Discourses of Rumi

discourse 31The police are always in search of thieves to capture,and thieves are always running away. It israre indeed to find a thief that searches for thepolice to be captured and thrown in jail. That’snot a natural desire for thieves.God said to Abu Yazid, “What do you desire,Abu Yazid?” He answered, “I desire not todesire.”To be wholly without desire—that is not a naturaldesire, since a person must empty themselfand cease to be. But God wanted to perfect AbuYazid and to make him a complete Sheikh, so thatwithin him there would be no room for duality orseparation, and only complete union and unitywould prevail.There are various classes and different rankson the spiritual path. Through effort and struggle,some have attained the station that can refuseevery desire. That is within the scope of some. Butto allow not even an itch of desire to enter the