THE PEARL

Said one oyster to a neighboring oyster, "I have a very
great pain within me. It is heavy and round and I am in
distress."
  And the other oyster replied with haughty complacence,
"Praise be to the heavens and to the sea, I have no pain
within me. I am well and whole both within and without."
  At that moment a crab was passing by and heard the two
oysters, and he said to the one who was well and whole
both within and without, "Yes, you are well and whole;
but the pain your neighbor bears is a pearl of exceeding
beauty."


KAHLIL GIBRAN

THE HEAD AND THE LUTE

Late one evening under a full moon, Bayazid Bustani,
a religious teacher, walked by a drunkard sprawled
along the roadside. As Bayazid neared, the drunkard
became quite feisty, bellowing the most hateful and filthy
curses at him.
        Bayazid did not respond, but curiously, his silence
seemed to stir the drunkard further. Rising, he pulled out
 his lute, and angrily smashed it on Bayazid's head. The
lute shattered into a hundred pieces, yet Bayazid did not
fight back. He simply continued walking home, dabbing
his bloody wounds from time to time.
         The next morning Bayazid sent his servant- with money
and a heaping tray of desert-back down that same road to find
the drunkard. He also instructed his servant to deliver the
following message: "Last night my head was responsible
for breaking your lute. I apologize. Please purchase a new one
with these dirhams. I also found your tongue to be quite unpleasant
and bitter, Please eat all of these deserts to sweeten it!"
       Ashamed of his behavior, the drunkard dusted himself off,
came straightaway to Bayazid to beg his forgiveness, and gave
up drinking for good.


Ref: Ayat Jamlah

SAYINGS OF NASIR-I-KHUSRAW

-Make a shield from knowledge,
  for there is no stronger shield against calamities.
  Who so ever own the shield of knowledge
  will not suffer from the blow of Time.


-Among the wise, a person without virtue
                         does not fit well:
It's like a string of pearls where in the centre
                          a stone is placed.



-If you would light up a lamp within your heart
  make knowledge and action your wick and oil.


- If you wish to dwell in the meadow of mercy and blessing,
   graze on knowledge and action today.
   Moisten the seed of action with knowledge,
   for the seed will not grow without moisture.


- The world is like a house along the way,
   where people pass through quickly, rank on rank.
   Brother and father and mother have all passed through.
   How long then will you linger on this journey?


- The world is a deep ocean,
   its water is time;
   your body is like a shell,
   your soul the pearl.
   If you wish to have the value of a pearl,
   Raise up the pearl of your soul by learning.

MANIFOLD INCREASE

The sparse rain that comes but once or twice a year
to much of the desert means the difference between
bounty and famine. In the year 640 CE, the rain did
not come to Arabia at all; the crops failed and the
people faced starvation. Tribes of Bedouins flocked
to Medina seeking help. Every one's survival depended
on the timely arrival of food carried by caravan over the
wide expanse of sand to the city.
              The sound of galloping horse was welcome noise
to the townspeople who knew it signaled that caravan was
in vicinity. And indeed a scout rode in to announce the
approach of Uthman ibn Affan's caravan of 1000 camels
loaded with food.
                With food no scarce, the owner of the caravan
could name any price for the goods carried. The other
merchants hurried to meet with Uthman, hoping to buy at
least part of the cargo. Even if they paid three times what
Uthman had paid, they could still get rich by reselling at
higher prices to desperately hungry people.
             The merchants were disappointed, but not too
surprised, when Uthman refused to sell, saying that he had
received a better offer. Since he was the most successful
merchant in the area, they had expected him to drive a
hard bargain.
              The next strategy the merchants tried was to join
together in order to match or better the offer Uthman had
received. But no matter what they suggested, even five times
the price he had paid for the food,Uthman still maintained
that he had received a better offer. The merchants puzzled
over this: who was better able to buy than they, and what
was this price they could not match?
              One of them asked, "Who has made you this offer,
and what exactly is it?"
Uthman smiled. "It is Allah, who promises me many times
 the value of my goods if I give them away for His sake."
              The merchant bowed their heads in shame, remembering
 that the Qur'an states: "Those who spend their wealth in the way
 of God are like a grain of corn. It grows seven ears and and
each ear has a hundred grains."
              The next morning Uthman's caravan was unloaded in the
middle of the market. His agent called out to the public:

                               Come one, come all,
                               this food is free;
                               a gift from Allah
                               to those in need.

Ref;Ayat Jamilah

ALL IN THE FAMILY: A TALE FROM PAKISTAN

Once upon a time, all the parts of the body started complaining
about the stomach. "It's not fair," they said, "we work all day to
give the stomach food, while he does nothing but sit there and
enjoy it."
     "Well, what can we do about it?" asked the mouth, who was
 good at saying aloud what others were thinking.
"We can refuse to obey his orders for food," thought the brain,
who was good at coming up with solutions. The next day the body
parts began their strike.

              The brain refuse to think about where to look for food.
the feet refused to move toward any food. The hand refused to
 pick up anything that might be considered food. And the ears
became deaf to the stomach's rumbling request for something
to eat.
   All that day and the next, the body parts refused to help the
stomach.  At first the stomach rested patiently-only an occasional
growl of hunger. Soon though, the lack of food began to hurt:
the stomach groaned.
              "Oh, dear,"  said the ears. "The stomach sounds like
it is really suffering. But it deserve the pain for not helping to
gather  food." And so the ears ignored the stomach.
             The next morning, the stomach twisted in knots from
lack of food, the feet didn't care about that, but noticed its own
 toes cramping. The hands began to lose strength and twitch.
The eyes began to weep. The ears rang with weakness, and
even the nose started to run.
          "Oh my brothers and sisters, my partners in work, I am
worried about you," moaned the stomach. "From the food that
has come to me I have been feeding you all. I have digested the
food and converted it to nutrition for each of you. By means of
veins, the food was divided among all of you according to your
needs. But alas, now I have no food to send to you and I see that
you are all suffering."
             The the body parts saw the result of their selfishness,
and they felt very ashamed. "Please forgive us," pleaded the mouth.
 "We will not repeat such bad behavior ever again. We see that
God has given each of us something different to do, and that we
work together, we will all benefit."

                               And so the brain thought again
                                  of how to get to the food,
                              and the feet walked to where it was,
                                 and the eyes showed the hands
                                    where to pick up the food,
                              and the mouth chewed the food,
                                   and sent it to the stomach
                                      which digested the food
                                         which fed them all.

Ref: Ayat Jamilah :

THE CANDLE OF THE INTELLECT

Kindle the candle of intellect in your heart
and hasten with it to the world of brightness;
If you want to light a candle in your heart,
make knowledge and goodness its wick and oil.
In the path of hereafter, one should not walk
on foot but with the soul and the intellect,
and for provisions you must fill the table cloth
of your heart with obedience and knowledge.
Oh son, your mind is the garden of intellect,
turn it not a furnace with fumes of wine;
Your heart is the blessed mine of knowledge,
why have you planted a perverse hardness in it?
Let your heart become soft because a shirt of
dusky soft silk does not befit a heart of stone;
cast away ignorance from your mind because
celebration does not befit a house of lament.
Comprehend well the wise poetry of the (wise man),
for it is elevated and powerful like Mount Qaran,
and with the needle of reflection, prick his
excellent words in your subtle heart and soul.

                                               NASIR-I-KHUSRAW

THE DONKEY AND THE LAPDOG

The donkey figures he will find
Love and admiration faster
If he tries to kiss his master;-
This goes through his inmost mind:

"That lapdog, there, because he's trick
Is living like a little sister
With the missus, with the mister.
I get beaten with a stick!

"What does he do, the pampered pup?
He lifts his paw, they kiss his puss.
If that's the way to have a fuss
Made over you, I'll practice up."

When Mister seems affable enough
The donkey comes up clop, clop, clop
And pastes his lord a tender bop
Right to the jaw with a dirty hoof.

The ornament the love affair,
The donkey adds a gracious touch
To his muscular approach
By carolling a tender air.

"Pah, what a kiss! Ouch, what a wail!"
The master snorts. "Ho, varlet, bring
The stick." The donkey starts to sing
A different tune. Thus ends the tale.


Never let us force our talent
Or we'll lose the magic touch.
A sodden oaf, however much
He strives, cannot become a gallant.

Only God's favourites are able
To take the gifts of life with grace.
That's a fact we'd better face
Or be the donkey of the fable.

Ref: Selected fables

THE POT OF CLAY AND THE POT OF IRON

Said the iron pot
To the pot of clay,
"Why not travel
With me away?"

Said the pot of clay,
"That's fine for you!
Your iron skin
Will see you through.

"But as of me,
It's a different matter.
It takes so little
To make me shatter.

"You'd be bringing me home
In little chips-
I'll hug the hearth,
You take the trips."

"But I'll cover you
With a heavy wrap.
Whatever threatens,
I'll take the rap,"

Said Metal ware
to Earth ware,
And lured him out
On the thoroughfare.

Going clinkety-clonk,
Like a three-legged colt
Knocking together
At every jolt,

They'd only journeyed
A little way
When disaster loomed
For the pot of clay,

And before he could ask
The iron pot
To temper the pace
Of this terrible trot,

With a smash and a crash
He met his fate
Against the flank
Of his traveling mate.

So seek out friends
With similar hides
If you don't want to shatter
Against their sides.

Ref: Selected Fables

THE TWO POUCHES

"Lets all the creatures gather round,"
Once Jupiter declared,
"And stand before our mighty throne
To have their looks compared.
Don't be afraid," he said, "if you
Believe that you were slighted
When you were made, let's hear it now
And we will have it righted.
Now you're a likely malcontent,
Sir monkey, have your say.
Look over all these animals
Are you as fine as they?"

"Who me? Why not? I've got four feet,"
The monkey answered smugly,
"A portrait of me, I am sure,
Would not be rated ugly!
But take a look at Brother Bear!
He hasn't one true feature!
Now why should any artist want
To paint that fuzzy creature?"

T'was thought the bear would make a claim
For a more gracious form,
But no! he boasted that his looks
Were well above the norm.
But he pronounced the elephant
A gross amorphous figure,
With ears that ought to be pared down,
And a tail that should be bigger.
The elephant's remarks were not
Outstanding sagacious
For he maligned poor Madame Whale
As being Too capacious.
Dame Ant, a self-styled giantess,
Discredited the mite.
The parley ended, each convinced
That he alone was right.


T'is we that bear the palm of folly;
Lynx-eyed, we find the holes
In all pretensions but our own
To which we're blind as moles.
The Lord makes men like pedlars, hung
With pouches fore and aft:
In front we air each others' faults
And stuff our own abaft.

Ref: Selected Fables

QUOTES FOR SPRING -1

 -The day the lord created hope was probably
   the same day He created spring.
                                              Bern Williams

 -Spring is when you feel like whistling even with
   a shoe full of slush.
                                               Doug Larson

 -If you do not sow in the spring you will not reap
   in the autumn.
                                                 Irish Proverb

  -The beauteous eyes of the spring's fair night with
    comfort downward gazing.
                                                  Heinrich Heine

 -An optimist is the human personification of spring.
                                              Susan J. Bissonette

  -Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's Party!"
                                               Robin Williams

  -Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that
    knows poems.
                                                Rainer Maria Rike

 -If we had no winter, the spring would not be so
   so pleasant: If we did not sometimes taste of
   adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
                                              Anne Bradstreet

THE BEE HIVE

There was once a man who wanted
to destroy a hive near his house, and
his wife prevented him. Then, one day
when she was stung by the bee, he
 reproached her for not having let him
take action when he wanted to.
     Saadi goes on to say that 'If the
watchman shows kindness, people remain
awake through fear.'
Patience with the evil only increases their
evil, he emphasises.

 Ref: The Commanding self by Idries shah

THE SLAVE WHO WAS GIVEN A SPLENDID ROBE

A slave who was given, from his sovereign's hand,
A splendid robe- and feeling very grand
He put it on to wander through the town.
By chance, as he paraded up and down,
Some mud splashed in his face, and with his sleeve
He quickly wiped it off: who should perceive
His action but a sneaking sycophant-
The king was told and hanged the miscreant.
From this unhappy story you can see
How king treat those who have no dignity.'

                                                       ATTAR

THE SMALL FAVOUR

The soldiers pushed the youth through the crowded streets to the
Square of Execution. People filled doors and windows and jostled
for places on the roof tops.

'What's happening?' asked poor dervish.

'They've caught that young rascal at last,' someone answered.
'Now he'll pay for it.'

The dervish struggled through the crowds, and gasped in horror
when he saw who it was they were forcing on to the execution block.
That same youth, only the day before, had passed by where he had
been begging. He had thrown into the dervish's cupped hand the smallest
of copper coins, a dang. But it had been enough to save the old man
from starvation.

Now the youth was about to meet his death. What could he, the dervish,
possibly do for him now, as the executioner's sword rose into the air?

Suddenly the old man gave a yell:

'The Sultan is dead! We have lost our beloved ruler: Alas! Alas!' He wept
and wrung his hands in distress.

Cries of consternation went up on every side. People sobbed, beating their
heads and breasts.The soldeirs ran to the palace. The crowd followed-everyone,
that is, except the youth.They forgot about him and he slipped from their midst
and made off.

The soldiers burst into the palace and into the throne room. There, on the throne,
very much alive, sat the puzzled sultan.

They soon caught the old man and dragged him before the throne.

'What did you mean by this?' demanded the sultan. 'Am I not a good and upright ruler?
What possessed you then to desire my death and cause all this distress?'

'Great and powerful king,' replied the dervish, 'it was, I admit, a false word that I uttered,
but not only are you not dead, to our obvious delight, but a helpless one escaped death
as well.'

When the sultan heard the full story, he was amused and delighted with the cleverness
of the dervish. He gave him gift and said no more.

As for the youth, stumbling his way out of the city, he was hailed by someone who asked:

'How did you escaped death?'

'Through an old man's courage-oh, and a dang!' he replied.

                                                                                                 SAA'DI

A MERCHANT WHO SOLD HIS FAVOURITE SLAVE

There was a merchant once who had a slave
As sweet as sugar-how did he behave?
He sold that girl beyond comparison-
And O, how he regretted what he'd done!
He offered her new master heaps of gold
And would have paid her price a thousandfold;
His heart-in flames, his poor head in a whirl,
He begged her owner to resell the girl.
But he was adamant and would not sell;
The merchant paced the street, his mind in hell,
And groaned: "I cannot bear this searing pain-
But anyone who gives his love for gain,
Who stitches tight the eyes of common-sense
Deserves as much for his improvidence-
To think that on that fatal market-day
I tricked myself and gave the best away."

Your breaths are jewels, each atom is a guide
To lead you to the Truth, and glorified
From head to foot with His great wealth you stand;
O, if you could entirely understand
Your absence from Him, then you would not wait
Inured by patience to your wretched fate-
God nourished you in love and holy pride,
But ignorance detains you from His side.

                                                             ATTAR

A STORY ABOUT ADAM

A novice asked his master to explain
Why Adam was forbidden to remain
In his first undivided happiness.
The master said: "When he, whose name we bless,
Awoke in paradise a voice declared:
'The man whose mind and vision are ensnared
By heaven's grace must forfeit that same grace,
For only then can he direct his face
To his true Lord'. "The lover's life and soul
Are firmly focused on a single goal;
The saints in paradise teach that start
Of drawing near is to renounce the heart.'

                                                        ATTAR

ELEPHANT IN THE DARK

Some Hindus have an elephant to show.
No one here has ever seen an elephant.
They bring it at night to a dark room.

One by one, we go in the dark and come out
saying how we experience the animal.

One of us happens to touch the trunk.
"A water pipe kind of creature."

Another the ear. "A very strong, always moving
back and forth, fan-animal."

Another, the leg. "I find it still,
like a column on a temple."

Another touches the curved back.
"A leathery throne."

Another, the cleverest, feels the tusk.
"A rounded sword made of porcelain."
He's proud of his description.

Each of us touches one place
and understands the whole in that way.

The palm and the fingers feeling in the dark are
how the senses explore the reality of the elephant.

If each of us held a candle there,
and if we went in together,
we could see it.

                                   RUMI

SOLOMON'S CROOKED CROWN

Solomon was busy judging others,
when it was his personal thoughts
that were disrupting the community.

His crown slid crooked on his head.
He put it straight, but the crown went
awry again. Eight times this happened.

Finally he began to talk to his headpiece.
"Why do you keep tilting over my eyes?"

"I have to. When your power loses compassion,
I have to show what such a condition looks like."

Immediately Solomon recognized the truth.
He knelt and asked forgiveness.
The crown centered itself on his crown.

When something goes wrong, accuse yourself first.
Even the wisdom of Plato or Solomon
can wobble and go blind.

Listen when your crown reminds you
of what makes you cold toward others,
as you pamper the greedy energy inside.

                                             RUMI

THE LAME GOAT

You've seen a herd of goats
going down to the water.

The lame and dreamy goat
bring up the rear.

There are worried faces about that one,
but now they're laughing,

because look, as they return,
that goat is leading!

There are many different kinds of knowing.
The lame goat's kind is a branch
that traces back to the roots of presence.

Learn from the lame goat,
and lead the herd home.

                                 RUMI

THE SNAKE-CATCHER AND THE FROZEN SNAKE

Listen to this, and hear the mystery inside:
A snake-catcher went into the mountains to find a snake.

He wanted a friendly pet, and one that would amaze
audiences, but he was looking for a reptile, something
that has no knowledge of friendship.
                                                      It was winter.
In the deep snow he saw a frighteningly huge dead snake.
He was afraid to touch it, but he did.
In fact, he dragged the thing into Baghdad,
hoping people would pay to see it.
                                                    This is how foolish
we've become! A human being is a mountain range!
Snakes are fascinated by us! Yet we sell ourselves
to look at a dead snake.
                                     We are like beautiful satin
used to patch burlap. "Come see the dragon I killed,
and hear the adventures!" That's what the announced,
and a large crowd came,
                                       but the dragon was not dead,
just dormant! He set up his show at a crossroads.
The ring of gawking people got thicker, everybody
on tiptoe, men and women, noble and peasant, all
packed together unconscious of their differences.
It was like their Resurrection!

He began to unwind the thick ropes and remove
the cloth covering he'd wrapped it so well in.

Some little movement.
                                  The hot Iraqi sun had woken
the terrible life. The people nearest started screaming.
Panic! The dragon tore easily and hungrily
loose, killing many instantly.
                                         The snake-catcher stood there,
frozen. "What have I brought out of the mountains?" The snake
braced against a post and crushed the man and consumed him.

The snake is your animal- soul. When you bring it
into the hot air of your wanting-energy, warmed
by that and by the prospect of power and wealth,
it does massive damage.
                                     Leave it in the snow mountains.
Don't expect to oppose it with quietness
and sweetness and wishing.
                                          The "nafs" don't respond to those,
and they can't be killed. It takes a Moses to deal
with such a beast, to lead it back, and make it lie down
in the snow. But there was no Moses then.
Hundreds of thousands died.

                                               RUMI

SHEBA'S GIFTS TO SOLOMON

Queen Sheba loads forty mules with gold bricks
as gifts for Solomon. When her envoy and his party
reach the wide plains leading to Solomon's palace,
they see that the top layer of the entire plain
is pure gold. They travel on gold
for forty days!
                      What foolishness to take gold
to Solomon, when the "dirt" of his land
is gold. You who think to offer
your intelligence, reconsider. The mind
is less than road dust.

The embarrassing commonness they bring only
slows them down. They argue. They discuss
turning back, but they continue,
carrying out the orders of their queen.

Solomon laugh when he sees them unloading
gold bars.
               "When have I asked you
for a sop for my soup? I don't want gifts
from you. I want you to be ready
for the gifts I give.

You worship a planet that creates gold.
Worship instead the one who create the universe.
You worship the sun. The sun is only a cook.
Think of a solar eclipse. What if you get attacked
at midnight? Who will help you then?"

These astronomical matters fade.
Another intimacy happens,

a sun at midnight,
with no east, no night or day.

The clearest intelligence faint,
seeing the solar system flickering,
so tiny in that immense lightness.

Drops fall into a vapor, and the vapor explodes
into a galaxy. Half a ray strikes a patch of darkness.
A new sun appears.
                              One slight, alchemical gesture,
and saturnine qualities form inside
the planet Saturn.
The sensuous eye needs sunlight to see.
Use another eye.
                         Vision is luminous.
Sight is igneous, and sun-fire light very dark.

                                                           RUMI

CHICKPEA TO COOK

A chickpea leaps almost over the rim of the pot
where it's being boiled.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

The cook knock him down with the ladle.

"Don't you try to jump out.
You think I'm torturing you.
I'm giving you flavour,
so you can mix with spices and rice
and be the lovely vitality of a human being.

Remember when you drank rain in the garden.
That was for this."

Grace first. Sexual pleasure,
then a boiling new life begins,
and the Friend has something good to eat.

Eventually the chickpea
will say to the cook,
                               "Boil me some more.
Hit me with the skimming spoon.
I can't do this by myself.

I'm like an elephant that dreams of gardens
back in Hindustan and doesn't pay attention
to his driver. You're my cook, my driver,
my way into existence. I love your cooking."

The cook says,
                        "I was once like you,
fresh from the ground. Then I boiled in time,
and boiled in body, two fierce boilings.

My animal soul grew powerful.
I controlled it with practices,
and boiled some more, and boiled
once beyond that,
                           and became your teacher."

                                                          RUMI

A STORY OF MAHMOUD AND AYAZ

Shah Mahmoud called Ayaz to him and gave
His crown and throne to this bewitching slave,
Then said: "You are the sovereign of these lands;
I place my mighty army in your hands-
I wish for you unrivalled majesty,
That you enslave the very sky and sea."
But when the soldiers heard of this, their eyes
Grew black with envy they could not disguise.
"What emperor in all the world," they said,
"Has heaped such honours on a servile head?"
Though even as they murmured Ayaz wept
That what the king decreed he must accept;
The courtiers said to him: "You are insane
To change from slave to king and then complain!"
But Ayaz answered them: "O, rather say
My king desires me to be far away,
To lead the army and be occupied
In almost any place but by his side.
What he commands I'll do, but in my heart
We shall not-for one instant-live apart;
And what have I to do with majesty?
To see my king in realm enough for me."
If you would be a pilgrim of the Truth,
Learn how to worship from this lovely youth.
Day follows night- you argue and protest
And cannot pass the first stage of our quest;
Each night you chatter as the hour pass by
And send Orion down the dawning sky,
And still you linger- though another day
Has broken, you're no further on your way.
From highest heaven they came to welcome you,
Alas! you're not the man for this; your thoughts
see hell's despair and heaven's wondrous courts-
Forget these two, and glory's radiant light
Will stage by stage emerge from darkest night;
The pilgrim does not long for paradise-
Keep back your heart; He only will suffice.

                                                           ATTAR

A DRUNKARD ACCUSES A DRUNKARD

A sot become extremely drunk-his legs
And head sank listless, weighed by wine's thick dregs.
A sober neighbour put him in a sack
And took him homewards hoisted on his back.
Another drunk went stumbling by the first,
Who woke and stuck his head outside and cursed.
"Hey, you, you lousy dipsomsniac,"
He yelled as he was borne off in the sack,
"If you,d had fewer drinks, just two or three,
You would be walking now as well as me."
He saw the other's state but not his own,
And in this blindness he is not alone;
You cannot love, and this is why you seek
To find men vicious, or depraved, or weak-
If you could search for love and persevere
The sins of other men would disappear.

                                                     ATTAR

THE FAITHLESS MOSLEM AND THE FAITHFUL INFIDEL

A Moslem fought an infidel one day
And as they fought requested time to pray.
He prayed and fought again-the infidel
Then asked for time to say his prayers as well;
He went aside to find a cleaner place
And there before his idol bowed his face.
The Moslem, when he saw him kneel and bow,
Said: "Victory is mine if I strike now."
But as he raised his sword for that last stroke,
A warning voice from highest heaven spoke:
"O vicious wretch-from head to foot deceit-
What promises are these, you faithless cheat?
His blade was sheathed when you asked him for time;
For you to strike him now would be a crime-
Have you not read in Our Koran the verse
'Fulfil your promises'? And will you curse
The word you gave? The infidel was true;
He kept his promises, and so should you.
You offer evil in return for good-
With others act as to yourself you would!
The infidel kept faith with you, and where
Is your fidelity, for all your prayer?
You are a Moslem, but false piety
Is less than this pagan's loyalty."
The Moslem heard this speech and went apart;
Sweat poured from him, remorse accused his heart.
The pagan saw him as if spell-bound stand,
Tears in his eyes, his sword still in his hand,
And asked: "Why do you weep?" The man replied:
"My shame is not a matter I can hide"-
He told him of the voice that he had heard
Reproaching him when he would break his word,
And ending said: "My tears anticipate
The fury of your vengeance and your hate."
But when the infidel had heard this tale,
His eyes were filled with tears, his face turned pale-
"God censures you for your disloyalty
And guards the life of His sworn enemy-
Can I continue to be faithless now?
I'll burn my gods, to Allah I will bow,
Expound His law! Too long my heart has lain
In darkness bound by superstition's chain."
What infidelity you give for love!
But I shall wait until the heavens above
Confront you with the action you have done
And number them before you, one by one.

                                                      ATTAR

AN INDIAN KING

As Mahmoud's army moved through India,
They chanced to take an old king prisoner
Who learned to Moslem faith at Mahmoud's court
And counted this world and next as nought.
Alone, a hermit in a ragged tent,
He lived for prayer, an earnest penitent,
His face bathed day and night in scalding tears-
At last the news of this reached Mahmoud's ears.
He summoned him and said: "I'll give you
A hundred kingdoms and their revenue;
It's not for you to weep, you are a king;
I promise to return you everything!"
To this the Indian king replied: "My lord,
It's not my kingdom conquered by your sword
That makes me weep, but thoughts of Judgement Day;
For at the resurrection God will say
'O faithless wretch, you had no thoughts of Me
Till you were crushed by Mahmoud's cavalry-
It took an army's might to change your mind,
And till you stood defenceless you were blind-
Does this make you My friend or enemy?
How long did I treat you with loyality
And in return endure your thankless hate?
Is this the friendship that you advocate?'
If God says this, what answer can I give
To contradict the damning narrative?
Young man, if you could understand my fears
You'd know the reason for an old man's tears."
Learn from these faithful words, and if your heart
Holds faith like this, prepare now to depart;
But if your heart is faithless, give up now,
Forget our struggles and renounce your vow;
The faithless have no place on any page
Within the volume of our pilgrimage.

                                             ATTAR

THE DONKEY AND THE CAMEL

A donkey and a camel were walking along together.
The camel moved with long strides and the donkey
moved impatiently, stumbling every now and then.
At last the donkey said to his companion, 'How is it
that I am always in trouble, falling and grazing my legs,
in spite of the fact that I look carefully downwards as
I walk; When you, who never seem to be aware of what
surround you, with your eyes fixed upon the horizon,
keep going so fast and yet seemingly at such leisure?'
            The camel answered: 'Your problem is that your
steps are too short and by the time you have seen something
it is too late to correct your movements. You look all around
and do not assess what you see. You think that haste is speed;
you imagine that by looking you can see; You think that seeing
near is the same as seeing far.
                You guess that I look at the horizon. In fact, I am
merely gazing ahead so as to work out what to do when the
far becomes near. I also remember what has gone before,
and do not need to look back at it and stumble once again.
In this way what seems to you baffling or difficult becomes
clear and easy.'
                     Similarly, donkey-minded people are those who
believe that, they can learn enough to improve themselves by
short sighted means. This includes not looking towards the
future or even into it. It includes demanding a certain pace without
realizing whether it is counter-productive or not......

REFERENCE:THE COMMANDING SELF BY IDRIES SHAH

WATCH THIS!

A retired rabbi loved golf more than just about anything.
Daily he was drawn to the green, addicted to his game,
so much so that come Yom Kippur, the holiest day of
the year, he feigned sickness, sent his family off to service
without him, and snuck out to the empty green. It was a
glorious day, and the vast was all alone; he set aside his
guilt and teed up.
            A host of reproving angels gathers to gape at this
sacrilegious rite. God came to join them, and with a slight
smile playing on his lips, said, "Watch this!"
             The rabbi swing, his form was superb, the ball flew,
and with exquisite aim, it fell, divinely, into the hole.
             The angels were in a rage, "What are you doing. O Lord
giving this heretic a hole in one!" They cried.
God winked. "just wait."
Grumbling, the angels looked on as the rabbi's face lighted up
with ecstasy. He turned to his right to exclaim, but only trees
met his gaze. He turned to his left, but there were only trees too.
Behind him lay nothing but trees. A shadow passed over the
man;s face, as he realized the awful truth. There was no living
soul he could tell.

                                                MARC GAFNI

A SONG ABOUT A DONKEY

The following is about the dangers
of imitating others in your spiritual life.

Meet the Friend on your own.
Try to dissolve out of selfishness
into a voice beyond those limits.

A wondering sufi came with his donkey
to a community of sufis who were very poor.
He fed the donkey and give it water,
left it with his servant, and went inside.

Immediately, a group of the resident sufis
sold the donkey and bought food and candles
for a feast.
                There was jubilation in the monastery!
No more patience and three-day fasting!

If you are rich and full-fed, don't laugh
at the impulsiveness of the poor.
They were not acting from their souls,
but they were acting out of some necessity.

The traveler joined in the festivities.
They paid constant attention to him,
caressing him, honoring him.
                                              The 'seema' began.
There was smoke from kitchen,
dust from the feet hitting the floor,
and ecstasy from the longing of the dancers.

Their hands were waving.
Their foreheads swept low across the dais.
It had been a long wait for such an occasion.

Sufis always have to wait a long time
for their desire. That's why they're such
great eaters!
                   The sufi who feeds on light, though,
is different, but there's only one of those
in a thousand. The rest live under
that one's protection.
                                The 'seema' ran its course
and ended. The poet began to sing a deep grief song,
"The donkey is gone, my son. Your donkey is gone."

Everyone joined in, clapping their hands and singing
over and over, "The donkey is gone, my son.
Your donkey is gone."
                                  And the visiting sufi
sang more passionately than all the rest. Finally,
it was dawn, and they parted with many good-byes.
The banquet room was empty. The man brought out
his baggage and called to his servant,
"where's my donkey?"
                                   "Look at you!"
                                                         "What do you mean?"
"They sold your donkey! That's how we had
such a celebration!"
                             "Why didn't you come and tell me?"
"Several times I came near, but you were always
singing so loudly, 'The donkey's gone,
the donkey's gone,' that I thought you knew.
I thought you had a secret insight."
                                                   "Yes.
It was my imitation of their joy that caused this."

Even the good delight of friends is at first
a reflection in you. Stay with them
until it becomes a realization.
                                           The imitation here
came from the man's desire to be honored.
It deafened him to what was being
so constantly said.

Remember there's only one reason
to do anything: a meeting with the Friend
is the only real payment.

                                                          RUMI

THE CAT AND THE MEAT

There once was a sneering wife
who ate all her husband brought home
and lied about it.

One day it was some lamb for a guest
who was to come. He had worked two hundred days
in order to buy that meat.

When he was away, his wife cooked a kabob
and ate it all, with wine.

The husband returns with the guest.
"The cat has eaten the meat," she says.
"Buy more, if you have any money left!"

He asks a servant to bring the scale,
and the cat. The cat weighs three pounds.
"The meat was three pounds, one ounce.
if this is the cat, where is the meat?
If this is the meat, where is the cat?
Start looking for one or the other!"

If you have a body, where is the spirit?
If you're spirit, what is the body?

This is not our problem to worry about.
Both are both. Corn is corn grain and cornstalk.
The divine butcher cuts us a piece from the thigh,
and a piece from the neck.

Invisible, visible, the world
does not work without both.

If you throw dust at some one's head,
nothing will happen.
If you throw water, nothing.
But combine them into a lump.
                                             The marriage
of water and dirt cracks open the head,
and afterward there are other marriages.

                                                               RUMI

THE GIFT OF WATER

Someone who doesn't know the Tigris exists
bring the caliph who lives near river
a jar of fresh water. The caliph accepts, thanks him,
and gives in return a jar filled with gold coins.

"Since this man has come through the desert,
he should return by water." Taken out by another door,
the man steps into a waiting boat
and sees the freshwater of the Tigris.
He bows his head, "What wonderful kindness
that he took my gift."

Every object and being in the universe is
a jar overfilled with wisdom and beauty,
a drop of the Tigris that cannot be contained
by any skin. Every jarful spills and makes the earth
more shining, as though covered in satin.
If the man had seen even a tributary
of the great river, he wouldn't have brought
the innocence of his gift.

Those that stay and live by the Tigris
grow so ecstatic that they throw rocks at the jugs,
and the jugs become perfect!
                                             They shatter.
The pieces dance, and water....
                                               Do you see?
Neither jar, nor water, nor stone,
                                                  nothing.
You knock at the door of reality,
shake your thought-wings, loosen
your shoulders,
                        and open.

                                                        RUMI