Sufi Tales: Sufi's Wish: Sufi Tale, Fate, Karma, Attar and Omay Khyyam

Publisher Marketing: In the year 1215 C. E, Attar, a Sufi master, wrote the story of his beloved teacher, Omar Khayyam, a poet, a mathematician, an astronomer, who made tents for his livelihood. The story goes: I went to visit my teacher, Omar Khayyam, in the city of Neishahpoor. It was a hot, windy springtime when I entered the city. Being distressed over not finding my master's shop, I stopped the mosque preacher to ask for directions. He starred at me in bewilderment and said, "I have never seen him to pray at the mosque. The heretic tentmaker is in the far end of bazaar." By late afternoon, I found my beloved teacher sitting on a stool, threading a tent. His long white hair hung around his shoulders, touching his snow-white beard. I bent to kiss his hand; he pulled me over and kissed my forehead. We drank tea in the yard under a blooming cherry tree. He was serene and calm. He opened his book of verses and read a poem to me: "My love! I wish to conspire to grasp your divine intension! Why have you created this sorry story of life of thoughts entire? I love to smash it as it never been created to star ashes! Then, with your love to remold it to my perfect heavenly heart desire." I sat quiet and kept my gaze on him as he continued: "I wish upon my death, when the north wind blows in the spring, it covers my tomb with white petals," said my Sufi master. This Sufi tale ends with unexpected twist of karmic forces that delights lover of Sufi tales. The Sufi Tale Series presented in English and Persian. Contributor Bio:  Keyhani, Ali Stories selected and retold by Ali Keyhani. Keyhani has a Ph. D. in Energy Resources and Power Systems from Purdue University. He has taught at Amir Kabir University (Tehran Poly Technic) and The Ohio State University. He has written over hundred Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Transaction articles about power systems, energy conversions and renewable energy sources. His books include Design of Smart Power Grid Renewable Energy Systems, John Wiley & Son, Inc. (2011), Integration of Green and Renewable Energy in Electric Power Systems, Wiley (2010) co-authored with Mohammad N. Marwali and Min Dai, and Smart Power Grids, Springiner (2011), co-authored with Muhammad N. Marwali. Illustrations by Susan Josephson. Josephson has a Ph. D. in philosophy from The Ohio State University and was a professor of philosophy at Columbus College of Art and Design until she retired in 2011. She has written books and articles on artificial intelligence and on art. She has illustrated several books, including My Last Forty Days, A Visionary Journey among the Pueblo Spirits, by Felicitas D. Goodman, Indiana University Press, The Ecstatic Experience, Healing Postures for Spirit Journeys by Belinda Gore, Bear and Company press, and Flowering Bruno by Charlene Fix, XOXOX press.