Hello Rumi Tuesday! Who art thou?

When we clear the ego, what feast awaits?…

“‘Till man destroys ‘self’ he is no true friend of God.‘

Once a man came and knocked at the door of his friend.

His friend said, “Who art thou, O faithful one?”

He said, “‘Tis I.” He answered, “There is no admittance.

There is no room for the ‘raw’ at my well-cooked feast.

Naught but fire of separation and absence

Can cook the raw one and free him from hypocrisy!

Since thy ‘self’ has not yet left thee,

Thou must be burned in fiery flames.”

The poor man went away, and for one whole year

Journeyed burning with grief for his friend’s absence.

His heart burned till it was cooked; then he went again

And drew near to the house of his friend.

He knocked at the door in fear and trepidation

Lest some careless word might fall from his lips.

His friend shouted, “Who is that at the door?”

He answered, “‘Tis Thou who art at the door, O Beloved!”

The friend said, “Since ‘tis I, let me come in,

There is not room for two ‘I’s in one house.” -Jalal al-Din Rumi

…

In the house of our spirit

we can clear the self, clear the ego,

then what feast is waiting for us there?

At the table of the Beloved, there is no separation-

only the I which carries us wholly

through our journey. There is no self, only an embrace.

In this house, there is abundance, nourished by

the Essence of the One.