No room for two egos | Mutu qabla anta mutu

With God there is no room for two egos. You say "I", and He says "I". In order for this duality to disappear, either you must die for Him or He must die for you.

It is not possible, however, for Him to die - either phenomenally or conceptually, because "He is the Ever-living Who dieth not." He is so gracious, however, that if it were possible He would die for you in order that the duality might disappear. Since it is not possible for Him to die, you must die so that He may be manifested to you, thus eliminating the duality.

- FIHI MA FIHI #24
from The Rumi Collection | edited by Kabir Helminski

. Mutu qabla anta mutu . Die before you die .
- Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him -

Die before thou die
That so thou shall not die
When thou dost come to die
Else thou diest utterly.

Were Christ a thousand times
Reborn in Bethlehem's stall
And not in thee
Thou art lost beyond recall.
- Silesius -

The process of man may be compared with the process of a butterfly. The egg dies and become a caterpillar; the caterpillar dies and becomes a chrysalis; the chrysalis dies and become a butterfly. If man dies to his old self, he becomes something quiet different. - Gurdjieff

# related.
. the Greater Death, MahaSamadhi
. die before you die - Rabia
. submission real
. what is fana / annihilation in God?
. zen story of dying before death