THE EPISODE OF THE WOODCUTTER.

It is narrated that some dervishes accompanied Hazrat Sultan Bahu (RA) on one of his travels. During the course of the journey one of the dervish companions asked : " Hazrat, what is meant by `eyes of elixir' ? " At that moment, at a distance not to far away a woodcutter was about to pick up his wood. With one gaze, Hazrat Sultan Bahu (RA) transmitted his spiritual attention to the woodcutter, who became motionless, staring in the sky. Turning to the dervish, The Saint said : " Do you see that woodcutter over there ? He will answer your question on our return journey".

It is said that on the return journey, they passed the woodcutter who was still starring into the sky. Hazrat Sultan Bahu (RA) once again gave his spiritual attention to the woodcutter. With one gaze the woodcutter returned to his normal original state. He fell at the feet of the Saint, lamenting and imploring him to return him to the state he was in. The Saint asked the woodcutter to explain what he had experienced so that his companions could understand what is meant by `eyes of elixir'.

The woodcutter said : " Sir, the other day you were passing by when you looked towards me. As soon as your gaze fell on me, I experienced a state of illumination, peace and felicity. I felt myself being drowned in the ocean of Allah's Light and Mercy, annihilated in a blissful rapture. Please Sir, for the sake of Allah, return me to that delightful and ecstatic state again".

The Saint turned to his companion dervishes and said : " You have received your answer to your question from the woodcutter himself. This what you have witnessed is but a small drop from the reality of what is meant by `eyes of elixir’. You cannot comprehend and withstand the full force of it's reality”. Turning to the woodcutter he told him to carry on his work, counseling him not to despair as his inner state was now luminous and that intermittently he would be experiencing the same state of ecstatic rapture. Bidding him farewell, the Saint carried on his journey. By Allah, what an eyesight! Such is the reality of the Faqir's of Allah. With one gaze they turn a woodcutter into a Gnostic of Allah. With one gaze they turn a `dead' heart into a `living' heart, to remain always immersed in the remembrance of Allah.