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5
2823-2847

  • Greed makes one blind and foolish and ignorant: to fools it makes death (seem) easy;
  • (But) death is not (really) easy to the souls of asses who do not possess the splendour of the everlasting soul.
  • Since he (the ass) does not possess the everlasting soul, he is damned: his boldness in (facing) death is the result of folly. 2825
  • Endeavour that your soul may become immortal, so that on the day of death you will have a (goodly) store.
  • Again, he (the ass) had no confidence in the Provider (to assure him) that He would scatter over him largesse from the Unseen.
  • Until now, the (Divine) Bounty had not kept him without the daily provision, though at times He subjected his body to a (severe) hunger.
  • Were hunger absent, in consequence of indigestion a hundred other afflictions would raise their heads in you.
  • Truly the affliction of hunger is better than those maladies in respect both of its subtilty and its lightness and (its effect on devotional) work. 2830
  • The affliction of hunger is purer than (all other) afflictions, especially (as) in hunger there are a hundred advantages and excellences.
  • Explaining the excellency of abstinence and hunger.
  • Indeed hunger is the king of medicines: hark, lay hunger to thy heart, do not regard it with such contempt.
  • Everything unsweet is made sweet by hunger: without hunger all sweet things are unacceptable.
  • Parable.
  • A certain person was eating bread made of bran: some one asked him, “How are you so fond of this?”
  • He replied, “When hunger is doubled by self-denial, barley bread is (as sweet as) halwá in my opinion; 2835
  • Therefore when I deny myself once, I can eat halwá entirely, (so) of course I am very self-denying (abstinent).”
  • Hunger, in truth, is not conquered by every one, for this (world) is a place where fodder is abundant beyond measure.
  • Hunger is bestowed as a gift on God's elect (alone), that through hunger they may become puissant lions.
  • How should hunger be bestowed on every beggarly churl? Since the fodder is not scarce they set it before him,
  • Saying, “Eat! This is all thou art worth: thou art not a waterfowl, thou art a bread-fowl.” 2840
  • Story of the disciple of whose greediness and secret thoughts his Shaykh became aware. He admonished him with his tongue and in the course of his admonition bestowed on him, by Divine command, the food of trust in God.
  • The Shaykh, accompanied by a disciple, was going without delay towards a certain town where bread was scarce,
  • And the dread of hunger and famine was continually presenting itself to the disciple's mind on account of his heedlessness.
  • The Shaykh was aware (of this) and acquainted with his secret thoughts: he said to him, “How long wilt thou remain in torment?
  • Thou art consumed (with grief) because of thy craving for bread: thou hast closed the eye of self-denial and trust in God.
  • Thou art not (one) of the honoured favourites (of God) that thou shouldst be kept without (deprived of) walnuts and raisins. 2845
  • Hunger is the daily bread of the souls of God's elect: how is it amenable to (in the power of) a beggarly fool like thee?
  • Be at ease: thou art not (one) of those, so that thou shouldst tarry without bread in this kitchen.”