Discourses of Rumi

166 V DISCOURSES OF RUMIserve their empire of logic and proofs. If that walldid not exist as a veil for them, no one would consultthem and their work would disappear.This is like what Shams said, “The other worldis like a sea, and this world is foam from that sea.God desired to keep this foam in order. Therefore,He set certain people with their backs to the seaso this foam would not fall into ruin.”A tent was pitched for a king, and he kept certainpeople busy constructing this tent. One says,“If I don’t make the tent-ropes how will the tentstand up?” Another says, “If I don’t make thepegs, where will they tie the ropes?” Still, everybodyknows these people are servants of the king.If the weavers gave up weaving and sought to beviziers, the whole world would be naked andbare. So, they were given a joy for their craft.They are content with weaving. Therefore peoplewere created to keep the world of foam in order,and this world was created for the Saint.God bestows contentment and happiness oneveryone in the work that is theirs, so that even iftheir life should last a hundred thousand yearsthey would still find love for their work. Every