Discourses of Rumi

216 V DISCOURSES OF RUMIWhat Umar desired was not the faith of thecommon people. He had that faith and more—indeed, he had the faith of the veracious. He wasseeking the faith of the Prophets in absolute certainty.That was what he hoped for.The report of a lion spread abroad through allparts of the world. It was said this lion had a specialquality: Anyone who approached him boldly,and rubbed their hands upon him lovingly, wouldbe unharmed, but if they were afraid and timorousthe lion would be enraged against them.Sometimes he even attacked, as if to say, “What isthis bad opinion you have of me?”A certain person, marveling at the rumor, traveledfrom far away to see the lion. For a year thisperson endured the rigors of the road, and traveledfrom town to town. After finally arriving atthe thicket and spying the lion from afar, this lionseeker stood still and could advance no closer.The people said to this person, “You set forthon a long road out of love for this lion. For thiscreature you have struggled on for a year. Nowthat you have come so close, why do you standstill? Advance one more step!”