Faith in the Sages

Someone who lacks faith in the Sages will never know what he should do: he will always be racked with doubts and he will have no idea what course he should follow .

When a person follows the guidance of the Tzaddikim (righteous individuals), it sweetens the harsh judgments, and through this he will be helped and freed from his troubles. But if he fails to follow their advice, he may well come to grief, God forbid, and the responsibility will be his alone, as it is written:

`The foolishness of a man perverts his way' (Proverbs 19:3). If a person does follow the advice of the Tzaddikim, and later on things do not go well for him, he can be sure that this has been sent to him from above.

Cry from the heart and you will find true guidance. You must cry out to God from the very depths of your heart. The darkness will crack and deep counsel will be revealed. Through this your faith will be strengthened. In the end you will have perfect faith. Healing will come and great goodness will be brought into the world

R Nachman

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When Uthman became caliph, he stepped up
into the pulpit. The people waited to see what he
would say. He was silent and said nothing. He
looked steadily at the people, and a state of ecstasy
descended upon them so that they were unable
to move, and could not tell where they were. Not
by a hundred preachings and sermons could such
an excellent state have been shown to them.
Precious lessons were imparted and secrets
revealed. Until the very end, he only looked at
them like this, not saying a word. Then, just
before leaving the pulpit, he said, “It is better for
you to have a working Imam than a speaking
Imam.”


What he said was the truth. If the purpose of
speaking is to communicate instruction delicately
to uplift the people, that had been accomplished
many times better without words. So what
Uthman said was perfectly correct. During the
time he was in the pulpit he did no external work
visible to the people; he did not pray, he did not
go on the pilgrimage, he did not give alms, he did
not commemorate God, he did not even speak the
caliph’s address. Therefore, know that work and
action are not limited to the outer form only,
rather these visible forms of work are merely a
shadow of that true work of Soul.
The Prophet said, “My Companions are like
stars; Whichever of them you follow, you will be
guided right.” When someone follows a star and
finds their way by it, the star does not speak.
Merely by looking at the star, they discover that
invisible road and reach their goal. In the same
way, it is possible by merely gazing at God’s saints
to find the spiritual path. Without words, without
questioning, without speech, the purpose is
achieved.






Rumi

Companionship With The Saints

The sword [of spiritual protection] is in the armory of the saints;

For you, meeting them is the alchemical elixir.

All of the wise ones have said this same thing: the wise man is "a mercy to all the worlds."

If you buy a pomegranate, buy it laughing (and open-mouthed) so that its laughing may give information about (the state of its) seeds.

Oh (how) blessed is its laughter, since it is showing (its) heart by means of (its) mouth, like the pearl [of the soul] from the (open) box of the spirit.

The laughter of the tulip was not blessed, since the blackness of (its) heart was revealed by its mouth.

The laughing pomegranate makes the (entire) garden laughing; (likewise,) companionship with (spiritual) men makes you (one) of (such) men.

Even if you are a hard rock or marble, if you come to (the presence of) a lord of the heart, you will become a jewel.

Put love for the pure ones into the midst of (your) spirit.

Don't give (your) heart (to anyone) except in love for those (who have) joyous hearts.

Don't go (into) the lane of hopelessness, (for) there are (still) hopes.

(And) don't go (in) the direction of darkness, (for) there are (still) suns [to rise].

The heart draws you into the lane of the people of heart, the body draws you into the prison of water and clay.

Take care, (and) give food for (your) heart from [the company of] a sympathetic friend.

Go (and) seek coming near [to the goal] from one who is advancing first."

Rumi