A Sufi awoke one night, and said to himself: “It seems to me that this world is like a chest in which we are put, and the lid is shut down upon us, and we give ourselves up to all kinds of foolishness. At some point – and we never know when it will happen – death lifts the lid of the chest, and those who have acquired wings soar away to eternity, whereas those who have not must stay in the chest, prey to a thousand tribulations.

‘Wise therefore is the one who acquires wings of aspiration and gives to his heart and reason the ecstasy of the soul. Before the lid is opened, then, become a bird of the spirit, grow feathers, and be ready to spread your wings.”