The Presence of the Beloved is Most Sweet

In Spring, if I am parted from the beloved's presence
What care do I have for the garden?
What use is that greenness?
Or if thorns grow instead of fruit?
From the clouds, let stones fall instead of rain.

It is much more pleasant for me to be with you than where they would give me property and positions.  If I were to go to Tabriz they would give me a position and acclaim.  But being together with you is much more pleasant for than these.  If those who promise wealth and positions don't listen to my words and can't understand them, what pleasure would it bring?  It's pleasant to be with some who can understand.

--Shams of Tabriz.

Lord's Prayer - One of my favorite prayers

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed by thy Name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who
trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.
(For Thine is the Kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, forever and
ever. Amen )

words for the mind and spirit

If you wish for a pearl
you must leave the desert
and wander by the sea;
and even if you never find
the gleaming pearl, at least
you won't have failed to reach the water

--Sama'i--

A sheikh said, "if you wish to become a saint, change your
character into the character of children." "Why?" he was asked.
"Children have five qualities," he answered,"and if adults had
these same qualities, they would attain the rank of saints."

1. They do not worry about their daily bread
2. When they fall sick, they do not complain night and day
about their misfortune.
3. Whatever food they have, they share
4. When they fight or quarrel, they do not keep grudges
in their hearts, but make up quickly.
5. The slightest threat makes them frightened and brings
tears to their eyes.

---al-Ghazzali---

Oh heart, sit with someone
who knows the heart;
Go under the tree
which has fresh blossoms

---Rumi---



Fasting is a way to save on food.
Vigil and prayer is a labor for old folks.
Pilgrimage is an occasion for tourism.
To distribute bread in alms is something for philanthropists.
Fall in love:
That is doing something!

---Ansari---

Dear Friend,
Your heart is a polished mirror. You must wipe it clean of
the veil of dust that has gathered upon it, because it is
destined to reflect the light of divine secrets.

----al-Ghazzali---

For thirty years I sought God. But when I looked carefully
I found that in reality God was the seeker and I the sought.

---Beyazid Bistami---

When you come upon the essence, do you still want the form?
When you have drunk of the water of life, do you still need the
glass to contain it?

---Reshad Feild----