Hallaj (Mansur al-Hallaj) - Your spirit is mingled with mine

January 27, 2010

Dear Ivan has sent us a verse from the Non Dualist Martyr Hallaj. It is a good thing that we live in a more Humanist Age or we would all be put to the stake or executed by the rope or axe, no doubt. AJ

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

Your spirit is mingled with mine

By Hallaj (Mansur al-Hallaj)(9th Century)

English version by Bernard Lewis

Your spirit is mingled with mineas wine is mixed with water;whatever touches you touches me.In all the stations of the soul you are I.

-- from Music of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Hebrew Poems, Translated by Bernard Lewis

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Thought for the Day:

Innocence is not naivete.Naivete must be carefully removed.Innocence is your true nature.

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Kemper Crabb

Downe In Yon Forrest: Christmas from the Middle Ages

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Hi Alan -Mansur al-Hallaj is one of the more controversial figures of Sufism. Considered by many to be a great poet-saint, he was executed for blasphemy.The name al-Hallaj means "wool carder," probably a reference to his family's traditional occupation. Al-Hallaj was born in the province of Fars, Persia (Iran). He later moved to what is now Iraq, where he took up religious studies, particularly the Sufi way.Orthodox religious authorities took offense at his poetry and teachings, particularly the line in one of his great poems "Ana 'l-Haqq," which translates as "I am the Real," but can also be translated as "I am the Truth" or "I am God" -- acknowledging the mystical realization of unity with the Eternal. He was condemned by a council of theologians, imprisoned for nine years, and eventually put to death. He is revered today as a martyr for truth by many Sufis and

mystics.---The great Sufi mystic poet, al-Hallaj, was put to death by orthodox religious authorities for poems like this, in which he seems to be equating himself with God. This is the danger faced by most mystics. The sacred experience is one of ecstatic union with the Divine. Where do "you" cease to be, and where does the Divine begin? In mystical union, these questions are artificial since the Divine is everywhere and no tangible sense of you as a separate individual remains. There aren't two in which to have a relationship; there is only the One.Particularly notice the image of wine mixing with water. This sounds like a passing metaphor, but it actually resonates with layers of esoteric meaning."Wine" here is not wine; it is the drink of divine union. It is the "water" of the purified soul, awakened and flavored with the fermenting fire of life. This is the celestial drink of initiates: the amrita of the

yogis, the ambrosia of the Greeks, even the tea of the Chaikhana...water = the purified individual soulwine = the sweet, blissful flood of the DivineWhen wine is poured into water, water takes on the nature of wine, until no difference can be perceived. This is how he comes to that final line of realization:In all the stations of the soul you are I.When the divine wine pours into the clear water of the soul, everything is turned to wine. God and self become indistinguishable. Rather, self is lost and only God remains.As a result, mystics keep producing ecstatic and dangerous poems like this one, and orthodox authorities keep trying to silence or marginalize them.IvanThe Celestial DrinkIf you'd like to explore the metaphor of wine in sacred poetry more deeply, take a look at the Celestial Drink series I've started on the Poetry Chaikhana Blog (see links below). Some of you may recognize the series from years past. Wine, amrita, ambrosia, dew, tea, elixir, honey, virgin's milk References to a secret or forbidden drink appears in the writings and songs of initiates throughout the world. It is a drink that imparts wisdom, inspiration, prophecy, divine madness, and bliss. It is the sign of divine union between lover and the Beloved, the mystic's marriage wine. But what is this celestial drink really? Why does it appear in sacred writings all over the world? We explore those questions in this Celestial Drink series

Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary...

New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include:

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The Celestial Drink 1: Introduction - As I was considering how to begin our exploration of the Celestial Drink, it occurred to me that I needed to find a way to convey that we are not talking about actual wine or tea or honey or any other physical drink. At the same time, this subtle drink is not merely a metaphor... More

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Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.

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