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5
1084-1133

  • Thou hast distributed thy consciousness in (all) directions: those vanities are not worth a cress.
  • Every thorn-root draws the water of thy consciousness (towards itself): how should the water of thy consciousness reach the fruit? 1085
  • Hark, smite that evil bough, lop it off: water this goodly bough, refresh it.
  • Both are green at this (present) time, (but) look to the end (and see) that this one will come to naught, (while) fruit will grow from that one.
  • To this one the water in the orchard is lawful, to that one (it is) unlawful. In the end thou wilt see the difference, and (so) farewell.
  • What is justice? Giving water to trees. What is injustice? To give water to thorns.
  • Justice is (consists in) bestowing a bounty in its proper place, not on every root that will absorb water. 1090
  • What is injustice? To bestow (it) in an improper place that can only be a source of calamity.
  • Bestow the bounty of God on the spirit and reason, not on the (carnal) nature full of disease and complications.
  • Load the conflict of (worldly) cares upon thy body: do not lay thy anxiety upon the heart and spirit.
  • The pack is laid upon the head of Jesus, (while) the ass is frisking in the meadow.
  • ’Tis not right to put collyrium in the ear: ’tis not right to demand from the body the work of the heart (spirit). 1095
  • If thou art a (devotee of the) heart, go, scorn (the world), do not suffer contumely (from it); and if thou art a (devotee of the) body, do not eat sugar but taste poison.
  • Poison is beneficial to the body, and sugar noxious: ’tis better that the body should be deprived of supplies.
  • The body is fuel for Hell, do thou weaken it; and if it produce a (new) growth of fuel, go, destroy it.
  • Else, O (thou who art) firewood, thou wilt be a carrier of firewood in both worlds, like the wife of Bú Lahab.
  • Know (discriminate) the bough of the Sidra from the firewood, though both are green, O youth. 1100
  • The origin of that bough is the Seventh Heaven, the origin of this bough is from fire and smoke.
  • To sense-perception they are similar in appearance, for the eye and habit of sense-perception is seeing falsely;
  • (But) that (difference) is manifest to the eye of the heart (spirit): exert thyself, advance towards the heart (spirit) with the exertion of one whose means are small.
  • And if thou hast no foot (means), (yet) bestir thyself that thou mayst behold every less and more.
  • On the meaning of this verse: “If thou fare on the Way, the Way will be revealed to thee; and if thou become nonexistent, (real) existence will be conferred on thee.”
  • Though Zalíkhá shut the doors on every side, still Joseph gained return (to safety) by bestirring himself. 1105
  • Lock and door opened, and the way (out) appeared: when Joseph put trust in God, he escaped.
  • Though the world hath no visible crevice (means of exit), (yet) one must run (to and fro) recklessly, like Joseph,
  • In order that the lock may open and the doorway become clear, and the region of non-spatiality become your dwelling-place.
  • Thou camest into the world, O afflicted one: dost thou ever see the way of thy coming?
  • Thou camest from a certain place and abode: dost thou know the way of thy coming? Nay. 1110
  • If thou knowest (it) not, (yet) beware of saying that there is no way: by this wayless way we (all) shall depart.
  • In dreams thou wanderest happily to left and right: hast thou any knowledge where the way is that leads to that arena?
  • Shut that (sensual) eye and give thyself up: thou wilt find thyself in the ancient City.
  • How shouldst thou shut thy (sensual) eye when in this direction a hundred inebriated (languishing) eyes are (as) a bandage on thine eye because of (thy) infatuation (with them)?
  • From love of (having) a purchaser (admirer) thou art (looking) with four eyes (intently) in the hope of (gaining) eminence and chieftainship. 1115
  • And if thou fall asleep thou seest the purchaser in thy dreams: how should the ill-omened owl dream of aught but a wilderness?
  • At every moment thou wantest a purchaser cringing (before thee): what hast thou to sell? Nothing, nothing.
  • If thy heart had any (spiritual) bread or breakfast, it would have been empty of (desire for worldly) purchasers.
  • Story of the person who claimed to be a prophet. They said to him, “What hast thou eaten that thou hast become crazy and art talking in vain?” He replied, “If I had found anything to eat, I should not have become crazy and talked in vain”; for whenever they (the prophets and saints) speak goodly words to people unworthy to hear them, they will have talked in vain, although they are (divinely) commanded to talk thus in vain.
  • A certain man was saying, “I am a prophet: I am superior to all the prophets.”
  • They bound his neck and took him to the king, saying, “This man says he is a prophet sent by God.” 1120
  • The people (were) gathered round him (thick) as ants and locusts, crying, “What deceit and imposture and trap is (this)?
  • If he that comes from (the realm of) non-existence is a prophet, we all are prophets and grand (in spiritual eminence).
  • We (too) came hither as strangers from that place (realm): why shouldst thou be specially endowed (with prophecy), O accomplished one?”
  • (He replied), “Did not ye come like a sleeping child? Ye were ignorant of the way and the destination.
  • Ye passed through the (different) stages asleep and intoxicated, unconscious of the way and (its) ups and downs; 1125
  • (But) we (prophets) set out in wakefulness and well (aware) from beyond the five (senses) and the six (directions) to (this world of) the five and six,
  • Having perceived (all) the stages from the source and foundation, possessed of experience and knowing the way like (skilled) guides.”
  • They said to the king, “Put him to the rack, that a person of his sort may never (again) speak such words.”
  • The king saw that he was very thin and infirm, so that such an emaciated man would die at a single blow.
  • (He thought to himself), “How is it possible to torture or beat him, since his body has become as (fragile as) a glass? 1130
  • But I will speak to him kindly and say, ‘Why dost thou boast of (this) high estate?’
  • For here harshness is of no use: ’tis by gentleness that the snake puts forth its head (is induced to come forth) from the hole.”
  • He caused the people to withdraw from around him (the claimant): the king was a gracious man, and gentleness was his way.