Jalalud'din Rumi: Intermediary between East and WestThe 13th-century teachings of Jalalud'din Rumi, the Sufi Muslim philosopher of the Modern Afghanistan, are rich in wisdom to guide and open the heart of every human being. Rumi's ideas about love, awareness of the things of the soul, and tolerance could reach across the growing cultural divide that divides the West and the Eastern Muslim world. Rumi wrote and taught that all religious groups are equal in the eyes of God. If he were alive in our modern age, he would have no qualms about worshiping or praying in a church or synagogue instead of his own religious holy sites. When we examine the philosophy revealed in his poetry and other writings, we find that Rumi taught people to seek their own individual relationship with God through existential and mystical means. Rumi's deep love for all people and things around him, regardless of what or who they were, illustrates that West and East, non-Muslims and Muslims are not as divided as many believe today. Originally trained in theology as a Muslim cleric, Rumi later became a mystical teacher, leader and poet after an encounter with Shams in 1244 AD. Rumi expressed his beliefs primarily through poetry, which often speaks of honest compassion and infinite tolerance toward individuals living outside of Islamic teachings. Despite his Muslim religious upbringing, Rumi did not discriminate against people of other faiths or even agnostics. In an essay about his relationship with Jesus, Rumi wrote “He Was Nowhere Else”: “The cross and the Christians, end to end, I examined. He was not on the Cross. I went to the Hindu temple, to the ancient pagoda. In none of them was there a sign. Towards the highlands of Herat I we...... middle of paper ...... or bad, pay attention to the way things mix (Rumi)Works cited by Vitray-Meyerovitch, Eva . Rumi and Sufism, Sausalito: The Post Apollo Press. 1987Jalalud'din Rumi, Fountain of Fire, trans Nader Khalili. Trzana, CA: Burning Gate Press 1994. Jalalud'din Rumi http://sevenpillarsjourney.org/additional-poetry/ March 12, 2014Jalalud'din Rumi, Life and Death: http://www.rumi.org.uk/life&death. htm March 12, 2014Jalalud'din Rumi, Rumi's poetry: "All religions, all this singing, only one song" http://razarumi.com/rumis-poetry-all-religions-all-this-singing-one- song/ March 12, 2014Jalalud'din Rumi, translated by Kabir Helminski. http://www.sourcetext.com/hupage/Rumi/rumi0.html March 12, 2014. Jalalud'din Rumi http://www.onejourney.net/the-living-book/jalal-al-din-rumi- 1207 /22/quotations.html March 12, 2014Shah, Idries. “The Way of the Sufi” The Octagon Press, London. 1980