Rumi and Shams, Part 2

     As I mentioned in the previous post, I read a terrific novel about the spiritual relationship of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz.  The book is A Moth to the Flame: The Story of the Great Sufi Poet Rumi by Connie Zweig.  I think it portrays the Twin Soul relationship as a precursor to spiritual unity with the One.  Here's a great quote:

     [Shams]:  "This friendship, like prayer, is conversation with the Holy One.  I don't know if my soul is in your body or yours is in mine."

     As I've learned in my research about Twin Souls, and as I endeavored to explain in The Gemini Bond, the union of Twin Soul with its other half is not only a symbol but also a necessity for union with the divine. Forget the Hollywood stereotype of finding fulfillment of all needs and wants in another person for "happy ever after." Rather, it is the stripping away of the self in service to the other.  Only in this way can one be ready for spiritual union with the One.