■ third remark In regard to his acts and deeds and his labour man is a weak animal, an impotent creature. The extent of his power of disposal and ownership in this respect is so narrow that it is no greater than as far as his hand can reach. Domestic animals, even, the reins of which have been given to man, have each taken a share of his weakness, impotence, and laziness, so that if they are compared with their wild counterparts, a great difference apparent. (Like domestic goats and cattle, and wild goats and cattle). But ii regard to passivity, acceptance, supplication, and entreaty, man is an honoutd traveller in this hostel of the world. He is the guest of One so generous ti.it infinite treasuries of mercy have been opened to him and innumerable unjqae beings and servants subjugated to him. And a sphere so large has been pepared for this guests recreation, amusement, and benefit that half its dianeter is as long and broad as the imagination can stretch. Thus, if man relies on his ego, and making worldly life his goil. attempts to taste temporary pleasures while struggling to make his living, he becomes submerged within an extremely constricted sphere, then depars. All the members, systems, and faculties given him will testify against hin at the resurrection and will bring a suit against him. Whereas if he knows himself to be a guest and spends the capital of his life within the sphere of xrmission of the Generous One of Whom he is the guest, he will strive for along, eternal life within a broad sphere, then take his rest and ease. And laer, he may rise to the highest of the high. Moreover, all the members and systems given to man will be lappy with him and testify in favour of him in the hereafter. For sure, all the wonderful faculties given to men were not for this insignificant worldly life but for an everlasting life of great significance. For if we compare man wth the animals, we see that man is very rich in regard to faculties and memters, a hundred times more so than the animals. But in the pleasures of worllly life and in animal life he falls a hundred times lower. For in each pleasure ae receives is the trace of thousands of pains. The pains of the past and fears of the future and the pain at each pleasures passing spoil the enjoyrrent to had from them, and leave a trace in the pleasure. But animals are net like that. They receive pleasure with no pains. They take enjoyment with no sorrow. Neither the sorrows of the past cause them suffering, nor the fears of the future distress them. They live peacefully, and offer thanks to ther Creator. This means that if man, who is created on the most excellent jf patterns, restricts his thought to the life of this world, he falls a hundred :mes lower than a creature like a sparrow, although he is higher than the animals. I explained this fact in another place by means of a comparison. It s related to this, so I shall repeat it here. It was like this: A man gave one of his servants ten pieces of gold and told hin to have a suit of clothes made in a particular cloth. Then to a second one he gave a thousand pieces of gold, and putting in the servants pocket a not on which certain things were written, sent him to a market. The first servan bought an excellent suit of the finest cloth with the ten pieces of gold. Whilt the second servant did not use his head, and looking at the first servant and not reading the account-note in his pocket, he gave the thousand pieces of goli to a shopkeeper and asked for a suit of clothes. The dishonest shopkeeper gave him a suit of the very worst-quality cloth. Then the wretched servant returned to his lord and received a severe reprimand and a terrible punishment. Thus, even the most unintelligent will understand that the thousand pieces of gold given the second servant were not to buy a suit of clothes, but for some important trade. In just the same way, each of the immaterial members and subtle faculties in man have expanded to a degree a hundred times greater than that of the animals. For example, consider faculties and members like mans eyes, which can discern all the degrees of beauty, and his sense of taste, which can distinguish all the varieties of the particular tastes of foods, and his mind, which can penetrate to all the subtlest points of reality, and his heart, which yearns for every sort of perfection, and then consider the extremely simple members of the animals which have developed only one or two degrees. There is just this difference, that in animals a member particular to some function and special to a particular species develops more. But this development is particular. The reason for mans wealth in regard to faculties is this: by reason of the mind and thought, mans senses and feelings have greatly developed and expanded. And numerous emotions have come into being because of the multiplicity of his needs. And his senses have become extremely diverse. And because of the comprehensiveness of his nature, desires have appeared turned towards numerous aims. And because he has numerous duties due to his nature, his members and faculties have expanded greatly. And since he has been created with a nature capable of performing every sort of worship, he has been given abilities which embrace the seeds of all perfections. Thus, this great wealth in faculties and abundant capital was certainly not given for procuring this temporary worldly life. Rather, mans fundamental duty is to perform his duties, which look to innumerable aims; and proclaim his impotence, poverty, and faults in the form of worship; and observing the glorifications of beings with a universal eye, to bear witness to them; and seeing the instances of the assistance of the Most Merciful One, to offer thanks; and gazing on the miracles of dominical power in beings, to contemplate on them as objects from which lessons may be drawn. 0 man who worships this world, is the lover of worldly life, and is heedless of the meaning of the most excellent of patterns! The Old Said saw the reality of worldly life in a vision. It transformed him into the New Said. You too listen to it in the form of a comparison: 1 saw that I was a traveller and was going on a long journey; that is to say, I was being sent. The one who was my lord gradually gave me some of the money from the sixty gold pieces he had allotted me. I spent them, and came to a hostel where there were amusements of all kinds. In one night in that hostel I spent ten pieces of gold on gambling, amusements, and the enjoyment of fame. In the morning I had no money left. Moreover I had done no trade nor bought any goods for the place I was going. All that remained to me from the money were sins and pains, and from the amusements, wounds and sorrow. While in that sorry state, a man suddenly appeared. He said to me: You have wasted all your capital and deserve punishment. You are going to your destination bankrupt and with your hands empty. But if you have any sense, the door of repentance is open. When you receive the fifteen pieces of gold that remain to you, keep half of them in reserve. That is, obtain the things necessary for you in the place where you are going. I looked, my soul did not agree to this. So he said: A third, then. My soul still did not obey him. Then he said: A quarter. My soul could not give up the habits to which it was addicted, so the man angrily turned his back on me and left. Suddenly, the scene changed. I was in a train in a tunnel, which was travelling fast as though downwards vertically. I took fright. But what could I do, there was no escape anywhere. Strangely, attractive flowers and enticing fruits appeared on both sides of the train. And I, like the foolish and inexperienced, looked at them and stretching out my hand, tried to pick them. But they were covered in thorns and tore at my hands when I touched them making them bleed. With the movement of the train, my hands were lacerated at being parted from them. They cost me much. Suddenly a porter on the train said: Give me five kurush and I shall give you as much of the flowers and fruits as you want. You are caused the loss of a hundred kurush with your hands being torn, rather than five kurush. Also there is a penalty; you cannot pick them without permission. In distress I put my head out of the window and looked ahead to see when the tunnel would end. I saw that in place of the tunnels entrance were numerous holes. People were being thrown into them from the long train. I saw a hole opposite me. On either side of it was a gravestone. I looked in amazement. I saw that written on one of the gravestones was the name SAID. In my bewilderment and anxiety I exclaimed: Alas! Then suddenly I heard the voice of the man who had given me advice at the door of the hostel. He asked: Have you come to your senses? I replied: Yes, but it is too late now. So he said: Repent and place your trust in God. I replied that I would. Then I awoke and saw myself as the New Said; the Old Said had disappeared. So, that was the vision. May God cause good to come of it! I shall interpret one or two parts of it, then you can interpret the rest for yourself. The journey was the journey which passes from the World of Spirits, through the mothers womb, youth, old age, the grave, the Intermediate Realm, the resurrection, and the Bridge of Sirat towards eternity. The sixty pieces of gold were the sixty years of life. I reckoned I saw the vision when I was forty-five years old. I had nothing to guarantee it, but a sincere student of the All-Wise Quran advised me to spend half of the fifteen that remained to me on the hereafter. The hostel for me was Istanbul. The train was time, and each year a carriage. As for the tunnel, it was the life of this world. The thorny flowers and fruits were illicit pleasures and forbidden amusements which cause pain while indulging in them on thinking of their passing, and on separation lacerate the heart, making it bleed. They also cause a punishment to be inflicted. The porter on the train told me to give him five kurush so that he would give me as many as I wanted. The meaning of this is as follows: the pleasures and enjoyment man receives through licit striving within the sphere of what is lawful are sufficient for him. No need remains to enter the unlawful. You may interpret the rest for yourself. nur.gen.tr/en.html#leftmenu=Risale&maincontent=Risale&islem=read&KitapId=456&BolumId=8520&KitapAd=The+Words&Page=328
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 18:51:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015