Discourses of Rumi

discourse 41We are like bowls on the surface of the water. Thedirection a bowl moves is controlled not by thebowl, but by the water.Someone said: “That is a general statement.But some people know they are on the surface ofthe water, while some do not know.”Rumi said: If that is a general statement, thenthe specific statement, “The heart of the believeris between two fingers of the All-Merciful” wouldmean nothing. It was also said, “The All-Mercifulhas taught the Koran.” This cannot be a generalstatement. God taught all the sciences, so what isthis particular reference to the Koran?Similarly, “He created the heavens and theearth.” Why specifically the heavens and theearth, since He created all things? True, all bowlstravel on the surface of the water of Omnipotenceand Divine Will, but it is poor manners to refer toGod as “O Creator of dung and farting and windbreaking.”Instead we say, “O Creator of the