Interpretation of the Eighth Rule of Love

Rule Number 8 — Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighbourhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful! It is easy to be thankful when all is well. A Sufi is thankful not only for what he has been given but also for all that he has been denied.

– Shams (to Self)

Context

This rule appears during the time when Shams repeatedly volunteers to undertake the journey to Konya to meet Rumi. However, Baba Zamaan, the Master of the Dervish Lodge, keeps on postponing the decision. This happens three times in succession: Shams offers himself for the journey, and Baba Zamaan postpones the decision until the change of next season.

Each postponement leaves Shams surprised, yet he chooses to wait patiently for the Master’s approval.

During this period of waiting, he recalls this rule.

Interpretation within the story

To understand this rule within the story, one must first understand the sacred relationship between a Master and a Disciple. It is a relationship built upon complete trust and surrender. Even when a Master refuses or denies something, the Disciple is expected to receive it as a blessing. Even punishment from the Master is considered good fortune, because it means the disciple has at least caught the Master’s attention.

Osho often narrated that in ancient times disciples would serve their Masters for many years in the hope that one day they might be allowed to ask a question. Even after years of service, if a Master asked the disciple to return home without granting that opportunity, the disciple would still feel grateful. He would think that perhaps the time was not right, or that he was not yet ready to receive the answer. The very opportunity to serve the Master for so long was considered a blessing.

Similarly, when Baba Zamaan repeatedly postponed Shams’s request, Shams did not complain. Instead, he remembered this rule of patience and faith.

Within the context of the story, this rule therefore makes perfect sense.

Deeper interpretation beyond the story

In my understanding, this rule speaks about faith and optimism in life. I prefer the word faith rather than hope.

This rule can apply to both dimensions of life: the material as well as the spiritual.

In the spiritual journey, the path can often feel long, exhausting, and difficult. A goal oriented mind wants to reach enlightenment as quickly as possible. However, a seeker must remind himself that this is a journey where the path itself is the destination.

He must also remember that every obstacle or denial encountered along the way can also be a blessing or a device of the Divine. Each difficulty carries a lesson meant for the seeker’s growth.

Therefore, the rule reminds us that a seeker should not lose faith when things do not unfold according to his plans. A seeker must trust that the Divine will guide him in every situation. Even if he has tried a thousand ways to experience the divine and none have worked, he should still have faith that the Divine will reveal the next path.

Then the rule says: Be thankful.

Gratitude is a quality we all need to cultivate in our lives, whether at the material or spiritual level. The Divine has given us so much, yet most of us remain focused on what we lack rather than what we already have.

Gratitude should therefore arise not only for the things we receive, but also for the things that are denied to us. Those denials may actually protect us from paths that are not meant for our growth or evolution.

Many times, after a few years, we realize that a failed relationship, a lost opportunity, or some other negative event turned out to be the blessing in disguise that could have happened for our future.

This is where the most profound part of this rule emerges, when Shams says:

“It is easy to be thankful when all is well. A Sufi is thankful not only for what he has been given but also for all that he has been denied.”

This reflects the language of total surrender, which is essential for any spiritual seeker. According to Shams, a true seeker remains grateful in all situations. If someone feels thankful only when life goes according to his desires, then that gratitude is merely a subtle form of ego satisfaction.

The true seeker is grateful in every circumstance, because he understands that even when the Divine denies something, there is a deeper spiritual lesson hidden within it. Instead of complaining, he turns his attention toward the learning contained in the experience.

This is exactly what happens in the story. Rather than complaining to Baba Zamaan about the repeated postponement of his journey to Konya, Shams turns inward. He waits patiently and silently for the right moment and for the Master’s permission.

Perhaps patience and silence were the lessons he needed to learn during that time.

Gratitude!!!