Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 255For instance, those of us who watched whenthis house was built know it did not exist until afew years ago. If living creatures were born in thishouse, such as scorpions, mice, snakes and othercreatures, to them this house was already standing.If they should say, “This house is eternal,”that is no proof to us, for we saw when this housewas created. Termites and ants that have grownup in the walls and woodwork know nothing else,just as the people who have grown up within thehouse of this world. Here they sprout up, andhere they will die, knowing nothing else. If theysay that the world is eternal, that is no proof tothe prophets and saints who existed millions ofyears before the world. Why speak of years? Thisis no place for numbers of years…they are infiniteand beyond counting. They saw this world comeinto existence, just as you have seen when thishouse was first raised.