Cleansing Conflict

What is a saint? One whose wine has turned to vinegar.
If you're still wine-drunkenly

brave, don't step forward. When your sheep becomes a lion,
then come. It is said

of hypocrites, "They have considerable valor among themselves!"
But they scatter when

a real enemy appears. Muhammad told his young soldiers, "There
is no courage before

an engagement." A drunk foams at the mouth talking about what
he will do when he gets his sword

drawn, but the chance arrives, and he remains sheathed as
an onion. Premeditating,

he's eager for wounds. Then his bag gets touched by a needle,
and he deflates. What sort of

person says that he or she wants to be polished and pure,
then complain about being

handled roughly? Love is a lawsuit where harsh evidence must
be brought in. To settle

the case, the judge must see evidence. You've heard that every
buried treasure has a snake

guarding it. Kiss the snake to discover the treasure! The
severe treatment is not toward

you, but the qualities that block your growth. A rug beater
doesn't beat the rug, but

rather the dirt. A horse trainer switches not the horse, but
the going wrong. Imprison

your mash in a dark vat, so it can become wine. Someone
asks, "Don't you worry

about God's wrath when you spank your child?" "I'm not
spanking my child, but the demon

in him" When a mother screams, "Get out of here!" she means
the mean part of the child.

Don't run from those who scold, and don't turn away from
cleansing conflict, or you will

remain weak. Also, don't listen to bragging. If you go along
with self-importance, the work

collapses. Better a small modest team. Sift almonds. Discard
the bitter. Sour and sweet

sound alike when you pour them out on the rattling tray, but
inside they're very different.