THUS ANJABI TELLS AMINI HIS MOTIVES FOR ANGERING MULLA FIROZ

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THE SUFI MASTER, AJNABI SAID, 'WRITE TO MULLA FIROZ AND TELL HIM THAT

I HAVE NO TIME TO ENGAGE HIM IN CORRESPONDENCE, AND THEREFORE HAVE

NOTHING TO SAY TO HIS LETTER.'

 

THE DISCIPLE, AMINI, SAID, 'IS IT YOUR INTENTION TO ANNOY HIM WITH

THIS LETTER?'

 

AJNABI SAID, 'HE HAS BEEN ANNOYED BY SOME OF MY WRITINGS. THIS

ANNOYANCE HAS CAUSED HIM TO WRITE TO ME. MY PURPOSE IN WRITING THE

PASSAGE WHICH ANGERS HIM WAS TO ANGER SUCH AS HE.'

 

AMINI SAID, 'AND THIS LETTER WILL ANGER HIM FURTHER?'

 

AJNABI SAID, 'YES. WHEN HE WAS ENRAGED AT WHAT I WROTE, HE DID NOT

OBSERVE HIS OWN ANGER, WHICH WAS MY INTENTION. HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS

OBSERVING ME, WHEREAS HE WAS ONLY FEELING ANGRY. NOW I WRITE AGAIN,

TO AROUSE HIS ANGER, SO THAT HE WILL SEE THAT HE IS ANGRY. THE

OBJECTIVE IS FOR THE MAN TO REALISE THAT MY WORK IS A MIRROR IN WHICH

HE SEES HIMSELF.'

 

AMINI SAID, 'THE PEOPLE OF THE ORDINARY WORLD ALWAYS REGARD THOSE

WHO CAUSE ANGER AS ILL-INTENTIONED.'

 

AJNABI SAID, 'THE CHILD MAY REGARD THE ADULT WHO TRIES TO REMOVE A

THORN FROM HIS HAND AS ILL-INTENTIONED. IS THAT A JUSTIFICATION FOR

TRYING TO PREVENT THE CHILD FROM GROWING UP?'

 

AMINI SAID, 'AND IF THE CHILD HARBOURS A GRUDGE AGAINST THE ADULT

WHO REMOVES THE THORN?'

 

AJNABI SAID, 'THE CHILD DOES NOT REALLY HARBOUR THAT GRUDGE, BECAUSE

SOMETHING IN HIM KNOWS THE TRUTH.'

 

AMINI ASKED HIM, 'BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF HE NEVER GETS TO KNOW HIMSELF,

AND YET CONTINUES TO IMAGINE THAT OTHERS ARE MOTIVATED BY PERSONAL

FEELINGS?'

 

AJNABI SAID, 'IF HE NEVER GETS TO KNOW HIMSELF, IT MAKES NO

DIFFERENCE AS TO WHAT HE THINKS OF OTHER PEOPLE, BECAUSE HE CAN NEVER

HAVE ANY APPRECIATION OF WHAT OTHERS ARE REALLY LIKE.'

 

AMINI ASKED, 'IS IT NOT POSSIBLE, INSTEAD OF AROUSING ANGER A SECOND

TIME, TO EXPLAIN THAT THE ORIGINAL WRITING WAS COMPOSED FOR THIS

PURPOSE, AND TO INVITE MULLA TO REVIEW HIS PREVIOUS FEELINGS?'

 

AJNABI SAID, 'IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO THIS, BUT IT WILL HAVE NO EFFECT.

RATHER IT WILL HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT. IF YOU TELL THE MAN YOUR

REASON HE WILL IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE EXCUSING YOURSELF, AND THIS WILL

AROUSE IN HIM SENTIMENTS WHICH ARE HARMFUL ONLY TO HIM. THUS, BY

EXPLAINING, YOU ARE ACTUALLY ACTING TO HIS DETRIMENT.'

 

AMINI SAID, 'ARE THERE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE -- THAT MAN MUST

LEARN THROUGH REALISING HIS OWN STATE, AND THAT HIS STATE CANNOT BE

EXPLAINED TO HIM?'

 

AJNABI SAID, 'THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS. BUT IF THERE WERE ENOUGH

EXCEPTIONS TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO THE WORLD, WE WOULD NOT BY NOW

HAVE ANY MULLA FIROZES LEFT.'