We’re All Mad Here

A person is obligated to get drunk on Purim until he does not know the difference between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordechai.”

                     –Talmud, Megillah

But how does one Truly get drunk?

The body is the bodhi tree,
The mind is like a clear mirror standing.
Take care to wipe it all the time,
Allow no grain of dust to cling to it.

–Shen Hsiu

The Bodhi is not like a tree,
The clear mirror is nowhere standing.
Fundamentally not one thing exists:
Where then is a grain of dust to cling?

–Hui Neng

There is a well-known story about the students of the Baal Shem Tov who knew of their teacher’s love for light and its increase, but couldn’t find any candles.  The Baal Shem Tov came in and noticed that there was a lack of candles on a particular black, cold, and frozen night.

He said, “Ohr (light) has the same gematria (numerical value) as raz (secret). One who knows the secret of G-d’s Unity has the light that can illuminate everything…” and he scolded the students for not bringing more candles.

The students apologized and said that they weren’t able to find any candles. The Baal Shem Tov commanded them to bring down the icicles from the roof and to light them. Thus, they lit the candles of ice which shone with a brilliant light.

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.

“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”

“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.

“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here”.

–Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland

              –Esther 8:1

This poem was sent to me by my dear friend, one who lives always with the sense of the Ineffable, Sadiq M. Alam.


This being human is a guest house

This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,

still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

~Rumi