Originally published in Sufi Journal Issue 9 (Spring 1991)
Text of a Speech by Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, Previous Master of the Nimatullahi Order, to a Sufi Gathering
The way of Sufism involves the annihilation of existence and liberation from self-centredness and the self.
Individual reason — the reason which is employed by philosophers and scientists — does not accept this way because it is concerned with looking after itself, self-love being its cult and creed. It is only through love’s decree that one can forget what is other than God and embrace the pre-eternal Beloved.
Let us listen to the dialogue between reason and love:
Reason says, “I am the blade of argumentation.”
Love replies, “I am the sword of annihilation.”
Reason says, “I rely on reasons.”
Love replies, “As long as you are tied to reasons, you remain despicable.”
Reason says, “You won’t attain the goal without the aid of my staff.”
Love replies, “Not until you are burned out by my fire, will you attain True Existence.”
Reason says, “Look out for yourself and listen to good sense.”
Love replies, “Let yourself go and lose the sense of your ego.”
Reason says, “Everything for yourself.”
Love replies, “Yourself and everything else for Him.”
Love declares, “Pledge your life in the Way of the Beloved.”
Reason replies, “That’s too risky; give the whole thing up!”
Reason is the human being’s trap in his hunting in the material world, pursuing its pleasures, while love is God’s lasso, drawing one to the truths of the spiritual world and the Source of Unity.
Reason operates on the basis of knowledge, reasoning, and rote learning, while love operates on the basis of insight, Divine favour, and feeling.
Reason tries to know the sea and the drop by distinguishing between them, while love turns the drop into an ocean.
Reason is the foundation of self-display and self-satisfaction, while love is the substance of self-sacrifice and neediness.
Reason is the trusted prime minister of the government of the ego, while love is the commander-in-chief of the forces of the spirit.
The army of reason is composed of the nafs (ego), its traits and the mental inventions of others, whereas the army of love is made up of the traits of the spirit and Divine discoveries. In certain people, it is possible for some of the soldiers of love to serve reason while believing in and adhering to the spirit.
In the arena of the heart, reason is an advisor committed to protecting the interests of the ego, whereas love is a firebrand of a commander, putting existence to the torch. It rides down on reason and its troops, battling them to defeat and taking over the land of the heart. Thereupon, love, the victorious commander, claps the ego in irons and makes reason its prisoner and obedient servant.
It disarms reason’s soldiers, depriving them of their weapons of self-centredness and pride. It plunders their treasury of worldly desires. It strips the soldiers of the nafs of their flimsy garments and dresses them in finely woven, lustrous garments of the qualities of soldiers of the spirit, which are the traits of perfect human beings and thereby transforms their animal soul (nafs-e ammāra) into the soul-at-peace (nafs-e motma’enna).
Finally, it establishes the utopia of unity, peace and purity in the realm of the heart.
The role of Sufism in this battle is to support the army of love, in order to conquer the land of the heart and attain that utopia.