[MD] The Madman: The Two Hermits

[Dan Glover]

Three Travelers Tell Their Dream
By Jelalluddin Rumi 
 
Three devout men of different religions fall in togetherby chance traveling. They stop at a caravanserai where the host brings as a gift a sweetdessert, some taste of God's nearness. This is how people out in the country servestrangers. The Jew and the Christian are full, but the Muslim has been fasting allday. The two say, "Let's save it for tomorrow." The one, "No. Let's save self-denialfor tomorrow!" "You want it all for yourself!" "Divide it into three parts, and each can do as he wants." "Ah, but Muhammed said not to share." "That was about dividing yourself between sensuality and soul. You must belong. to one or the other." But finally,for some reason, he gives in,"I'll do it your way." They refrain from tasting. They sleep,and then wake and dress themselvesto begin morning devotions. Christian, jew, Muslim, shaman,Zoroastrian, stone, ground,
 
mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be
 
judged. This subject never ends! Three friends in a grandmorning mood. "Let us tell
 
what dreams we had last night; whoeverhas had the deepestdream gets the halvah."
 
Agreed. The Jewish man begins the wanderings of his soul."Moses met me on the road;
 
I followed him to Sinai: an opening door, light withinlight. Mt. Sinai and Moses and
 
I merged in an exploding splendor, the unity of the prophets."This was a true dream. Many
 
Jews have such. Then the Christian sighs, "Christ took mein his arms to the fourth
 
heaven, a pure vast region....I cannot say...." His is alsodeep. The Muslim, "Muhammed came
 
and told me where you two had gone. 'You wretch,' he said,you've been left behind! You
 
may as well get up and eat something." "No!" laughed the Christian and the Jew. "How
 
could I disobey such glory? Would you not do as Moses andJesus suggest?" "You're right,"
 
they say. Yours is the truest dream, but it had immediateeffect in your waking life."
 
What matters is how quickly you do what your soul directs.
> Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:35:16 -0400> To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org> From: marshalz at charter.net> Subject: [MD] The Madman: The Two Hermits> > > The Madman: The Two Hermits by Kahlil Gibran> > > Upon a lonely mountain, there lived two hermits who worshipped God > and loved one another.> > Now these two hermits had one earthen bowl, and this was their only > possession. One day an evil spirit entered into the heart of the > older hermit and he came to the younger and said, "It is long that we > have lived together. The time has come for us to part. Let us divide > our possessions."> > Then the younger hermit was saddened and he said, "It grieves me, > Brother, that thou shouldst leave me. But if thou must needs go, so > be it," and he brought the earthen bowl and gave it to him saying, > "We cannot divide it, Brother, let it be thine."> > Then the older hermit said, "Charity I will not accept. I will take > nothing but mine own. It must be divided."> > And the younger one said, "If the bowl be broken, of what use would > it be to thee or to me? If it be thy pleasure let us rather cast a lot."> > But the older hermit said again, "I will have but justice and mine > own, and I will not trust justice and mine own to vain chance. The > bowl must be divided."> > Then the younger hermit could reason no further and he said, "If it > be indeed thy will, and if even so thou wouldst have it let us now > break the bowl."> > But the face of the older hermit grew exceeding dark, and he cried, > "O thou cursed coward, thou wouldst not fight."> > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc.> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org> Archives:> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/> http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/