Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 87“He was your favorite, and that was what hedid,” they replied.“Fools!” the king cried out. “He didn’t do that.I did it.”To outward eyes, all of the slaves were sinful.But that one act was the very acme of obedience.Indeed, it transcended obedience and sin. Of themall, the true lover was that one slave. The otherswere but followers of the king. Thus, they followedthat slave, since he had become the essenceof the king, only outwardly wearing the form ofslavery. He was filled with the beauty of the king.God declares, “If it weren’t for you, I wouldnever have created the heavens.” This is the sameas “I am God.” It means, “I created the heavensfor I love you as Myself.” This is “I am God” inanother language and another tongue.Though the words of the great saints appear ina hundred different forms, since God is one andthe Way is one, how can their words be different?Though their teachings appear to contradict, theirmeaning is one. Separation exists in their outwardform only; in inner purpose they all agree.