| Divine Face of Jalal ud Din Rumi |
| Translation & Commentary by Seema Arif |
| This Website has been created & maintained by Seema Arif |
| Back To Story |
| To Rumi Index |
 |
 |
| The Dialogue |
| A respected man had told the deaf that his neighbor has gotten ill. The deaf said to himself: with these deaf ears how I would understand what that young man has to tell me, especially when he is sick and his voice must have grown weak, too. But then he thought: No, I must go to enquire after him; no excuse is justified. When he�ll move his lips, I�ll guess what he�s trying to say. A sick man has to talk about his illness, medication or doctor, what else? He starts presuming his conversation with the patient he was going to visit. Ok! When I�ll ask oh my sick friend how are you feeling now? He�ll answer: I�m fine or I�m happy as He keeps me. I�ll say: Thanks God! What have you taken for a meal? He�ll answer: I�ve taken some juice or soup. I�ll say: Well! You�ve made the most appropriate of choices. Who is your Doctor? He�ll tell me the name of the doctor. I�ll add: Again it shows you wisdom; his very name brings the nice tiding and he himself indeed shall do you the good. I�ve personally tasted his expertise. He has definitely got solution to your problem. Wherever he goes, he relieves people of their misfortune. He revised all of conversation again in his heart and reached the sick person.
Now as we see �the deaf� is a person who is not mentally ready to �listen� to others. Listening is the key to �understanding�. Without listening there is no perception but illusion, and cognition is impossible. Usually when people go to meet other people they preconceive a mental picture of their meeting and conversation in their minds. They set their own expectations according to their mood and intellectual and emotional status without ever giving a thought to the fact that they are assuming things and many of their �expectations� may never be realized. They pull a sad face and claim breaking of heart blaming others responsible for the failure never giving a second thought that they might have been wrong in the first place in setting such expectations. I�ve deliberately used �sick� instead of ill, because it�s not just the physical illness but sickness of soul that is lingering behind every ailment. The sick is the soul, which is unable to see things in their right perspective; they doubt, they exaggerate and dramatize the events to provoke and prolong misery of their souls. They hardly see any �good� around themselves, so they are skeptic and despondent, and misinterpret others� gestures, intentions or behavior. |
| Next Page |
|
| The Deaf and the Sick |
|
O my Wise audience! It appears that the deaf was somewhat angry with the patient. The deaf reached the patient and caressing affectionately on his forehead, he enquired:
"How are you my dear friend? " The sick replied: �near to death�. The deaf said: �Thanks God! What a surprise? The patient�s heart was full of woe and wrath against the deaf. The sick remarked: �What should I thank for? I see enemies approaching me.� The deaf again made a wild guess and missed the shot. He asked: �What have you been taking for meals?� The sick replied: �The poison�. The deaf exclaimed: �Blessed be you! What a nice choice!� The patient was almost shocked with anger and disbelief. Then the deaf asked: �Who is your doctor?� The sick retorted: �The Angel of death. Ezrael is approaching, so you must leave.� The deaf exclaimed: �Oh really! What a delight is his coming! You must be extremely satisfied. I had just talked to him before coming here. I�ve also requested him to take extremely good care of you.� Saying this deaf leaves, saying �bye�, �take care�, �get well soon�. He must have sat longer to look after him but he�s an important piece of work at hand and can�t delay it any longer. |
| The deaf returns happily thinking that it was too good of him that he had taken out time to enquire after his sick neighbor. He had completely outraged his sick neighbor; he was unaware of this sad truth. He was immersed in an aura of pleasantness about himself thinking of himself as great benefactor and an extremely benevolent person. It�s sarcastic that he�s been attaching value to something which was a total disaster.
The patient was thinking that the deaf was indeed his vilest enemy. He would have never imagined that he could be so cruel. The patient�s heart had gathered a hundred bad feelings about him; he wanted to pay him back in the same measure. His situation worsened and he was feeling more sick and nauseating due to anger. He had desperately wanted to vomit it out. Whenever we are angry we immediately want to discharge it and relieve ourselves of the pain and torment we feel within ourselves. Being outrageous we may displace it on the innocent ones and repent later but anger seeks immediate catharsis. |