Dara Shukoh (variant spellings include Dara Shikoh/Shikuh) was the eldest son of Shah Jahan, the famous Mughal Emperor who built the Taj Mahal. Dara was keenly interested in mysticism and was a disciple of the Sufi mystic, Mullah Shah. He was also friends with several other mystics, including Sarmad. He wrote two classic treatises on mysticism: The Compass of Truth and The Mingling of the Two Oceans. This particular edition is a photostatic copy of the earliest English translation done by Mahfuz-ul-Haq, which was published a century past in India by the Asiatic Society. Since the text is hard to find and very expensive, we have come out with a new edition for much lower cost.