MoonSun
Padawan Learner
hello everyone, the following verses are from Rumi (Iranian sufi and poet). I thought here is the right place to share this, it's about predators.
The Hunter and the Hunted
723 He is so drowned in his own passion (for hunting, that) he is
unaware of his own pursuer and hunter.
If grass is devouring some water and air, an animal's stomach is
grazing (close) behind.
725 That grass is (both) the eater and the eaten, just as anything
that exists-- other than God.
Since He is (described in the verse as) "And He feeds you and is
not fed,"1 God is neither eater or eaten, (like living) flesh and skin.
The eater and the eaten are never safe from some (other) eater,
which is waiting quietly in ambush.
The security of the eaten ones is attractive for bereavement (to
follow). Go (for security) to that Court, for He "is not fed"!
For every mental image, there is some (other) mental image
consuming (it); for (every) thought, there is another thought
grazing on (it).
730 You aren't able to escape from a mental image, or to sleep so
that you can jump outside of it.
Thoughts are the bees, and that sleep of yours (is) the water (in
which you try to escape); when you wake up, the bees come back.
Many mental "bees" fly in, to draw (you) this way and take (you)
that way.
These mental images are the least of those which devour, and the
Owner of Majesty2 knows (well the power of) the others!
Take care! Escape from the crowd of rough devourers,3 to (refuge
in) Him who said, "I am your Protector."4
735 Or (flee) to the one who has obtained (from God the power of)
protection, if you are unable to hurry (directly) to that Protector.
Don't pledge (your) hand (to any), except to the hand of the (sufi)
Elder,5 (for) God has become the "Hand-Holder"6 for his hand.
The (sufi) Elder (is) your (guiding) intellect, (which) has been
made habitually childish from being the neighbor of the ego, which
is within the veil [of selfish passions].
Join (that) perfected intellect to (your weak) intellect, so that
(your) mind may turn back from that harmful nature.
When you put your hand in his hand, then you will jump outside
the grasp of the devourers.
740 (And) your hand will become (part of) the "People of the
Pledge,"7 since "The Hand of God is over their hands."8
When you have given your hand to the sufi Elder's hand-- the wise
Elder who is knowing and honorable,
Since he is (like) the prophet of his time,9 O disciple, so that the
light of the Prophet becomes visible (in him),
By this you will have been present at Hudaybiya and a fellow
companion to the Companions of the Pledge.10
Then you will have become (like one) of the Ten of Good News,11
(and) you will have become purified like pure gold.
745 (And this is) so that (your) association may become right,
because a man is joined to someone he has made friends with;
He is with him (in) this world and the next-- and this is (the
meaning of) the saying of sweet-natured Ahmad,12
(Who) said, "A man is with the one whom he loves,"13 (meaning
that) the heart is not separate from its desired object.
Sit less (often) wherever there is a trap and bait. O you who
suppose others to be weak: go (and) look (carefully) at those who
take others to be weak.
O assumer of the weakness of the weak, know this: (that) there is
also a hand above (your) hand, O young man!
750 You are weak, and (yet) you assume weakness (in others)--
how amazing! You are both the prey and the hunter in pursuit!
Don't be (like those mentioned in the verse who have) "a barrier14
in front and behind them," so that you will not see (your) enemy,
and (yet your) enemy (will be) obvious.
The greed of hunting is negligence of being the prey; he (thinks he)
is winning a (sweet-) heart, but he is lacking a heart!
Don't be less than a bird in seeking, (since even) a sparrow sees
"in front (and) behind."
(Because) when it comes next to the seed, it turns (its) head and
face forward and behind (at that) moment.
755 Thinking, "I wonder (if) there is a hunter in front or behind
me?-- so that I should draw back from this morsel because of fear
of him."
You should see behind (you in) the stories (in the Qur'an) about the
wrongdoers; you should (also) look in front (of you) at the deaths
of (your) friends and neighbors,
For He brought destruction upon them without (need of) an
instrument, and He is connected to you in every situation.
God punished (them) without (need) of a hand or mace: so know
that God is the Justice-Maker without hands.
The one who would say [in public], "If God exists, where (is
He)?"-- he was on the (torture) rack15 confessing, "He [exists]!"
760 The one who said, "This ("existence") is strange and remote,"
was shedding tears and continually calling out: "O (You who are)
Near!"16
The Hunter and the Hunted
723 He is so drowned in his own passion (for hunting, that) he is
unaware of his own pursuer and hunter.
If grass is devouring some water and air, an animal's stomach is
grazing (close) behind.
725 That grass is (both) the eater and the eaten, just as anything
that exists-- other than God.
Since He is (described in the verse as) "And He feeds you and is
not fed,"1 God is neither eater or eaten, (like living) flesh and skin.
The eater and the eaten are never safe from some (other) eater,
which is waiting quietly in ambush.
The security of the eaten ones is attractive for bereavement (to
follow). Go (for security) to that Court, for He "is not fed"!
For every mental image, there is some (other) mental image
consuming (it); for (every) thought, there is another thought
grazing on (it).
730 You aren't able to escape from a mental image, or to sleep so
that you can jump outside of it.
Thoughts are the bees, and that sleep of yours (is) the water (in
which you try to escape); when you wake up, the bees come back.
Many mental "bees" fly in, to draw (you) this way and take (you)
that way.
These mental images are the least of those which devour, and the
Owner of Majesty2 knows (well the power of) the others!
Take care! Escape from the crowd of rough devourers,3 to (refuge
in) Him who said, "I am your Protector."4
735 Or (flee) to the one who has obtained (from God the power of)
protection, if you are unable to hurry (directly) to that Protector.
Don't pledge (your) hand (to any), except to the hand of the (sufi)
Elder,5 (for) God has become the "Hand-Holder"6 for his hand.
The (sufi) Elder (is) your (guiding) intellect, (which) has been
made habitually childish from being the neighbor of the ego, which
is within the veil [of selfish passions].
Join (that) perfected intellect to (your weak) intellect, so that
(your) mind may turn back from that harmful nature.
When you put your hand in his hand, then you will jump outside
the grasp of the devourers.
740 (And) your hand will become (part of) the "People of the
Pledge,"7 since "The Hand of God is over their hands."8
When you have given your hand to the sufi Elder's hand-- the wise
Elder who is knowing and honorable,
Since he is (like) the prophet of his time,9 O disciple, so that the
light of the Prophet becomes visible (in him),
By this you will have been present at Hudaybiya and a fellow
companion to the Companions of the Pledge.10
Then you will have become (like one) of the Ten of Good News,11
(and) you will have become purified like pure gold.
745 (And this is) so that (your) association may become right,
because a man is joined to someone he has made friends with;
He is with him (in) this world and the next-- and this is (the
meaning of) the saying of sweet-natured Ahmad,12
(Who) said, "A man is with the one whom he loves,"13 (meaning
that) the heart is not separate from its desired object.
Sit less (often) wherever there is a trap and bait. O you who
suppose others to be weak: go (and) look (carefully) at those who
take others to be weak.
O assumer of the weakness of the weak, know this: (that) there is
also a hand above (your) hand, O young man!
750 You are weak, and (yet) you assume weakness (in others)--
how amazing! You are both the prey and the hunter in pursuit!
Don't be (like those mentioned in the verse who have) "a barrier14
in front and behind them," so that you will not see (your) enemy,
and (yet your) enemy (will be) obvious.
The greed of hunting is negligence of being the prey; he (thinks he)
is winning a (sweet-) heart, but he is lacking a heart!
Don't be less than a bird in seeking, (since even) a sparrow sees
"in front (and) behind."
(Because) when it comes next to the seed, it turns (its) head and
face forward and behind (at that) moment.
755 Thinking, "I wonder (if) there is a hunter in front or behind
me?-- so that I should draw back from this morsel because of fear
of him."
You should see behind (you in) the stories (in the Qur'an) about the
wrongdoers; you should (also) look in front (of you) at the deaths
of (your) friends and neighbors,
For He brought destruction upon them without (need of) an
instrument, and He is connected to you in every situation.
God punished (them) without (need) of a hand or mace: so know
that God is the Justice-Maker without hands.
The one who would say [in public], "If God exists, where (is
He)?"-- he was on the (torture) rack15 confessing, "He [exists]!"
760 The one who said, "This ("existence") is strange and remote,"
was shedding tears and continually calling out: "O (You who are)
Near!"16
