Spirituality THE SUFI PATH OF LOVE The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi William C. Chittick State University of New York Press Albeny1324 J 332512 1963, aS RATT JUL 2 01984 a ‘Sate Univers of Now York Pras, Albany (© 100 Siat Unive of Naw Yr, Al ght cen Pune i the Unted Stata of ration ‘No pt of thi beck may bt td a opr {any senor whatoree iow wren portion ‘cpt nth cane of bl quay emia i ‘hc sel avis A Yor infrmtion, dom Site Unione of Naw Yark 20242" Pre, Sit Univer Plea, Altay Ms 12898 beary of Corn Cataning In Paitin Data Fn aba Reels, 207-237, ‘he St pth of ove. [SUNY sare i amie sprang) Incas bisiopepiel eoens td Indes 1 SutenEay works to a. Wii © i Tit Soe Brienaaais toes trates sow our rn. ISIN 04706-7048 bk) Contents . List of Abbreviations ix Introduction The Life 4 ‘The Works ‘The Teschings | 7 ‘Three Dimens The Plan of the Book 12 The Translations 14 Part of Sufism 10 THEORY 17 ‘A; Seeing Things As They Are 19 Form and Meaning 19 2 Existence and Nonexistence 23, 8. The Illusion of Dichotom "The Selence of Religion 5. Spirit, Heart, and Intellect 27 ‘The spirit 27 2 The Lovels of the Spirit 90 3. The Ego end the Intellect 29 44 The Universal Intellect and the Partial Intellect 38Love 1t can easlly be shown that Love (isha? is the central theme of all RUmTs works. If we were to bogin studying him through the Diwan, fe would soon see that most of its poems deal explicitly with thie ‘ubject, And as soon as one understands what Rami means by Love, ‘one can see that even the Mothnawt and Fihi ma Fihl, where the ‘word "Lovee not mentioned nearly as often doal largely with Lov's branches and ramifations In Rumi's view, Love totally dominates and determines the Suf's inward and “psychological” states. But because Love pertains to the experiential dimensions of Sufism, not the thooretical, it must be ‘experienced to be understood, I cannot be explained in words, any ‘more than the true nature of one's attachment to a beloved of this world can be set down on paper. This is all the more so since the Suf's Boloved transcends not only this world, but the next world as ‘well and everything we can possibly conceive or imagine. RUmt often remarks on the Impossibility of explaining Love, although in other werses he takes the complementary point of view: One oan forever and never exhaust It In cannot truly be exprossed in words. It ls fundamentally an experience situated beyond the narrow confines of articulated thought—but an ‘experience more real than the universe and all it contsin. [No mater what I say to explain and olucidate Love, shame overcomes me when I come to Love iteoll. (MT m2) Love cannot be contained within our spesking or listening; Love is an oosan whose depths cannot be plumbed, Would you tty to count the drops of the seat ‘fore that Ocean, the seven seas are nothing. (MV 2731-32) Love cannot be found in erudition and science, books and pages. Whatever is discussed by poople—that Is not tho way of lovers. (D 4162) ‘Whatover you have sald or heard isthe shell: |The komel of Love is @ mystory that cannot be divulged. (D 2089) Enough! How long will you cling to these words of the tongue? Love has many expositions beyond speech, (0 13385) Silenca! Silancol For the allusions of Love are reversed: The meanings become hidden from much speaking. (D 12073) Someone asked, “What is Lovet" 1 | not about these meanings. ‘When you become like me, then you will know. ls you, you will recite its tale.” (D 29050-51) ‘Oh you who have listened to talk of Lovo, Dbohold Love! What are words in the ears compared to vision in the eyes? (D 24681), pled, When He o Love, then, has to be experienced to be understood. But we can till glean'a great deal about this ineffable reality from Ram's words, ‘0 long as we remember that Love exists to be realized, not discussed If Rom discusses ithe does so only to str up the desire for Love in the heart ofthe listonor: ‘What is Lovat Perfect thirst. So let me explain the Water of Life. (D 17361) 1, GOD AS LOVE AND BEYOND LOVE God fs the source of all lov things, But to what extent may i properly be ‘The fact that Love is an Atbute of God is confirmed implicily by ‘humerous Koranio verses in which God is said to “love” something ‘The Sufs usually quote the following verse, since it shows clearly the bierarchical relationship between God's Love for man and man's love for God, the later of which derives its existence from the former: God will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble | werd he baiovre deaf toward the unbelres, men ‘who Just as He is the source of all othor that "God is Love"?1 sseranaaaer 70 600 owe ro struggle inthe path of God, not fearing the reproach of any reproachos” | [No one hat over walked to oF three pat we. | toward the gardan of Love without a hundred salaaas from ‘As to whether ar not we may say that “God is Lave,” the answer the Gardener. 4s the samo as with any other divine Attubute: yes end no. God is certainly Love, but this Attribute dose not exhaust His Reality, In tho samme way He is Mercy, Knowledge, Lif, Power, and Will. He possesses all these qualities; Hls Being isthe same os thelr Being: but we may rot say that God is Mercy and nothing else, or that He is Knowledge Beyond Love are thousands upon thousands of courtyards, but their might and majesty prevent them from entering the mind. (D 10100-10), ‘The Caravan of the Unseen enters the visible world, but it remains hidden from all these usly people land nothing else, As the “Coincidence of Opposite,” He possoses al His Attbutes absolutely, yet in His Basence He Is beyond them sl From ane point of view He is Love, but from another point of view Ho is beyond Love. Both points of view are soon in Ram's verses and prose. Love is affection beyond bounds, Hence itis said thet Love is truly God's Attibute, while itis the attlbute Of His servants only in a dorivative sease. He loves them is fovorything. What then Is they love Him? (Mt It into.) Fear is not even a hair before Love; in the Religion of Lovo, all things ate seclficed. Tove isan Attribute of God, but fear is an atteibute ofthe servant afficted by lust and gluttony. Since you have read in the Koran they love Him placod in a single vorse with He foves them, Know that Love and Affection are Attributes of God, But fear Is not God's Attibute, der frend! What relationship exists between God's Attibuto and that of « handful of dust? Or botween the attsbute of a temporal being and that of the All-Holy? IFT should continue my explanation of Love, a Jhundred resurrections would pass before T could complete it Since the date of the resurrection hae limit but where are limits when itis @ quastion of God's Attributes? (MV 2164-80) Know that Love's branches are in Eternity: without-boginning ite roots in Btemnity-withoutond this toe {is not supported by God's Throne, the earth, or @ trunk. (D 4183) whe ‘become like eve 16036) eave sleeping and enting bobind, 1 will sting Love: Living, Self-subsstent. (0 Others call Thoe Love, but I call Theo tho Sultan of Love—oh Thou who art beyond the concopt of this fr that, do not go without met "(D 28303) How should lovely women come to ugly men? ‘The nightingale slays comes tothe rosebush, ‘The Jasmine grows next to the narcissus, the rose comes to the swoet-mouthed bud, Al of those azo symbole—t mean that the other world koops coming into this world Like cream hidden in the soul of milk, No-place oops coming into place Like intellect concealed in blood and skin, the ‘Tracoless keops entoring into traces. ‘And from beyond the intellct, beautiful Love comes dragging its skirts, cup of wine in its hand. “And from beyond Love, that indescribable One who can only bo called “That” keeps coming. (0 30789-96) 2, THE WORLD AS CREATED BY LOVE Love Is dasire end need, Although in His Essence God is beyond all reed, yot atthe level of His Attributes He said, " desired (or “loved” to be Known, s6 I created the world"* Likewise, t wes His Love for the Prophet which made Him say, “But for thee, { would not have rated the celestial spheres." Hence God's Love for manifesting the \dden Treasure through the prophets and saints was the motivating, force In His creation ofthe universe. As a result, Love courses through cout the world's arteries, All movement and activity result from that vial Love the worl forms ‘are but th rfeton of i uniaue realty The creatures are sot in motion by Love, Love by Bterity-without-bepinning. the sind dances because of the spheres, the troos because of the wind. (D 5001) God said to Love, “If no! for thy beeuty, how should I pay attention to the mievor of existence?” (D 26108) "Tho world is ike a mirror displaying Love's petfoction. Oh friends! Who has ever seen a part greater than fis whole? (D 25248),love Is the Kernel, tho world tho shell, Love is the swostmeat, the world the cauldron. (D 22225) ‘uke Adam and Eve, Love gives bieth to thousand forms; the world If full of Its paintings, but is has no form. (D 5087) Oh Love who hast « thousend names and a cup of sweet wine! Oh Thow who bestowest a thousand skills! ‘Oh formless One with @ thousand formst Oh fiver to the Turk, Graak, and Ethiopian! (D 14022-23) Love eplits the spheres with @ hundred splitings, it shakes the earth mighty Pure Love was paired with Mubammad—for its ‘ako God sald to him, "But for thee...” Since he was the unique goal of Lov singled him out from the other prophet “ut for pure Love, how should f ha ‘existence to the celestial spheres? erected the heavenly wh understand Love's exaltation.” (M V 2736-40), "The spheres turn forthe sake of tho lovers, the ‘Wheel revolves for the sake of Love, ‘Not forthe beker oF Ironsmith, nor for the carpenter or drugs. "The heavens turn round ebout Love: Rise, so that we also may turn! Behold “But for theo, I would not have created "What did He say? "Mubammad the chosen is Love's Fo God sven so that you might For @ ime let us revolve around Love. How Jong will we circle thie carion? (D 1203-97) 3, THE WORLD AS MAINTAINED BY LOVE All things participate in God's Love, the motivating force of creation. 0 all things are lovers. In other words, each existent is Infused with ‘need and dosire for other existens and ls constanty striving to gain Union with them. Those individual loves are the immediate source of fall movement and activity hat God's wisdom in His destiny and dc ‘of one another “That foreordainment has peired all parts of the world and set them in love with their mates. Each part of the world desley its mate, just like amber and straw. Heaven says to the exrth, “Hallo! Thou drewost ‘me like tron to @ magnet!” made us love ‘The fornale desires the male so thet they may perfoct each other's work God placed desire within man and women so ‘that the world might find subsistence through thelr union. Ho places desiro in each part for another part and their union gives bith to offspring (M II 4400-03, ‘A hundred thousand snakes and an ‘thousand eaters of thelr dally bread-each socks a share, each has its own lament. (D 20467) Oh, different kind of fruit shakes every branch, a different cup of wine intoxicates gach of us and rakes us Its foo Behind the vell two hundred ladies have scratched their cheoks and beaten thor heads, each widowed from a diferent mate ‘A fisherman's hook is stuck in every Ssh's rmouth—the ane shouts, “Oh deat!” the other, “How lovely!” Gabriel dances in love for God's Beauty, the afrest in love fora she-devil. (D 24643-46) Bveryone was made for a particular task; desire for it was placod in his heart. How should hand and foot move without deste? How should sticks and leaves move without water and ‘wind? (MTT 1618-10), ‘The King spoke hidden words Into everyone! 40 the spit of each, He gave a diffornt message ‘Wear among the creatures, hatred among the living—Ho sots thom there each instant That is a fine friend! a spoke sweet and flowing words to the 20 and made it laugh, He mede a subtle point to the cload and Wet its eyes Hi says tothe ros, "Celebration is best” He says tothe cloud, “Weeping i bast!” No one acces the fdvice of anothr. Hs says tthe branch, “Danco the lasves, “Clap, to the heavens, "Revolve about the eerth's ronsion!™ (D 26047-31) "hat worlds ke an ocaan, and this word is foam, God the Almighty desired to koyp the foem in good ‘order, so He made certen people tur thot backs to the ocean Invorder to maintain the foam, A tent has been pitched forthe king snd certain poopie have ben made busy Keoping the tot in good order. One af thom says, "ET did not mae the pogs whore could they te the rope” . «God gave each of them a satisfaction and happiness tn his tsk, s0 much $0, that were he to live a hundred thousand yeers and do nothingtse, everyday his love frit would incrase, (F 82-99/106) " *r he trees were saying, “What a shame! Under tho earth wo poses such skill ant sleganee and beau! We ave soelved such favor from Cod and othe roots ave no Tnowige of thes ting. Oh ul that there were day of Sanaa tat we coulsdopla out oa! So that our excellence end th uns ef thee could be rough lo isc An answer came to them from the Unseen World: “Oh prisoners of water and cley, oocupy youeelves with your tasks and soqute skit Be not broken-hearted! Fear Tol that your skill will zomain hidden! For We have placed thee» peatland fruts in your Weasunes, and you yourself hed to Knowledge of them. They were concnled in Our Unseen Knowlodge. Before entering into existence the skills and Beauties that you see today in yourselves sre perl in the ‘Unseen Ocean, hurying fo enter tho Weasuies of tho Iban of ay ands have leo enc rare Invovery poser of sil in every eratsman and Instr task, whether goldemith, jeweler, magcan, alchemist very tredesman, lawyes, and scholat—so that he will always Se bubbling over and displaying hi own ski. We have placed this bubbling and this deste, and they have become unsettle, like girls who have Jost reached pubery. In thelr houses the fins afom their clothing ad their beauty and gaze at leors. ‘Thoy want to Toor aside the vel and show their loveliness to the elect and the vulga. From the bottom of their souls they sey, “Old women's words cannot hold us bck, the hart-distressing world cannot detain us Sho whose long tresses extend like «4 chein—not oven a chein can Keop her in the house “But what place is man's farm plot—within wich the erop ia ash and skin and bones—for these spiations and desires? These desires ere My Holy Attributes “i was a Hidden Treasure, s0 1 wanted to be known." (MS 28) 4, LOVE AND BEAUTY: TRUE AND DERIVATIVE ‘Man's love can be divided into two kinds: “true love" (isha hagigN fr love for God: and “derivative love” (ished maj) ot love for . anything else, But on closer examinetion, ono sees that all love is in {act love for God, since whatovor exists is His reflection or shadow. ‘The difference then between the two kinds of love ls that some people ‘know thet only God truly exists and direct their love only toward Him; while others believe in the independent exisionce of various objects af desl and-so tum thelr love toward them, But since love for other then God derives from love for Him, t imately leads to Him, One by one man's objects of desire will show thelr unfaithfuness, and man will tun his love elsewhere. However, many will not find the true Beloved until after death, when it will be too lato to try to clase the gap of separation. The Sufi hae alseady discovered that there is only one Beloved: he sees all derivative love 8 cold and unceal In the prosont contoxt RET explains the nature of beauty clearly {nd succinctly: Its a drop of spray from the infinite Ocean, of @ £8) tf light shining upon a wall All beauty derives from the other world, fo here itis borrowed and ephemeral, True Beauty pettaine only 10 Cod In the oyes of the alect, Love is « tremendous otamal light, even though the vulgar see it as but form and sensuality. (D 18197) All tbe hopes, desires, loves, and affections that people have for diferent thingsfathers, mothers, frends, heavens, the earth, gardens, palaces, sclences, works, food, drink—the solat knows that these are desires for God and ell those things aze vols. Whoa men leave this world and see the King without these vols, then they will know that all wero veils and coverings, that the object of their deste was in reality that One Thing All their eifSculties will be solved, al the questions and perplexitos they hed in their breasts will be ‘answered. They will see all things fac to face. (F 35/48) All things In the world—woalth, wamen, lothing—aro desired for the sake of othor thingy, not for theft twa sake. Do you not see that if you had a hundred thousand dithams and were hungry, but you could not find food, you ‘would not be able to eat those dirhams? Women are for children and for satisfying pession. Clothing ts for warding off old. So It Is with all things which are linked together, one after the other, all the way to God. It fs He who is desired for [His own sake, not for something else, He is bettor than all things, noblor than all, ploasanter than all. So how should He bbe desired for the sako of what is less than He? So He istheam Goal (Li 42}, When Ha is attained, the Universal Object of Desire has been attained, There Is no passing on. (F 101/ mbi3) Anyone madly in love with a dead thing hi hope for something thet lives. "The carpeter has turned toward wood In hope of serving a moon-faced beloved. ‘Strive in the hopo of a Living One who does ot become inanimate after @ day or two! ‘Choose not « mean companion out of meanness, for intimacy with him is but a borrowed thing If your intimates other than God posse faithfulness, wht happened to your father and mothor? If you can dopend on someone other than God, where are your nursemald and tutor? ‘Your tntimacy with milk and breests has gone, your dread of grammar school has gone. ‘Tht wes a ray upon tho wall of their existonce: The radiance has retuzned to the Sun, ‘When thet ray falls upon something, you become its lover, ot courageous man! ‘Whatover you love in existence has recoived a gold plating from God's Attributes, i “Whom the gold returns to its origin and the copper remeins, your nature becomes disgusted and divorces it ‘ull yourself back from those things gold-plated ‘with His Attsbutes, continue not in your ignorance to call the Counterfeit coin "beautiful" "That beauty of the counterflt coin is @ borrowed thing: beneath Its comeliness lies the substance of suncomelines old leaves the surface of the counterfeit coin for the Mine—you also, gato that Mine whore is going! Light goes from the wall to the Sun—go to the ‘Sun that always moves in proportion! ‘Prom now of take Water ftom heaven, for you no feithfulness from the dratnpipet_(M Ill 45-500) Tove is an Atiibute of God, who has no needs; to be in love with other than Him is derivative For its beauty Is gold-plated: Outwardly 1s light, inwardly smoke. ‘When the light goes and the smoke appears then derivative love tums eal “That beauty retums to its Source; a body remains, puted, disgraced, and uly. have The moonlight retums to the moon, its reflection loaves the black wall "Then water and clay remaln without that omament: Without the moon, the wall becomes like « devi ‘When gold leaves the face of counterfeit coin and returns to dwell in its own mine, The diagesced copper remains like smok {ts lover is evan moro black-facod. (M VI 071-078) ‘All this beauty and attractiveness In the face of the black earth hes shone forth from the Moon of the Unseen: is a ray of Perfection’ Light. (D 14280) Beauty in man is like giling—otberwieo, why id your lovely mistress become an old ass? ‘She was like an angel but became a devi, for ther comeliness was @-borrowed thing. (Ml 712-713) "The moon-faced beauties of the world have stolen beauty from Our Beauty: They have stolen a mote of My Boauty end Goodness, Ti the end these moon-faced darlings will be 1d. Such ia tho stato-of thieves in My authority's but presence Day hes come, oh dustteatures! Retuen what you have stolen! Oh sweet beloved, how should dust possess wealth or beauty?” ‘When night w boast. Vans says, "Know that all belongs to me retorts, “tis mln” Tupiter brings pure gold out of hls sack; Ma threatens Saturn, "Watch out for my sherp dagger” ‘Mercury ate atthe front: "Lam the chief of chiofs, The heavens are my property end the constellations my pillars” is the sun, the planets begin to “The moon {At daybreak the Sun brings its regiments from tho east t says, “Oh thioves! Where have you gone? Now all belongs to me! ‘Venus liver has been torn and the moon's neck ry shining face has turned Mercury dry and cold ‘Our light has destroyed the work of Mars and Seturn; destitute, Jupiter cries out, Gone my sack of sold” (D 20545-53) ‘The universe diaplays the beauty of Thy Comeliness! The goals Thy Beauty—all else is protext, (D 21584), broke ‘Through the cup of the noble, Thou hast poured 4 drop from that hidden goblet upon this earth of dustSince tresses and cheoks show sign of that rop, kings keep licking the ground. ‘Delicate earth hs received a drop of Beauty, so ‘you Kiss it night and day with a hundred hears "Though mixed with earth, a single drop can drive you mad—what then will that wine do to you when. pure? (MV 872-378) Tn reality, that which attracts is single thing but it appoars multiple. Do you not soe how a man desires & Bundvod diffrent thing? Ha says, "T want tutma) stew, 1 want Dork, 1 want be fod meat, 1 want fru, I want tee” He enumeretes and names ll these things, but the root {fone thing! hunger. Do you not soe that aftr he is surfeited vwith single thing ho eays, “Nono of these is necessary”? Hence itis clear that there were nol ton or a hundred things, there was only ono. (F 7/19) ‘Your beloved is not form, whether your love is from this wosld or that ‘Why do you leave the form that you love when its spirit gout Its form is stil thero—why have you hed your Il? Ob lover, look carefully! Who is your beloved? (til 703-705) When you go to a friend's forn sake of your companionship with him. ence in meaning you have gone to the formless, even if you are unaware of your goel. So in reality God Is worshiped by all thing, for they oll travel thelt paths in search of joy But some have turned thelr faces toward the tail, The Head isthe root, but thoy have lost st, (M VI 3753-86) you go forthe ‘May God the Exaltod make that good-news about which you wrote the prelude to the Greatest Good ‘News, fo al the good-agws of this world flashes forth as the tay ofthat sweet Cood-News. Were it not for the radiance and plendar of that Greatest Good-News, no good-news in the ‘forld would have any savor—it would all tate ike diet and Throw. The sy of His Bestowal gave whoat to straxt, stars to Smoke (cf. Koran XLI 11-12) and the beauty of mankind to ‘lust, ikewise it gave the good=news that partial spits will be tonite with thoir hopes and desires, Thus men of intellect are hot content with just thls; they seek the Infinite Root and Source and Mine of these desies and aims. Then they may stain to those Roots through these branches, and actuaize that Reality through this derivative. (MK & 15/52) ‘May the amir of amir attain tothe flicity and gvod-fortune that lle beyond the flit” end gnod-fortune Seetgyotood by mea and wordings! Concerning it the Prophet Bid No eye hes sen it, no ear has heard it, no humen being ar porceved it in his heart. Once you see it, you will see RE Ride and a grest dominion.” For the felicity of thi world peetiihe ralection and elect of that felicity: The present Ife ia bot ght but @ game and a diversion (XLVIL 36). Bvery game {5 Ine vofloction of serious affalr and has been stolen from it 1 sel their games from serious tasks. (MK 56: 1 wonder et these poople who say, "How can, the saints and the lovers love that ineffable world, since it has tho place of form and is bayand description? How can they Tertve replenishment and aid from it and be affected by it?” ‘Kher al they themselves ao occupied with the same thing ‘Nght and day. Take this person who loves another perton end “eives replenishment from her: Afterall, this replenishment, Hikuiness, goodness, knowledge, recollection, thought, jos, Feurtecho she derives all there things, and all doll in the world of No-place. Moment by moment eplenishment from these meanings and I Feels dovr not cause hit any wonder. Yet he wonders bow aaa oils aze in love with the world of No-place and draw foplenishment from it, 98-39/50) Inman there fsa love, a pain, an itch, and a desire such that if » hundred thousand worlds were to peees fihis property, he would stil gain no rest or ease. Theso paca aocupy themselves thoroughly with every Kind of exalt, Pet and positon: they leazn astronomy, medicine, and other things bur they do not find ease, since their goo has not been, aD after al, the Boloved is called "heart's case.” since haheart finds eave through Him. So how could it find ase tnd peace through others? "Al these diversions and goals are lke a Tedder, ‘ince the rungs of e ladder are no place to tako up residence, put exist only so that you can pass on, happy is ho who rulekiy comes to himself end awareness! Thon the long road rcktbe short, and he dooe not waste his fife on tho Tadder’s rungs. (F 64/75) ‘Whether love is from this side or from that sido, inthe end it leads us to thal sie, (M1131)206 tana 30 600 Consider it a blessing that you havo suffered Joss in the lane of love: Leave aside darivative love, the goal ts love for God. “Tho warrior gives @ wooden sword to his son so that he mey master it and take a sword into battle. ‘Love for a human being is that wooden sword. ‘When the trail reaches ite end, tho object of love will be the ‘All-Merelful, (D 836-338) Love for God, moreover, Is the result of ‘knowledge: Whon has a man ever set in foolishness upon such a throne? How could imperfect knowledge give birth to this love? It gives nigo to love, but love for inanimate things. Deficient knowledge cannot discriminate: It considers lightning to be the sun. (M Il 1532-33, 36) ‘When the valgae eet ut on a chase, they are Inunting pig: They Take infinite pains, but thelr prey is )nlavel to eat Tove alone is worth hunting—but how can you catch i in your snare? ‘Unless, perhaps, you become His prey: Leave side your snare end enter His!” (MV 408-410) 5. NEED AND ASPIRATION "To become Got’ prey, one must make oneself worthy of His regard dnd favor, The fit stop in thie nection isto svok and desire Him. ‘The Beloved will not ignore sincere dovotion and need ‘When someone hears that in «certain city @ onerous man is bostowing tremendous gifts and bountis, Feturally he wil go thre In hopo of recetving a share, Since God's Bounty is so famous and the whola world knows about Hip Kindness, why do you not beg from Him? Why do you not site Tobes of honor end purses of gold? You sit In indolence fnd sey, “If He wente to, He wil givo me something.” and you fo not make a request. Look at the dog. which has nether Intellect nor comprehension. When hungry and without food, it fomes to you and wags Its til It means, "Give me food, sin T have no food, and you bave some.” It has this much discernment. Now really, you are not less than a dog, which 1s fot content to sleep in the ashes and say, “If he wants to, he twill give me some food." It barks and wags its tal. You slo, Wwag your til and esk from God! Bog, fr in the face of such @ wore Eo Benefactor, bogging is tremendously desirable. Since you have rho good fortune, ask for it from someone who If not @ niggard Gand possesses great stealth. (F171-172/180) ‘Thy say that in the end, love is the want and need for something Hence need isthe root, and the needed thing fs the branch, ay: Aer all, when you speak, you speak out of need. Your nood brings your words into, fistence. Since you desired these words, they came into being. So need is prior, and the words ceme into belng from i Hence need existed without the words, and love end neod cannot be the words’ branch. Someone said: But the goal of the mood was the ‘words, So how can the goal be the branch? ‘The master answered: The branch is always the goalthe tree's root exist forthe sake of its branches. (F 139/148) 4 [Almighty God does not bestow anything without Had there been no need for the world, the Lord of the world's inhabitants would not hve croated it If this quoking earth had not needed mountains, ‘would He have created thom in thelr majesty? Had there not been need for the spheres, Ho would not have brought the seven heavens from nonexistence, TThe sun, the moon, theso stars—how could they hhave come visibly Into existence had there been no need? So the noose ofall existences is need: Man's Instrument Is the extent of his need. So, oh needful man, quickly increase your need! of Bounty will gush forth in generosity "These beggars ond cripples in the road display their nowd to people— ‘Blindness, lameness, illness, and psins—so that people's mercy will be moved. m= Does a begga ever say, bread, for { have wealth, warehouse tablet"? (MM 3274-83) Where there is pain, cures will come; where there is poverty, woalth will follow: ‘Where there are questions, enswo tiven; where there re ships, wator will ow. Spend less time seeking water and acquire thirst! Then water will gush from above and below, (M I 3210-12), ‘Then the S will be_ ‘The ory was heard, “Oh seoker, como! Like a Dogsnr, bounty isin need of boggars! Bounty is searching for beggars and the poor, Just as fair women search for an unblemished mirror. "The mirror makes fair faces beeutful, beggars | sity from behind the veil. (Mf I 2744-48) indeed, huager is the sultan of remedies. Place Ihunger in the soul—regard it not with such contempt! Hunger makes all unpleasant things pleasant— ‘but without i, all pleasant things are rejected: ‘A man star oath made from bran. Someone asked him, "How is it you have en appetite for er bring forth He replied, "When hunger has beon doubled through patience, belay bread becomes halve in my eyes. God has given hunger to His lat so that they ray become mig Hons (MV 2682-35, 38) nga give plane, not fresh aweetments— | hunger makes berey broad Better than sg eer makes Pu fenews od mecicies and lps off he branch of over Indien. ain i an schemy that renovatr—ohere is indiernce whon pein Intervent ‘Bower, do not sigh colly in your infernca Sook psn! Sook pain. pin, pint (M VI 4208, 4302-08) "he there f pins the cue wil come; where tho land Lo water wil a ir you want the water of mercy, go, Become lon! Thon drink tary’ wine and bocomo drunk! Mi 1099-40) 1 will ran quickly, quickly, to reach the sidors; 1 will become nonexistent, nothing, to reach the Beloved. Thave become joyful, joyful—L am a spark of fire, 1 will burn my house and travel to the Desert Twill become dust, dirt, 0 that Thou canst make me verdant. I wil become water end prostrate myself all the way to the Rosegarden Fallen from the heavens, { waver like a dustmote—1 will attain security end stop my trembling when T reach the Goal ‘The spheres place of destruction I will escape from th ‘when I seach the Sultan a place of honor, the earth a toro dangers ‘This world of earth and air is the substance of tunbeliof and annihilation—I have entered the heart of unbelief in order to roach faith ‘That balanced end harmonious King of the world seeks 2 balanced lover—my face is as yellow as old nin so that I may be placed in His Balance. God's Morcy is water—it moves only towards low ground. 1 will become dust and Merey’s object in order to reach the All-Mereful No physician gives pills and medicine without fan Uliness—t will Become totally pain 20 that I may reach the Remedy. (D 1400) Since the Remedy of the wo pain and illness, we have cut ourselves off from remedl {are pain's companion. (35477) Love is physlelan searching for the il otherwise, why should Ibe sick and infirm? (D 33064) Indeed, no lover sooks union without his beloved seeking him. ‘But the love of lovers makes thelr bodias into Dbowstrings, while the love of beloveds makes them happy and plump, searching for nd Whan the lightning of love for the loved one flaghos inthis heart, know that there is slso love in that heat When love for God has doubled in your heart, without doubt God has love for you. You have never heard one hand clapping without the other The thirsty man laments, “Oh sweet water” so laments, "Where Is the drinkor This thirst in our souls isthe attraction of the Water—wo belong to It and It belongs to us. (MI 4299-90) Of course, love and the regard of friendship always come from both set. The stimUlation of deste and the occasion for ardor derive from both directions, since love {or God or forthe crosture is not one-ided, nor has it ever been. One cannot concelve of the sound of one hand clapping, ‘nor can one dance on ene foot. He loves them ie never separate from they love Him, nor is God is well pleased with them ever without they are wellpleased with Him (V 119), (4K 98: 102/295) Al kings are enslaved by thelr slaves, ll creatures in love with their lovers ‘The water‘The heart-ravishers hearts are prisoners to those who have lost thelr heers, all Bsloveds prey to their lovers. ‘When you deem a man a lover, know that he is also « beloved, for relatively speaking, be is both this and thet, ‘Although the thirsty sedk water from the world, yet water in the fond it also sosking the thirsty. (M1 1736, 39-41) 1 beer the name “lover,” but indeed He has no patience without me—the love of my Beloved has passed the Timit of my love. (0 23020) Lovers themselves do not sock-—in the whole world, there is no seeker but He. (D 4471) ‘Lovers must seek the Beloved, running on thelr faces and heads lke @ torrent to His stream. ‘But He slone is the Seoker, and we are like shadows. Ob, our words are all the words of the Beloved! ‘We sit with Him and say, "Oh Beloved, where is the Beloved?” Drunk, we sing "Where? Where?” in the Beloved’s lane, (0 4650-51, 67) ‘Marvellous! The Beloved is with you in the midst of your seeking! He holds your hand wherever you wander, (D 27423) “Through Thy radiance, stones become rubies! ‘Through Thy seeking, seokers reach the Sought! (D 22450) ‘Ho dove all the sooking, yot His tile 1s “Sought”; He does all the worshiping, yet His tite is “Worshiped”. (0 30467), ‘When the heart was annihilated within remained; then it understood the abject of His words ‘Myself em the Seeker and the Sought." (D 13517) ‘When you see love within yourself, add to it 30 that it may inoreesel When you sea in yourself your capital— ‘your quest for God-—add to it through questing! For “In Jovement are blessings.” If you add not to it, your capital will Teave you. ‘You are not less than the earth. Men change the ‘earth by moving end turning t with shovels, then it yields ‘crops. Whon they abendon it, it becomes hard, Since you see that the quest is within yourself, come end gol Do not say “Wiaat profit is there in going?” Just gol The profit will show itselt: When a man goos to his shop, the proft of his going to diapley his nood, Then God gives him his daily bread. But i he sits at home, that would be to claim self-sufficiency, and his dally bread would not come to him. | wonder at this tiny infant who cries, and its mother gives it milk. IF t should think, "What profit is there in crying? What Is it that causes milk to come?”—then it ‘sould not receive any milk, But we see that it recaivas milk Decauso of is crying, (F 218/222) How should the infant know the effect have upon hearts? ‘So weep, even if you do not know the result! “The everlasting gardens and rivers of parediso will be born from you tars." (D 11090, 92) ‘Whether he rans or walks ip the end the seeker will nd. ‘Occupy yourself totally with sooking. for seeking 4s good guide upon the Pathl (MII 78-878) “Every hungry man finds food In the end—the sun of good fortune will shine down upon him. (MV 1755) ‘Look not at your own beautifel or ugly form— Took at Lave and! the Object of your search! ‘Look not at your own viloness and weakness— look at your aspiration, oh noble mant Tn whetavor stato you may be, seek! ‘constantly, oh man of dry lips For your dey lips give witness that in the end you will ind a fountain, ‘The lips” dryness is a message from the water: you keep on moving about, without doubt you will ind cies water Seeking isa blessed movement, sooking kills obstacles on the way fo Gad, Sesking is the key to your objects of desire it your army and the victory of your banners. (M Il 1437-48) Whother you ae pure or impure, flee not. For ‘nearness to Him increases purity. (D 7096) ‘Whatever you possess—were you not once seoking it? Your searches alert you and give you good news ‘Act such that your seoking mey Increase: He ‘who plants a great deal may hope for @ bountiful harvest. (D 3753-54) If you are a believer, then enter the line of battle! A feast has beon prepared for you in heaven. Shed tears and burn in your soaking all night, like a candle beheaded by flames. ‘Shut your lips to food and drink, hury to the table of heaven!