Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 107This world is a world of winter. Isn’t the name“solid” given to inanimate things? These stonesand mountains, and the garments worn by thisworld, are all solidified. The inner essence of thisworld can be known by its effects: it is wind andbitter cold. It is like the winter season when allthings are frozen. What manner of winter is it? Awinter of the mind. When that divine zephyrcomes along, these mountains will begin to melt,and the solidity of this world will dissolve—justlike when the warmth of summer comes along, allthe snow and ice turn to water. On the resurrectionday, when that zephyr blows, all things willmelt away.God makes these words an army to surroundyou and protect you against the enemy, and to bethe means of overwhelming the enemy. For thereare enemies—enemies within and enemies without.Yet they are really nothing—what could theybe?Don’t you see how a thousand godless peoplesubmit themselves to one leader who becomestheir ruler, and that ruler is captive to his ownthoughts? From this it is easy to see the effect ofthoughts, since through one feeble and muddled