Discourses of Rumi

discourse 54Rumi said: When I first began composing poetry,a great urge compelled me. At that time the urgewas strong. Now the desire has grown weakerand is declining, but still it has its effect. Such isthe way of God. He gives life to things in the timeof their rising, producing great results and wisdom,yet in declining His influence still has itsforce. “The Lord of the East and the West,”means, “He fosters both the rising and declining.”The Mutazilites believe that people create theirown acts; that every deed springs out of our owncreation. But this cannot be true, for everythingthat we do is produced through our mind, spirit,senses or body. Yet, we haven’t created any ofthese instruments. Since we are not the creatorand are not capable of creating such things, thenthese functions cannot be fully subject to our control.And it is impossible for us to create an actwithout these instruments.Therefore, we realize that the true creator ofour actions is not our own selves, but God. We