Explaining that imagination (wahm) is the counterfeit of Reason and in opposition to it, and that though it resembles Reason it is not Reason; and the story of the replies given to each other by Moses, on whom be peace, who was the possessor of
Reason, and Pharaoh, who was the possessor of imagination.
Reason is the contrary of sensuality: O brave man, do not call (by the name of) Reason
that which is attached to sensuality.
That which is a beggar of sensuality—call
it
imagination: imagination is the
counterfeit of the
sterling gold of the rational faculties.
Without a touchstone, imagination and reason are not clearly distinguished: quickly bring both to the touchstone.
The Qur’án and the (spiritual) state of the Prophets are this touchstone: they, like a touchstone,
say to the
counterfeit coin,
“Come,
2305. That by contact with me you mayst see yourself (and know) that you art
not worthy of my
higher and lower (degrees of spirituality).”
If a saw make Reason (to be severed into)
two halves, it (Reason) will be smiling like gold in the
fire.
Imagination belongs to Pharaoh, the world-incendiary; Reason to Moses, the spirit-enkindler. Moses went on the way
of
non-existence (self-negation): Pharaoh
said to him, “Tell
(me), who art thou?”
He said, “I am
Reason, the messenger
of the Almighty: I am the
proof of God, I am the
protection against
error.”
2310. “Nay,” said
he, “hush, cease from (this ecstatic)
outcry: tell (me)
your ancient lineage and name.”
“My lineage,” he said, “(is
derived) from His dust-pit; my original name
is ‘the meanest
of His slaves.’
I am the slave-born
(slave) of that
unique Lord—born of the
(womb and) loins of slaves
female
and male.
My original lineage
(is derived)
from earth and water and
clay: God gave unto water and clay
a soul and heart.
To earth also will return
this earthen body
of mine; to earth you likewise wilt return,
O terrible one.
2315. Our origin and
the origin of all the
proud is from a piece
of earth, and (there
are) a hundred signs
thereof;
For your body receives support (sustenance) from
the earth, and from
earthly nutriment your neck is wrapped in folds (of flesh).
When the spirit departs, it (the
body) will again
become earth in the
dreaded and horrible grave. Both you
and we and all
who resemble you will become earth,
and your power will remain no
more.”
He (Pharaoh) said, “You
have a name other
than this lineage: truly that name is more proper
for thee—
2320. ‘Slave of Pharaoh and slave of his slaves,’ (a slave) whose body and soul
were first nurtured
by him (Pharaoh),
A hostile, insolent and unrighteous slave, who fled from this country on account of an ill-omened
deed.
You art a
murderer and treacherous and ungrateful: from just these
qualities, forsooth, form a judgement
(as to the rest).
(You art) in
exile, despised and poor and
threadbare, since you didst not
acknowledge gratitude
and obligation to me.”
He (Moses) said,
“Far be it that
any other person should be a
partner in Lordship with that King.
2325. (He is)
One: He has no
associate in Kingship; His slaves have no master but Him.
His creatures
have no other owner:
does any one claim partnership with Him except
one that is doomed to perish?
He has made the
design, He is my Designer; if another lay claim
(to it), he is a seeker of
iniquity.
You canst not fashion my eyebrow: how canst you know my soul?
Nay, it is you
who art the traitor and the insolent
one, for you claimest duality with God.
2330. If I
inadvertently killed a ruffian, I killed
(him) neither for self's
sake nor in sport.
I struck
(him) a blow with my fist,
and he suddenly fell:
one
who really had
no soul
gave up a soul.
I killed a cur: you the children of him who was sent (by God)—hundreds of thousands of
innocent and harmless babes—
Have killed, and their
blood is on your neck:
consider what shall
come upon you because of this blood-drinking of
yours.
You have
killed the
progeny of Jacob—those sought
after in hope of slaying me.
2335. In despite of you God
Himself chose me out: that (plot)
which your soul was concocting was
overthrown.”
He (Pharaoh) said,
“Let these things be without any doubt (grant
that all this is true): is it (the
gratitude) due to me and
to
the bread and salt (which you have eaten)
That you shouldst treat
me with contumely in the
presence of the assembled people and make the
bright day dark to my
heart?”
He (Moses) said, “The
contumely of the Resurrection is more grievous, (which you wilt
suffer) if you do not pay regard to me in good and
evil.
You canst not bear the bite of a
flea: how wilt
you taste (endure) the bite of a
snake?
2340. In appearance I am
ruining your work, but (in reality) I am making a thorn into a rose- garden.
Explaining that cultivation consists in devastation and composure in distraction and wholeness in brokenness and success in failure and existence in non-existence; and thus (with) the rest of the contraries and pairs.
A certain
man came and
was cleaving the
soil: a fool cried out and could
not control himself, Saying, ‘Wherefore
are you ruining
this soil and
cleaving and scattering it?’
‘O fool,’ said he, ‘begone,
do not interfere
with me: recognise (the difference of) cultivation from devastation.
How should this (soil)
become a rose-garden or
cornfield till this soil becomes ugly and ruined?
2345. How should it become orchards
and crops and leaves and fruit till its arrangement is turned upside down?’
Till you pierce
the purulent ulcer
with a lancet, how will it become
well and how
will you become healthy?
Till he (the
physician) cleanse your (corrupt) humours
with medicine, how will the indisposition
be removed?
How will a cure be
effected?
When a tailor
cuts (the cloth for) a
garment piece by
piece, will
any
one strike that expert
tailor, Saying,
‘Why have you torn this choice satin? What can I do with a torn
(garment)?’
2350. Whenever they (the
builders) put an old building
in good repair, do
not they first ruin the old one?
Likewise the carpenter, the iron-smith and the butcher—with them (too)
there is destruction
before restorations.
The pounding
of
myrobalan and
bastard myrobalan—by reason of that
destruction they become the means of restoring
the
body (to health).
Until you crush wheat in the mill, how will
our table be garnished with it?
(The obligation
of
gratitude for) that
bread and salt (of yours) demanded
that I should
deliver you, O fish, from the
net.
2355. If you accept the counsel of Moses, you wilt escape
from such an evil infinite
net. Inasmuch as you have made yourself the slave of sensuality,
you have made a petty worm
into a dragon.
I have brought a
dragon for (your) dragon, that I may
correct (thy dragon's) breath
by (my
dragon's) breath,
So that the
breath of that one may be defeated
by the breath of
this one, and that my serpent
may destroy that
dragon (of yours).
If you submittest, you art freed from two serpents;
otherwise, it (thy dragon) will bring
your spirit to
utter perdition.”
2360. He (Pharaoh) said, “In truth, you art an exceedingly cunning sorcerer, for by craft
you have introduced duality (disunion) here.
You have made the unanimous people into two
factions: sorcery makes fissures in rock and mountain.”
He (Moses) said,
“I
am submerged in the message of God: who
(ever) saw sorcery
together with the
name of God?
The substance
of sorcery is
forgetfulness (of God) and unbelief: the
spirit of Moses is the flaming
torch of the (true) religion.
How do I resemble sorcerers, O impudent one?—for the Messiah
(Jesus) is becoming jealous of my
(life-giving) breath.
2365. How do I resemble sorcerers, O polluted one?—for the (Revealed) Books are receiving light from my spirit.
Since you art soaring on the wings of sensuality, inevitably you bearest (in your heart) that (ill)
thought against me.”
Every one whose
actions are those of wild beasts has ill thoughts
against the
noble.
Since you art a part of the
world, howsoever you art
you deemest all to be of the same description as yourself,
misguided
man.
If you whirl round and your head whirl round, your (organ of) sight sees the house whirling round;
2370. And if
you embark in a ship moving on the sea, you
deemest the seashore
to be running (along).
If you art narrow
(oppressed) at heart
from (being
engaged in) combat, you deemest the
whole atmosphere of the world to be narrow;
And if
you art happy as your
friends would
desire, this world seems to you like
a garden of roses.
How many a one
has gone as far as Syria
and
‘Iráq and has
seen nothing but unbelief and
hypocrisy;
And how many a
one has gone
as far as India and Hirá
(Herát) and seen
nothing but selling and
buying;
2375. And how many a
one has gone as far as Turkistán
and China and
seen nothing but deceit and
hidden guile!
Since he has no
object of perception save colour
and
perfume (external phenomena),
let
him seek (through) all the climes, (he
will see nothing spiritual).
(If) a cow come suddenly into Baghdád
and pass from this side (of
the city) to that
(farther) side,
Of all (its) pleasures and joys and
delights she will see nothing
but
the rind of a water-melon. (If)
straw or hay
has fallen on
the
road, (it is) suitable to his (such a one's)
bovine or asinine disposition.
2380. (Hanging) dry on the nail of (his bestial) nature, like strips of meat (exposed to the
sun), his spirit, bound with
(the cords of)
secondary causes, does not grow;
But the spacious realm
where means and causes are
torn to shreds (transcended) is the earth of
God, O most honourable sire.
It is ever
changing, like a (fleeting)
picture: the spirit beholds in clairvoyance a world (appearing)
anew and anew.
(Everything), though it be Paradise and
the rivers of Eden, becomes ugly when it is congealed
(fixed permanently) in one aspect.
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