Page 70 - The Tale of Drunken Flute in Whirling Dervish

Another noted version of their meeting is stated as, “one day Baba Shams
(R.A.) passed by Hazrat Mevlana Rumi (R.A.) who was reading and asked
him, “What are you doing?” Hazrat Mevlana Rumi (R.A.) replied somewhat in
rudeness “something you cannot understand”. On this Baba Shams (R.A.) threw
all books into pool and when books were brought out of water again they were
completely dry. Hazrat Mavelana Rumi (R.A.) surprisingly asked “What is this?”
and then Baba Shams (R.A.) repeated his answer “This is what you cannot
understand.”
In another version it is written that the books caught fire when Mevlana Rumi
(R.A.) replied scoffingly. From then on Hazrat Mevlana Rumi (R.A.) who was
swept across by a spectacular change, afterwards, accepted Baba Shams
Tabriezi (R.A.) as his Murshid.
To probe deeply into their relationship it would be essential to understand the
nature of Murshid in mysticism.
68 The Tale of Drunken flute in Whirling Dervish
The Master
nowledge can be obtained by experience, meditation, reflection and
intuition, it is beyond any doubt. But knowledge if gained with the
K exultant eye of love stirs that warmth which resplends man with
his whole, i.e. his intellect, his emotions, his imagination, his religiousity get
enveloped into a glistening harmony that lit every living microbe, yoking him
into multi-faceted perfection. The Murshid can help a disciple in standing good
relation to his macrocosm and microcosm which bless him conformity with
Divine Grace, in all facets of his soul. The presence of Murshid is a beacon which
can help in landing safe the boat of his life ashore:-
Yunus Emre (Turkish poet and mystic) said
“Ever since the glance of mature one fell upon me, nothing has been a problem”.
This ideologue has been vehemently expressed in different religious sects.
In Bhagavad Gita (4 – 34) Krishna says “Just try to learn the truth by approaching
a spiritual Master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him.
The self realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen
the truth”. And Ramana Maharshi goes so far in saying that the relationship
with a Murshid is “……… a kiss of the Prince and sleeping Beauty”.
“The Guru appears in human forms within the dream of life, not to console you
but to awaken you through the crisis of real consciousness”.
The Buddhist thinker, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche crowns this relationship by
asserting that the master is a great ship, a captain, rain, a bright sun and moon,
a firm ground, a wish fulfilling tree, a treasury, a father and a mother, a great
river of compassion and what not.
“To make any connection with him, either by seeing him, hearing his voice,
remembering him, or by touching his hand, it will lead us toward liberation”’.
The warmth of his wisdom and compassion will melt the core of our being and
release the gold of the buddha-nature within”.
The Master is a refuge, the bliss arising from the core of existence, as Jikmelingpa
put it,
“From the blossoming lotus of devotion, at the centre of my being
Rise up, O compassionate master, my only refuge! I am plagued by past actions
and turbulent emotions:
The Tale of Drunken flute in Whirling Dervish 69