Discourses of Rumi

140 V DISCOURSES OF RUMIsensuality. We are half angel, half beast. Halfsnake, half fish. The fish draws us toward water,the snake toward the earth. We are forever in battle.If our spiritual conscience overcomes our sensuality,we are higher than the angels. If our sensualityovercomes our spiritual conscience, we arelower than the beasts.“The angel is saved through knowledge,The animal—through ignorance.Between the two struggle the people of this world.”Now, some have followed their spiritual conscienceso faithfully that they have become entirelyangels and pure Light. They are the prophetsand the saints. They are freed of fear and hope. Insome, lust has overcome their spiritual conscienceso entirely that they have taken on the status ofanimals. Some are still struggling. These last arethe people who feel within themselves an agonyand anguish, a sorrow and a longing. They arenot satisfied with their lives. These are the believers.The saints are waiting to bring them to theirown station, to make them like themselves, just asthe satans, too, are waiting to draw them to thelowest of the low.