Kali's Child

Rabi'a

Once upon a time Rabi'a fasted, prayed and stayed awake for seven days and nights. Then somebody brought her a bowl of food. Rabi'a accepted it, and went to find a lamp- but when she came back with the lamp she saw that a cat had knocked over the bowl. "So I'll drink water instead, " she said to herself, and went to find the water-jug - but by the time she came back with it, the lamp had gone out. "Then I'll drink my water in the dark," she said - but then, without warning, the jug fell out of her hands, and broke into a thousand pieces. At that point she cried out, loud, loud, loud, almot loud enough to set the whole house on fire: "God! God!" she cried, "What are You trying to do to me?"

"Be careful," a Voice answered. "If you really want me to, I'll fill your heart with all the pleasures of This World, and empty it of all your care for Me. You want something and I want something, and these desires cannot be mixed."

After this, Rabi'a gave up all wordly hope.