The Saint's Dream

A saint once dreamt that while he was walking in the Path of God, and angel met him, and asked him where he was going, and the saint repliedL 'I am on my way to the Royal Presence." Said the angel, " You are so much concerned with worldly affairs, and you are encumbered with so much great riches and possession; how can you hope to be admitted to the Presence of the King, with so many burdens to hamper you?"

So the saint cast away all that he had, except a single blanket wherewith to protect himself from the weather and to serve him as a covering. The next night he dreamt that he saw the angel again, and was asked the same question, and again he replied that he was on his way to the abode of the Lord of All. The angel said to him, "O wise man, how can you expect to reach it, while you have this blanket! It is the greatest hindrance to your progress."

When the saint awoke from his dream, he put the blanket on the fire and burnt it.

On the third night, he saw the angel yet again, and the angel spoke again to him. "O thou of unspotted life," he said, "where art thou going now?" And the saint answered as before, "I go to seek the Creator of the Universe."

"O chosen one," said the angel then, "now that thou has cast away all that thou hadst, remain here where thou art. It needs not that thou shouldest go in search of thy Lord, for He Himself will come to thee."