folk tales, the Sufis hold that they enshrine-in their characters, plots and imagery-patterns and relationships that nurture a part of the mind not reachable in more conventional ways, thus increasing our understanding, flexibility and breadth of vision. Familiarization with this body of material can eventually provide answers to questions about our origins and our destiny. In this book John Baldock explores the rich body of literature the Sufis have produced to guide spiritual travellers. While explaining the significant teachings and emphasizing their significance for us, he sheds a timely light on the Sufis' fascinating perception of life, revealing it to be a process of the heart and not of the head, and offers intriguing pathways to further study and reflection.

The Essence of Sufism : An Illuminating Insight into One of the Main Branches of Islam

John Baldock

Arcturus Publishing

Get drunk on Love, for Love is all that exists. Unless you make Love your business, you will not be admitted to the Beloved. (Divan-i Shams-i Tabriz 455:A1:54) The thirteenth-century saint Jalaluddin Rumi has been called the greatest mystical poet of any age, and his work compared to that of Dante and Shakespeare. Over a period of 25 years he composed over 70,000 verses of poetry on the subjects of divine love, mystic passion and ecstatic illumination. Rumi was also a master story-teller, as this comprehensive exploration of his work so rewardingly reveals. Primarily an introduction to Rumi and the path of self-surrender, it is arranged in such a way that it guides the reader from the poet's outer, historical world to the inner, spiritual essence of his teaching. The Essence of Rumi offers us the opportunity to overcome the limitations of our human view of the world and transform our sensory eye into the poet's all-seeing Ocean of Reality.

Essence of Rumi

Literature & Fiction

Poetry

Foulsham

Social Policy Review: 7

Politics & Social Sciences

Sociology

Policy Press

The Young, the Old and the State: Social Care Systems in Five Industrial Nations (Globalization and Welfare series)

This is a comparative account of social care services for children and older people in five key industrial nations (Finland, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States). The authors break new ground by moving beyond institutional description and seeking to understand the normative and moral qualities of welfare systems. The book builds on existing theories of welfare state regimes by extending the analysis to the arena of social care. 
A full and fascinating account is provided of the historical, economic and political origins of childcare and care for older people in each of the five countries. These analyses are then used as the basis for a theoretical account of the developmental trajectories of social care systems. The book proposes that there are common pressures at work in all industrial nations driving their welfare systems to similar forms of organization and structure. However, these trends are mediated by important differences in culture and history. 
The Young, the Old and the State is an eminently readable and accessible book, and will be warmly welcomed by academics and researchers in social and public policy, health and social care and welfare economics. It will also be of interest to policymakers and NGOs involved in welfare and social care provision and provide a useful source for students on undergraduate and graduate programs.

Anneli Anttonen

Jorma Sipila

Social Sciences

Edward Elgar Publishing

Paperback reprint edition, 2004. Useful appendices, including a glossary of Sufi terminology.

The Essence Of Sufism

Eagle EditionsLimited

The Essence of Rumi

Over a period of 25 years, Jelaluddin Rumi composed over 70,000 verses of poetry on the subjects of divine love, mystic passion and ecstatic illumination -- earning comparisons to Danta and Shakespeare, and a reputation as the greatest mystical poet of any age. This exploration of the man and his work offers an opportunity to transform our sensory eye into the poet's all-seeing Ocean of Reality.

Religion & Spirituality

Islam

Eagle Editions

An exploratory journey through Christian symbolism in its broadest sense. A handy reference guide.

The Elements of Christian Symbolism

Element Books Ltd.

Avalon exists. It is a real place with geographical boundaries and a turbulent history. It is the treasure house of Arthurian legend, and the true birthplace of Arthur. It is the secret location in which the identity of an entire nation has lain buried. Until now.......

The Keys to Avalon: The True Location of Arthur's Kingdom Revealed

History

Steve Blake

Scott Lloyd

Europe

Element Books

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Books by John Baldock