Symbols of the world's religions

               

MAJNUN AND LEILA

Bhau Kalchuri

 
The discourse "Love Is The Remedy" (about not giving undue importance to words and explanations) was read out. Baba stated:

Have you heard of the two lovers, Majnun and Leila? They had human love at its height. Majnun was at a great distance from Leila, always trying to love her and repeating her name wherever he went. Though Leila was at some other distant place, one day a thorn went into Majnun's foot and it bled, at the very same moment, Leila felt a shock and blood trickled from her foot. Even such human love falls short of divine love. Human love at its zenith is Ishq-e-Mizaji. Divine love is Ishq-e-Hakiki.

Baba asked Don Stevens, "How did the story of Majnun and Leila end?" He did not know.

Kenmore interjected, "Majnun would have been happy even if Leila loved and married another."

Baba continued:

Majnun's end has been revealed. His whole life was Leila. He saw her in everyone. Of course, he was not careful of his clothes, health, or food. He roamed about, always thinking of her. Then he met a spiritual Master sitting under a tree. The Master called him, saying: "If you had tried to love God as intensely as you love Leila, you would have seen Him everywhere, in everything."

Majnun answered: "I am not after God, I am after Leila. I see her in all."

The Master called him, embraced him and in an instant he spiritually had the experience of God everywhere. Then he started to cry, "Anal Haq!" — "I am God!" instead of "Leila!" This Anal Haq was different from that of Mansur. (1)

GHAZAL BY MEHER BABA

O Meher, Majnun's love is in Your heart.
He always lives in You, and Majnun is always in Your court.

"Leila, Leila!" Majnun called in the desert with his every breath,
And Leila heard Majnun's voice in Your court.

Majnun is pining to death without her.
Leila is his life and Leila is Majnun's heart.

But Majnun saw the effulgence of Your light;
      he forgot Leila completely.
He started shouting "O Lord, O Lord!"
      Majnun found the Lord in his heart.

God is more murderous than Leila.
Majnun was already love, yet he had to burn to ashes for God.

Majnun was fire and turned into ash for the sake of love.
But the Beloved is so cruel — He made Majnun suffer for years. (2)

 

(1) LORD MEHER, 1st USA ed, vol. 15, p. 5412
(2) ibid, vol. 20, p. 6606
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