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(Masnavi Book 4: 27) The Sufi who contemplated the beauty of the Garden in his own heart










Story of the Súfí who, head on knee, was engaged in (spiritual) meditation in the garden: his friends said to him, Lift up your head and enjoy the garden and the sweet herbs and the birds and the marks of the mercy of God most High.”

In the orchard a certain Súfí laid his face infí fashion upon his knee for the sake of (mystical)
revelation;
Then he sank deep down into himself. An impertinent fellow was annoyed by his semblance of slumber.

1360. “Why, said he, “dost you sleep? Nay, look at the vines, behold these trees and marks
(of Divine mercy) and green plants.
Hearken to the command of God, for He has said, Look ye: turn your face towards these marks of (Divine) mercy.”
He replied,O man of vanity, its marks are (within) the heart: that (which is) without is only the marks of the marks.”

The (real) orchards and verdure are in the very essence of the soul: the reflexion thereof upon
(that which is) without is as (the reflexion) in running water.
In the water there is (only) the phantom (reflected image) of the orchard, which quivers on account of the subtle quality of the water.

1365. The (real) orchards and fruits are within the heart: the reflexion of their beauty is
(falling) upon this water and earth (the external world).
If it were not the reflexion of that delectable cypress, then God would not have called it the abode of deception.
This deception is (consists in) that: i.e. this phantom (the external world) exists (derives its existence) from the reflexion of the heart and spirit of the (holy) men.
All the deceived ones come to (gaze on) this reflexion in the opinion that this is the place of
Paradise.
They are fleeing from the origins of the orchards; they are making merry over a phantom.

1370. When their heedless sleep comes to an end, they see truly but what use is that sight
(to them)?
Then in the graveyard arises uproar and lament: on account of this mistake (they cry) “alas till the Resurrection.
Oh, happy he that died before death, i.e. he got scent of (became acquainted with) the origin of this vineyard.

Story of the growing of the carob in a nook of the Farther Mosque, and how Solomon, on whom be peace, was grieved thereat, when it began to talk with him and told its characteristic property and its name

Then Solomon saw that a new plant had grown, like an ear of corn, in a nook (of the Mosque). He saw a very uncommon plant, green and fresh: its green ness took away the light from (dazzled) the sight.

1375. Then that herb at once saluted him: he answered it (returned its salutation) and marvelled at its beauty.
I said, “What is your name? Say (it) without mouth. It said, It is ‘carob, O king of the world.’’
He said, “What special property is (resides) in thee? It replied, “(Where) I have grown, the place becomes desolate.
I, who am carob (kharrub), am the ruin (kharàb) of the abode: I am the destroyer of the building
(made) of this water and clay.”
Then at that moment Solomon immediately understood that the appointed term (of his life) was come and that the (hour of) departure would (soon) appear.

1380. He said, So long as I exist, assuredly this Mosque will not be damaged by the banes of the earth.
Whilst I am (here) and my existence continues, how should the Farther Mosque become riven
with cracks (fall into decay)?”
Know, then, that without doubt the ruin of our mosque does not occur except after our death. The mosque is the heart to which the body bows down: wherever the mosque is, the bad companion is the carob.
When love for a bad companion has grown in you, beware, flee from him and do not converse
(with him).

1385. Tear it up by the root, for if it shoot up its head it wilt demolish (both) you and your mosque.
O lover, your carob is falseness: why do you creep, like children, towards the false?

Know yourself a sinner and calf yourself a sinner—do not be afraid—so that that Master may not steal (secretly take away) the lesson from you.
When you say, “I am ignorant; give (me) instruction, such fair-dealing is better than (a false)
reputation.
Learn from your father (Adam), O clear-browed man: he said heretofore, O our Lord and We have done wrong.”

1390. He made no excuse, nor did he invent falsehood nor lift up the banner of deceit and e That Iblis, on the other hand, began to dispute, saying,I was red-faced (honourable): You have made me yellow (disgraced).
The colour is Thy colour: You art my dyer, You art the origin of my sin and bane and brand.” Beware! Recite (the text) because You have seduced me, in order that you may not become a
necessitarian and may not weave untruth.
How long will you leap up the tree of necessitarianism and lay your free-will aside,

1395. Like that Iblis and his progeny, (engaged) in battle and argument with God?
How should there be compulsion when you are trailing your skirt (sweeping along) into sin with such complacence?
Does any one under compulsion walk so complacently? Does any one, having lost his way’, go
dancing (gleefully) like that?
You were fighting like twenty men (to prevail) in the matter concerning which those others were giving you good advice.
You said,This is right and this is the only (approved) way: how should any one but a nobody
(worthless person) rail at me?”

1400. How should one who is compelled speak thus? How should one who has lost his way wrangle like this?
Whatever your fleshly soul desires, you have free-will (in regard to that); whatever your reason desires, you plead necessity (as an excuse for rejecting it).
He that is blessed and familiar (with spiritual mysteries) knows that intelligence is of Iblis, while
love is of Adam.
Intelligence is (like) swimming in the seas: he (the swimmer) is not saved: he is drowned at the end of the business.
Leave off swimming, let pride and enmity go: this is not a Jayhun (Oxus) or a (lesser) river, it is an ocean;

1405. And, moreover, (it is) the deep Ocean without refuge: it sweeps away the seven seas like straw.
Love is as a ship for the elect: seldom is calamity (the result); for the most part it is deliverance. Sell intelligence and buy bewilderment: intelligence is opinion, while bewilderment is (immediate)
vision.
Sacrifice your understanding in the presence of Mustafa (Mohammed) say, hasbiya ‘llah, for God sufficeth me.
Do not draw back your head from the ship (ark), like Kan’án (Canaan), whom his intelligent soul deluded,

1410. Saying, I will go up to the top of the lofty mountain: why must I bear gratitude (be under an obligation) to Noah?
How should you recoil from being grateful to him, O unrighteous one, when even God bears gratitude to him?
How should gratitude to him not be (as an obligation) on our souls, when God gives him words of thankful praise and gratitude?

What do you know (about his exalted state), O sack full of envy? Even God bears gratitude to him.
Would that he (one like Kan’án) had not learned to swim, so that he might have fixed his hope on Noah and the ark!

1415. Would that, like a child, he had been ignorant of devices, so that, like children, he might have clung to his mother,
Or that he had not been filled with traditional knowledge, (but) had carried away from a saint the knowledge divinely revealed to the heart!
When you bring forward a book (in rivalry) with such a light (of inspiration), your soul, that resembles inspiration (in its nature), reproaches (you).
Know that beside the breath (words) of the Qutb of the time traditional knowledge is like
performing the ritual ablution with sand when there is water (available).
Make yourself foolish (simple) and follow behind (him): only by means of this foolishness will you gain deliverance.

1420. On this account, O father, the Sultan of mankind (Mohammed has said, Most of the people of Paradise are the foolish.
Since, intelligence is the exciter of pride and vanity in you, become a fool in order that your heart
may remain sound—
Not the fool that is bent double (abases himself) in buffoonery, (but) the fool that is distraught and bewildered (lost) in Him (God).
The foolish are (like) those women (of Egypt) who cut their hands—foolish in respect of their
hands, (but) giving (wise) notice to beware of the face (beauty) of Joseph.
Sacrifice your intellect in love for the Friend: anyhow, (all) intellects are from the quarter where
He is.

1425. The (spiritually) intelligent have sent their intellects to that quarter: (only) the dolt has remained in this quarter where the’ Beloved is not.
If, from bewilderment, this intellect of yours go out of this head, every head (tip) of your hair will
become (a new) head and intellect.
In that quarter the trouble of thinking is. not (incumbent) on the brain, for (there) the brain and intellect (spontaneously) produce fields and orchards (of spiritual knowledge).
(If you turn) towards the field, you will hear from the field a subtle discourse; (if) you come to the orchard, your palm- tree will become fresh and flourishing.
In this Way abandon ostentation: do not move unless your (spiritual) guide move.

1430. Any one who moves without the head (guide) is a (mere) tail (base and contemptible):
his movement is like the movement of the scorpion.
Going crookedly, night-blind and ugly and venomoushis trade is the wounding of the pure bodies (of the unworldly).
Beat the head of him whose inmost spirit is (like) this, and whose permanent nature and
disposition is (like) this.
In sooth it is good for him to beat this head (of his), so that his puny-soul may be delivered from that ill-starred body.
Take away the weapons from the madmans hand, that Justice and Goodness may be satisfied with you.

1435. Since he has weapons and has no understanding, shackle his hand; otherwise he will inflict a hundred injuries.

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