“O dog,’ he cried, “is it Sufism that of a sudden you come into my orchard in spite of me? Has Junayd" or Bayazid* directed you to behave so? From what Shaykh did you receive this Raising his cudgel, he belaboured the helpless Sifi, cracked his head and half killed him. ‘““My score is paid,” said the Sufi, “but have a care for yourselves, O comrades! Ye treated me as a foe. Look out! I am not more unfriendly than this scoundrel. The cup which I have drunk ye must drink, and such a draught is what every cad deserves.” Having finished with the Sufi, the Gardener devised a pretext of the same kind as before. 1 Junayd of Baghdad, an eminent Safi, died in g11 A.D. 2 See p. 100, note I. TALES OF MYSTIC MEANING “*My dear Sharif,” said he, “I have baked some scones for breakfast. Will you go to the house and bid Qaymaz bring them to us along with the goose?” Then, turning to the other, ‘‘Doctor,”’ said he, “tis manifest and sure that thou art skilled in the law; But thy friend a Sharif! His claim is absurd. Who knows who committed adultery with his mother? He has tacked himself on to ‘Ali and the Pro- phet, and in the world there are plenty of fools to believe him.”’ He spoke plausibly, and the Jurist hearkened to him. Then that insolent bully went after the Sharif. “You ass!” he cried, “who invited you into this orchard? Is robbery your inheritance from the Prophet? The lion’scub resembles the lion : in what respect do you resemble the Prophet? Tell me that!”’ The Sharif was devastated by the blows of that rufhan. He said to the Jurist, ‘I have got out of the water. Now you are left alone. Stand fast! Be like a drum and take your beating! If I am no Sharif and unworthy of your friend- ship, at any rate I am no worse for you than such a ruffan as this.” THE GARDENER AND THE THREE FRIENDS The Gardener came up to the Jurist, saying, “What sort of jurist are you? The veriest fool would be ashamed of you. Is it your legal opinion, O convicted thief, that you may come into my orchard without ask- ing leave? Have you read such a licence in the Wasit, or 1s this question thus decided in the Muhit?” “You are right,” he replied; ‘“‘give me a drub- bing! This is the fit punishment for one who deserts his friends.”’ THE MONK IN SEARCH OF A MAN’ A MONK was seen in the daytime going round the bazaar with a lighted candle, his heart filled with love and rapture. Some busybody said to him, ‘‘Hallo, what are you seeking in every shop? What is it you are in search of, going round with a candle in the bright sunshine? What is the joke?”’ He replied, “I am searching everywhere for a man who is made living by the life of the spirit. Is there a man in existence?”’ “‘Why,”’ said the other, “‘this bazaar is full of men, O noble sage.” The monk said, ‘‘I want one who is a man in the way of two passions—anger and lust. Where is he who proves himself a man in the 1 Book V, v. 2887. Diogenes Laertius in his Lives of the Philosophers relates this Story of Diogenes the Cynic: Avyvov pel” Hyépav arras Tepiner Néywv © avOpwrrov tnr@.” Phaedrus tells it of Aesop. THE MONK IN SEARCH OF A MAN

“O dog,’ he cried, “is it Sufism that of a sudden you come into my orchard in spite of me? Has Junayd" or Bayazid* directed you to behave so? From what Shaykh did you receive this Raising his cudgel, he belaboured the helpless Sifi, cracked his head and half killed him. ‘““My score is paid,” said the Sufi, “but have a care for yourselves, O comrades! Ye treated me as a foe. Look out! I am not more unfriendly than this scoundrel. The cup which I have drunk ye must drink, and such a draught is what every cad deserves.” Having finished with the Sufi, the Gardener devised a pretext of the same kind as before. 1 Junayd of Baghdad, an eminent Safi, died in g11 A.D. 2 See p. 100, note I. TALES OF MYSTIC MEANING “*My dear Sharif,” said he, “I have baked some scones for breakfast. Will you go to the house and bid Qaymaz bring them to us along with the goose?” Then, turning to the other, ‘‘Doctor,”’ said he, “tis manifest and sure that thou art skilled in the law; But thy friend a Sharif! His claim is absurd. Who knows who committed adultery with his mother? He has tacked himself on to ‘Ali and the Pro- phet, and in the world there are plenty of fools to believe him.”’ He spoke plausibly, and the Jurist hearkened to him. Then that insolent bully went after the Sharif. “You ass!” he cried, “who invited you into this orchard? Is robbery your inheritance from the Prophet? The lion’scub resembles the lion : in what respect do you resemble the Prophet? Tell me that!”’ The Sharif was devastated by the blows of that rufhan. He said to the Jurist, ‘I have got out of the water. Now you are left alone. Stand fast! Be like a drum and take your beating! If I am no Sharif and unworthy of your friend- ship, at any rate I am no worse for you than such a ruffan as this.” THE GARDENER AND THE THREE FRIENDS The Gardener came up to the Jurist, saying, “What sort of jurist are you? The veriest fool would be ashamed of you. Is it your legal opinion, O convicted thief, that you may come into my orchard without ask- ing leave? Have you read such a licence in the Wasit, or 1s this question thus decided in the Muhit?” “You are right,” he replied; ‘“‘give me a drub- bing! This is the fit punishment for one who deserts his friends.”’ THE MONK IN SEARCH OF A MAN’ A MONK was seen in the daytime going round the bazaar with a lighted candle, his heart filled with love and rapture. Some busybody said to him, ‘‘Hallo, what are you seeking in every shop? What is it you are in search of, going round with a candle in the bright sunshine? What is the joke?”’ He replied, “I am searching everywhere for a man who is made living by the life of the spirit. Is there a man in existence?”’ “‘Why,”’ said the other, “‘this bazaar is full of men, O noble sage.” The monk said, ‘‘I want one who is a man in the way of two passions—anger and lust. Where is he who proves himself a man in the 1 Book V, v. 2887. Diogenes Laertius in his Lives of the Philosophers relates this Story of Diogenes the Cynic: Avyvov pel” Hyépav arras Tepiner Néywv © avOpwrrov tnr@.” Phaedrus tells it of Aesop. THE MONK IN SEARCH OF A MAN

hour of anger or lust? In quest of such a man I am roaming from street to street. Where in the world shall I find one who is a man on these two occasions, that I may sacrifice my life for him to-day ?”’ LI THE ECSTASY OF BAYAZID* TuatT venerable dervish, Bayazid, came to his disciples and said, “‘Lo, I am God.” That master of mystic knowledge exclaimed rapturously, ‘Hark, there is no god but I, so worship me.” When the ecstasy had passed, they said to him at dawn, “Thou saidest such and such, and it is blasphemous.” He replied, “This time, if I make a scandal, come on at once and plunge your knives into me. God is incorporeal, and I am in the body. Ye must kill me if I say a thing like that.” Again he. became intoxicated by the potent flagon: these injunctions vanished from his mind. The dessert appeared: his reason became dis- traught. The dawn broke: his candle be- came useless. Reason is like the prefect: when the Sultan arrives, the helpless prefect creeps into a corner. THE ECSTASY OF BAYAZID Reason is God’s shadow: God is the Sun. How can the shadow resist His sun? When a man is possessed by a spirit, the attri- butes of humanity disappear from him. Whatsoever he says is really uttered by the spirit: the speaker on this side is controlled by one belonging to the other side. A spirit hath such influence and rule: how much more powerful must be the Creator of that spirit! If a pot-valiant fellow shed the blood of a fierce lion, you will say that the wine did it, not he; And if he fashion words of pure gold, you will say that the wine has spoken them. Wine can rouse such transports: hath not the Light of God that virtue and potency To empty you entirely of self, so that you should be laid low and He should make the Word lofty within you? Though the Qur’dn is from the lips of the Prophet—if anyone says God did not speak it, he is an infidel. When the Huma’ of selflessness took wing and soared, Bayazid began to repeat those ecs- tatic words. The flood of bewilderment swept away his 1 The lammergeier or bearded griffon. TALES OF MYSTIC MEANING reason: he spoke more strongly than he had spoken at first, Saying, ‘“Within my mantle there is naught but God: how long wilt thou seek Him on the earth or in heaven?” The disciples, frenzied with horror, dashed their knives at his holy body. Like the fanatics of Girdakih,’ they were ruth- lessly stabbing their spiritual Director. Everyone who plunged a dagger in the Shaykh made a gash in his own body. There was:no mark of a wound on the body of the Master, while the disciples were drowned in blood. Whoever aimed a blow at his throat saw his own throat cut and perished miserably; And whoever struck at his breast, his own breast was riven, and he became dead for And he that was acquainted with that spiritual emperor of high fortune and had not the heart to strike a heavy blow, Half-knowledge tied his hand, so that he saved his life and only wounded himself. When day dawned, the disciples were thinned: wails of lamentation arose from their house. Thousands of men and women came to Bayazid, 1 A stronghold of the terrible sect generally known as the THE ECSTASY OF BAYAZID saying, ““O thou in whose single shirt the two worlds are contained,

hour of anger or lust? In quest of such a man I am roaming from street to street. Where in the world shall I find one who is a man on these two occasions, that I may sacrifice my life for him to-day ?”’ LI THE ECSTASY OF BAYAZID* TuatT venerable dervish, Bayazid, came to his disciples and said, “‘Lo, I am God.” That master of mystic knowledge exclaimed rapturously, ‘Hark, there is no god but I, so worship me.” When the ecstasy had passed, they said to him at dawn, “Thou saidest such and such, and it is blasphemous.” He replied, “This time, if I make a scandal, come on at once and plunge your knives into me. God is incorporeal, and I am in the body. Ye must kill me if I say a thing like that.” Again he. became intoxicated by the potent flagon: these injunctions vanished from his mind. The dessert appeared: his reason became dis- traught. The dawn broke: his candle be- came useless. Reason is like the prefect: when the Sultan arrives, the helpless prefect creeps into a corner. THE ECSTASY OF BAYAZID Reason is God’s shadow: God is the Sun. How can the shadow resist His sun? When a man is possessed by a spirit, the attri- butes of humanity disappear from him. Whatsoever he says is really uttered by the spirit: the speaker on this side is controlled by one belonging to the other side. A spirit hath such influence and rule: how much more powerful must be the Creator of that spirit! If a pot-valiant fellow shed the blood of a fierce lion, you will say that the wine did it, not he; And if he fashion words of pure gold, you will say that the wine has spoken them. Wine can rouse such transports: hath not the Light of God that virtue and potency To empty you entirely of self, so that you should be laid low and He should make the Word lofty within you? Though the Qur’dn is from the lips of the Prophet—if anyone says God did not speak it, he is an infidel. When the Huma’ of selflessness took wing and soared, Bayazid began to repeat those ecs- tatic words. The flood of bewilderment swept away his 1 The lammergeier or bearded griffon. TALES OF MYSTIC MEANING reason: he spoke more strongly than he had spoken at first, Saying, ‘“Within my mantle there is naught but God: how long wilt thou seek Him on the earth or in heaven?” The disciples, frenzied with horror, dashed their knives at his holy body. Like the fanatics of Girdakih,’ they were ruth- lessly stabbing their spiritual Director. Everyone who plunged a dagger in the Shaykh made a gash in his own body. There was:no mark of a wound on the body of the Master, while the disciples were drowned in blood. Whoever aimed a blow at his throat saw his own throat cut and perished miserably; And whoever struck at his breast, his own breast was riven, and he became dead for And he that was acquainted with that spiritual emperor of high fortune and had not the heart to strike a heavy blow, Half-knowledge tied his hand, so that he saved his life and only wounded himself. When day dawned, the disciples were thinned: wails of lamentation arose from their house. Thousands of men and women came to Bayazid, 1 A stronghold of the terrible sect generally known as the THE ECSTASY OF BAYAZID saying, ““O thou in whose single shirt the two worlds are contained,

If this body of thine were human, it would have been destroyed, like a human body, by the daggers.” O you who stab the selfless ones with the sword, you are stabbing yourself. Beware! For the selfless one has passed away in God and is safe: he is dwelling in safety for ever. His form has passed away, and he has become a mirror: naught is there but the image of another face. If you spit at it, you spit at your own face; and if you strike at the mirror, you strike at your- self; And if you see an ugly face in the mirror, ’tis you; and if you see Jesus and Mary, ’tis you. He is neither this nor that: he is pure and trans- parent, he has placed your image before you. Close thy lips, O my soul: though eloquence is at thy command, do not breathe a word— and God best knoweth the right way. The Westminster Press 411A Harrow Road London W.9

If this body of thine were human, it would have been destroyed, like a human body, by the daggers.” O you who stab the selfless ones with the sword, you are stabbing yourself. Beware! For the selfless one has passed away in God and is safe: he is dwelling in safety for ever. His form has passed away, and he has become a mirror: naught is there but the image of another face. If you spit at it, you spit at your own face; and if you strike at the mirror, you strike at your- self; And if you see an ugly face in the mirror, ’tis you; and if you see Jesus and Mary, ’tis you. He is neither this nor that: he is pure and trans- parent, he has placed your image before you. Close thy lips, O my soul: though eloquence is at thy command, do not breathe a word— and God best knoweth the right way. The Westminster Press 411A Harrow Road London W.9