The Bridge, The Sugar, Roses and The Escort

This world is a treasure, and it is a serpent. Some people play with the treasure, some with the serpent. Those who play with the serpent must give their hearts over to being bitten by it. It bites the tail, and the head. If it bites the tail and you don't wake up, it will bite the head.
Those who turn away from the serpent and have not been deluded by its jewels and kindness put the shaykh that is intellect in front - because the shaykh of intellect is the emerald (that blinds) the serpent's gaze. When the dragon-like serpent sees that the shaykh of intellect is the leader of the caravan, it becomes low, lowly and frail. In that water it used to be like a shark, but under the foot of intellect it becomes a bridge. Its poison becomes sugar, its thorns roses. It used to be a higwayman, but it becomes the escort. It used to be the stuff of fear but it becomes the stuff of security.

"Me & Rumi" William C. Chittick - My Path To God