Jesus was asked, “What is the most difficult thing
in this world and the next?” He said, “The wrath
of God.” They asked, “And what can save us
from that?” He answered, “Master your own
wrath and anger towards others.”
When the mind wants to complain, do the
opposite—give thanks. Exaggerate the matter to
such a degree that you find within yourself a love
of what repels you. Pretending thankfulness is a
way of seeking the love of God.
Our Master, Shams, said, “To complain of cre
ation is to complain of the Creator.” He also said,
“Hatred and rage lay hidden in your unconscious.
If you see a spark leap from that fire, extinguish
it, so that it will return to non-existence from
where it came. If you insist on matching anger
with anger and promoting the flame of rage, it
will spring faster and faster from your uncon
scious, and become more and more difficult to
put out.”
Chase away evil with something good, and you
triumph over your enemy in two ways. One way
is this—your enemy is not another person’s flesh
and skin, it is the contagiousness of their hatred.
When that is cast out of you by an abundance of
thanks, it will inevitably be cast out of your
enemy as well, because everyone instinctively
responds to kindness, and you have left your
opponent with nothing to fight against.
It is just like with children, when they shout
names at someone and that person yells bad
names back, they are all the more encouraged,
thinking, “Our words have had an effect.” But if
the enemy sees their words bring about no change
they lose interest.
The second benefit is this: When the attribute
of forgiveness comes forth in you, other people
realize they have not been seeing you as you truly
are. Then they know that they are the ones to be
reproached, not you, and no proof puts adver
saries to shame more than that. So by praising
and giving thanks to detractors you are adminis
tering an antidote to that hatred in them, for
while they have shown you your deficiency, you have shown them your perfection.
Those who are loved by God can hardly be
defective. Thus, let us praise those who criticize
us, so their friends will think, “It is our friends
who are at odds with the Sufis, since the Sufis
always speak well to our friends.”
Though they are powerful,
Pluck out their beards politely.
Firmly break their necks,
Though they are high and mighty.
May God assist us in that!Discourse 68
Jesus was asked, “What is the most difficult thing
in this world and the next?” He said, “The wrath
of God.” They asked, “And what can save us
from that?” He answered, “Master your own
wrath and anger towards others.”
When the mind wants to complain, do the
opposite—give thanks. Exaggerate the matter to
such a degree that you find within yourself a love
of what repels you. Pretending thankfulness is a
way of seeking the love of God.
Our Master, Shams, said, “To complain of cre
ation is to complain of the Creator.” He also said,
“Hatred and rage lay hidden in your unconscious.
If you see a spark leap from that fire, extinguish
it, so that it will return to non-existence from
where it came. If you insist on matching anger
with anger and promoting the flame of rage, it
will spring faster and faster from your uncon
scious, and become more and more difficult to
put out.”
Chase away evil with something good, and you
triumph over your enemy in two ways. One way
is this—your enemy is not another person’s flesh
and skin, it is the contagiousness of their hatred.
When that is cast out of you by an abundance of
thanks, it will inevitably be cast out of your
enemy as well, because everyone instinctively
responds to kindness, and you have left your
opponent with nothing to fight against.
It is just like with children, when they shout
names at someone and that person yells bad
names back, they are all the more encouraged,
thinking, “Our words have had an effect.” But if
the enemy sees their words bring about no change
they lose interest.
The second benefit is this: When the attribute
of forgiveness comes forth in you, other people
realize they have not been seeing you as you truly
are. Then they know that they are the ones to be
reproached, not you, and no proof puts adver
saries to shame more than that. So by praising
and giving thanks to detractors you are adminis
tering an antidote to that hatred in them, for
while they have shown you your deficiency, you have shown them your perfection.
Those who are loved by God can hardly be
defective. Thus, let us praise those who criticize
us, so their friends will think, “It is our friends
who are at odds with the Sufis, since the Sufis
always speak well to our friends.”
Though they are powerful,
Pluck out their beards politely.
Firmly break their necks,
Though they are high and mighty.
May God assist us in that!
