Wednesday, June 2, 2010

A Mixed Market

"Who shall knock at this door, from which mercy is showered, without gaining in response a hundred springs, a hundred seasons of spiritual refreshment?
The heart is comforted by true words, just as a thirsty person is comforted by water...
There is a spirit increasing sea, and a distressful sea: these lips are where the seas meet, but do not mingle.
It is like a great market situated between towns: in this market comes goods from all directions.
Damaged, spurious and swindling commodities: and also valuable commodities, highly esteemed, like pearls.
The shrewdest traders in this mart carefully inspect the genuine and the spurious wares.
To such a one the market is a place of gain, while to the others, in their blindness, it is a place of loss.
Every particle of the world, one by one, is a fetter for the fool, and a means of deliverance for the wise.
It is sweet as candy for one, and bitter as poison for another: it is as beautiful as mercy for one, and terrible as wrath for another."

Rumi (Vol.6, 4239-4288)

Commentary, Imagine today as holding all the gain, and sweetness, and mercy and deliverance that we need. Rumi claims that it does, if we shop with discrimination.