The types of mankind from the perspective of Maulana Rumi
Maulana Rumi uses a metaphor to describe a human being as having a donkey’s tail and an angel’s wings underscoring the coexistence of good and evil within every man. He says that we are half angel, half beast. If our spiritual conscience overcomes our sensuality, we are higher than the angels. If our sensuality overcomes our spiritual conscience, we are lower than the beasts. He says:
God has been part of us from time immemorial – His original splendor and brightness is ancient – His original light was altogether purer and brighter and more humble than what we are. God is reflected in our grace, love, forgiveness, compassion, humility, intuition, esoteric knowledge. He is all-knowing and is the source of our wisdom. As Maulana Rumi says:
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
