Two Friends

A certain persom came to the Friend's door and knocked.
"Who's there?"
"It's me."
The Friend answered, "Go away. There's no
place
for raw meat at this table."

The Individual went wandering for a year.
Nothing but the fire of separation
can change hypocrisy and ego. The person
returned
completely cooked,
walked up and down in front of the Friend's
house,
gently knocked.
"Who is it"?
"You"
"Please come in, my self,
there's no place in this house for two.
The doubled end of the thread is not what goes
through
the eye of the needle
It's a single-pointed, fined-down, thread end,
not a big ego-beast with baggage."

This poem depicted, my on going opportunity to work on myself!! To truly become one with my Presence, to be free of the constant emcumbrance of the ever nagging, exhausting ego. When Rumi mentions the separation by fire, I wondered if he knew about the Violet Flame? And I realize that the Violet Flame is the consuming fire that can free me, it is truly my key, my salvation from the "uncooked" portion of myself (human ego). To continue "walking" the Violet Flame and I must become one. After I am fully "cooked", there will be no separation between me and my Presence and I will be able to go through the eye of the needle.

An Encounter while Walking

Intense reactions can be our prodigal selves returning home for redemption
Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah…

Seeing and greeting our ancient fears with peace and compassion is the task
Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah…

Can we bring our future Sun Selves into the envelope of the present?
Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah…

Only the rhythm of our footsteps treading the path will tell.
Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah… Hymn to Allah…

Keep walking, though there’s no place to get to.
Don’t try to see through the distances.
That’s not for human beings.
Move within, but don’t move the way fear makes you move.
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty & frightened.
Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
-- Rumi
How do I love thee, O Mother Earth, let me count the ways - a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground! - Cathleen

This poem came from "Transformation" by Divani Shamsi Tabrizi 2840. I am relating that portion of the poem that spoke to me...
Walk into the fire, like Abraham, purified and cheerful.
Drink of the Water of Eternal Life,
like Khidr, who lives forever.
Walk away from the corrupt!
Be free of senseless allures!
Your origin is noble, your nature awesome.
Invulnerable in spirit, your beauty comes from within.
...Bestow a life-giving breath, the same as the one
Christ breathed...
******************************************
I believe we are challenged to "walk into the fire" because the Light that bathes us will protect us and we have nothing to fear as we go through various darknesses on this planet, cheerful and believing... We are also challenged to "Walk away from the corrupt!", which came to my mind as I stood waiting in line at the grocery store, my eyes scanning the headlines of a certain periodical, slightly tempted to find out if Nostradamus' predictions really said the earth was coming to an end... But the temptation passed, and I went on joyful in the realization, as the author also said, that I could "Bestow a life-giving breath, the same as the one Christ breathed" - which I proceeded to do with a friend who required assistance.