Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 287yourself. Such vision only manifests through greatlonging and seeking. Your own statement stillportrays the existence of a seeker, desire andvision. Thus, the relationship between seekers andGod is a case where all disclaimers of love proveonly love.They say, “That crowd are disciples of adimwit, and venerate the fool.” I say, “That‘dimwit’ of a Sheikh is no less than a stone or anidol.” Those who worship stones venerate andmagnify them. They direct their hopes and longingstoward them, and their petitions, needs andtears. The stone knows nothing, nor can it feelanything of this. Yet God has made stones andidols to be the means of devotion, of which thestones and idols are totally unaware.In the same way, these disciples are in love withthe image of this foolish Sheikh, and the Sheikh isoblivious to their “banishment,” “union” and allthe phases of their love life.If misguided and misdirected love for a phantomcan produce ecstasy, still it is nothing like themutual love enjoyed with a real beloved, who isaware and wide awake to the lover’s condition.