Pearls of Wisdom 341

1. With the divine solace "Be not afraid"
    all fear of oceans or waves or foam should
    be gone. Rejoice in Him and nothing else.
    He is the spring; everything else is desolate ice.

2. Seek self-discipline with all your soul.
    Devote yourself to worship and save your
    soul. Be grateful that God gave you the gift
   of self-discipline, for you had no power over it.
   He inspired it within you with the command "Be!"

3. Rejoice in sorrow; it will unite you with God.
    Bow down and reach the highest peak.
    Turn inward, toward the heart,
    and delight in the green shade of trees
    and many gushing springs.

4. The object of search is never withheld from
     the seeker. Thus the sun is paired with heat
    and the cloud with water. This present world
    is the Creator's prison. You chose to invite
    punishment, so suffer punishment! God said,
    "To whom We bestowed a particular disposition,
    We also sent the appropriate provision."

5. Beware! Do not let avarice waylay you!
    Do not let greed tear you up by the roots!
    For as you sleep,
    the stench of your spurious deeds
    is thundering on the azure sky. [Mawlana Rumi]