Experiencing Rumi and Pico: converging thoughts, diverging knowledge

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) and Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207- 1273) came to similar conclusions while looking for answers to deep questions about the place of human in nature and her relationship to God. Both Rumi and Pico sought to approach this quest with an open mind that uses reason and experience rather than relying solely on traditional knowledge and religious doctrines, and they came to similar conclusions that put human concerns first in divine creation. While Pico remains reliant on reason and speaks in terms of philosophy, Rumi sees and speaks from another dimension: the path of direct experience expressed through poetry and allegory.