Ch 02 The Morals Of Dervishes Story 01
One of the great devotees having been asked about his opinion concerning a hermit whom others had censured in their conversation, he replied: ‘I do not see any external blemishes on him and do not know of internal ones.’
Whomsoever thou seest in a religious habit
Consider him to be a religious and good man
And, if thou knowest not his internal condition,
What business has the muhtasib inside the house?
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Ch 02 The Morals Of Dervishes Story 08
A great man was praised in an assembly and, his good qualities being extolled, he raised his head and said: ‘I am such as I know myself to be.’
O thou who reckonest my virtues, refrainest from giving me pain,
These are my open, and thou knowest not my hidden, qualities.
My person is, to the eyes of the world, of good aspect
But my internal wickedness makes me droop my head with shame.
The peacock is for his beauteous colours by the people
Praised whilst he is ashamed of his ugly feet.
Our Epitaph
Here lies the greatest civilization ever developed upon this earth
The finest and best hope that all men could be free, self-governing
and prosperous, and that the burden of excessive toll, disease
and poverty could be lifted from the backs of men
This great civilization died not as a result of external agression,
but from internal crumbling of the character of its people
The people had become so luxury-loving and soft that they would
not exert themselves in their own defense
A malignant disease that might be described as a maudlin sympahty
for ones enemies seemed to paralyze their will
Here lies the nation that sacrificed its life in an effort to gain
the goodwill and friendship of its enemies
Here lies the people who abandoned their priceless heritage of
patriotism, religious faith and truth for the socialism that
sapped their manhood
Here lies the nation that abandoned the faith of its fathers who
had made it great; for the cynical skepticism and atheism of
its enemies
Here lies the nation that died from loss of faith in God, loss of
pride and confidence in itself, and a loss of the will to defend
itself against both its internal and external enemies
Here lies the United States
poem by John Leroy Maxwell
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Ch 07 On The Effects Of Education Story 13
An Indian who was learning how to throw naphtha was thus reproved by a sage: ‘This is not a play for thee whose house is made of reeds.’
Speak not unless thou knowest it is perfectly proper
And ask not what thou knowest will not elicit a good reply.
Ch 01 Manner of Kings Story 26
It is narrated that a tyrant who purchased wood from dervishes forcibly gave it away to rich -people gratuitously. A pious man passing near said:
"Thou art a snake, stingest whom thou beholdest,
Or an owl; wherever thou sittest thou destroyest.
Although thy oppression may pass among us
It cannot pass with the Lord who knows all secrets.
Oppress not the denizens of the earth
That their supplications may not pass to heaven."
The tyrant, being displeased with these words, got angry and took no notice of him until one night, when fire from the kitchen fell into the store of his wood and burnt all he possessed - transferring him from his soft bed to a hot mound of ashes - the same pious man happened again to pass and to hear him saying to his friends: "I do not know whence this fire has fallen into my house." replied: "From the smoke of the hearts of dervishes."
Beware of the smoke of internal wounds
Because at last an internal wound will break out.
Forbear to uproot one heart as long as thou canst
Because one sigh may uproot a world.
Upon the diadem of Kaikhosru the following piece was inscribed:
For how many years and long lives
Will the people walk over my head on the ground?
As from hand to hand the kingdom came to us
So it will also go to other hands.
Lacedemonian Instruction
Come hither my boy tell me what thou seest there
A fool tangled in a religious snaret
poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1793)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Ch 02 The Morals Of Dervishes Story 06
A hermit, being the guest of a padshah, ate less than he wished when sitting at dinner and when he rose for prayers he prolonged them more than was his wont in order to enhance the opinion entertained by the padshah of his piety.
O Arab of the desert, I fear thou wilt not reach the Ka’bah
Because the road on which thou travellest leads to Turkestan.
When he returned to his own house, he desired the table to be laid out for eating. He had an intelligent son who said: ‘Father, hast thou not eaten anything at the repast of the sultan?’ He replied: ‘I have not eaten anything to serve a purpose.’ The boy said: ‘Then likewise say thy prayers again as thou hast not done anything to serve that purpose.’
O thou who showest virtues on the palms of the hand
But concealest thy errors under the armpit
What wilt thou purchase, O vain-glorious fool,
On the day of distress with counterfeit silver?
Ch 08 On Rules For Conduct In Life - Story 02
A great man having been asked why he wore his seal-ring on his left hand, whereas the right possesses so much excellence, replied: ‘Knowest thou not that the meritorious are always neglected?’
He who has created joy and distress
Apportions either excellence or luck.
Ch 07 On The Effects Of Education Story 05
The son of a pious man inherited great wealth left him by some uncles, whereon he plunged into dissipation and profligacy, became a spendthrift and, in short, left no heinous transgression unperpetrated and no intoxicant untasted. I advised him and said: ‘My son, income is a flowing water and expense a turning mill; that is to say, only he who has a fixed revenue is entitled to indulge in abundant expenses.
‘If thou hast no income, spend but frugally
Because the sailors chant this song:
“If there be no rain in the mountains
The bed of the Tigris will be dry in one year.”
‘Follow wisdom and propriety, abandon play and sport because thy wealth will be exhausted, whereon thou wilt fall into trouble and will repent.’ The youth was prevented by the delights of the flute and of drink from accepting my admonition but found fault therewith, saying that it is contrary to the opinion of intelligent men to embitter present tranquillity by cares concerning the future:
Why should possessors of enjoyment and luck
Bear sorrow for fear of distress?
Go, be merry, my heart-rejoicing friend.
The pain of tomorrow must not be eaten today.
And how could I restrain myself, who am occupying the highest seat of liberality, have bound the knot of generosity and the fame of whose beneficence has become the topic of general conversation?
Who has become known for his liberality and generosity
Must not put a lock upon his dirhems.
When the name of a good fellow has spread in a locality
The door cannot be dosed against it.
When I perceived that he did not accept my advice and that my warm breath was not taking effect upon his cold iron, I left off admonishing him and turned away my face from his companionship, acting according to the words of philosophers, who said: Impart to them what thou hast and if they receive it not, it is not thy fault.
Although thou knowest thou wilt not be heard, say
Whatever thou knowest of good wishes and advice.
It may soon happen that thou wilt behold a silly fellow
With both his feet fallen into captivity,
Striking his hands together, and saying: ‘Alas,
I have not listened to the advice of a scholar.’
After some time I saw the consequences of his dissolute behaviour-which I apprehended-realized. When I beheld him sewing patch upon patch and gathering crumb after crumb, my heart was moved with pity for his destitute condition, in which I did not consider it humane to scratch his internal wounds with reproaches or to sprinkle salt upon them. Accordingly, I said to myself:
A foolish fellow in the height of intoxication
Cares not for the coming day of distress.
The tree which sheds its foliage in spring
Will certainly have no leaves remaining in winter.
Thy Better Self
I AM thy other self, what thou wilt be,
When thou art I, the one seest now;
In finding thy true self thou wilt find me,
The springing blade, where now thou dost but plough.
I am thy neighbor, a new house I've built,
Which thou as yet hast never entered in;
I come to call thee; come in when thou wilt,
The feast is always ready to begin.
Thou should'st love me, as thou dost love thyself,
For I am but another self beside;
To show thee him thou lov'st in better health,
What thou would'st be, when thou to him hast died;
Then visit me, I make thee many a call;
Nor live I near to thee alone, but all.
poem by Jones Very
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Ch 01 Manner of Kings Story 21
It is narrated that an oppressor of the people, a soldier, hit the head of a pious man with a stone and that the dervish, having no means of taking vengeance, preserved the stone till the time arrived when the king became angry with that soldier, and imprisoned him in a well. Then the dervish made his appearance and dropped the stone upon his head. He asked: "Who art thou, and why hast thou hit my head with this stone?" The man replied: "I am the same person whom thou hast struck on the head with this stone on such and such a day." The soldier continued: "Where hast thou been all this time?" The dervish replied: "I was afraid of thy dignity but now when I beheld thee in the well I made use of the opportunity."’
When thou seest an unworthy man in good luck
Intelligent men have chosen submission.
If thou hast not a tearing sharp nail
It will be better not to contend with the wicked.
Who grasps with his fist one who has an arm of steel
Injures only his own powerless wrist.
Wait till inconstant fortune ties his hand.
Then, to please thy friends, pick out his brains.
Ch 08 On Rules For Conduct In Life - Maxim 54
It is contrary to what is proper, and against the opinion of to partake of medicine by guess and to go after a caravan without seeing the road. The Imam Murshid Muhammad Ghazali, upon whom be the mercy of Allah, having been asked in what manner he had attained such a degree of knowledge, replied: ‘By not being ashamed to ask about things I did not know.’
The hope of recovery is according to reason,
That he should feel thy pulse who knows thy nature.
Ask what thou knowest not; for the trouble of asking
Will indicate to thee the way to the dignity of knowledge.
The Role of Soul and Body
The soul and body are integrated
Who governs one’s ego, desire and traits?
Are genes the seat of the soul or body?
Who commits sins and perform virtues?
Who experiences the joy and sorrow?
It is not the soul alone that does them.
It is not the body alone that does them.
Soul and body together manifest
Like the flame and candle together burn.
The struggle of the internal force with
The external force is what we call life.
Our prayers and sacrifices have no sway.
Both are independent and unconcerned.
To sum up, there is only single soul
That runs through the entire living kingdom.
It never dies nor is born with deaths and births.
Its growth is bound by the external force.
The internal force is in continuation
To the external force, which is the God
They have their own agenda to perform.
Your prayers are irrelevant to them.
No soul exists or is reborn after death.
Sins and virtues are not to carry over.
Birth and death are internal occurrence.
To live is the motto of the living things..
15.01.2008
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The role of soul and body.
The soul and body are integrated
Who governs one’s ego, desire and traits?
Are genes the seat of the soul or body?
Who commits sins and perform virtues?
Who experiences the joy and sorrow?
It is not the soul alone that does them.
It is not the body alone that does them.
Soul and body together manifest
Like the flame and candle together burn.
The struggle of the internal force with
The external force is what we call life.
Our prayers and sacrifices have no sway.
Forces are independent and unconcerned.
To sum up, there is only single soul
That runs through the entire living kingdom.
It never dies nor is born with deaths and births.
Its growth is bound by the external force.
The internal force is in continuation
To the external force, which is God
They have their own agenda to perform.
Your prayers are irrelevant to them.
No soul exists or is reborn after death.
Sins and virtues are not to carry over.
Birth and death are internal occurrence.
To live is the motto of the living things..
15.01.2008
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Ch 04 On The Advantages Of Silence Story 14
A fellow with a disagreeable voice happened to be reading the Quran, when a pious man passed near, and asked him what his monthly salary was. He replied: ‘Nothing.’ He further inquired: ‘Then why takest thou this trouble?’ He replied: ‘I am reading for God’s sake.’ He replied: ‘For God’s sake do not read.’
If thou readest the Quran thus
Thou wilt deprive the religion of splendour.
India is yet to be free
In the external colonialism
A mighty country rules the weak one.
In the neo colonialism,
A rich country dictates the poor one.
In the internal colonialism,
A sect dominates the other within.
Free from neo colonialism
And internal ones, India is yet to be.
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
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The True Knowledge
Thou knowest all; I seek in vain
What lands to till or sow with seed -
The land is black with briar and weed,
Nor cares for falling tears or rain.
Thou knowest all; I sit and wait
With blinded eyes and hands that fail,
Till the last lifting of the veil
And the first opening of the gate.
Thou knowest all; I cannot see.
I trust I shall not live in vain,
I know that we shall meet again
In some divine eternity.
poem by Oscar Wilde
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Usually, it is not my habit to address religious issues on the floor. I strongly believe in a person's right to religious freedom, as well as the separation of church and state.
quote by Alcee Hastings
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ch 08 On Rules For Conduct In Life - Admonition 19
Ask not a dervish in poor circumstances, and in the distress of a year of famine, how he feels, unless thou art ready to apply a salve to his wound or to provide him with a maintenance.
When thou seest an ass, fallen in mud with his load,
Have mercy in thy heart and step not on his head.
But when thou hast gone and asked him how he fell,
Gird thy loins and take hold of his tail like a man.
Prospero: What seest thou else
In the dark backward and abysm of time?
If thou rememberest aught ere thou camest here,
How thou camest here thou mayst.
line from The Tempest, Act I, Scene 2 by William Shakespeare (1611)
Submitted by Dan Costinaş
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When thou seest an eagle, thou seest a portion of genius; lift up thy head!
quote by William Blake
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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