The Birds in The Seven Valleys
One cannot approach the wind, because it is already everywhere. To escape the wind is to escape life. Books and whole libraries have been filled mapping out such escape routes – from the turmoil of the storm into death or divinity. Yet, it was always the wind that carried the wings of these seekers, even to the edge of the abyss.
Nothing is ever spoken, nothing sounds, nothing stirs, nothing moves without the wind. No thought arrives, no word resounds, no understanding lights up without having ridden first on the wings of the wind. Everything is animated, imparted and mediated by the all permeating presence of the wind.
The following parable of the birds that passed through the seven valleys in search of their king beautifully reflects this wisdom, even though in an implicit manner. Helmut Ritter has passed it down to us in his ‘Sea of the Soul’, as a retelling of a story by the late 12th century Persian mystic and poet, Farīduddīn ‘Attār (1136-1220). Here it is in its abbreviated form.
LVX,
Frater Acher
The birds congregate to search for a king. The hoopoe, Solomon’s messenger, tells the other birds that he knows where the king is, but that he cannot travel to him alone. He lives behind Mount Qaf, is called Simurgh, and has 10,000 veils of light and darkness before him. No one has ever seen him, and what is known about him is pure imagination. The way to him is long and dangerous. Once he dropped a feather over China, and since then the world has been in an uproar about him. No one knows more about him than the drawing of his feather, which is kept in the painting hall of China. The entire creation comes from this pen. Whoever of the birds wants to come along on the journey, let him get ready. [...]
He now describes the individual valleys [through which they must fly on their long journey].
The first valley is the valley of seeking. It is full of toil and effort. Years of striving and struggle are required.
You must give up money and goods and put them at risk; you must walk in the blood and give up everything. Then, when your heart has become free and pure from all attachments, the light of God begins to shine for you, and then your zeal will flare up even more. When fire and a hundred chasms threaten the pacer, he will plunge into the flames like the butterfly and long to drink from the cup of this gift. But the potion will make him forget both worlds. Faith and unbelief will be one for him, if only the door is opened for him.
The next valley is the valley of love. This is followed by the valley of knowledge. There are different paths in this valley. The difference in the paths that the pacer take is due to the difference in their strength and disposition. Thus, one found the idol, the other the Ka’ba.
In the next valley, the valley of non-needfulness, the irrelevance and futility of most of what happens in this world is revealed. An infinite number of human lives are wasted before a prophet emerges who comes close to God; worlds sink, and it means no more than when a straw disappears from the surface of the water, and so on.
The valley of oneness follows. In it all apparent multiplicity proves to be one. All ones, multiplied by one, result only in one again. But it is not about the one of the numerical series, but about the unity which stands outside of measure and number, in which the past and the future eternity coincide into one. The substance of the world is one.
Then comes the valley of confusion. Whoever enters this valley, his clear ideas about himself become confused. He does not know whether he is or is not, whether he is in the middle or on the edge, whether he is manifest or hidden, whether he is evolving or permanent, or both at the same time. He says, “I don’t know,” and he doesn't know that either. He is in love and does not know with whom, he does not know whether he is a believer or an unbeliever. His heart is full of love and at the same time empty. He is lost in himself and no longer knows a way out.
The next valley is the valley of renunciation and unraveling. It is the valley of forgetfulness, dumbness, numbness and unconsciousness. A hundred thousand shadows have passed there before a sun. When the sea of everything surges, the pictures painted on it disappear. Whoever dives into this sea and emerges from the lostness has gained insight into the mystery of the universe. The pacers who have plunged into this sea have already disappeared at the first step; no one takes the second step.
The description of these seven valleys actually shows the birds what hardships they still have ahead of them. Many lose courage and die at this way station. Only a small group sets out, and even most of them perish on the long flight that takes many years. Finally, only thirty birds remain, which finally reach their destination, the Royal court of Simurgh. It is higher and more sublime than all understanding and all knowledge can grasp. There the lightning of non-needfulness flames and burns a hundred worlds in an instant. A hundred thousand suns, moons and stars there mean no more than the dust of a single sun.
The birds feel completely annihilated. Because what are they? Whether they are there or not, what does it mean? In this hopelessness they remain for a long time, until finally a palace guard becomes attentive to them and asks where they come from and what they want. They answer: “We have come here so that Simurgh can be our king. A long time ago we set out. We were many thousands, but only thirty of us remained. We have come a long way in the hope of finally finding rest here in this court; perhaps the king in his kindness will look upon us with favour.” - The palace guard replies: “Fools, whether you are here or not, He is the absolute, eternal ruler. Worlds full of hosts mean no more than an ant at this king’s door. Return from whence you came!”
After this answer, the birds are completely discouraged and close to death.
Finally they say: Though he despises us so much that he sends us back, the contempt that comes from him is the greatest honour for us. - The palace guard replies: “When the lightning of splendour flares up, it kills everyone in an instant. Then what is honour and contempt?” - They say, “We will not shrink from that. Will the butterfly ever shrink from the flame? Even if we cannot find the path of union with Him, we will not stop looking for it.”
Although the non-needfulness was without measure, in the end the countenance of kindness turned towards the birds. The chamberlain of Simurgh pulls back the curtains, makes the birds sit on the seat of proximity as well as on the seats of reverence and honour. He then places a scripture before them for them to read. When the birds read the scripture, they find all their deeds recorded in it. They perish and fall into shame and confusion. But then they receive new life through the light of majesty, and behold: All that they have done and not done is erased from their bosom. The sun of nearness shines, and they now recognize in the reflection of themselves, the thirty birds, “si murgh,” the Simurgh. When they look at the Simurgh, they see themselves, and when they look at themselves, they see the Simurgh, and when they look at both at the same time, they see only one Simurgh.
They are deeply amazed and pondered by this unheard of thing. They finally ask for the explanation of this mystery, and they get the answer: This presence of the king is like a sun-clear mirror. Whoever comes here sees himself in it. No one’s eye penetrates to Us. How could the eye of the ant penetrate to the seven stars? All these valleys that you have gone through, all this steadfastness that you have shown, that was only Our doing. Being Simurgh is more suitable for Us than for you, because We are Simurgh in our essence. Disappear in Me, so that you find yourselves in Me! It depends on the original substance, which is pure and not-needing; whether the things derived from it exist or not, it does not matter. The real sun is always present, may the dust of sun, may the shadow remain or not.
Then they disappeared in Him and perished in Him. The shadow disappeared in the sun, and it was over. [...]
