Discourses of Rumi

296 V DISCOURSES OF RUMIIt is said that God has appointed meteors towatch over heaven to prevent the accursed Satansfrom listening to the secrets of the angels. Themeaning of this, according to esotericists, is, “OGod, appoint the guardian of Your loving care towatch over our inward house, to drive away fromus the temptation of the Satans and the tricks ofthe carnal desires.”Everyone begins this path from their ownplace. The Koran is a double-sided brocade. Someenjoy one side, and some the other. Both are true,since God desires that everyone should gainbenefit from it. In the same way, a woman has ahusband and a child. Each enjoys her in a differentway. The child’s pleasure is in her breast andher milk. The husband’s pleasure is in intercoursewith her. Some people are infants of the Way—they take pleasure in the literal meaning of theKoran, and drink that milk. But those who havereached years of full discretion have anotherenjoyment and a different understanding of theinner meanings of the Koran.Abraham’s station and place of prayer is a certainspot in the Kaaba where the literalists saytwo inclinations of prayer must be performed.