YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – TASAWWUR- part-2

1. PAIN, SUFFERING AND LOVE:

When the Sheikh is talking about the omnipresence of Shaitaan, he says, ‘Dealing with him is not easy. The rational part of the brain can never beat him because he is far too intelligent. He will always outsmart us because he is the most intelligent creature.’ The only way he can be tamed is through love.

He will always mask your love and keep stimulating other emotions. How? By provoking your desires. When you desire something, you want to attain it. The process of attainment of the desire sets the cycle of stress into motion – the anxiety, the apprehension, the expectation, the anger, the disappointment, the pride, the arrogance – the works. We are caught in the turbulent waves of becoming. Forever becoming. That is exactly where the Shaitaan wants you – riding the crests and troughs – now hopeful, now despairing, now happy, now sad…

What happens when this is absent? When there is no desire? We are in the tranquil shore of peace – the zone of being. Just being. That is enlightenment.

Enlightenment is not something to be desired. It is a state of mind that is completely free of any desire. If you run after it, you will never achieve it. If you give up the running, you’ll find yourself in that state. You certainly cannot stake your claim to it by saying, ‘I have chanted as prescribed so many times for so many years, now where is my enlightenment?’ Chanting, praying, ablutions, rituals, meditation are simply tools to discipline the mind. To instil a sense of commitment. For example, we decide to chant at a particular time every day. Slowly, we change the time according to our convenience. Other chores become priority. What has happened here? Something which was part-time has slowly slipped to being spare-time. What is the difference between the two? Well, it is the discipline of commitment. When it is part-time, even if it is for five minutes a day, it is to be observed faithfully. That is discipline. Whereas, when you start doing it whenever you are free, it becomes spare-time. The whole point of the chant is lost. And we wonder why we are not getting enlightened.

In fact, the Sheikh begins the sermon saying, everyone is so involved with the superficial aspects of religion, that the essence is lost. What are mere guidelines, should not be taken dogmatically. No one method is superior to the other. It is erroneous to think that my method is right and yours is wrong.

It is not about the method. It is not even about the path. It is about you. Choose any path or any method. Be steadfast in the chosen path/method. Raah pakad tu ek, chalaachal, pa jaayega madhushala. (HRB).

• “Sheikh farmaate hain, ishq se labrez dil puri duniya ka bojh utha sakte hain, ishq se khaali ho toh badan bhi laash se zyaada bojh hai.”

When the heart is brimming with love, one can carry the entire world on one’s shoulders. Heart is the seat of God. A heart filled with love is a heart in which God is residing. That is what enables the person to endure anything. But when the heart is bereft of love, God is absent and even the weight of one’s own body seems like an unbearable burden.

Read this in the context of what I consider the most outstanding discourse of the Sheikh – the story of Suleiman and the tiny ant. Ishq se labrez dil puri duniya ka bojh utha sakte hain – he is referring to the essence, the taweel essence of the ant. It is so filled with love that it has realized that it is not just a drop in the ocean, it is the entire ocean in a drop. Suleiman, who is confident that the ant will not be able to finish his job, has not realized this. Therefore, though in form, Suleiman towers over the tiny ant, in essence the ant is the ocean and Suleiman, just a drop.

‘Jo kohsaaron ko raakh kar de, dil mein aatish jal uthe,

Sultan ko ghulam kar de,

Jurrat kaisi yeh ishq ki.’ – Yunus Emre (episode 23).

• The Sheikh says, ‘Let him suffer. Let him endure pain.’

Why is pain being extolled as a virtue? What is pain? Pain is something that hurts us. Therefore, it is something undesirable. Undesirable? There, we have it. The solution to the pain lies in the meaning of pain. If it is undesirable, let go of the desire. If the desire goes? Then there won’t be anything undesirable. There won’t be any pain. Let me clarify one thing here. We are not talking about physical pain. Though physical pain is also something undesirable, that is body’s response to repair a hurt. Emotional pain also has similar origins. It is trying to lead us to the source which we need to eliminate to heal ourselves. In this case the origin has to do with a desire. Every time we let go of a desire, we have eliminated a source of pain. So, every pain we experience will lead us to a desire. If we follow the lead and work on it, we keep getting cleansed. Desire leads to expectation. So, every time we give up a desire we stop expecting.

 Finally, when there is no desire and therefore no expectation, what are we left with? We are left with pure acceptance of things as they are. What is this domain of existence called?

 I do believe that this state of being is called love. Love is not something exotic or romantic that is universally accepted. In fact, this misunderstanding of love is the root cause of all confusion, though this misunderstood version has its own role in life.

We seek love, we want to become a lover of God, but we don’t know what is love.

Love is the state of complete detachment, complete acceptance and simply being. That is why the Sheikh said, ‘if you wish to be a lover of God, there is no way that you will lead an easy life and still ascend the gates of heaven.’ You become a lover, by going through pain, understanding the desire and expectation that led to it, working on it and eliminating it. This process continues till you have eliminated the desires. You have cleansed yourself and are now qualified to ascend to heaven. In fact, this ascent itself a metaphor. When you reach this state, it is called heaven. Heaven is a state of mind, free of desires and filled with love.

2. (This is one of the most touching scenes of the show) (2/18): 

The Sheikh is praying in the prison cell. A rat is squealing in a corner. The Sheikh gets up, takes the remaining bread lying on a plate, and feeds the rat with crumbs. The inmate watches this whole exercise. The rat happily gobbles down the crumbs. The inmate looks at the Sheikh in wonder. This man is being tried for murder. He could very well be hanged. But tonight, he is alive. In this moment, he is fully aware, conscious. He is Chaitanya. As the first Shiva Sutra says, ‘Chaitanya atma hai.”

  He is no ordinary mortal. He is a fully realized soul. He is the embodiment of love and compassion. There is no tomorrow. The only reality is here, now. The past does not exist except in our memory. The future does not exist beyond our imagination.

The inmate witnesses a transformative exhibition of living in the here and now. And I am sure, at this moment, woh laut raha hai. To the raah ek hai. Sab lautthe hain, that the Sheikh referred to in the first Season. The zindaan (prison) is not without. It is within. Like the Sheikh declared in the trial, we carry it with us everywhere. We hold the key to it. We and only we, can free ourselves.

3. The enlightenment that comes to Yunus in the cave (2/20):

  There are two of us. One is form and the other is essence. The essence version of us is The Truth – haq. The form is an illusion. Before enlightenment strikes us, we know of the existence of only the form. But, somewhere or the other, some way or the other, sometime or the other, we become aware of the existence of this entity called essence, or soul, or atma. It is the job of religion to make us aware of this.

  Every single human being who has been introduced to the alleged existence of this entity, sooner or later (later could be another lifetime), starts investigating this concept. What is this soul? Or atma? Or essence? This is the birth of duality for him. Duality always existed, but man was not aware of it. He thought that form was all there is of him.

  Those who pursue this investigation with single-minded, all-consuming passion, devotion and determination, discover the essence. They experience their essence. They also realize that this essence is same for everyone. All are same. All are one. Tawheed. All are part of one. And this One, is Eternal, while the form is perishable. The duality thus, dissolves.

  Yunus has a vision where he meets two other dervishes. Then, in the cave, their form is replaced by the form of Yunus. Actually, he is seeing their essence, which is the same for everyone. The essence of the two merge and seek to merge with Yunus. Thus, Yunus experiences pure essence and his oneness with everyone and everything.

4. So, the Sheikh is telling Yunus, ‘No matter what, do not forget your zikr. Zikr, he says is pukaar– calling out. Calling out to your beloved till He responds. Do it continuously; do it sincerely.’

Ok, now, who is this ‘beloved’? Who is this ‘He’? Where is ‘He’? What happens when ‘He’ responds to the call?

Well, as I understand, the beloved, the He, the response – all these are not external; they are internal.

Kabirji says,

Moko kahaan dhoonde re bande main toh tere paas mein

Then he enumerates all the external places where we seek and not find Him and finally concludes-

Khoji hoye toh turant mili hon, pal bhar ki talaash mein

Kahat Kabir suno bhai saadho, main toh hoon vishwaas mein.

He exists because you believe in His existence. He – is – me. The zikr, the pukaar, is for me. I call and I am being called. I am being awakened.

As we chant continuously and sincerely, with full faith and belief – something changes. Slowly, imperceptibly at first, but soon more and more obviously, we can experience a transformation within us. A slow churning begins within and if we continue with the zikr, this churning (atma-manthan) will break us and then make us. Make us into that entity that we are worshipping outside of us. That, is realization. Aham brahmaasmi.

5. ANIMALS:

I love the way animals have been used to symbolize various aspects of life and emotions.

The tortoise with its habit of withdrawing into its shell, symbolizes complete surrender to the forces of the Universe. It is not in a hurry because it knows nature takes her own time yet everything is accomplished. And for this enlightened approach, it is believed to be blessed with a long life-span.

The peacock distracts you with its beauty and keeps straying you into material world from the spiritual path.

The bulbul teaches you the beauty of truth. What is beauty? When do we perceive something to be beautiful? It could be a song, a sunset, a face, a relationship, it could be many varied things. What do they all have in common to be grouped together as beautiful?

They make us feel something that cannot be put in words. They make us feel one with them. Consciously, subconsciously or unconsciously, they make us aware that we are all part of one whole. They make us feel tawheed, oneness. That is why they cannot be described in words. If you describe something as “x”, that means there is something which is “not x”. That is duality. There is no duality in oneness. How can you describe how or why a particular alaap, or a specific colour of the sky moves you to tears?

This perception, this experience of oneness, this connection to who you are or where you belong – is haqq – the divine truth. That is how beauty connects us to the divine truth. And that is what the soulful voice of the bulbul does.

The donkey is used by the Sheikh to sell his spoons! That, symbolizes today’s material world. It shows the level of enlightenment required for salesmanship, which is what today’s corporate world is all about.

And last, but certainly not the least, the ant – the tiny little ant; firstly, teaches us perseverance and secondly, the un-importance of form and the relevance of essence. Form is limiting while essence is all-encompassing.

Knowledge of life and Self is literally strewn across our paths. We just need the right tuning of our senses to perceive them. For that, the first step has to be taken. And then, as Rumi says,

                      As you start to walk on the way..

                     the way appears…

YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – TASAWWUR- part-1

  Marcus Aurelius said, ‘Everything we hear is an opinion, not fact. Everything we see is perspective, not truth.’

The views and insights presented in this Tasawwur and all my blogs of this show, are entirely my own. They may or may not be agreeable to others. This is my opinion and my perspective – I am not claiming that this is the truth.

Having cleared that, I must state that this has been an extraordinary experience for me. I have learnt so much. I have connected to my heart and received so many insights – some related to the show and some not. I am so grateful for the blessings and for the grace. I am sharing some insights which are dearer to me than others. I am presenting these in two parts. In the show, the story of Suleiman and the tiny ant remains my favourite!!

Hai tai shuda aaghaaz bhi, anjaam bhi hai tai shuda

Toh tai kare phir rahguzar, niyyat kitni faulaadi hai

                                                              –  Ananth.

This sums up the crux of the entire show. Aagaaz is idhar and anjaam is udhar. Hai tai shuda – it is decided as to what the end point is. Self-Realization. Not death but self-realization. Death is not the anjaam. Death is simply the aagaaz of another path and will continue like this till we attain liberation.

The first episode starts with the Sheikh telling us that “yeh haq ki jalwagiri hai. Duniya mein har shei haqq-e-tala hi ka jalwa hai. Haqq-e-tala ke siwai kuch bhi nahi. Har shei mein useeki soorat gadhi hai, yahan tak ke insaan ke soorat mein bhi.” Creator is One. All creation belongs to Him. We are all connected to each other and to the Creator. This One manifests as many due to illusion born out of ignorance. Each aspect of the multiple acquires identity due to ego and thus appears distinct. If we dissolve this ego, this distinction disappears and we merge with the Creator as One. It is ego which prevents us from perceiving this connectedness.

In the final episode, one of the dervishes asks him, ‘Why was man created?’ Sheikh says, ‘To worship God.’ For that, one has to know God. To know God, the only clue one has, is his creation, i.e., man. Just like an artist is recognized by his art, God is realized through his creation. So begins the quest for self-realization, for that will lead to God-realization.  

Sheikh Tapduk Emre is speaking as an atma. He is atma on the path and can therefore, look beyond the contextual and see the universal theme in anything and everything that happens.

Going back to the beginning couplet, ‘Toh tai kare phir rahguzar, niyyat kitni faulaadi hai.’ – The path will decide who is worthy of treading it. Once decided, it will make the Universe conspire to keep the traveller on the path. The title gives us a clue about the traveller. Raah-e-ishq – one whose heart is filled with love. Once your heart is filled with love, you are on the path – in fact, as Rumi says, ‘You are the path.’

To fill your heart with love, you must go through seven stages, where you simply, undo, unlearn (I do not know), untie, unravel – which is essentially clearing up all the filth and mess that you have stuffed yourself with, and symbolically begins with cleaning toilets, which houses the most toxic mess. Don’t focus on the toilet, focus on the act of cleaning and see how soul-connecting it can feel. It is probably the most powerful act that subdues the ego.

This process of clearing the mess will enable you to manifest latent qualities which are essential for this journey – faith, patience, silence, learning to interpret the Book of Universe, giving up doer-ship, compassion, etc.

1. DOER-SHIP:

   The most outstanding learning for me is – to give up your claims of doer-ship and owner-ship.

  You do nothing. You own nothing (not even your body). This comprehension is half the battle won because you have immobilized and pinned down your ego, which is all about I, me, mine. When I was young, I used to observe that, my grandfathers, before putting food into their mouths, used to always say, ‘Krishnaarpanam’ – meaning, Krishna, this is for you.

2. PAUSE:

And while at it, practice ‘the pause’. What does the pause do? If we notice, most, in fact, all of our daily activities are done without much conscious thought. Our responses are also like that. When someone says something, we immediately react. The reaction may be external or internal, but we emote. The pause, is a conscious act. We immediately come to the present moment. Our mind is in the moment. We are mindful. This is mindfulness – the mindfulness that every meditation guide tells you to practice and you never really understand what it is. When you are learning to drive, as you look ahead, you can only see the vehicles in front of you and feel stuck. But as you gain confidence, you start seeing the gap between those vehicles. In your mind, the vehicles just evaporate. It is you and the gap and you move on smoothly.

  Same with the pause. When you pause, you are distancing yourself from whatever was hurled at you. This distance gives you perspective. It gives you the opportunity to observe and let the emotion that came to you, go. The attack and our response are the vehicles. Our pause is the gap. As we keep practicing the pause, we also realize that the attack has more to do with the attacker, than you. Which brings us to the next insight – the mirror.

3. MIRROR:

Find yourself a mirror, says the Sheikh.

Find yourself a mirror. What does it mean? Introspection is also referred to as reflection. Why? When we want to think things out, we are said to reflect upon it.

A mirror reflects the image of what it sees – nothing more, nothing less. Does it reflect something that is not present in the original? Can it, even if it wants to?

Same is the case with us. The mirror is a metaphor. What we see in others is the reflection being referred to here. What we see in others therefore, is what is within us. If there is good in us, we see good in others. If there is bad in us, we see bad in others.

‘Everyone sees the unseen in proportion to the clarity in their heart.’

As the clarity deepens, as the horizon widens, we perceive the same things, differently. In fact, as we evolve to higher levels, we become more and more sensitive to the essence in others and less and less perceptive to the form. That is when the heart is filling with love and becoming the seat of God…. So, while others, from their level of evolution cannot see beyond madness in Ayanali, the Sheikh sees a form that is quite close to divinity.

What we perceive is not reality. It is our perception of reality. And our perception depends on who we are.

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder – well, so does defect, deficiency, goodness, violence, evil.

If I am good, then I can recognize the goodness in whatever I see, because that is what I am. That is what I am familiar with. The extent of good or bad, funny or serious element in anything that we perceive is not absolute. It is in direct proportion to that element in us. If I have a healthy sense of humour, I can see the funny aspect of any situation. Therefore, what we see is a reflection of who we are.

Let us extend this metaphor a little further. If we consciously start seeking good in the other, we will begin to discover the good in us too. Because beneath the varied exteriors, the essence is potentially the same in all of us.

4. FAITH AND PATIENCE:

Faith is knowing that a Tapduk Emre is always walking with you, right by your side, guiding your every step. Faith is the confidence that with patience as your tool, you too will become Tapduk one day. Faith is the armour that shields the delicate flower of patience. It keeps watering it with stories of hope and keeps it from withering by demonstrating the beauty of even autumn. Faith teaches you that in the cycle of life, there are crests and troughs. Crest is the achievement while trough is the trial – the aazmaaish. So, taller the crest you seek, deeper will be the trough of trial.

Whenever you see patience wearing out, whenever every fiber of your being wants to give up, whenever you are at your wit’s end, faith gently lifts your foot and enables you to just take the next step.

Patience is the manifestation of faith. In a way, it is surrender to the unseen unknown forces of the universe to see you through.

5. BOOK OF UNIVERSE:

The Sheikh says every creature, every plant, every tree, the gurgling river, the gently blowing breeze are all telling us something. What does the Sheikh mean?

That there is a literal realm and there is a mystical existence.

That there is a rational world and there is an intuitive universe.

That there are tangible facts and there are intangible realities.

That there are objects you can grasp and there are things you can only feel. Let us take an example.

What does the universe teach you, when you sit in absolute silence on the banks of a river?

To be like water. Water, no matter what, keeps flowing. It never stops. Whenever there is an obstacle or rock, it has no ego. It just changes its course – and moves on. By not having an ego, it makes the obstacle powerless. And ultimately, it reaches the ocean and gets its liberation. In fact, by constantly moving around the obstacle, it softens them over a period of time. It gathers so much muck on the way, but is never affected by it. Its power lies in yielding, bending and tolerance.

Let us go one step further. In the process of softening the rocks, it is taking chips of them and carries them along and liberates them too! Isn’t that a beautiful lesson from the book of the Universe? To be like water. Step aside from pointless drama and stay focused on your journey. This is just an example of how Nature has so much to teach if only we would be attentive towards it.

When we see the mighty majestic Himalayas, the arrogant Ganga, the peaceful Milkyway, don’t we wonder? Who am I in this grand scheme of things? If all this is so grand and beautiful, then I, a part of it, must also be grand and beautiful. And that same beauty and grandeur must apply to all life around me. Which means all life must be the same – must be one.

Connect to the wifi of Nature. She will reveal so much – about you – to you. She will introduce you to you.

YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – 2/23

EPISODE 23

The Sheikh, Yunus and Adem stay in Ibrahim Zahidi Geylani’s lodge for ten days, in the course of which, the Sheikh gives many discourses. One day, one of the dervishes asks the Sheikh, ‘Why did God create man?’

The Sheikh replies, “Humne jinnat (jin) aur insaanon ko is maqsad se paida kiya ki woh hamaari ibaadat karein – yeh farmaan hai surah adh-Dhariyat (51^stchapter of Quran; dhariyat – winnowing winds, i.e. winds blowing over grain to remove its outer covering) mein.

“Ibaadat ke maani hai, parasthish (worship). Bande (servant) ki pehchaan yehi hai ki woh parasthish kare. Kiski? Apne aaqa (master, owner) ki. Aur yeh aaqa kaun hai? Wohi jisne bande ko paida kiya. Jab ghulam hai, toh Badshah bhi hoga laazeman (certainly). Parasthish ke maane (purpose) kya hai? Use jaanna, use pehchaanna. Socho, jaane bagair parasthish mumkin hai? Aaqa ki ibaadat, Aaqa ko jaanna hi hai. Kisliye? Kyonke Aaqa ke bande hain hum. Toh goya usne apni pehchaan ke liye takhliq (create) kiya.”

He created man for the sole purpose of self-realization. Otherwise, all other functions are performed, if anything, more efficiently by other animals. Man was created to understand why he was created. For that he has to first identify the Creator and then understand Him. This external understanding has to then be internalized. The Creator that was sought and found without has to be experienced within. The Book of the Universe is his guide. This is the simple and single purpose of man’s existence. This is the song of life. All else that we do, is background din.  

“Hadeese qudsi toh suni hogi aapne? ‘Main ek chhupa hua khazana tha. Maine chaaha ke pehchaana jaaoon. Yehi sabab hai ke maine yeh tamaam kaainaat takhliq ki.’

“Lekin asli masala (issue) yeh hai ki use kaise jaana jaaye? Goya fun (art) ko dekhkar funkaar (artist) ko pehchaana jaaye. (seeing the artist in his work). Alternatively, man endeavours to understand himself, which in turn, will lead him to understand Him.

Koi funkaar khud ko pehchaana na jaana chaahe, toh kya apne fun ka muzahara (exhibition, demonstration) karega? Uska fun kya hai?

“Insaan.

“Woh mukhatib (to address) karta hai apni takhliq. (he addresses his creation). Toh yeh samajh mein aaya ke haq-e-taala ka mukhatib insaan hai. Matlab yeh, ke insaan mehez ek lafz nahi, balke kaainaat ka haqeeqi-markazo-mehwar hai. (man is the central focal point of creation of the universe).

“Zara gaur toh karo. Aaghaz se ab tak ke safar par, pehle woh gaara (mud, clay) tha – mutthi bhar mitti aur mutthi bhar paani. Uske baad use saath (7) marhalon (stages) se guzaara gaya. Yahan tak ke ghosht aur haddi ban gaya. Yaani, uske raah ka bhi ilm hai aur manzil ka bhi. (he made man out of clay and water and made him pass through seven arduous stages and gave him form -we can glean the purpose of it all).

“Toh aakhir kyon usne insaan par apni takhliq mukammal (stop) kar di? Taake, tum use jaan paao. Badshah ko jaanne aur uski parasthish ke liye, uska banda banne ke liye.

“Achcha, use jaan lene se kya hoga? Use jaanne waala, apne aap ko bhi jaan lega. Toh gaare se usne insaan ki soorat banaai taake woh apne aap ko bhi pehchaane, aur apne nafs ko bhi pehchaane. Nafs ko jaanne waala rab ko pehchaan leta hai.”

He reached His zenith of perfection with man and thus, stopped there.

The Sheikh, obviously, is dealing with the metaphysical aspect of existence. He is basically addressing those of us who have at some point of our lives, asked this same question – Why was man created? Who is man? Who created him?

The dervishes request Yunus Emre to recite a poem after this.

“Ghulam agar Badshah ke bagair kuch nahi

Toh Badshah bhi ghulam ke bagair kya hai?

Badshah ko kaun jaanta, agar ghulam ko parwah na hoti uski?

Sultan hamesha sultan aur ghulam hamesha ghulam rehta hai

Yeh qadeem (ancient) badshahon ka usool hai

Jo ahd-ba-ahd (time after time) chala aa raha hai

Aaqa qadeem, ghulam qadeem

Inmein judaai hi nahi hai

Toh samjho banda kaun hai khuda kaun hai

Ae mere Maula, kar le qubool

Hamein, is yakta (singular) duniya mein

Woh bashaarat (revelation) waala mahina de

Aur bandon ki zaat ko mita de

Gaur karo tum is raaz par

Yeh raaz hai talaash ka

Ghulam, agar jaane hi na uski tadbeer (deliberation)

Toh kis liye nazool (voice of God descending on us) ho phir

Aayat aayat (verse of Quran) keh rahi hai

Na woh khoon hai na maadda (matter)

Soorat-e-pur maani (essence) hai bas

Badshah ko khud mein dhoondo

Pukaaro ke apne hijab utthade

Hamein dhaudkar khud tak aane de

Tujhe paana hi meraj (divine union) hai

Tujhee par har raah ka ikhtitaam (end of the road) hai

Kahaan pada hai tu ae aaqil (wise, intelligent man)

Sabhi kehte hain yehi ek baat

Judiyaat (duality) mein kyon hai pada

Khabardaar ho ae aql-e-qul

Yunus, dekh, kahaan hai tu

Na zameen mein na aasmaan mein hai

Dekh, utthne ko hain parde

Aaj bas ab aaja zameen par.”

The above discourse by the Sheikh, followed by Yunus’ poem along the same lines, is the haqeeqi-markazo-mehwar, or the central focal point of this whole show spanning two seasons and forty-five episodes.

Soon the Sheikh, with his disciples return from his hometown and head back to Anatolia. Adem has faithfully recorded everything and in the process, imbibed much wisdom, in the company of two wise men. He feels the peaceful joy that comes from knowing that you are on the right path.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Affendi, from Al-Andulus (in modern-day Spain), is visiting the Sheikh’s dargah and is translating Yunus’ poems in Arabic, under the watchful eye of Ali Taygu, who will not allow him to distort the works. He has learnt Turkish for six months before embarking on this project. He realizes that the poems of Yunus Emre have very simple words so that translation is not a problem and can be done without distortion. But the difficulty lay in the meaning of those words. In fact, that is the real challenge for the translator – to retain the meaning and essence.

Ahmed writes that Yunus has written in Turkish language so beautifully that he has made Turkish language, the language of truth. In fact, he declares that Yunus’ work may be considered an interpretation of the Quran from the tawheed – the unity of existence point of view.

Leaving behind Adem as his successor, the Sheikh and Yunus return to the lodge. There is a happy family reunion. Now there is a beautiful daughter too, to welcome them. Yunus’ cup of joy is full. The Sheikh too, is very happy and satisfied. He names his grand-daughter Fatima. (since Adem has been left behind, the remaining events are narrated by Ahmed Affendi).

That evening, everyone who knew that the Sheikh has travelled and returned, come to the dargah to listen to the Sheikh. They are also treated to Yunus’ poems in which he describes his rich experiences during the journey. After the visitors disperse, the Sheikh summons Ahmed Affendi and asks him about himself and the nature and purpose of his journey. When the Sheikh hears that Ahmed has come in response to a calling, he sends him to forty days and forty nights of khalvat – complete isolation – a period of forced solitude, when the dervish sits and contemplates and meditates and reflects. In short, it is a period of intense tasawwur. No food no water. It is akin to tapasya – the intense meditation and fasting that our seers and rishis perform.

“Mujhse suno ae dosto,

Keemat kya hai ishq ki

Kisi ko na mile aisa ishq,

Hurmat (honour, dignity) kya hai ishq ki.

Yehi jafaa (oppression) bhi, yehi wafaa (loyalty) bhi

Hamzah se poocho iski qadr

Ishq tha unka Mustafa se

Haibat (panic, fright) kya hai yeh ishq ki

Jo kohsaaron (mountains) ko raakh kar de

Dil mein aatish jal utthe

Sultan ko ghulam kar de

Jurrat kaisi hai ishq ki

Kisne chalaaya ishq ka teer

Gussa magar kis kaam ka

Faryaad hai bas aahon ke saath

Furqat (separation of lovers) yeh kaisi ishq ki

Samandaron ko de ubaal

Maujein bhi aaye raqs (dance) mein

Patharon ko zabaan mil jaaye

Quwwat (power, energy) hai kaisi ishq ki

Akl ko shashdar (astonish, perplex) kar de

Dariya ko band kare quze (earthen pot) mein

Kitna jigar ko dard de

Shiddat (vehemence, force) hai kaisi ishq ki

Miskeen Yunus kare bhi toh kya

Haal-e-dil kisse kahe

Milne de isko dost se

Lazzat (flavour, deliciousness) hai kaisi ishq ki.”

A Hungarian George Mustafa Affendi is now in the dargah, transliterating poems of Yunus as well as the travel journal of Adem into Latin.

At the end of his period of khalvat, Ahmed comes out. While inside, he has seen the bestial images of men, which as the Sheikh explained in one of his earlier discourses, is the essence of men. He is made to understand this by the Sheikh. Later, Ahmed is taken with the other inmates of the dargah to the spot where Yunus is chopping wood. Sheikh wants to drink water, but no one has got any water. When everyone volunteers to go back to get water, the Sheikh says that Ahmed will find water for him. Ahmed walks in the area, hitting the ground with his stick till he comes to a point, where the ground below is hollow. He digs and finds water. Water, in sufism represents the truth. Ahmed Affendi had found his truth.

The Sheikh commands Ahmed Affendi to return to Al Andalus and spread his learnings and Yunus’ poems. He says his teachings can be summed up in Yunus’ poems, which are pure truth, like water, air, sun and earth.

Years go by and Yunus continues to chop wood. One day, during his midday prayer by the riverside, Yunus has a dream. The Sultan of the land is passing by and offers him a pouch of gold. Yunus says, ‘with due respect sir, if gold was considered precious by the Lord, he would have created everything in gold. Every tree, every stone, as created by Him is precious, as it is. The Sultan notices that the ordinary pine cone that Yunus is holding has suddenly turned into gold!

Yunus wakes up with a start. He is filled with so much love – love for all things created by the Lord. As he packs up his things, he sees two crooked pieces of wood, smiles to himself and picks them up and ties them with the other pile of wood he has chopped.  

“Dikhawa sab chhod do

Aur raah par seedha chalo

Kibr-o-kina (pride and bitterness) khatam karke

Khair ko haasil karo

Toh paaoge wahan achcha sila

Tum meri baat shaayad na maano

Magar wahan jaakar dekh loge

Dil mein tha jo kuch bura

Woh tum se door kar deya gaya

Isee mein ghulam isee mein shat

Magar tum dekh nahi paate

Iske baarah hujre hain

Saat darwaaze bhi hain

Uske do khubsoorat darbaan hain

Tum jaante hi nahi toh kya samjhaoon.”

As he returns to the dargah, the Sheikh asks him if he has brought back wood for the lodge. He replies, yes, he has. The Sheikh passes his hands over the wood and feels the crooked pieces. He says, “Yaani tum woh sab dikhawa peechche chhod aaye, Yunus Emre?”

“Ji bilkul, Sheikh-e-mohataram, chhod aaya. Har koi raasti (honesty) par hai agar hum raasti par hain. Aur koi raasti par nahin agar hum raasti par nahin toh.” (it is nothing but the aaina – the mirror effect).

“Dekha! Ab tumhari wujood se zara bhi duniya ki bu (smell) nahi aa rahi, Yunus Emre. Aaj ke baad se, is dargah mein tumhari jagah nahi hai. Ek ghode (horse) par do sawaar hon toh ek peeche hi baithega na?”

‘Therefore, take your family and start off on your very own new journey.’

“Shaakh (branch) chhodkar aashiyaane ki talaash mein yeh jo mere haath mein maujood asa (staff) hai, yeh tumhe raasta dikhaaega.”

Ismael has come back after completing his education in a madrasa, a fine strapping young man. He is to assist Yunus and be with him always. It is indeed a touching moment as the old guard – Sheikh, Khanum, Ali Taygu and Veli bid farewell to Yunus, Basim, Ismael, Ibrahim, and little Fatima.

Yunus kisses the Sheikh’s hand, then stops himself from hugging him, as the relationship has been that of a banda worshipping his sultan.

So, he steps back. and thinks. Wait. Is it so? After all, this is no ordinary sultan, that the banda should be content with just bowing. For Yunus – this is his Sheikh, his Sultan, his mentor, his creator, in fact, his Creator. He is standing in front of him. Yunus is probably seeing him for the last time. How to acknowledge, how to demonstrate his gratitude to the one who took him by the hand and gently led him to this unknown world and filled him with love, compassion and peace?

Who prepared him each day to face life’s test?

In every task, to do his best?

To shun all evil as a pest?

With surging emotions, Yunus rushes back to his Sheikh, to hold him in a tight embrace, hoping that the warmth will convey what words cannot, because these are emotions that go beyond words. They can only be felt. The Sheikh reciprocates too. He has succeeded in reproducing himself.

The final hug. Not the shadowy one we saw in the very first episode, when, after meeting for the first time, Yunus and Tapduk Emre, part…………………

Back to present-day Kasim reading Yunus’ poems; after each poem, he pronounces it as kufr or shirk. Then he continues reading.

“Akhi (brother) ko aakhirat (after-life) chaahiye

Majnoon ko Layla chaahiye

Mujhe toh chaahiye bas tu

Na mere paas koi daulat hai

Na mere paas koi haveli hai

Tere liye har dam ashq bahaata hun

Mujhe toh chaahiye bas tu

Jannat Jannat karte hain sab

Woh mahal jahan bahut si hoorein hon

Jo Jannat chaahta hai tu use de de

Mujhe toh chaahiye bas tu

Yusuf ko jo dekhe khwaab mein

Toh jaan jaayega sabab

Tark karke duniya-o-mafiha (what it contains)

Mujhe toh chaahiye bas tu

Yunus pukaarte hain sab mujhe

Meri aatish roz-ba-roz badhti ja rahi hai

Dono jahaanon mein bus tu hi matloob (desired for)

Mujhe toh chaahiye bas tu

Kasim shouts “shirk, kufr” after reading this. ‘This must never be read by anyone,’ he declares. He carries all the papers to the riverside, lights a fire and one by one, first burns them and then throws them into the river.

“Hum batn (womb) se aaye ek bazaar mein

Aur kafanposh jaayenge mazaar mein

Ishq aashiq ko sher banaa deta hai

Sher magar woh jo zanjeer se bandhe ho

Ishq pathar ko bhi moam bana deta hai

Ishq ke bagair aadmi sookhe darakht ke maanind hai

Tu beshaq karey jafaa mujhse

Tujhse phir bhi nazar na pheroonga

Main chaloonga toh saath saath tere

Ishq ne mujhe zakhm zakhm kar diya hai

Durvesh Yunus yeh alfaaz be-ehthiyaat (precautions) se ada na karo

Dar-haqeeqat tumhare andar bhi ek Kasim khwaabdeeda (sleeping) hai.”

It seems as if the poem is addressed to Kasim. It blows him off!! Kasim reads the last line again.

“Durvesh Yunus yeh alfaaz be-ehthiyaat se ada na karo

Dar-haqeeqat tumhare andar bhi ek Kasim khwaabdeeda hai.”

All these years that he spent hating Yunus! All that time Yunus was treating him with respect. He was respecting Kasim’s obsession with presentation. There was a point in it, and Yunus had the grace and humility to realize that. Yunus had the capacity to see the good in what Kasim said even though Kasim himself had never meant any good for Yunus. Kasim had shot an arrow at Yunus calling him blasphemous, but Yunus chose to make an armour for himself out of that arrow. He chose to honour the accusation and be very particular about the choice of his words. If his poems are meant for posterity, then he must be sure that they are not misinterpreted or misrepresented. He must be sure that any Kasim doesn’t stand up and object. For that, the Kasim in him must scrutinize his work carefully.

Kasim weeps inconsolably. Much earlier, we saw that when he travelled with the Sheikh to see his aunt, on the way back, he had shed tears of repentance at all his wrong-doings. So, there is a part of him that can clearly see that he is wrong.

Can we then assume that the same part is active again? That finally, Kasim laut raha hai? Because, as the Sheikh had rightly claimed, “sab lautthe hai.” And then he had added, “tum bhi lautoge, Kasim.”……………

Years later, an old Yunus is shown walking to where the Sheikh has placed his staff. He had told Yunus as Yunus was leaving the lodge with his family,

“Shaakh (branch) chchodkar aashiyaane ki talaash mein yeh jo mere haath mein maujood asa (staff) hai, yeh tumhe raasta dikhaaega.”

“Hum rukhsat hokar apni safar mein ja rahe hain

Peeche reh jaane waalon ko hamara salaam pahunche

Hamein apni khair ki duaon mein

Yaad rakhne waalon ko hamara salaam pahunche

Maut hi hamaari kamar tod sakti thi

Hum bhala yeh kaise bataayen

Ek karib-ul-marg (on the point of death) darvesh ka haal

Poochne waalon ko hamara salaam pahunche

Tan ko ghusl (bath) dena, bagair gale ka libaaz pehnaana

Hum darveshon ko yakja (to collect in one place) karne waali

Zaat ko hamara salaam pahunche

Izraeel (angel of death) jaan abz (claim) kar raha hai

Khoon ragon mein khushk ho raha hai

Hum soyenge ab kafan oddhkar

Taqfeen (funeral) karne waalon ko hamara salaam pahunche

Mulaqaat hogi ab us Mehboob-e-ala se

Hayaat (life) mein jo karna tha woh na kar sakey

Namaaz ke baad hamaare liye

Dua karne waalon ko hamara salaam pahunche.

Joh kehna tha woh itne barson mein sab keh chuke

Koi nahi jo yeh zakhm bhar sake

Dafnaaega jo hamein kabr mein

Usey hamara salaam pahunche.

Jaan lo ke log aate rahenge, jaate rahenge

Aur koi jaanewaala nahi aayega lautkar

Rakhe hamaare haal ki jo khabar

Usey hamara salaam pahunche.

Aashiq ko hai haq se garz

Haq se milegi har dawa

Jo hamaare liye kare khair ki dua

Un bandagaan-e-khuda ko hamara salaam pahunche.

Miskeen Yunus Aankhen hain iski ashqkaar

Na jaanne waalon ko kya kehna

Jaanne waalon ko hamara salaam pahunche.”

This is it. The show ends with these forty-five episodes. But the journey has only just begun…………………

               JOURNEY OF LOVE – RAAH-E-ISHQ

YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – 2/22

EPISODE 22

Sheikh, Yunus and Adem prepare for the journey. Sheikh’s family, especially Basim who is expecting her second baby, and all the dervishes of the lodge are very sad. The Sheikh gathers his disciples.

“Safar mein nikle toh musafir waapsi ka nahi, wahan pahunchne ka hisaab rakhta hai. Pahunch jaaye toh bahut aala (blessing). Waapas na aaye toh samajhiyega ke hum pahunch gaye the. Ek raah ka anjaam (end), doosri raah ka aaghaaz (beginning) hai. Agar aisa na hota toh raah ek nahi, do ya teen hua karti. Par hum wahadat (oneness) waale log hain; raah ek hai.”

The Sheikh then entrusts the responsibility of the dargah as well as care of his family to Ali Taygu and there is a touching farewell, especially the Sheikh and Yunus lifting young Ibrahim, holding him and kissing him, with a beautiful lilting music playing in the background. The Sheikh actually has tears in his eyes when he kisses Ibrahim. The three of them set out.

At nightfall, they are sitting in a forest after their evening prayers. Yunus feels a sense of yearning and words pour out of him.

“Koh-e-sairon ke (volcanic mountains) darmiyaan

Main pukaaron mere maula tujhe

Sub-dam parinde (birds at dawn) ki chehkaar ke darmiyaan

Main pukaaron mere maula tujhe

Paani mein tairti machchliyon ke darmiyaan

Sahraaon (desert) mein a-hu ke darmiyaan

Tere bandon ki Ya-hu ke darmiyaan

Main pukaaron mere maula tujhe

Aasmanon par utthaae gaye Isa ke vaseele (mediation, through) se

Toor (mount Sinai) par kalam karte Musa ke vaseele se

Haath mein thhaame purana kamzor asa (staff)

Main pukaaron mere maula tujhe

Dard sehne waale Ayyub ke vaseele se

Ashq bahaane waale Yakub ke vaseele se

Pyaare Mohamad Sallallahu alai Wasallum ke vaseele se

Main pukaaron mere maula tujhe

Jaanta hun jo hai duniya ka haal

Tark kar chuka hoon sab qeel-o-qaal (dialogue, conversation)

Nange paon, jhuke sar

Main pukaaron mere maula tujhe

Yunus ke dil se nikli yeh sada

Baagh-e-haq ki bulbul ki tarah

Haq ke chuneeda (chosen) gulaamon ke vaseele se

Main pukaaron mere maula tujhe”.

Haq, says Sheikh, haq, says Yunus. Sheikh continues, “Usey pukaro Yunus, pukaro usey. Toor-e-Musa ke vaseele se, musafiron ko raah dikhaate Khidr ke vaseele se,

Hazrat Isa bhi yehi raah chale, Hazrat Musa bhi yehi raah chale, humaae huzoor Sallallahu alai Wasallum bhi yehi raah chale. Wujood (existence) bhi isi raah par, adam (annihilation) bhi isi raah par.”

You came into existence on this path, your annihilation will also be on this path. All is one. Isa is within you, Musa, Khidr, Hazrat Mohammad are all within you. Remember, you cut so much wood for so many years. Where are they? Even their ashes have disappeared.

“Kitni lakdiyaan kaat kar jamaa ki tumne aur aakhir mein unki raakh tak nahi bachti.”

The night is cold, and as Yunus and Adem collect more wood to keep the fire burning, Adem learns how Yunus met the Sheikh for the first time. The Sheikh also recalls the first meeting and says, “Ek raah par hamari pehli mulaqaat hui aur phir humsafar ban gaye hum dono. Har raah ko, har musafir ko ek humsafar ki zaroorat hoti hai. Pehle rafeeq (companion) aur phir tareeq (path). Humsafar aaine ki misaal hai. Raah dikhata hai raahi ko.”

As they travel, they do not stay for more than three nights in one place. On the way, they witness many of Sheikh’s miracles. Adem has the honour to capture numerous poems that are born in Yunus’ heart and delivered by his tongue.

“Faizaan (generosity) mere peer ka aur dada peer ka

Jahan jaaoon jahan rahoon,

Jumla (entire) maqluqat (creation) ki madad karoon

Chhod kar jahaan-e-faani ko

Chal doon aakhirat (after-life) ke safar par

Jahan jannat ki hoorein hon, raah-e-ishq par mere humsafar

Main na pehnoon resham-o-hareer (silk)

Rehen sehan aam logon sa ho

Khaak ho bistar mera, pathar bane taqiya mera

Maar de apne nafs ko, chchod de hirs-o-hawas

Haath hon bandhe hue, aur nafs se barsare paikar (end of conflict) sada

Mera tan kya jaane, jaan kya jaane

Kya azeem (great) raaz hai anal-haq (I am truth)

Jo posheeda (hidden) hai ab tak mujhme

Khol de mujh par darwaaza

Woh jo aaj hans (laugh) raha hai

Kaun jaane kal ro bhi sakta hai

Mere aansuon ko gir girkar matti mein jazb (absorb) hone de

Miskeen (poor) Yunus aur kya kahe

Aashiq hain miskeenon ka woh

Darveshi mere hooliye se na jalke

Baatin (hidden) bane darvesh mera.

They have been travelling for months now. They have travelled across Anatolia and moved to the northern regions to reach Tabrez. The journey is far from easy, but the soul-stirring contemplative verses of Yunus Emre keep their spirits elevated.

“Agar tum dil-shikni (breaking heart) karne par mutmaeen (satisfied)ho

Toh phir tumhe namaaz ki kya zaroorat?

Duniya ki saari makhlooq (creation) mil kar bhi

Tumhare gunaah nahi dho sakti

Darvesh aate hain aur chale jaate hain

Kaarkhaana-e-duniya waisa hi chalta rehta hai

Woh hawaaon mein oonche se ooncha udte hain

Kyonke woh huma (phoenix) parinde hain

Kaaz (weak, frail) nahi yeh jaan kisi ki

Amaanat nahi siwaae haq ke

Kadam bhi useeke jo uski raah par chalte hain

Upar bhi wahi, neeche bhi wahi

So use dekhne ko nigah upar kya utthaana

Munkir (believer) ho ya muddai (non-believer)

Waqt hi ko shumaar (keep track of, count) karte hain

Use kisi khaliyaan (barn) mein le ja chchodo

Woh jo kisi ka bhi aashiq nahi

Agar tum sahi raah par rahe

Har nafas (breath) ka ehteram (respect, revere) karte rahe

Aur khair (welfare) ke aamaal (deeds) kiye

Toh samjho, naiyya paar tumhaari

Yunus ke yeh lafz aise hain goya (as if)

Jaise shehad aamez (mixed with) makkhan

Aur yeh khalq (people) ko bain-as-satoor (between two lines, hidden meaning)

Keh gaya woh sab jo raaz tha.”

Kasim is very angry when he reads this. “kufr bakta hai aur kehta hai sher hai,” he says. He repeats the first two lines, (based on which he called Yunus blasphemous long time back) and is still stuck on the literal meaning. In spite of the Sheikh explaining the essence to him at that time, he is stuck in that stage and at that level of understanding. He is stagnant spiritually – the hallmark of a doomsday sheikh. He will just mouth eloquent to trap a gullible public. Getting followers is important to these doomsday sheikhs. They basically have low self-worth. They derive their self-worth from mass adoration. So they strive to maintain a therapeutic level of mass adoration.

In contrast, Tapduk Emre is the sine-qua-non of a truly enlightened man. Maybe we will ponder over this in ‘Tasawwur’, which will come at the end of my journey – which basically will mark the beginning of another journey. As the Sheikh says, “Ek raah ka anjaam, doosri raah ka aaghaaz hai.”

They travel to Sheki, then Zakatala and then to Gah. It is now six months since they left Nallihan. Gah is where the Sheikh was born and spent his childhood and youth. In Gah, they reach Ibrahim Zahidi Geylani’s lodge, where the Sheikh was born and raised.

Referring to the Sheikh, Geylani says, “Damey noore sahar se main mehve mushahida tha ki yeh roshni hai kya aakhir? (as the dawn broke, I have been wondering from where is this unusually bright light coming)? Khula ke hamare hi ghar se uttne waala shola hai, jo alaao ban gaya Anatolia jaakar. (soon it became obvious that this light is coming from the spark of this very abode, which, in time, became a fire in Anatolia). Aaj yeh roshni hamare ghar raunak afroz hai.”

The Sheikh is also very wistful of his younger days. They exchange fond greetings. Many dervishes have come to pay obeisance to the Sheikh. They introduce themselves and seek his blessings and grace. They come to know that dervishes coming from Anatolia have brought Yunus’s poems to this place. Yunus is already famous there. In fact, they seek permission to recite his poem for the zikr.

Sheikh is very happy. “Alfaaz zabaan-o-makaam ke qaid se azaad hote hain yaqeenan. Inke yahan pahunchne se pehle hi ashaar (verses) yahan pahunch chuke hain Yunus Emre ke.”

A rapturous zikr is performed set to the rhythm of Yunus’ verse. After that, everyone is in a passionate mood and want to listen to more poems from Yunus.

“Haq – jahaan dekhoon usii ka jalwa

Phir bhi ghafil (ignorant) ussey waqif nahi

Usey tum khud mein hi talaash karo

Woh tumhare wujood se juda hargiz nahi

Duniya par jiska taqiya (hypocrisy, pretension) hai

Kehta hai, mere risq (the portion that has been allotted to me) hai.

Jhoot hai saraasar jhoot hai

Risq kisi ke ikhteyar (command, power) mein nahi

Aakhirat ke behad taweel (long) safar par

Sachaai yeh Waahid (title of God) de raha hai

Abadi (eternal) hai yeh firaaq (separation)

Jo jaata hai kabhi nahi aata

Duniya mein aane waale mar jaate hain

Ek ek karke sharbat-e-marg (death) peete hain

Yahan se wahan ek pul qaayam hai, jiski

Jaahilon ko kuch khabar nahi

Aao aur milo humse, hamaara kaam aasaan karo

Tum hamey chaaho, hum tumhe chaahen

Duniya mein hamesha kaun rehta hai

Yunus ke alfaaz samajh sako toh

Maani inke jaan sako toh

Inpar amal bhi karna hoga

Sada yahan koi nahi rehta.”  

YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – 2/21

EPISODE 21

Yunus finally musters the courage to open the door of the dargah and enter. It is wee hours of the morning and still dark. He reaches the Sheikh’s quarters and is about to knock, when Khanum Sultan comes out. She is so surprised to see such an unexpected guest at such an unexpected hour. But she is happy. She says the Sheikh has almost completely lost his vision. He will come out in a while for wuzu. If he says, ‘Who Yunus?’ that means he has not forgiven you. If he says, ‘Oh! My Yunus’ that means he has forgiven you.

As stated, the Sheikh comes out. Yunus is standing right at the door. The Sheikh touches his heart and his hand and asks his wife, ‘Who is it?’ She says, ‘Yunus Affendi’. He asks, ‘Who Yunus?’ On hearing this, Yunus is completely heart-broken. Then after a few seconds, the Sheikh asks, ‘Is he my Yunus?’ Yunus is overjoyed. He feels like a bird flying. He grabs the Sheikh’s hand and kisses it as if he will never let it go.

Next day, the Sheikh calls Yunus to his chambers and initiates him to the next stage – fourth out of the seven stages. And as is the ritual always, he asks Yunus to sit with his knees touching those of the Sheikh. Then he asks him to bring his right ear close to the Sheikh. The Sheikh whispers something into his ear. ‘What did I say?’ he asks. Yunus is silent. The Sheikh smiles. Silence. He has entered the realm beyond words. Those who know it don’t say it, those who say it don’t know it.

His zikr for this stage is haq. He must keep repeating his zikr at all times. The lover must always call the beloved.

Yunus continues to chop and bring wood for the lodge. But still, no crooked wood; only straight. One day, as he is on his way back, he stops by a river to refresh himself. Suddenly, he spots an apple floating and coming towards him. Without thinking, he picks it up and bites it. As he is going for the second bite, he sees blood. As he pauses to wonder about the blood, it strikes him that he has bit into someone else’s property unknowingly. He meets a farmer and asks him about it. The farmer tells him that there is an apple orchard in the upper slope and it belongs to the Sheikh of the lodge. Yunus is surprised as he was not aware of it. Back in the lodge, Yunus reports the matter to the Sheikh. Sheikh says, ‘Yes, it is our orchard and you may eat the apple, as apples that drop into the river are not ours. But, (as Yunus has eaten the forbidden fruit!) I will decide what to do about it (Adam was punished for eating the forbidden fruit!).’

Sheikh asks Yunus to marry his daughter Basim Sultan, if she will accept him. In a simple ceremony, Yunus and Basim are declared man and wife.

Everyday, as Yunus is in the forest chopping, his beautiful, radiant and now pregnant wife brings him lunch, which they have together. They are both very happy. For Basim, it is a long-standing dream come true. One day, after his meal, as Yunus dozes off, he has a dream.

An old farmer crosses his path, and stops him. He calls him Sheikh and rushes to kiss his hand. He then says that he has a son who is sick and will the Sheikh (he is addressing Yunus) pray for him? He offers a scrawny horse in return for the prayer. Yunus refuses the gift but prays for him. When he opens his eyes, Basim is gone and he is reclining by the riverside.

Yunus narrates his dream to the Sheikh for an interpretation.

The Sheikh gives a strange interpretation. He says, ‘How do you know it was you praying? It was me. Now, you take Adem and go the village that the farmer mentioned and get me that horse. It is my horse and I need it.’

As instructed by their Sheikh, Yunus and Adem set out for the farmer’s village. The villager greets them and asks them what they want. Yunus says that Sheikh Tapduk Emre has sent them. The farmer thanks the Sheikh profusely and blesses him and says that he asked the Sheikh to pray for his sick son. The Sheikh prayed and his son is now well. Then Yunus says that the Sheikh wants the horse that the farmer had offered. The horse is given to them and they return to the lodge. Why did the farmer not recognize Yunus as the one who prayed? Because now Yunus is now merging into the essence of his guru. The farmer did not see him. He saw the Sheikh when he asked him to pray for him. Yunus apne guru ke rang me rang gaya.

Adem writes that many dervishes from afar, come to visit the Sheikh to witness his miracles of love. Then comes the night when Yunus Affendi or Qazi Yunus is officially declared Yunus Emre. Emre means lover in all languages. In Persian it is Hemrah, in Aramaic it is Amur, in Latin it is Amore and in Turkish it is Imre. All the attending dervishes perform zikr together. Afterwards, the Sheikh tells Yunus, ‘My Yunus. Your time is up. We opened the lock of the treasure that Haji Bektash told us about. You have got your share. Come on, address this gathering.’ Yunus recites a poem and the dervishes are very impressed at the depth and vitality of the poems, which reflect truth so beautifully.

Yunus and Basim are blessed with a baby boy. Sheikh calls him Ibrahim. He says though in a foreign land, there is Ismael (Ismael has been enrolled in a madrasa, while Yunus was wandering). The cup of bliss is full in the lodge. The cry of the child, which is a reminder of God, transforms the house of Yunus and Basim into a home – a home of love, friendship and God.

Yunus’ poems start spreading far and wide, and soon he succeeds in building a love bridge all across Anatolia. Sheikh declares him to be his khalifa-successor.

“Waqt paani ki tarah hai. Aata hai aur chala jaata hai. Jaise hawa chale toh saari mitti ud kar chali jaae. Waqt kareeb aa pahuncha hai. Ab tumhe raah dikhaate hain hum. Ijaazat ho ya-Allah.

“Kitna hi zamaana ho gaya Yunus, hum dono ek hi raah pe chalte ja rahe hain. Tum humse raazi (contented, satisfied), aur hum tumse raazi. Ab tumhe amaanat (something entrusted to the custody of someone) ka maalik banaane ka waqt aa gaya hai. Matlab ab jaagne ka waqt aa pahuncha. Woh amaanat sirr-e-wilayat (secret of our order) hai. Hamse milne waali yeh amaanat, waliyon (saints) ka raaz hai, Yunus. Kya maqsad tha is raah par kadam rakhte waqt hamaara? Kaun hain hum? Kya kar rahe hain? Kahan se aa rahe hain? Kahan ja rahe hain? Aur is waqt kahan par hain? Yeh jagah kaun si hai? Is raaz ko jaan lena hamaara maqsad tha.

“Rasoollullah ki shifahat (healing blessing) se aur peeran ikraam ke Faizaan (blessings of other esteemed spiritual teachers) se hum mushqilaat se nikal aaye. Uthaar chadaav se guzar gaye. Apne nafs ko pehchaan gaye. Aur nafs ko pehchaan liya toh goya (as if) rab ko pehchaan liya.”

Bending down to his heart, as if talking to the Divine, the Sheikh says, “Miskeen (poor, helpless) bande Yunus ne kaee saal pehle khidmat (service) aur bayat (allegiance) talab (desire) ki thi. Peeran ikraam (esteemed spiritual teachers ) ke bataaye hue usoolon (principles) ke mutaabiq miskeen Yunus ko humne, Nafs-e-Ammaara (one who follows his desires) ke marhale (stage) se guzaara aur Nafs-e-Lavvaama (inner voice that condemns him for wrong-doing Blaming Self) ke darwaaze tak laaye. Aazmaaishon (trials) se surkhuru (successful) hone par lavvaama ki manzil se lekar Nafs-e-Mulhima (divine inspired conscience Inspired Self) ke darwaaze par laye. Aur sach toh yeh hai, yeh uski sakht aazmaaish mein bhi Kamran (successful in any venture) hue. Toh hum ise mulhima ki manzil se lekar Nafs-e-Mutmaina (Secure Self) ke darwaaze par le aaye. Us darwaaze par yeh haq ke raaz se waaqif ho gaya. Nafs-e-Raaziya (Contented Self) aur Nafs-e-Marziya (Gratified Self) ke marhale ko bhi kaamyaabi se tei karne ke baad, hum isey Makaam-e-Saafiya (Complete Self) tak le aaye hain. Hukm aur farmaan (order, command) haq ka hai. Ab hamaara aakhri kaam amaanat uske ahl (member of my family) ko saupna hai. Tera banda Yunus vilaayat (our order) ke raaz se aagha ho chuka hai. Ab hum ise teri amaanat dekar rukhsat honge.”

Then, ceremoniously, the Sheikh drapes the coat around him and changes the cap. The setting sun peeps through the window, casting a halo on the guru and the student, giving the whole affair a holiness. It is a mixed moment. Happiness mixed with a sense of responsibility. As you ascend, you feel more and more responsible for every breath you take. This sense of responsibility is one of the hallmarks of an enlightened soul.

“Tumhare jism par khilafat (status, power) ka nahi, malaamat (blame, accusation) ka khirka (coat) hai Yunus. Maarne waale ko maarna nahi. Kosne waale ko kosna nahi. Is khirke ke baad ab se tumhari baat hamaari baat, tumhaara amal (action) hamaara amal hai. Aaj ke baad se tumhaari aag ka dhuan uttha karega hamare aatish-daan (Bhatti, chulha) se. Jis hasti ko jaanna tha tumhe, usey, khoj se ab tum jaan chuke ho – jo tumhari aankhon se dekhta hai, tumhare kaanon se sunta hai aur tumhare kadmon se chalta hai. Kya raha phir tumhare paas? Kuch bhi nahi. Tumhara apna wujood hai hi kahaan koi? Asl mein wohi toh hai; tum nahi ho. Haan, hamare rab ne hum par munkashif (reveal, disclose) kiya tha yeh.”

You have realized that you, as an entity, does not exist. God is here, you are not. Now you understand that any blame, accusation, judgement, hostility that you face is directed at this non-existent entity and therefore, does not merit acknowledgement or response. The khirka malaamat (blame) ka hai means, it will absorb all the negativity that is hurled on you. Likewise, all the praise, laurels and recognition will also not belong to you. So, what remains? A steadfast human being. Sthithapragna.   

Sheikh Tapduk Emre, the Supreme Guru, has handed the mantle to a worthy and able successor. Like I said in the beginning, the commitment of a guru to lead the disciple is far stronger than the disciple’s hunger to be led. The guru is existing for this single purpose. So, he is keen and motivated. Till he has accomplished his task, he cannot leave the world. Our Sheikh, therefore, must be a relieved and satisfied man – for a job well done.

The Sheikh then tells Yunus that it is time to hit the road. Yunus looks up, surprised. The Sheikh explains, that just like one who is drunk with alcohol is sobered by cold, one who is drunk with love becomes sober by travelling. Get ready. We will set off.

YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – 2/20

EPISODE 20

The story resumes after three to four decades.

All the known faces of Nallihan are gone as the scene opens to the market. A grey-bearded man arrives from Haj on horse-back with a battery of followers on foot, his fingers laden with rings of precious stones. His demeanour is more like a sultan, but from the whispers of the local people, we learn that he is a sheikh. Leading the group is Musa Affendi, holding the sheikh’s expensive-looking staff studded with precious stones. He has brought gifts for everyone, which he distributes.

This is Kasim Affendi – the typical definition of a doomsday sheikh. As he sits for a glass of sherbet, a diwana, much like Ayanali and Veli, comes there, reciting a poem about the breakdown of culture, spawning of doomsday sheikhs, slow death of the real meaning of religion, etc. Kasim is furious at what he considers blasphemy. He wants to know who the poet of this blasphemous piece is. The diwana says its someone called Yunus Emre who was educated in the lodge of Tapduk Emre. He adds that his poems are famous, and have spread far and wide.

It stirs up memories and Kasim decides to visit the lodge. He wants to go alone as no one knows that he too was a disciple of Tapduk Emre. The dargah is now abandoned as the Sheikh and his wife are no more. Since he grew up there, the place is littered with memories for him. He feels wistful as he looks lovingly at everything and while watching it, I had tears in my eyes.  While going around, he finds many sheafs of handwritten notes in Yunus’ cell. He brings them back to his place; he is staying in the mayor’s mansion in great opulence.

He discovers that the notes are a chronological journal of the important events that took place in the dargah after he departed. He informs Musa that he does not want to be disturbed and starts reading the notes……

After one of Sheikh’s discourses, Yunus suggests that some kind of journal or record must be maintained of all the utterances of the Sheikh, whether it is his discourses, or the stand-alone advice he gives to the students, so that posterity may benefit from these gems. The Sheikh appoints Adem to do the job. He blesses him to record everything sincerely, honestly and meticulously. “Kalam tumhara haq likhe, ishq tumhari raushnai (ink) bane,” he says. ‘Always write love with love. Don’t forsake your mother-tongue, Turkish. Write in simple language. Truth is the kernel while all else is like bark of a tree.’……

It has now been three years since Molla Kasim left the lodge. Many disciples have flocked to him. He even owns shops, inns and other properties in Nallihan and Sivrihisar. One day, it was noticed that Gungor Affendi was gone. Later they came to know that he too, has joined Kasim. The Sheikh always knew. But he never says anything about this. In fact, if ever, he only says good things about both of them.

As years pass, Yunus continues to bring wood to the lodge. But many times he comes back late. Only later was it found that he took longer because he was looking for straight pieces of wood. The Sheikh notices that Yunus is frequently absent for the evening prayers. He is irked by that. So, one day, he meets Yunus outside the lodge, just as Yunus has arrived and asks him what takes him so long. He wants to know if the mountains don’t have any wood left that he has to travel elsewhere. Yunus replies that there is plenty of wood, but since the Sheikh likes only straight wood, looking for that takes time.

The Sheikh says, “Kitne saal hue tumhe yahan? Kitne baras se pak rahe ho dargah ki bhatti mein? Magar, abhi tak kachche ho Yunus! Kaisi na-pukhtagi (inability to ripen) hai yeh? Kaisa kachchapan hai? Abhi tak duniya ki bu aati hai.”

Everyone present is shocked, including Ismael. Yunus is completely devastated.

Later, he introspects in his cell. The Shaitaan shouts at him, ‘What have you achieved after all these years? The Sheikh insulted you so rudely in front of all the junior dervishes. Do you deserve this? Your body hurts everywhere from constant chopping. Have you ever complained? Even the villagers pity you. They say such an educated man and what has he become? A woodcutter like us? What is the point?’

Yunus decides to leave the lodge that very night. While his most precious and dear student is walking away, a sad Sheikh is talking to himself, “Jalaal (anger, the more flared emotion) ke zariye kee gayi tarbiyat (discipline), Jamaal (beauty, elegance, the more cool emotion) ke zariye kee gayi tarbiyat ke muqable mein, tezi se manzil tak pahuncha deti hai. Tawheed waalon ka Allah madadgaar hota hai. Jis kadar Allah ki jaanib rujooh (incline towards) karoge, use kadar himmat paaoge. Kya kaha tha hamne? Jisse lagan ho usi ko tambih (reprimand, scold, correct, punish) kee jaati hai. Chalo aage badho Yunus. Alif (first letter in Arabic-vertical line) ki tarah seedhe chalo. Paa loge apni manzil Yunus.”      

Adem hears the dervishes gossiping about the incident. He tells them, “Kisi ki gheebat (talking ill of someone behind their back, gossip) na kijiye peer bhaiyon. Bada gunah hai yeh.” One of them says, ‘But it is the truth.’ Adem replies that once the Prophet was asked, “Gheebat kya hai?. Toh Allah ke nabi ne unse farmaaya, ‘Peet peeche hamaare bhai ke baare mein aisi baat karna, jo uske saamne ki jaaye toh use bura lage, woh baat gheebat hoti hai. Agar uske baare mein woh baat durust (true) hai, toh gheebat (gossip) hai; aur agar durust nahi, toh yeh gheebat bhi hai aur bohtan (slander) bhi hai.”

If what you say behind someone’s back is true, then it is gossip; it is not true, then it is not only gossip, but also slander.

After leaving the lodge, Yunus travels to Anatolia, Ayinthap, Aleppo, Damascus, and then back to Ayinthap and Anatolia. One night, he takes shelter in a cave due to heavy rains. Incidentally, it is the same cave where he took shelter with Tapduk Emre, when they met for the first time, on his way to Nallihan to take over as Qazi. That day also it had rained. He had thought that it was a miracle effected by Tapduk, but Tapduk, unknown to Yunus, gave his first sermon to Yunus about haq ki jalwagiri (manifestation of truth).

Here, tonight, sitting in the same cave, Yunus has a dream. He is walking nowhere, and suddenly encounters two strange dervishes, who like him, are going nowhere. They invite him to walk with them and they take shelter in a cave (this cave, where Yunus is sitting). At nightfall, since no one has any food with them, they decide to pray. The two dervishes pray and food appears in front of them. Yunus is so ashamed and embarrassed that he prays again with great desperation. “Ya Rabbe kareem, yeh darvesh kya kar rahe hain, mujhe kuch khabar nahin. Bas, mujhe inke saamne sharminda na karna.”

And when he opens his eyes, there are two portions of food in front of him. Surprised, the dervishes ask, “kiski tawakkul (recommendation) se dua maangi aapne ke aapko do khaana naseeb hua?”

Yunus says, “jiski tawakkul se aapne maangi hai, Useeki tawakkul se maine bhi maangi hai.”

They give the reference of Tapduk Emre’s lodge in Nallihan and say that there is a woodsman of the lodge whose name is Yunus. “Hum useeki tawakkul se dua maangte hain. Roz aise hi khaana milta hai hamein.”

Yunus stares at them and breaks down. Between loud sobs he says, “Ya Rab, sharma huzoori mein dua maangne waale ko kaisa jholi bhar kar nawaaz diya tune. Koi shaq nahi teri qudrat (divine power) behad aur behisaab hai.”

When he finally opens his eyes, he finds that the two dervishes have disappeared. In their place, he sees two of his own images sitting. Slowly they get up and merge into one. They then turn to Yunus and beckon him to join them.

Yunus asks, “Kaun ho? Kaun ho tum?”

“Main, tum hoon. Kasrate-wajood (existence of form) ko mat dekho. Sab ek hai. Apne hone ko na hona samjho. Jahan bhar mein jise dhoond rahe ho woh azli-o-abdi (azal-beginning, abad-eternal), woh haqeeqat main hoon. Tum zaahir (manifest, external) ho aur main baatin (hidden, internal). Qarn-haa-qarn (eons after eons) jiski talaash mein bhatak rahe ho tum, main tumhara wahi dost hoon. Laut aao apne asl ki taraf. Main yagaana (one, single) hoon. Tark (abandon) karke apni aatish (fire), khaakdaan (made of earth) apne badan ka naabood (destroy) karke, shash-jihat (on all sides) uski deedar ke liye, be-tan hue, be-jaan hue. Itni talaash kyon thi aakhir? Woh dost toh pinha (hidden) fitrat (inherent in you) mein hi tha. Jab khud se hi na-waaqif ho tum, phir aur kya khabar hogi?”

As Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote for a song in the movie Talaash, Tere naina talaash kare jise woh hai tujhee mein kahin deewaane….

We travel great distances in search of The Truth, and finally discover that it is right here in us, patiently waiting for us to come home!

Well, well, well, what am I writing?

The other two dervishes receive one portion of meal each, but Yunus gets two. The other two are essence – therefore, single entities. Yunus is still in duality. There are two of him – form and essence. Essence is same for everyone. It is same as One. So, in effect, the dervishes are praying for Yunus-the essence, which is same as them and same as One. They too are therefore, praying for Him. This realization comes to Yunus.

There are two of us. One is form and the other is essence. The essence version of us is The Truth – haq. The form is an illusion. Before enlightenment strikes us, we know of the existence of only the form version. But, somewhere or the other, some way or the other, sometime or the other, we become aware of the existence of this entity called essence, or soul, or atma (we are concerned with the concept, not how it is addressed). It is the job of religion to make us aware of this.

Every single human being who has been introduced to the alleged existence of this entity, sooner or later (later could be another lifetime), starts investigating this concept. What is this soul? Or atma? Or essence? This is the birth of duality for him. Duality always existed, but man was not aware of it. He thought that form was all there is of him.

Those who pursue this investigation with single-minded, all-consuming passion, devotion and determination, discover the essence. They experience their essence. They also realize that this essence is same for everyone. All are same. All are one. Tawheed. All are part of one. And this One, is Eternal, while the form is perishable. The duality thus, dissolves.

Yunus has a vision where he meets two other dervishes. Then, in the cave, their form is replaced by the form of Yunus. Actually, he is seeing their essence, which is the same for everyone. The essence of the two merge and seek to merge with Yunus. Thus, Yunus experiences pure essence and his oneness with everyone and everything.

There is deafening thunder and blinding lightning. Yunus opens his eyes. There is no one in the cave. It is daylight and he realizes that he had a dream – a vision. Ecstatically, he chants Allah-o-Akbar. He gets up and walks out of the cave, an enlightened man, moaning, “Ghafil Yunus! (negligent, careless), jaahil Yunus! (ignorant). Tum kuch nahi jaante, kuch bhi nahi jaante.” He realizes why the Sheikh sent him away. “Jalaal (anger, the more flared emotion) ke zariye kee gayi tarbiyat (discipline), Jamaal (beauty, elegance, the more cool emotion) ke zariye kee gayi tarbiyat ke muqable mein, tezi se manzil tak pahuncha deti hai……….. Chalo aage badho Yunus. Alif (first letter in Arabic-vertical line) ki tarah seedhe chalo. Paa loge apni manzil Yunus.” This is what the Sheikh had said. Feeling deep regret, Yunus sets out towards the lodge, now more than ever, wanting to be close to his precious Sheikh and be guided by him.

As he walks towards the lodge, his heart is filled with poems, but which do not reach his lips.

“Tere ishq ka ghaao meri jaan se zyaada gehra hai.

 Mere safar mein hone ka tere hi sar-sehra hai. (credit to you)

Jis samt (direction) bhi nazar daaloon, tu hi tu dikhaai de

Bachkar kahaan jaaoon, ang ang tera hi pehra hai.

Na pooch mujhse mera, main nahi raha khud mein

Kaash mere wujood mein jhalak utthe jo tera yakta (matchless) chehra hai.

Kya batlaaoon kisne mujhe mujhse chcheen liya

Shehenshah-e-aalameen par angusht-numaai (criticism, slander) kaun kar sakta hai

Kisi ko toh tajalli (splendour, brilliance) mein hi apna naseeb mil gaya

Aur kisi ka maqsad use bhi ooncha hai

Jis kisi ko husn-e-dost nazar aa gaya

Uske seene mein suraj se fuzoontar (better) ujala hai.

Magar Yunus ki aankhon ne bil-aakhir (finally, at last) dost ko pa liya

Jisne usey androone (inner) zaat (self) ka darwaaza dikhaya hai.

Kitne hi mahine kitne hi saal guzar jaane ke baad

Chup chaap laut aaye Tapduk ke darwaaze par aakhirkar Yunus Affendi

Yahan se jaane ke waqt ki tarah, wohi chaand sitaare gawah hain

Jaane aur aane dono waqton ke

Hu-hu-hu”

“Tere ishq ne mujhko mujhee se chcheen liya

Mujhe teri talab hai, sirf teri

Jal raha hoon shabo-roz qarbe-shadeed (intense anguish) mein

Mujhe teri talab hai, sirf teri

Na Khushi koi hayaat (life) ki, na gum hai ab maut ka

Ishq dil mein ttheher (stay) gaya

Mujhe teri talab hai, sirf teri

Ishq ne aashiqon ko maar diya

Ishq ne gehraai-e-dariya dikha diya

Uski tajalli (splendour) se dil mamool (accustom) hua

Mujhe teri talab hai, sirf teri”

As Yunus reaches the doorstep of the dargah, he remembers that the first time they met and parted, he had asked Tapduk if this parting was final. The Sheikh had said, ‘even if we part here, the path is one. So, we shall meet.’

Now, Yunus understands the meaning of that – the path is one. It comes from One and goes back to One.

YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – 2/19

EPISODE 19

Another group of dervishes visit the dargah from Rumelia. They exchange respectful greetings and, in the evening again perform the rapturous zikr. Yunus takes some of his own dervishes and starts the work of duplication of the Book of Wisdom. While at it, he has another vision, in which he is walking, not alone, but with the Sheikh and this time, he has crossed the sea. He has reached the shores and the sea is behind him. He tells the Sheikh about it. Sheikh is very happy.

“Doobe toh nahi kahin hum Yunus? Hifazat se pahunch gaye the na saahil par?

Sheikh ki kashti par hoke sawaar

Aa gaya main saahil-e-dariya ke paar

Jaana hai mujhko us andekhe ke dayaar

Hu-hu-shehenshah-e-man hu-hu-

Hamein dariya par se guzarne waale nahi, dariya mein utharne waale chaahiye. Paaniyon mein ghothe lagaane waale.

Dekho, teesra parda utthaane ja rahe ho tum. Humne tumse kahaa tha – guzar jaao Nafs-e-lavvama (Blaming Self-soul struggling against evil desires, accusing soul) ke manzil se. Aur tum ba-khairiyat guzar gaye lavvama ki manzil se. (lavvama – inner voice and conscience of man which comdemns him on wrong doing and committing crime).

Nikal gaye tum is jalaal (anger) fariza (obligation) se magar safar khatam nahi hota. Yahan se ek doosri haq shuru hoti hai. Yeh hai Nafs-e-mulhima (Inspired Self – divinely inspired conscience. Mulhima is derived from ilhaam -intuitive perception, revelation). Ab tumhara zikr ‘hu’ hoga.

Aashiq dil ki zabaan se kalam karta hai Yunus. Mulhima, yaani, Ilhaam ke liye khula hua. Ilhaam akl par nahi, dil par hua karta hai. Is raah pe kadam akl ke saath rakhte hain, magar phir akl ko chchod dete hain. Dil ke sahaare aage badhte hain. Aaj ke baad se tumhe akl se hargiz kaam nahi lena hai. Kyonke aaj ke baad tumhaare saare kaam dil se hone chaahiye. Koi kaam karo toh dil se. Jo lafz bhi zubaan se nikle, laaziman (essentially) dil se ho. Jo bhi kadam utthaao, tum jo saans lo, woh dil se ho. Aaj ke baad tumhara dost, sirf aur sirf tumhara dil hai.

Lekin yeh mat socho ke nafs ke liye jaal nahi biche honge. Shaitaan bada makkaar (cunning), doglapar (hypocrite) aur heelakaar (pretentious) hai. Haq ka roop bhi dhar leta hai baazaukaat (sometimes). Haq ki aur haqeeqat ki naql ban jaata hai. Jo asl mein aur naql mein tameez (distinction) na kar sake, unke haal par raham ho. Shaitaan ko dekhte hain toh gibrail (Gabriel) samajh lete hain usey. Khabardaar rehna, hoshiyaar rehna, haq ke bhesh mein chhupe Shaitaan se.

Hamara dil ruhaani (spiritual) hai, Yunus, aur badan haiwaani. Yeh dono mustaqqil (constant) haalaat-e-jung mein rehte hain. Is mutthi bhar khaak aur chullu bhar paani se bane faani-wajood (perishable existence) par kabze ke liye aisi jung jaari hai, ke kaafir aur moumin ke darmiyaan kabhi na khatm hone waali jung ho jaise. Hamesha jaari rehne waali jung, jo hamaare andar jaari hai aur hame khabar hi nahi? Toh yeh jaan lo Yunus, ke haiwaan Ilhaam se mehroom hai. Ilhaam insaan ko haiwaan se mumtaz (exhalted) karta hai. Dil ko paak rakhne waale khud ko ilhaam ke isteqbaal (reception, welcome) ke liye taiyaar karte hain. Aur jo dil ko paak nahi rakhte, samjho goya (as if) haiwaan hain woh.

Ilhaam nek dilon ke liye hai. Badkhaslaton ka (ones with bad character) ilhaam se koi waasta nahi. Shaitaan ko kabhi ilhaam naseeb nahi ho sakta. Yehi sabab hai ke woh sirf naql hi kar sakta hai. Ilhaam waalon ke liye duniya ja-e-ibrat (place of warning) hai. Ibrat na pakadne waale duniya ke liye ibrat (warning) ban jaate hain.

Toh, yeh hai Nafs-e-mulhima. (Beware of the tricks of the world otherwise you yourself will become an example of how one should not conduct oneself in this path).

Aaj ke baad se is aalam mein tumhari duniya, rooh aur haal ishq hai. Tumhaare dil mein aane waale khayalat marifat (wisdom) hain, magar Nafs-e-mulhima azaab (doom) aur injaad (salvation) ke darmiyaan had-e-fasl hai. Agar ghaflat (carelessness) mein zara bhi padoge, lamhe bhar bhi, toh waapas aaghaz-e-safar par aa giroge (back to square-one).

Aur ek aur baat yaad rakhna. Nafs marta nahi. Bus, so jaata hai. Khabardaar rehna khud ko sota zaahir karne waale shaitaan se. Dhoka na kha jaana. Mulhima ke darwaaze se lautna aasaan hai, guzarna behad mushkil.”

The Sheikh calls him to come closer so he may whisper the new zikr of ‘hu’ to him.

The mayor is arrested for murdering his wife. When Kasim goes to meet him, he realizes that the mayor has lost it. He is on the verge of insanity. He is truly believing that the Sheikh is a sorcerer. He hands over the key to his mansion and all his wealth to Kasim, as he does not want his son Shahin to have it. Kasim takes the key, thus crossing the threshold, which a dar-vez never crosses.

Yunus finds that the wood in the dargah have all been chopped. The Sheikh tells him to go to the mountains with the axe and get wood from there. So Yunus sets off.

Kasim goes to the Sheikh and tries to tell him that all the animosity between the mayor and the dargah is because things were not handled well – meaning to blame Yunus of course. So, the Sheikh says that whatever happens is fate, it is meant to happen. Then he tells Kasim that from now on, Yunus will attend to the dargah’s guests. Kasim asks if he has done something wrong? Sheikh says, the fault lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Yunus goes to the mountains to fetch wood for the lodge. He also picks up an injured bleeding kid and brings it home. Ismael is thrilled to have such a cute companion.

Kasim is full of anger. He is feeling humiliated. He looks at the key given to him by his uncle and almost makes up his mind. There is only one more thing left to do.

So, while Kasim is slipping in his self-created vortex of negativity, Yunus brings a wave of joy and laughter as the whole dargah blossoms like spring in the aftermath of a storm, with Ismael and the little goat running around the whole place and having fun.

Kasim proposes to Basim. She says she can’t even think of it as she has always regarded him as a real brother. That is the last straw for Kasim. He can bear it no more. He packs up his things, flings away his tasbeeh (rosary) and leaves without as much as informing the Sheikh. He walks past Yunus, ignoring him.

Progress in this path does not depend on the years that you have been chanting. Kasim is very well versed with sharia. He has full knowledge of the rules to be followed, the code of conduct, etc. But he misses the point that these are external tools, only meant to aid you to discipline yourself internally, mainly to learn to tame your nafs or ego. The Sheikh tries as hard as he can to help him. At one point, it seemed as if he has been redeemed. But as the Sheikh says, shaitaan is always waiting to get you in his clutches. And Kasim fell prey to the devil. Yunus also errs more than once. But he follows the Sheikh both externally and internally. He is committed and working hard on himself, day and night, going through infinite torment and pain. He reaps the fruit of his hard work. Kasim, in keeping with his obsession with the external form, will go on to become a doomsday Sheikh.

YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – 2/18

EPISODE 18

The Qazi passes his verdict. He dictates, ‘The Sheikh has not produced any evidence refuting the prosecution’s allegations. Therefore, the court has decided to investigate the witnesses produced by the prosecution before arriving at the final verdict. Till then, the Sheikh will remain in custody.’

That evening, in the absence of the Sheikh, Kasim has to speak to the gathering. He asks everyone to pray. All of them pray for the Sheikh and then Kasim says, ‘O Lord, destroy those who slandered the Sheikh and the lodge with your blessed name, Al-Qahhar.’ (destruction) Everybody is shocked to hear this. Yunus says, ‘Let us not do this. This does not befit the Sheikh. If he were present here, he would never invoke Al-Qahhar. This is against the way of dervish-hood. He would never want us to hold a grudge.’ Everyone heartily agrees. But Kasim continues to defend himself, ‘I am not doing it for myself. I am holding a grudge against the oppressor.’

Yunus, truly in the spirit of the Sheikh, replies, ‘He says, kun (be) and the oppressed becomes the oppressor and the oppressor becomes the oppressed. He accepts all human beings into His fold regardless of who they are. According to our Sheikh, he was meant to go through this, but we must not hate anyone.’

This is our natural response. And this is what we teach our children right from childhood. If the child falls down from a chair, we fuss over the child and to pacify him, we pretend to hit the chair or scold it. Subconsciously, we are instilling a sense of entitlement in the child, that we alone are important. Anyone who hurts us or displeases us must be punished. How about pacifying the child and then telling him or her, ‘Come baby, let us check if the chair has got hurt’? That way, the child learns compassion, and more importantly, a sense of fairness and oneness. If the chair hurt me, maybe I hurt the chair too. None of us is immune to hurting and getting hurt. The Sheikh is always acknowledging with gratitude, even a spoon, a ladle, or a stick for serving him.

We only push our children into the hellhole and then keep judging them for being uncaring and selfish. These seemingly inconsequential seeds that we sow in the tender and impressionable minds will naturally bear fruits which are bitter to taste.

After the discourse, Yunus and Mesud Aga discuss about finding the whereabouts of the false witnesses.

Kasim, still smarting at being interrupted during the prayer, cautions Yunus about trying to usurp power in the dargah. Yunus doesn’t even bother to refute this ludicrous allegation.

The Sheikh is praying in the prison cell. A rat is squealing in a corner. The Sheikh gets up, takes the remaining bread lying on a plate, and feeds the rat with crumbs. The inmate watches this whole exercise. The rat happily gobbles down the crumbs. The inmate looks at the Sheikh in wonder. This man is being tried for murder. He could very well be hanged. But tonight, he is alive. In this moment, he is fully aware, conscious. He is Chaitanya. As the first Shiva Sutra says, ‘Chaitanya atma hai.”

He is no ordinary mortal. He is a fully realized soul. He is the embodiment of love and compassion. There is no tomorrow. The only reality is here, now. The past does not exist except in our memory. The future does not exist beyond our imagination.

The inmate witnesses a transformative exhibition of living in the here and now.

And I am sure, at this moment, woh laut raha hai. To the raah ek hai. Sab lautthe hain, that the Sheikh referred to in the first Season. The zindaan (prison) is not without. It is within. Like the Sheikh declared in the trial, we carry it with us everywhere. We hold the key to it. We and only we, can free ourselves.

Next day, early morning, Yunus, Mesud Aga, Qazi Ilyas, along with some guards of the court and some dervishes and Ahis, set out to the village where the false witnesses reside. They lay a trap into which both the men fall. The whole battalion, now also with the apprehended witnesses, walk back to Nallihan through the immensely picturesque meadows with their horses. That is the typical dervish way. No ujlat.

As they are walking after a job well done, there in the distance, under a tree, are a group of dervishes doing a rapturous zikr. It is an arresting sight to behold, the setting sun in the background appearing like a halo around them. Qazi Ilyas looks at them with an indulgent smile. He finally realizes they are harmless and the smile seems to acknowledge their spiritual value.

In that moment, Qazi Ilyas laut aaya.

The Sheikh is released, everyone praises Yunus for the well planned and executed trap that exposed the false witnesses, much to Kasim’s displeasure.

Zahide sends a note to Yunus through a chain of people taking care that it does not lead back to her. The note is finally handed to Ismael and it says that the writer of the note knows who is trying to damage the lodge as well as how to prevent it. Yunus has to meet the writer in a secluded house by the river.

Meanwhile, the Sheikh instructs Yunus to take Ismael and welcome some guests who are expected tonight. These are the very same dervishes who were doing the rapturous zikr in the meadows. They receive a warm welcome. They have come from the land of Khwaja Ahmed Yesawi who is the ancestor of the Sheikh. After they are made comfortable, they gather in the assembly hall and perform the rapturous zikr. During the zikr, Yunus gets this vision of him standing by the sea, facing it as if to go into it – the waves akin to the emotional upheavels he has faced in the Blaming Self stage that he is in.

In the night, when they are about to retire, the note to Yunus falls off Ismael’s robe. Yunus picks it up and reads it.

Next morning, he is off to that place to find out the secret. But it is Zahide who is waiting for him in that house. Yunus is disgusted, and tells her that what she is doing is sin. She is a married woman and even thinking about her is haraam to him. He then extricates himself and walks out. When she reaches home, the mayor is waiting for her. She tries to lie her way out, but he knows. She is infidel and has to meet her deserved ending. The mayor strangles her to death. Sad end to a life which had so much potential, but which surrendered completely to Satan.

When Yunus gets back after the meeting, the Sheikh asks him, ‘Where were you?’ Yunus gives a dismissive reply, “Kahin door nahin tha Sheikhe mohataram; bas yaheen aas paas tha.”

Given that the Sheikh is aware of everything, the fact that Yunus is casual about something that was bothering him no end till sometime back, is an indication to the Sheikh that he has dealt with that problem. Now he can be entrusted something important. He tells Yunus, ‘Come let us spend some time in the company of our guests.’

Ilyas Ata, the leader of the group, wants to present a gift to the Sheikh. The Sheikh tells Yunus that he is entrusting him with the honour of attending to the guests. Kasim, who is also standing there, is not included.

Ilyas Ata gifts a compilation of poetry by Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the sage of Turkistan, and the earliest known Sufi poet of Turkey. The book is called Diwan-e-Hiqmat or the Book of Wisdom. The Sheikh accepts it with great love, and says, that it is also called Diwan-e-Ishq. Ilyas Ata assures him that it has been personally read and verified by reliable experts.

The Sheikh looks away and says, more to himself, ‘Poverty is hard. No one bothers to ask how you are faring. You are alone, estranged on this path, this journey of love, day and night, walking hundreds of thousands of miles every day. But a lover is supposed to feel the estrangement until he meets his Beloved, so there is nothing to complain.’

Letting go of all your material possessions makes you ‘poor’. Breaking off ties with your kith and kin makes you ‘alone’. Yearning for union with the divine makes you feel ‘estranged’. It is a scary path. Yet, what drives you on? Passion and Faith. They supply the required strength and energy to keep you going on this path. It is not a cerebral thing at all. It is a point where you have to let go of your rational brain and embrace the uncertainty of the unknown. Submit yourself, surrender yourself, lose yourself and you will find your Self.

The Sheikh feels obliged to preserve this gem for posterity, and hands the book to Yunus and gives him the responsibility of duplicating it with the help of the other dervishes. He feels that this Book of Wisdom should find a place in every home not only in Turkistan but also in all the neighbouring lands.

We also understand why Kasim was left out. In an earlier conversation with Yunus, Kasim mocks him for trying to be poetic and doesn’t seem to think much of poetry as an art. The precious gift that has been given to the Sheikh is a book of original poetry by one of the greatest Sufi poets. So Kasim is not a fit candidate to handle it.

YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – 2/16, 17

EPISODES 16, 17

Over what Yunus told Adem about breaking hearts not being a good thing to do and that we must not break hearts knowingly or unknowingly, Kasim has an unnecessarily loud showdown with Yunus. The intention is to wake up every dervish, which he succeeds in, as everyone is lined up to watch the show. He knows he is in the wrong and Yunus is right, so he misinterprets and misrepresents whatever Yunus has allegedly said and pronounces the whole thing as blasphemy. And since Yunus continues to defend what he has said, Yunus is blasphemous. Everyone is horrified at this slanderous and serious accusation. But Kasim’s purpose is not really served. He manages to slander Yunus in front of the other dervishes, but he does not enjoy the pleasure of provoking Yunus. Yunus refuses to react and that is Kasim’s major defeat and Yunus’ conclusive victory – over their own selves. Kasim’s defeat is with himself and Yunus’ victory is over himself.

When the whole dargah had been awakened by Kasim’s shouting, it is obvious that the Sheikh must also have heard it. Next morning, he summons both of them.

‘How to find out who is a believer and who is a heathen? Who is cruel and who is innocent? Good or bad? Right or wrong? In short, how to arrive at the truth? Imam Shafi says, ‘If you want the truth, follow the arrow of the enemy.’ Follow the arrow (target of slander) of the heathen and it will lead you to the believer. Likewise, follow the arrow of the cruel and you will find the innocent.’

Then the Sheikh asks Kasim, ‘Whose arrow did you follow Kasim, that led you to believe that Yunus is blasphemous?’ Kasim keeps quiet. The Sheikh continues, ‘Then how do we know who is who? Did we look into his heart? Someone may be praying five times a day, for twenty years but may go around breaking hearts. Is there any point then? Is praying as prescribed, the sole indication of a believer? Or is it one who is also careful not to break a heart?

‘What is this heart? Just a piece of meat? Does ‘pure heart’ mean ‘clean meat’? No. It is the Soul that is being referred to here. Soul, which is the seat of God. As He says, “my earth and my heavens cannot encompass me, but the heart of my believing servant encompasses me.”

That is the expansive nature of love and faith. We may spend lifetimes seeking Him all around the world, visiting all the shrines, or we may simply look within and not only seek, but find Him and the Jamaal (beauty, elegance) of His uloohiyat (divine essence) jis mein hum mast ho jaayen. Isn’t Kabirji also saying the same thing? The path and the destination lies within.

‘Therefore,’ says the Sheikh, ‘a believer is supposed to refrain from breaking a heart, otherwise his prayers are of no use.’ The Sheikh also arrives at the same statement made by Yunus, which Kasim had hotly contested and labelled as being blasphemous.

The Sheikh then tells Kasim that he is at the stage of Blaming Self and he must hurry through it instead of wasting time with irrelevant things.

Next day, Adem comes to Yunus and apologizes for being the cause of Kasim uttering such unpleasant things. Yunus tells him not to worry, that the Sheikh has appointed Kasim as his guru, so he must listen only to him, and that Kasim is a very meticulous and knowledgeable person. Later, after hearing about it from Ismael, Basim asks Yunus about the incident. Yunus dismisses it off, saying that Kasim is a very decent person and he is working so hard for the lodge. It shows that Yunus is really making active efforts to progress in his stage of Blaming Self. Even though Kasim has wronged him unfairly, when he was reflecting about it that night, he was tempted to go and even it out with Kasim, but he remembered what the Sheikh had told him about being patient, as the jalaal form of the Lord will trouble him at every step. How effectively he is progressing is seen by the words he had for Kasim. What he tells Adem and Basim are true facts about Kasim. He can still see the good side of Kasim and point it out.

What Yunus does basically, is exercise the ‘pause’. An extremely effective method of not reacting to any unpleasant encounter, such as the one Yunus faced with Kasim. Whenever we want to react, we must simply pause. The arrow which has hit us is meant to harm us and hurt us. In that moment, when we are hurt, we are not ourselves. We are in the inflamed state of the Blaming Self. When we give the pause, we cool down. It is impossible to remain angry forever. Anger is an emotion; it comes and goes. It never stays. It cannot. That is how emotions work. Just like their coming is not in our control, their going too, is not. ‘Pause’ is the infallible method of handling yourself in this stage; or any stage, for that matter.

The mayor, in an attempt to break the Sheikh, sends for Yunus and tries to lure him with a lot of wealth and power. He says that he is intelligent and sharp enough to become the Sultan’s advisor, which he will, in due course of time. But Yunus politely refuses the offer and returns.

Argun Bay feels enough is enough. He is through with pretending to be cool and friendly. He is ready to show his true colours. He calls Sari Aga and asks him to take men with him and bring back his son from the dargah. In case of any resistance, he gives Sari Aga a free hand to deal with the matter in any way he thinks fit. This is what Sari Aga wants. There is a major altercation in the dargah, which almost comes down to blows, with Sari Aga’s hands reaching the Sheikh’s collar. As they mount the horses, Sari Aga’s horse goes out of control and speeds off, throwing its rider off. But Sari Aga’s foot remains stuck on the saddle and he is dragged all the way back. What therefore, reaches the mansion is his mangled body.

Completely unaware of this, the dervishes prepare for the evening prayers and discourse. The Sheikh starts off with the story of six men and an Indian elephant in a dark room. ‘The men cannot see the elephant. Each man touches one part of the elephant and imagines that to be the whole object. One man touches the leg and concludes that the object is a pillar. Another touches the trunk and says it is a water pipe, and so on. Because they are in the dark, their knowledge is half-baked. Had each one of them been handed a lighted candle, the darkness would have been dispersed, the differences would have evaporated from their minds and all of them, in unison, would have seen the same truth of the elephant. But till the candle is provided, they all believe in their own version of the truth.

‘Similarly, when the flood came and Noah came with the ark, he asked his son to jump into it. Canaan refused saying, he had learnt to swim. He was swept away in the flood. He refused to align himself with the truth which was the ark and chose to rely on his half-baked knowledge. Can swimming save you from deluge? Canaan’s case was like the man holding the elephant’s leg and claiming that it was a pillar.

‘So, one must be aware of the circumstances. One must also concede that your own folks may not believe your truth. They will willingly believe a lie and you cannot convince them of the truth.

‘What is there for us in this? The flood has come. Noah’s ark is ready. Do you want to get into it or float like Canaan?

‘If a dog bites my leg what should I do? Bite it back? The dog will bite because that is the nature of the dog. We must act according to our nature. And what is our nature? What is our way?

‘Ours is the way of dervish-hood. What does dervish mean? It means threshold. We do not cross the threshold. Let others cross it, but we won’t.’

Basically, the Sheikh is trying to make everyone see the universal perspective. We are always caught in the web of contextual meanings. Your action (karma) should be in the path of righteousness (dharma). If that be so, victory will always be with such people.

This discourse has a calming effect, a peace, an acceptance, among the listeners, at least momentarily.

The mayor is beside himself with fury. He files a case accusing Tapduk Emre of killing Sari Aga by – sorcery, of all the unbelievable reasons. The Sheikh is arrested. There are two other witnesses, who will testify to his powers of black magic. While the whole town is furious, tense and upset, the Sheikh himself is the picture of serenity, sitting in prison, befriending the inmates. It is so reassuring to see someone who is so steadfast – sthithapragna. Again, it seems so simple, yet so unthinkable and so undoable for us.

One inmate asks him, ‘Do you know where you are?’ The Sheikh says, “Kahan se aaye hain, kahan jaana hai, itna jaante hain, magar, hain kahan is waqt, yeh hamein bilkul nahi maaloom.”

Mesud Aga, Yunus and Kasim come to see him. Yunus says, “Khanum aur Basim andeshon (doubt,fear) mein ghiri hui hain. Kuch kehelwaana ho toh farmaaiye.”

Sheikh says, “Andeshen dil se nikal dein bilkul. Yeh kismet ke khel hain, aur kuch nahi. Jo kuch hona hai, woh toh hokar rahega. Andesha, khauf (terror) ki alaamat (sign) hai. Parwar digar ke siwae kisi aur ka khauf insaan ko buzdil bana deta hai. Uski ata-karda (gifted) zindagi, khauf ke saath nahi guzaari ja sakti. Amaanat  (property given in custody of another) mein khyanat (breach of trust) hai yeh.”

Whatever we have on this earth, our existence, our material possessions, our time, all belong to Him. We are temporary custodians of all this. Therefore, to live in fear and doubt, is like betraying the trust of the Owner who has entrusted us with this life. He gives when he feels like it, He takes away when He thinks it is time. All we have to do in the time allotted to us, is follow the code of conduct, laid down and spelt clearly by the Book of the Universe.

Back in the dargah, Kasim tells Yunus that since he is senior and the truer representative of the dargah and since the Qazi will allow only one accompanying person , he would like to lead the Sheikh through the trial. Yunus has no objection.

The trial begins. Apart from the mayor’s guards, there are two other witnesses testifying to being victims of the Sheikh’s sorcery. The Sheikh denies the allegations completely. Qazi asks him to produce evidence. The Sheikh says, ‘How can I produce evidence of something that I have not done? Isn’t it a breach of logic and reasoning? As a Qazi, you cannot do anything that is contrary to logic and reason.’ The Qazi is offended. He says, ‘Just stick to your allegations and stop advising me.’

The Sheikh says, “Haqeeqat bayaan karne ke siwae aur koi baat apne difa (defence) mein kehne ke liye mere paas nahi hai.”

Qazi: “Hamein adl ki sachchai ko aashkaar (bring out) karke faisla sunana hai.”

Sheikh: “Adl ki sachchai ko aashkaar karne ki zaroorat nahi hai Qazi Affendi. Aap sachchai aashkaar karne ke bajaae hukm sunaane par tuley hain. Adl kuch aur shei hai. Hum agar na bhi chaahein toh woh saamne aa jaata hai. Jis tarah hum sooraj ke tulooa (rising of) hone mein bilkul dakhal nahi de sakte.”

Qazi is visibly irritated. ‘Then what is the point of judiciary? Let each man decide in his own court of law!’ he says sarcastically.

Sheikh: “Toh kya haqeeqat mein aisa nahi hai Qazi Affendi? Adalat hukm saadir (issue) karna chaahe toh kar sakti hai. Har shakhs ki uske zameer ki ek apni adalat maujood nahi hai? Aakhri huqm toh usi ka hota hai. Toh goya har shakhs apna qaidkhaana aur apni azaad duniya saath liye phirta hai.”

The Qazi and the Sheikh are basically crossing each other. Each one is right in his own perspective – Qazi in his contextual approach and Sheikh in his universal outlook. Even the Qazi cannot deny this. That is why, even though he is irritated, he has to concede the truth in what is being said by the Sheikh. And in the process the Sheikh actually defends himself faultlessly.

The Qazi ponders for a while and passes his verdict.

YUNUS EMRE – RAAH-E-ISHQ (JOURNEY OF LOVE) – 2/14, 15

EPISODES 14, 15

The Sheikh knows that Shahin is here with some ulterior purpose. Earlier, when he entered the dargah with Yunus for the first time, he was stunned to see the Sheikh with a broom, sweeping the floor! It was such an antithesis to the cunning, scheming-leader-image that he had been sent to spy on! As per his father’s plan, he is given a room to stay. Every night he has to sneak out and report any developments in the dargah to the mayor. But there is nothing to convey; these people are simple, hardworking and God-fearing and have nothing to do with any malafide activities.

But the mayor is determined to smear the Sheikh’s reputation. When he hears that they have invited the Qazi for dinner, he asks Shahin to replace the sherbet with wine. He then calls the Qazi over, ahead of his visit to the dargah, and tells him that illicit activities go on behind closed doors in the dargah, with the Sheikh’s consent, including free consumption of wine. Qazi Ilyas is shocked to hear this.

‘What does the Lord say?’ asks the Sheikh, ‘if you are grateful, he will certainly give you more. It is a divine commitment. Then he tells a story of a vineyard and its owner. The vineyard asks the owner to clear away the thorns, stones, couch grass, weeds and the barren soil and fill it with clean, fertile soil. And it says, if you do all this and water me well, I will keep my promise and give you a beautiful garden of the most beautiful flora that you can imagine. The owner does what the vineyard requested and in time, he is the owner of such a lovely garden that even the Sultan comes and appreciates it and becomes the owner’s friend.

‘Same way, if we keep our end of the promise to God and make ourselves worthy of Him, He will keep his end and we will have the honour of seeing God himself.’

Meanwhile, Yunus confronts Kasim over something he has taught Adem, which Adem has repeated to Ismael and ultimately reached Yunus’ ears. Kasim is furious. The Sheikh hears about it and calls Yunus, Kasim and Adem to the assembly hall. Kasim starts complaining about Yunus, but the Sheikh cuts him short abruptly saying that complaining is against the faith which they follow. It is a divisive thing to do. Dervishood is about breaking ties with Self, not with tawheed. Yunus feels bad and apologizes. ‘I am sorry I am in the wrong. If I have broken his heart, I ask for forgiveness.’ The Sheikh softens up at that and says, ‘Break anything, hand or leg or even head, Yunus, but never break a heart. Heart is the seat of God, where God is aware. Your worship will not be accepted if you break a heart. We do not fight, we do not break, we build.’

Then he turns to Adem and says, ‘In the spirit of tawheed, we must not highlight but cover other’s faults.’

Back in his cell, Kasim is angry with Yunus, frustrated with himself as he is helplessly watching the growing fondness of Sheikh for Yunus. He is feeling threatened. He is seeing power slipping away from his hands.  

Qazi Ilyas comes for dinner. Shahin is tense, as he has done the job against his better judgement. Ilyas smells the drink offered. Then, when he tastes it, he is relieved to find that it is sherbet. Shahin is perplexed. How did that happen? He had swapped the pots himself!

Actually, Yunus, who had smelt a rat right from the beginning of this game, had been following Shahin. He discovered their plan and aborted it by swapping back the pots of wine for sherbet. But when he sees Ilyas smelling the drink, he realizes that Ilyas has already been primed about the wine. Who else but the mayor could have done that?

Deeply disgusted at the attitude and two-faced behaviour of the mayor, Yunus seeks permission from the Sheikh to resign as the mayor’s advisor. Shahin, meanwhile, wants to continue to stay in the lodge.

Next morning, the mayor is waiting for news from Shahin. When none is forthcoming, he sends Sari Aga to the dargah to fetch Shahin. Shahin conveys his inability to do the job entrusted to him and refuses to come back to the mansion. Argun Bay is furious with all the developments.  

Yunus goes to the mansion, conveys his deep disgust and contempt at the mayor’s actions and resigns.

When he comes back, the Sheikh says, ‘What is done is done, what is dead is dead; whatever has happened, is for the best. It is like you spent the night in a sarai by the roadside, and are on your way in the morning. Let us see what other adventures await you in your future journey. The road does not end until He says so. One duty ends, while a new one begins. Neither the road nor the test ends. But, as per the dargah rules, you will have to perform some chore.’ Saying this, the Sheikh takes him outside to where uncut wood is lying in a heap. ‘Chop wood for the dervishes, Yunus. It is cold and wood will make everyone warm.’ Yunus happily takes on his new chore and starts chopping wood.

Argun Bay tells Zahide that she must not visit the dargah under any circumstance. She has also found out that Basim is in love with Yunus. She is informed by her maid that Yunus has resigned from his post of advisor. She is in a fix.

Kasim suddenly finds that Yunus is not going to the mansion, but is chopping wood in the dargah. He finds out from the Sheikh that Yunus has resigned.

After the confrontation with the Sheikh, Adem is scared, especially since he saw Yunus unnecessarily apologizing to Kasim. Ismael brings him to Yunus, saying that there is no way that Yunus will be mad at him. Yunus tells Adem, ‘Why will I be angry at you? You did not say that dervishhood is about coat and the cap. You are only repeating what was told to you. You are only a messenger. You know very well that coat and cap are just clothes, not identity. The distinctive sign of dervishhood, if you want one, is to not break a heart. Like our Sheikh says, ‘Heart is the seat of God, where God is aware. So, we should not break anyone’s heart. If you break anyone’s heart knowingly, if you hurt their feelings consciously, your worship will not be accepted.’

That evening the Sheikh narrates a story about Hazrat Ibrahim Ethem. One day, as he was in Basra, people gathered around him and asked him, why is it that prayers are no longer answered. Hazrat Ethem listed ten reasons for this:

• You say you know God, but do not obey His orders.
• You read the Koran but do not live upto it.
• You say you love the Prophet, but you don’t follow him as a guide.
• You say that devil is your enemy, but you are friends with him
• You desire heaven but don’t try to be worthy of it.
• You claim you are afraid of hell, but you do your best to get there.
• You say that death is a reality, but you do not prepare yourself for it.
• You find fault with everyone but you do not see your own.
• You consume everything abundantly but you are not grateful to God for that.
• You bury your dead, but it doesn’t occur to you that you will be buried one day.

“Toh bataaiye kya sabab milta hai hamey Hazrat ke kisse se? Iska asal nukta (point) kya hai? Ke hamaare saath jo bhi pesh aata hai, woh hamd (praise of God) aur shukr (gratitude) na karne ki wajah se pesh aata hai.” When the Prophet was asked about hamd, he said, “Hamd, nemat (grace) aur shukr (gratitude) karne ki, nemad ka naam hai dar-haqeeqat (actually). Shukr karo aur hamd karte raho hamesha.”

Nemat aur shukr karne ki nemat ko hamd kehte hain dar asal, says the Sheikh. It means, the grace to acknowledge the grace and express gratitude, is hamd. Even to acknowledge his grace, we have to have been blessed with His Grace. Only when His grace is upon us, can we manifest grace.

If we pause to see how much we have been blessed with- each one of us. Indeed, we have so much to be grateful for, yet we are forever, unhappy, focusing on what we don’t have. How many of us truly feel grateful for our bounties? How many of us actually acknowledge or recognize our bounties? How can we praise Him or express our gratitude to Him, when we are not even aware of our true riches?

“Shukr guzaaron ki teen qism (types) hain. Sabse pehle, shaakir (one who is thankful, one who is shukr guzaar) jo shukr ki baat par waqei (truly) shukr ada karte hain. Doosre woh jo sirf shukr ki baat par nahi, museebat ki baat par bhi shukr ada karte hain. Aur teesri behtereen kism ke log hain – intehaai shaakir (forever grateful and praising). Yeh shaakir log har tarah ke haalaat ko rab ki marzi jaante hue raazi-ba-raza (raazi-acceptance, ba-with, raza-fate, destiny) hote hain.

Asl mein hum shukr ada karne waali baton ko toh bhool jaate hain. Museebat aate hi shikwe karne lagte hain. Intehaai shaakir log hain woh jo lutf mein bhi khush, kahar (havoc) mein bhi khush. Aur hum woh ke zaalim ko zulm karte dekha nahi ki us par ilzaam dharne lagte hain.

“Aaine ka rukh zara apni taraf karke toh dekho – sabab hai kya aakhir is haalat ka? Hum toh mazloom (innocent, helpless) hain, hum par zulm ho raha hai, yeh kehna theek nahi. Maamla wazeh (obvious) hai. Jaise hum khud hain, waisa hi hamaare saath hoga. Koi bhi kisi doosre ke saath kuch nahi kar sakta. Hum jo kuch bhi karte hain, apne saath khud karte hain.”

This mirror concept is a powerful one. It has come earlier in Season I episode 6. Here are excerpts from my write-up of that:

‘Find yourself a mirror, says the Sheikh. What does it mean? Introspection is also referred to as reflection. Why? When we want to think things out, we are said to reflect upon it.

A mirror reflects the image of what it sees – nothing more, nothing less. Does it reflect something that is not present in the original? Can it, even if it wants to?

Same is the case with us. The mirror is a metaphor. What we see in others is the reflection being referred to here. What we see in others therefore, is what is within us. If there is good in us, we see good in others. If there is bad in us, we see bad in others.’

What we perceive is not reality. It is our perception of reality. And our perception depends on who we are.

• Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
• Two people see through the same bars, One sees the mud, and one, the stars.
• Glass – half empty or half full.
• The same event is perceived as a calamity by a pessimist but as an opportunity by an enterprising optimist.
• Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder – well, so does defect, deficiency, goodness, violence, evil.

If I am good, then I can recognize the goodness in whatever I see, because that is what I am. That is what I am familiar with. The extent of a good or bad, funny or serious element in anything that we perceive is not absolute. It is in direct proportion to that element in us. If I have a healthy sense of humour, I can see the funny aspect of any situation. Therefore, what we see is a reflection of who we are.

If we extend this metaphor a little further, if we consciously start seeking good in the other, we will begin to discover the good in us too. Because beneath the varied exteriors, the essence is potentially the same in all of us. As the great lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri writes:

Hontton pe hasee, aankhon mein nami

Kis baat ki hai duniya mein kami

Jeena bhi wohi, marna bhi wohi

Taqdeer sabhi ko ek mili

Main jiski kahaani dil se sunoon

Apna hi fasaana lagta hai.

This is the very essence of tawheed. We are packaged in different ways. But the product is essentially the same. It is this sameness that has to be discovered and experienced. That is the basic purpose of life. All the life lessons that the universe conspires to throw at us, are meant to teach us this. We are supposed to converge to this one message. That we are all one. Same as The One, of which we are a part and to which we return – sooner or later.