Discourses of Rumi

38 V DISCOURSES OF RUMIbecoming a merchant or a king, a scientist or anastronomer. It was not until the pains of birthmanifested in Mary that she made for the tree.Those pangs drove her to the tree, and the treethat was withered became fruitful.We are like that story of Mary in the Koran.Every one of us has a Jesus within, but until thepangs manifest, our Jesus is not born. If the pangsnever come, then our child rejoins its origin by thesame secret path through which it came, leavingus empty, without the birth of our true self.Your inward soul is hungry.Your outward flesh is over fed.The devil has gorged to sickness.The king begs even for bread.The cure is found while Jesus is here on earth!But once he returns to heaven,all hope will have fled.