2:269 He gives wisdom to whomsoever He wills.
It has been said that wisdom has a reality and a fruit. The reality of wisdom is recognizing an affair as suited for the affair, putting a thing in its own place, recognizing everyone in his own framework, seeing the end of every statement at its beginning, and recognizing the inwardness of any statement from its outwardness. The fruit of wisdom is balancing interaction with people between tenderness and flattery, balancing interaction with oneself between fear and hope, and balancing interaction with the Real between awe and intimacy.
Wisdom is a light. When its ray shines upon you, it adorns the tongue with right mention, the heart with right thought, and the bodily members with right activity. Then when you speak, you speak with wisdom, snatching away hearts and making spirits your prey. When you reflect, you reflect with wisdom, flying like a falcon, roaming in the highest Dominion, and making a nest only in the Presence of At-ness.
May I be a ransom for the men dwelling in the Unseen,
their secret cores roaming in all that is there!
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Give the strong wings of wisdom to the peacock of the Throne
and here in this place of the snare you'll see its nest in joy.
If you stroll toward the Holy Presence with exaltedness,
you'll see steeds coming forth from the city of the Lord. [DS 706]
Yes indeed. And when someone like this acts, he acts with wisdom-coming together with the palisades of the Beloved's approval, sacrificing his desire to God's desire, seeing his intimacy in mentioning Him, keeping his gaze in accordance with His gaze, resting in his remembrance no matter what arrives; sometimes burned by passion for Him in the playing field of majesty in the station of need, sometimes at ease with His gentleness in the garden of union on the throne of joy.
At times those black locks raise the swords of severity,
at times those sweet lips light the candles of gentleness.
O You whose perfection has paid purses to the losers at dice!
O You whose beauty has sewn the wallets of the destitute!