Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 349and gave away his life. He said, “I am God,”meaning, “I have passed away. God aloneremains.” This is extreme humility. Your saying,“Thou art God, and I am Your servant,” is arrogance,for you have affirmed your own existence,and created dualism. To say, “He is God,” is stillduality, for until “I” exists “He” is impossible.Therefore it was God alone who said, “I amGod,” since Mansur had passed away.The world of imagination is greater than factsand concepts, for all concepts are born of imagination.Yet imagination itself is narrow comparedto that world from which imagination is born.This is the limit of explanations, for that realitycannot be made known by words and expressions.Someone asked: “Then what is the use ofexpressions and words?”Rumi answered: Words set you searching.They are not the objects of your quest. If thatwere the case, there would be no need for all thisspiritual struggle and self-sacrifice. Words are likeglimpsing something far away. You follow in itstrail to see it better, but this doesn’t mean the trailis what you are seeking. Speech is inwardly the