A Tale of the Sufi and His Two Coins

Hunger and lust brought a Sufi low; he spent two coins on both of them. A friend asked him quietly, 'What did you do with these two coins?' He said: 'With one I chased the pleasure of the flesh; with the other I laid out a feast for my belly.' 'I acted like a base fool, for the one was never filled, and the other never emptied.' Whether the food is fine or plain, you enjoy it best when it comes to you after long hunger. The wise person lays his head on the pillow only when sleep has taken him captive by force. Do not speak until you find the right moment; when you see no field to play in, hold on to the ball. Do not go to a woman beyond what is right; you are no madman, so do not turn the blade on yourself. To rouse desire when there is no genuine want is to spill your own blood by choice.