Page 134 - The Book of Rumi

The Chickpeas

n market day, a woman went shopping and came back with a big bag of
Ochickpeas, which she intended to use to make several kinds of salad, dip,
and soup. She cleaned the chickpeas, rinsing them well and then soaking them
for several hours before boiling them slowly in a big cauldron.
As soon as the pot began to boil, the chickpeas started bouncing up and
down, screaming: “You’ve bought us, we’re yours, why set us on fi re now?”
“It’s time for you to boil, so stay quiet and be patient. I must cook you
properly, until you’re ready to be added to my best dishes,” she asserted know-
ingly. “When you were growing in the fi elds you were amply nourished, but
now it’s time to put up with some hardship. You know that your ultimate
purpose is to become nourishment for the spirit not just the body! That’s how
in the end you’ll reap your greatest rewards.”
The chickpeas slowly stopped bouncing around and quieted down,
resigned to the fact that if they wanted to be part of the grand scheme of life,
they would have to forfeit their material existence and trust in the guidance
of their mistress.

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