A snakecatcher went into the mountains to find a snake. He wanted a friendly pet, and one that would amaze audiences (with the purpose of using it for a show), but he was looking for a reptile, something that has no knowledge of friendship. It was winter. In the deep snow he saw a frighteningly huge dead snake. He was afraid to touch it, but he did. In fact he dragged the thing into Baghdad, hoping people would pay to see it. This is how foolish we've become! A human being is a huge mountain range! Snakes are fascinated by us! Yet we sell ourselves to look at a dead snake. We are like beautiful satin used to patch burlap. "Come and see the dragon I killed, and hear the adventures!" That's what he announced, and a large crowd came, but the dragon was not dead just dormant! He set up his show at a crossroads. The ring of gawking people got thicker, everybody on tiptoe, men and women, noble and peasant, all packed together unconscious of their differences. It was like the Resurrection! He began to unwind the thick ropes and remove the cloth coverings he'd wrapped it so well in. Some little movement. The hot Iraqi sun had woken the terrible life. The people nearest started screaming. Panic! The dragon tore easily and hungrily loose, killing many instantly. The snake catcher stood there, frozen. "What have I brought out of the mountains?" The snake braced against a post and crushed the man and consumed him. The snake is your animal soul (nafs). When you bring it into the hot air of your wanting-energy, warmed by that and by the prospect of power and wealth, it does massive damage. Leave it in the snow mountains. Don't expect to oppose it with quietness and sweetness and wishing. The nafs don't respond to those, and they can't be killed. It takes a Moses to deal with such a beast, to lead it back, and make it lie down in the snow. But there was no Moses then, Hundreds of thousands died. The snake is Rumi's symbol for the nafs when they're frighteningly out of control. Our Nafs is like that snake. With Tazkyiah (purification), Mushaqqat (effort), our nafs (self) becomes frozen. It appears to be dead. But give it a little heat from the fire of sin and it will bite again. A little exposure to some past sins and the nafs swings back to life. We should not think that we have killed our nafs and thus become unmindful. Yes, with some mujahadah (striving), suhbat (company) of the Sheikh, tilawat (recitation) of the Qur'an, Dikrullah, following Deen and Shariah and in building up that contact and love for Allah Ta'ala and RasulAllah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), the nafs can be frozen. However, a little taste of sin revives the evil nafs. Hazrat Inayat Khan said on this story: Rumi says your worst enemy is hiding within yourself, and that enemy is your nafs or false ego. It is very difficult to explain the meaning of this "false ego." The best I can do is to say that every inclination which springs from disregard of love, harmony, and beauty and which is concerned with oneself and unconcerned with all others is the false ego. This enemy, Rumi says, develops. The more it is fed, the stronger it becomes to fight with you; and the stronger it becomes, the more it dominates your better self. There comes a day when man is the slave of this enemy which is hidden within himself. The worst position is to have an enemy which one does not know. It is better to have a thousand known enemies before one than to have one within one and not to know it. There are many meanings ascribed to the custom of sages in India to have snakes around their necks. One of those meanings is: "I have got it. It is still living, but now I know that it is there, and it is my ornament." What does this enemy breathe? This enemy breathes "I." Its breath is always calling out, "I, separate from you, separate from others, separate from everybody. My interest is mine; it has nothing to do with others. The interest of others is others' interest; it is not mine. I am a separate being." Remember that no man is without it. If man was without it, he would never have said "I," because it is this enemy within him which is saying "I." The day this enemy is found and erased, or shed and crucified, that day the real "I" is found. But this "I" is a different "I." This "I" means you and I and everybody; it is an all "I."   Print this Page [Mainpage] [Dhikr] [Du'a] [Articles] [History] [Prayer] [Stories] Copyright © 1999-2006 Mutmainaa. All Rights Reserved. Kindly inform me of any typing errors or mistakes.