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Smell the aroma of beautiful food, then
go to the latrine and sniff. “What happened to you?”
Your dung will answer,
“My beauty was a lure, a trick to get inside you.”
Every matter particle does the same
enchantment. Try to see the beginning and end at once. Would
you willingly wear manacles
just because they’re made of gold? Admire the genius of
an artist, but also watch what
happens to him or her in old age, how the expert craftsman’s
craft diminishes. Listen
to the song of the flower and the song of the thorn
blending. “Buy this!”
“Keep away!” “I’m ready now!” “Beloved, we are gathered
here today…” If you can’t hear
this double music, it’s difficult to recognize what’s real.
-- Rumi (translated by Coleman Barks)
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