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The Persian poet Farid Ud-Din Attar penned a Sufi classic The Conference of the Birds (12th Century). Attar tells the fable of the Hoopoe's leadership of a conference with birds. The birds make excuses for not going on to find the King of birds beyond the boundaries of the earth. While speaking with the fourteenth bird, the Hoopoe introduces the theme of the necessity of aspiration in seeking God: symbolized in the narrative poem by the Simurgh—Persian, "the Great Bird."
The following tale, Ibrahim Adham, is recited by the Hoopoe. The story illustrates aspiration, what it demands of us, and where it leads us.
A man was always complaining of the bitterness of poverty, so Ibrahim Adham said to him, "My son, possibly you have not paid for your poverty?" The man retorted, "What you say is nonsense, how can a person buy poverty?" "I, at least," said Adham, "have chosen it voluntarily, and I have bought it at the price of the kingdom of the world. And I would still buy a moment of this poverty for a hundred of those worlds."
The word aspiration is a cognate of the Latin for "Spirit, spirit." Aspiration means to be en-spirited, inspired, invigorated, … This energy is essential for the spiritual journey. To follow Essence, or Spirit, seeking wholeness in the Divine, means learning to give the whole self to the one intent of seeking to realize the True Self.
In the above story about Adham, the Hoopoe notes this need of unrelenting aspiration. With vitality and with trust in God, one soars to Spirit inspirited, without it, one will fail to enjoy consistent communion with the Spirit.
Attar points to a matter not understood in popular religion; that is, aspiration and faith lead one to transcend even what we call spirituality. Devotion to seeking God through the True Self leads one to a Reality that is neither defined by nor reliant on thoughts of form or Formlessness, including the language, rites, and images of religion.
Christians mystics have taught that it is in the darkness of unknowing that we find pure faith. Thus, pure faith, along with commitment and ardency, leads us to an object-less trust that is content in itself and demands no destination for its contentment. In this simple being with God, one finds peace.
Christian mystics have taught the highest form of Prayer is Resting in God beyond all thought of God. In this pure faith one experiences a being with God of subject-to-subject, mutual attraction, and reciprocal participation that goes beyond the general subject-object relationship of popular religion.
This mutual indwelling in love, symbolized by the Trinity, allows one to detach from the spiritual search and enjoy resting in the Mystery of Love. However, at the same time, it challenges our subtle reliance on conditioned forms of love, in which we must do something to receive love or prove our love, or both.
Spiritual Exercise
1. What is the difference between belief and faith?
2. What is meant by “pure faith”?
3. What does it mean to be with God in a subject-to-subject relationship?
4. Have you ever had an experience where you sensed that God was resting with you in mutual attraction? Explain.
5. How might your life change through realizing, experientially, that God is more attracted to you than you are to God?
6. What does it mean that Christ calls us to enjoy a union with God that transcends even religion and spirituality?
7. How is our relationship with God a growth into deeper experiences of intimacy? Why are we both attracted to and resistant to this intimacy?
8. How might you enjoy a more intimate relationship with the Spirit?
Prayer
As you draw us closer to you, we find ways to avoid spending time alone with you. We will even use our helping others as a reason to neglect our alone time with you. We do not fully understand why such intimacy threatens us, for when we are surrendered to you in Silence, we often know and feel deeply loved and, afterward, are refreshed from having spent time with you. Give us the courage to be honest about our fear of a deepening intimacy with you, one that leads us beyond the conditioned love we are accustomed to. Give us the desire to place you first in our lives and to put priority on having times of sharing with you in solitude and silence.
*Brian K. Wilcox
OneLife Ministries is a pastoral outreach and nurture ministry of the First United Methodist Church, Fort Meade, FL. For Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Counseling, spiritual formation workshops, Christian meditation retreats, or more information about OneLife, write Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilcox at briankwilcox@comcast.net.
Brian's book of mystical love poetry, An Ache for Union, can be ordered through major bookdealers.
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
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