Fihi ma fihi

I read the English translation of Fihi ma fihi, translated literally as “It is as it is” written by the disciples of Jalal ad-Din Rumi. It contains the discourses and/ or other sayings of Rumi, either addressed to his disciples or other guests who came to him.

The original work was translated into English by A.J. Arberry and titled “Discourses of Rumi”. The introduction suggests that you should read this volume before you plunge into his six great volumes of mystical poems, the Masnavi, so that you can have better understanding of his magnum opus.

Part 53, a discourse concerning thought, particularly interests me. Rumi comments on a couplet of his own (Masnavi II, 277) in which he expresses the idea that thought is the true substance of man.

You are the very thought, my brother;
Those bones and nerves are something other

Furthermore he elaborates on the nature of speech of relation to thought. If you are interested to know more there is some online source belonging to Doug Marman, please click here.

However, further down I find a paragraph that strikes me to the core (my underscore)

Man has three spiritual states. In the first he pays no heed to God at all, but worships and pays service to everything, woman and man, wealth and children, stones and clods; God he does not worship. When he acquires a little knowledge and awareness, then he serves nothing but God. Again, when he progresses farther in this state he becomes silent; he does not say, ‘I do not serve God,’ neither does he say, ‘I serve God,’ for he has transcended these two degrees. No sound from these people issues into the world.