The Lion of God

The Lion of God

ALI IN BATTLE

Learn from Ali how to fight without your ego participating.

God’s Lion did nothing that didn’t originate from his deep center.

Once in battle he got the best of a certain knight and quickly drew his sword. The man, helpless on the ground,  spat in Ali’s face. Ali dropped his sword, relaxed, and helped the man to his feet.

“Why have you spared me? How has lightning contracted back into its cloud? Speak, my prince, so that my soul can begin to stir in me like an embryo.”

Ali was quiet and then finally answered, “I am God’s Lion, not the lion of passion. The sun is my lord. I have no longing except for the One.  When a wind of personal reaction comes, I do not go along with it.

There are many winds full of anger, and lust and greed. They move the rubbish around, but the solid mountain of our true nature stays where it’s always been.

There’s nothing now except the divine qualities. Come through the opening into me.

Your impudence was better than any reverence, because in this moment I am you and you are me.

I give you this opened heart as God gives gifts: the poison of your spit has become

the honey of friendship.”

– Rumi

From The Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks