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1
301-350

  • A piece of rubbish jumps into the mouth of a living man, and only when he ejects it is he at ease.
  • When, amongst thousands of morsels (of food), one little piece of rubbish entered (his mouth), the living man's sense (of touch or taste) tracked it down.
  • The worldly sense is the ladder to this world; the religious sense is the ladder to Heaven.
  • Seek ye the well-being of the former sense from the physician; beg ye the well-being of the latter sense from the Beloved.
  • The health of the former arises from the flourishing state of the body; the health of the latter arises from the ruin of the body. 305
  • The spiritual way ruins the body and, after having ruined it, restores it to prosperity:
  • Ruined the house for the sake of the golden treasure, and with that same treasure builds it better (than before);
  • Cut off the water and cleansed the river-bed, then caused drinking-water to flow in the river-bed;
  • Cleft the skin and drew out the iron point (of the arrow or spear)—then fresh skin grew over it (the wound);
  • Rased the fortress and took it from the infidel, then reared thereon a hundred towers and ramparts. 310
  • Who shall describe the action of Him who hath no like? This that I have said (is what) the present necessity is affording.
  • Sometimes it (the action of God) appears like this and sometimes the contrary of this: the work of religion is naught but bewilderment.
  • (I mean) not one bewildered in such wise that his back is (turned) towards Him; nay, but one bewildered (with ecstasy) like this and drowned (in God) and intoxicated with the Beloved.
  • The face of the one is set towards the Beloved, (while) the face of the other is just his own face (he is facing himself).
  • Look long on the face of every one, keep watch attentively: it may be that by doing service (to Súfís) you will come to know the face (of the true saint). 315
  • Since there is many a devil who hath the face of Adam, it is not well to give your hand to every hand,
  • Because the fowler produces a whistling sound in order to decoy the bird,
  • (So that) the bird may hear the note of its congener and come down from the air and find trap and knife-point.
  • The vile man will steal the language of dervishes, that he may thereby chant a spell over (fascinate and deceive) one who is simple.
  • The work of (holy) men is (as) light and heat; the work of vile men is trickery and shamelessness. 320
  • They make a woollen lion for the purpose of begging; they give the title of Ahmad (Mohammed) to Bú Musaylim;
  • (But) to Bú Musaylim remained the title of Kadhdháb (Liar), to Mohammed remained (the title of) Ulu ’l-albáb (Endowed with understanding).
  • The wine of God, its seal (last result) is pure musk, (but) as for (the other) wine, its seal is stench and torment
  • Story of the Jewish king who for bigotry's sake used to slay the Christians.
  • Amongst the Jews there was a king who wrought oppression, an enemy of Jesus and a destroyer of Christians.
  • ’Twas the epoch of Jesus and the turn was his: he was the soul of Moses, and Moses the soul of him; 325
  • (But) the squint-eyed (double-seeing) king separated in the way of God those two Divine (prophets) who were (really) in accord (with each other).
  • The master said to a squint-eyed (pupil), “Come on; go, fetch that bottle out of the room.”
  • Said the squint-eyed one: “Which of the two bottles shall I bring to you? Explain fully.”
  • “There are not two bottles,” replied the master; “go, leave off squinting and do not be seeing more (than one).”
  • “O master,” said he, “don't chide me.” Said the master, “Smash one of those two.” 330
  • The bottle was one, though in his eyes it seemed two; when he broke the bottle, there was no other.
  • When one was broken, both vanished from sight: a man is made squint-eyed by (evil) propensity and anger.
  • Anger and lust make a man squint-eyed, they change the spirit (so that it departs) from rectitude.
  • When self-interest appears, virtue becomes hidden: a hundred veils rise from the heart to the eye.
  • When the cadi lets bribery gain hold of his heart, how should he know the wronger from the wretched victim of wrong? 335
  • The king, from Jewish rancour, became so squint-eyed that (we cry), “Mercy, O Lord, mercy (save us from such an affliction)!”
  • He slew hundreds of thousands of wronged (innocent) believers, saying, “I am the protection and support of the religion of Moses.”
  • How the vizier instructed the king to plot.
  • He had a vizier, a miscreant and ogler (deceiver), who by reason of (his exceeding) guile would tie knots on water.
  • “The Christians,” said he, “seek to save their lives; they hide their religion from the king.
  • Slay them not, for slaying (them) is useless: religion hath no smell, it is not musk and aloes-wood. 340
  • The secret is concealed in a hundred coverings: its outward form is (in agreement) with thee, (but) the inward (reality) is (in) disagreement.”
  • The king said to him: “Tell (me), then, what is the (best) plan? What is the remedy against that deceit and imposture?—
  • So that there may not remain a single Christian in the world, neither one whose religion is manifest nor one who is concealed.”
  • “O king,” said he, “cut off my ears and hands, rip my nose and lips by bitter (cruel) decree;
  • Then bring me under the gallows, that an intercessor may plead for me. 345
  • Do this deed in the place for (public) proclamation, on a highway where roads run in four directions.
  • Then banish me from thy presence to a distant land, that I may cast mischief and confusion amongst them.
  • How the vizier brought the Christians into doubt and perplexity.
  • Then I will say (to them), ‘I am secretly a Christian. O God who knowest (all) things hidden, Thou knowest me.
  • The king was informed of my (Christian) faith and from bigotry sought to take my life.
  • I wished to hide my religion from the king and profess his religion, 350