Search Poetry

(Masnavi Book 4: 73) The weakness of the discursive Reason





Explaining that the particular (discursive) intellect does not see beyond the grave and, as regards all the rest, is subject to the authority of the saints and prophets.

The foresight of this intellect extends (only) to the grave, while that of the spiritual man is till the blast of the trumpet (of Resurrection).
This intellect does not pass beyond a grave and sepulchre, and this (intellectual) foot does not tread the arena of marvels.
Go, become quit of this foot and this intellect: seek the eye appertaining to the invisible (the inward eye) and enjoy (contemplation).

How should one subservient to a preceptor and in pupilage to a book find, like Moses, light from
(his own) bosom?

3315. From this (scholastic) study and this intellect comes naught but vertigo; therefore leave this study and adopt (in its stead) expectation.
Do not seek (spiritual) eminence from disputation: for him who is expectant (of Divine
inspiration) listening is better than speaking.
The office of teaching is a sort of sensual desire: every sensual fancy is an idol (source of polytheism) in the Way.
If every busybody had found the track (had attained) to His grace, how should God have sent so many prophets?
The particular intellect is like the lightning and the flash: how is it possible to go to Wakhsh in a
flash?

3320. The light of the lightning is not for guidance on the way; nay, it is a command to the cloud to weep.
The lightning of our intellect is for the sake of weeping, to the end that nonexistence may weep in longing for (real) existence.
The child's intellect said, Attend school”; but it cannot learn by itself.
The sick man's intellect leads him to the physician; but his intellect is not successful in curing him.
Mark, the devils were going heavenward and listening to the secrets on high

3325. And carrying away a little of those secrets, till the shooting stars quickly drove them from heaven,
Saying, Begone! A prophet is come there (on the earth): from him will be obtained whatsoever
ye crave.
If ye are seeking priceless pearls, enter the houses by their doors.
Keep knocking that door-ring and stand at the door: there is no way for you in the direction of the vault of heaven.
Ye need not take this long road: We have bestowed on an earthly one the secrets of the mystery.

3330. Come to him, if ye are not disloyal; be made sugar-cane by him, though ye are (empty)
reeds.”
That Guide will cause verdure to grow from your earth: he is not inferior to the hoof of the horse of Gabriel.
You wilt be made verdure, you wilt be made fresh anew, if you become the dust of the horse of a Gabriel—
The life-giving verdure which Sámirí put into the (golden) calf, so that it became endowed with the (vital) essence.
From that verdure it took life and bellowed—such a bellowing as confounded the foe.

3335. If ye come loyally to the possessors of the mystery, ye will be freed from the hood, like a falcon—
The hood that binds eye and ear, whereby the falcon is (made) wretched and abject.
The hood is (placed as) a blind on the eyes of falcons because its (the falcon's) whole desire is for its own kind.
When it has been severed from its kind, it associates with the king: the falconer unveils its eye. God drove the devils from His place of watch, (He drove) the particular intellect from its autonomy,

3340. Saying, Do not domineer: you art not autonomous; nay, you art the pupil of the heart and predisposed (to learn from it).

Go to the heart, go, for you art a part of the heart: take heed, for you art a slave of the just
King.”
To be His slave is better than being a sovereign, for I am better is the word of Satan.
Do you see the distinction and pick out (choose by preference), O prisoner, the slavery of Adam from the pride of Iblís.
He who is the Sun of the Way uttered the saying, “Good (túbá) betide every one whose carnal
soul is abased!”

3345. Behold the shade of Túbá (the tree in Paradise) and sleep well; lay your head in the shade and sleep without lifting your head (haughtily).
The shade of (one) “whose carnal soul is abased is a pleasant place for reclining: it is a (good)
sleeping-place for him that is predisposed to that (spiritual) purity.
If you go from this shade towards egoism, you wilt soon become disobedient (to God) and lose the way.

No comments:

Post a Comment