Shri Nathji once said:
Philosophers often say in Persian: Gule be-khaar kujaa ast! Where is the flower in the world which does not have a thorn?
“But I prefer to say: ‘Gule Baa-khaar kujaa ast! Where is the flower in the world which has a thorn? I see no flower anywhere that has a thorn!’”
But Sir, you are wrong, said someone to Shri Nathji, Look, there is a rose and it has a thorn with it.
Shri Nathji smiled: You are right. There is a rose here, and it has a thorn by its side. But if you look carefully you will see that there is some space between the flower and the thorn. The thorn is not within the flower; it is close to the flower. You can see the thorn only when you stop looking at the flower. Or in other words, you see the thorn only when your eyes slip from the flower! If your sight does not slip from the flower, there will be no thorn for you!
“Kaantaa kyaa hai!
Phool se nazaron kaa phisal jaanaa!
What is the thorn?
The slipping of the eyes from the flower!
In a like manner this world and its sorrows do not exist for one whose gaze was totally engrossed in God. When the sight slips from God, it sees the world and its sufferings!