Verses from Mevlana's Mathnawi

It was Mary's painful need that made the infant Jesus
begin to speak from the cradle.
Whatever grew has grown for the sake of those in need,
so that a seeker might find the thing he sought.
If God most High has created the Heavens,
He has created them for the purpose of satisfying needs.
Wherever a pain is, that's where the cure goes;
wherever the poverty is, that's where provisions goes.
Wherever a difficult question is,
That's where the answer goes;
wherever a ship is, water goes to it.
Don't seek the water; increase your thirst,
so water may gush forth from above and below.
Until the tender-throated babe is born,
how should the milk for it
flow from the mother's breast?

"Risking the Journey"

Your difficulties and discussions indicate that you want to learn by means of information, but one has to walk and struggle on the path. Let's say, for a hundred years you have talked about the way to Aleppo and Damascus, but you can never bring the goods of Aleppo here unless you endure the difficulty and dangers of the journey. You must undergo the concern and fear of having your property plundered by robbers;only then can you arrive.

Someone asked "Should the student prefer the way of discussion first, so that later walking on that path might be easier?"

He answered, "I have already told you the story of the way to Aksaray and given you information about the journey. You didn't go there; I am with you. And from now on, you yourself pay attention to see which way is safer--which way is most free of thieves, wolves and other dangers.""

And then, what about the path to Malatya or the path to Ilbistan?"

From the book "Teachings of Shams of Tabriz-Rumi's Sun"

ASLEEP TO THE WORLD

Every Night You free our spirits from the
body's snare and erase all impressions on
the tablets of memory.

Our Spirits are set free every night from
this cage, they are done with audience and
talk and tale.

At night prisoners forget their prison,
at night governors forget their power.

There is no sorrow, no thought of gain or loss,
no idea of this person or that person.

Such is the state of the mystic,
even when he is not asleep.

God says, "You imagine them awake while
they slept."

He is asleep, day and night,
to the affairs of this world.
like a pen in the hand of the lord.

God has shown forth some part of his state,
inasmuch as the vulgar too
are carried away by sleep:

Their spirits one into the Wilderness
that is beyond words, their souls and
bodies at rest.

Till with a whistle You call them back
to the snare, bring them all again to
justice and judgment.

At daybreak, like israfil,

He bids them return from yonder
to the world of form:

The disembodied spirits He confines anew
and causes each body to be laden
with its good and evil works.

There Is No Place Like Home

In the beginning, there was a man,
but he was lonely.
And Heavenly Father placed mankind with him,
but they were still lonely.
And Heavenly Father gave them animals of all kind,
but they were still lonely.
So, Heavenly Father placed blooms
of all colors around them,
but, they were still lonely.
All the delights of this earth did not
satisfy their loneliness and longing,
And, the Stars appeared in the dark sky one by one,
pointing the direction to their home and
to the divine source.

And at last they were allowed to return home.