Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 327the breast is full, until you suck it the milk doesnot flow.Someone asked: “What is it that prevents gratitude?”Rumi answered: Inordinate greed, for no matterhow much people have, greed wants more.Since they get less than what their heart is setupon, they cannot be grateful. But people areunaware of their own defect, and they cannot seethe flaw that taints the coin they offer.Greed is like eating raw meat—inevitably itmakes you sick. Once we realize we have eatensomething rotten, a purge becomes necessary.God, in His wisdom, makes us suffer throughingratitude to purge and rid us of that corruptconceit, lest that one sickness becomes a hundredsicknesses.“And we tried them with good things and evil,That gratefully they should return.”That is to say, “We planned for people in waysthey do not know, such as when they avoid seeingsecondary causes as partners with God.” It is forthis reason that Abu Yazid said, “Lord, I havenever associated anything else with You.” And