Discourses of Rumi

168 V DISCOURSES OF RUMIror people see themselves. If they see us as weary,that weariness is theirs and a reflection of theirweakness. There is no room here for weariness;what use do we have for weariness?In the baths, once, I showed great submissionto Sheikh Salah al-Din, and Sheikh Salah al-Dinshowed great submission to me. Confronted byhis submission, I protested. I thought to myself,“You are carrying submission too far. Submissionis better by degrees: First you kiss the hand, thenthe foot. Little by little you come to a point whereit does not stand out as a display, and in returnthey are moved by your sincerity. They are notchased away, or forced into matching courtesywith courtesy, when you gradually show youraffection.”We must act this same way with friends andenemies, doing things gradually. For instance,with an enemy, first we offer them our advice, littleby little. If they do not listen, we show someforce. If they do not heed that, then we drive themaway.The work of the world proceeds in this way.Don’t you see the peace and friendliness of