Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 277and the fair one that sits upon it. Behold the openfield. Show manliness, if you are a man!” Youwould say, “God be my refuge! I am no man.What they have told you is all lies. If you are themate, unmanliness is most attractive!”A scorpion comes and raises its stinger againstyour leg, saying, “I have heard you are someonewho laughs and is happy. Laugh, so that I canhear your laughter.” In such a case you would say,“Now that you have come I have no laughter.What they have told you is lies. My desire tolaugh has been replaced with the hope that youwill go far away!”Someone said to Rumi: “When you sighed amoment ago, the ecstasy departed. Do not sigh, sothe ecstasy will not leave.”Rumi answered: Sometimes that ecstasydeparts if you do not sigh. Otherwise,Mohammed would not have said,“Abraham was a man who sighed, a mercifulman.”Nor would it be right to show any act of obedienceto God, for all displays of obedience areecstasy.