As I read through some of the more argumentative and even bitter threads that seem to come up more and more often here on AZ, I think about the three "gates" through which our words must pass before we may say that we have spoken well according to the Sufi tradition. The first of these three gates or tests is , "Are these words true?" Are all of us careful to speak the truth in our posts? If our words pass the first test, the second gate is, "Are these words necessary?" And then the thrid gate through which our words must pass, "Are these words kind?" How many of our posts pass through all three of these gates?
I was first told of the three gates of Sufism by a native of India who had been raised as a Hindu. I was a bit surprised that he was familiar with Sufism and to tell the truth, I thought he had gotten the second and third gates out of their correct order. After all, if our words pass the second gate and are therefore neccesary, must we not go ahead and say (write) them? We must be sensitive to the promptings of our heart to see that my little Hindo friend had it right all along in saying that the final test is kindness.
I was first told of the three gates of Sufism by a native of India who had been raised as a Hindu. I was a bit surprised that he was familiar with Sufism and to tell the truth, I thought he had gotten the second and third gates out of their correct order. After all, if our words pass the second gate and are therefore neccesary, must we not go ahead and say (write) them? We must be sensitive to the promptings of our heart to see that my little Hindo friend had it right all along in saying that the final test is kindness.
