Towards God: From Rumi’s Fihi Ma Fihi, Part 2 of 2

“Divine Law is manifest in all creation, because all things are the shadow of God, and the shadow is like the person. If the five fingers spread out, the shadow also spreads out. If the body bows, the shadow also bows. If it stretches out, the shadow also stretches out. Therefore, all people seek a beloved, for they all desire to be lovers of God […] and friends to His friends.”

“Jesus was asked, ‘What is the most difficult thing in this world and the next?’ He said, ‘The Wrath of God.’ They asked, ‘And what can save us from that?’ He answered, ‘Master your own wrath and anger towards others.’ When the mind wants to complain, do the opposite – give thanks. Exaggerate the matter to such a degree that you find within yourself a love of what repels you. Pretending thankfulness is a way of seeking the Love of God. Our Master, Shams, said, ‘To complain of creation is to complain of the Creator.’ He also said, ‘Hatred and rage lay hidden in your unconscious. If you see a spark leap from that fire, extinguish it, so that it will return to non-existence from where it came. If you insist on matching anger with anger and promoting the flame of rage, it will spring faster and faster from your unconscious, and become more and more difficult to put out.’

Chase away evil with something good, and you triumph over your enemy in two ways. […] The second benefit is this: When the attribute of forgiveness comes forth in you, other people realize they have not been seeing you as you truly are. Then they know that they are the ones to be reproached, not you, and no proof puts adversaries to shame more than that. So by praising and giving thanks to detractors, you are administering an antidote to that hatred in them; for while they have shown you your deficiency, you have shown them your perfection. Those who are loved by God can hardly be defective. Thus, let us praise those who criticize us, so their friends will think, ‘It is our friends who are at odds with the Sufis, since the Sufis always speak well to our friends.’ […]”

“Between the human being and God are just two veils – health and wealth – all other veils come from these. Those who are healthy do not look for God and do not see Him, but as soon as pain afflicts them, they cry out, ‘O God! O God!’ calling out and surrendering to God. Therefore, health is their veil and God is hidden in their pain. As long as people have wealth, they gratify their desires, and are preoccupied night and day with pleasures. The moment poverty appears, their spirits are weakened and they turn to God.”