Explaining the meaning of ‘association’ Maulana Rumi said:… “A raindrop falls from the sky: if it is caught by clean hands, is pure enough for drinking. If it falls in the gutter, its value drops so much that it can’t be used even for washing your feet. If it falls on a hot surface, it will evaporate… If it falls on a lotus leaf, it shines like a pearl and finally, if it falls on an oyster, it becomes a pearl…
He says, the drop is the same, but its existence & worth depends on whom it is associated with. So “…Always be associated with people who are good at heart… You will experience your own inner transformation.”