A
dear friend shared this story with me and although I couldn't find the
exact reference I felt impelled to share it. The
first is the original in Farsi, followed by a rough translation into English. :)
عارفی را دیدند مشعلى و جام آب در دست پرسیدند کجا میروی؟
گفت:میروم با این آتش بهشت را بسوزانم و بااین آب جهنم راخاموش کنم, تا
مردم خدا را فقط بخاطر عشق به او بپرستند، نه بخاطر عیاشی در بهشت
!وترس ازجهنم
They saw an Aref (an
enlightened person) carrying a flame and a chalice of water. They asked
him, "where art thou heading to?"
He replied, "I am indeed
on my way to burn away the heaven with this fire and extinguish the fire of the
hell with this water, so that people worship God out of love and not
for revelry in the heaven and the fear of hell."
If anyone knows/finds out where this is from, I would be very grateful!
If anyone knows/finds out where this is from, I would be very grateful!