“My Son!
You are a Bey (ruler)!
From now on, anger belongs to us; calmness to you…
Resentment belongs to us; making amends to you…
Blaming belongs to us; enduring to you…
Weakness and error belong to us; tolerance to you…
Conflicts, discord, and disagreements belong to us; justice to you…
Harsh words, evil tongue, and unfair judgments belong to us; forgiveness to you…
From now on, dividing belongs to us; uniting to you…
Laziness belongs to us; warning, encouraging, and shaping to you…
My Son!
Your burden is heavy, your task is tough, your strength is as fragile as a thread. May Allah the Almighty be your helper.
May He bless your reign.
May He make you beneficial on the path of righteousness. May He make your light shine brightly.
May He spread it far and wide.
May He grant you the strength to bear your burden, the wisdom and heart to guide your steps without stumbling.
You and your companions must pave the way for the promised future with your sword, while dervishes like us must do so with thoughts, ideas, and prayers.
We must clear the blockages.
My Son!
You are strong, powerful, wise, and eloquent. But if you do not know where and how to use these, you will be scattered in the morning winds…
Your anger and ego will join forces to defeat your mind. Therefore, always be patient, steadfast, and in control of your will!
Patience is very important. A Bey must know how to be patient. A flower does not bloom before its time. An unripe pear is not eaten; even if it is, it will cause harm.
An ignorant sword is like an unripe pear.
Let your people live within their own wisdom. Do not turn your back on it. Always feel its presence. This wisdom is what governs and keeps the society alive.
There are people who are born at dawn and die at the evening call to prayer.
The world is not as large as it seems to your eyes.
All the undiscovered secrets, the unknowns, will be brought to light by your virtue and justice.
Respect your mother and father!
Know that blessings come from being with the elders.
If you lose your faith in this world, you will become barren while still green, turning into a desert.
Be straightforward! Do not take every word to heart! Just because you see something, do not speak it; just because you know something, do not say it!
Do not frequent the place where you are loved; your affection and reputation will diminish…
Have pity on these three: the scholar among the ignorant, the rich who has become poor, and the person who was once honored but has lost their respect!
Do not forget that those who hold high positions are not as safe as those below them.
Do not fear a just struggle! Know that a good horse is called a bay, and a good man is called a daredevil (fearless, reckless, heroic, brave).
The greatest victory is to know yourself.
The enemy is one’s own self.
The friend is the one who knows his own self.
The land is not the shared property of the ruler, his sons, and brothers.
The land belongs only to the ruler.
When he dies, whoever succeeds him becomes the ruler of the land.
In the past, our ancestors divided their states among their sons and brothers while they were still alive. That is why they could not sustain it… (This advice allowed the Ottoman Empire to survive for 600 years.)
Once a person sits down, it is not easy for them to get up again.
When a person remains idle, they become numb. Once numb, they start to chatter.
Chatter turns into gossip. Once gossip starts, there is no salvation.
A friend becomes an enemy; the enemy becomes a monster!
A person’s strength may one day be exhausted, but knowledge lives on.
The light of knowledge penetrates even closed eyes and brings enlightenment.
When an animal dies, its saddle remains; when a person dies, their legacy remains. One should weep not for those who leave, but for those who do not leave behind a legacy…
And one should continue from where the predecessor left off.
I do not like war.
I do not enjoy shedding blood.
Yet, I know that the sword must be raised and lowered.
But this raising and lowering should be for giving life.
Especially, for one person to strike another with a sword is murder.
The ruler is beyond the land.
A war is not fought solely for the ruler.
We have no right to stop or rest.
Because there is no time, the duration is short!…
Loneliness is for those who are afraid.
A farmer who knows the right time to sow does not consult anyone.
Even if he is alone!
As long as he knows the land is fertile.
Love must be the essence of your cause. To love is to be in silence.
One does not love by shouting. Nor does one love by being seen!…
Those who do not know their past cannot know their future.
Osman! Know your past well so that you may step firmly into the future.
Do not forget where you came from so that you do not forget where you are going…”**
—Sheikh Edebali, 13th Century, Söğüt-Bilecik, Turkey
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