Lawh-i-Istintaq/GPT4 8

"He is God. For a lover, self-display and self-awareness in the presence of the Beloved is not permissible. If one steps beyond this path, they are not counted among the lovers. Love does not accept the living ego, nor does the dead mouse catch prey. Yes, some lovers have managed to express their afflictions and tribulations in the court of the Beloved, and their aim has been engagement with the Beloved and listening to the Presence of the Desired One, not the mention of ego and whims. The condition of one with lofty aims is exalted and sublime, and he speaks with words; understand what he says and what he means. By God, if you knew and understood what lies beyond the veil of grandeur, the secrets of your Lord, the Most High, the Supreme, you would sacrifice yourselves in love for God, the Owner of Names.

The storyteller, the Promised One, mentioned a tale that once we were on the Mount of Illumination, and the Beloved of horizons set out towards the mountains. With complete humility, from the claimants of love, it was hoped that this journey and migration, although apparently easy and simple, is, in essence, intense and a gate of trial. If in appearance it seems sovereign and authoritative, in meaning it is tribulation and distress beyond measure. Do not clear yourselves and do not impose hardship upon yourselves, and let me migrate by myself. The words of love and compassion, both implicitly and explicitly stated, did not bear fruit. This servant and a group, with the claim that we want no provision but the pleasure of the friend, and we have no aim but the countenance of the Beloved, secluding ourselves in our belief and heedless of the advice and certainty of the friend, resolved to travel. We became fellow travelers and companions on the path with the countenance of the Beloved. As far as we journeyed through the wilderness, the fire of love was subdued and the beauty of longing was veiled until we transcended this station. We saw good deeds as bad and counted bad deeds as the essence of good until we entered the Green Island. The Divine sphere in that spiritual land was established on generosity, and then on the mounts of passion in the wilderness of suspicions and illusions we traveled mornings and evenings, sometimes together, sometimes apart, sometimes in love, sometimes in negligence. We spent days and nights, and the stream of eloquence always flowed from the fountain of the Rahman’s mouth, yet thirst was absent, and the lights of the countenance from the horizon of majesty were shining, but the good fortune was not found. Every day we increased in illusion and speculation and decreased in attention to the truth. With these unpleasing conditions and unseemly behaviors, we were so immersed in the whirlpools of negligence and passion that we became heedless of our own states. In all conditions, we regarded the countenance of the Beloved with utmost compassion and tenderness. Some of us were perplexed—if the Divine knowledge encompasses all, how can we be accepted with these unworthy actions?"