(Masnavi Book 5: 17) “And He is with you”

Commentary on “And He is with you.”

There is a basket full of loaves on the crown of your head, and you art begging a crust of bread from door to door.

Attend to yours own head, abandon giddy-headedness; go, knock at the door of your heart: why art thou

(knocking) at every door?

1075. Whilst you art up to the knee in the river-water, you art heedless of yourself and art seeking water from this one and that one.

Water in front; and behind, too, an unfailing supply of water; (but) before yours eyes is a barrier and behind them a barrier.

The horse is under the (rider's) thigh, and the rider is seeking the horse. (When asked), “What is this?” he says, “A horse, but where is the horse?”

“Eh, is not this a horse under you, plain to see?” “Yes,” says he, “but who ever saw a horse?”

He (such a one) is mad with thirst for the water, and it (the water) is before his face: he is in the water and

unconscious of the running water.

1080. Like the pearl in the sea, he says, “Where is the sea?” and that shell-like phantasy is his wall. His saying “Where?” becomes for him a screen: it becomes for him a cloud over the radiance of the sun. His bad (sensual) eye is a bandage on his (inward) eye: his very (awareness of) removing the barrier has become a barrier for him.

His (self-)consciousness has become the plug of his (inward) ear: keep your consciousness (directed)

towards God (alone), O you who art bewildered in Him.

Commentary on the saying of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, “Whosoever shall make his cares one care, God will relieve him of all his cares; and whosoever is distracted by his cares, God will not care in what valley He destroys him.”

You have distributed your consciousness in (all) directions: those vanities are not worth a cress.

1085. Every thorn-root draws the water of your consciousness (towards itself): how should the water of your consciousness reach the fruit?

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 you wilt see the difference, and (so) farewell.

What is justice? Giving water to trees. What is injustice? To give water to thorns.

1090. Justice is (consists in) bestowing a bounty in its proper place, not on every root that will absorb water.

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 your body: do not lay your anxiety upon the heart and spirit. The pack is laid upon the head of Jesus, (while) the ass is frisking in the meadow.

1095. It is not right to put collyrium in the ear: it is not right to demand from the body the work of the heart (spirit).

If you art a (devotee of the) heart, go, scorn (the world), do not suffer contumely (from it); and if you art a

(devotee of the) body, do not eat sugar but taste poison.

Poison is beneficial to the body, and sugar noxious: it is better that the body should be deprived of supplies. The body is fuel for Hell, do you weaken it; and if it produce a (new) growth of fuel, go, destroy it.

Else, O (you who art) firewood, you wilt be a carrier of firewood in both worlds, like the wife of Bú

Lahab.

1100. Know (discriminate) the bough of the Sidra from the firewood, though both are green, O youth. 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 yourself, advance towards the heart

(spirit) with the exertion of one whose means are small.

And if you have no foot (means), (yet) bestir yourself that you mayst behold every less and more.

On the meaning of this verse: “If you fare on the Way, the Way will be revealed to you; and if you become nonexistent, (real) existence will be conferred on you.”

1105. Though Zalíkhá shut the doors on every side, still Joseph gained return (to safety) by bestirring himself.

Lock and door opened, and the way (out) appeared: when Joseph put trust in God, he escaped.

Though the world has 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.

You camest into the world, O afflicted one: do you ever see the way of your coming?

1110. you camest from a certain place and abode: do you know the way of your coming? Nay.

If you knowest (it) not, (yet) beware of saying that there is no way: by this wayless way we (all) shall

depart.

In dreams you wanderest happily to left and right: have you any knowledge where the way is that leads to that arena?

Shut that (sensual) eye and give yourself up: you wilt find yourself in the ancient City.

How shouldst you shut your (sensual) eye when in this direction a hundred inebriated (languishing) eyes are

(as) a bandage on yours eye because of (your) infatuation (with them)?

1115. From love of (having) a purchaser (admirer) you art (looking) with four eyes (intently) in the hope of (gaining) eminence and chieftainship.

And if you fall asleep you seest the purchaser in your dreams: how should the ill-omened owl dream of aught but a wilderness?

At every moment you wantest a purchaser cringing (before you): what have you to sell? Nothing, nothing. If your heart had any (spiritual) bread or breakfast, it would have been empty of (desire for worldly) purchasers.