Hafiz and Emerson

by Gregory Allen Butler

"I am a hole in a flute that the Christ's breath moves through--Listen to this Music." --Hafiz (from The Gift -- Translations of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky)

It's great to know about Hafiz. He puts everything in perspective. Over the course of my life, I’ve had some ups and downs. Nothing too major, but big enough, like losing a several hundred thousand dollar inheritance to my aunt’s hairdresser; and losing my pension plan after 14 years of service due to a corporate bankruptcy.

So sometimes events like those can get me feeling limited and disheartened. But years ago, I came across a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that helped me keep my equilibrium. Ever since then, after becoming aware of any limited feelings, I would be able to bounce back by remembering this quote.

The quote is from the Persian poet and spiritual master, Hafiz: “He fears nothing. He sees too far; he sees throughout; such is the only man I wish to see and be.” Emerson was not a man easily impressed so I read a biography of Hafiz to find out what he meant by that quote. Now when I focus on the phrase, “He sees too far,” I get it.

Hafiz saw into eternity. He had discovered the infinite within. Meher Baba said Hafiz was the greatest poet to ever walk the earth. I can see now that all of my pain and stress of life came from not seeing far enough.

In my experience, no adverse situations in life have the severe sting when I am able to see the big picture--having the knowledge that life is a progression of events, of stepping-stones. If I find myself standing on a small rock in the middle of a stream, I am not there because it is my destination and fate. I am there because it is a stepping-stone for me to get to the other side. If I find myself out of money it doesn’t make me poor. It is just an experience to go through.

Limitations to me are opportunities to go through to discover my resiliency, to see how long it will take me to overcome them. This is not a contradiction to the dictum of living in the present moment. Living in the present moment fully will give the perception that this is a passing moment, just as our physical bodies are temporal and perishable.

Hafiz was able to live in the present moment freely because he was rooted in eternity. Poetry poured out of him like wine from a bottle, with the same intoxicating effect. His home was everywhere and nowhere. He trusted his inner resources to get him out of any situation. As Emerson said, he had no fear.

“Seeing too far” as Emerson implied it (and Hafiz lived it) means living in infinity. It means that although a drop of water might be having the experience of being merely a drop from the splashing of a wave, soon enough it will be united back to its original state of being--the Ocean.

Emerson went on to say this about Hafiz: “Hafiz defies you to show him or put him in a condition inopportune or ignoble. Take all you will, and leave him but a corner of Nature, a lane, a den, a cowshed ... he promises to win to that scorned spot the light of the moon and stars, the love of man, the smile of beauty, and the homage of art.”

How could I ever get disheartened about life after reading those words? They have helped to keep me optimistic, even when I’m faced with adversity. They are a reminder to me that I am more than my circumstance; that I am more than my physical body.

Those words tell me that integrity, sincerity of purpose, character, and knowledge of my inner source of being is all that I need in any given moment.

Here is an interesting tidbit of information related to all this that I found on the website of Paul Smith, an Australian translator of the Divan of Hafiz:

UNESCO, the United Nations educational and Cultural arm, officially declared 1988 the "Year of Hafez" and conducted a conference in Paris to honor the poet and explore the significance of his teachings for the modern world. This event was initiated by the government of Iran, where thoughtful observers, in the tradition of earlier centuries, are turning increasingly to Hafez for political insight and counsel. As a troubled world poised precariously on the brink of the 21st century, prominent scholars from many lands confirmed that Hafez’s poetry and philosophy speak directly to our contemporary cutting edges of philosophy, psychology, awareness studies, educational systems, and business theory. UNESCO’s official statement cited "the great importance of the works of Shams-ud-Din Mohammed Hafez Shirazi and his tremendous influence on other world literatures and cultures" and "the high esteem in which Hafez is held by countries familiar with the Persian language and literature."

Remember this secret the next time life gets you down: You're not seeing far enough. Take it from Hafiz, all of the affairs of the world (including those that trouble your mind) are nothing into nothing.