The Far Who Is Near Or The Near Who Is Far!

Shaykh Muhammad said, "The plain of speech is very spacious, Whoever wants says whatever he wants."
I said, "The plain of speech is very narrow - the plain of meaning is spacious. Come forth from speech so as to see spaciousness and the plain. The plain of meaning is spacious. Look and see if you  are the far who is near, or the near who is far."
He said: "You know better."
I said: However that may be, you are what you are. But, come forth from form, for 'Congregation is a mercy'. If words are not spoken to you, don't be afraid and don't flee. The secrets of the Path are not spoken to me from beyond form when there is a gathering of others, whether outside or inside your own existence - only when there is seclusion.
Although you have good character traits in your existence, and you are pure of the attributes of spitefulness, treachery, and theft, there are hidden treacheries and thieveries in this existence. Thus, in the time of David, the chain of justice fled to heaven because of hidden thievery and no one was aware of that thievery. However when they looked upon the fleeing of the chain, they all knew that there was some reason for that.
Now, the chain of justice is bright-heartedness, limpidness, and tasting. When it is pulled back from the seeker of the secret, it is not without reason, for God does not change 'His blessing on a people unless they change what is in themselves.' If you don't busy yourself with gazing upon your own purity and goodness, and if you set out to clean away those hidden treacheries, then the purity and goodness that you have will increase.

"Me & Rumi - Teachers and Shayks I Have Met - William C. Chittick - 49