Argument Between Mind & Love

Gratitude and admiration for the One who made this world a prison filled with treasures and the Creator of children of Adam, who deserves the royalty and all follows Its commands. Offers the kingdom to anyone whom It wishes, splurges with benevolence and absolute justice, (All) serving the Majesty and worshiping It dazzled with Its beauty and splendor, mention of Its name dawns on all the slaves lofty and great, Enlightened hearts given palatial wings by Its knowledge and magnificence and spiritual hearts crowned by the wine of Its affection and love. Its support and defense the army for the weak and Its assistance the treasure for the poor, Its lordship can not be expressed in the language of the finger tips (pen) and in dealing and trading with It no loss possible (When a man trades with Allah and mixes his affairs with his Lord no loss possible, all gain). The stranger is well acquainted with Its mercy, the enemy is well taken care of by Its blessings and bounties. (By stranger its is meant stranger to us, we think that if someone is not known by us therefore he/she is left alone by Allah, Ansaari says No! don’t be arrogant even an stranger is very close to mercy of Allah. Again out of arrogance we think that our enemy is necessarily Allah’s enemy, Ansaari reminds us that even our enemy is blessed by Allah and taken care by Allah. This is the meaning of being Allah. Just don’t be arrogant please…)

Oh the lover who boasts about the love of the Lord
Why these lustful gazes upon other than Its love?

Be estranged seeking and knowing the world
If yearning to get the heart acquainted with Al-Haqq

Skies hubble-bubble boiling with the heat
Of that regret-filled moment when you called your Rabb

 The dominion of the Paradise yours, renouncing the world
While sacrificing yourself at the steps of the poor

One prostration enough for approval of the Majesty
If you leave the arrogance and divorce the Riaa

For all the blessings offer your gratitude
Genuine thankfulness upholding the covenant of the Lord

Ansaaria:
Likeness of a day, that night shall turn bright
If with utter humiliation begging like a beggar at the door of the Sobhan (Sultan)

Al-Haqq: An attribute of Allah meaning the absolute, ultimate, complete and perpetual Truth, away from all lies and untruth
Rabb: An attribute of Allah meaning the Lord who manages affairs of his creation
Riaa: Arabic word for watching which refers to performing acts to be seen by people and purpose is to be admired by people

One day a Dervish asked me: If I come ashore from the ocean (of this world) to seek the Truth (the Lord), should I seek with my mind or search/sense with my love? Which one is better mind or love? Which one is greater, intelligence of loving?

I responded: Sometime ago I was pondering about this, when suddenly the thief of bewilderment stole the treasure of my heart fast and shouted, “Hey! The one who is wealthy with his worship and in wholesome pleasure of piety, you have done much prayers vast is your fortune” as soon as he said this (he was sarcastic towards Ansaari), My Self was in turmoil, saw him cheery setting sail towards Capella (triple start of constellation Auriga). I told myself, “God forbid, but you are in dangerous trouble”. I wept and moaned since I have left obedience of my Lord and did what I was not supposed to do. Shame melted me (drowned) and found myself asleep while awake (negligent). I saw myself on a stallion galloping towards wealth and commerce. In disgust lashed at the horse and turned away heading towards a city where its fortress fortified, citadel made from patience, guards made from prudence, ditch filled with tears, tower made from light and all together like a solid mountain. Made my mind to brave the gates and entered the city. The armed guards alarmed, surrounded me with raucous that, “your merchandize not taxable”. (Which means I have nothing worthy of any measure of value therefore no taxes due) I had only few unimportant things of no value so they let me pass and I entered this city called ‘The Eternity”.

In it I saw many people dwelling and I saw two people candidate for its governor. One was Mind, full of thoughts and the second Love, filled with tricks and games. So I hung around to see who is going to have the luck to win the leadership. (These two were debating in public for all to hear)

Mind said, “I am the cause of all perfections”, Love responded, “I am in bondage of dreams and hopes”.

Mind said, “I am the civilization of the Egypt”, Love responded, “I am the drunken maddened butterfly”

Mind said, “I put out the flames of melancholy and despair”, Love responded, “I sip the wine of destruction”

Mind said, “I am Jonah in orchards of health”, Love responded, “I am Joseph in the prison of guilt”. (Jonah once was disgorged from the belly of the fish, fell ill and Allah grew for him an orchard to gain his health from. Joseph was falsely accused of sexual assault and was placed in prison for many years)

Mind said, “I am the wise Alexander”, Love responded, “I am the impoverished Dervish of the courtyard” (Court of Allah)

Mind said, “I am respected in the city of existence”, Love said, “I am better than being-in-existence” (Once a man dies that is the end of the application and use of his intelligence, but once love enters the heart though the body may be devoured by the worms and marrow replaced by the sands, love shall surpass his death and still be in function in the life after)

Mind said, “I am the purest jeweler” (purest jewels or kin and honest), Love responded, “I am the forbidden sanctuary for the reunion”. (Reunion between the lover and beloved i.e. people and Allah)

Mind said, “I am righteous”, Love responded, “I am free of all quarrel” (Righteous people always have an ax to ground with the so called sinners, but lovers love everyone righteous or sinner and they have no quarrel with anyone)

Mind said, “I am fluent with knowledge”, Love responded, “I am free of both worlds” (Knowledge is a tool for a man to operate actions in this world and proffer for the world after, however love is love an absolute entity independent of both worlds)

Mind said, “I am the principal of the school of learning”, Love responded, “I am the fragrance of the blossom of submission (to Allah)”.

Mind said, “I am the judge in the court of Shariah”, Love responded, “I am the beggar of regrets” (Shariah is the religious law in Arabic/Islam, what Ansaari means perhaps, is that the Mind commands the laws of religion to avoid regret like a judge in a court who has no regrets sticking to the laws, but Love is constant seeking and begging for regrets caused by a lovers actions)

Mind said, “I am the mirror of consultation for every mature adult”, Love responded, “I am free of profits and losses”. (Man uses his mind to increase profit/gain and reduce loss, lovers have no such concept they may do what may bring a lot of hurt and loss but that is the best way and manner and cause of loving)

Mind said, “I remember/think about the elegant and amazing things”, Love responded, “Whatever other than the Beloved is passing winds” (Nothing lasts worthy of even remembering in the memory, other than love of the Beloved that lasts for eternity. Other than Beloved are like leaves or dust blown away by the wind)

Mind said, “I am determined to devout myself to worship”, Love responded, “I am sitting at the doorstep of the Lord” (In Farsi this means like a dog staying at the doorstep yearning to go in to mean the lowliness and desire to be let in)

Mind said, “I am worn like a cloak by the smart people”, Love responded, “I am hastily drunk to the bottom by the competing (lovers)”

Mind said, “I am the close companion of the humanity”, Love responded, “I am the leader for beauty and goodness” (Love is the responsible and leader that leads towards beauty and goodness)

Mind said, “I open the gates of understanding, I destroy the rustic ambiguities, necessity for all affairs, deserve nobility, I am the gardens for wise, instruments at the hands of the artists and craftsmen. Hey! Love what makes you dare to open your mouth and be fresh, who do you think you are? You are nothing more than a burnt crop, I am the chosen garment of piety, you are the shroud of melancholy and troubles and I am the middleman (requirement) for “Surely We would have given every person his guidance…” (Koran Chapter As-Sajdah 32:13)

Love responded, “I am maddened with the taste of a sip of elation, set on fire by the blazing desire, I am the comb to the hair of affection, I am the seeds of friendship and companionship, the governor of my province is worship, dazed bewilderment is the reliance for my glory, the nest for my hawk (existence) is provocation (passion), my profession is freedom to act, ‘Treasure in a ruin’ is my name, I am the rock (to shatter) for the crystal of good name and reputation, drunk walking towards of the nobility of closeness to my Creator. The crown of acceptance (by the Lord) placed upon my head, while you only have a brain in yours.

They were in the midst of this debate suddenly a messenger arrived with a letter at hand sent by the King of Love, it was stamped and sealed with a sigh which in it was written:

“Oh Mind! Your nature filled with intelligent talk, your cloak is cognition so be content with being a minister (not the king). Although you have much fame, there is no courage whatsoever. If bandits attack you, you will crawl into a hole, and if you witness the “For that day will be frail and torn up” (referring to the day of Judgment  in Koran Al-Haqqah 69:16) will be in turmoil and all over the place not knowing what to do. If there comes a time when there is upheaval in the heart from heartache/hatred and anger, or disorder in the chest how can you ever be brave? and throw yourself into dangers path? Snatching the blade out of the enemies’ hands. In the province of life there must be a wise governor, if he sees the pen shall become words and if comes the storm shall become a duck (to survive any turmoil by wisdom and adaptation) and if comes the earthquake no wobbling around and indeed will be a brave king. Therefore, it is the Love that has all these attributes. Beyond doubt he (Love) is the foundation, the city, the civilization of the heart. So to put things in proper perspective, each path has someone stepping on it, each step has a hole to fall into and each eye is cloaked in a Hijab (veil) “ Has made all gods into one deity , Verily this is a most curious thing” (Koran Sad 38:5, eyes are blinded by some veil that prevents them from seeing the truth, so when Prophet Mohammad talked about all gods are but One the veil was removed from the eyes of the pagan Arabs and they were WOW-ed and shocked by this début, Ansaari says that each step has its own hole i.e. each person has his own troubles to face, and each eye has its own Hijab i.e. each eye is cloaked by something different”


Therefore the Truth should be pure and away from hypocrisy and Love should be the likeness of a thunder so its flames make the head like a moon (bright and beautiful) and if took a single sip to drunken with much pleasure and in one flash of light to nab us from ourselves and gravitate towards the Beloved.

Human being begets (whatever the man does is in the past and deterministic or whatever he gains is from his actions in the past) and Love is the future (definitely coming man’s way like the future and is non-deterministic i.e. man has no control on what Loves bring in future) the blessings of the sky is from the surrounding cosmos and just the same the blessings of lives are: the affection of the Love, Cleansing heart from the dirt and hatred of others and growing the tree of Love. It matters not what or who Ansaari is, there is no doubt that Love is on its way. Love is the fundamentals of human creation and not just fragrance (just something nice to put on/add on to enjoy), it is the innate color not a false dye on the surface (the color of things as they are created, not something to be painted later on like a learned behavior). One hour without Love is torture. The one who is not intoxicated (with Love) his heart is not grasped, and no matter what good deeds you may perform it will be like reaching a mirage like trying to be drunk with no wine. Beyond doubt Salek (traveler) must fall in love, else if he has no love or heartache and though he may be walking shall never arrive at the hearth and shall eat hay and never find the seeds (waste of time).

Fear is the reward for someone who has no heart and actions without Love just a waste of time. Just like the bird needs feathers to fly man needs brains, the seeker should be truthful and traveler must be in Love, and all this academic scholarship and good names shall come to no use of the Salek (traveler) be wise since, “Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart”. (Koran Ash-Shuara 26:89, Allah looks not upon your cloth money women or children, Allah looks deep inside your heart where even you know not to exist)

This Love we trade for by our life and heart, seek it all over the place but this pain inflicted by Love itself and Love is its own cure but also looking and searching for Love is also the cure for this pain. No! No! Love is an everlasting infinite light and heart is a particle of Lord’s Edict.

Love is an ailment without cure, and heart is between the fingers of Ar-Rahman (Saying of Prophet Mohammad to indicate our hearts are turned around like between the fingers of Allah, Rahman is an attribute of Allah meaning Most Beneficent) Truth is dictated upon the heart, no ointment to sooth the burn of a single flame of Love, and without Love my heart has no load (void) and these are the Edicts from the Creator. How can I tame the ferocious lion of Love? And how can I trap the agile deer of the heart? How can I seek my heart and how can I grow from my life the tree of Love? If you want Love to work in your heart and push you to seek the Beloved first and foremost LOOK UPON YOURSELF to see whom you are and in comparison to The Excellency what you are? You think you are left out from the mercy of the Lord, “Does man think that he will be left neglected (from rewards or punishments)”. (Koran Al-Qiyamah 75:36, man if he compares himself to the existence of his Lord truly shall see who himself is, but if left un-compared, like black color not compared to white, then no contrast recognized by mind and heart and therefore man is ignorant of who he is)

Your beginning just a news of birth, your end without any profit and benefit and in the middle waste and unsure. Why from this sharp mind such blunt results? You are about to step into the grave and you will see no more life, not moments of time and no profit. And they will ask, “Oh giver of birth to destruction where is your horse, sheep and relatives? If you are a sinner they you are naked (poor in hereafter)” And you will respond from the grave:

Oh you who is deceived by the good luck and fortune
Sitting on lofty throne throwing in the luxuries
You think you are the sun or the most beautiful one
Like Jupiter with a lofty face or radiant like the moon
Crowned like the Caesar reigning on your throne
Or like the Jesus son of Mary to live till the Day of Judgment
Or you are the Alexander conquering this world
Or Kora hundreds of thousands of treasures abound
Perhaps all powerful but not exempt from death
Did anyone ever promised you the eternal life?
The skies are weeping on you in pouring sobs
At the same time you're in laughter like blossoms
Know that Ansaari:
Even if you are a king, you shall most definitely die
Greatness fits you not, so bow like a slave bound


 



 

© 2004-2002,  Dara Shayda