One day Shams Tabrizi was sitting beside a pond in deep spiritual contemplation when Rumi, who was then a respected Islamic scholar, passed by. Shams saw Rumi and threw his precious books into the pond!

Rumi was shocked and dismayed to see his valuable books sinking in the pond. But this act of Shams was meant to teach Rumi to look beyond outer knowledge to the inner spiritual meaning.

This marked the beginning of a deep spiritual friendship between Shams and Rumi. Rumi became annihilated in the presence of Shams, seeing only the Divine in his master. He gave up his position as a jurist to follow the Sufi path.

Once when Rumi was learning spiritual practices from Shams, the lamp went out in their room. But they continued sitting together in the darkness with the same intimacy as if the light was still present.

Jealous disciples eventually drove Shams away out of fear of his power over Rumi. Rumi was heartbroken and searched everywhere for his beloved master. He later found Shams in his essence within himself.

This intense spiritual bond transformed Rumi into one of the greatest mystic poets. His poetry and whirling dance expressed the deep longing and intoxication of Divine Love that Shams had awakened within him.

So the story shows how the seemingly strange actions of a Sufi master are meant to shatter a disciple’s ego and bring inner awakening. Rumi’s total self-surrender to Shams made him realize the Divine within.