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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Rumi lived most of his life in ______ Turkey which at the time was a great meeting place for many different cultures.

2. Rumi asserts in his poems that "the miracle of ______ is himself, not what he said or did about the future."

3. According to the book, Rumi lived by the idea that _______ is the religion instead of being tied to a particular paradigm.

4. Rumi slipped back into what ______ the Greek called the whole catastrophe as a living example of another possibility for life.

5. Rumi suggests that people listen to his message with the ear that is in the center of the _______.

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the amazing things prophets have done, according to the writings of Rumi?

2. After the narrator says they are no religion or culture, not east or west, what does the narrator say they do belong to?

3. What does Zuleikha, an Egyptian woman in love with Joseph, do with the shirt that Joseph wears in the story?

4. What is the story of Ramahrishna that Rumi tells at the start of this section of the book?

5. What will happen after the traveler's legs become tired during the journey?

6. What does Rumi say has happened since he has been knocking on a door?

7. What happens after Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, according to the writings of Rumi?

8. What are some of the ways a person will be able to bring themselves into the present moment, according to Barks?

9. What does Barks have to say about Rumi as being a True Human Being? What does Barks say this means?

10. What is the metaphor Rumi uses in order to describe the pull of love in one's life and how one should be pulled by love?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Barks points out that repetition can be spiritual, not numbing as many people have come to think of it, in his opinion.

Part 1: Why do you think repeating something again and again can be spiritual?

Part 2: Are there any things you do again and again which you might find spiritual?

Part 3: How do you think the brain changes when it has to repeat the same action again and again?

Essay Topic 2

The new moon is used as a metaphor for patients and allowing for slowness in creation.

Part 1: Why do you think patience is so valuable when you are trying to create a stronger spiritual connection?

Part 2: Do you agree that patience is important in your life? How so?

Part 3: What do you think you could do in order to cultivate more patience in your life?

Essay Topic 3

Rumi compares himself to a seeker who thinks he needs to get into somewhere special, only to realize that he is actually trying to get out.

Part 1: Why do you think Rumi uses the metaphors of animals so often in his poems?

Part 2: How do you interpret the idea of knocking on a door, only to realize one needs to be let out, not let in?

Part 3: How do you think a person can begin to release themselves from the inside of their journey?

(see the answer keys)

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