Discourses of Rumi

400 V DISCOURSES OF RUMImakes the beehive. God gives those bees a formappropriate to the work they are doing, but whenthey depart into the other world they change garments,for there a different work proceeds. Still,those people are the same as they were in the firstplace.For example: a man goes into battle, puts onhis battledress, girds on armor and places a helmeton his head to prepare for combat. But whenhe comes home to the feast he takes off those garments,since food and family are another business.Still, he is the same person. However, if youlast saw him in that garment, then whenever youthink of him, you will picture him in that shapeand dress, even though he may have changedclothes a hundred times.A woman loses a ring in a certain place.Though the ring has been moved, she still circlesaround that spot, implying, “It was here that Ilost it.” In the same way, a bereaved man circlesaround the grave, ignorantly circumambulatingabout the earth and kissing it, implying, “I lostthat ring here,” yet how could it still be there?