Volume One
Listen to this story from the narrator: It is customary among the people of Kazvin to have blue tattoos applied with needles on their bodies – arms and shoulders – without causing themselves harm. A man from Kazvin went to a tattoo artist and said, “Make me a tattoo; but don’t let it hurt.”
When the tattoo artist asked, “Tell me, brave one, what image shall I apply?” he replied, “A roaring lion!” My destiny is that of a lion, so let the design be a lion. Be diligent and make it well!” The artist inquired, “Where on your body should I place it?” The man from Kazvin said, “Between my two shoulders.”
As the tattoo artist began to insert the needle, the man’s back started to ache, and he cried out, “Oh master, you’re killing me! What are you doing?” The artist replied, “You asked for a lion!” The Kazvinli inquired: “Where did you begin?” The artist said, “From its tail.” The Kazvinli exclaimed, “Oh, my two eyes, leave the tail alone. The pain from the lion’s tail reached my coccyx, I’m breathless, my throat is blocked.
Let the lion be tailless. The needle wound brought a faintness to my heart, I feel like fainting.”
The artist, without favoritism or compassion, began tattooing another part of the lion. Again, the man cried out, “Where is this now?” The artist said, “Its ear.” The Kazvinli said, “Leave it; let it be earless. Don’t do that either.” When the artist started on another spot, the Kazvinli again wailed: “What part are you tattooing with this third needle?” The artist replied, “My dear, its belly.”
When the Kazvinli said, “It hurts terribly, don’t insert the needle so much, leave it tailless,” the tattoo artist was astonished and remained silent for a while with his finger in his mouth. He threw the needle to the ground and said, “Has anyone ever been in such a state? Who has seen a lion without a tail, head, or belly? Not even God has created such a lion!”
Brother, be patient with the needle wound so that you may be freed from the needle of the base self.
To those who have been liberated, fate prostrates itself, as does the sun and the moon. Even the sun is subject to the decree of the one whose nafs has died in his body. The person whose heart has learned to ignite with light and blaze cannot be burned by the sun.
Allah says about the sun, which has a predetermined rising and setting: “It does not strike their caves at its rising and setting; that cave never saw the face of the sun.” If a part reaches the essence, even a thorn becomes completely refined like a rose.
How can one exalt Allah? By belittling oneself, by considering one’s existence as mere earth. What is learning to unify Allah? It is to burn oneself and be sated before the One God. If you desire to blaze and shine like the sun, burn away your existence that resembles night!
Melt your existence in the presence of the One who brought it into being, as if melting copper within alchemy, melt, melt, melt (and become gold). You must cling tightly to non-existence until you reach unity. All disordered affairs and all these turmoils arise from twofoldness.