W e have no freedom to achieve our goal Until from Self and fools we free the soul. To be admitted past the veil you must Be dead to all the crowd considers just Once past the veil you understand the Way From which the crowd's glib courtier blindly stray If you have any will, leave women's stories, And even if this search for hidden glories Proves blasphemy at last, be sure our quest Is not mere talk but an exacting test. The fruit of love's great tree is poverty Whoever knows this knows humility

quote 4527  |   Attar The Conference of the Birds

A sluggard once approached a fasting saint And, baffled by dispair, maded this complaint: "The devil is a highwayman, a thief, Who's ruined me and robbed me of belief." The saint replied: "Young man, the devil too Has made his way here to complain - of you. 'My province is the world,' I heard him say; 'Tell this new pilgrim of God's holy Way To keep his hands off what is mine - if I Attack him it's because his fingers pry In my affairs; if he will leave me be, He's no concern of mine and can go free'."

quote 4526  |   Attar The Conference of the Birds, p99

A n old, sad woman talked to Mahna's Sheikh: "Teach me to pray for joy, for pity's sake - I've suffered so much that I cannot bear To think of future grief - give me some prayer To murmur every day." The sheikh replied: "How many years I wondered far and wide Until I found the fortress that you seek - It is the knee, bend it, accept, be meek; I found no other way - this remedy, And only this, will cure you of your misery."

quote 4525  |   Attar The Conference of the Birds, p123

G od said to Moses once: "Go out and find The secret truth that haunts the devil's mind." When Moses met the devil that same day He asked for his advice and heard him say: "Remember this, repeat it constantly, Don't speak of 'me', or you will be like me." If life still holds you by a single hair, The end of your toil will be dispair; No matter how you prosper, there will rise Before your face a hundred smirking "I"s.

quote 4524  |   Attar The Conference of the Birds, p150.

U ntil this dog, the Self, can be subdued Our life is folly endlessly renewed

quote 4523  |   Attar The Conference of the Birds, p96

A man who lived by digging graves survived To ripe old age. A neighbour said: "You've thrived For years, digging away in one routine - Tell us the strangest thing you've ever seen." He said: "All things considered, what's most strange Is that for seventy years without a change That dog, my self, has seen me digging graves, Yet neither dies, nor alters, nor behaves!"

quote 4522  |   Attar The Conference of the Birds, p96

T he whole world is a marketplace for Love, For naught that is, from Love remains remote. The Eternal Wisdom made all things in Love. On Love they all depend, to Love all turn. The earth, the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars The center of their orbit find in Love. By Love are all bewildered, stupefied, Intoxicated by the Wine of Love.

quote 3136  |   Attar Essential Sufism, James Fadiman and Robert Frager

I n the dead of night, a Sufi began to weep. He said, "This world is like a closed coffin, in which We are shut and in which, through our ignorance, We spend our lives in folly and desolation. When Death comes to open the lid of the coffin, Each one who has wings will fly off to Eternity, But those without will remain locked in the coffin. So, my friends, before the lid of this coffin is taken off, Do all you can to become a bird of the Way to God; Do all you can to develop your wings and your feathers."

quote 3135  |   Attar translation by Andrew Harvey and Eryk Hanut - 'Perfume of the Desert'

L et us drown ourselves in the ocean of nonexistence and come out cloaked with the garment of divine existence.

quote 2964  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.98

S alih always taught his disciples, 'Who knocks at the door of someone constantly, one day the door must be opened to him.' Rabia one day heard it and said, "Salih, how long will you go on preaching thus, using the future tense, saying, 'will be opened'? Was the door ever dosed?" Salih bowed in submission to her.

quote 2963  |   Attar Aessential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.109

O nce Hasan al-Basri went to Habib al-'Ajami at the time of evening prayers. Hasan heard al-'Ajami mispronounce a word during the prayer. He considered it improper to say his prayers with him, and therefore said them separately. During the night he dreamed the Lord spoke to him: "Hasan, if you had stood behind al-'Ajami and said your prayers, you would have earned Our pleasure, and that single prayer of yours would have borne thee greater benefit than all prayers taken together that you have offered in your lifetime. You found fault with his pronunciation but ignored the purity and excellence of his heart. Know it that We cherish a contrite heart much more than the correct pronunciation of words.

quote 2962  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.110

F rom each, Love demands a mystic silence. What do all seek so earnestly? Tis Love. Love is the subject of their inmost thoughts, In Love no longer "Thou" and "I" exist, For self has passed away in the Beloved. Now will I draw aside the veil from Love, And in the temple of mine inmost soul Behold the Friend, Incomparable Love. He who would know the secret of both worlds Will find that the secret of them both is Love.

quote 2961  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.118

A young man came to Junaid and wished to become his student. He said, "You have been recommended as an expert on pearls [of wisdom]. Please give me one, or sell it to me.' Junaid replied, "you could not afford the price if I sold it, and if I gave you one for nothing, you will not realize its value. You must do as I have done. Dive into the Sea and wait patiently until you obtain your pearl.'

quote 2960  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.139

D hu-1-Nun. Said to a disciple, "Start instructing people by lecturing, but always remember never to bring yourself [your ego] in between.”

quote 2959  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.214

T ear aside veils of all you see in this world, and you will find yourself apart in solitude with God. If you draw aside the veils of the stars and the spheres, you will see that all is one with the Essence of your own pure soul. If you will but tear aside the veil, you will see nonexistence, and you will see forthwith the true meaning of God's purpose. When you have cast aside the veil, you will see the Essence, and all things will be shown forth within the Essence. If you draw aside the veil from the Face of the Beloved, all that is hidden will be made manifest, and you will become one with God, for then will you be the very Essence of the Divine.

quote 2958  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.233

Y ou ought to know yourself as you really are, so that you may understand of what nature you are, from where you have come to this world, for what purpose you were created, and in what your happiness and misery consist. For within you are combined the qualities of the animals and the wild beasts and also the qualities of the angels, but the spirit is your real essence, and all beside it is, in fact, foreign to you. Strive for knowledge of your origin, so that you may know how to attain to the Divine Presence and the contemplation of the Divine Majesty and Beauty.

quote 2957  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.247

D eliver yourself from the fetters of lust and passion. God did not create you to be their captive; they should be your servants, under your control for the journey that is before you, to be your steed and your weapon, so that you may use them to pursue your happiness, and when you have not more need of them, then cast them under your feet.

quote 2956  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.247

A Sufi began to weep in the middle of the night. He said, "The world is like a closed casket in which we are placed and in which, through our ignorance, we spend our time in folly. When Death opens the lid of the casket, each one who has wings takes his flight to Eternity~ but that one who is without wings remains in the casket. Before the lid is taken away from this casket, become a bird of the Way to God. Develop your wings and your feathers. No, rather burn your wings and your feathers and destroy yourself by fire, and so will you arrive at the Goal before all others.'

quote 2955  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.247

I n truth, it is the one who has lost all knowledge and trace of his own existence who has, at the same time, found knowledge of the Beloved. So long as you will not ignore your own body and soul, how will you ever know the Object you love?

quote 2954  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.248

O ne day Dhu-1-Nun reached a canal, where he performed his ablutions. He saw a beautiful palace situated close to the bank of the canal, on the balcony of which stood a very beautiful woman. Dhu-l-Nun. Asked her to speak to him. She said, 'When I saw you at a distance, I felt you were a madman; when you came closer, I saw you were a learned man; when you came closer still I considered you to be an enlightened soul. But now you have spoken to me I consider you none of these. " Dhu-l-Nun. Asked her why she felt so. She replied, if you were mad, you would not perform ablutions; if you were learned, you would not look at me; if you were enlightened, you would cast your glance at God and none besides.' Saying this, she disappeared.

quote 2884  |   Attar Essential Sufism, by James Fadiman & Robert Frager, Harper SanFrancisco, p.64