The Pearl of Wisdom - Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

The Allegory of the Ship

Disciple: O guru leader, I know that the guru’s words spoken generally and specifically, are glorious words pregnant with meaning. It is widely said that the consolidation of the Triple Flame comprised of these glorious magical divine gems together make a Single Light of Effulgence, spreading to all corners of the world as the All- Pervading Light. Above all, the guru’s words of conclusive determination vibrate to the brim and overflow. Please tell me which of these elements is good and which is superior so that the blissful secrets of the guru – leader become clear to me.

Guru: O dear son, listen. I shall tell you.

The One Universal Ruler, the Glorious Divine Word of Magic shines singly to perform with unfailing grace, His three regular functions of creating, sustaining and destroying. This is His divine work of glorious magic. In this state, even if any of His creations commits a wrong, He forgives him, shows His kindness and grace and resides with love in his heart, enveloping all lives.

Before man becomes a manu-eesan ( man-the-divine), he lives with the desire for land, woman and gold. These desires are intermingled in man and in every life-form and develops simultaneously to change within one term, his state of mind and to dishevel his character with excessive desires. He falls into difficulties with more and more attachments. He is immersed in several sins without any fear and forgets the Ruler of the Glorious Magic. Therefore, his mind becomes agitated, disorganised and bewildered. These three evil characteristics become six regiments ( lust, hatred, miserliness, delusion, bigotry and envy) – the six Karmic forces of the mind. Eventually, he becomes their victim.

Allah says that he has created man and given him the potentiality to become man-the-divine. Know this and destroy anything which obstructs this goal. You should establish love and charity. You should step over wealth and pleasures and realise the greater happiness of bliss with God, with a clear understanding of His Glorious Words. Man should transform himself to man-the-divine. The divine saying is that birth, death and life are in God’s Hands and that death is certain. It is a divine truth. To a man-the-divine, these three words of God and the words ofAathi ( the beginning ) are One. It shows only one place as the great palace with all its secrets.

These are the supreme words of the good guru. This is the abode for the one with wisdom. The Aathi’s divine word is the lamp of this abode. The light of this lamp reveals all its secrets. O son, this is the original divine word ; the word of theAathi ; and the word of the enlightened guru-leader.

These three are the Triple Flame of Alif, Laam and Meem. Alif depicts Allah, LaamMuhammad (SAWS) and Meem Muhaiyadeen. This truth should be immersed and melted within you. This truth is the remedy of the victorious. O my dear son, you should realise through your wisdom that land ,woman and gold are the possessions of a man who has not become a Manu-eesan.

My dear son, you ask me the reward for knowing all the potentialities of service to the guru. I shall answer this. Listen.

There is a harbour where ships and passengers going to various countries gather. The person who sells the tickets at the harbour, should be capable of issuing tickets to suit the particular need of each passenger to the ports of different countries. If he is not competent enough to perform this task efficiently, the passengers will fall into difficulty and he himself will arouse the displeasure of those in authority who had appointed him. Similarly, those who seek the path of God need the services of a good guru-leader who will reform him, advise him correctly and guide him on the right path. He should be a guru-leader who is well versed in many fields. A guru-leader who is not capable of correct guidance will cause the wrath of God to fall upon him. He will be in the category of the sixteen types of gurus who are incapable of selling passenger-tickets to a ship. Younger brother, is it not so ? Listen carefully to what I now say.

Like the fruit that is concealed by the leaf, the good guru-leader hides himself. He is like the taste mixed up with the fruit. Take for example, the durian fruit, which gives out the odour of excreta in all the directions the wind blows. It is not everybody who likes this fruit. Its thorns will prick you if you touch it. If you smell it, you will get the odour of excreta. A few people eat this fruit while many despise it. Its taste is known only to those who eat it. Likewise, you will not know the guru – leader judging by his external appearance or his looks. If you can control your mind with calm tranquillity and without negligence of duty, eat the fruit and savour its taste. You will know its joy, beauty and esteem within your own body. You will experience the miracles of this fruit, ( the guru-leader) within yourself.

Further, my son, there will be assembled in that harbour many races of people who belong to the four religions. They will stand there waiting to go to their destinations. They will speak in eighteen languages in a state of urgency and haste, inquiring, competing and moving around asking about the destinations of the ships. Simultaneously, the ship- owners will collect passengers calling them to their respective ships, “ Come to my ship ! Come to my ship!” On hearing this, if a man asks for a ticket to sail to a particular harbour, it is given to him. The passenger at the shore is not aware whether the condition of the ship is good or bad. Many passengers believe the words of the ship-owners and obtain their tickets. The ship-owners acquire money and property and advance themselves. They issue the tickets and collect passengers to their ships but the passenger does not know the condition of the ships.

These ships have to sail through and cross over the great milky oceans called the “Saptha Samudra” ( The Seven Oceans ). On these seas will be waves and veils of mist. Some of the ships will be wrecked in the first and the second oceans. Some will go up in flames in the sea. Some will be flooded by the waves that will beat into the ships. Some of the passengers will vomit. Some will cough and others will feel dizzy and fall unconscious. In this state of suffering the passengers will panic and cry in desperation, “O God!” They will faint with suffering and their tongues will stammer. They will forget themselves and lose the dexterity of their hands. Their bodies will weaken and they will call out to God, “ O God, You are my refuge !” They will abuse the ship owners as the ships sink into the ocean. However, some ships will manage to sail and reach their destinations.

O son, take to heart carefully the lessons of the ships. These passengers bought their tickets from the same ticket-seller at the same harbour trusting the words of the ship owners. There are others who made inquiries from the ticket-seller before they purchased their tickets. It is not the fault of the ticket-seller. Similarly my son, in the harbour of all religions, there are those who sell travel tickets claiming the superiority of their ships above others. They cheat the people claiming their ships are bigger than others and thereafter the passengers are drowned in the seven seas. My son, do not be like these ship people. All the ticket-sellers at the harbour know the secrets of the seven oceans. They know the depth and the length of the oceans. They know the ships of the various countries and their inner secrets. My son, do not be hasty like these people. Be calm and peaceful. You should employ patience, peace and tranquillity and not fail in your duty. If you ask the ticket-seller ( guru-leader ) : “ Sir, where are you going ?” He will reply,

“ I am going to such a country. Brother, where are you going ?” You will then tell him you wish to go to the same country. The good ticket-seller ( guru-leader ) will be delighted and say, “ Good. I have a big ship which will sail many oceans. I am also going to the same destination as you. “ He will then take you in that ship and tell you the secrets of the other ships. He will disembark you at the country to which he himself is sailing.

Look for such a good guru-leader and if you perform your duties patiently, dear son, he will infuse within you the power to know the Great Substance “ Aathiparam“ ( The Primordial One ), the Omnipresent. He will show you the sea of kindness and will explain to you all the secrets of the seas. For this you should drink the decoction that I will prescribe to you here.