Towards God: From Rumi’s Fihi Ma Fihi, Part 1 of 2

We now present Master Rumi’s teachings through excerpts from the “Fihi Ma Fihi,” Discourses 65 and 66.

“Those who are living in hell […] their awareness turns to God, while in this world they forget. Nothing is sweeter than the awareness of God. Therefore, their desire to return to this world is to work and carry out deeds so that they can witness the manifestation of Divine grace […]. Hypocrites are consigned to the lowest place in hell, because they were shown the faith but their unbelief was stronger. They did nothing with the gift they were given. Their punishment is more severe so they can become aware of God. To the unbelievers, faith never came. Their unbelief is not as strong, and so they become aware through less punishment. Between pants with dust upon them, and a carpet with dust, the trousers only need one person to shake them a little to become clean, while it takes four people shaking the rug violently to rid the carpet of its dust.”

“Seek the people of God, for God does not speak to everyone, just as the Kings of this world do not speak to every weaver. They have appointed viziers and deputies to show the way to the King. God has also chosen certain Servants, so that whoever seeks God can find God in Them. All the Prophets have come for this reason— only They are the Way.”

“Siraj al-Din said: ‘I was speaking to someone about a problem when something within me began to ache.’ Rumi said: That something is put in charge of you to prevent you from speaking when you should not speak. Usually it is so subtle that it goes unnoticed, but when you feel that yearning, compulsion and pain, then you know there is something in control. […]”

“Why do you worry about this body? Why are you so attached to it? You live without it. You are always without it. When nighttime comes you forget it, but once the day arrives you are absorbed in your body’s affairs. But you are never truly with the body, so why tremble over its concerns? […] This body is a great deception. Pharaoh’s magicians paused for an instant, like a speck of dust hanging in the air, and gave up their forms, for they knew they lived apart from the body, and the body was not them. In the same way, Abraham, Ishmael and all the Prophets and Saints, having paused, were indifferent to whether the body existed or not. […]”