The secret rose garden of Sad ud din Mahmud Shabistari;
** ** / * "fc *<•& THE SECRET ROSE GARDEN LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO HUGH REES LT 5X 7 OFfiCMT C TKUfsfcom of tbe Bast Series EDITED BY L. CRANMER-BYNG Dr. S. A. KAPADIA THE SECRET ROSE GARDEN OF SA'D UD DIN MAHMUD SHABISTARl WISDOM OF THE EAST THE SECRET ROSE GARDEN OF SA'D UD DIN MAHMUD SHABISTARI RENDERED FROM THE PERSIAN WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY FLORENCE LEDERER AUTHOR OF "SEVENTY THOUSAND VBJLS," "THE REST HOUSE" LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W. 1920 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PACT LIFE OF SHABISTARI 11 SUFI POETRY ...... 12 SUF! SYMBOLISM 13 THE BELOVED 16 FROM THE UNREAL TO THE REAL. .18 THE ART OF SHABISTARI .... 20 THE SECRET ROSE GARDEN .... 21 THE CENTRAL TREE OF BEAUTY ... 24 PART I THE PERFECT FACE OF THE BELOVED THE EYE AND THE LIP .... 27 THE MOLE 29 THE CURL 30 THE CHEEK AND THE DOWN ... 32 PART II BEAUTY THE MARRIAGE OF THE SOUL ... 34 THE CHARM OF BEAUTY .... 35 EARTHLY BEAUTY 35 6 CONTENTS PAGB A DROP or SEA-WATER. 36 THE SEA OF BEING. .37 PEARLS OF KNOWLEDGE 37 PART IV THE JOURNEY THE FORSAKING 39 THE TRAVELLER 40 EXHORTATION 42 THE Two STEPS OF THE JOURNEY. 42 FEAR .42 LOGIC 43 THE INFANT AND THE YOUTH ... 43 THE ALMOND TREE 44 INTERMINGLING 45 PART V TIME AND THIS DREAM-WORLD TIME ........ 46 THE DREAM OF LIFE 46 THE PHENOMENAL WORLD .... 47 THE REAL AND THE UNREAL ... 48 THIS WORLD A MIRAGE. 49 CONTENTS 7 PART VI REFLECTIONS PAGH SUN-REFLECTIONS. ..... 50 THE MIRROR ...... 52 EVIL 53 THE REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR ... 53 PART VII DIVINE INEBRIATION TAVERN-HAUNTERS ..... 54 THE WINE OF RAPTURE. .56 WINE, TORCH, AND BEAUTY. ,. .58 INTOXICATION 58 PART VIII REASON AND FREE-WILL REASON 60 KNOWLEDGE 60 THE BLINDNESS OF REASON .... 61 FREE-WILL 62 PART IX MAN: HIS CAPABILITIES AND HIS DESTINY To THE SOFIS 64 " I " AND " You " 64 REFLECTED FORMS OF HABIT. 65 8 CONTENTS PAGE THE LOWEST NECESSARY .... 66 A FAITHFUL SERVANT 66 "FAR" AND "NEAR" 67 THE SAGE 67 THE PROPHET AND THE SAINT ... 69 THE FIRST AND THE LAST .... 69 ANNIHILATION OF PHENOMENA ... 70 THE WRITTEN FAITH ..... 70 THE PERFECT MAN. 71 PART X THE ONE THE NAME 72 THE BELOVED GUEST ..... 72 THE SHADOWLESS ..... 73 THE UNKNOWABLE 73 THE BOOK OF GOD 73 THE UNCHANGING LIGHT .... 74 FUTURE REWARD. 75 PART XI THE SELF THE GAMBLE OF THE SELF .... 76 TRANSCEND SELF. 76 SELFLESSNESS. , , t 77 CONTENTS 9 PART XII IDOLS, GIRDLES, AND CHRISTIANITY PAGE IDOLS 78 THE GIRDLE 80 CHRISTIANITY ...... 80 THE MOSQUE AND THE CLOISTER ... 81 PART XIII THOUGHTS CIRCLES ....... 82 DEATH. ....... THE object of the Editors of this series is a very definite one. They desire above all things that, in their humble way, these books shall be the ambassadors of good-will and understanding between East and West — the old world of Thought and the new of- Action. In this en- deavour, and in their own sphere, they are but followers of the highest example in the land. They are confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy of Oriental thought may help to a revival of that true spirit of Charity which ''neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour. L. CRANMER-BYNG. S. A. KAPADIA. NORTHBROOK SOCIETY, 21 CROMWELL ROAD, KENSINGTON, S.W. 10 THE SECRET ROSE GARDEN The light of light is His beauty heart-ravishing, And His bewitching state the union of unions. As He goes by, so all souls follow Grasping the hem of His garment. INTRODUCTION LIFE OF SHABISTAB! " It is inward glow that makes the Sufi, not the religious habit." SA'D UD DIN MAHMUD SHABISTAEI was born at Shabistar, near Tabriz, about A.D. 1250. He wrote the Gulshan i Rdz, or Secret Rose Garden, as a reply to questions put forth by a Sufi doctor of Herat named Dmir Syad Hosaini. Very little is known of Mahmud Shabistarfs life. He wrote beside the Gulshan i Rdz two treatises on Sufiism called Hakk ul pakin and Risala i Shadld. 11 12 INTRODUCTION We learn he had' a very favourite disciple called Shaikh Ibrahim. The Gulshan i Raz was introduced into Europe by two travellers in 1700. Later, copies of the poem were found in several European libraries. In 1821 Dr. Tholuck, of Berlin, published ex- tracts, and in 1825 a German translation of part of the poem appeared in another of his books. Afterwards a verse translation and the Persian text was published by Von Hammer Purgstall in Berlin and Vienna. The Gulshan i Edz was translated into English and published, with the Persian text and extracts from Hammer's edition and Lajihi's notes, by Mr. Whinfield in 1880. Stf F! POETRY Readers of Sufi poetry for the first time are liable to Jbe amazed, perhaps even repelled, by the extravagant language, by the familiarity with the Deity, by the apparent disregard of all human and Divine laws. But on further examina- tion the wonder of the Sufis' love for their Beloved shines out with a clear intensity, a beautiful luminous brightness. They are in love with The One, and their love SUFI POETRY 13 takes the form of exquisite songs of praise and wonder : , " I heard entranced ; my spirit rushed to meet Love's welcome order, for the voice was sweet." Vaughan says : " Oriental mysticism has become famous by its poets, and into poetry it has thrown all its force and fire." " The Sufis . . . have one sole and simple task, to make Their hearts a stainless mirror for their God." Love is the Sufis' theme, Divine, Eternal Love, and into this sea of Love they cast themselves headlong. Rumi sings : " Moths, burnt by the torch of the Beloved's face, Are the lovers who linger in the sanctuary." " If we are called madmen or drunkards, 'Tis because of the Cupbearer and the Cup." " Because my mouth has eaten of His sweetmeat B In a clear vision I can see Him face to face." SUF! SYMBOLISM In reading the enraptured poetry of the Sufis, it should be borne in mind that, though the 14 INTRODUCTION symbols of earthly love and beauty are freely used, yet the real meaning is concealed. No doubt this was originally done to keep secret their mystic love, lest the profane should scoff. But as time went on certain words began to have a recognized meaning amongst themselves. For instance : EMBRACES and KISSES are raptures of love. SLEEP is contemplation, PERFUME the wish for Divine favour. IDOLATERS mean men of the pure faith, not infidels. WINE, which was forbidden by Mahomet to his followers, was used as a word-symbol by the Sufis to denote spiritual knowledge, and the WINE-SELLER means the spiritual guide. A TAVERN is a place where the wine of Divine love inebriates the pilgrim. INTOXICATION means religious ecstasy, MIRTH the joy in the love of the Deity. BEAUTY means the glory of the Beloved. CURLS and TRESSES mean plurality veiling the face of Unity from its lovers. The CHEEK means Divine essence of names and qualities. The DOWN is the world of pure spirits which is nearest to Divinity, SUFI SYMBOLISM 15 The MOLE on the cheek is the point of indivisible Unity. The TORCH is the light kindled in the heart by the Beloved. We thus see that to the Sufi the love between man and woman is a shadowed picture of the love between the soul and God, and just as a lover will dream of his beloved, singing her praises, and thirsting for a sight of her face, so do the Sufis eternally dream of their God, ever contemplating His attributes, and consumed with a burning desire for His presence. The history of mysticism contains many im- passioned love songs to the Absolute, but in Sufi poetry there is a peculiar richness, a depth, a colour which fascinates and charms so many of us. Sufi poetry abounds in allegories and love romances, the stories of Layla and Majnum, Yusuf and Zulaika, Salaman and Absal, in which it is easy to read the hidden meaning of passion for the Absolute. Various are the love themes of the Sufis ; we hear songs of : the nightingale in love with the rose, the moth fluttering round the light of the candle, the moaning dove who has lost her mate, the snow melting in the desert and mounting as vapour to the sky, of a dark night in the desert through which a frenzied 16 INTRODUCTION camel madly plunges, of a reed torn from its bed and made into a flute whose plaintive music fills the eyes with tears.* THE BELOVED The Sufis' conception of the Beloved is essen- tially personal, though there is nothing to show that they worshipped Him as a person, or assigned to Him a form. Being pantheists, they probably believed that He was the One Light shining in myriad forms through the whole universe, One essence remain- ing the same. " Every moment the robber Beauty rises in a different shape, ravishes the soul and disappears. Every instant the Loved One assumes a new garment, now of old, now of youth. Now He plunged into the heart of the substance of the potter's clay — the Spirit plunged like a diver. Anon He rose from the depths of mud that is moulded and baked, Then he appeared in the world." f And Jam! declares : " In neighbour, friend, companion, Him we see, In beggar's rags or robes of royalty, In Union's cell or in distraction haunts, There's none but He, by God, there's none but He." } * See R. A. Nicholson's Mystics of Islam, p. 117. | Mystics of Islam, R. A. Nicholson. J Jami's Lawa'ih, translated by E. H. Whinfield. THE BELOVED 17 The Sufis realized that it is impossible in spatial terms to describe that which is even beyond pure spirit. Plotinus has told us in a beautiful passage that: " We must not be surprised that that which excites the keenest of longings is without any form, even spiritual form, since the soul itself, when inflamed with love for it, puts off all the form which it had, even that which belongs to the spiritual world." * The inability to describe to the uninitiated the secret love of the mystic for the Unknowable is made the subject of an exquisite poem by the Indian poet Tagore : " I boasted among men that I had known you. They see your picture in all works of mine. They come and ask me who is he ? I know not how to answer them. I say, ' Indeed, I cannot tell.' They blame me and they go away in scorn. And you sit there smiling. I put my tales of you into lasting songs. The secret gushes out from my heart. They come and ask me, ' Tell me all your meaning.' I know not how to answer them. I say, ' Ah, who knows what they mean.' They smile and go away in utter scorn. And you sit there smiling." f * Philosophy of Plotinvs, by Dean Inge, f Gitanfali, by Rabindranath Tagore. B 18 INTRODUCTION FROM THE UNREAL TO THE REAL The Sufis believed that the phenomenal world is the Unreal, that the reason men are blind to the existence of the Real world, which is the Spiritual, is because there are veils and mists separating the soul from God. This world appears Real to the man who cannot use his spiritual eye and view the Beyond. Having no discernment of the Unseen, he does not believe in its existence. But whosoever becomes aware of the Divine Light shining in the heart, and who realises the love of God in the soul, is able to pass from the Unreal to the Real ; he will see : " Gold wherever we go, and pearla Wherever we turn, and silver in the waste." So exquisite is the vision of the All- Beautiful that whoever has had this vision instantly becomes enamoured, and leaves the world of shadows and change to contemplate the One. He will not rest until he has purified his life, cast aside everything that may be a hindrance in his path, and he will spend his whole life in com- munion with God, at the same time pouring out FROM THE UNREAL TO THE REAL 19 in love- songs and praise all the worship and adoration of his soul. " By God, gun never rose or set but Thou wert My heart's desire and my dream. And I never sat conversing with any people But Thou wert the subject of my conversation In the midst of my comrades. And I never mentioned Thee in joy or sorrow But love for Thee was mingled with my breath. And I never resolved to drink water, when I was athirst, But I saw an image of Thee in the cup. And were I able to come I would have visited Thee, Crawling on my face or walking on my head." When the Sufi has passed to the Real World he is able to see earthly existence in its true light : " 1 am lost to myself and unconscious, And my attributes are annihilated. To-day I am lost to all things : Naught remains but a forced expression." Passing through a world of shadows he fixes his eye on Eternity ; the happenings of the uni- verse appear to him unworthy of exultation, grief, or sorrow. Earthly love seems worthless, insipid, and dull, compared to his flaming devotion for the Un- changeable. 20 INTRODUCTION He has one desire, one aim, one goal — to reach the bliss which he has briefly touched in rare moments of ecstasy and rapture. To find the far-off mystic city which " Mystery shrouda . . . now from mortal eyes, Save when upon some lone lost wanderer's sight Its diamond turrets like a day-dream rise." THE ART OF SHABISTAE! I have already said that little is known of Shabistarfs life, but of his learning and know- ledge of Sufiism there is ample evidence in this book ; and though he does not charm with the subtle fascination of Hafiz, though he has not the originality of Rumi or in style cannot compare with the elegance of Jami, yet in plainness and directness of speech, and in earnestness of pur- pose, he perhaps outweighs them all. He gives us a clear, bright vision in brilliant sunshine of Virtue and Vice, Reality and Illusion, Wisdom and Ignorance. We do not find ourselves in the twilight of a faintly- coloured land where we sometimes wander, drawn hither by the sweet voices of the Sufis, where, midst the delicate perfumes of an Oriental garden, the lover is singing entrancing THE ART OF SHABISTARI 21 love-songs, whether of earthly passion or of Divine intoxication remains a matter of heated controversy to this day. Neither are we given such daring advice as JamI gives when he sings : " Drink deep of earthly love, that so thy lip May learn the wine of holier love to sip." Mahmud's vision of Reality was direct and distinct, not the oblique view which is the vision of some mystics, and from this Reality he is able to distinguish sharply between the conflicting forces of Good and Evil. He makes a passionate appeal to humanity to seek for the Truth, to desire the substance and not the mirage, to ignore the allurement and illusion of earthly love, and instead to centre on the Beloved all the heart's adoration. THE SECRET ROSE GARDEN It is nearly seven hundred years since Mahmud planted his garden with roses of Love and Adora- tion, of Reason and of spiritual Illumination. Since then many have wandered there, lingering in the secret paths and plucking the scented 22 INTRODUCTION blossoms to carry back into the world of shadows and unreality. What is the fadeless colour of these Roses ? What is their lasting grace of form, and what perfumed attar from them lingers on through the ages ? The poem opens with the statement of the sole existence of the One Real Being, and of the illusion 01 this world's mirage. How is man to reach knowledge of God ? By thought, for— " Thought is passing from the false to the true." But reason and sense cannot throw off the apparent reality of the phenomenal world. Reason looking at the Light of Lights is blinded like a bat by the sun. It is then a consciousness arises in the soul of its own nothingness. At this point (annihilation of the self) it is possible for man to discern the light of the Spirit. In this world are mirrored the various attributes of Being, and each atom of Not- Being reflects some one Divine attribute : " Each atom hides beneath its veil The soul-amazing beauty of the Beloved's face." And these atoms are ever longing to rejoin their source. THE SECRET ROSE GARDEN 23 The journey to the Beloved has only two stages : dying to self and uniting with the Truth. When man's lower self is dead, the real self remains and is above the dominion of the law. These two stages — the " journey to God " and the " journey down to God " — are a circuit. He who has revolved round this circuit is a perfect man. On being born into this world man is possessed by evil passions, and if he gives way to them his soul is lost. But in each soul there is an instinct for God and a longing for holiness. If man will foster this instinct and develop this longing, a Divine light will shine on him, and he, repenting, turns and journeys towards God; casting away self, he will meet and be united with the Truth in spirit. This is the holy state of the saints and prophets. But the man must not rest in this Divine union. He must return to this world of un- reality, and in the downward journey must keep the ordinary laws and creeds of men. This phenomenal existence, i.e. Not-being, is an illusion which is typified by considering the unreality of echoes and reflections and by ponder- ing on past and future time, and on passing 24 INTRODUCTION events, which seem at the moment of their exis- tence to be real, but fading into the past become vague and shadowy. The dispositions acquired by man in this life will in the next world be manifested in spiritual bodies ; each form will be appropriate to its past life. The material idea of Paradise and houris will then be known to be an idle tale. No quality or distinction will remain for the perfect will. Then drink of the cup of union with God. Such is the hope of the Sufis, but in this world the intoxication of the cup of union is followed by the headache of separation. THE CENTRAL TREE OF BEAUTY All round his garden Mahmud has planted these roses of Reason, Belief, Knowledge, and Faith ; they are blooming everywhere, beautiful in their vivid colouring of Truth and Purity. But it is in the centre that we find a Rose-tree of glory unequalled, glowing with the blossoms of love's devotion ; this is the tree which Mahmud planted with all his heart's adoration — the description of the perfect face of the Beloved. THE CENTRAL TREE OF BEAUTY 25 It is at this spot we wait entranced, and through the mystic stillness we seem to hear the voice of him who, long ago for love's sake, planted this Rose-tree, echoing his sublime utterance : " See but One, say but One, know but One." FLORENCE LEDERER. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I WISH to acknowledge my indebtedness to Pro- fessor E. H. Whinfield, whose book, the standard translation of the Gulshan i Rdz, has been of the greatest assistance to me in compiling this little volume. I am grateful to Dr. R. A. Nicholson for kind permission to quote from his works on Sufiism, and to Captain L. Cranmer-Byng I offer my best thanks for his kind interest in my work, and for many helpful hints and suggestions. 26 IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE COMPASSIONATE, THE MERCIFUL PAKT I THE PERFECT FACE OF THE BELOVED THE EYE AND THE LIP WHAT is the nature of the eye and the lip ? Let us consider. Coquettish and intoxicating glances shine from His eye. The essence of existence issues from His ruby lip. Hearts burn with desire because of His eye, And are healed again by the smile of His lip. Because of His eye hearts are aching and drunken. His ruby lip gives soul-garments to men. His eye does not perceive this visible world, Yet often His lip quivers with compassion. 27 28 THE FACE OF THE BELOVED Sometimes He charms us with a touch of humanity, And gives help to the despairing. It is His smile that gives life to man's water and clay- ; It is His breath that opens heaven's gate for us. A corn-baited snare is each glance of that eye, And a wine-shop lurks in each corner. When He frowns the wide world is laid waste, But is restored every moment by His kiss. Our blood is at fever point because of His eye, Our souls demented because of His lip. How He has despoiled our hearts by a frown ! How He has uplifted our souls by a smile 1 If you ask of Him an embrace, His eye will say " Yea," His lip " Nay." He finished the creation of the world by a frown, Now and then the soul is revived by a kiss. We would give up our lives with despair at His frown, But would rise from the dead at his kiss. . . . When the world meditates on His eye and His lip, It yields itself to the intoxication of wine. THE MOLE 29 THE MOLE THE single point of the mole in His cheek Is a centre from which circles A circumference. The two worlds circle round that centre. The heart and soul of Adam evolved from there. . . . Hearts bleed because they are a reflection Of the point of that black mole, And both are stagnant ; for there is no escape Of the reflection from the reflect. Unity will not embrace Plurality, For the point of Unity has one root only. ... I wonder if His mole is the reflection of my heart, Or my heart the reflection of His mole. Was my heart created from His mole's reflection ? Or may it be seen shining in His mole ? I wonder if my heart is in His face, Or if His mole abides in my heart. But this is a deep secret hidden, alas ! from me. ... If my heart is a reflection, Why is it ever so changing ? 30 THE FACE OF THE BELOVED Sometimes tired like His brilliant eye, Sometimes waving to and fro as His curl waves, Sometimes a shining moonbeam like His face, Sometimes a dark shadow like His mole, Sometimes it is a mosque, sometimes a synagogue, Sometimes a hell, sometimes a heaven, Sometimes soaring above the seventh heaven, Sometimes buried far below this earth. . . . After a spell the devotee and ascetic Turns again to wine, lamp, and beauty. THE CURL IF you ask of me the long story Of the Beloved's curl, I cannot answer, for it contains a mystery Which only true lovers understand, And they, maddened by its beauty, Are held captive as by a golden chain. I spoke too openly of that graceful form, But the end of the curl told me to hide its glory, So that the path to it should be twisted And crooked and difficult. THE CURL 31 That curl enchains lovers' hearts, And bears their souls to and fro In the sea of desire. A hundred thousand hearts Are tightly bound, not one escapes, alas ! No single infidel would remain in the world If he could see the shaking aside Of those black curls, And on the earth there would not remain a faithful soul If they were always in their place. Suppose they were shorn. . . . No matter, Day would increase and the night disappear. As a spider spreads its nets to ensnare, So does the Beloved in wantonness Shake His locks from off His face. Behold His hands plundering Reason's caravan And with knots binding it tight. Never at rest is that curl, Ever moving to and fro Making now night, making now morning, Playing with the seasons in wonder. 32 THE FACE OF THE BELOVED Adam was created when the perfume of that amber-scented curl Was blown by the wind on his clay. And I too possess an ensample ; I cannot wait for a moment, But breathlessly start working anew To tear my heart out of my breast. . . . Sore troubled am I by that curl Which veils my longing soul from His face. THE CHEEK AND THE DOWN THE theatre of Divine beauty is the cheek, And the down is the entrance to His holy presence. Beauty is erased by His cheek, who says, " Without my presence you are non-existent." In the unseen world the down is as green meadows Leading to the mansion of Eternal Life. The blackness of His curl turns day into night, The down of His cheek holds the secret of life. If only you can glimpse His face and its down, You will understand the meaning of plurality and unity. His curl will teach you the knowledge of this world, His down will reveal hidden paths. THE CHEEK AND THE DOWN 33 Imagine seven verses in which each letter Contains oceans of mysteries ; Such is His cheek. And imagine, hidden beneath each hair of His cheek, Thousands of oceans of mysteries ; Such is His down. As the heart is God's throne in the water, So is the down the ornament of the soul. PAET II BEAUT? THE MARRIAGE OF THE SOUL DESCENDING to the earth, That strange intoxicating beauty of the unseen world Lurks in the elements of Nature. And the soul of man, Who has attained the rightful balance, Becoming aware of this hidden joy, Straightway is enamoured and bewitched. And from this mystic marriage are born The poets' songs, inner knowledge, The language of the heart, virtuous living, And the fair child Beauty. And the Great Soul gives to man as dowry The hidden glory of the world. 34 EARTHLY BEAUTY 35 THE CHARM OF BEAUTY FROM the unseen world descends Heavenly beauty, And plants its flag in the city Of earthly fairness, Throwing the world's array into confusion ; Now riding the steed of comeliness, Now flourishing the sword of eloquence, And all alike bow down, Saints and kings, dervishes and prophets, Swayed by the charm of Beauty's fascination. EARTHLY BEAUTY WHENCE the charm of a fair face ? Not earthly beauty only Can so allure us with its loveliness. Perchance we see in this, as in a cloudy mirror, The far faint reflect of the Perfect Face. And these deep feelings of delight and wonder Can only issue from the One True Beauty, For in Divine Perfection there is no other partner. Nor is it all desire and lust that tempts men's hearts with longing. . . . Evil appears but as the other side of Truth. PART III THE SEA AND ITS PEARLS A DROP OF SEA-WATER BEHOLD how this drop of sea- water Has taken so many forms and names ; It has existed as mist, cloud, rain, dew, and mud, Then plant, animal, and perfect man ; And yet it was a drop of water From which these things appeared. Even so this universe of reason, soul, heavens, and bodies, Was but a drop of water in its beginning and ending. . . . When a wave strikes it, the world vanishes ; And when the appointed time comes to heaven and sta,rs, Their being is lost in not being. 36 PEARLS OF KNOWLEDGE 37 THE SEA OF BEING IN Being's silver sea Lustrous pearls of knowledge are washed up On the shore of speech, And dainty shells bring poems in their curving forms To strew the beach with beauty. Each wave that breaks in foaming arcs Casts up a thousand royal pearls That hold strange murmuring voices, Gems of devotion, joy, and love. Yet though a thousand waves At every moment rise and fall, Scattering pearls and shells, Yet are there ever more and more to come, Nor is that sea of Being less by one sheer drop. PEARLS OF KNOWLEDGE IN the sea of 'Uman, the pearl oysters Rise to the surface from the lowest depths, And wait with opened mouths. Then arises from the sea a mist, 38 THE SEA AND ITS PEARLS Which falls again in raindrops Into the mouths of the shells (At the command of the Truth). Straightway is each closed as by a hundred bonds, And the shells sink back again Into the ocean's depths, Bearing in their hearts the pearl drops Which the divers seek and find. The sea is Being, the shore the body ; The mist, grace, and the rain, knowledge of the Name ; Human Wisdom is the diver Who holds enwrapped in his garment A hundred pearls ; The soul in a swift lightning's flash Bears to the listening ear voices and messages From the shells of knowledge ; Then when the husks are opened, Behold the royal shimmering pearls ! PAET IV THE JOURNEY THE FORSAKING SEE, your companions have gone ; Will you not too make a start ? If you desire to take wing as a bird, Then leave to the vultures this carrion world. Forsake your relations, For your real Friend must be sought. He who is drowning in the sea of Not-being Must cast aside all relationships. What are father and mother, Sister and brother ? Your very son may be your enemy, Yet may a stranger be your kinsman ; Even your fellow-travellers on the mystic path Must be renounced. 39 40 THE JOURNEY All relations are a bond, a spell, A fairy dream, An absolute illusion. Omit not the duties Of the law to them, But have regard to yourself. . . . Abandon gold and women, For they are a source of anxiety. THE TRAVELLER THE traveller on the path, 'Tis he who knows from whence he cometh ; Then doth he journey hastily, Becoming as pure from self as fire from smoke. Unfolded to him are a series of revelations From the beginning. Till he is led away From darkness and sin. He now retraces stage by stage his steps Till he reaches his goal the Perfect. Thus is the perfect man evolved From the time he first exists As inorganic matter. THE TRAVELLER 41 Next a breath of spirit, and he is living And from God draws his motive powers. Next the Truth makes him lord of his will, As in childhood his discernment of the world unfolds. And now the world's temptations assail him. . . . Anger appears and desires of the flesh, And then avarice, pride, and gluttony ; His nature becomes evil, Worse than an animal or demon ; Now is he at the lowest point of all, The point opposite to Unity. . . . Should he remain fettered in this snare, He goes further astray than the beasts ; But if there shines a light from the spirit world, Divinely attractive, Or if he can find a reflection of proof, Then will his heart respond in a feeling of kinship To this Light of the Truth, And he will turn back and retrace his steps From whence he came. To faith assured he has found his way Through certain proof, or the wonder And attraction of the Divine, 42 THE JOURNEY . . . He throws away his selfhood utterly And ascends in the steps of the most Pure. EXHORTATION THOUGH the world is yours, you remain dejected, Who so pitiable as you ? You, who are a man, arise and pass on, Wait not day or night at the halting-stages, Tarry not behind your fellow-travellers and the caravans. THE TWO STEPS OF THE JOURNEY THE journey of the pilgrims is two steps and no more : One is the passing out of selfhood, And one towards mystical Union with the Friend. FEAR As the Arab racer needs not the whip, So you will not need to fear When on your journey you have started. FEAR 43 When purified are your soul and body, You will not fear the fires of hell. Throw pure gold into the fire ; If it contains no alloy, what is there to burn ? LOGIC IF God guides you not into the road, It will not be disclosed by logic. Logic is a bondage of forms ; A road that is long and hard. Leave it for a season. Like Moses Cast away that staff And enter for awhile " The Valley of Peace." THE INFANT AND THE YOUTH THE young infant in the cradle Stays at his mother's side, But when he is grown manly He goes forth with his father. 44 THE JOURNEY So you remain with your mother, The fleshly elements, Until you join your Father up on high. THE ALMOND-TREE As the kernel of an almond is spoilt utterly If it is plucked from its husk while unripe, So error in the path of the pilgrim Spoils the kernel of his soul. When the knower is divinely illumined, The kernel ripens, bursts the husk, And departs, returning no more. But another retains the husk, Though shining as a bright sun, And makes another circuit. From water and earth springs up into a tree, Whose high branches are lifted up to heaven ; Then from the seed of this tree A hundredfold are brought forth. Like the growth of a seed into the line of a tree, From point comes a line, then a circle ; When the circuit of this circle is complete, Then the last is joined to the first, INTERMINGLING 45 YOTT are plurality transformed into Unity, And Unity passing into plurality ; This mystery is understood when man Leaves the part and merges in the Whole. PART V TIME AND THIS DREAM-WORLD TIME THE past has flown away, The coming month and year do not exist ; Ours only is the present's tiny point. Time is but a fancied dot ever moving on Which you have called a flowing river-stream. I am alone in a wide desert, Listening to the echo of strange noises. THE DREAM OF LIFE You have heard much of this world, Yet what have you seen of this world ? What is its form and substance ? 46 THE DREAM OF LIFE 47 What is Simurgh, and what is Mount Kaf ? What is Hades and what is Heaven and Hell ? What is that unseen world A day of which equals a year of this ? Come and hear the meaning. You are asleep, and your vision is a dream, All you are seeing is a mirage. When you wake up on the morn of the last day You will know all this to be Fancy's illusion ; When you have ceased to see double, Earth and Heaven will become transformed ; When the real sun unveils his face to you, The moon, the stars, and Venus will disappear ; If a ray shines on the hard rock Like wool of many colours, it drops to pieces. THE PHENOMENAL WORLD THE world is an imaginary figure, A diffused shadow of the Infinite ; One breath created the worlds of command And all living things. 48 TIME AND THIS BREAM-WORLD As they appear to come forth, so they appear to go. Though there is no real coming and going. For what is going but coming ? . . . All are one, both the visible and the invisible. God most high, the Eternal One, Creates and destroys both worlds. . . . The varied forms you see are but phantoms of your fancy, And by revolving quickly in a circle Appear as one. THE REAL AND THE UNREAL THE imagination produces phenomenal objects Which have no real existence, So this world has no substantial reality, But exists as a shadowy pageant or a play. All is pervaded by Absolute Being In its utter perfection. There are many numbers, but only One is counted. THIS WORLD A MIRAGE 49 THIS WORLD A MIRAGE THE house is left empty, save for the Truth, For in a moment the world has passed away ; Then you, rid of self, fly upwards And are united to the Beloved. Union is yours when this dream-world Fades and dies away. PAET VI REFLECTIONS SUN-REFLECTIONS SUN-BEFLECTIONS from the unseen world Are all the objects of this mortal sphere, As curl, down, mole, and brow on a fair face. For Beauty absolute reigns over all. . . . When the ears first hear these words They seem to denote sensual objects. But as there is no language for the Infinite, How can we express its mysteries In finite words ? Or how can the visions of the ecstatic Be described in earthly formula ? So mystics veil their meanings In these shadows of the unseen, The objects of the senses. ... As a nurse to an infant, So is the Infinite to the finite. 60 SUN-REFLECTIONS 51 . . . Once these words were used in their proper sense, But now are concealed lest the vulgar should profane. Annihilation, intoxication, the fever of love Are the three states of the mystic, And those who abide in these states At once comprehend the meanings Veiled in the words. But if you know them not, Pretend not you understand like an ignorant infidel, For all cannot be mystics or grasp the mysteries. No mere illusions are the mystic's dreams, And a man of truth does not vainly talk. To comprehend requires revelations or great faith. Briefly have I explained these words and their meanings So that you may apply them in their right intent, Remembering the attributes of each. Compare them in a right manner, And refrain from the wrong comparisons. Now that these rules are understood I will show you more of their application. 52 REFLECTIONS THE MIRROR YOUR eye has not strength enough To gaze at the burning sun, But you can see its brilliant light By watching its reflection Mirrored in the water. So the reflection of Absolute Being Can be viewed in this mirror of Not-Being, For non-existence, being opposite Reality, Instantly catches its reflection. Know the world from end to end is a mirror ; In each atom a hundred suns are concealed. If you pierce the heart of a single drop of water, From it will flow a hundred clear oceans ; If you look intently at each speck of dust, In it you will see a thousand beings, A gnat in its limbs is like an elephant ; In name a drop of water resembles the Nile, In the heart of a barley-corn is stored an hundred harvests, Within a millet-seed a world exists, In an insect's wing is an ocean of life, THE MIRROR 53 A heaven is concealed in the pupil of an eye, The core in the centre of the heart is small, Yet the Lord of both worlds will enter there. EVIL BLACKEN the back of a mirror And it will reflect your face, So the dust of the earth reflects The rays of the sun in the seventh heaven. THE REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR HOLD up a mirror before you And gaze on that other person. . . . Again look and consider ; Your proper self is here, not there. What, then, can be this reflection, This shadow of your face ? In the same way as light and dark are not con- nected, Being is not joined to Not- Being. PAET VII DIVINE INEBRIATION TAVERN-HAUNTERS THE tavern is the abode of lovers, The place where the bird of the soul nests, The rest-house that has no existence In a world that has no form. The tavern- haunter is desolate in a lonely desert, Where he sees the world as a mirage. The desert is limitless and endless, For no man has seen its beginning or ending. Though you feverishly wander for a hundred years You will be always alone. For the dwellers there are headless and footless, Neither the faithful nor infidels, They have renounced both good and evil, And have cast away name and fame, From drinking the cup of selflessness ; 54 TAVERN-HAUNTERS 65 Without lips or mouth, And are beyond traditions, visions, and states, Beyond dreaming of secret rooms, of lights and miracles. They are lying drunken through the smell of the wine-dregs, And have given as ransom Pilgrim's staff and cruse, Dentifrice and rosary. Sometimes rising to the world of bliss, With necks exalted as racers, Or with blackened faces turned to the wall, Sometimes with reddened faces tied to the stake. Now in the mystic dance of joy in the Beloved, Losing head and foot like the revolving heavens. In every strain which they hear from the minstrel Comes to them rapture from the unseen world. For within the mere words and sounds Of the mystic song Lies a precious mystery. 56 DIVINE INEBRIATION From drinking one cup of the pure wine, From sweeping the dust of dung-hills from their souls, From grasping the skirts of drunkards, They have become Sufis. THE WINE OF RAPTURE THE wine, lit by a ray from his face, Reveals the bubbles of form, Such as the material world and the soul-world, Which appear as veils to the saints. Universal Reason seeing this is astounded, Universal Soul is reduced to servitude. Drink wine ! for the bowl is the face of the Friend. Drink wine ! for the cup is his eye, drunken and flown with wine. Drink wine ! and be free from heart-coldness, For a drunkard is better than the self-satisfied. The whole world is his tavern, His wine-cup the heart of each atom, Reason is drunken, angels drunken, soul drunken, Air drunken, earth drunken, heaven drunken. THE WINE OF RAPTURE 57 The sky, dizzy from the wine-fumes' aroma, Is staggering to and fro ; The angels, sipping pure wine from goblets, Pour down the dregs on the world ; From the scent of these dregs man rises to heaven. Inebriated from the draught, the elements Fall into water and fire. Catching the reflection, the frail body becomes a soul, And the frozen soul by its heat Thaws and becomes living. The creature world remains giddy, For ever straying from house and home. One from the dregs' odour becomes a philosopher, One viewing the wine's colour becomes a relater, One from half a draught becomes religious, One from a bowlful becomes a lover, Another swallows at one draught Goblet, tavern, cup-bearer, and drunkards ; He swallows all, but still his mouth stays open. 58 DIVINE INEBRIATION WINE, TORCH, AND BEAUTY TRUTH'S manifestations Are wine, torch, and beauty ; Wine and torch are the light and shining of the " knower," Beauty is concealed from none. Wine is the lamp-shade, And torch the lamp ; Beauty is the Spirit-light, So bright, it kindles sparks In the heart. Wine and torch are the essence of that blinding light, Beauty is the sign of the Divine. Drink this wine and, dying to self, You will be freed from the spell of self. Then will your being, as a drop, Fall into the ocean of the Eternal. INTOXICATION WHAT is pure wine ? It is self- purification. What sweetness ! what intoxication ! what bliss- ful ecstasy ! INTOXICATION 59 Oh ! happy moment when ourselves we quit, When fallen in the dust, drunken and amazed, In utter poverty we shall be rich and free. Of what use then will be paradise and houris ? For no alien can find entrance to that mystic room. I know not what will happen after I have seen this vision and imbibed this cup, But after all intoxication comes headache, Anguish drowns my soul remembering this ! PAKT VIII REASON AND FREE-WILL REASON LET reason go. For his light Burns reason up from head to foot. If you wish to see that Face, Seek another eye. The philosopher With his two eyes sees double, So is unable to see the unity of the Truth. As his light burns up the angels, Even so doth it consume reason. As the light of our eyes to the sun, So is the light of reason to the Light of Lights. KNOWLEDGE LEABNING is only the outer wrapping Of the letter ; The dry husk that covers the nut, Not the kernel concealed within ; 60 KNOWLEDGE 61 Yet must the husk exist To ripen the kernel. So from learning comes the sweet knowledge of Faith. Oh ! soul of my brother, hearken, Strive to gain knowledge of faith, For the " knower " in both worlds Has a high place. Knowledge loves not this world of form Which is void of Reality. Begin to till your field For next year's harvest. Knowledge is your heritage, Be adorned with the principle of all virtues. THE BLINDNESS OF REASON As the man blind from his birth Believes not nor understands Your description of colours, Even if you show him proofs for a century, So blind reason cannot see the future state. 62 REASON AND FREE-WILL But beyond reason man has a certain knowledge Which God has placed in his soul and body Whereby he perceives hidden mysteries. And like the fire in flint and steel When these are struck together, The two worlds for him are lit up in a flash. FREE-WILL You say, " I myself have Free-will, For my body is the horse and my soul the rider, The reins of the body are in the hands of the soul, The entire direction is given to me." Oh ! foolish one, these are falsehoods and de- lusions That come from an illusory existence. As your essence is nothingness, How can you have Free-will ? Seeing that your being is one with not- being, Whence comes this Free-will of yours ? Imagination distributes actions As in a play or a farce, FREE-WILL 63 For when your actions were planned, Before your existence, You were created for a certain purpose, By the desire of the Truth. Therefore is man predestined, before his existence, To certain appointed work. . . . (Oh, wondrous ways of Thine, without how or why I) The honour of man consists of slavery, In having no share of Free-will. Of himself man has nothing, Yet of good and evil God asks him, Man has no choice, he is under control. Oh ! poor soul, he seems free, yet is a slave. Give yourself up to the Truth, For you are helpless in his grasp ; Freedom from self you will find in the All, And, 0 Dervish ! in the Truth you will find riches. PART IX MAN: HIS CAPABILITIES AND HIS DESTINY TO THE SUFIS You are bound by a chord To the soul of the creatures before you, Therefore they are subject to your dominion, And the soul of each is hidden in you. In the midst of the world you are the kernel, The centre of the world. . . . The world of reason and mind is your fortune, Earth and heavens your garments. . . . Your natural powers are ten thousand Transcending limits and reckonings. "I" AND "YOU" " I " AND " you " are but the lattices, In the niches of a lamp, Through which the One Light shines. 