Discourses of Rumi

352 V DISCOURSES OF RUMIwhen the petals of the rose become scattered bythe wind and rejoin their origin. Therefore, somepeople want friendship, passion, unbelief andfaith all to dissolve and return to their source. Forthese are walls of form cause narrowness andduality, while the other world is broadness andabsolute unity.These words of themselves have no power.How can they be powerful? They are merelywords. In fact, in themselves they can become acause of weakness. Yet they inspire some to truth.Words are a veil. How can two or three letterscombined together cause life and excitement?When people come to visit and you greet thempolitely, and welcome them, they are happy andfeel affection. If you receive them with two orthree words of abuse, those two or three wordscause them anger and pain. Now what connectionis there between stringing together a few wordsand an increase in affection, or provocation ofanger? God appointed these veils so that no one’sgaze can fall upon Its beauty and perfection.Weak veils are appropriate to weak eyes.