Discourses of Rumi

discourse 58Rumi related: A certain Gnostic once said, “Iwent to the baths to expand my heart, since thebaths had become the place of retreat for certainsaints. I saw that the master of the bath stove hadan apprentice. The master was telling the apprentice,‘Do this and do that.’ The apprentice wasworking briskly, and the stove gave off good heatbecause of how nimbly the orders were obeyed.“’Fine,’ said the master. ‘Be nimble like this. Ifyou are always energetic and mind your manners,I will give you my own position, and appoint youto my own place.’“I was overcome with laughter,” said theGnostic, “and my inner knot was resolved, for Isaw that bosses of this world all behave like thiswith their apprentices.”