Rumi wrote a very interesting passage in his Masnavi about a conversation between 2 individuals, one of whom was a saintly person. It is presented here in slightly modified form for the purposes of this medium.
The saint had no possessions, in fact he had no friends and no living family either, yet he was very happy. He was asked why.
Now, when I got to this part, I was thinking in my head - I know why! He is happy because he finds satisfaction in his spiritual life. He must have God and the Angels to fill the place of family, friends, and when you have such company why would you need any possessions? I was right to a certain extent, yet I was also very wrong.
The saint in this story spoke of death, life, happiness and resignation. The crux of his message was one of love. If you love God enough, then His will is your only desire. If God wills that your entire family perishes, that must make a true lover happy, because nothing else matters.
It was a very unique and profound way of stating it. Nothing like what I had expected (Rumi's great at finding a path one wouldn't think of treading alone). The thought that one's desires and wishes can be sublimated to such a level that even what others would label a catastrophe brings joy. That, is deep love. Where the only joy one gains is from what happens... That is contentment.
No matter what happens to that individual, they can never be unhappy. The example of a blade of grass that bends with the wind comes to mind. That blade of grass is small, unobtrusive and does not break. At the end it isn't just belief in God that's important. It is belief in the workings of God, in the way the world is. It is joy in the face of the storm.
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