Page 147 - The Book of Rumi

The Darvish and the Firewood Gatherer

t was a cold and windy night, and a novice darvish had gone to bed early. In
Ia dream, he found himself in the company of great Sufi s and was quick to
take advantage of his fortune. He implored the great men for advice on how
to conduct his life honorably without creating bad karma. In their infi nite
wisdom, the masters imparted the great secret of the magical mountain, where
fruit of all kinds grew on trees and one could subsist on them freely for life.
Without exerting much effort, the darvish soon found the mountain
and discovered the delectable fruit of the trees, which were in abundance
everywhere. Much to his surprise, the fruits were not only sweet but also
transformed his speech in such a manner that when he spoke, people were
mesmerized by him. He was content that he’d never have to worry about his
livelihood again.
One day, the darvish went to a nearby stream to wash. As he took off his
coat, he felt two silver coins that he had sewn into the hem of his jacket long
ago while he was still a working man. Almost instantly he noticed an old man
in the distance carrying a heap of fi rewood on his bent back walking toward
him. He thought, as I no longer need the silver, why don’t I give these coins
to this poor man; perhaps he can nourish his dilapidated body a little. But
before the darvish could fi nish his thought, the old man was standing before
him, his eyes ablaze!
Unbeknown to the young darvish, the old man was a high Sufi master
who could read thoughts. He threw his enormous stack of fi rewood in front
of the darvish, inflicting the fear of God on him. Quietly the old man whis-

pered something inaudible, but the darvish nevertheless understood him. He
was reproaching the darvish for belittling him, thinking that he was so worth-
less as to be deserving of alms. The old man, obviously offended, raised his
arms, turning to the sky:
“My God, only You know who Your special devotees are and what pre-
cious gifts they are to this world. So please, for our sake, use Your alchemy to
turn this stack of wood into gold!”

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