God does not exist

God does not think, he creates; God does not exist, he is eternal.

Søren Kierkegaard: Concluding Unscientific Postscript

Sketch of Søren Kierkegaard by Niels Christian Kierkegaard, c. 1840
from wikimedia commons

Mulla Sadra

I've just come across this philosopher (Mulla Sadra) while visiting the wikipedia page on the ontological argument. A google search under "Mulla Sadra Asfar" led me to this page at MuslimPhilosophy.com, where I found this summarising quote:

Philosophy and mysticism, hikma and Sufism, are for him two aspects of the same thing. To engage in philosophy without experiencing the truth of its content confines the philosopher to a world of essences and concepts, while mystical experience without the intellectual discipline of philosophy can lead only to an ineffable state of ecstasy. When the two go hand in hand, the mystical experience of reality becomes the intellectual content of philosophy.

John Cooper article on Mulla Sadra

quatrain 367

From sunlight, two versions of quatrain #367. Following is the version by Zara Houshmand which I don't seem to have commented on as I can't find it in a search of the site.

Like a thief
reason sneaked in and sat amongst the lovers
eager to give them advice.
They were unwilling to listen, so reason kissed their feet
and went on its way.

Translation by Azima Melita Kolin and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Whispers of the Beloved
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 1999

for awhile wisdom came
to advise the ones
who are in love
it sat by the wayside
to corrupt their way
since it found no room
within their minds
it kissed their feet
and went on its way

Translation by Nader Khalili
Rumi, Dancing the Flame
Cal-Earth Press, 2001

Reason came forward to lecture the lovers;
Like a bandit in ambush he lay.
But he saw that their heads had no room for reason,
So bowed at their feet and went on his way.

Zara Houshmand
@ iranian.com