“If we come to sleepwe are His drowsy onesAnd if we come to wakewe are in His handsIf we come to weepingwe are His cloud full of raindropsAnd if we come to laughingwe are His lightning in that momentIf we come to anger and battleit is the reflection of His wrathAnd if we come to peace and pardonit is the reflection of His loveWho are we in this complicated world?”

“Be helpless, dumbfounded,Unable to say yes or no.Then a stretcher will come from grace to gather us up.We are too dull-eyed to see that beauty.If we say we can, we’re lying.If we say No, we don’t see it,That No will behead usAnd shut tight our window onto spirit.So let us rather not be sure of anything,Beside ourselves, and only that, soMiraculous beings come running to help.Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,We shall be saying finally,With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.When we have totally surrendered to that beauty,We shall be a mighty kindness.”

“Each moment from all sides rushes to us the call to love. We are running to contemplate its vast green field.Do you want to come with us?”

“Some Hindus have an elephant to show.No one here has ever seen an elephant.They bring it at night to a dark room.One by one, we go in the dark and come out saying how we experience the animal.One of us happens to touch the trunk.A water-pipe kind of creature.Another, the ear. A strong, always movingback and forth, fan-animal. Another, the leg.I find it still, like a column on a temple.Another touches the curve back.A leathery throne. Another, the cleverest,feels the tusk. A rounded sword made of porcelain.He is proud of his description.Each of us touches one placeand understands the whole in that way.The palm and the fingers feeling in the darkare how the senses explore the reality of the elephant.If each of us held a candle there,and if we went in together, we could see it.”

“For ages you have come and gonecourting this delusion.For ages you have run from the painand forfeited the ecstasy.So come, return to the root of the rootof your own soul.Although you appear in earthly formYour essence is pure Consciousness.You are the fearless guardianof Divine Light.So come, return to the root of the rootof your own soul.When you lose all sense of selfthe bonds of a thousand chains will vanish.Lose yourself completely,Return to the root of the rootof your own soul.You descended from Adam, by the pure Word of God,but you turned your sightto the empty show of this world.Alas, how can you be satisfied with so little?So come, return to the root of the rootof your own soul.Why are you so enchanted by this worldwhen a mine of gold lies within you?Open your eyes and come ---Return to the root of the rootof your own soul.You were born from the rays of God's Majestywhen the stars were in their perfect place.How long will you suffer from the blowsof a nonexistent hand?So come, return to the root of the rootof your own soul.You are a ruby encased in granite.How long will you decieve Us with this outer show?O friend, We can see the truth in your eyes!So come, return to the root of the rootof your own soul.After one moment with that glorious Friendyou became loving, radiant, and ecstatic.Your eyes were sweet and full of fire.Come, return to the root of the rootof your own soul.Shams-e Tabriz, the King of the Tavernhas handed you an eternal cup,And God in all His glory is pouring the wine.So come! Drink!Return to the root of the rootof your own soul.Soul of all souls, life of all life - you are That.Seen and unseen, moving and unmoving - you are That.The road that leads to the City is endless;Go without head and feetand you'll already be there.What else could you be? - you are That.”

“Oh you, straying heart, just come! Oh you, aching liver, just come! If the path to the gate is closed, Take the way by the wall, but come!”

“We gather at night to celebratebeing human. Sometimes we call out lowto the tambourine. Fish drink the sea,but the sea does not get smaller! Weeat the clouds and evening light. Weare slaves tasting the royal wine.”