1.All desires, preferences, affections and loves people have for all sorts of things such as father, mother, friends, the heavens and the earth, gardens, pavilions, works, knowledge, food and drink - one should realize that every desire is a desire for 'food' (or 'enjoyment') and such things are all "veils".
When one passes beyond this world and sees that Sovereign without these 'veils', then one will realize that all those things were 'veils' and 'coverings' and that what they were seeking was in reality that One.
All problems will then be solved.
All the heart's question and difficulties will be answered, and everything will become clear.
God's response is not such that He must answer each and every problem individually. With one answer, all problems are solved.
2.
In winter everyone bundles himself up and huddles in a warm place to escape the cold. All plants and trees drop their leaves and fruit because of the biting cold, and they conceal their raiment within themselves lest they suffer from chill.
When spring 'answers' them by manifesting itself, all their different 'questions' with regard to life, growth and decay are answered at once: secondary causes disappear. Everything sticks its head out and knows what has caused that wonder.
3.
God has created these 'veils' for a good purpose. If He showed His Beauty without a veil, we should not be able to bear it or benefit from it, because we are sustained and strengthened indirectly.
You see the Sun? In its light, we come and go, we see and we are able to distinguish good from bad. In it, we warm ourselves.
Because of it, trees and gardens bear fruit. In its heat, bitter and sour unripe fruits become ripe and sweet. Under its influence mines of gold, silver, ruby and sapphire comes to be.
If this same Sun, which is so beneficial indirectly, were to come closer, not only would it give no benefit, but it would cause the whole world and everything in it to burn up and perish.
When God manifests Himself through a veil to a mountain, the mountain becomes full of trees and flowers, embellished with greenery.
But if He were to manifest Himself without a veil, the mountain would be destroyed and reduced to dust.
When one passes beyond this world and sees that Sovereign without these 'veils', then one will realize that all those things were 'veils' and 'coverings' and that what they were seeking was in reality that One.
All problems will then be solved.
All the heart's question and difficulties will be answered, and everything will become clear.
God's response is not such that He must answer each and every problem individually. With one answer, all problems are solved.
2.
In winter everyone bundles himself up and huddles in a warm place to escape the cold. All plants and trees drop their leaves and fruit because of the biting cold, and they conceal their raiment within themselves lest they suffer from chill.
When spring 'answers' them by manifesting itself, all their different 'questions' with regard to life, growth and decay are answered at once: secondary causes disappear. Everything sticks its head out and knows what has caused that wonder.
3.
God has created these 'veils' for a good purpose. If He showed His Beauty without a veil, we should not be able to bear it or benefit from it, because we are sustained and strengthened indirectly.
You see the Sun? In its light, we come and go, we see and we are able to distinguish good from bad. In it, we warm ourselves.Because of it, trees and gardens bear fruit. In its heat, bitter and sour unripe fruits become ripe and sweet. Under its influence mines of gold, silver, ruby and sapphire comes to be.
If this same Sun, which is so beneficial indirectly, were to come closer, not only would it give no benefit, but it would cause the whole world and everything in it to burn up and perish.
When God manifests Himself through a veil to a mountain, the mountain becomes full of trees and flowers, embellished with greenery.
But if He were to manifest Himself without a veil, the mountain would be destroyed and reduced to dust.
- Fihi Ma Fihi, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi
from The Rumi Collection | edited by Kabir Helminski
4.
And when Moses came to the place at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him. Moses said: My Lord! show me (Thyself), so that I may look upon Thee.
He said: You cannot (bear to) see Me but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place, then will you see Me; but when his Lord manifested His glory to the mountain He reduced it to dust and Moses fell down in a swoon; then when he recovered, he said: Glory be to Thee, I turn to Thee, and I am the first of the believers ('Subhanaka tubtu ilayka, waana awwalu almu'mineena').
He said: You cannot (bear to) see Me but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place, then will you see Me; but when his Lord manifested His glory to the mountain He reduced it to dust and Moses fell down in a swoon; then when he recovered, he said: Glory be to Thee, I turn to Thee, and I am the first of the believers ('Subhanaka tubtu ilayka, waana awwalu almu'mineena').
- The Quran 7:143
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