Interpretation of the Fourth Rule of Love

Rule Number 4 — You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe, because God is not confined in a mosque, synagogue or church. But if you are still in need of knowing where exactly His abode is, there is only one place to look for him: in the heart of a true lover.

– Shams, to the Master

Context - This rule emerges during a conversation between Shams of Tabriz and the Master of the Dervish Lodge. Before presenting this rule, Shams was recounting his experiences as a wandering dervish. He explained the ways in which God can be discovered in this world through everything and everyone.

It is at this point that Shams introduces the Fourth Rule of Love.

Interpretation within the Story

As I understand it, this rule suggests that the only requirement for realizing God is an intense longing or thirst. When that thirst exists, one can perceive and experience God in everything and everyone, because God cannot be confined to places of worship alone.

All of existence is the domain of the Divine, and every individual is an expression of the same Divine energy, whether realized or unrealized. Therefore, to know God, one can remain observant toward the whole of existence. If the desire to learn is present, one can learn something meaningful from every person and every life event. On the other hand, if the desire to learn is absent, even the greatest Guru may appear ordinary or false.

Through this rule, Shams once again emphasizes that Love is the truest reflection of the Divine.

Deeper Interpretation Beyond the Storyline

Osho narrates a story from his own life that helps illuminate this concept more deeply. He said:
Once, while travelling by train, the train stopped at a station. A young boy was selling water, calling out, “One glass for twenty paisa.” A man sitting next to me asked, “Won’t you give it for fifteen paisa?” The boy replied, “That only means you are not truly thirsty. Otherwise, who would worry about saving five paisa if they were really thirsty?”

Osho said he appreciated the boy’s response. It was true. When there is genuine thirst, bargaining disappears. Likewise, people are not truly thirsty for God. That is why they continue bargaining in the name of religions, castes, languages, and incarnations. The day real thirst for God arises, all bargaining will end, and one will seek only God.

This implies that if a person makes excuses for not walking the spiritual path, it is not because the Divine or the Guru is unavailable. It is simply because the inner longing to know God has not yet fully awakened, as worldly desires have not yet been exhausted.

A person who sincerely longs for the Divine begins to perceive the Divine everywhere. Every experience in life becomes an opportunity to sense the presence of the Divine. God is not absent; God is everywhere. What is required is the right vision to perceive Him and the inner thirst to seek Him. God is not found merely by going outward to a church, temple, or place of worship. The true temple is within. The human heart itself is the living sanctuary where the Divine resides.

This principle can also be understood in the context of ordinary education and learning. Osho explains in the Tao Upanishad that if you have the inclination to learn, you can learn something from anyone. Even the most abusive person can at least teach you patience.

Thus, when we cultivate a learning attitude, the whole of existence and life itself becomes a university.

As we continue exploring these rules, we notice that a constant parallel is drawn between Love and God. One may wonder why.

It is because it is in moments of love that we begin to express divine qualities. We become more giving, and we find joy in the happiness of the one we love. If selflessness ever appears in human life, it is most often during love. This reflects the very nature of the Divine. The Divine only gives. As mentioned earlier, nature continuously provides food, water, and shelter, regardless of how humans treat it. This unconditional giving is the clearest expression of true love.

Perhaps this is why Jesus said, “Love is God.” And here, Shams says that if you still wish to know where God truly resides, there is only one place to look: in the heart of a true lover.

If one still wishes to locate God in a visible and living form, one should seek a true lover. The true lover is the Guru, because the Guru embodies love completely and unconditionally. Such a being radiates love not occasionally, but as a continuous state of existence. In the presence of such a person, love is not an act but their very nature.

This is why the spiritual traditions of the world point toward great lovers of the Divine such as Meera, Nanak, and Osho. These beings did not merely speak about God; they lived in love with God every moment. By observing them, or by witnessing love in its pure form through such beings, one comes closer to understanding the Divine.

Although such total love may appear rare today, glimpses of it can still be seen. It is visible in the innocent and unconditional love of children, who love without calculation, expectation, or conditions. In witnessing such pure love, one witnesses the fragrance of the Divine itself.

Gratitude!!!