Idries-Shah Seeker After Truth

SEEKER
AFTER
TRUTH
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Books by Idries Shah
Knowing how to Know
Learning how to Learn
The Commanding Self
The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin
Tales of the Dervishes
Caravan of Dreams
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin
Reflections
The Dermis Probe
Thinkers of the East
A Perfumed Scorpion
The Sufis
The Hundred Tales of Wisdom
Klara Kush
Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study
Special Illumination: The Sufi Use of Humour
A Veiled Gazelle: Seeing how to See
The Elephant in the Dark
Wisdom of the Idiots
The Magic Monastery
The Book of the Book
The Way of the Sufi
The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin
World Tales
Darkest England
The Natives are Restless
Oriental Magic

SEEKER
AFTER
TRUTH
A Handbook by
IDRIES SHAH
From Tales, Discussions and Teachings, Letters and Lectures
THE OCTAGON PRESS

LONDON
Copyright© 1982, 1992 by Idries Shah
The right of Idries Shah to be identified as the author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988.
All rights reserved

Copyright throughout the world
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or

by any meane, electronic, mechanical or photographic, by recording or
any information storage or retrieval system or method now known or
to be invented or adapted, without prior permission obtained in writing from
the publisher, The Octagon Press Limited, except by
a reviewer quoting brief passages in a review written for inclusion
in a journal, magazine, newspaper or broadcast.
Requests for permission to reprint, reproduce, etc., to:
Permissions Department, The Octagon Press Ltd.,
P.O. Box 227, London N6 4EW, England
Published by the Octagon Press with the aid of

a subvention from the Sufi Trust
ISBN 0 863040 12 8
First Published 1982

First printed in this edition 1992
Reprinted 1999
Printed and bound in Great Britain by

MPG Books Ltd, Bodmin, Cornwall

CONTENTS
T ales of the_Classig.aLMaaters 1
Praying for Rain 3
The One without the Other 3
The Disobedience of Moses 4
Sting into Remedy 4
Weapons 6
Elephant-Meat 7
Generosity 9
Grouping 10
Scent and Reality 10
The Heretics 12
Neighbour 13
Teaching 14
The Four Types 14
The Fires of Today. .. 15
The Law of Reverse Effect 16
Treasure 16
Permission to Expound 18
Q uestions and A nsw ers 19

Not their W ay. . , 21
Prayers and Rituals 22
The True and the False Sufi 22
A Ruse 23
Instrum ental 24
Vicissitudes of a Teaching 24
Present and Absent 26
Ancient Traditions 26
The Mother of Opposition 28
Science and Omniscience 29
Keeping People Away 31
Parable of the King and the Youth 32
Biographers and Saints 33
Fox and Lion 34
The Effect of Mystical Knowledge 35
Museum-Keeping 35
Subjective Behaviour 36
Cause and Effect 37
Attraction and Importance 38
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Sufi Stories 41
Rich and Poor 43
Played Upon 43
The Dervish and his Wish 45
Do as your Friends Wish 46
Hypocrite 47
The Monster 47
Asleep and Awake 49
The Greater World 51
The Lost Jewel 53
The Magician's Dinner 54
The Astrologers 55
In the Desert 56
M aster an d D isciple 59
Answers 61
Present and Absent 61
Take C are. . . 62
Measurement of Loyalty 63
Poisoning the Untutored 65
The Promise 65
Idolatry 66
Understanding 67
How the World Aids the Sufi 68
The Loaf of Bread 70
Intelligence and Obedience 71
How to Make Them Hear 73
Hypocrisy 73
Whispering 74
Self-Obsessed 75
Alternative View 77
Disguise 78
Follower 78
The Ignorant 79
1001 Days 79
Classical Encounter 80
The Doorways 82
Wishing to be Wise 83
Bound Hand and Foot 83
Value of Parables: ‘My Father’s Son’ 84
Heeding and Unheeding 85
Disputation 85
A n ecd o tesan d N g rra tiv e s 87

Relevance 89
Emotion ашШ -гтк 89
GhalibandQ alib 90
Virtually Unknown Principle of Human Organisation 91
How to Learn What is Already Known 92
vi

Poor Donkey 94
Nail or Screw? 94
Washerwomen 95
Knowledgeability of the Audience 96
What They Are Like 96
Samples 97
The Road to Khorasan 97
Service 98
As Rich as Y ou... 99
A Word can be One of Three Things. .. 100
Croaker 101
Wealth of Satisfactions 101
The More the Better 102
Who is at Fault? 103
Pleasant and Unpleasant 104
In W estern G a rb . . . 105
Sufis in the West 107
Reasons 108
Folk-Memory 109
’Men are not Rats!’ 109
Science 110
Reality and Imagination 111
Confusion of Superficial and Perceptive 112
Real and Unreal 113
Disreputable 114
What it Real) v M eant... 115
Who Can Learn? 116
What do you really Know? 117
Human Nature 118
New Knowledge from Old 120
Floor Covering 121
Economics 122
Invention versus Development 123
Deterrent 124
Cause and Effect 125
False Masters: 'Lovelorn Taiwanese’ 126
Troubadours 127
R em arks a t th e D inner-m eetings 129

Satisfaction 131
Bases and Essentials of Sufi Knowledge 131
Who is the More Spiritual? 132
Recognising It 132
The King and his Son 133
Definitions 134
The Guru 134
Critiques of Sufism 135
Side-Effects 136
vii

According to the Best Advice 136
Sweets for the Wise 137
Alarm 139
A Basic Pattern 139
Impact 140
The Skill th a t N obody Has: Twelve T ales 143

The Skill that Nobody Has 145
The Man who Went in Search of his Fate 152
The Greed for Obstinacy 156
Milk of the Lioness 159
The Spirit of the Well 164
The Princess of the Water of Life 166
Fahima and the Prince 168
Salik and Kamala Ш
When the Devil Went to Amman 174
The Robe 179
The Magic Pocket 183
The Son of a Story-Teller 189
Finding the Teaching 194
viii

1
TALES OF THE
CLASSICAL MASTERS
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Praying for Rain
It is recounted among the wise that there was once a great
drought at Qasr al-Arifin, and the people went to the Master
Bahaudin Naqshband, asking him to pray, to ask God for rain.
He led them through the streets until he came to a place where a
woman sat, nursing a small baby in her arms.
'I beg of you to feed that infant’ said the Master.
'Z know when to feed the child,’ said the woman, 'as I am his
mother. Why do you concern yourself with things which are
disposed of in a manner whereof you know nothing?’
Bahaudin had the woman’s words written down and read out to
the crowd.
without
the Other
It is recorded that a man went to Ahmad Yasavi, the Sufi
master of Turkestan, and said:
'Teach me without books, and let me learn to understand
without the intervention of a master between me and Truth, for
humans are frail, and reading books does not enlighten me.’
Yasavi said:
'Do you seek to eat without a mouth, or to digest without a
stomach? Perhaps you would like to walk without feet and buy
without paying— I could do as you ask only if you could first
dispense with physical organs, as you wish to avoid those things
which have been devised for the spiritual organs.
'Just think for a moment whether you could use food without an
apparatus, approach the Sufis without having heard of them in
the words you so dislike, desire wisdom without a source appro
priate to your state.
'It may be an amusing pastime to think of learning without
books as a basis, and experiencing without a teacher. So is it an
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amusing pastime to think of magic and miracles. Aside from the
amusement, what of the permanent yield of the activity?’
The Disobedience of
Moses
According to Abu-Talib Makki, Moses related tales of how he
learnt to widen his understanding, from narrow assumptions to
correct perspective.
Moses was ill, and he was offered various remedies to treat the
sickness. But he refused, saying that God would help him instead.
But God, it is related, commanded Moses to use medicines,
saying:
'By refusing to accept the mission of the medicine, you have
called into question the wisdom of him who endowed the remedies
with their virtue!’
It is for this reason that there is a saying, 'Trust in God and tie
your camel.’ If you were expected to do nothing, why is there such
a thing as a camel-hobble?
Hadrat Bahaudin Naqshband of Bokhara has said, in this con
nexion:
'If a withering leaf says by its appearance that it needs water
and because you have the power to provide it you also have the
duty to do so, these "words” of the leaf are the manifestation of the
command of the creator of the leaf, and are addressed to you. If you
insist upon a personal command from the Originator, ask why the
means of communication has been placed before you. Is it there for
you to neglect?’
into
There were once two grandees in the city of Bistam who disliked
one another because of some ancient rivalry. Both of them, as it
happened, also wanted to study the secrets of man’s origins and
destiny under the renowned man of wisdom, Ali Beg, whose home
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was in a distant part of Persia.
But Ali, before seeing them, wrote to another sage, Ibn Hamza,
who lived near Bistam, and asked him to speak to them on his
behalf.
But each refused to see Ibn Hamza.
The first grandee said:
T want the root, not the branch!’
The second said:
'Ibn Hamza is a nobody’
Now Ibn Hamza began to spread scurrilous rumours about the
two would-be illuminates. After some months, hearing venomous
tales about themselves from all sides and having traced them to
Ibn Hamza, the two aristocrats felt mutually assailed, became
reconciled to one another, united in their anger against Ibn
Hamza, and went to see him, full of fury. They stormed and raged
at Ibn Hamza, completely forgetting every single counsel of
wisdom which they had heard throughout their lives up to that
time.
'Do you know why we have come to see you, despicable wretch?’
they screamed, as soon as they entered Ibn Hamza’s presence.
'Yes, indeed I do’, answered Ibn Hamza, 'you have come:
'Firstly, because Ali Beg wanted to demonstrate how fundamen
tally shallow your "deep” feelings of mutual enmity are;
'Secondly, because you were required to show that your superfi
cial feelings could easily be manipulated to make you come here
even though you had individually made up your minds at first not
to do so;
'Thirdly, because although disobedient to Ali Beg’s orders, you
could be shown that certain desires must be carried out;
'Fourthly, you are here so that the other people present at this
moment can learn, and you can be their unwitting teacher in this
transaction;
'Fifthly, because both Ali Beg and I had need of showing the
poisonous local populace, riddled with suspicion and delighted at
spreading rumours such as the ones which I initiated about you
two, that we men of the heart are not their inevitable victims; but
that we may also know how to employ their harmful actions
against their harmfulness itself;
'Sixthly, you are here because, as a consequence of the foregoing
events, facts and explanations, there is a prospect of transforming
a sting into a remedy, and a weapon into an instrument of value.’
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Weapons
Hakim al-Mansuri was a great sage of Balkh, in Central Asia.
He had thousands of disciples, and his mere presence at the courts
of kings was regarded as conferring legitimacy upon their rule.
But he very seldom spoke. When he did, it was about matters
which did not seem to be connected with spiritual concerns. And
yet many great masters of the Sufi Way attribute their attain
ments to having sat at his table, or from being in his guest-house,
or even from associating with the other disciples, or working in his
house.
One day, the Hakim was challenged by a famous preacher to
dispute with him on matters of philosophy. The preacher claimed
that Al-Mansuri knew nothing about wisdom, and spoke very
little on weighty matters because he was ignorant of them.
Al-Mansuri set out for Herat, where the challenger, Qari
Mukhtar, taught at a famous college. Each of the disputants was
attended by hundreds of students, who had assembled, together
with a multitude of townsfolk, to witness the duel of these giants.
The Qari - as the challenger - began his tirade with a carefully
thought-out sentence, obviously preparing to launch a full-scale
attack. Then, suddenly, after less than a minute, the Hakim stood
up and pointed his finger at the Qari, who stood like stone,
abruptly ceasing to speak. Then he fled from the hall.
On the way home, one of the disciples said to his master, who
had been cheered to the echo by the delighted audience: 'Why did
you choose to throw paralysis upon that man, instead of refuting
his arguments?’
The Hakim answered: 'If you have a sword in your hand, do you
charge the opponent with mud bricks? Even a monkey would not
chatter if it could do something more effective. That man wanted
to defeat me, not to discover truth.’
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Elephant-meat
Ibrahim Khawas* relates this instruction-narrative, which has
been used to test the understanding of students of Sufism:
'In company with a number of Sufis, I was making a journey on
shipboard when we were wrecked, and I found myself, with some
others, just able to reach a desolate shore.
'We did not know where we were, neither did we have any food.
It seemed that we would be likely to perish, as days passed
without any sign of succour.
'We discussed the position and decided that each of us would
make a vow to do some good, or to abandon some evil which cut
him off from his Lord. In this way, we thought, the exercise of sin
cerity might be the means of providing escape from helplessness.
'Each one made his oath: one that from now on he would carry
out fasting, another one that he would pray so many times each
day, and yet another one that he would carry out pilgrimages on
foot. Everyone in this way made his declaration and compact that
he would abstain from some indulgence, or else that he would do
something of religious worth.
'Now it came to me to declare my vow, and I was asked by the
others to speak. I wanted to make my promise, and it came into my
mind, without any thought or consideration, that I would say: "I
shall not eat any elephant-meat”.
'The others exclaimed: "This is no time for joking and amuse
ment; no time for such things, as we remain in this danger of
death”.
T answered: "By God, I did not say this in the spirit you
mention. While you were talking I thought over all the possible
good actions I might do, and all the bad things I might avoid - and
something prevented me from choosing one of them. And what I
have just said simply came to me without any reflection, and I said
* IBRAHIM KHAWAS (Abu-Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Ahmad al-Khawas, The Palm-

Weaver) died in 910 of the Christian Era. He was an associate of Junaid of Baghdad
and of Nuri.
Khawas’s name is associated with teaching narratives which are understood at
the ordinary level and also lead to deeper understanding of man. The present
story is preserved in Al-Tanukhi’s book Al-Faraj ba'd al-shidda written in the
10th century, whose name may be translated as Release after Hardship. The
story exemplifies just this; and although placed in a travel tale frame, it is allego
rical of the right and wrong ways to approach, and also to assess, human
development and intention.
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it. It is possible that some divine Wisdom has put the idea into my
head and has allowed me to speak in this way.”
'The party then decided to explore further into the land where
they were cast, to look for food. After arranging for a central point
at which to reassemble, and that anything found should be
shared, they started their search.
'They had not gone far when my friends found a young elephant,
and decided that they could survive if they killed it to eat. The
animal was slaughtered, and the meat was cooked over a fire.
Although they asked me to share the food, I was unable to do so,
and I answered: "You are all witnesses that I have made the vow
to abstain from this very thing, and I cannot break that oath. It
may even be that God has caused me to think of this particular
vow so that I might die. In any case, it is unlawful to break my
oath.”
'After eating, everyone lay down to sleep; and soon we heard the
trumpeting of an infuriated elephant bearing down upon us. The
noise was so great that the earth shook, and all were terrified.
Since it seemed obvious that everyone was to be killed, they gave
up hope, and murmured their Confesssion of Faith, as people do
when faced by death.
'Now the elephant, when he reached us, extended his trunk to
each traveller in turn, smelling him. One by one, as he smelt the
odour of roast elephant-meat, he stamped the man to death, until
he came to me.
T lay on the ground, repeating my Shahada (Confession), in
mortal terror. The elephant smelt me again and again, not as
hastily as he had done with the others. Then he caught me up in
his trunk, and I imagined that he was going to kill me in some way
different from the others. But he placed me on his back, where I
sat, and started to move away, sometimes walking, sometimes
running, covering a long distance.
T was extremely uncomfortable on the animal’s back, yet I
began to think that perhaps I might be able in some way to escape.
'It was dawn when the elephant took me down and placed me on
the earth, running off in the direction from which we had come. I
could not understand the reason for his actions, and was still in
fear. But eventually he vanished over the horizon.
'Giving thanks for my deliverance, I offered prayers and thanks
to the Lord; and when I felt the heat of the day I looked up and
realised that I was beside a broad highway.
'I went along the road and after some time came to a populous
city, where I related all that had happened to the people, who were
most surprised and said that it was a distance of ordinarily several
days from which the elephant had brought me.
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’After spending some time in that city and recovering from my
exhaustion, I was able to return to my own land in safety and
health.’
The great teacher Sahl of Tustar, relates that God told Moses
that real self-sacrifice for the sake of others is the basis of the
greatest capacity for perception of the divine: the extreme self-
sacrifice which was given to Mohammed and his followers.
Imam Ghazzali relates, in the Third Book of his Revival of Re
ligious Sciences, how a man who was famed as generous learnt
what generosity really was:
THE BLACK SLAVE AND THE DOG
Abdullah Ibn Ja’far owned an orchard and went one day to visit
it. He passed through a vineyard, where he saw a black slave
sitting, with some bread in front of him and a dog nearby.
As Abdullah watched, the slave took a piece of the bread and
threw it to the dog, which ate it. Then he gave it another piece, and
another.
Abdullah asked:
’How much bread are you given every day?’
The slave answered:
’That quantity which you have just seen eaten by the dog.’
'Why’, Abdullah asked, 'do you give it to a dog, instead of attend
ing first to your own need?’
'There are no dogs hereabouts’ said the black man, 'and this one
has come from a great distance and is hungry. Because of this I did
not desire to eat my bread.’
'But how will you manage for food today?’ asked the generous
Abdullah.
T shall endure the hunger!’ said the black.
Abdullah thought, T am the one who has the reputation for gen
erosity, and yet this slave is more philanthropic.’
He bought the vineyard and gave it to the slave, also buying his
freedom and releasing him.
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Grouping
There was once a King, who visited the Sage Bahaudin Naqsh-
band, 'The Designer’, and sat observing his assembly.
Afterwards, when they were eating, the King said:
'Teacher of the Age! Your disciples, when you are in Session, are
ranged in semicircles, and in an orderly manner very similar to
that of my own Court. Is there any significance in this?’
Bahaudin answered:
'King of the World! How are your own courtiers stationed? Tell
me, and I shall describe the ordering of the ranks of the Seekers.’
'The first arc’ said the King, 'is composed of those who are in
especial favour with me, so that they are nearest. The second
array comprises the most important and powerful people in the
realm, and the ambassadors. The outer rank is for all the lesser
ones.’
'In that case,’ said the Shah, 'Our marshalling of the people is
far from the intention expressed by you. Those nearest to me are
the deaf, so they they shall hear. The middle group is composed of
the ignorant, so that they may pay attention to the Teaching.
Farthest away are the Enlightened, for whom proximity of this
kind is unimportant.’
Scent
The Master Bahaudin was sitting one evening after dinner, sur
rounded by a large number of newcomers, old and young, all eager
to learn.
A silence fell, and the Master asked for a question.
Someone said:
'What is the greatest difficulty in the learning and the teaching
of the Way?’
The Master answered:
'People go by superficialities. They are attracted by preaching,
by rumour and report, and by that which excites them - like bees
to the scent of flowers.’
The man asked:
'But how else are people to approach wisdom, or bees, flowers?’
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The human approaches wisdom through report and noise,
preaching and reading and excitement. After he has approached
it, however, he stays near it to demand more of the same: not
whatever it can give, which is what it is there for.
'Bees approach flowers by scent, but they do not, once arrived at
the proximity of the bloom, demand merely more and more scent.
They adjust to the nectar, which they have to collect. This is the
equivalent of the reality of wisdom, of which the report and ima
ginings are as it were the scent.
'So the number of "real bees” among humanity is very small.
Whereas almost all bees are bees, in being able to collect nectar,
almost all human beings are not yet human beings in the sense of
being attuned to perceive what they were created for.’
Then the Master said:
'Let those who came here, to Qasr al-Arifin, because of reading
stand up.’
Many stood.
'Let those,’ he continued, 'who came to us because of hearing
about us also stand up’.
Many more stood.
'Those who are still seated,’ he continued, 'are those who came
because they perceived our presence and authenticity in another,
subtle, manner.
'Those who are standing, old and young, include many who only
demand more and more of their feelings to be stirred, who desire
excitement or calm. Before they can learn what they cannot ex
perience elsewhere, they must require knowledge and not services
of attraction.’
He then said:
'There are those who are attracted to a teacher because of his
repute, and who accordingly travel to see him, to seek even more
of the same sensation. When he dies, they visit his grave, again for
a similar reason.
'Unless their aspirations are transformed, as if by alchemy,
they will not find truth.
'And,’ he said, 'there are those who visit a teacher not because
they have heard of him as a great living mentor; not because they
wish to see his tomb, but because they recognise his inmost
Reality. One day everyone will possess this faculty.’
Now Bahaudin the Designer said:
'But in the meantime the work which will be done eventually
through the generations has to be performed in one and the same
individual. To become a Moses you will have to transcend your
Pharaoh. The man who is attracted by repute must become, as it
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were, another man. He must become a man who stays in proxi
mity to wisdom because he has sensed its inmost Reality.
'This is the purpose of this Work before he can learn. Until he
has learnt this, he is a mere dervish. A dervish desires, a Sufi per
ceives.’
Heretics
It is related that Imam al-Ghazali was invited one day to an
assembly of jurists, whose chief said to him:
'You are a learned man, as we are also from among the learned.
Therefore humbler folk come to you to seek interpretations of the
Sharia, the Holy Law. It has been reported to us that you have
advised some of these people not to observe the fast during the
month of Ramadan. You are also said to have stated that certain
people should not make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Others have
averred that you have reprimanded people for saying "There is no
God but Allah”. Such mischievous words, if true, are proof to us of
infidelity. Only your reputation has so far protected you from
death for apostasy. The people have a right to be protected from
such as you.’
Ghazali sighed and answered:
'The Holy Law of Islam itself says that people who are not of a
full understanding of the Law and what it means are not culpable
under that Law, nor subject to its rules. These include children
and imbeciles, but must also include those bereft of understand
ing. If a man does not perceive the inner reality of fasting, or goes
on a pilgrimage only to suffer, or says the Confession of Faith and
has no faith, he is bereft of understanding, and should not be en
couraged to continue, but must be put on the road to
understanding. The people, in your words, have the right to be
protected from such as you, who would reward them for no merit
and persecute them for no crime.
'If a man cannot walk by reason of having a lame leg, do you tell
him to walk, or do you give him a crutch or heal his affliction?
'It is due to his foretelling of the appearance of such as you that
the Prophet has said: "Islam came as a stranger and it will depart
as a stranger.” Understanding of the meaning of things is beyond
your intention, your training and your capacity. That is why there
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is nothing left to you but to threaten people with death for
apostasy. And yet it is not I who am the apostate, but you.’
Neighbour
Imam Abu-Hanifa was one of the great Sufis, and is recognised
as the founder of the Hanifite School of Law. He was so indepen
dent that he would never go to Court, although the Caliph tried
everything to attract the interest of the most illustrious sage of
the time.
Abu-Hanifa had a neighbour, a cobbler who was also a consider
able drunkard. Every night the wild ravings of the alcoholic
disturbed his meditations, but the Imam did not complain.
One night there was no sound from the cobbler’s room, and the
Imam, going to enquire about his welfare, found that the imperial
police had arrested him. He immediately went to the palace to see
the Caliph Mansour.
At the sight of the Imam the guards sprang to attention, the
officers and courtiers bowed, and the Emirs rose from their places.
The Caliph went to the door of the throne-room to receive Abu-
Hanifa, and brought him to the throne itself, and seated him upon
it.
'May I know the reason for the honour of this visit?’ the Caliph
asked.
'The cobbler from next door has been arrested, and I come to ask
for his release’ said the Imam.
'But’ said the Captain of the Guard, 'this man is a disorderly
drunkard.’
'This man,’ said the Imam, 'is without friends, and is my neigh
bour.’
'Illustrious Imam’ said the Caliph; 'your nobility of spirit must
receive its true recognition. You intercede for one prisoner. Our
generosity matches yours: I hereby release every single prisoner
in the empire of Islam.’
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Teaching
The Sufi sage Saadi of Shiraz was on his way to Baghdad, when
the caravan which he was with was attacked by bandits.
When the robbers asked him for his possessions, Saadi handed
their chief a pile of books and some gold coins. T give these to you
as a gift, so do not regard them as stolen’ he said, 'but make good
use of them.’
The robbers sneered, and their chief said: T suppose you are
trying to teach us goodness?’
'No’ said Saadi, 'I do not think that I can teach you anything. So
I am hoping that I can give you these items, books and money,
freely and that in return you will do something for me with them.’
'And what is that?’
'Find a wise man, give him these books and pay his upkeep. Let
him at least teach your children about the evils of theft, so that
they may not repeat your mistakes.’
The Four Types

It is related that Bahaudin Naqshband was asked about the
various kinds of people pursuing higher knowledge.
He said: T shall tell you by means of an allegory, not to be taken
as literally true, but reflecting the condition of the human being.’
Then he told this story:
It is recorded in the traditions of the Lovers of Truth, that when
the souls were created, before the bodies, they were asked what
they wanted as a means of travelling in this world.
There were four parties among them. The first desired to travel
on foot, as the safest method. The second desired horses, for this
would mean less work for them. The third wished to travel on the
wind, to overcome limitations. The fourth chose light, by which
they could understand as well as move.
These four groups still exist, and all people still abide by one of
these characteristics. Those who are the pedestrians are limited in
space and speed. They are the imitators. The horsemen are those
who rely on books, and are thus driven by the horse of the author’s
beliefs. The third category are blown all over the place as if by the
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wind, and the fourth are the Sufis.
In terms of studies, the first group attach themselves to lower
and exciting cults; the second to zealously propagated ideas; the
third to systems of their own choosing or devising, taking some
thing here and something else there; the fourth are the Sufis.
We can judge the ability of the people by the choice which they
have made of travelling. The first group are interested in what
they think are techniques; the second in exciting thoughts and
reports; the third in one thing after another - and the fourth rec
ognise the true Sufic reality.
The Fires of Today...

It is related that Bahaudin Naqshband said:
T was invited to speak at an assembly of the educated and the
ignorant. There arrived a very large collection of people, attentive
and interested, but as I looked and felt, I did not at that time see a
single "human being”.
T said to the people whom I had taken with me, in order to dem
onstrate the limitations of action upon the unsuitable:
"A well is not filled by means of dew, and a leaf will not be found
after being deluged with the contents of a well.”
T started by saying:
"Sufis are a disgrace. They have secret teachings which they
keep from the ordinary people. The eminence which many Sufis
attain is due to the exercise of forbidden powers. Now tell me, do
you want to be a Sufi?”
'Almost all of those present shook their heads.
'Then I continued:
"Such were the words spoken by the ignorant, foolish and block
headed Governor of Kufa, of whom you all know much. As you are
aware, he was a bigot, a murderer and an enemy of humanity. It is
small wonder that he felt the need to represent the Sufis in this
manner.
"Now all of us here know that the Sufis are the elect of human
kind. Who among you dares to call himself a Sufi?”
'At these words, everyone rose.
'Thus does pomposity (ab о tab) stem from vanity (ghurur),
which is a manifestation of the Commanding Self (nafs i ammara).
'The fires of today are the ashes of tomorrow.’
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The Law of
Reverse Effect
A man once visited Al-Shah, Bahaudin Naqshband, saying that
he wanted directions on how to behave, on how to live his life, on
what to do and what not to do.
The Master called some of his disciples to dinner and asked the
man to put his questions again.
When this had been done, Sheikh Bahaudin said:
'You should try to live an easy life, supporting yourself by
stealing, and bringing part of the money to me. You should
neglect prayer and tidiness of appearance and should always try
to get the upper hand over other people. In short, lack of principles
and cunning should see you through.’
As the Master spoke, the applicant was becoming more and
more uneasy; as soon as he had finished, he ran from the room.
Some weeks later, Bahaudin asked whether there was any news
of his would-be disciple. 'Yes’, they told him, 'he is living an exem
plary life, in Samarkand. He also tells everyone that you are
Satan, and tried to wean him from the Right Path.’
Bahaudin laughed. 'If I had told him to live a good life,’ he said,
'he would not have obeyed, because all the injunctions so to do
have been dinned into him from babyhood. In reality he hankered
for something more strange, and when I assailed his inward self
with an account of a strange way of life, he realised that he would
feel better as a compliant and virtuous man.’
'But’ asked his disciple, 'what of his blackening your name, as
an adviser in sin?’
'Those who believe evil, partake in evil,’ said the Master. 'And I
am sure that the scholars of Samarkand are not such people.’
Treasure
It is related of the most ancient Sufis, and repeated by many
who followed them, throughout the schools which have formed
and dissolved and formed again, that the Anecdote of the Treasure
works within the mind to bring understanding of deep things to
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those who believe only that shallow feelings are deep, and that
low things are high, and that what is on the surface is what is on
the inside:
THE TREASURE
Several men went to a teaching Master and clamoured for his
attention, each vying with the other to ask his question, or to
make his statement, or to get his answer.
When the Master had produced order in this multitude,
The First man said:
T have been seeking for many years, and I have found nothing.’
The Second man said:
T have found delight in the seeking: is this then its purpose?’
The Third man said:
'Sometimes I think that I have found, and then I feel that I have
not, and that I must continue.’
The Fourth man said:
'Sometimes I doubt myself, sometimes the teachers, sometimes
the Truth itself.’
'There may be a hundred questions, but there is only one
answer, and I shall now give it and inform you all. This is it:
'There were a number of men who were attracted to the design
of digging for a treasure. They took all sorts of implements and
went to the place where it was buried, and they started to work.
Some tired easily, which made them feel that the task might not
be worth while. Some found small fragments of clay pots and from
time to time thought that this must be the treasure itself. Some
enjoyed for the first time the pleasures of hard work, which they
imagined to be the delights of seeking or of finding. Some, again,
looked at the mud and the stones, and were distressed by their
abundance, for they were people easily dispirited.
'And there were many other men, and women too, who felt
many things, for they had put a time or a shape upon the work,
and when the time was passed, or the shape, as they thought,
found, they became a prey to delusion and agitation.
'Those who persisted found the container which held the
precious hoard; those who were victims of confusion and debate
did not. The confused ones passed the rest of their days in seeking
information and explanations, but the dedicated bore off the
treasure.
'So those who were agitated and deluded stumbled from one
sage to another, asking how they might know the treasure, how
they might seek it, how they might find it. The sages, one and all,
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told them that they could not do any of these things unless they
were as those who had succeeded. But the people clamoured for
success, not for guidance, as they were already convinced that
they possessed, from the start, the mind, the body and the spirit
which would enable them to bring their design to fruitful con
clusion.’
Permission to
Because of the special nature of Sufi writings, teachers of the
Way have often issued permissions to expound and to explain
their books to worthy individuals.
Not everyone, of course, has abided by this requirement, and
many have been the supposed Sufis who have made a career for
themselves by purporting to be able to teach through the books of
Sufi masters.
It is related that a dervish was holding forth on one of the illus
trious poet Jami’s works one day, when a newcomer slipped into
the lecture-hall and started to shake his head more and more
often, as the learned one gave his interpretations of the meaning
of Jami.
Everyone was looking at the stranger, and finally the dervish
fixed him with a penetrating eye and cried:
'Do you presume to disagree with me?’
'Yes’ said the other man.
'And,’ asked the dervish, 'have you permission from the Great
Master Jami to interpret his works?’
'No’.
'Then who are you, and by what right do you behave in this
ridiculous manner, challenging a man of my importance?’
'My name is Jami’ said the visitor, and slipped away.
2
QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS

Not their Way,
but their Way
Q: I have heard the phrase used by Sufis, 'Not their way, but
their w a y W h a t can this possibly mean ?
A: It is a technical term, and an extremely useful one. It refers
to an account of something which has a meaning in a dimension
which is not understood by conventional thinkers. There are two
'they’s. The first lot in the phrase, are the ordinary people. The
second are those who work in another dimension.
Take such a narrative as this:
HOW CAN HUMAN ACTIONS BE DIVINE?
It is related (and quoted in, for example, Hujwiri’s Revelation of
the Veiled) that the Prophet said:
'There is many a one with dirty hair, dust-stained, clad in two
old garments, whom men never heed; but if he were to swear by
God, God would verify his oath.’
Such a statement appears to suggest that the person mentioned
either was God, which is impossible according to most people; or
commanded God, which is even more impossible; or that he was
acting in direct harmony with God in such a way as to know the
divine decrees or to initiate terrestrial action in an intervention
ist manner: both highly questionable possibilities according to
most human belief.
The fact is, however, that the meaning of the exact nature of
this individual’s activities and their harmonization with divine
intention are not to be understood in 'their’ (the intellectuals’)
way, but in 'their’ (the perceptives’) way.
The Sufi poet Jami, in some especially beautiful lines, says:
Whether seeker of evil or good
Whether inmate of a monastery or cloister
From the viewpoint of Form, all is other than He!
From the viewpoint of Truth, all is none other than He!
But remember, too, that Shabistari says:
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To whomever the Divine has not shown the Way
It will not be revealed to him through logic.
Prayers and Rituals

Q: I have read that Gharib Nawaz, quoting Master Samnun
Muhibb, said that the really illuminated are 'The people who have
nothing to do with outward prayers, rituals or ascetic life, but are
the people given to devotion and contem plationW hy should one
not pray? What is wrong with rituals? Who should not be an
ascetic?
A: When prayer, rituals and ascetic life are just a means of
self-indulgence, they are harmful rather than beneficial. This is
quite obvious to people nowadays, when it is widely recognised
that fixations are not the same as valuable and laudable obser
vances. One should not pray if that prayer is vanity; rituals are
wrong when they provide lower satisfactions, like emotional
stimulus instead of enlightenment; he or she should not be an
ascetic who is only enjoying it.
These facts have been known for a very long time, and have
been alluded to by spiritual teachers. From time to time, in
default of teaching structures which can help people to avoid the
traps which these activities lay for the unworthy, people of all reli
gions have let the cause go by default, and have assumed that
someone is holy if carrying out some or all of these activities.
and the
False Sufi
Q: I have read that the great Sufi Gazur-llahi quoted, with
approval, Sheikh Yahya Munir as follows:
'There is no uniform behaviour amongst the Masters. One may
eat and sleep well, another will fast and sit up all night. One may
spend time with people, another holds himself aloof. One will be
found dressed in rags and another in silks and linen of high
quality; one is silent, another speaks animatedly. One will conceal
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his saintship, another will show it publicly. One of them will serve
all human beings, both the devout and the debauched: and
another will have no truck with the evil__ ’
Q: I f this is so, how are we to know the true Sufi, and why
should Sufis behave in such disparate ways?
A: Sufis behave in any way which is necessary to their fulfil
ling their function; so you would expect a wide variation in
behaviour. Again, remember that the things of the world referred
to by Sheikh Yahya are superficial, secondary and not essential to
the Sufi, hence he has only a secondary and relatively unimport
ant personal connexion with them. This is why they behave
differently, one from the other: or even the same individual at dif
ferent times.
As to the problem of recognising a true Sufi, this is no problem
to the true person. You have read the passage which you have just
quoted to me, but perhaps you have not read enough in Sufi
writings to record that Sufis say that you will only be misled if
something unworthy in yourself attracts you to an unworthy
person. It is not for the Sufi to represent himself as worthy; it is
not for anyone to give you a test for a Sufi. It is for whoever wants
to discern truth to focus that part of himself or herself which is
honest towards the supposed Sufi. Like calls to like, truth to truth
and deceit to deceit. If you are not yourself deceitful, you will not
be deceived. The assumption, you know, that all seekers are
honest and that they only need a test to ascertain the honesty of a
spiritual teacher is very much out of line with the real facts.
A Ruse
Q: People say that you say and do things - such as opposing
scholars - which cause confusion and enmity. Why should you do
this?
A: I can only give you the story of Saadi, in his Bostan, that
recalls one aspect of this situation. There was once an old man
whom a youth had helped with a small sum of money. One day he
saw the young man being led by an escort of soldiers to his ex
ecution, for something which he was supposed to have done.
The ancient immediately cried out: The King is dead!’ This
caused such confusion and panic among the troops that the youth
was able to escape.
Eventually, however, the old man was arrested and brought
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before the king, who asked him: 'Why should you do such a thing,
and why should you wish me dead?’
The ancient replied: 'My calling out that you were dead did not
hurt you at all, but it saved a life.’
The king was so amazed by this tale that he set the old man free,
I am glad to say.
Instrumental
Q: What are the roles of rituals and beliefs and studies for the
Sufi?
A: To be a Sufi and to study the Way is to have a certain
attitude. This attitude is produced by the effect of Sufi teachers,
who exercise the instrumental function in relation to the Seeker.
Rituals and beliefs, and studies, can only have an instrumental
effect suitable for Sufi progress when they are correctly used, and
by people who are not affected by them in the customary manner.
This has all been very clearly laid down by Abul’ Hasan Nuri,
over a thousand years ago:
'A Sufi’he says, 'is one who is not bound by anything nor does he
bind anything’. This means that he does what he does from free
choice and not from compulsion or conditioning. Equally, he is not
attached to things and does not bind others to him. Nuri con
tinues: 'Sufism is not a doctrine or worldly knowledge. If it were
ceremonial, this would have to be practised (regularly). If it were
ordinary learning, it would have to be taught by formal methods.
In fact, it is a matter of disposition.’
This disposition is the 'attitude’ which I have mentioned, which
is attained by the instrumental function, not by attachment or
rituals.*
Vicissitudes of a
Teaching
Q: I f there is a single, original Teaching, how is it that it
becomes confused and misused as it passes through generations
and cultures?
*Quoted by Fariduddin Attar in his Memorials of the Saints.
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A: T h ere is a saying, 'W h atev er goes into a sa lt-m in e becomes
s a lt.’ T he T eaching is th e w orldly m a n ifesta tio n of som ething, an d
as such a m a n ifesta tio n it is affected by th e deform ing c h a ra c te r
in ap p earan ce and operatio n of those who adopt it into th e ir
cu ltu re w ith o u t u n d e rsta n d in g its in n e r dim ensions. L isten to
w h a t h appened to M arhum a:
F a rid u d d in A tta r re la te s in h is Ilahi-Nama (Book of th e D ivine)
t h a t th e re w as once a w om an of v irtu e nam ed M arh u m a, w hich
m ean s 'S h e upon whom m ercy is exercised.’ H er fate sta n d s for th e
v icissitu d es of th e T eaching.
H er h u sb a n d decided to perform th e P ilg rim ag e to Mecca, an d
left h e r in th e care of h is yo u n g er b ro th er. A fter a tim e, th is m a n
fell in love w ith h er, an d m ade approaches to her. S he reb u k ed
him : b u t he th re a te n e d th a t if she did not su b m it he w ould p u t h e r
in danger. W hen she s till refused to yield, he b o ught four false w it
nesses, ch arg in g h e r w ith ad u ltery . T he w om an, b ro u g h t before
th e judge, w as declared g u ilty an d w as ta k e n to a n open space to
be stoned to d eath.
M a rh u m a w as left for dead, an d lay in th a t place all n ig h t. In
th e m o rn in g , w hen she b eg an to revive, and w hen sh e w as alm o st
back to h e r senses, a d e se rt A rab who w as passin g h e a rd h e r
groans. H e ask ed h e r who she w as, an d she answ ered th a t sh e w as
ill, so he decided to ta k e care of her.
A fter a few days she recovered and, seeing h e r b ea u ty , th e A rab
beso u g h t h e r to m a rry him . 'B u t I am alre ad y m a rrie d ’ she said.
S he so m oved h im by h e r e n tre a tie s to leave h e r alone th a t he
adopted h er, m a k in g h e r h is sister.
Now th e A rab h ad a slave, an d th is m an fell in love w ith
M arh u m a; b u t sh e resisted h im as well. He decided to h av e h is
revenge for being rebuffed. The m a ste r h ad a b ea u tifu l child an d
th e slave, one n ig h t, killed it an d p u t th e bloodstained d ag g er
w hich he h ad used u n d er M a rh u m a ’s pillow.
W hen th e ch ild ’s m o th er w en t in th e m orning to give it m ilk,
she discovered th e m urder: an d she found th e w eapon in
M a rh u m a ’s bed.
T he A rab asked M a rh u m a w hy she h ad rep aid h is k in d n ess in
th is way: giving evil in exchange for good; b u t she w as ab le to
convince h im th a t she w as innocent.
B u t th e A rab realised th a t, a fte r th e shock w hich she h ad had ,
h is wife w ould alw ays associate M a rh u m a ’s face w ith th e d e a th of
h e r little one, an d so he h ad to send M a rh u m a aw ay.
T he m a n ifesta tio n of th e T eaching, in th e form of ta le s an d e x e r
cises, of actions an d th o u g h ts, w ill alw ays be as v u ln e ra b le as
M arh u m a, and is as often b e tra y ed and m isunderstood by th e base
an d th e ig n o ran t. Supposed form s of Sufi te a c h in g a re a b u n d a n t;
25
som e of th e m h av e a fair face, o th e rs are associated w ith u n accep t
able histories; an d th ese a re all th e re s u lt of th e kin d of th in g
w hich happened to M a rh u m a w hen h e r h u sb an d w as aw ay.
Present and Absent

Q: I find it rather difficult to get answers to my questions, both
from you and from other people whom I respect. I have spent days
'sitting at the feet o f some people o f great renown, and never heard
them utter a word. Can you shed any light on this?
A: T his question h a s often been asked - an d an sw ered -
before. N ot only h a s R um i said: 'No an sw er is its e lf a n a n sw e r’,
b u t th e sm a lle st lesson w hich we can le a rn from v isitin g a sage
an d g e ttin g no an sw er is: 'A Sufi is n o t a slot-m achine, to be a c ti
v ated a t your w ill an d p le a su re .’
As for th e an sw ers them selves: you will not only h av e to rec
oncile yourself, as have m illions of b e tte r people, to an sw ers when
you can g et them ; you w ill h av e to u se to th e best a d v a n ta g e
w h ate v er an sw er th e te ac h er h ap p en s to give you - an d it m ay
a p p e a r com pletely irre le v a n t, b an al, unacceptable or in sen sitiv e.
I t is n ev er an y of th e se th in g s.
Ancient Traditions
Q: 1 know that the Sufi Path is followed by Moslems, and also
that many classical teachers among them have had Christian,
Jewish and other disciples: there is plenty of evidence of this, which
sets Sufism apart from purely theology-bound mysticism and gives
it a special place in the world. But, although the Sufis say that
Sufism has always existed, is there any evidence that the Prophet
Mohammed himself alluded to any of the practices, such as Taubat
(turning back, repentance) or Khidmat (Service) orSabr (Patience)
- the 'Stations’ which the masters and the orders require people to
take up for the purpose of following the Path?
A: O f course th e re is. You have to rem em b er th a t Islam is n o t
p rese n ted as a new religion, b u t as a co n tin u atio n of th e p ere n n ia l
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faith . T here is therefo re (and m u st be) a co n tin u u m betw een
an c ie n t te ac h in g an d th e sta n d a rd Islam ic period and afterw ard s.
As a n illu stra tio n I sh a ll give you th e story, from th e Islam ic
A u th en tic T rad itio n s, w hich a c tu a lly em bodies all th re e
‘S ta tio n s’, of Taubat, Khidmat an d Sabr. It is en titled :
RECITA L O F TH E CAVE (H ad ith al-G har)
In h is D iscourse on M iracles, H ujw iri* re la te d from th e T ra d i
tio n s th a t one day some of th e P ro p h e t’s com panions ask ed h im to
re la te a ta le of th e peoples of an c ie n t tim es.
H e recited:
T h ree people w ere on a jo u rn ey , an d w hen n ig h t fell th e y w en t
in to a cave to sleep. W hile th e y w ere th e re , th e re w as an a v a
lanche, an d a rock blocked th e en tra n c e to th e cave, tra p p in g
them .
T hey decided th a t only a m iracle could save th em , an d th a t th e y
should invoke God, ask in g th a t th e ir a ltru ism should be w itn ess
to th e ir elig ib ility for release from w h a t would o therw ise become a
tom b.
O ne of th em accordingly said:
T h ad only a g oat in th is w orld, an d I used to m ilk it to provide
so m ething for m y p are n ts, an d I also collected firewood to sell to
buy food for m y fa th e r an d m o th e r an d myself.
'O ne ev en in g w hen I arriv ed hom e, I found th a t th e old couple
h ad fallen asleep. I p rep a re d th e ir food and m ilk and stood by
th em , w ith o u t e a tin g an y th in g , u n til th e y woke n e x t m orning.
A fter th a t, I also ate an d s a t down.
'O Lord, if I hav e spoken th e tru th , help u s an d send release in
o u r predicam ent!’
A nd th e n , as th ey w atched, th e rock moved a little , an d a crack
could be seen, le ttin g in th e light.
B u t th e y could not g et th ro u g h th e sm all crevice, a n d th e second
m a n began his tale:
T w as once g rea tly in love w ith a very b eau tifu l g irl, who w as
blind. She refused to m a rry me, and so I collected m oney an d se n t
h e r a larg e am o u n t of gold w ith a m essage th a t she could hav e it if
she w ould spend one n ig h t w ith me. She cam e, b u t th e fear o f God
cam e in to me: I tu rn e d aw ay an d allow ed h e r to keep th e money.
'O Lord, if I h av e spoken th e tru th , help u s an d send rele ase in
o u r p redicam ent!’
As th e tra v e lle rs w atched, th e rock a t th e cave’s a p e rtu re moved
ag ain , an d th e crevice becam e w ider, th o u g h th e re w as still n o t
enough room for th e trap p e d m en to go forth.
*Ali al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Veiled, Discourse on Miracles.

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T h en th e th ird m an spoke:
'A t one tim e I h ired sev eral m en to com plete a c e rta in ta sk .
W hen th is w as finished, a ll o f th e m cam e for th e ir m oney, except
for one, who w en t aw ay, and I did not know why or w here.
T p u t his w ages aside, an d w ith th e m oney b o u g h t a sheep. As
th e y ears passed th e sheep m u ltip lied , u n til th e re w as a consider
able flock of them .
'Som e y ea rs la te r th e la b o u re r ap p eared ag ain , an d said th a t he
w an ted h is money.
T said: "Go an d ta k e all those sheep - th e y a re yours."
'H e th o u g h t a t first th a t I w as m a k in g fun of him , b u t I
explained w h a t h ad happened, an d he took th e sheep aw ay.
'O Lord, if I hav e spoken th e tru th , help u s an d send rele ase in
our predicam ent!’
As soon a s he h a d spoken, th e rock rolled from th e cave’s m o u th
and th e th re e m en w ere ab le to leave it.
Now you w ill see th a t th e sto ry concerns th e m a n who exercised
th e Sufi principle of Sabr, patience; th e m a n who tu rn e d aw ay,
who w as p rac tisin g Taubat, rep en tan ce; an d th e m a n who p e r
form ed service, Khidmat, for h is fellow m a n an d in th e cause of
honesty.
T he sto ry illu s tra te s th e re la tiv e efficacies of th re e d istin c t Sufi
practices, th a t th e y are lin k ed (via th e 'th re e m en ’) an d th a t th e y
h av e effect in a c e rta in order.
A nd it d ates from a tim e before th e p ro m u lg atio n of Islam a s a n
historical in s titu tio n as we know it. Islam itse lf refers back con
s ta n tly to th e h eritag e of m a n k in d in sp iritu a lity an d so, of course,
do Sufis.
The Mother of
Opposition
Q: When Jalaluddin Rum i says th a t'Things which are seem
ingly opposed may in fact be working together’, he is referring to the
essential identity o f opposites. Surely this is a formula for our
solving the problems of enmity ? Surely, by opposing nothing, we
may get closer to that which is Real?
A: R um i’s w ords m ay indeed be sloganized in to some such
p h rase as 'Ignorance is th e M other of O pposition’.
B u t to oppose n o th in g an d to seek from such a n action (or lack of
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it) som e personal benefit ca rrie s a n u n tru e assum ption. T h is a s
sum ption is th a t th e in d iv id u al, th is non-opposer, is capable of
le a rn in g from w h at happens next. W hy do you assu m e th a t? C e r
ta in ly experience is a g a in st it, in our field a t an y ra te .
M agical th in k in g assu m es th a t because so m eth in g h ap p en s in
conjunction w ith som eth in g else, th e two a re connected. T hus,
w hen a m agically-m inded person sees a flight of birds followed by
a flash of lig h tn in g , he or she m ay im ag in e th a t birds cause elec
tric ity . T his we know to be ab su rd , because everyone can te s t it.
S im ilarly, th e assu m p tio n th a t because non-opposition is found in
ce rta in situ atio n s, it can be applied as an in stru m e n t of some
kind, is m agical th in k in g , no less,
T h in g s nom inally opposed m ay be w orking to g e th e r.’ Yes - an d
th ey also m ay not. F u rth e r, th a t co-operation of seem ingly
opposed th in g s m ay or m ay n o t involve you. T he fact is th a t, if you
w ere sen sitiv e enough to th is concept to profit from it, you w ould
n o t so read ily assum e th a t you can use it. You would alre ad y know
ab o u t th e qualification th a t o th e r elem ents come into th e p ictu re.
To u n d e rsta n d w hich th in g s are n om inally opposed an d w orking
to g eth er, an d w h a t - if an y - functions you y o u rself m ay h av e in
such a relatio n sh ip , you h av e to le a rn o th e r th in g s first. R um i
m ay have sta te d th e fact: o th ers h ave to e a rn th e u n d e rsta n d in g of
th is fact in operation. A nd th a t is one of th e th in g s for w hich Sufi
ac tiv ity is organized.
Omniscience
Q: Ghazzali speaks o f the 'Revitalising o f the Sciences of
Religion’, and other great Sufis constantly refer to Sufism as a
science. B ut since science deals in known and verifiable facts, in
repeatable experiments and in the preference o f reality over opinion,
how can the Sufis be called fscientific’?
A: I do n o t know w here you found y o u r descriptions of science.
S cie n tists today, an d p a rtic u la rly h isto ria n s of science, a re a t
p ain s to a s se rt th a t each one of th e c rite ria w hich you adduce are,
or hav e been, a b sen t from science. M any th in g s accepted as facts
by science are hypotheses w hich fit a ll or m ost cases encountered.
W hen new cases w hich do n o t fit ap p ear, th e 'facts’ a re changed,
an d new th eo ries em erge, to be superseded in th e ir tu rn . As for
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rep e ata b le experim ents, th e Sufis nev er do a n y th in g else th a n
re p e a t w h at h as alre ad y been determ ined. A nd th e re a re
nu m ero u s in stan ces of supposedly scientific a ttitu d e s bein g seen
in th e end to be m a tte rs of opinion.
T he o u tstan d in g sc ien tist W illiam Thom son (who la te r becam e
Lord K elvin) declared th a t D arw in ’s th eo ry of evolution w as im
possible scientifically, since if th e w orld w ere as old as a ll th a t, th e
S u n would hav e b u rn t out. T his w as, of course, a n opinion. It is ex
perience w hich teaches, n o t controversy based on supposed logic
and assu m p tio n s of w h a t is lik ely to be tru e . B oth th e sc ien tists
an d th e Sufis are, a t best, people of experience. W hen th e y h a v e
experience of th e re a lity of w h a t th e y are doing, th e y accept it.
T he m ain difference is only th a t sc ien tists are still le arn in g , still
developing th e ir know ledge, an d th e Sufis have a lre ad y le a rn t.
T he scien tists hav e to u p d ate th e ir know ledge w ith new discover
ies, an d ac tu a lly do so. T he body of know ledge an d p ractice of th e
Sufis is n o t u p d ated because its assertio n s and activ itie s are n o t
effectively challenged: th e y h av e been com pleted. So h e re you
h av e th e difference betw een th re e areas: th e cult, th e science an d
th e Sufis. In a cult, new in fo rm atio n is n o t ad m itted , because it
m ay d istu rb th e cult; in science, new in fo rm atio n m u st be
included, because science is incom plete; in Sufism , no new
m a te ria l is needed, since th e body of know ledge is a lre ad y
com plete. T he m isu n d e rsta n d in g s a rise because people p u t a ll
th e se th in g s into th e w rong categories. T hey im ag in e th a t science
is lik e Sufism , in b eing com plete; th a t Sufism is lik e a cu lt, w hich
w ould cause it to exclude 'n ew ’ know ledge in stea d of verifying it;
th a t a cu lt is lik e science, in being open to new ideas, w h erea s a
cu lt only ad ap ts, an d does n o t adopt, new m a te ria ls.
Sufism is education, in th a t it h a s a body of know ledge w hich it
tra n s m its to those who h av e n o t got it. Science is lik e a c u lt w hen
it th in k s t h a t it is om niscient. D ete rio ra te d science is a cult, so is
im ita tiv e or d eterio rate d Sufism. So, according to how it is
h andled, Sufi ideas can be dem oted in to a cult, an d so can science
an d education. T he m a in th in g to rem em b er h e re is th a t, w hen a
cu lt h as form ed, we a re no longer d ealin g w ith Sufism or science,
b u t w ith a cult. E q u ally , w hen people who have been sc ien tists or
cu ltists approach th e in sig h ts of Sufism , th e y cease to hav e th e
lim ita tio n s w hich scien tists an d cu ltists h ave, an d h av e th e re fo re
to be regarded, a t le a s t incip ien tly , as Sufis.
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Keeping People Away
Q: How can teaching be carried on by Sufis if they behave as
did the classical master Sari al-Saqati, who is reported to have
prayed when surrounded by seekers: 'O Lord! Give them knowl
edge which will keep them away from me.’
A: The g re a t J u n a id of B aghdad, too, said: 'W hen you see th e
Sufi addressing th e populace, know th a t h e is em p ty ’ - as rep o rted
by th e a u th o rita tiv e com piler K alabadhi.
T hese a p p a ren tly m ysterio u s u tte ra n c e s are, in re a lity , sim plic
ity its e lf to u n d ersta n d .
In th e case of S aq ati, h e is sp eak in g of th e 'm e’ w hich is a ttr a c t
ing th e people: th e e x te rn a l him , w hich he know s to be w h a t th e y
a re curious about, an d w hich is th e superficiality. If th e people g e t
th e know ledge to keep aw ay from th a t 'm e’ - to stop crow ding
aro u n d lik e yokels a t a circus - th e n th e y can begin to le arn from
th e in w ard n ess of S aqati.
S im ila rly w ith J u n a id , he is sp eak in g of som eone who w ill
h a ra n g u e th e m u ltitu d e an d th erefo re can only sp eak of g e n e ra
litie s an d of th in g s w hich w ill p lease th e public. T he re a l Sufi w ill,
lik e an y expert or skilled person, be b est able to te ac h those who
h av e a g rounding of th e subject.
People who have m ade some study of Sufism, or who th in k th a t
th e y have, are alw ays try in g to teach. T his is a sta g e in th e life of
th e le a rn er, not of th e teach er. T his is w hy Sufis hav e said, T
longed to teach, b u t I h ad to w ait u n til th e desire h ad left m e
before I could really do so.’
E ven people of g re a t re p u te suffer from such v a n ity as obscures
from th em selv es th e fact th a t try in g to teach can be a sn a re se t by
van ity .
TH E BEGGAR AND T H E COAT

T he g re a t A bu-H afs w as ask ed by h is disciple for p erm ission to
teach. T he m a ste r agreed, an d sa t in th e audience a t h is first
lecture.
W hen th e disciple, A bu-U thm an, h ad finished, a b eg g ar cam e
forw ard. A bu-U thm an, before h e could say an y th in g , gave h im h is
coat.
T he m a ste r stood up an d called out:
'Y ou liar! Do not speak to m en w hile you h av e th is th in g in you!’
A b u -U th m an asked:
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'W h at th in g ?’
T he m a ste r told him :
'Y ou are g ratify in g yourself, an d you a re fo re sta llin g th e needy
m a n ’s need to ask hum bly, for h is own sa k e .’
T he beggar an d th e disciple h av e m uch in common: th e y m u st
each come to th e stag e w here th e y are p rep ared to ask. A nd it is
th is po stu re w hich gives th e m th e focus of m ind w ith in w hich to be
able to receive correctly.
Parable of the King and

the Youth
Q: I f the Sufis are uncaring about things of this world, why is it
that so many of them have been so illustrious in art, science, state
craft and literature?
A: T he Sufis are u n c a rin g ab o u t th in g s of th is w orld w h en
such th in g s a re a tta c h e d to v an ity an d reg a rd e d as v ita lly im p o rt
a n t beyond th e ir rea l significance. B u t th e Sufis w o rk in th e
w orld, an d therefo re with 'th in g s of th e w orld’.
T h ere a re m an y w ays of w o rking in and w ith th e w orld unexpec
ted by o rd in ary people, who do n o t see all th e cause-and-effect
relatio n sh ip s of people, ev en ts an d th in g s.
T he m ost fa m ilia r sto ry concerning th is is th e one in w hich
K h id r ta u g h t Moses by ta k in g h im on a jo u rn ey an d perform ing
vario u s inexplicable actions.
A nd th e Sufi, too, h as to be protected in th e w orld, to an ex ten t,
by h is own aw areness: 'lik e th e cam el in th e d e se rt’ as th e p h ra se
h a s it, in d icatin g a d ju stm e n t to th e environm ent.
T h ere is a ta le connected w ith th is in th e a n c ie n t classic, th e
Laila and Majnun of N izam i:
T here w as once a king , who took as a boon com panion a c e rta in
y outh, an d w as m ost atta c h e d to him .
Now th is youth, in sp ite of all th e p ro testatio n s of th e k in g ,
realised th a t he w as not tru stw o rth y . H e used to go every day a n d
feed th e royal dogs, a pack of sav ag e b ru tes.
O ne day th e k in g becam e e n ra g ed a t th e young m an, a n d
ordered h im to be th ro w n to th e dogs. B u t they, because th ey knew
h im so w ell, refused to do h im an y h arm .
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Biographers and Saints
Q: Many Sufis, including Jami, Saadi and Hujwiri, wrote as
mere biographers o f the great teachers. Yet they themselves are now
revered as saints. Why is this?
A: T h is is answ ered by S h ah S h u ja o f K irm an , w hen he said:
'G re a t m en are g re a t u n til th e y know it. S a in ts a re holy u n til th e y
know it.’
Q: I f I feel myself to be ignorant, how can I start to acquire
knowledge?
A: T he an c ie n t proverb is d escriptive of th is sta te : 'K now ledge
is in s ta tin g ignorance’-
Q: How can one become a Sufi, knowing that one might be
losing something in embarking on the way?
A: T he Sufi saying corresponding w ith th is q u estio n is: 'A poor
m a n fears no th ie f: a Sufi fears no d ep riv a tio n ’.
Q; Many people who are disturbed seek peace.
A: T hey m ay n ever find it, for it h a s tru ly been said: 'W orry is
a cloud w hich ra in s d estru c tio n ’.
Q: What is a fundamental mistake of man?
A: To th in k th a t h e is alive, w hen h e h as m erely fallen asleep
in life’s w aiting-room .
Q: How can I combine different methods of study, retaining the
ones which I have found useful in the past?
A: J u s t as su rely as you seek to find two daw ns in one single
day.
Q: Must a student always occupy himself with trivialities, as
are often mentioned in Sufi writings?
A: T h ere is a saying: 'If you seek sm all th in g s to do, an d do
th e m w ell, g re a t th in g s w ill seek you, and dem an d to be p e r
form ed.’
Q: Why should one vary one’s interests, instead o f concentrat
ing only on the spiritual, according to your precepts?
A: T h is is su m m arise d in th e ii\junction: 'If you h av e tw o
sh irts, sell one an d w ith th e m oney buy a flower’.
Q: I have no idea o f what tomorrow might bring, and therefore
wish to prepare myself for it.
A: You fea r tom orrow : y e t y esterd ay is ju s t as dangerous.
Q: Is speech the best way of communicating?
A: Som etim es, b u t n o t alw ays. H a z ra t A li, in a sa y in g a t
trib u te d to him , says: 'M an is in disguise, covered by his to n g u e’;
an d th a t refers to such cases.
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Q: Can crash programmes o f study and investigation not
enable us to get to grips with Sufi teaching?
A: Hafiz said: 'H uge b u ild in g s an d colleges, an d colloquia, cloi
ste rs and u n iv e rsity halls: w h a t is th e ir a d v a n ta g e if th e h e a rt is
not w ise an d th e seeing eye is ab sen t?’
Q: I have learned much and benefited greatly from what 1 have
studied. What can you comment on this?
A: Ja m i, in h is Baharistan, refers to th is sta te w hen he says:
'Now th a t I have found th e e, I know th a t in th e first step I took, I
m oved aw ay from th e e .’
Q: How can 1 help myself?
A: By rem em b erin g th e proverb: 'T he P a th is n o t to be found
an y w h ere except in h u m a n service', from Saadi.
Q: What is the value o f externals?
A: T h ere is value, if you rea lise a t th e sam e tim e th e tr u th of
S aad i’s dictum , in th e Boston: 'T h e P a th is not in th e rosary, th e
p ra y e r-m a t an d th e robe’
Q: Prudence requires one to look before one leaps.
A: P rudence would re q u ire one n o t to leap a t all. H a riri says,
in h is Maqamat: 'S afety is on th e riv e r’s bank.'
Q: What is the the first step in learning how to learn’?

A: It is undoubtedly to ab andon th e a tte m p t to le a rn en tire ly
th ro u g h one’s own assum ptions. M ost people are try in g to le a rn by
m ean s of concepts w hich th e y hav e adopted b u t have no suspicion
th a t th e se w ill n o t w ork.
T h ere is a story told by S aadi in h is Boston, ab o u t people m is
diagnosing th e ir capacities an d situ atio n .
A m an one day saw a lim bless fox an d w ondered how it could
keep its e lf alive, so he decided to w atch it. P re sen tly a lion cam e
along w ith some m eat, a te some of it an d abandoned th e rest.
F rom th is th e fox m ade h is m eal.
T he w atch in g m a n concluded on th e b asis of th is in cid en t th a t
h e should do th e sam e, since Providence w ould su rely accord h im
sim ila r tre a tm e n t. H e w aited a long tim e, b u t all th a t h ap p en ed
w as th a t he got w eak er an d w eaker. B u t e v e n tu a lly a voice said to
him : 'Do n o t behave like a crippled fox! Be like a lion, so th a t you
can o b ta in so m ething an d leave some for others!’
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Sufi teach in g , u n lik e th a t w hich is followed by others, does not
assum e th a t you know how to approach so m eth in g in o rd er to
le a rn ab o u t it. Sufis first m ake su re th a t th e stu d e n t approaches
th e m a tte r in th e rig h t w ay for him .
Effect
Q: Why can people not be given the full facts and power o f the
knowledge which all mystics traditionally allow only a little at a
time, and to selected disciples at that?
A: In th e w ords of Ibn H azm , al-T ah iri, of Cordova:
’A b stru se sciences are like pow erful m edicines, w hich cure
stro n g bodies an d kill w eak organism s. S im ilarly , ab stru se
sciences im prove th e m e n ta tio n w hich can u n d e rsta n d , and
im prove its shortcom ings. T hey also kill th e w eak u n d e rsta n d in g
o f som e people’.
T h is 11th cen tu ry th in k e r whom I h av e ju s t quoted*, according
to th e assessm en t of W estern scholars, is th e founder of th e science
of com parative religion. He w rote th e first book on th e subject:
Q: When was the second one written?
A: N ot for an o th e r seven h u n d red y ears - w hich is a useful
rem in d er ab o u t th e supposed co n tin u ity of scholastic activity.
Questioner: l think Ibn Hazm is a fool.
A: I am only q u o tin g him . B u t le t us give him a chance to
an sw e r you: do you th in k th a t anyone can escape opposition an d
m aledictions?
Q: Yes.
A: T hen I quote you from Ibn H azm again: 'A nyone who
th in k s th a t one can escape criticism and v itu p e ra tio n is insane!’
Q: How can we learn more about the Sufis of ancient times,

*From his Kitab al Akhlaq wa'l sir fi. adawat al Nufus (short title: 'Behaviour and
Medication of Souls’).
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before the classical period when all the major Sufi classics were
written, and were those not equally important times and people?
A: In Fihi та Fihi (In it w h at is in it), R um i d eals w ith one of
th ese points w hen he say s th a t, alth o u g h a shadow m ig h t e n te r a
house before a m an, it is effectively n o t th e shadow w hich is m ore
im p o rta n t an d if you are n o t concerned w ith shadow s an d are
concerned w ith men, th e m a n m ay be said to h ave en tered first. So
first we should ask w h a t th e purpose of th e q uestion rea lly is.
If you are h u n g ry or in need of n u tritio n , you m ay ask m e ab o u t
a fossilized b a n a n a-sk in on th e ground. If I have, or h ave know
ledge of, a fresh banana, w h at is th e purpose of th e discussion along
th e lines w hich you hav e in itiated ? If you w ere not h u n g ry an d
w ere a m useum -keeper, th e re m ig h t be some point in th e
question. T here still m ig h t be little point in ask in g me, if I w ere
concerned only w ith fresh b an an as. It w ould help us both if you
could decide w h at y o u r function is in th e situ atio n .
T his point h as som etim es been answ ered by people to th e effect
th a t th e y w a n t both to e a t b an a n as, as it w ere, an d also to look a t
th e fossils. If we h ad ever found anyone who w as capable of both,
th e re m a rk m ig h t be m ore productive of fu rth e r discussion.
R em em ber th e m an who said th a t he w an ted 'w e tte r w a te r’. H e
m ig h t have w anted it, b u t he did not get it. And if he h ad got it,
w ould it h av e benefited him , since h is organism w as perfectly w ell
su ited to conventional w ater?
Behaviour
Q: Why do Sufi, teachers display behaviour which seems at
variance with that of people o f insight and o f holiness?
A: O ne m ig h t as w ell ask w hy dictio n aries h av e so m an y
w ords w ith conflicting m e an in g s in them . H ere is a classical
in stan ce of teac h in g th ro u g h behaviour:
STO LEN RAISIN

A b u -U th m an relates* th a t he w as once w ith A bu-H afs, who h ad
w ith h im som e raisin s. A b u -U th m an took up a single ra isin a n d
placed it in h is m outh. T he o th e r m an seized h im by th e th ro a t,
crying out:
*In Kalabadhi’s Kitab al-Taaruf.
36
'Thief, w hy are you e a tin g m y ra isin ? ’
A b u -U thm an explained:
T believed in your freedom from a tta c h m e n t to th in g s of th e
w orld, an d I knew of you r unselfishness, so I took a ra isin .’
A bu-H afs said:
'Idiotic m an! You a re tru s tin g m e w hile I can n o t tr u s t m yself (to
be unselfish).’
A bu-H afs w as d em o n stratin g th a t one can n o t rely upon re p u
ta tio n , b u t m u st develop to th e p o in t of perceiving in w ard ly w h a t
th e rea l s ta te of an o th e r individual is.
Effect
Q: Why is my life so miserable ?I am often in despair, and then
things seem to happen to me to make me even more worried. I feel
that other people do not have anything like the problems which
beset me.
A: A nyone who h ad your a ttitu d e w ould probably h av e
sim ila r problem s to yours. H as it not occurred to you th a t, con
versely, o th e r people do not h av e your difficulties because th e y do
n o t rea ct as you do to w h a t happens?
H ave you h ea rd th e account of th e experience of F a risi an d th e
snake?
TH IR ST AND SN A K E
T he Sufi K alab ad h i w as told by F arisi:*
T w as going th ro u g h th e d esert w hen I becam e so th irs ty th a t I
could not w alk. I s a t down and, rec allin g th a t it h ad been said th a t
ju s t before som eone dies of th ir s t, th e eyes s ta r t to w a te r, I w aited
for th is to happen.
A ll a t once I h ea rd a sound an d saw a silvery w h ite sn a k e sli
th e rin g tow ards me. I w as so frig h ten e d th a t I le a p t up a n d fled, in
spite of m y feebleness, w ith th e sn a k e ju s t behind, h issin g as it
w ent.
E v en tu ally I arriv ed a t a place w here th e re w as w ater, an d I
could n o t h e a r th e sn ak e hiss. W hen I looked back, I saw th a t th e
se rp e n t h ad disappeared . I d ra n k , an d my life w as sav ed ’.
*Abu'l-Hasan al-Farisi, in Abu-Bakr al-Kalabadhi’s Kitab al-Taaruf.

37
F arisi, w hen he s a t down, w as n o t helpless, alth o u g h h e th o u g h t
he w as u n til th e sn a k e approached. A nd th e sn ak e, th e second
calam ity, w as th e m ean s of h is d eliverance.
Attraction
Q: The great Sufi Bayazid is reported to have said: 'All that I

desire is that I shall have no desire’. This looks like the kind of
'mystical’ remark which Eastern thinkers are famous for making.
Does it mean anything at all? I f it does, what is the meaning?
A: D esire m eans, for o rd in ary people, w a n tin g som ething, an d
it is alw ays concerned w ith selfishness, how ever m uch concealed
or socially sanctioned. It h a s often been noted, for in stan ce, th a t
people who seem to be a ltru istic a re in fact o b ta in in g sa tisfactio n s
from th is posture. Now, according to th e Sufis, you can n o t be paid
tw ice for th e sam e th in g . In th is context, th is sta te m e n t m ean s
th a t if you d esire so m eth in g an d ta k e p le asu re in feeling th a t
desire, you hav e been paid. E ven if you a re deeply em otionally
stirre d in w h a t seem s to be an o th er th a n p le a sa n t w ay from
desiring, you are still being 'p aid ’ by th e em otional stim u lu s.
T he Sufis also hold th a t desire of th is kin d holds people back:
th e y o btain satisfactio n s or feed th e ir desire u n til th e y are e ith e r
satisfied or chronically dissatisfied. B ut, th e y continue, beyond
th is th e re is a w ay of progress, u n d ersta n d in g , perception, w hich
is V eiled’ (obscured) by desire. F o r th is reason, Bayazid seeks th e
avoidance of desire.
M undane th in g s, an d th is includes em otional stim u li w hich are
often im agined by very devout people to be religious, are p u rsu ed
by m ean s o f th is desire, th is coveting. It is evidenced by th e fact
th a t th e th in g desired acquires a g re a t im portance in th e m in d of
th e victim , r a th e r as one d esires possessions, im portance, recog
n itio n , honours, successes. To d istin g u ish real objectives from
secondary ones th e Sufis h av e said: 'The im portance of som eth in g
is in in v erse proportion to its a ttra c tiv e n e ss.’ T his is th e p a ra lle l of
th e negligence w ith w hich people-often fail, in th e o rd in ary world,
to recognise im p o rta n t events, in v en tio n s or discoveries. T h a t th is
38
правом
is ap p reciated in day-to-day m a tte rs is p erh ap s evidenced by th e
ap p earan ce of th is sta te m e n t in a London daily n ew spaper
recently* as T h e im portance of a subject can be ju d g ed by th e lack
of in te re s t in it.’
* Daily Mail, 17 March 1979, p. 7 col. 4, quoting P. Butler, of Sussex.

39
3
SUFI STORIES
Rich and Poor
T he g re a t law giver Moses w as on h is w ay to see God, to a sk for
g u idance ab o u t h is fu tu re work.
O n th e w ay he m et a m en d ican t, who said:
'W here a re you going, M oses?’
S aid th e prophet:
'I am on m y w ay to see God.’
'W hen you see him , w ill you say th a t I am poor an d th a t I do n o t
know w h a t to do to im prove my condition?’
Moses u n d ertook to ask.
P re sen tly he cam e upon a very rich m an, who asked:
'W here a re you going, M oses?’
'To see God.’
'W hen you do, w ill you ask h im w h a t I am to do? I h av e too m uch
m oney, an d s till he show ers it upon m e.’
M oses ag reed to ask.
E v en tu ally , M oses m e t God, an d said:
'Lord! I have come to ask how I should ca rry on th e work. A nd I
hav e to ask for advice ab o u t two m en whom I m e t on th e w ay.’
H e told God about th e rich m a n an d th e poor m an.
God said:
'O Moses! You ask m e to te ll you how to continue w ith y o u r
w ork. B u t in th e cases of th e rich and th e poor m en you did n o t do
w h a t you alre ad y knew w as eq u itab le: giving to th e poor one th e
excess of th e rich one. How can I tell you to do m ore, w hen you do
n o t do w h a t you are supposed to be doing alre ad y ?’
Played Upon
G enerosity of m ind, w hich is so often rep rese n ted as a v irtu e , is
in one sense th e h ig h e st form of selfishness: in th e sense, th a t is,
t h a t it en ab les people to reach h eig h ts denied to th e m iserly an d
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sm all-m inded.
F e a r of loss an d ex u ltin g a t g ain are m ethods of em otional
stim u lu s w hich both provide tem p o rary ex citem en t (w hich people
crave) an d sta n d in th e w ay of deeper u n d ersta n d in g .
M ost people are played upon by o th ers, by th e ir own ideas, by
th e en v iro n m en t, to such a n ex te n t th a t th ey are often u n a w a re
th a t th e re is an y ran g e o f experience w hich is sep arab le from
th ese superficialities.
T he P e rsia n poet Liw ai h a s illu stra te d th is in h is re n d e rin g of a
tra d itio n a l ta le w hich is both enjoyable an d in stru ctiv e:
T here w as once a rich m a n s ittin g by th e w ayside to picnic on h is
w ay hom e from a long jou rn ey . H e w as enjoying his food, th in k in g
of h is profits, an d con tem p latin g w ith p le asu re th e m om ent w hen
he w ould reach his house.
As he ate, a tra v e lle r cam e from th e opposite direction. The
m e rc h an t sa lu te d him , an d asked how th in g s w ere in his tow n.
’A ll is w ell.’
'Do you know m y house? How a re my wife an d son?’
'Yes, y o u r son is well, an d h is m o th er is flo u rish in g .’
'W h at of my cam el?’
'C o n ten ted an d h e a lth y .’
'A nd is m y dog on gu ard ?’
'As alw ays, faith fu l an d aw a itin g you.’
Now w ith th e la s t possible a n x iety lifted from his m ind, th e
m e rc h a n t began to e a t w ith renew ed appetite.
H e offered n o th in g to th e o th e r tra v e lle r, who th o u g h t he m ig h t
te ac h h im a lesson.
A gazelle ra n p ast, and th e tra v e lle r sighed deeply.
'W h at is th e m a tte r? ’ ask ed th e m erch an t.
'I w as ju s t th in k in g th a t, h ad your dog not died, it w ould h av e
been able to outpace th a t gazelle!’
'My dog dead? How did it hap p en ?’
'H e a te too m uch of th e m e a t of your cam el!’
'M y prize cam el dead, too? How did th a t h appen?’
'It w as k illed to provide th e m eal a t th e fu n eral of y o u r wife!’
'M y wife! How can she be d ead?’
'She died of g rief w hen your son died!’
'My son! W hat happen ed to him ?’
'H e did n o t survive th e collapse of your house!’
A t th is th e m e rc h an t rose, to re h is robes to shreds, and ra n ,
scream ing, into th e w ilderness.
I f th e m e rc h an t h ad given th e tra v e lle r some o f his picnic, he
m ig h t not have h ad to go th ro u g h such a h arro w in g experience a s
to h e a r all those false reports. On th e o th er h an d , it h a s been
rem ark ed , unless he h ad been stingy, he w ould n o t have h ad th e
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opp o rtu n ity of seeing h is own b eh av io u r w hen faced w ith th e tr a v
e lle r’s 'new s’. B ut, if he h ad n o t been stingy, w ould he h av e needed
th e shock tre a tm e n t w hich gave him th e chance to observe
him self?
Dervish and
his Wish
W hen h u m a n beings w ere h av in g th e ir ch a racteristics given
o u t to th e m , one of th e an g els cam e to a m a n who w as to be a
d ervish, an d asked, 'W h a t do you w an t?’
T he D ervish-to-be answ ered 'N o th in g ’, an d continued to s it in
contem plation of T ru th .
Now th e A ngel w en t from one to a n o th e r of th e h u m ans-to-be
an d asked th e ir w ishes.
T h e K ing-to-be said, 'Pom p an d im p o rtan ce’.
T he P easant-to-be said, 'W ork to do’.
T he W arrior-to-be said, 'G lory’.
A nd so it w ent on.
T h en a voice said to th e D ervish-to-be, 'You h av e ask ed n o th in g
for yourself, an d it is n o t too la te to choose. B ecause of your desire
for T ru th , how ever, you sh all h av e a glim pse of how h u m a n ity w ill
u se th e a ttr ib u te s — ’
A s th e D ervish-to-be looked in to a m irro r th a t w as held before
h im , he saw k in g s in th e ir pomp an d cerem ony, p e a sa n ts w orking
endlessly, soldiers co n tin u ally fig h tin g ___
T hen th e D ervish-to-be gasped, 'B u t w h at w ill be th e fu tu re of
th e People of L earn in g ?’
T he p ic tu re in th e m irro r shifted an d he saw p riests an d
scholars an d ex p erts of a ll kinds. T hey h ad ask ed for opinions, an d
for convictions, an d for le arn in g . As a re su lt of course, th e y w ere
often led a s tra y , an d th e y led o th ers ju s t as far aw ay from T ru th .
T he D ervish-to-be cried out, 'B u t w hy is th e re no w ay of seek in g
K now ledge w ith o u t opinion, T ru th w ith o u t obsession, fact
w ith o u t p ersonal a tta c h m e n t to it? ’
'It is som ew hat too la te for those th in g s to be given to th e
e x istin g types,’ said th e A ngel, 'an d th e re fo re people w ill now
reg a rd facts as know ledge, opinion as en lig h te n m en t, com m it
m e n t as p iety an d w o rth .’
'B u t’ said th e D ervish-to-be, 'how w ill people come to know th a t
45
tr u th is no t opinion, th a t facts a re not know ledge, th a t b elief is n o t
w orth?’
'B ecause’, said th e A ngel, 'w hen opinion is ta k e n as fact, it does
n o t fit properly. W hen facts are believed to be know ledge, th e re is
a n irre g u la rity in th e person who trie s to in te g ra te tfiis into
him self. W hen obsession is confused w ith duty, a g a in it leaves a
space.’
'A nd th e n w h at happen s?’ asked th e D ervish-to-be.
'A nd th e n , th e people who try to fit th e one in to th e place of th e
o th e r become vain, g et an g ry , a re seen to be p etty , an d people
observing th e m w ill s ta r t to look in stea d for rea l know ledge.’
T he D ervish-to-be asked, 'B u t will a n y th in g stop people from
seein g th e shortcom ings of th e specialists?’
'O nly’ sa id th e A ngel, 'if th e re is too m uch v an ity , em otion an d
p ettin e ss on th e p a r t of th e observer.’
Do as your Friends Wish

A c e rta in Sufi w as v isitin g th e city of S am a rk a n d , w hose ru le r
claim ed:
'T here is no sense or re a lity in th e Sufi alleg a tio n o f "T ru th
beyond ap p earan ces”. O ne th in g w hich is, how ever, tru e , is th a t
people become friends, an d friends do as th e ir frien d s w ish .’
'W ould yo u r H ighness care to n am e th re e of y o u r friends?’ th e
Sufi asked.
'C ertain ly . T h ere is Ju d g e Afifi, Q abil th e H u n te r a n d S alim ,
th e S u ltan of th e M erch an ts.’
T can prove th a t friends do n o t do w h a t friends w a n t,’ said th e
Sufi, 'b u t you w ill have to give m e th re e w eeks.’
'T h ree w eeks, b u t if you do n o t succeed, y o u r h ea d w ill roll!’
answ ered th e K han.
T h ree w eeks la te r, th e Sufi called th e K h a n in to a room. T h ree
m en s a t th e re , Afifi th e Ju d g e , th e H u n te r Q abil and S alim th e
M erchant.
'H e re ,’ said th e sage, 'is th e re a l situ atio n , co n tra ry to your im a
ginings. Afifi h as sw orn to k ill Salim , an d S alim w an ts to destroy
Afifi. W hich one h a s your su p p o rt - both? How can you do as y our
friends w ish?’
'A nd Q abil?’ asked th e K h an .
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'Q abil w an ts to kill you. No doubt, as a good friend, you w ill help
him ?’
Hypocrite
A n w ar A bbasi relates:
I saw a G od-intoxicated d erv ish sittin g by th e roadside, covered
only w ith a ta tte re d b lan k et.
A c h a rita b le m an, a rich m e rc h an t, also seeing him , h u rrie d to
h is shop and b ro u g h t back a v alu ab le K ash m ir shaw l. T h is he
placed gen tly upon th e d erv ish as he slept, hoping for m e rit an d
happy to be of service to th e se rv a n ts of th e divine.
As I w atched, a n u m b e r of soldiers of th e K in g approached along
th e highw ay, in e a rn e st conversation w ith a scholar w hom th e y
h ad m e t on th e way.
T hey saw th e sleeping dervish. T he scholar g estic u late d an d th e
soldiers s ta rte d to belab o u r th e poor m an. T hey to re th e g a rm e n t
from h is shoulders an d th re w it in to th e n ea rb y strea m .
H e for h is p a r t m ade no com plaint, an d I approached h im to see
w h a t he h ad to say.
'My frien d ,’ he said, 'do n o t b lam e th e people of th e w orld if th e y
see a derv ish clad in precious robes an d fall upon h im w ith im p re
cations. If th e y w ere no t typical, th e re would be no dervishes,
shaw ls, scholars or soldiers in th e w orld— ’
The Monster
T h ere is a sto ry of old, once told by a people who h ea rk e n e d to
wisdom . As th e m em bers of th a t com m unity do not now liste n to
m ean in g s, it rea lly m a tte rs little w h eth e r th e y a re told th e story
or not, or have preserved it or not.
B u t to proceed: th e sto ry concerns four m en, who lived in th e
sam e neighbourhood, an d h ad a ll stu d ied th e th e o re tic a l an d p ra c
tic a l a r ts to such a n ex te n t, a n d u n d e r th e g re a te st m a ste rs of
47
know ledge, th a t everyone w as convinced th a t th e y h ad reached
th e apogee of know ledge.
It so happened th a t th e four cam e to th e conclusion th a t th ey
should trav e l an d exercise th e ir know ledge, for h a s it n o t been
said th a t 'H e who h a s know ledge an d does n o t use it, it is as if he
w ere a fool?’
In short, th e friends becam e w ayfarers, seek in g o p p o rtu n ities to
ac t upon th e ir know ledge. It also hap p en s to be tru e, as h a s been
know n both before and since, th a t th re e of th e scholars w ere
deeply versed in a rts and sciences, in th eo ry an d practice, w hile
th e fourth, w hile less celebrated in custom ary te rm s, w as w ell
endow ed w ith u n d erstan d in g .
A fter som e days, d u rin g w hich th e y cam e to know one a n o th e r
m ore and m ore, and w hen th e y h ad h ad m any deb ates an d dis
cussions, th e th re e w ell-m atched scholars felt th a t th e ir
com panion w as noth in g lik e as w ell endowed w ith le a rn in g as
they, an d th e y trie d to m ake him leave th e ir p a rty to r e tu rn home.
W hen he refused to do so, th e y said, 'It is typical of an in se n sitiv e
one like you, bereft of ap preciation of th e g rea t capacities w hich
we others have, to p ersist in re p re se n tin g y o u rself as o u r e q u a l.’
B u t th ey allow ed h im to accom pany th em , alth o u g h th e y excluded
him then cefo rth from th e ir im p o rta n t d eliberations.
Now it so happened th a t one day w hile th e four w ere w alk in g
along, th ey cam e upon a heap of bones an d o th er re m a in s of an
an im al, by th e roadside.
'A h,’ said th e F irs t Scholar, 'I can perceive th ro u g h m y know l
edge th a t th is is th e carcass of a lion.’
'A nd I,’ said th e Second Scholar, 'h av e th e know ledge to recon
s titu te its body in a viable form .’
'As for m e’ said th e T h ird S cholar, T have th e capacity to re a n i
m a te th in g s, an d I can bestow life upon it.’
T hey decided to apply th e ir respective powers in th e se ways.
T he F o u rth Scholar, how ever, ca u g h t th e o th e rs by th e sleeve,
an d said:
T m u st inform you th a t a lth o u g h you object to my sk ills an d
th e o re tic al ab ilities, I am y et a m a n of u n d ersta n d in g . T h is is
indeed, as you have perceived, th e rem a in s o f a lion. B rin g it back
to life an d i t will destroy us all if it can!’
B u t th e th re e o th e r scholars w ere far too in te re ste d in exercis
in g th e ir th eo ries an d g e ttin g on w ith th e ir p ractices. W ith in a
few m in u tes, th e m ound of sk in a n d bone w as rec o n stitu ted in to a
living, b rea th in g , clearly very dan g ero u s lion.
W hile th e p rac titio n e rs of le a rn in g w ere busy w ith th e ir oper
ations, th e F o u rth S cholar clim bed a ta ll tree. As he w atched, th e
lion fell on his com panions and devoured them . T hen it ro ared
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aw ay in to th e w ilderness: an d th e only su rv iv o r of th e expedition
cam e dow n from h is tree , an d m ade h is w ay back to h is co u n try .
Asleep and Awake

O nce upon a tim e, in Old B aghdad, th e re lived a m a n n am ed
H asan , who w as for long contented enough w ith h is lot. H e lived a
harm o n io u s life, a tte n d in g to h is affairs an d looking a fte r h is
sm all shop, w hich h is old m o th er helped h im to ru n .
B ut, as tim e passed, he becam e u n c e rta in as to th e d rift an d
d irection of h is life. ‘Is th e re n o t m ore?’ he ask ed him self, an d
w ondered, especially w hen sittin g in co n tem p latio n in th e
evenings, w h eth e r he m ig h t n o t experience m ore a n d achieve
w h a t w as possible to him .
B ecause he gave voice to th e se th o u g h ts, c e rta in m e n of relig io n
in h is locality w ere pleased to b ran d him as a fre e -th in k e r an d
m alco n ten t, say in g 'D issatisfactio n is a n o th e r w ord for in g ra ti
tu d e , a n d asp ira tio n is a veiled te rm for greed; su rely H asa n
should be denounced by a ll rig h t-th in k in g m en!’
People listen ed to th e n arro w -m in d ed clerics, an d w ere annoyed
by H a sa n ’s questioning s, an d p rese n tly he could find few who
w ould b e a r h is com pany for v ery long. E ven those who w ould
lis te n to h is ideas w ere confused by th em ; an d H a sa n reg ard ed
th e m as shallow people in an y case.
So H a sa n took to w an d e rin g aw ay from h is shop a n d sittin g ,
to w ard s evening, a t th e cross-roads a t th e end of h is stre e t, to
ponder h is d esires an d to th in k over th e h o stility of th e supposed
w ise m en.
O ne day it h ap pened th a t th e C alip h H aro u n al-R ashid, Com
m a n d e r of th e F aith fu l, w as on h is n ig h tly ro u n d s in disguise,
accom panied by h is faith fu l m in iste r J a ’fa r an d h is b lack execu
tio n er, th e eu n u ch M a sru r, w hen th e y cam e upon th e hud d led
figure a t th e cross-roads.
'T h ere m u st be som eth in g of in te re s t to u s in th is m a n ,’ said th e
C alip h to his com panions. To H a sa n h e said:
'M ay w e spend some tim e ta lk in g w ith you, as we a re tra v e lle rs
w ho h av e com pleted our w ork in th is city, an d a re w ith o u t
friends?’
'W illingly,’ said H asa n , 'an d as you a re stra n g e rs you sh a ll come
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Материал затащенный авторским арааом

back to m y house, w here I can e n te rta in you b e tte r th a n a t a cross
roads.’
T he four m ade th e ir w ay back to H a sa n ’s house, w hich he h ad
equipped q u ite lux u rio u sly for th e e n te rta in m e n t of gu ests -
th o u g h he h ard ly ev er h ad any - an d passed a p le a sa n t evening.
'F rien d H a sa n ’ said th e disguised C aliph, 'now th a t w e are so
w ell acquainted, tell u s som eth in g of your desires an d of y o u r likes
an d dislikes, to w hile aw ay th e tim e — ’
'H onourable S ir an d k in d ly tra v e lle r’ said H asan , 'I am re a lly a
r a th e r sim ple m an. B u t it is tru e th a t I w ould lik e one th in g , an d I
d islik e one th in g . I w ould like to be C om m ander of th e F aith fu l,
th e C alip h him self, an d I dislik e above all th e contem ptuous an d
sm all-m inded self-styled m en of religion who m a k e it th e ir
bu sin ess to h a ra s s all those who a re n o t as h ypocritical as th e m
selv es— ’
W hen a n opp o rtu n ity p rese n ted itself, th e C alip h slipped a dose
of pow erful narcotic into H a sa n ’s d rin k . W ith in a few m om ents h e
w as unconscious an d th e pow erful M a sru r c arried h im back to th e
palace.
W hen he cam e to him self, H a sa n found th a t h e w as dressed in
im p erial g arm e n ts, lying on a silk e n couch, in th e palace of th e
C aliph, w ith m inions m a ssag in g h is h an d s an d feet.
'W here am I?’ he cried.
'In your palace, О C om m ander of th e B elievers!’ chorused th e
a tte n d a n ts - for th is is w h a t th e y h ad been ordered to do by
H aro u n him self.
A t first he could not believe th a t h e could possibly be th e C aliph;
an d H asa n b it h is finger to see w h e th e r h e w as still asleep. T hen
h e th o u g h t th a t he m u st h av e been bew itched by some genie, some
k in g of th e genies, a t least. B ut, little by little , as his o rd ers w ere
ca rrie d o u t an d everyone behaved tow ards him w ith th e very
g re a te s t respect, he becam e convinced th a t he w as, indeed,
H aro u n A1 R ashid.
H e gave orders th a t th e co rru p t self-styled divines w ere to be
th rash e d ; th a t all th e pay of th e soldiers w as to be doubled; th a t
everyone should be exem pted from m ilita ry service, th a t th e R iver
T ig ris w as to be dam m ed; th a t people who w an ted to leave th e city
should be p rev en ted an d those who w an ted to come in should be
sto p p e d . . . In fact, such w as th e effect of h is su rro u n d in g s an d th e
lack of any d irectin g in stin c t upon h im th a t, h ad h is orders been
carried out, th e good ord er of th e rea lm w ould h av e been seriously
underm ined.
T he political advisers su g g ested th a t h e should m ak e allian ces;
th e m ilita ry com m anders req u ested th a t h e p rep a re for w ar: th e
m e rc h an ts sen t d elegatio n s p ressin g for h ig h e r prices; th e c iti
50
zenry p etitio n ed for m ore lib eral a d m in istra tio n . T he w ise m en
counselled caution and th is an d th a t action. H asa n listen e d to a ll
o f th e m an d w as influenced now by one and now by an o th er.
A nd all th is h appened w ith in th e space of a single day, betw een
h is w ak in g u p in th e ea rly m o rn in g following th e Boporific
d ra u g h t an d th e ev en in g of th e sam e day.
A ll th e tim e th e C alip h an d J a ’fa r an d M a sru r w atch ed th e ir
u n w ittin g g u est from a place of concealm ent w hich h ad been
specially b u ilt for th e purpose.
F in a lly H aro u n called h is frien d s to g e th e r an d said:
T h is is n o t th e m an w hom w e seek; one who w ill respond to th e
o p p o rtu n ities an d also th e difficulties of pow er in such a w ay as to
m ak e th e m ost of h u m a n life, d isc h arg in g o b ligations an d
c a rry in g on e n terp rises for th e good of all, in clu d in g him self.
R elease him !’
So H asa n w as a g a in drugged, dressed in h is old clothes, an d
ta k e n to th e cross-roads n e a r h is hom e, w here h e w oke up som e
tim e la te r sh o uting, 'I am th e C aliph, an d d em and th a t you obey
m e!’
W hen he w as th o ro u g h ly aw ake, how ever, h e w as q u ite su re
th a t it h ad all been a dream . F rom tim e to tim e a fte r th a t, he used
to th in k th a t th a t h ad been q u ite th e m o st am az in g so rt of d ream ,
t h a t h e h ad indeed lived in a n o th e r rea lity . B u t he n ev e r w as able
to r e tu rn to it.
The Greater World

T h ere w as once a m a n w ho becam e tire d of h is life in h is village.
T he m ore he h eard , from tra v e lle rs p assin g th ro u g h th e n ea rb y
m a rk e t tow n, of th e ’g re a te r w orld’, th e m ore h e longed to e n te r it,
an d to escape from th e lim ita tio n s w hich h e felt su rro u n d e d h im
a t every tu rn .
F in ally h e m ade h is decision, an d se t off down th e ro ad w h ich
led aw ay from h is village, seek in g th e G re a te r W orld.
Soon he found h im self upon a h ig h w ay w ith one o th e r tra v e lle r
on it. T hey talk ed , an d o u r friend form ed th e im pression th a t h is
com panion knew a g re a t deal a b o u t th is G re a te r W orld; so, w h en
h e w as invited, h e ag reed to accom pany th e o th e r m an - w hom we
w ill call th e Sage - on h is way.
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Материал за цащенный а в торски правой

W hen th e y h ad been w alk in g for som e tim e, th e S age said,
'W h a t is th a t th in g by th e side of th e road, an d w h a t could one do
ab o u t it?’
T he tra v e lle r looked, an d saw th a t it w as a sw arm of bees, w hich
w as a tta c h e d to a tre e -tru n k . H e said, 'It is a bee-sw arm . I th in k
I’ll ta k e it w ith m e. I m ig h t be ab le to sell it.’
So he took off h is coat, a n d u sin g it as a m a k esh ift sack, collec
ted m ost of th e bees an d slu n g th e coat over h is shoulder. Now
som e of th e bees craw led o u t of th e coat an d buzzed ab o u t an g rily
for a tim e. T hen th e y stu n g th e tra v e lle r in th e h an d . H e hopped
ab o u t in agony an d dropped h is bundle. T hen, pick in g up th e coat,
h e dashed it a g a in s t a rock, u n til a ll th e bees h a d been d etach ed
from it.
T he Sage said, 'L e t u s sit down h e re an d th in k ab o u t th is. W h a t
hav e you been doing?’
'Som e of th e bees stu n g me, an d so I reacted n o rm ally .’
'Is it n o rm al to p u n ish a ll th e bees for w h a t som e of th e m did?’
'You know th a t anyone w ould h ave behaved lik e th a t!’ said th e
o th e r m an, th in k in g how ted io u s th e se philosophers are.
'B u t w h a t do th e bees th in k ? ’ ask ed th e Sage. H e m ad e a
m y sterio u s signal, an d th e tra v e lle r saw th a t th e re w ere th re e or
four bees on th e ground n e a r w here th e y sat. T hrough th e pow er of
th e S age’s sig n al, h e supposed, h e could u n d e rsta n d w h a t th e y
w ere sa y in g to one an o th er.
O ne of th e bees said to one of th e o th ers, 'M aster, as th e W ise
Bee of th e Age, p erh a p s you can ex p lain to u s w h a t h a s ju s t
h ap p en ed .’
T he W ise Bee answ ered, 'Yes, indeed. Some beings from th e
G re a te r W orld cam e along an d decided to ca p tu re us. Som e o f u s
stu n g th e m , as a reflex action, an d one o f th e m th e n d ashed th e lot
of u s onto a rock, in fury!’
O ne of th e o th e rs ask ed him : 'Do th e y alw ays behave lik e th a t? ’
'T hey alw ays behave lik e th a t, u n d e r sim ila r circu m stan ces’
sa id th e W ise Bee; 'b u t it is because so m a n y m em bers o f o u r
sw arm w an ted to get in to th e G re a te r W orld w ith o u t know ing
a n y th in g ab o u t it th a t w e w ere seized in th e first place.’
A n o th er o f th e bees said, 'W ell if th e G re a te r W orld is like th a t,
I for one w a n t to give up m y search for it, an d no longer consider
m y self a m em ber of your School, how ever wise you m ay be___’
'A nd you’ said th e Sage, tu rn in g to h is com panion, 'lik e th e bees,
hav e been try in g to e n te r th e G re a te r W orld: b u t as soon as you
s ta r t on th e road, you do som eth in g w hich you re g re t___’
52

The Lost Jewel
T h ere w as once a m a n who lo st h is m ost precious possession, a
jew el of in e stim ab le w orth. He h ad b een deeply a tta c h e d to th is
gem , an d w as d eterm in e d to find it if th e re w as an y w ay th a t th is
could be done in th is life. M a k in g e n q u iries everyw here, h e w as
led in a ll d irectio n s by so o th say ers a n d false p rophets, by astro lo
g ers an d p alm ists, by m e n d ica n ts an d m agicians. A fter a long
tim e, w hen he h ad still n o t given u p hope, som eone su g g ested th a t
h e should as k a c e rta in Sufi, w ho w as rep u te d to be ab le to w ork
m iracles.
W hen h e h ad explain ed h is tro u b le to th e Sufi, th e w ise m a n
said:
T w ill resolve yo u r problem , p ro v id in g th a t you w ill do som e
th in g for m e.’
T sh a ll do a n y th in g ,’ sa id th e excited m an.
’V ery w ell,’ said th e Sufi, 'go a n d find m e, an d b rin g h im h ere , a
m a n who h a s n ev er lost a n y th in g .’
T he m a n ask ed everyone in h is village, th e n in th e n e a rb y tow n,
th e n in th e country; a n d th e n h e tra v e lle d from c o u n try to
co u n try , ask in g for a m a n who h a d n ev e r lost a n y th in g . W h e rev er
h e w en t, of course, people n o t only sa id t h a t th e y h a d lo st th in g s,
b u t in sisted , m ore often th a n n ot, w hen rem in d ed of th e ir loss, in
te llin g h im w h a t th e y h a d lost, a n d how m uch it grieved them .
F in a lly h e felt t h a t h e h a d h e a rd of so m uch p a in a n d loss th a t
h e re a lly cared very little for h is own trouble. B u t by now he h ad
becom e obsessed w ith finding som eone who h a d h a d no loss.
A fter y e a rs of th is search in g , h e h e a rd th a t th e re w as indeed
su ch a m an , an d he m an ag ed to re a c h h im in a n inaccessible cave
in a m o u n tain .
'H av e you ev er lost a n y th in g ? ’ h e asked.
’N ev er’ sa id th e recluse.
'How is th a t? ’
'B ecause I n ev er h ad a n y th in g .’
'T h en you m u st come w ith me, because I hav e b een told by such-
and-such a n e m in e n t Sufi m a ste r t h a t I m u s t b rin g you to h im .’
T he sage drew a deep b re a th a n d sighed.
'W h a t w as y our problem ?’ he asked.
'To g et back m y jew el.’
'A nd did you g et it?’
'N o, I m e t so m an y people over th e y e a rs who h a d lo st th in g s an d
suffered t h a t I no longer w a n t th e gem back.’
'T h en w h a t do you w a n t? ’
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Материал, защищенный авторе

'To ta k e you back to th e Sufi.’
'W hy should t h a t m a tte r to y ou?’
Now th e m a n could n o t th in k why, w hen h is problem w as
solved, w h a t th e Sufi h ad ask ed should m a tte r a n y more.
'F u rth e rm o re ,’ said th e h erm it, 'w h a t m ak es th e Sufi th in k th a t
I w ill w a n t to go back w ith you to him ?’
'T h a t’s rig h t’, said th e o th e r m an , 'th a t proves th a t th e Sufi did
n o t know w h a t he w as ta lk in g ab o u t.’
'A re you w orry in g ab o u t ta k in g m e back to th e Sufi now ?’ ask ed
th e h e rm it.
'N o t a t all.’
'T h en w as th e Sufi n o t w ise, h av in g en g in eered th is w hole
series of experiences?’
'N o,’ said th e m an, 'if anyone, I w as w ise: for it w as I w ho s ta rte d
to look for m y gem .’
A nd, of course, h e n ev e r becam e wise: b u t he h a d n o t w an te d to,
in th e first place.
The Magician’s Dinner

T h ere w as once a m ag ician who b u ilt a house n e a r a la rg e an d
prosperous village.
O ne d ay he in v ited a ll th e people of th e v illag e to d in n e r. 'Before
we e a t,’ he said, 'w e h av e som e e n te rta in m e n ts.’
E veryone w as pleased, an d th e M agician provided a first-class
conjuring show, w ith rab b its com ing o u t of h a ts, flags a p p e a rin g
from now here, an d one th in g tu rn in g in to a n o th er. T h e people
w ere delighted.
T h en th e M agician asked: 'W ould you lik e d in n e r now, or m ore
e n te rta in m e n ts? ’
E veryone called for e n te rta in m e n ts, for th e y h ad n ev e r seen
a n y th in g lik e it before; a t hom e th e re w as food, b u t n e v e r such ex
citem en t as this.
So th e M agician changed h im se lf in to a pigeon, th e n in to a
h aw k, an d finally in to a dragon. T he people w en t w ild w ith ex cite
m ent.
H e ask ed th e m ag ain , a n d th e y w an ted m ore. A nd th e y got it.
T h en h e ask ed th e m if th e y w an te d to ea t, an d th e y said t h a t
th e y did.
So th e M agician m ade th e m feel th a t th e y w ere ea tin g , d iv e rt
54

in g th e ir a tte n tio n w ith a n u m b e r of tric k s, th ro u g h h is m agical
pow ers.
T he im a g in a ry e a tin g an d e n te rta in m e n ts w en t on all n ig h t.
W hen i t w as daw n, som e of th e people said, 'W e m u st go to w o rk .’
So th e M agician m ade those people im ag in e th a t th e y w en t
hom e, got read y for w ork, an d ac tu a lly did a d ay ’s w ork.
In sh o rt, w h en ev er any o n e sa id th a t h e h ad to do som eth in g , th e
M agician m ade h im th in k first th a t he w as going to do it, th e n ,
t h a t h e h a d done it an d finally th a t he h ad come back to th e
M ag ician ’s house.
F in ally th e M agician h a d w oven such spells over th e people of
th e villag e th a t th e y w orked only for him w hile th e y th o u g h t th a t
th e y w ere c a rry in g on w ith th e ir o rd in a ry lives. W h en ev er th e y
felt a little restless he m ade th e m th in k th a t th e y w ere back a t
d in n e r a t h is house, a n d th is gave th e m p le asu re an d m ade th e m
forget.
A nd w h a t h appened to th e M agician an d th e people, in th e end?
Do you know , I cannot te ll you, because he is s till b u sily doing it,
a n d th e people a re still la rg e ly u n d e r h is spell.
The Astrologers
T h ere w as once a k in g who h a d succeeded to th e th ro n e an d
decided th a t he should now be crow ned. W hen th e q u estio n of th e
d a te w as b eing discussed a t C ourt, th e astro lo g ers stepped
forw ard an d said: 'T he d ate m u st be fixed only a fte r th e horoscope
for th e e v e n t h a s been cast. W hen a n e v e n t ta k e s place w ith o u t a
horoscope, it m ay be u n lu c k y .’
'V ery w ell,’ said th e K ing.
T hen a Sufi stood up. 'Y our M ajesty,’ he said, 'according to th a t
doctrine, su rely a horoscope m u st first be ca st for th e m o m en t a t
w hich th e coronation’s own horoscope is to be cast. O th erw ise
p erh a p s th e astro lo g ers m ig h t do th e ir w ork a t a n u n lu c k y
m o m en t.’
'Is th a t tru e ? ’ th e K in g ask ed th e astrologers.
'Yes, it m ig h t be tr u e ’ th e y ad m itted .
'B u t’ said th e Sufi, 'w h a t ab o u t th e horoscope o f th e horoscope o f
th e coronation. How is th a t to be done?’
Since, a fte r considerable w ra n g lin g , nobody could an sw e r th a t
55

question, th e astro lo g ers decided to change th e ru les, so th a t th e y
could g et on w ith th e ir w ork. A nd so th e K in g did g e t crow ned in
th e end.
In the Desert
H an d ed dow n from rem ote tim e s is a story of th e m a n o f th e
d e s e rt an d his q u est, w hich w as c a rrie d into th e tow ns an d
villag es an d h a s led to Sufi u n d ersta n d in g : even w hen it is re la te d
in conditions very differen t from th o se in w hich it is sa id to h a v e
o rig in ated .
I t is th e T ale of
T H E SA IN T A N D T H E HAW K
A d esert h u n tsm a n cam e upon a co n tem p lativ e, s ittin g in th e

san d y w aste, w ith h is h a n d on h is sta ff an d h is a rm a ro u n d a w ild
looking h aw k, w hich n estled close to him .
T he h u n te r said:
’How can it be t h a t a m a n such as you, dedicated to m a tte rs of
th e W orld Beyond, can hold such a th in g as a p red a to r, an d a
triv ia l th in g like a bird, o f an y account?’
T he w ise m an answ ered:
'A nsw er m e one questio n , an d y o u r a n sw e r sh a ll be th e sam e a s
m y answ er. How is it th a t you can c a rry a t your side such a
k illin g -k n ife as you h av e th e re , w h en you m u st h av e concern for
y o u r fellow -creature?’
T h e h u n te r said:
'T his knife is h ere to defend m y self a g a in s t th e w ickedness of
d e s e rt lions, w hich have m ore th a n once le ap t upon m e from a
th ic k et, an d only th ro u g h its in s tru m e n ta lity h av e I been able to
su rv iv e an d to live u n til th is m om ent so th a t I can an sw e r y o u r
qu estio n .’
T he s a in t told him .
'If I sp e n t all m y tim e in contem plation an d none in com forting
God’s c re atu res, or if you so u g h t d e se rt lions to kill, you m ig h t
th in k m e a sa in t, th o u g h I w ould become incapable of a n y th in g
else, so th a t th e h ig h e r im pulses w ould n o t rea ch me. A nd if you
h u n te d lions from m o rn in g to n ig h t, people would call you a b rav e
56

h u n te r, th o u g h th is dedication would re n d e r you in cap ab le of
a n y th in g else. You on y o u r p a r t would become u n a b le to ex p e ri
ence th in g s of th e world. I w ould become incapable o f ex p erien cin g
th e o th e r w orld.’
57

4
MASTER AND DISCIPLE

Answers
A group of people who suffered from w h at is called ‘confined
th in k in g ’ approached a Sufi. T hey asked him:
'W hy do you n ever an sw e r q u estio n s in a sim ple an d lucid
m a n n er, as we h av e been tra in e d to do?’
H e said:
'B ecause m y w ork is to tra n s m it w h a t I h ave to tra n sm it.
A n y th in g I say, an d m uch of w h a t I do, m u st follow th a t p a tte rn . If
in stea d I fail in m y d u ty a n d do in stea d w h a t you a re try in g to
m ak e m e do, I become your in stru m e n t, not th e in stru m e n t of
T ru th .’
A passer-by rem ark ed :
'B u t th e la s t tim e you w ere ask ed th a t very sam e question in m y
presence, y o u r reply was: "B ecause I do n o t w a n t to be lik e y o a !” ’
The Sufi raised his h ead an d said:
'If you w ould only dw ell upon th e tw o answ ers, p erh a p s you
m ig h t see th a t th e an sw ers could seem d ifferen t w h ereas in
re a lity th e y possess th e sam e m e an in g .’
Present and Absent

I t is re la te d of one of th e g re a t Sufis of K h o ra san th a t he w orked
for long h o u rs as a b rick m ak er, and w hen people offered him
m oney he refused it. H e also used to hav e long ta lk s w ith people,
encouraging them , an d th e n w as not to be seen for long periods,
som etim es m o n th s on end. T h is confused th e people who trie d to
le a rn from him .
O ne day a m an w hom he h ad left on his own com plained b itte rly
an d asked for a n ex p lan a tio n of his conduct, saying, 'If I have
failed to u n d ersta n d , te ll me, so th a t I m ay a g a in ta k e up th e
P a th .’ T he Sufi said, T am afra id th a t I can say n o th in g to you
61
ab o u t all th is .’ T h is m a n ta lk e d to o th ers, an d th e y added th e ir
com plaints to his, an d g rad u a lly th e y began to lose in te re s t in th e
Sufi, a tta c h in g them selv es to a ll m a n n e r of frivolous an d m ore
exciting th in g s.
Some of th e m found th em selv es in th e com pany o f a v en erab le
d ervish, to w hom th ey confided th e ir disap p o in tm en t. H e said: 'O
luckless ones! H e w as w o rking a s a b rick m ak er because to ta k e
y o u r m oney, raw an d v u ln e ra b le as you w ere, w ould h av e h arm e d
you, an d he took on th e h a rm , p referrin g to lab o u r stooped in th e
b u rn in g su n for th re e pence a day. W hen he left you on y o ur own it
w as som etim es because h is atte n tio n , th ro u g h y o u r own w ea k
nesses, w ould have inflated you an d m ade you worse. A t o th e r
tim es, he forsook you because h e h ad to m ak e su p p licatio n s to a sk
th a t you should not die before h e could help you. A t o th e rs tim es,
h e left you alone because people in even g re a te r need th a n you
w ere to be atten d e d to. You are th e k in d of people who see a ll h is
actions, w hich are all w o rth y ones, as fau lts, because you can n o t
perceive goodness an d re a lity , a n d because you th in k only o f th e
n u rtu rin g of th e u g lin ess in your false selves!’
T he people w ere asham ed , and th e y said: 'Give u s perm ission, О
g re a t sage, to re tu r n to o u r m a ste r, to m a k e am en d s to him !’
H e answ ered, 'T he perm ission is easy, an d you h av e it; b u t th e
perform ance is im possible. He is dead, because h is E a rth ly life
h ad to stop th e m om ent you d eserted him : w hen h e h ad nobody to
a tte n d him , he h ad to continue on h is jo u rn e y .’
T hey said: 'W hence did you g ain th is in sig h t?’
T he sage said: T am th e so litary re m a in in g disciple of th a t sam e
m a ste r of yours! O nly one in a th o u sa n d people w a n t to le arn . We
w ere, a t th e o u tset, one th o u sa n d people. T he r e s t of th e m a re n o t
dead, b u t th e y - like you - long ago decided th a t o u r la te M a ste r
w as insufficient to th e ir needs. T he consequence of th is addled
belief, b o m o f th e m adness of th e w orld, is th a t th e y a re a ll s till
alive, an d now m ore th a n proud of them selves, a n d all of th e m are
flourishing in th e w orld, an d all of th e m a re doomed.’
T h ere w as once a m an who w an te d to become th e disciple of a

c e rta in Sufi sheikh. In fact, h e w as n o t p rep a re d to tra v e l th e p a th
in th e correct order of events, b ein g excitable an d greedy; he h ad ,
62
in fact, th e ch a racteristics w hich disable th e m ajo rity of people
from com pleting th e Jo u rn ey .
T he S heikh, how ever, gave h im a chance, since th e re w as a
possibility th a t he m ig h t see, th ro u g h th e consequences o f his own
flaw s in action, th a t h e w ould h av e to adopt a com pletely d ifferen t
approach, an d become calm er a n d m ore considerate.
A fter some tim e, how ever, th is disciple becam e q u ite fru stra te d
w ith th e S h eik h ’s p u ttin g h im into situ a tio n s w h ere n o th in g
seem ed to happen, an d he decided th a t th e te ac h er w as th erefo re
useless.
So h e c a st aro u n d for some o th e r teac h er, one who w ould fit in
b e tte r w ith h is own assu m p tio n s a b o u t him self. N a tu ra lly , h e
found one. Now th is second te a c h e r w as n o th in g less th a n a
m an iac who h a te d th e first one. W hen he h ad g ain ed th e disciple’s
confidence an d inflam ed him w ith prom ises of secrets an d success,
he said:
'Now I sh a ll te s t you. If you pass th e te st, you w ill be able to
scale th e g re a te s t h eig h ts of sp iritu a l u n d e rsta n d in g .’
T he disciple begged to be tested , to an y ex ten t.
'V ery w ell,’ continued th e false te ac h er, 'go an d b rin g m e th e
h e a r t of y o u r first m a ste r.’
T he disciple, h is h ead com pletely tu rn e d w ith th e w onderful
n a tu re , as he im agined it, of th e new teach er, w en t and-killed th e
S h eik h an d c u t o u t h is h e a rt.
O vercom e w ith excitem ent, full of greed for secrets an d m ysical
a tta in m e n t, he w as ru n n in g to th e false te a c h e r’s house w ith th e
h e a rt, w hen h e stu m b led an d n e a rly fell.
A nd th e n , as if from th e severed h e a rt w hich h e w as carry in g ,
cam e th e voice of th e m u rd ered S heikh:
'G ently , m y son; overcom e y o u r c arelessn ess an d greed!’
Measurement of Loyalty
A ce rta in Sufi te ac h e r w as su rro u n d ed by disciples, who
crowded h is house n ig h t and day. H is re p u te w as such th a t odes
w ere w ritte n in h is honour, from A lex an d ria to S am a rk a n d , an d
th e g re a te st nobles of th e seven clim es asserte d th a t h e w as th e
P o le-star of th e A ge an d th e g re a te st te a c h e r of th e E a rth .
O ne day, in conversation w ith th e K in g of B o k h ara, th e Sufi
63
said: 'M en hav e no loyalty, even w hen th e y th in k th e y have.
W hile, for th e m a in te n a n c e of good social rela tio n s, one h a s to
com prom ise w ith h u m a n ad u latio n , th e re is re a lly no such th in g .’
T he K ing, how ever, im agined th a t th e Sufi w as try in g to fla tte r
h im by su g g estin g th a t people w ere n o t rea lly h is followers, an d
h e said.
'O D ervish! V anity, self-seeking an d dup licity a re m a rk e d in
th e in w ard n ess of co u rtiers a n d o th e rs who su rro u n d tem p o ral
k in g s lik e me. B u t in th e case of th e S ublim e K ings of th e Cosmos
such as you, such people a re n o t to be found. O nly th e tru ly devout
follow you, for th e re is no m a te ria l ind u cem en t for th e m to do so,
th erefo re th e ir expressed devotion m u st be re a l.’
T he d ervish said: 'In th is whole city, an d am o n g st all th e people
who profess a tta c h m e n t to me, an d th ro u g h m e to h ig h e r th in g s,
th e re are, to m y ce rta in know ledge, only one an d o n e-h a lf people
who are not fearful or cow ardly, if it w ere to come to a te s t.’
In order to te s t th is u n lik e ly theory, th e K in g a rra n g e d for th e
Sufi to be a rre ste d for blasphem y an d to be m arch ed th ro u g h th e
stre e ts u n d er sentence of d ea th , a s an exam ple to th e people.
W hen th e Sufi w as arre ste d , n o t a single person in h is e n
to u rag e resisted. Crowds g a th e re d as he w as p arad ed in one s tre e t
a fte r an o th er, b u t nobody raise d h is voice. A fter sev eral h o u rs one
m a n ru sh e d up to th e g u ard s an d shouted: 'H e is in n o cen t’. T h en ,
in a n o th e r q u a rte r o f th e city, a second m a n w en t to th e co u rt an d
said: 'A rre st me. / am g u ilty of blasphem y, an d w h a t w as rep o rted
of th e Sufi w as said by me. H e w as only q u o tin g my words, in o rd er
to refu te them !’
W hen th e K in g an d th e Sufi m e t p riv a te ly to discuss th e d ay ’s
events, th e Sufi said: 'You see, it is as I predicted. The m a n who
said I w as in n o cen t w as th e h alf-person who w as n o t cow ardly.
A nd th e one, single m a n w as he who w as p rep a re d to ex change h is
life for m ine!’
64

Poisoning the Untutored
A c e rta in fam ous sch o lar w as su rp rised an d pleased w hen h e
s ta rte d to receive, as pupils, b atch es of disciples from a Sufi whose
lib e ral view s w ere in to ta l c o n tra st to h is own. F or tw en ty y e a rs
nobody else could g ain e n try to th e scholar’s lectu res, so filled
w ere th e y w ith th e Sufi’s stu d e n ts.
W hen he h ad come to th e end of h is te ac h in g days, th e scholar
tra v e lle d to th e Sufi's house. He said: 'All th e se y ears, I hav e been
co n stan tly d elighted to note th a t you prize my te ac h in g s so h ig h ly
th a t you h av e continuously se n t p a rtie s of stu d e n ts to me. M y
le ctu res have been crowded o u t for tw o decades as a re s u lt.’
T he Sufi said: T am glad th a t you h ave been satisfied by m y
actions. F or m y own p a rt, I am happy th a t you suspended y o u r
cam paign a g a in st me as soon a s m y stu d e n ts s ta rte d to go to you,
an d did n o t r e s ta r t it.’
T he scholar, how ever, w an ted to know m ore. 'B u t do te ll m e’, he
said, 'w h a t m ade you ac t as you did? W hich of m y ad d resses
im pressed you m ost? How did you come to u n d e rsta n d m y im p o rt
ance an d to respect m y role?’
T he Sufi said: 'Y our role w as fulfilled, an d surely th a t should be
enough for any m a n .’
'N o,’ said th e scholar, 'it is n o t enough. Tell me, o m ittin g no
d etail, w h a t m ade you decide to send people to m e?’
T ask you a second tim e, do n o t press m e’ said th e Sufi.
T in sist,’ said th e scholar, 'a n d I sh all n o t cease to p ress u n til you
hav e confided th e p a tte rn .’
'W ell,’ said th e Sufi, 'so m eth in g h ad to be done to p rev e n t th e
u n tu to re d from b eing poisoned by your prejudices. I h a d only m y
p u p ils to provide. B u t we did n o t lose by it: th e y w ere ab le to
com plete th e ir education by observing how n o t to th in k .’
The Promise
T he Sufis say th a t m ost people for m ost of th e ir lives are u n ab le
to le a rn deeper th in g s. T his is because o f th e w ay in which th e y
in te rp re t w h a t o th ers are try in g to teach. Two of th e w eaknesses
w hich a g a in an d a g a in m a n ifest th em selv es a re accepting w ords
65
too lite ra lly an d in te rp re tin g th e m too superficially.
T his story shows th e tw o tendencies: th e disciple re p re se n ts th e
first, h is frien d th e second:
A d erv ish said to a disciple:
'P rom ise m e one th in g , an d I w ill do a n y th in g for you.’
T he disciple agreed.
'N ow ’, said th e dervish, 'you sh a ll prom ise n ev e r to a sk m e to do
a n y th in g for you - th e n I ’ll do a n y th in g you need!’
O ne day a friend asked th e disciple:
'W h a t are you le a rn in g from y o u r d erv ish te ac h er?’
T he disciple told him :
'H e h as in stru c te d me n ev er to ask a n y th in g from h im .’
'T h a t’s n o t a te ac h er,’ said his friend, 'th a t is a m iser!’
Idolatry
Som eone said to a Sufi:
'T each m e to p ra y ’.
T he Sufi said:
'N o t only a re you alre ad y p ray in g , b u t a p a rt of your m in d is con
s ta n tly engaged in it.’
T he m an answ ered: T do n o t u n d e rsta n d you, for I h av e been
u n ab le to p ray to God for m an y m onths, for some rea so n .’
T he Sufi told him :
'Y ou said "T each m e to p ra y ”, you did n o t m e n tio n God. Now,
th e p ra y e r w hich you hav e been engaged in for a ll th is tim e is
p ra y e r tow ards your neighbours, for you co n stan tly th in k of w h a t
th e y m ay th in k of you. It is p e rm a n e n t p ra y e r to a n idol of m oney,
because th is is w h at you w ant. It is also p ra y e r to w ard s an effigy of
safety an d an o th e r of plenty. W hen you h av e so m an y gods an d so
m uch p ray e r as a p e rm a n e n t p a r t of your being, is it an y w onder
th a t you h av e no room for an y o th e r k in d o f p ra y e r? ’
66

Understanding
A Sufi w as asked: 'W hich w as th e m ost m oving, th e m ost
in stru c tiv e , or th e m ost effective experience of your long life?’
H e said: 'T he one w hich I sh a ll now re la te ta u g h t m e so m uch
ab o u t w h a t I alre ad y kn ew b u t did n o t u n d ersta n d , t h a t it is, for
m e, th e lesson of all lessons. Before it, I w as one of th e "lea rn e d
ig n o ra n t”, th o u g h t a sch o lar and th in k in g m y self wise. A fter it, I
w as th e one who understood.’
'It w as w hen I w en t to see th e g re a t S age of C hihil-T an. H e w as,
w hen I arriv ed , due to th e in trig u e s of narrow -m inded m en, s u r
rounded by a how ling mob whose m in d s h ad been poisoned
a g a in s t him . H e stood on h is balcony, n o t answ ering, b u t h av in g
come o u t because th e crowd w ere bay in g like hounds.
'T h en one m an began to ab u se him louder th a n all th e rest, an d
he did so to such effect th a t th e crowd w ere first silenced, liste n in g
to th e ir jack al-lead er, th e n uncom fortable, a g h a st a t such
violence, th e n - w hile th e sage stood sile n t still - m u tte rin g
a g a in s t th e m an who h ad been th e ir spokesm an a few m in u te s
before.
T th o u g h t, "S urely th is is a m iracle, by w hich God m a k es h is
enem ies th e m ean s of help in g h is friends. B u t w h a t w ill h ap p en to
th e leader, who is now becom ing a scapegoat for th e m ob?”
'T hen, as th e m ass beg an to sh o u t th e ir own erstw h ile lead er
down, I saw th e Sage of C hihil-T an s trik e h im a blow. I th o u g h t,
"H e h as done an evil th in g ,th a t he could n o t re s tra in h im se lf a t
th e m om ent of victory.”
'B u t th e crowd m elted aw ay, an d I w andered off, w ith o u t
v isitin g th e Sage, for I did n o t know how to th in k . A fter a n h o u r or
tw o I saw a poor derv ish w ith a bowl of curds in fro n t of him by th e
w ayside, an d sa t down w hen he offered m e some of h is m eal.
'H e read m y th o u g h ts as I ate, for h e said a fte r a few m in u tes:
"F aith le ss and m erciless one! You w onder w hy th e S age of C hihil-
T an could n o t keep his tem p er, and w hy he stru c k h is to rm en to r,
voiding in your eyes h is re p u te for re stra in t. Know, О ig n o ra n t
m easurer-of-superficialities, th e re a lity is d ifferen t from th e im
ag in atio n , because w h a t looks to you like a fact is tru ly
im agination!
"'T h e Sage h it th e m an: th a t is th e only fact. H is in te n tio n , on
th e co n trary , is not a visible fact, b u t an im a g in a tio n of y o u r
d ev il’s m ind! H e h it th e m a n to dispel th e crowd: for if h e h ad not,
in a n o th er m om ent th ey w ould hav e atta c k e d h is to rm e n to r. By
h ittin g him , he satisfied th e th ir s t of th e mob for visible p u n ish
67

m ent. The a tta c k e r w as n o t h u rt, b u t r a th e r protected from th e
fu ry of th e mob, who w ould have to rn him a p a rt. So, you see: w h a t
looked like a n a ssa u lt, an d w as in fact a blow, w as th e m ean s of
p reserv in g th e attac k er.
" 'U n til you can see th e se th in g s, an d see th e m in your h e a rt,
you w ill not be one of th e elect, an d you w ill play, like a child w ith
n u ts an d raisin s, an d th is you w ill call le arn in g , an d assessm en t,
an d know ledge. B u t you w ill n o t hav e u n d ersta n d in g , an d you
w ill rem a in a n an im al for ever u n less you le arn , an d le a rn , an d
le a rn .”
'B u t I im m ed iately said: "If th is p rinciple w ere to be adopted
th e n we w ould re fra in from ju d g in g by ap p earan ces, an d all
m a n n e r of irresponsible th in g s w ould be done in th e n am e o f s a in t
liness, an d every v illain w ould th u s hav e a licence to do as he
w ould, and th e w orld w ould come to an end!”
'T he poor d ervish looked a t m e an d la u g h ed an d th e n he cried,
an d th e n he said: "O b ro th e r of b rig h t countenance! H ave you n o t
noticed th a t th e w orld is com ing to a n end, an d th a t th e people
who believe th a t th ey are doing good, an d who lack perception an d
u n d ersta n d in g , a re th e ones who are b rin g in g it to its end? A nd
y et you look not a t th a t, b u t in fact w ish to aid th e process! Do n o t
concern y o u rself w ith th is, b u t ra th e r develop th e u n d e rsta n d in g
of th e m ean in g of events, n o t th e speciality of th e sc ru tin y of
appearances!” ’
How the World Aids

the Sufi
O ne of th e M asters of th e P a th w as s ittin g in h is assem bly one
day w hen a stu d e n t stepped forw ard an d asked:
'W h a t analogy can th e re be of th e position w hich th e T each er
occupies in th is world? W hat, I m ean, is h is re la tio n sh ip w ith
w orldly events, an d is he d ep en d en t upon th em ?’
T he T eacher answ ered:
'T he w orld is th ere, an d so is th e T eacher. H e is w ith in it an d
w orks outside it. It w ill reject him an d also h a s to help him ,
because of h is u n u su a l q u ality . T his is recorded in th e ta le of th e
Y oung M an W hose Secret W as N ot to be Told. It is as follows:
68
T here w as once a y outh who w an ted to serve h u m a n ity . U n lik e
m ost such people, he did not desire to do th is for purposes of
van ity ; w hich m e an t th a t h is service m ig h t be accepted, an d th a t
he m ig ht, indeed, achieve th e role w hich is so badly needed by
h u m a n k in d .
O ne n ig h t he h ad a dream , an d in th e d rea m h e w as w arn ed th a t
if he se t off to try to help people, he w ould only h a rm th e m in th e
end, for th ey w ould oppose h im an d in so doing w ould in crease
th e ir own cruelty. H e w as told in th e d rea m th a t he should conceal
from everyone u n til a ce rta in tim e, th a t he w an ted to be useful. In
th e m e an tim e he w as, how ever, allow ed to say th a t h e h a d a secret
w hich w as not to be told.
T he yo u th told his p are n ts, first, ab o u t th e secret. T hey e v e n t
u ally becam e so annoyed w ith h im th a t th e y lost in te re st in him ,
an d th e y m ade little resistan c e w hen h e decided to leave th e house
to seek h is fortune.
H e o btained em ploym ent w ith a stall-h o ld er in th e local tow n
for a tim e, u n til one day his m a ste r h ea rd him say th a t he h ad a
secret w hich nobody w as to know. 'Tell m e’ he said, 'or I sh a ll b ea t
you.’
T he yo u th refused, an d h is m a ste r se t ab o u t h im w ith a stick
u n til a p assin g m e rc h a n t rescued h im and took h im in to h is
em ploy.
T hey trav e lle d m uch an d e v e n tu a lly a rriv e d a t th e ca p ital city
of th e country. O ne day th e y o u th m entioned th a t he h ad a se cret
th a t nobody should know u n til a ce rta in tim e. A gain th e
m e rc h a n t trie d to find out w h a t it w as, and w hen h is em ployee
w ould not tell him , he th re w him in to th e stre e t as a disloyal an d
probably deran g ed villain . A t th a t ex act m om ent th e P rim e
M in ister of th e country w as passing. H is K ing w as dying and, in
accordance w ith th e custom of th a t country, th e M in ister h ad to go
in disguise into th e s tre e ts an d seek a young m an ab o u t whom
som e p ecu liarity h ad been divined by th e W ise M en of th e C ourt.
H e w ould be th e n ex t K ing.
As h e stood beside th e m e rc h a n t’s house h e saw th e y o u th
th ro w n into th e s tre e t an d h ea rd him say, T will not te ll my secret
u n til due tim e!’
A nd th is w as exactly th e p h rase w hich th e Royal S eers h ad
in stru c ted th e P rim e M in ister to seek.
H e took th e young m a n to th e K in g ’s d eath-bed an d th e K in g
asked h im w h eth e r he w ould accept th e Crown.
T will, Y our M ajesty’ said th e y outh, 'for th e S ecret is this: th a t I
w ill not be able to help h u m a n ity ad eq u ately u n til I become m a
te ria lly pow erful, as K ing of th e country!’
69

The Loaf of Bread
A Sufi of g re a t wisdom w as ask ed for a p ara b le of th e w ork of th e
te ac h ers and th e n a tu re of th e disciples, an d he a t once answ ered:
'T here w as in form er tim es a m an who w an ted to p rotect a
tre a s u re from a robber, so th a t h e could sh a re it w ith th e d eserv
ing of th is world. T he robber w as stro n g an d violent, an d th e
generous m a n h ad n o th in g to h elp him b u t, of a ll th in g s, a ta lk in g
loaf.
'T he robber arriv ed a t th e door of th e house a n d th rew it open.
J u s t inside, on a sm all ta b le, sa t th e T a lk in g Loaf.
'T he L oaf said: "H onoured friend, w h a t is y o u r m ission, w h a t
yo u r in te n tio n , w h a t you r purpose?”
'Now th e robber, in spite of being u n co u th an d greedy, w as (like
m ost of us) also in te n se ly curious by n a tu re ; he was, m oreover,
q u ite ta k e n aback by th e sig h t of a loaf w hich could ta lk .
'H e said to it:
'How do you come to be able to ta lk , an d w h a t can you te ll m e?’
'T he L oaf replied:
T can ta lk because I am in th is house, w hich is a m agical one. If
you come in, you, too, w ill develop m agical pow ers.’
'T h a t is exactly w h at I w a n t’, said th e robber.
'Before you e n te r,’ con tin u ed th e Loaf, 'you should note th a t you
w ill h av e to go th ro u g h w h a t I h av e gone th ro u g h , w hich is no
sm all m a tte r.’
'A nd w h at hav e you gone th ro u g h , you, a loaf, th a t I, an
experienced robber, cann o t?’
T do not say you can n o t’, said th e Loaf. 'B u t I w ill allu d e to m y
experiences, so th a t you m ay h ave choice.’
'Tell me, th e n ’, dem anded th e robber.
'F ir s t of all,’ said th e Loaf, T w as a p la n t an d grew in a field.
T hen a p a r t of m e becam e dry, lik e d ea th , an d fell off. It w as b u ried
in th e cold ground w here it lay u n til it sp lit open. T hen it w as
soaked in w ate r u n til it w as sw ollen an d shoots cam e o u t of it. It
grew into an o th e r p la n t, an d found its e lf seized an d b ea te n u n til
its h u sk w as se p arate d from its in w ard p a rt. T he in n e r k ern e l w as
b ea te n into powder, w hich w as m ixed w ith o th e r pow der an d p u t
aw ay. T hen it w as ta k e n out, pounded w ith w a te r an d o th e r th in g s
u n til i t becam e sticky an d placed in a te rrib le h e a t u n til i t becam e
70

brow n - an d lo! It w as m e __ ’
'W hen th e L oaf looked up a fte r th is rec ital, it saw th a t th e
robber h ad fled, and he could be h e a rd in th e distan ce sobbing w ith
fea r.’
T he Sufi continued:
'T he robber’s greed to rob th e house is th e d esire of th e disciple
before he know s th a t th e tre a su re is th e re to be served not to be
stolen. T he b read is th e process of discovering this: b u t m ost d is
ciples a re not tru e S eekers, for th e y flee from tr u th by im a g in in g
o th e r th in g s ab o u t th e T each in g .’
Intelligence
Obedience
T h ere w as once a Sufi te a c h e r who w as approached by two m en,
w ho begged h im to allow th em to become h is disciples.
H e agreed, on th e u n d e rsta n d in g th a t th e y w ere on th re e
m o n th s’ probation.
F or n ea rly n in e ty day s th e M aster gave th e m no ta sk s, told
th e m no stories, invited th em to no m eetings.
T hen, w hen th e ir tim e w as n ea rly up, he called th e tw o in to th e
c o u rty a rd of h is house, a n d said:
T w a n t each one of you to go outside, w here th e re a re cam els.
E ach of you is to ta k e th e lead in g -rein of one cam el, and to b rin g it
to me, clim bing th e w all, an d m a k in g th e cam el clim b th e w all.’
T he first disciple said:
'M aster, it is w ritte n th a t m a n m u st exercise h is intelligence.
M y in tellig en ce te lls m e th a t w h a t you ask is im possible, an d m y
good sense te lls m e th a t you h av e only ask ed th is in order to te s t
w h e th e r I am in te llig e n t or not, an d w h eth e r I use m y common-
sense or n o t.’
'T h en ,' said th e M aster, 'you w ill n o t a tte m p t to b rin g th e cam el
over th e w all?’
T sh a ll n o t’ said th e disciple, T ask forgiveness for ap p e arin g
to disobey.’
T hen th e M aster tu rn e d to th e second disciple, and said:
'W h a t is yo u r an sw er to my req u est?’
W ith o u t a word, th e second disciple sta rte d to go o u t of th e
courtyard, th ro u g h th e gate. T h e M a ster followed, m otioning to
th e first disciple to accom pany him .
71
Материал, защищенный авторе- 1разом

W hen th e y w ere all outside th e h ig h w all w here th e cam els
stood, th e second disciple took th e lead in g -rein of one of th e b easts
an d w alked it to th e outside w all. H e th e n m ade a n a tte m p t to
clim b th e w all, w ith th e cam el’s re in still in h is h an d , m a k in g e n
couraging noises to it.
W hen i t w as obvious th a t h e could n o t succeed, th e M a ster said:
'R e tu rn th is cam el to its place an d follow m e w ith in .’
A few m in u tes la te r, w h en th e th re e m en w ere a g a in sta n d in g
w ith in th e courtyard, th e M a ster said:
'E veryone know s, since th e e a rlie s t days of h u m a n ity , th a t th e
P a th dem ands vario u s capacities. T hese include th e use of in te lli
gence an d th e applicatio n of com mon sense, a n d also obedience.
'O bedience is as im p o rta n t as in tellig en ce and com mon sense.
E veryone w ho h as ever ta u g h t w ill know th a t alm o st everyone
w ill try to use in tellig en ce an d com mon sense in preference to
obedience, th u s p u ttin g th e se th re e q u a litie s o u t o f balance. T he
v ast m ajo rity of h u m a n ity considers th a t to obey is less im p o rta n t
th a n to th in k of a w ay o u t of a situ a tio n . B u t it is in fact know n
th a t none of th e se th in g s is m ore im p o rta n t th a n an o th er, except
in th e perform ance. Now we can find m en of in tellig en ce
anyw here, b u t w here can we find people of obedience?
'T he first disciple is dism issed, because he placed too m uch im
portance upon in tellect. T he second is reta in ed , because h e did n o t
ju m p to th e obvious conclusion w hich m en te ll each o th e r is th e
b est th in g to do, an d y et w hich as often as n o t deprives th e m of full
capacity.’
H e tu rn e d to th e second disciple an d ask ed h im w hy he h a d trie d
to do th e im possible.
T he disciple said:
T knew th a t you knew it w as im possible, so th a t th e re w as no
h arm in obedience, to see w here it led. I knew th a t th e easy w ay
out w as to say "It is im possible, I sh a ll n o t a tte m p t it because of
com mon sense”, an d th a t only a superficial person w ould th in k in
th a t way. E veryone h as as m uch common sense as w ould be
needed to refuse to obey. T herefore I knew th a t you w ere te stin g
m y obedience an d refu sal to choose easy options.’
72

How to Make Them Hear
A d erv ish , in stru c tin g a disciple, said, T h e re is only one w ay to
m ak e people h e a r you. You m u st know w h a t you a re saying, an d
you m u st have th e n ecessary conduct for people to h e a r you___’
T he disciple, irrita te d by th e long tim e w hich h is an c ie n t
m e n to r w as ta k in g to give o u t h is wisdom, felt th a t he h ad h ea rd
enough, an d w en t on h is way.
F or som e y ea rs he stu d ied th e a r t of know ing w h a t he w as
saying, an d cu ltiv a ted th e conduct of a good m an. P eople b egan to
resp ect him , an d few le ft h is p resence w ith o u t re m a rk in g w h a t a
p u re soul he w as.
O ne day a young m an a rriv e d a t th e tow n w here h e w as to m ak e
a speech.
T he y o u th k ep t sh o u tin g scandal, an d everyone listen e d to him .
H ard ly anyone w en t to th e le ctu re by th e d erv ish ’s pupil.
So he w en t back to h is old m a ste r, now over a h u n d re d y ea rs old,
an d ask ed h im to explain.
‘A h’, said th e an cien t, 'you a re th e m a n who did n o t w a it to h e a r
th e end of th e teach in g . You see, you h av e to be th e k in d of sa in t
th a t people w a n t a t th e tim e. If th e y w a n t a rea l m an , th e y w ill n o t
go for te ac h in g to a m an sim ply because he looks like a sa in t. The
q u alificatio n s for a te a c h e r a re n o t th a t he h a s a c e rta in look b u t
th a t h e h a s a c e rta in effect.’
Hypocrisy
Y ah ia, son of Isk a n d a r, rela tes:
T s a t m an y ev en in g s a t th e house of Sufi A n w ar A li J a n . People
b ro u g h t him gifts, w hich he h ad converted in to food an d caused to
be served each ev ening before th e tim e of m ed itatio n .
'H e w ould n o t allow anyone to be n e a r him , a n d s a t in th e corner
w ith h is h an d m oving from h is bowl to his m outh. M any of th o se
who v isited him said: "T his m a n is h a u g h ty an d lacks h u m ility ,
for he d raw s h im self aw ay from h is g u e sts.”
'E ach ev en in g I m oved my place im perceptibly closer to him ,
u n til I could see th a t alth o u g h he w en t th ro u g h th e m otions of
eatin g , th e re w as no food in h is bowl.
73
'A t la s t I could n o t r e s tra in m y curiosity, an d I sa id to him :
'W h a t is th e cause of y our stra n g e behaviour: w hy do you
p rete n d to ea t, and w hy do you allow people to claim th a t you a re
h a u g h ty w hen you a re in fact m odest an d abstem ious, an d do n o t
w a n t to u p se t or sham e th em , О m ost excellent of m en?’
H e answ ered:
'It is b e tte r th a t th ey should th in k th a t I am lack in g in m odesty,
th ro u g h observation of ex tern als, th a n th a t th e y should th in k
th a t I am v irtu o u s, th ro u g h th e m ere observation of ex tern als.
T here can be no g re a te r sin th a n a ttrib u tin g m e rit th ro u g h
appearances. To do so in su lts th e presence o f th e in te rio r an d tru e
v irtu e by im ag in in g th a t it does n o t ex ist to be perceived. M en of
e x tern als w ill ju d g e by ex tern als: b u t a t le ast th e y a re n o t p o llu t
ing in te rn a l th in g s.’
Whispering
T h ere w as once a Sufi te a c h e r who w as approached by one of h is
disciples.
'M aster’ h e said, T am co n stan tly bullied by th e o th e r m em bers
of th e com m unity. T hey m a k e m y life m iserable. U nless it is y our
d esire th a t I should en d u re th is, I would lik e th e m to stop it.’
'N o th in g e a sie r’ said th e Sufi; 'all you hav e to do is to come up to
m e w hen we are sittin g in contem plation a n d w h isp er in to m y ear.
T hen I sh all w hisper in to y o u rs.’
No sooner had th is happened th e first tim e th a n th e oppressed
disciple becam e th e m ost favoured am ong th e com m unity. A fter
all, w as he not allow ed to sp eak to th e M a ster in w hispers?
O ne day, how ever, one of th e m ore forw ard of th e disciples said:
'M aster, m ay we not h e a r w h at you a re sa y in g to th is fellow-
s tu d e n t of ours? A fter all, we a re as docile an d in te n t a s he is.’
T he M aster agreed, and th e n e x t tim e th e re w as a n assem bly he
called th e form erly oppressed p upil an d said to h im , aloud:
'C an you yoke b u lging eyes?’
'Y es’ said th e m an.
'Good. W h a t do you ea rn ?’
'T en.’
'A nd w h at do you w aste?’
'F iv e.’
'W h a t happened to th e th irty -tw o ?’
'T w enty-nine are a t hom e.’
74
Материал за; /ценна/, авторским правой

T he o th e r disciples goggled a t th is, an d w hen th e y w ere alone
to g e th er th ey d isputed loud an d long ab o u t th e in w a rd m e an in g of
th e m ystical conversation.
F in ally , how ever, th e ir opinions w ere so d iv erse th a t th e y
decided to ask th e m eaning.
T he favoured disciple said:
'It is all q u ite sim ple. The M a ster w an ted to show you th a t you
w ere easily im pressed by triv ia litie s, so he w hispered to me. You
yourselves decided th a t th is w as a m a rk of favour, an d you m ade
yourselves tr e a t me w ell.’
'B u t w h a t ab o u t th e cryptic conversation?’
'It h ad n o th in g to do w ith you. I e a rn te n silv er pieces. I "w aste
five” on m y son’s ed u catio n .’
'B u t th e "th irty -tw o ” m u st su rely be people of im portance, or
sp iritu a l m e rit?’
'T he th irty -tw o are m y te eth . I still h av e tw en ty -n in e, so th e y
m ay be sa id to be "still a t hom e” in m y m o u th .’
'A h,’ sa id th e disciples, 'he is try in g to p u t u s off, because th e key
is probably in th e q uestio n w hich we h av e n o t asked, th a t w ill be
th e one w ith th e re a l in n e r m e an in g .’ T hey ask ed th e pupil:
'W h a t did th e T each er m ean w hen he ask ed if you could yoke
b u lg in g eyes?’
'G ive m e a gold piece an d I w ill te ll you.’ h e said.
As soon as he h ad got th e m oney he answ ered:
'T h a t w as a d em o n stratio n th a t you can yoke b u lg in g eyes: th e
eyes are yours, bulging w ith greed; th e y a re yoked by stim u la tin g
curiosity, because all triv ia l m inds a re m an ifested by in q u isitiv e
n ess.’
'W h a t th e n , should w e le a rn ? ’ th e y cried, in an g u ish .
'T he te ac h in g is: covetousness, w h e th e r in m a te ria l or s p iritu a l
th in g s, leads to p le asu re in triv ia litie s. T h is p re v e n ts you from
g ain in g h ig h e r u n d e rsta n d in g an d blocks y o u r progress. I t can
only be dissolved by a d em o n stratio n of how triv ia l y o u r th o u g h ts
rea lly a re .’
A m a n w en t to th e dw elling-place of a d erv ish an d sa id to him :

T w a n t to discuss m y problem w ith you.’
'A nd Г, said th e dervish , 'do n o t w a n t to discuss it.’
75

The m an w as annoyed. 'How can you decide th a t, w hen you do
n o t know m y problem ?’
T he d ervish sm iled. 'W hy should you b rin g a problem to m e if I
do n o t know ab o u t it, and do n o t h av e perceptions g re a te r th a n
o th ers?’
Now th e visito r w as both confused and anxious. 'Tell m e w h a t
m y problem is, th e n , and th a t w ill convince m e’ h e said.
'O h u m a n being!’ said th e dervish, 'you a re alm ost com pletely
aw ry. If I show you th a t I know w h a t is in your m ind, I sh a ll d iv e rt
yo u r a tte n tio n to "th e m iracu lo u s”, and fail in m y d u ty of Service,
as a g a in st th e a tric a l perform ance.’
'W ell, th e n ,’ said th e m an, 'give m e th e solution to th e problem ,
alone, th u s fulfilling th e re q u ire m e n t of Service.’
'T h a t I h av e alread y done’ said th e dervish.
'B u t I can n o t u n d ersta n d you a t a ll’ said th e visitor; T am not
aw are th a t you hav e given m e an y so lu tio n .’
'T h en go on your w ay, an d seek th e an sw er elsew h ere.’
F or m onths a fte r th a t, th is m a n trav elled , an d h e ta lk e d to
m any people, describing h is en co u n ter w ith th e dervish.
O ne day it daw ned on him th a t h is problem h ad been self
centred ness, an d th a t th e d erv ish h ad been p o in tin g th is out. T his
w as h is rea l problem , not th e one w hich he had im agined w as his.
N ot long afterw ard s, in a city d is ta n t from th e first en counter, he
saw th e derv ish again. H e said:
T have now realized th e w isdom of y o u r speech, an d I seek to
recom pense you for your service to m e.’
'You h av e alre ad y done so’ said th e dervish, 'for, in te llin g
everyone of our conversation, you hav e been h elp in g to teach,
though n o t desirous of doing so, w ith y o u rself as th e liv in g il
lu stra tio n of ignorance an d perplexity, lik e a m a n w ith an arrow
stu ck in his h ead w hich a ll b u t he can see, an d w ith a head ach e
w hich he alone a ttrib u te s to th e difficulties a tte n d in g deep
tho u g h t.
'T his w as your service. B ut, th ough in ap p earan ce an d convic
tio n you w ere try in g to serve yourself, you w ere in re a lity serv in g
w isdom , as I have indicated. In consequence, w isdom h as p a rtly
m anifested, to enable you to see y o u rself a little b etter.
'You have, how ever, served n o t only wisdom, b u t also self
obsession, n o t yourself. In fact, anyone can m a k e you serve
anyone or an y th in g , by th e sim ple m ethod of convincing you th a t
you are serv in g y o u rself if you ta k e a course of action w hich is in
fact designed to serve some o th e r end. W ho is th e g a in e r from such
a tran sa ctio n ?’
76

Alternative View
A c e rta in Sufi agreed to ta k e an o rd in ary m an on a jo u rn e y to
see life an d d e a th from a n o th e r p oint of view.
T hey cam e to a tom b of a holy m an aro u n d w hich people w ere
w alk in g an d say in g pray ers. The o rd in ary m a n said: 'See how th e
m em ory of th a t m an is blessed by th e se m u ltitu d e s who circu
m a m b u la te h is resting-p lace, day and n ig h t!’
'T he re a lity ’ said th e Sufi, 'is th a t t h a t s a in t is rev ered because
he sp e n t all his tim e w ith people, so th a t they did n o th in g in th is
w orld, an d he allow ed th e m to crowd aro u n d him an d ask him
qu estio n s u n til he died of fatig u e, c u ttin g off h is possible u se fu l
ness in o th e r w ays an d places in th e w orld.’
N ex t th e y cam e to th e palace of a m a n who w as w aited on h a n d
an d foot by people who sa n g h is p raise s n ig h t an d day. 'L et us sh u n
th is m a n ,’ said th e o rd in ary m an, 'for since he allow s people to
b eh av e in th is d isg u stin g m a n n e r th e re m u st be so m eth in g u n
p le a sa n t ab o u t him !’
'T he re a lity ’ said th e Sufi, 'is th a t it is because th e like of you
sh u n him , he is a t th e m ercy of faw ning idiots. It w ould be far
b e tte r to discover for y o u rself w h eth e r he rea lly enjoys th is a d u la
tio n , and, if he does not, to help him by show ing those people th a t
th e y are b eh av in g in th e w rong w ay.’
T hen th e y cam e to a place w here a m a n w as ta lk in g to a crowd,
an d th e y w ere liste n in g m ost atte n tiv e ly . 'W h a t a disciplined an d
w orthy collection of people’ said th e o rd in ary m an; 'we should
su rely g ain so m ething by asso ciatin g w ith th e m .’
'T he re a lity is,’ said th e Sufi, 'th a t th e se people hav e form ed
such a h a b it of listen in g th a t th e y can n o t th in k or act. It would be
b e tte r if we w ere to help th e m th in k an d act as well as listen , n o t
ju s t become listen e rs ourselves.’
The o rd in ary m an said to th e Sufi:
'B u t if one can n o t ju d g e by th e outw ard, and by one’s own
in w ard feelings, w h a t is one to do in th e absence of a m an of
in sig h t who w ill tell one w h at to do?’
'I did n o t say th a t one can n o t ju d g e by th e o u tw ard a t a ll’ said
th e Sufi. 'B u t I do say th a t to im ag in e t h a t ev e ry th in g w hich looks
th e sam e is th e sam e is no b asis for learn in g . T he o u tw ard m ay be
reliab le, and it m ay not be. The te a c h e r can help you to a tta in u n
d e rsta n d in g w hich in te rp re ts th e ou tw ard as w ell a s perceiving
th e inw ard. W hile you seek info rm atio n th ro u g h o u tw ard n ess
alone, you w ill not be seek in g u n d ersta n d in g . If you w a n t
ch erries, w hy do you look for diam onds?’
77

Disguise
A stu d e n t trav e lle d to a fa r country. O ne day h e w as in v ited to
th e house of a rich m an; a n d h e w as am azed an d d istu rb e d to find,
am ong th e pam pered guests, h is own Sufi teac h er, dressed lik e th e
lead er of a cult. He said, as soon as he could sp eak to h im p ri
vately:
'H onoured Sir, w h a t h a s become of you? T his m a tte d h a ir, th e se
b ells an d recitatio n s, th is grotesque robe . . . it is you who ta u g h t
u s to sh u n such th in g s lik e th e p lag u e.’
'H u sh ’ said th e Sufi, 'for i t is n o t "W hat h a s become of m e”, b u t
"w h a t h as befallen th e se people am ong w hom I am w orking?” Do
you n o t see th a t if th e y th o u g h t I w as n o t a frau d , th e y w ould
n ev er even a d m it m e to th e ir com pany? I rea lise d th a t th e y w ould
le t m e come h e re if th ey could la u g h a t me. Now it is for m e to use
th is ad v a n ta g e to help th e m u n d e rsta n d .’
Follower
A m an w en t to a Sufi an d said:
T w ish to become yo u r follow er.’
T he Sufi asked:
'W ould you become th e follow er of a dog?’
'N o’ said th e m an.
'T h en you can n o t follow our p a th , for I m yself am th e follow er of
a dog, an d you should account m y m a ste r as bein g g re a te r th a n
m e.’
'How ’ ask ed th e w ould-be follower, 'can you be th e follow er of a
dog?’
'B ecause I once saw a dog deal k in d ly w ith a n o th e r one w hich
h ad su rre n d ered to it.’
T he visito r said:
'B u t you hav e a, re g u la r system of discipleship, a stu d y -cen tre,
people com ing a n d going an d tre a tin g you w ith th e g re a te st
respect. You hav e reached a h ig h e r stage th a n looking a t how dogs
b eh av e.’
'You are describing w h a t you w a n t’ sa id th e m a ste r. 'Y ou w a n t
78

to e n te r a teac h in g w ith re g u la r ritu a ls, w ith people show ing
respect, w ith a visible study-centre. You do n o t seek to be a Sufi,
you seek to belong to such a com m unity. T hey a re n o t th e sam e
th in g .’
'B u t if I h av e been a ttra c te d by y o u r o u tw ard shape, it is y o u r
fau lt, su rely , for allow ing it to be p rese n ted to th e w orld in th is
w ay ’ sa id th e o th e r m an.
'W h a t th e w orld m ak es o f it is one th in g ; w h a t th e disciple
u n d e rsta n d s by it is an o th e r’ said th e Sufi. 'If you a re se ek in g
ritu a l, com m unity, m usic, labour, service as you u n d e rsta n d th e se
th in g s, you w ill be m ost in need of those who can te ac h you
th ro u g h o th e r m ethods. To p a n d e r to y o u r ou tw ard req u ire m e n ts
is not Sufism , th o u g h everyone in th e w orld m ay th in k so.’
Ignorant
A c e rta in Sufi w as asked:
'W hy do you to le ra te ill-advised qu estio n s?’
H e sm iled, an d said:
'In ord er to g ain for u s all th e ad v a n ta g es of observing such
q u eries as you h av e ju s t m ade!’
A n o th er who w as p re se n t recited:
'W ith o u t th e nig h t, who w ould know of th e day? B itte r peaches
a re sp u m ed , y e t i t is th o se w hich h elp in th e acceptance of th e
sw eet.
'T he child en d e ars h im se lf to u s by m istak e s, an d gives a clue to
w h a t we should do - ju s t as m uch as we m ay ad m ire a prodigy.’
A w ould-be disciple visited th e hom e of a Sufi teach er.

H e w as told:
'You m u st try to an sw e r a question. If you succeed, he w ill
accept you for teac h in g in th re e y e a rs’ tim e .’
79

T he q uestion w as p u t, an d th e S eek er puzzled over it u n til h e
h ad th e answ er.
T he te a c h e r’s rep re se n ta tiv e took h is an sw e r to th e m a ste r, an d
re tu rn e d w ith th e m essage:
'Y our an sw er is correct. You m ay now go aw ay for th e 1001
d ay s’ w aitin g , a fte r w hich you w ill be allow ed to re tu rn here, to
receive th e T eaching.’
T he ap p lican t w as delighted. W hen he h ad th a n k e d th e o th e r
m an, he asked:
'W b at w ould have happ en ed if I h ad failed to provide th e correct
answ er?’
'O h, in th a t case - you w ould h av e been ad m itte d im m ediately!’
Classical Encounter
T he k in d of classical en co u n ters fam iliar to re a d e rs from th e
g re a t Sufi lite ra tu re of th e p a st still continue, all over th e world.
T h eir v alue both for th e p a rtic ip a n ts, for observers an d for those
who rea d or h e a r ab o u t th e m , also goes on in th e sam e w ay.
I w as once ta lk in g to a noted theologian o f B aghdad a n d touched
on dervishes an d th e ir ways. W ith o u t tro u b lin g to e n q u ire
w h eth e r I w an ted a h a ra n g u e or not, he la u n ch ed in to a tre m e n
dous diatrib e. They w ere frauds, im postors an d self-deluded. T hey
w an ted people to follow th e m an d to get a fa t liv in g for posing an d
doing n o th in g else. T h eir m y steries an d so-called psychological
processes w ere nonsense an d opposed to Islam in an y case. T he
only good w ork connected w ith th is rep u lsiv e c u lt w as am ong
those few clever an d self-sacrificing M oslem s who p rete n d ed to be
Sufis an d th e n steered people a ttra c te d to th e m back in to th e s a l
v ation of Isla m —
N ot only w ere th e Sufis h o rro rs b u t h e w ould ta k e m e th is very
in s ta n t to som ew here w here th e se foul h e a th e n s w ere even now
assem bled, and prove th e ir noisesom eness to m e w ith o u t any fea r
o f contradiction, an d as a service to tru th .
I followed h im th ro u g h th e stre e ts to a house w here, on h is
knock, th e door opened an d a young m a n led us in to th e co u rty a rd
beyond it, into th e presence of a n u m b e r of unhorrifying-looking
people who w ere sittin g , in th e evening cool, aro u n d th e rim of a
q u ie t pool of w ater. T hey rose politely w hen th e ra g in g divine
approached them , an d m otioned him to repose him self, w ith
m u rm u rs of welcome.
80
My com panion w as n o t im pressed. H e s ta rte d to shout: 'A w ay
w ith hypocrisy, v a n ity a n d greed!’ in a very loud voice, s ta rtlin g a
collection o f w h ite pigeons who rose in to th e a ir a n d w heeled
about.
'A w ay w ith hypocrisy, v a n ity an d greed!’ It s ta rte d to sound lik e
a lita n y as he rep e ate d th e fo rm u la a g a in an d a g a in , now ju m p in g
up an d th r u s tin g h is face first, th e n h is ex tended forefinger, in to
th e faces of th e dervishes.
T hey sa id n o th in g a t first. T h en I becam e aw a re t h a t th e y , too,
w ere re p e a tin g th e ch an t: 'A w ay w ith hypocrisy, v a n ity an d
greed!’
T h is developm ent so in fu ria te d th e alleged m a n of God t h a t h e
g av e a w ild cry, sm ote th e heel of h is h an d on h is forehead and,
le av in g m e s ittin g th e re , ru sh e d from th e co u rty ard . I h e a rd h is
sh o u tin g from th e s tre e t beyond th e g ard e n w all, echoing aw ay
in to th e distance.
T he seated figures co n tin u ed to re p e a t th e w ords of th e ir critic
se v eral m ore tim es u n til, becom ing low er a n d low er, th e sound
died aw ay.
I ask ed th e ir lead er, se ate d on a sh e ep sk in a t th e c e n tre o f th e
group, w hy th e y should ta k e up th e cry of a d etracto r.
H e said: 'T h e m a n w ho cam e h ere is a w ell-know n an d h ig h ly
resp ected theologian an d doctor of th e Law. M any o f th e th in g s
w hich he says, th o u g h only q u o ta tio n s an d n o t reflectin g h is own
s ta te , a re v alu ab le an d a d e q u ate adm onitions. We a re all a w a re
t h a t it is n ecessary to m a k e aw ay w ith hypocrisy, v a n ity an d
greed; an d w e a re of course g ra te fu l to th o se w ho rem in d u s of it, so
th a t we, too, m ay co n cen tra te upon th is n ecessity for a space of
tim e.
'So we adopted th is m a n ’s very good advice, to dw ell upon th e
th e m e w hich he b ro u g h t us. No doubt it w ill do u s good.’
'B u t,’ I said, 'since he th in k s th a t you a re th e h ypocrites a n d m is
c re a n ts who h av e to be opposed, an d since he w ould n o t im ag in e
t h a t you a re ad opting th e lesson, an d since he m u st h av e reg ard ed
y o u r echoing h im as a ta u n t - w h a t good h a s all th is done him?
O ne of th e o th e r Sufis raise d h is head. 'If h e w as try in g to do
good, h e should n o t h av e so u g h t an y a d v a n ta g e from it. R eal good
is only t h a t w hich is done w ith o u t expectation o f rew ard or fe a r of
p u n ish m e n t if neglected. B u t if you h av e re a lly n o t observed w h a t
ad v a n ta g e th is theologian obtained, I w ill te ll you. H e g ain ed th e
satisfactio n of im agined ly convincing u s th a t w e w ere evil an d
in su scep tib le to tru th . T his, in h is own m ind, m ad e h im for th e
m om ent feel t h a t he w as in some w ay good. A nd since h e is o rd in
a rily in g re a t doubt ab o u t th is, h e h a s to seek o u t evidence for it
an d to provoke in cid en ts w hich w ill su p p o rt h is flagging fa ith .’
81

The Doorways
Told by N u ija n A libay:
I w as c a rry in g a b u n d le of door-fram es down th e steps of a
college, betw een th e second an d th ird floors. A w ell-dressed m a n
s ittin g in one of th e room s opening off th e sta irw a y called out to
m e, an d I w ent in to th e room to see w h a t h e w anted.
'G et those th in g s o u t of h ere a t once’ h e said.
I told h im th a t th a t w as exactly w h at I w as doing.
'B u t’, I said, 'I th in k th a t th e y a re of im portance; see how w ell
m ade th e y are, an d how th e y fit, one in to th e o th e r, for carry in g ;
an d how lig h t th e y a re - th e re m u st be a dozen h e re .’
I w as a d m irin g th e m because th e y h ad been m ade by th e g re a t
te a c h e r M asoum i. I knew h is w ork, h ad found th e m in th e college,
realised th a t th e y w ere n o t allow ed th e re , an d w as ta k in g th e m to
a safe place. I in ten d ed to inform h im th a t I h ad th e m , to save h im
from being criticised, because I k n ew th a t h e w as absent-m inded.
T he o th e r m an said, 'How can you ta lk w ith honeyed words
ab o u t triv ia litie s, neglig ib le m a n ?’
I said, 'T hese doorw ay fram es w ere m ade by U sta d M asoum i’.
W ith h ard ly a pause, he answ ered:
'M asoum i’s w ork is bo th sym bolic an d functional! T h a t h e
should leave so m uch of it h e re is a b lessin g upon us! I k new th a t
h e w as h ere th e o th e r w eek. B u t I th o u g h t th a t h e w as v isitin g a
colleague of ours. B u t . . . to th in k th a t he w as w orking! A nd those
fram es w ill ce rtain ly fit o u r doors! W h a t w onderful, fairy wood.
You h ad b e tte r ta k e th e m back to th e floors above, an d leave th e m
th e re . We can ce rtain ly m ak e a n exception in th e case o f H a d ra t
M asoum i.’
W hen I n ex t saw M asoum i, I said: 'Y our im m o rta lity is g u a ra n
teed on earth ! T hey valu e your doors above th e ir souls.’
M asoum i said: 'N u ija n , you know th a t it w as y o u r la te F a th e r
(M ercy upon him!) who placed h is cloak upon m y shoulders, to
m ak e m e accepted as h is successor in th e T eaching. W hen h e did
so he said: "G ive th is robe to m y son N u ija n w hen h e is to succeed
you. T h is day w ill be w hen people w ill th in k th a t y o u r door-fram es
a re b e tte r th a n h is com pany.’”
I la te r discovered th a t th e fram es w ere n o t even ones m ade by
M asoum i. B u t from t h a t day, w ith M asoum i’s recom m endation, I
becam e a respected teach er.
82

Wishing to be Wise
People often m istak e d erv ish es, who a re tre a d in g th e Sufi p a th ,
for Sufis, w ho hav e a lre a d y tro d d en it.
T h ere is a ta le , told by a d erv ish , w hich helps to fix th is d istin c
tio n in th e m ind.
T h ere w as once a young m a n , he re la te d , w ho so u g h t o u t a
d erv ish , a n d ask ed him : T w ish to be w ise - how ca n I achieve m y
w ish?’
T he D ervish h eaved a g re a t sig h an d answ ered:
'T h ere w as once a you n g m an , ju s t like you.
'H e w ished to be w ise, a n d th is w ish h ad g re a t stre n g th .
'S uddenly he found h im se lf sittin g , a s I am , w ith a y o u th , lik e
you, se ate d before him , ask in g , "How can I be w ise?” ’
Bound
A disciple ask ed a Sufi m aster:
'It is said th a t "th e W orld is d eceit”, an d y et ag a in , t h a t "T h in g s
of th e w orld h elp to a n o th e r W orld.” How can d eceit h elp to w ard s
goodness?’
T he Sufi drew a deep an d cold b re a th an d answ ered:
'H a rm less strip e d flies rem in d you of th e stin g of th e w asp a n d
h elp th e fly. Is th is deceit? W hen th e p re d a to r sees th e spots on th e
b u tte rfly ’s w ing, h e im ag in e s t h a t it is th e eyes of a tig e r looking
a t him , an d he flees: is th is deceit? Som etim es, indeed, th e re is no
o th e r w ay to tr e a t w ith m en th a n to a p p e a r to be so m e th in g w hich
w ill m a k e th e m ac t in a ce rta in w ay - for th e ir own b en efit.’
'If I could only h av e a n illu stra tio n of th a t,’ sa id th e disciple.
'A nd so you sh a ll,’ answ ered th e Sufi. 'H av e you n o t h e a rd th e
tr u e sto ry o f a g re a t sag e of form er years?’
T H E K IN G AND T H E DOCTOR
'H e w as a doctor, an d th e k in g of a c e rta in co u n try called h im to
tr e a t h is ailm e n t. T he sage refused. T h en th e K in g o rdered
soldiers to seize th e doctor, an d to b rin g h im to h is presence.
83
'W hen th e y w ere face to face, th e K ing said, "I h av e b ro u g h t you
here, bound h an d an d foot, to tr e a t me, for I am suffering from an
un acco u n tab le p araly sis. If you cure me, I sh a ll rew ard you, if you
do not, I sh a ll h av e you beh ead ed .’
‘T he doctor said: "L et u s be placed, to g e th er, in a room from
w hich all o th e r persons h a v e been excluded.”
'W hen th e y w ere alone, th e sage b ro u g h t out a knife, an d said:
"Now I sh a ll ta k e m y rev en g e for th e in su lt of your h av in g tre a te d
m e w ith such violence.” A nd h e advanced upon th e K ing. T errified
o u t of his w its, th e K in g le a p t up an d ra n aro u n d th e room, fo rg et
tin g h is p a ra ly sis in h is a n x iety to escape from th e Sufi.
:As he cried for th e gu ard s, th e Sufi ra n to a w indow an d fled.
T he K ing w as cured by th e only m ethod w hich could hav e availed.
B u t h e n u rtu re d a grievan ce a g a in st th e Sufi for m a n y y ea rs, such
is th e p e c u lia rity of m en who th in k th a t "deceit” is alw ays evil.’
Value of Parables
Q: What is the value o f parables in 'learning how to learn*?
A: T his one should tell you, by m ean s of itself, w h a t use th e y
are:
MY F A T H E R ’S SON
T h ere w as once a Sufi who w as approached by a prospective
disciple.
T he Sufi said to him : 'If I say, "My fa th e r’s son is n o t m y
b ro th e r” w hom do I m ean ?’
T he disciple could n o t w ork it out.
T he Sufi told him : T m ean me, of course! Now you ju s t go back to
yo u r village an d forget ab o u t y our desires to be a disciple.’
T he m an re tu rn e d hom e, and th e people ask ed h im w h a t he h ad
le arn t.
H e said: 'If I say, "My fa th e r’s son is n o t m y b ro th e r” - w hom do I
m ean?’
T he o th e r v illag ers chorused: 'You!’
'Y ou’re w rong!’ h e replied, 'm y fa th e r’s son is th e Sufi in th e n e x t
tow n - he told m e so!’
84
Heeding and Unheeding
Two disciples w ere once ta lk in g in a Sufi school.
O ne said: T sh all die if o u r M a ster p ersists in ig n o rin g m e, as he
h a s done for th e p a s t te n years: for I cam e h ere to le arn , an d I feel
t h a t I am being p rev e n ted .’
T he o th e r w as eq u ally em phatic: T, on th e o th e r h a n d ,’ he said,
'sh all undo u b ted ly die u n le ss th e M a ster co n tin u es to h a ra n g u e
me: for every tim e h e does so I re a lise m y ig n o ran ce m ore deeply
an d am th u s th a t m uch fu rth e r tow ards w isdom .’
T he rem a in in g m em b ers o f th e com m unity e a g erly discussed
w hich of th e m w as rig h t, u n til th e M a ster ap p eared for th e w eekly
m eal.
Now one of th e com m unity se ate d h im se lf betw een th e tw o an d
h eld up h is h a n d to signify th a t h e h ad a re q u e st to m ake.
'C o n tin u e’ said th e M aster.
1 w ish to ask th a t you co n tin u e to ignore th is m a n on m y left
u n til h e dies, an d begin to ignore th is o th e r one on m y rig h t, for
th e sam e reason: so th a t th e re s t of u s m ay becom e percep tiv e of
y o u r d esires. In th is w ay I hope th a t we sh a ll le a rn , as w ell as
b eing delivered from th e tireso m en ess of a m a te u r d ra m a tic s.’
Disputation
I t is re la te d t h a t tw o stu d e n ts of th e Sufi W ay w ere a rg u in g
a b o u t M an.
T he first said: 'M an a rriv e s a t T ru th by p erso n al effort a n d
research . B egin n in g w ith ignorance, h e g ra d u a te s to know ledge.’
T he second said: 'M an a rriv e s a t T ru th only th ro u g h g u id an ce
by ex p e rt m a ste rs.’
T hey alm o st cam e to blows, a n d w ere fa r from reso lv in g th e ir
co n ten tio n s w hen a rea l Sufi hap p en ed to pass. T he tw o decided to
re fer th e q u estio n to him .
'P ronounce on th is issu e?’ he asked.
'Yes, p lease’ th e y urged him .
'V ery w ell. Now, h as each of you seen two dogs d isp u tin g a b o u t a
bone?’
'W e h a v e ’, th e y said.
'A nd h av e you ever seen th e bone its e lf jo in in th e arg u m e n t?
T h in k ab o u t it.’
85

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Relevance
Q: One of the most impressive sights I have seen is a mass of
people at the burial-place of a saint, with such emotion that l was
gripped by it as by a physical force. Now, you say that the Sufis
forbid such things. How can you deny the importance of an event
like that?
A: P e rh a p s you h av e n o t h ea rd th e ta le of M ulla N asru d in ,
w hich can be tre a te d as an analogy of your experience an d y our
question?
In case you h a v e not, h e re it is.
N a sru d in w as d riv in g a frien d in h is car a t a sp a n k in g pace.
S uddenly, glim psing a signpost, th e frien d called out:
'M ulla, w e’re going in th e w rong direction!’
'W hy don’t you ev er th in k of som eth in g good? Look, for
in stan c e, a t th e speed w e’re going at!’
I am being ask ed to illu s tra te th a t th e le a rn in g process is

d istin c t from its em otion ally stim u la tiv e content.
T h ere is a sto ry of a te ac h er who sp e n t m uch of h is sa la ry on
alcoholic d rin k .
W hen th is becam e know n, stu d e n ts d eserted him , say in g 'W e
can h ard ly u n d e rsta n d w h a t h e say s.’
A friend, an o th e r scholar, suggested th a t, as h e now h a d so few
pupils, h e should give up d rin k in g .
T he d ru n k a rd replied:
T w ork in order to get m oney for d rin k . Now you w a n t m e to stop
d rin k in g so th a t I can w ork!’
T his is a n an c ie n t p ara b le a b o u t both te ac h ers an d stu d e n ts
w ho 'd rin k ’: because th ey u se th e te a c h in g /le a m in g situ a tio n for
in d iv id u al an d group stim u la tio n . L ike th e te a c h e r in th e
89

exam ple, le a rn in g m ay become secondary to th e ir p rim e m o tiv
atio n , excitem ent.
Ghalib
N ot long ago I w as listen in g to a rad io in te rv iew betw een th e
N o rth C ou n try re p re se n ta tiv e o f a rad io sta tio n an d a U k ra n ia n
im m ig ra n t in B rita in . T he U k ra n ia n , a lth o u g h he h a d left h is
co u n try in 1944, h ad a stro n g foreign accent, b u t I could u n d e r
sta n d ev e ry th in g he said. B u t th e E n g lish N o rth e rn e r’s
p ro n u n ciatio n w as so reg io n al th a t one could only follow h im w ith
difficulty. A nd y e t th e U k ra n ia n , who h ad lived in th e N o rth for
m an y y ears, clearly understood every word.
C lassical P e rsia n provides th e sam e so rt of co n tra st, especially
w hen th e re is any reg io n a l in g red ien t. In a rec en t discussion w ith
a n Ira n ia n professor, I h ad th e d a u n tin g experience of finding o u t
n o t only t h a t he pronounced th e le tte r q as gh, as m ost m odern
P e rsia n s do, b u t th a t w hen a c e rta in p h ra se o f R u m i’s w as recited,
he confused a w ord qalib (m ould, form) for ghalib (overw helm er).
T he re s u lt o f th is w as th a t th e p h ra se Qalib az та hast па та az и
w hich m ean s T h e form /m odel is from us, we a re n o t from it’ w as
im agined by him to m ean T h e conqueror is from /of us, we a re n o t
from /of h im .’ T he la tte r m ay m e an som ething, b u t th is m is tra n s
latio n m e a n t th a t th e professor w as u n ab le to u n d e rsta n d from h is
h e a rin g of th e p h ra se th a t it m e a n t 'M ind is n o t from m a tte r,
m a tte r is from m in d ’. It is th is k in d of th in g w hich som etim es
m ak es o rie n ta lists an d o th e rs believe th a t some Sufi poets are n o t
Sufis b u t social p u n d its.
T he regional problem cam e into th e p ictu re a g a in w hen I
explained th a t Qalib h e re m e an s 'form ’. T he professor w as
a p p a ren tly unaccustom ed to th is u sage, since - as he said - to h im
th is word m ean s 'm ould’. C lassical P e rsia n p erh a p s used th is form
frequently. B u t K h u ra sa n i P e rsia n (w here classical P e rsia n cam e
in to being) still u n d e rsta n d s Qalib as m ould or form or m odel. N ot
only did R um i come from th is a re a (m odern A fg h an istan ) b u t h is
usage w ould still be understood th e re . It is so m eth in g lik e a
fre q u en t sta te m e n t of th e best E n g lish being spoken in In v ern ess,
in Scotland. W h a t m ig h t alm o st be called trib a lism r a th e r su rg ed
in to m y friend w hen he accused m e of u sin g an u n fa ir ad v a n ta g e
90
Материал за; /ценна/, авторским правом

in know ing various a lte rn a tiv e m ean in g s for C lassical words,
since m y lin g u istic background is th e still-liv in g 'classical’ speech
of A fg h an istan . W hen I said th a t I h ad not done it on purpose, he
only said: 'I am n o t convinced.’
Virtually Unknown
Principle of Human
Organisation:
Group Studies Paradox
T ra d itio n avers, an d experience verifies, one o f th e least-know n
a n d stra n g e st facts abou t group studies.
L ea rn in g groups collect aro u n d a n in d iv id u al or a doctrine, or
both. B ecause v irtu a lly all h u m a n actions are m o tiv ated by greed
or fea r ('w hip or c a rro t’), th e se are th e m a in sp rin g s of all study-
groups. B u t th e se n eg ativ e ch aracteristics, a lth o u g h th e y alone
caused th e in d iv id u als to find, e n te r an d p e rsist in th e group, a re a
d istin c t b a rrie r to learn in g . T h e level of greed an d fear, because
th e se em otions d istu rb th e le a rn in g an d 'd ig estin g ’ processes,
m u st be reduced to to lerab le proportions. It is alw ays h ard , an d
som etim es im possible, to do th is w ith o u t in tro d u cin g new people
w ho have low er th a n av e rag e levels of th ese two ch aracteristics.
S uch people a re alm o st alw ays found in th e g en e ral population,
n o t m ain ly in te reste d in th e 's p iritu a l’ purpose of th e group w hich
th e ir presence can help. T he only m ethod of a ttra c tin g th e m to th e
group in ord er for th em to fulfil th is function is if th e y a re contac
ted an d in te re ste d on a n o rd in ary 'h u m a n ,’ not greed- or
fear-based footing.
T his is th e paradox. T his, too, is a rea l reason for people who a re
'm ag n e tise d ’ in to an esoteric or sp iritu a l gro u p in g to e sta b lish
lin es in to th e g en eral p opulation w hich a re in a re a s an d on
subjects free from th e bia s of th e group. T he e x te n t to w hich th is
can be done w ill d eterm in e th e fu tu re of th e group an d th e in te ra c
tio n of th e com m itted 'g ro u p ists’ an d th e m em bers of th e g en eral
population. E ach provides so m eth in g w hich th e o th e r lacks.
T h ro u g h th e ir in te ractio n a h e a lth y com m unity m ay form.
N eith er, on its own, w ill be able to develop in to a m ore advanced
organism .
91
If m em bers of th e group are u n ab le to accept th a t th e ir progress
depends on those w hom th e y often te n d to re g a rd as less th a n
elite, they w ill become a n arro w sociological group, w ith h ig h ly
a tte n u a te d , even lost, po ten tial. If th e m em bers of th e popu latio n
a t larg e (the o th e r category in th e twofold process bein g discussed)
look ask an ce a t th e group-m inded people, their own in su la rity w ill
increase an d th e ir p o ten tia l even for m a in ta in in g th e ir situ a tio n
w ill be im paired. T he reason for th is is th a t, as w ith , say, a
chem ical process, th e influence exercised on each elem e n t by th e ir
h av in g been b ro u g h t into contact can n o t be abolished by fa ilu re to
sy m p ath ise or to continu e in contact.
T he refu sal to accept th a t th e re m ay be m e rit, or even decisive
valu e, in o th e rs outside th e ir ra n k s can poison th e prospects of
th o se who reject th is inform ation. F a ilu re to ta k e sufficiently
seriously th e in h e re n t v alu e of a sp iritu a l group (which h a s shed
th e very factors w hich b ro u g h t it to g e th e r in th e first place in
favour of th e real, deeper u n ify in g factor beyond) h a s a sim ila r
adverse effect on th e 'o u tsid e’ or unco m m itted scoffer.
M ost groups, since th e y a re too strongly rooted in selfishness
an d hope an d fear, an d because th e y a re alm o st n ev e r o rganised
by specialists, fail to rea ch th e stag e w here th e tran sfo rm a tio n
alre ad y referred to m ay ta k e place an d produce th e group w hich
can now be called a le a rn in g organism .
Learn What is
adv Known
Som eone says: 'If people need som eth in g in th e w ay o f know l
edge, an d if th ey som ehow can n o t ta k e ad v a n ta g e of teac h in g , can
th e y be helped by being given in d ire ct teach in g ? O r could it even
be th a t th is m ig h t be th e only w ay to teach such people?’
T his is a q u estion asked by som eone who h as read all m y books.
T he exact situ atio n , an d its an sw er, is given in The Way of the
Sufi*, in a q u o tatio n from al-G hazzali.
W hy, th e n w as th e questio n asked?
Som eone else w an ts to know w h e th e r beliefs or experiences can
h av e a p p a ren tly d ifferen t m e an in g s according to one’s psychologi
cal or sp iritu a l stag e, an d w h e th e r th is fact m ay n o t be th e cause
*The Way of the Sufi, Penguin edition: p.61;
92

of seem ing contradiction s in m etap h y sical teaching.
T his precise question, even to th e fact th a t it is in tw o p a rts and
th a t th ey are in th is order, is in th e C ounsels of B ah au d in , tr a n s
la ted by m e and reproduced in Thinkers of the East* - only it is
given in th e form of a n an sw er, a n affirm ation.
T he q u estio n er h as rea d th a t book. W hy, th e n , do we g et th e
question?
A th ird qu estio n er ask s w h eth e r tru e m ystical te ac h ers m ay be
'in v isib le’ to some people in th e sense th a t such people can n o t
rea lise th e ir w orth. T hey m ay be m ista k e n for people engaged in
som e o th e r en terp rise. W h at th e y a re teach in g , an d its m ethods,
m ay be im agined to be some m u n d an e activity, even.
T his m a tte r is explained, in alm o st th e very sam e term s, in th e
in stan ce of C h a rk h i an d his U ncle, in m y Wisdom of the Idiots*.
I h av e asce rta in e d th a t o u r q u estio n er h as in fact rea d th a t book.
How is it, th e n , th a t th e sta te m e n t becomes a question?
T his does p oint to a ce rta in common fea tu re of m uch h u m a n b e
haviour. People h ear, read , experience th in g s (such as th ese pieces
of inform ation) and th e y do n o t dig est them . S u bsequently, like
c e rta in conditions of physical non-digestion, th e m a te ria l surfaces
again. W h at th ese th re e people’s m inds are rea lly say in g by
re p e a tin g th is inform atio n in a so rt of w ak in g -d ream fashion, is
'you hav e not paid a tte n tio n to th is inform ation - look a t it ’. B u t it
is rea lly being said to th e person h im self or herself: n o t to me.
B ecause, how ever, of a fa ilu re to go back to th e lite ra tu re to find
an sw ers to questions, to lay th e se ghosts of ideas, th e se people
succum b to th e com pulsion of ask in g th e question from others.
You see th is beh av io u r in children: w hen th e y ask qu estio n s
th a t th e y could hav e answ ered them selves, w ith a little th o u g h t.
In th e a d u lt it is a sym ptom of som eone who is n o t ta k in g th e
tro u b le to try to do his own th in k in g . In th e process, of course, he is
in fact u sin g th e person whom he q uestions as a su b stitu te for
doing th is w ork. E xperience shows (which is w hy I m ak e so m uch
of this) t h a t people who h av e n o t tro u b led th em selv es to absorb in
form ation from read ily av a ila b le sources a n d who in ste a d con
tin u e ask in g questions from o th e rs in th is w ay do n o t profit from
th e answ ers. The reaso n is th a t th e effort of looking for th e an sw er
and reg isterin g it is p a r t of th e le a rn in g process. To apply for a n
answ er, to get it too easily, alm o st alw ay s re su lts in th is in d i
vidual a g a in failin g to d ig est th e m a te ria l.
If som eone ask s you a question, an d you help h im to find o u t for
him self, or if a s tu d e n t you send h im to a dictionary or rese arch
source, you do th is because you know th a t th is principle is correct,
* Thinkers of the East, Penguin edition: p.188 (Eighth Counsel);
Wisdom of the Idiots, Octagon edition: p.57-8, ’Charkhi and his Uncle’.
93

n o t because you w eary o f te llin g him . By co n trib u tin g h is own
in te llig en t effort, he learn s.
Donkey
Q: I have heard o f people who have spent time with Sufis and
who have not made progress with them. Leaving the Sufis, they
have associated with other spiritual teachers, where they have
found happiness. What does this mean?
A: We h av e h e a rd — How often hav e I h e a rd th a t!
V ery w ell, then: hav e you h e a rd of a ta le by R um i, describing
such a situ a tio n as you m ention:
T h ere w as once a poor ass, who lived w ith a h u m b le m a n an d
w orked for him . T he ass w as underfed, b u t it w as alive. O ne d ay
th e ch ief of a K in g ’s sta b le s took p ity on th e poor ass an d h a d it
b ro u g h t in to h is care for a tim e, so th a t it m ig h t be fed a n d cared
for along w ith th e royal horses.
T he poor donkey could n o t h elp c o n tra stin g its m iserab le s ta te
w ith th e splendid condition of th e noble A rab horses of th e S u lta n .
It called upon God, as k in g w hy th e re w as such a difference in th e ir
respective states.
N ot long afterw ard s, how ever, cam e a w ar. T h e A rab s w ere
ta k e n aw ay an d re tu rn e d te rrib ly m u tila te d , w ith arro w s stick in g
into th e m an d covered w ith bandages. Som e did n o t re tu rn a t all.
T h is sight, of course, w as th e an sw er to th e a s s’s question.
You can n o t ju d g e a n y th in g a t a ll w ith o u t h a v in g th e co n tex t in
w hich it h a s its being.
Nail or Screw?
P eople co n tin u ally a rriv e sa y in g th a t th e y h av e stu d ied th is
an d th a t, an d it h a s not satisfied them . T hey hav e w orked u n d e r
so-and-so, b u t he proved u n su ita b le - or died - an d th e y w en t to
som eth in g else. T hey th o u g h t th is an d trie d th a t, an d (finally, of
course, th o u g h I don’t know how, w ith such a record, th e y can
94
expect anyone to believe it) th e y have arriv ed a t my door.
I t is th e ir conviction th a t all th e se tria ls an d trib u la tio n s, all
th e se problem s an d false s ta rts, m ak e up a m ore or less co h eren t
whole: th ey w ere all h ead in g tow ards th e sam e th in g . W ell, it m ay
be so. In any case it is q u ite am azin g (if th e y a re n o t ra tio n a lisin g
th e ir inefficiency and in a b ility to learn ) th a t som eth in g should
h av e so guided th e m th a t th e y won’t allow th a t a single w rong
decision w as m ade. Some of th e m h av e been badly m aim ed by
th e ir experiences.
As for th e others, nobody seem s to h av e told th e m th e old joke:
'T h ere is one w ay to discover w h e th e r you need a n ail or a screw
in a p lan k . D rive th e n ail in. If it sp lits th e wood - you needed a
screw!’
Washerwomen
Two scholars w ere talk in g . O ne said: 'You know th a t Sufi who
lives in th e n ex t tow n? My opinion is th a t he does n o t v isit us
because h e fears th a t o u r su p e rio r m inds w ill refu te h is v a n itie s.’
T he o th e r said: 'T h a t m ay w ell be so, b u t I can n o t h elp feeling
th a t h e w ill in fact come h ere, because h e w ill w a n t to deceive us
an d g ain m ore converts.’
T hey decided, th ro u g h curiosity, to v isit him , an d so th e follow
in g w eek th e y atten d e d his ev en in g m eeting. T he Sufi, how ever,
h a d been forew arned ab o u t th e ir conversation.
W hen th e two scholars en tered , th e Sufi said to th em : T am glad
t h a t you hav e come to see me, for you m ay be able to h elp m e w ith
a problem w hich h as been exercising m y m in d .’
'A nd w h at, pray, is th a t? ’ th e y asked.
'W ell’ said th e Sufi, T h av e been w ondering a b o u t th e widow
w om an w ho lives in th e n e x t stre e t. S he does n o t show herself, and
it m ay be t h a t sh e is afraid th a t th e sig h t of h e r w ill m ak e us
rea lise th a t she is try in g to a ttr a c t a tte n tio n . O n th e o th e r h an d ,
an d th is is m y problem , I can n o t be su re th a t h e r absence is calcu
la ted to increase our curiosity, an d th a t she is even now p la n n in g
to em erge: to m ak e u s discuss h e r.’
'W h a t dreadful gossip is this?* sp lu ttered th e first scholar; w hile
h is com panion w as too shocked to m ak e an y com m ent a t all.
T can n o t see w hy you ta k e m y preoccupations so ill’ said th e
95
Sufi, 'because th e y w ere specifically p la n n ed to accord w ith
w asherw om en’s m in d s— ’
Knowledgeability of the
Audience
D ishonest or self-deluded preach ers, p ro p ag a n d ists and
te ac h ers depend for th e ir success upon th e co m p arativ e ignorance
of th e ir audiences.
O ur m ain problem , how ever, is th e re la tiv e 'know
led g eab ility ’ of th e audience; because th ey know a few th in g s, sel
ectively ta u g h t th e m , th e y are com pelled to ju d g e u s by th e se
th in g s.
So we have to teach basic facts, inform ation, possible p o in ts of
view, w ith o u t being able to ta k e th e m for g ran te d , because th e se
are so lacking.
S om etim es I feel like a g ara g e m an told by th e ow ner of a
vehicle: 'I w a n t you to get t h a t c a r sta rte d ,’ an d am faced w ith th e
u n p le a sa n t ta s k of te llin g him th e fact: 'Y our tro u b le is th a t you
h av e got to le arn how to d riv e.’
What
A c e rta in k in g w as confused by th e grow ing n u m b e r an d v a rie ty
of dervishes in h is dom ain. H e called h is Council of M in isters an d
se n t th em , in deep disguise, am ong th e people of th e Sufi p hilos
ophy, to stu d y th e m an d to report.
H is in stru c tio n s w ere: 'F in d o u t w h a t th e se people are lik e ’.
D isguised as clerics, soldiers, fria rs, m e rc h an ts, stu d e n ts an d
farm ers, th e m em bers of th e Council of M in isters (and a m u ltitu d e
of th e ir agents) sp en t five y ea rs in th e ir in v estig atio n s.
E ach rep o rted sep arate ly , in w ritin g , d irec t to th e K ing.
W hen he opened th e le tte rs, h e found th a t every sin g le one con
ta in e d th e words: 'You a sk w h a t th e se people are like. I h av e to
rep o rt th a t th ey are no t lik e anyone or a n y th in g else in th is
w orld.’
96

Samples
People te n d not only to assess u n fa m ilia r th in g s in te rm s of
th e ir own experience, b u t also in te rm s of p a rts of th e ir experience
w hich th ey im ag in e m u st be re le v a n t to th e case. T hey do th is
because th e y w a n t to g ain som ething, r a th e r th a n because th ey
w a n t to know som ething.
T his, indeed, is th e m a in w ay in w hich we can assess th e se
people: Do th ey w an t to ta k e or do th e y w an t to know?
T his is illu stra te d by th e anecdote of th e Sufi who w as
approached by a businessm an , who w anted to be show n m iracles.
T am a com m ercial m a n ,’ he said. 'And, of course, if I am to
accept som ething, I hav e to see a sam ple first. W hy should you n o t
show m e one of your m iracles?’
T he Sufi said: 'It is n o t possible accu rately to p u t w h a t we a re
doing into com m ercial term s, b u t we can ap p ro x im ate to your
ideas an d still show you th a t you a re greedy, n o t studious.
'O urs, in your phraseology, is a "non-com m odity b u sin ess”. T his
m ean s th a t you can hav e references a tte s tin g to th e usefu ln ess of
o u r service - b u t sam ples, no!’
Road to Khorasan
T h ere w as a tim e, in th e M iddle E ast, w hen th e d escen d an ts of
th e P ro p h et w ere h u n te d down like w ild an im als, suspected of
treaso n , ca p tu red an d killed, for no o th e r reaso n th a n th e ir
ancestry.
A story is told of a rela tiv e of ours d u rin g th a t tim e, who w as a
Sufi of hig h rep u te, an d a m a n w hose honour w as everyw here
respected. U n fo rtu n ately , of course, he w as of such origins as to
arouse th e h a tre d an d th e active opposition of th e a u th o ritie s of
th e tim e.
H e decided th a t it w as not for him to go in to hiding, an d th a t it
97

w ould not be su itab le for h im to flee, as being co n tra ry to th e
m a n n ers of dervishes. So he p resen ted h im se lf to th e co u rt of th e
C aliph.
T he C aliph w as a t first su rp rised a t such a m eek su rre n d er; b u t
u ltim a te ly he issued a d e a th -w a rra n t, w hich h e h an d ed to th e
ca p ta in of th e guard, saying, 'You Sayeds are a fu n n y lot; b u t if
you seek m artyrdom , I am glad to g ra n t it.’
T he S ayed said: T have su rre n d e re d m yself, th u s reliev in g y our
m en of m uch tro u b le in se arch in g for me. W ill you in exchange
allow m e to p rese n t m yself perso n ally to th e executioner?'
T he C alip h se n t h im off, accom panied by a couple of sta lw a rt
guards. T he p a rty m ade its w ay to th e h u g e open c a ra v a n se ra i
w here th e Public E x ecu tio n er w as s ittin g w ith h is m inions aro u n d
a n enorm ous bonfire.
T he Sayed said to th e g u ard s: 'Now le t m e approach th e E xecu
tio n e r m yself, for it is no t fittin g th a t a m a n of m y ra n k who h a s
su rre n d ered h im self should be tre a te d w ith o u t d ig n ity a t such a
m om ent as th is /
T he g u a rd s agreed, an d w aited u n til th e y h ad seen th e Sayed
p re se n t h im self to th e E xecutioner. T hen th ey w ithdrew .
T he E xecutioner, recognising h is captive, said: 'So, I h av e a
custom er to n ig h t, by th e order of th e C aliph, h ave I?’
T he Sayed th rew h is O rd er of E xecution into th e fire w ith o u t
show ing it to th e o th e r m an . T hen h e shouted: 'I h av e come of m y
own free w ill, as you see, unescorted. A nd I hav e been to th e
C aliph. A nd I hav e th ro w n th e O rd er in to th e fire. I m ay h av e s u r
rendered, b u t I refuse to be exiled to K h o rasan !’
'Y ou can n o t refuse an y th in g !’ ro ared th e E xecutioner. T sh all
n o t fail to execute m y m a ste r’s desire!’
A nd, in stea d of executin g th e Sayed, h e h an d ed him over to th e
Royal S tab les to be given horses an d a n escort. By th e fa ste st
possible rela y s of an im als an d g u ard s, h e w as conveyed from th e
lan d of th e A rabs to th e fu rth e st borders of K h o ra san , m o d em
A fg h an istan , w here he w as abandoned - in exile.
Service
A t th e court of th e K h a n of P a g h m a n a n oblem an ask ed a
h u m b le m an (whom he envied because th e K h an h ad honoured
him ):
98
'Is it tra d itio n a l in yo u r fam ily to serve illu strio u s ru le rs, o r are
you th e first of y our line to enjoy th is distin ctio n ?’
T he m a n replied:
'M y ancestors w ere m en of honour; th e y did n o t h av e such lowly
asp ira tio n s as to desire th e com panionship of m o n arch s.’
The noblem an persisted:
'O u r K h an s a re S harifs (descendants of th e P rophet) an d Sufis.
Do your people n o t feel honoured, as we do, by th e m ere oppor
tu n ity to serve th e elect?’
The h um ble m a n said:
'O u r fam ily h av e h ith e rto n o t h ad such h ig h asp iratio n s. I am
th e first of m y line to hav e th e te m e rity to hope to serve such
people,
AS
O ne of th e n in e tee n th -c e n tu ry N aw abs of S a rd h a n a w as
show ing h is horses to a v isito r w hen th e m an said:
T w ish I w as as rich as you!’
A lthough he w as a foreigner, an d th erefo re n o t aw a re of th e
code of th e Sayeds, th e N aw ab, w hen h e left, p rese n ted h im w ith
p rese n ts co n stitu tin g h is e n tire fortune. Y ears w ere to pass before
th e e s ta te w as able to recover from th is single ac t of generosity.
Som eone said to th e N aw ab:
'D id you h av e to adopt such a reckless course?’
H e said:
'To be false to m y tra d itio n s would hav e been im possible.
Som eone asked today w hy we b o th e r ourselves to try to im p a rt
Sufi le a rn in g to th e unw o rth y . I t is because th e y a sk us. Do you
n o t know th e story of ou r illu strio u s ancestor, A li, th e son-in-law
of th e P rophet?
'In b a ttle , A li sh a tte re d th e sword of a n enem y w arrio r, who
stood helpless, w aitin g to be cu t down, b u t a t th e sam e tim e
sh o u tin g in h is fury: "G ive m e a sw ord and I w ill d estroy you!”
'A li h anded h im h is own sword, leav in g h im self w ith o u t any
m ean s of defence. H is enem y, w hen he h ad recovered from his
su rp rise, asked:
"How can you h an d yo u r only sword, in th e m iddle of a b a ttle , to
99

th e m an who h ates you an d is try in g to destroy you?”
'A li said:
"It is th e fam ily tra d itio n th a t nobody ask s one of us for som e
th in g in v ain .”
'W e only know th is story today because th a t sam e m a n refused
to kill a m an like A li.’
Word can
Three Things...
O ne of m y choicest m em ories is w hen I tra n sla te d into P e rsia n a
couplet from Hafiz. It h ad been quoted in E n g lish by a d is
tin g u ish ed E nglish ju d g e whom an associate an d I w ere
co n sulting about som ething. T he ju d g e said: 'These lin es h av e
alw ay s im pressed me by th e ir clarity: p u t th e m in to P e rsian ag a in
for y our friend.’
T he A fghan Sufi who h ad ju s t arriv ed in E n g la n d w as q u ite
am azed.
'Do you say th a t th is m a n is a judge?’ he asked me.
I said th a t he w as, an d th a t he h ad also ta u g h t law.
'A sk him if th e re is an y m ore in th e se lin es th a n th e se n tim e n ts
w hich he ad m ires’ said th e fascinated Sufi.
No, th e re w as no m ore, said th e legist.
T he Sufi now quoted a ta le from Rum i:
'A w ord,’ said a g ra m m a ria n to a dervish, 'can be only one of
th re e th in g s .’ The dervish a t once sta rte d to howl an d ren d h is
g arm en ts. W hen he h ad calm ed h im self a little , he exclaim ed:
'A nd to th in k th a t I h ad alw ays hoped th a t th e re m ig h t be
an o th e r th in g th a n those!’
H is H onour, as soon as th e sto ry w as finished, seem ed slig h tly
restless. 'W h a t did you say H is Excellency w as?’
'M aster of th e Royal A fghan M int, in K ab u l,’ I told him .
'O h, I se e___O ne of th e se com plicated custom ers, w h at?’
100

Croaker
Q: If, as you say, rituals are fossilized exercises, and that litera
ture or practices outlive their usefulness, how do you explain why
they are so tenaciously held by so many people? They must fulfil a
function which is valuable, surely ___
A: If people w a n t som ething, it does n o t m ean th a t th e th in g is
good for them , or even th a t it is fulfilling a function w hich is in
fact useful or irreplaceable.
T h ere is a story about th is, w hich h a s been found to be a very
good rem edy a g a in st try in g to g e t som ething useful out of som e
th in g useless, even harm fu l.
T here w as once a tow nee who w en t to a food sta ll to buy a flap of
b read w ith w atercress in it, w hich w as being sold by a co u n try
m an. As he p u t th e bread to h is m outh, a frog le a p t out an d
sq u a tte d on th e ground. T he tow nsm an, who h ad n ev e r seen a frog
before, b e n t down and picked it up. The frog croaked, 'Ghar-gharl’
'Ghar or no ghar ’ said th e tow nsm an, 'you are going back in to
th is bread. I paid good m oney for you, a fte r all!’
Q: What is wrong with following one - or even several - of the

spiritual paths which are so richly available and which offer such a
wealth o f satisfactions, as we know by experience of them?
A: W ealth an d riches, th e te rm s you use, c o n stitu te a good
in tro d u ctio n to th e p arab le w hich an sw ers th is question:
T h ere w as once a m iser who p u t all h is money, as it cam e in
from h is shop, in to a cavity betw een th e w all of h is house an d th a t
of his neighbour, coin by coin, th ro u g h a sm all hole w hich he h ad
m ade for th e purpose.
T his p ractice even increased his greed, an d he craved even
rich er satisfactio n s u n til he not only sp e n t n o th in g a t a ll b u t con
triv ed to v isit his neighb o u r a t 6very m eal-tim e, so th a t he could
e a t free of all cost to him self. T am , a fte r a ll,’ he told him self,
'rep ay in g him by m ean s of m y com pany: and, anyw ay, he lik es to
be ch a ritab le an d to feed w hom ever is in h is house w h en m eals are
served.’
101

H e even sold his business, an d p u t all th e proceeds into th e w all,
deriv in g g re a t p leasu re from h is generous frie n d ’s nev er-en d in g
h o sp itality .
W hen, afte r m any years, th e m a n n e x t door died, th e m iser
broke into h is hoard, to find th a t th e n eighbour h ad robbed it: he
h ad been e a tin g h is own m oney—
So ask y o u rself w h eth e r th e ’w e a lth of sa tisfactio n s’ w hich you
can obtain from a sp iritu a l p a th (or from a n o th e r source of
stim ulu s) is in any w ay of th e n a tu re of th e m iser’s ___
The More the Better

Q: Sufi teachers often say that you should not do spiritual exer
cises on your own. They also say that teachers who make everyone
do the same exercise are ignorant, and can even cause harm. Why is
this, since doing such exercises is a part o f all devotional systems?
A. In th e first place, it is not a p a r t of all devotional system s. I t
is a p a rt of all system s a t th e sta g e w hen th e y h av e d eterio rate d
from correct application of exercises to au to m atism . E ven th e
'tea ch e rs’ do not know th is. As to th e reason, Sufis don’t allow it
because it does cause h arm , obsession an d im a g in a tio n in ste a d of
en lig h te n m en t. B u t you can n o t know th is u n til you h av e
experienced th e a ltern ativ e . You will h ave to rely upon correct in
form ation an d listen to a ta le ab o u t it:
T h ere w as once a m osquito who decided to k ill a proud horse.
She said to th e horse: 'If anyone could k ill you, th e m ost pow erful
b ea st anyw here, w ould such a n ind iv id u al be even g re a te r th a n
you?’
T he horse answ ered: 'C erta in ly . B ut, of course, th e re is no w ay
of k illin g meY
T hen th e m osquito stu n g him . B u t th is w as n o th in g b u t a
p inprick to th e horse. T he m osquito w as am bitious, b u t could n o t
th in k w h a t n ex t to do. T il go to th e h a re ’ she said to herself,
'because he is w ise an d people say th a t he know s how to help one
a tta in his d esire.’
T he h are, w hen questioned, said: 'B an d all your m osquitos
to g eth er, act in unison, stin g a g a in and ag ain , an d you a re bound
to succeed.’
So th e insect called all h e r friends, an d th e y listened to th e w ise
102
w ords of th e h are, an d w ere in sp ired to a tta in th is d esire of over
com ing th e horse. T hey se t o u t in an enorm ous sw arm , found th e
horse, an d s tu n g him to death.
N a tu ra lly , th e m osquitos w ere delighted a t th e ir success. They
w en t back to th e h a re an d told him , an d all th e o th e r a n im als s u r
ro u n d in g th e h a re a t his daily co u rt w ere eq u ally im pressed, an d
m an y enrolled them selv es as h is disciples. Nobody, of course,
th o u g h t to ask w h at h ad been achieved in rea lity .
Now each of th e m osquitos im agined h im self to be a cham pion.
T hey dispersed in all directions an d stu n g ev e ry th in g in sight.
F rom th a t day to th is th e y h av e nev er m an ag ed to k ill an y th in g
by m ean s of th e ir stin g s alone. Now and a g a in a cloud of m os
quitos k ills som e an im al, an d th is keeps th e legend alive, in some
circles, th a t th e re is som eth in g to be gain ed by stin g in g , an d th a t
th e m osquito is th e g re a te st th in g in creatio n - a fte r th e h are ,
w hich advised it in th e first place.
Who is at Fault?
Q: I have been studying under (a certain person) and I am dis
enchanted with him. His obsessions and those of his followers
cause me pain. What should 1 do?
A: W h at you should do depends upon w h at you a re like. T h ere
m ay be n o th in g w hich you can do. T h ere is a story of a th ie f who
robbed a m an of a n u m b e r of coins. W hen he trie d to buy som e
th in g w ith th e m , th ey w ere found to be counterfeit. As he w as
being led to th e scaffold a fte r conviction for try in g to pass false
coin, he saw th e m an w hom h e h a d robbed, an d called o u t th a t he
w as th e cause of h is ru in .
T his h a s given rise to th e proverb: 'Do not steal, if you do n b t
w a n t to be h an g ed .’
You can n o t ju s t choose one e v e n t in a succession of h ap p en in g s
an d claim red ress on th a t basis.
103

Pleasant and Unpleasant
Q: fWhy do Sufis often make people uncomfortable, or even
hostile, by what they say and do V
A: If you are a surgeon la n cin g a boil, an d it h u rts, does th e
p a tie n t say, 'W hy am I being m ade uncom fortable?’ or 'W h a t is
being done is a m ean s to an en d ’?
Q: But if Sufis are releasing the [pus of the mind’, why do they
so often give pleasure?
A: If a doctor p u ts you on a delicious diet, do you th e n say,
'W hy h av e I been prescribed such delicious apricots?’ You know
th a t it is because th e y co n tain a n u tritio n or rem edy w hich you
need. T he p le a sa n t or u n p le a sa n t ta ste , th e experience, is in cid en
tal.
104

6
IN WESTERN GARB. ■ ■
Sufis in the West
Q: Surely your importation into the West o f Oriental ideas,
through Sufi thought and literature, must be seen only as the
invasion of a foreign system, like the recent introduction o f Hindu,
Buddhist and Chinese ones, and nothing o f permanent influence?
I f the Sufi forms and concepts indeed had the power to penetrate
Western thought, surely they would have done so long ago?
A: I do not know w h a t you m ean by 'long ago’. It is tru e , accord
in g to th e Oxford E n g lish D ictionary, th a t th e w ord 'D e rv ish ’
ap p ears in th e lan g u ag e only in 1585, th e w ord 'F a k ir’ (o rig in ally
A rabic for th e P e rsia n 'D e rv ish ’) as la te a s 1609, an d th e te rm
'Sufi’ cam e h ere in 1653. 'Sufism ’ its e lf is first found in th e n in e
te e n th century. T h is currency, how ever, is a lre ad y fa r e a rlie r
th a n m an y of th e in te lle c tu a l a n d o th e r concepts w hich a re in th e
m a in stre a m of W estern th o u g h t. A nd e a rlie r th a n rec en t
'O rie n ta l’ im ports.
B u t we h av e h ard ly sta rte d . G hazzali (died 1111) th e g re a t Sufi
of Ira n , w as so in flu en tial w ith th e E u ro p e an (including E nglish)
M edieval th in k e rs th a t h e w as a c tu a lly im ag in ed to be an
e m in e n t C h ristia n theologian; w hile Roger Bacon w as te a c h in g
Sufi ideas a t th e U n iv ersity of O xford soon a fte r its foundation.
T he F ran ciscan s, D ante, C h aucer a n d m an y of th e W estern
m ystics of m any cen tu ries ago h av e been show n by E u ro p e an
scholars them selves to h ave depended upon Sufi m a te ria ls. In
som e cases th ey a c tu a lly copied from Sufi textbooks.
I do n o t th in k th a t th e re is an y p a ra lle l to th is a n c ie n t presence
o f histo rical Sufism in th e W est in an y of th e 'O rie n ta l’ system s
you m ention. We build on th a t foundation, p lu s th e p re se n t s ta te
o f W estern society an d th o u g h t. W h at th e 'O rie n ta ls’ a re doing, it
is up to th e m to display and assert.
A s for m y intro d u cin g Sufi ideas, you should rem em b er th a t
th e re is a n asto n ish in g ly la rg e n u m b er of books an d m onographs
stu d y in g Sufism , en tire ly p rep ared by W estern scholars, cen
tu rie s before I b ro u g h t th e se m a te ria ls to th e W est. My a c tiv ity is
n o t introduction, b u t ex p lan a tio n an d upd atin g .
Sufi activ ity , it could be claim ed, h as been rooted in th e W est for
longer th a n m ost ideas w hich a re said to be 'W e stern ’.
107

Reasons
Q: What is the reason for the way in which your materials are
projected in print?I mean, why do you translate some material, re
present other portions, use Eastern similes in some and Western
psychological terminology and insights in others?
A: T here are tw o criteria: (1) W h at m a te ria ls h av e to be pro
jected a t th e p rese n t tim e to have th e m axim um useful effect, an d
(2) who can absorb th em and in w h a t form at?
Sufic m a te ria ls are alw ays p resen ted in accordance w ith th e
possibilities. T his is because Sufism is n o t archaeology or h ag io
g rap h y (how ever m uch it m ay resem ble th e m to those who look no
fu rth e r) b u t effect. E a ste rn sim iles w hich a re still viable both in
th e E a st an d W est a re used because of th is v iability. S uperseded
m a te ria ls are not re g u rg ita te d ju s t because th e y h av e been used
in form er tim es. M a teria ls are re-p resen ted if th is can be usefully
done. ’W estern ’ psychological term inology an d in sig h ts a re
useful, so th e y are used.
Look a t th e resu lts. T he p u blished m a te ria ls a re re a d an d
accepted in both th e E a st an d W est; by sc ien tists as w ell as theolo
gians, by o rd in ary rea d e rs in ad d itio n to sp ecialists of all kinds. In
a word, th e p rese n tatio n is effective.
If th e re w ere no o rig in a tin g im pulse from w hich th e m a te ria l
comes an d w hich ind icates how it m ay be used, we would be forced
to p rese n t Sufi m a te ria ls lik e you would an y o th e r dead corpus of
lore: you would re a rra n g e , p ru n e an d p re se n t in accordance w ith
subjective assessm ents. We do not h av e to do th is, since th e
m a te ria l its e lf provides th e guidance to those who can descry it.
T he question, how ever, illu stra te s th e m ind of th e q u estio n e r
m ore th a n a n y th in g else; for it presupposes th a t Sufi m a te ria ls
are like those of an y o th e r p u rsu it, capable of bein g m a n ip u la te d
by ru le or w him . H ad th e q u estio n er ta k e n into consideration th e
Sufi fact th a t th e T eaching d eterm in es its m ethod of p rese n tatio n ,
he w ould not have needed to ask th e question.
108

Folk-Memory
Q: Traditions die hard, and folk-memory retains many truths
which are not known by scholars. Is it not worth investigating the
psychological and mystical procedures of supposedly primitive
peoples, for forgotten knowledge?
A: F irs t, forgotten by whom? I am not aw are of an y 'psycho
logical an d m y stical’ know ledge being needed an d hence so u g h t
for re trie v a l from anyon e u n til th e ex istin g m a te ria ls h av e been
used. Y our question is th e sam e as th e old one ab o u t in v e n tin g th e
w heel. Som eone who know s n o th in g ab o u t th e w heel m ay s ta r t to
q u estio n w h eth e r th e re is p erh a p s not such a tra d itio n in some p ri
m itiv e region. B u t h as he (or she) ask ed th e en g in ee rs if th e y ever
h e a rd of it?
Secondly, folk-know ledge is tw o sided. Some of it is supposed to
go back th o u sa n d s of years. V ery well. Now look a t this:
'T he problem is who or w h a t th e clock, w hich is over 50 y e a rs
old, com m em orates. O ne group of h isto ria n s a re a d a m a n t th a t it
w as erected in 1916 as a W ar M em orial, w h ereas a n o th e r group
assu re m e it com m em orates th e discovery of p asteu rise d m ilk .’*
In sixty-tw o y ears or so, even scholars ca n ’t ag ree w hy a public
clock w as p u t up in B rita in .
T he th ird point, of course, is th e 'h isto ria n s’. W ho is to do th is
in v e stig a tin g of th e folk-m em ory? O nly people who know w h a t
th e y a re looking for, n o t ju s t a n o th e r group of scholars who will
d isag ree w ith one an o th er. O ur en te rp rise is ex p e rien ta l, w hich
m ean s am ong o th e r th in g s th a t w h at is discovered is factu al an d
n o t susceptible to v ary in g ex p lan atio n s.
‘Men are not Rats!’

W hen Pavlov show ed th a t dogs could be conditioned, one re to rt
o f th e tim e w as 'M en a re not dogs’.
Be th a t as it m ay, social and d rin k in g h ab its am ong m en - in
*Quoted by V. Wood, from Kincardineshire Courier and Advertiser, and reprinted
in Punch, London, s.v. 'Country Life’, 14 June 1978, p. 969.
109

th e W est a t an y r a te - h av e been show n in th e lab o rato ry to
resem ble th e behaviour of r a ts r a th e r closely.
T he psychologist G aylord E lliso n t h a s d em o n strate d t h a t w hen
ra ts a re offered alcohol, rec re atio n an d food, in circum stances
sim ila r to those afforded m an, th e y te n d to adopt sim ila r form s of
behaviour.
T he im portance of th is stu d y is th a t it helps to approach th e
question of w h eth e r 'social’ an d 'c u ltu ra l’ b eh av io u r is in fact
derived from th e an im al side of m an.
W ith in a few days of being p u t in to th e ir 'h u m an -ty p e’ se ttin g ,
th e r a ts developed p a tte rn s w hich m im ic those of W estern people.
T hey w ent to th e alcohol d ispensers, as do E u ro p ean s an d A m eri
cans, a t a pre-m eal 'cocktail h o u r.’ C oncurrently, a g a in a s w ith
h u m a n s in a sim ila r situ atio n , th e y com bined th is w ith social
activity . A lthough th e alcoholic d rin k s (or w ater) w ere av a ila b le
to th em , th e y - lik e th e ir h u m a n co u n terp arts - ab sta in e d from
d rin k in g u n til it w as tim e to sleep. As w ith m an y people of th e
W estern cu ltu re, th e y h ad a n alcoholic d rin k before re tirin g .
F rom tim e to tim e, people in th e societies w h ere alcohol is
w idely used throw p a rtie s - d rin k a lot - an d h av e hangovers. So
w ith th e ra ts . O ccasionally th e 'b a r’ becam e a place for a d rin k in g
p arty : all ra ts joined in for th is open house. As w ith h u m a n beings
a fte r a p a rtic u la rly hectic d rin k in g p arty , th e ra ts sp e n t some
days recovering, n o t touching alcohol an d im bibing q u a n titie s o f
w ater.
H u m an s say th a t th ey d rin k alcohol to reduce ten sio n , to be
sociable, to do business w ith th e ir fellow -drinkers, to avoid lo n eli
ness, an d so on. C an it be th e sam e w ith ra ts? H ard ly . T he
ex p lan a tio n seem s th a t some social behaviour, a t least, is rooted
in th e an im al level of behaviour.
Science
Q: Are you opposed to scientists?
A: No. B u t I am opposed to sc ien tists n o t bein g w h a t th e y
th in k th ey are. I once w en t to a lectu re concerned w ith blood
tran sfu sio n s, atten d ed by a scientific audience, w ith a Sufi friend.
T he le c tu re r spoke disp a ra g in g ly of th e 'lin g e rin g folklore beliefs’
tNewsweek, New York, May 8,1978, page 55.

110

am ong o rd in ary people, an d how sc ien tists should w ork a g a in st
th ese. M y frien d req u e ste d p erm issio n to ask a question. W hen h e
w as given it, he tu rn e d to th e audience an d ask ed th e m how m an y
k new to w hich blood group th e y belonged. O n e-q u arte r raise d
th e ir arm s. W hen asked w hich of th e m knew th e ir 'astro lo g ical
su n -sig n ,’ everyone did.
Q: Are people really as stupid as the Sufis make out? I f they

were, how could society function as well as it does? How can one test
whether people really do behave in such an absurd manner as some
o f the people in Sufi stories and teaching narratives do?
A: People rea lly a re as stu p id as th e Sufis m ak e out. Society
w orks as w ell as i t does because n o t everyone is stu p id a ll th e
tim e. T he Sufi en terp rise helps th e m by show ing u p stu p id ity to
fo restall its ap p earan ce a t tim es w hen it blocks u n d ersta n d in g .
T h ere is little need to te s t w h e th e r people re a lly do behave a s th e
ones in sto ries an d n a rra tiv e s, because th e new spapers a re full of
accounts of th is behavio u r, an d hence it is displayed ev ery w h ere
all th e tim e. You do n o t need, a fte r all, to 'te s t’ w h e th e r a ch e rry is
re d - you can see it easily, once you know w h a t red is.
T h ere are, how ever, m an y people who lik e for one reaso n or
a n o th e r to d em o n strate h u m a n stu p id ity . Ja ro sla v H ase k (a u th o r
o f The Good Soldier Schweik) w as one of th ese. H e w rote a n a rtic le
in a zoological jo u rn a l, w hich w as h ig h ly th o u g h t of, a sse rtin g
t h a t elep h a n ts lik ed recorded m usic w h ile tig e rs did not. W hen h e
pu b lish ed a tre a tis e on p reh isto ric fossilized fleas, it w as such a
success t h a t m an y E u rop ean learn ed jo u rn a ls re p rin te d it. W hen
h e adv ertised 'tho ro u g h b re d w erew olves’ for sale, h e w as in u n d a
te d w ith orders for th em . H e p u t on a police un ifo rm an d told th e
R ector of a P ra g u e A cadem y th a t he w as u n d e r a rre st, w hereupon
th e m a n obediently followed h im to a police sta tio n .
By th e se m ean s H ase k show ed th a t people w ill obey th e
sym bols of a u th o rity , t h a t th e y accept w h a t is w ritte n in academ ic
jo u rn a ls, th a t th e y w ill accept even 'w erew olves’ if th e y a re
offered th em , th a t th e y w ill p u b lish trip e a t th e drop of a h at.
A nd m ay I ask you a question? If people w ere n o t as stu p id as
th e y are m ade o u t to be, w ould th e y to le ra te th e k in d s of in d i
111

v id u als an d o rg an isatio n s w hich exploit them ? W ho votes for th e
ly ing an d im probable p o litician s who, rem em ber, a c tu a lly ru le
over so m any of us?
Confusio
and
Q: The appreciation of art must surely be a higher-perceptive
function? When Sufis speak of the secondary self, which is
composed mainly of the emotional and the learnt, do they not use
the artistic sense to break through that barrier, testifying as it does
to images and values far beyond the superficial? Surely everyone is
agreed that artistic perception is on a much higher level than lower
ones?
A: T heoretically th is seem s to be tru e . The Sufis say, how ever,
th a t w h at m ost people ta k e to be a r t is n o t a r t a t all, b u t em otional
an d conditioned sources of stim u li. T his does n o t m ean th a t th e re
is no rea l a rt. It does m ean th a t Sufis hold th a t even acceptedly
ae sth e tic people have confused le a rn t an d au to m atic responses
w ith perception.
Q: This sounds very much like a posture to me. After all, how
can Sufis establish that art experts are superficial?
A: Sufis do not have to estab lish it, as it h a s alread y b een
estab lish ed by th e a r t ex p erts them selves. You w ill recall (in m y
Learning how to Learn) how a m a n who w an ted to get rid of th e
crowd aro u n d V an Gogh’s p ic tu res carved so m eth in g o u t of corned
beef an d m ounted it as 'V an G ogh’s E a r ’, an d by th is s tra ta g e m
a ttra c te d th e art-lo v ers aw ay from th e p ain tin g s. T his w as a proof
th a t a r t lovers, am ong whom w ere su rely some experts, w ere m ore
in te re ste d in w h a t w as in fact corned beef th a n in w h at w as
acceptedly a rt.
B u t if you w a n t a fu rth e r exam ple, th e re is th e one of 'S u n se t
over th e A d riatic’, exhib ited in 1910 a t th e S alon des In d ep en
d a n ts, p ain ted by Boronali. A n A u stria n collector b o u g h t th e
canvas, a fte r it h ad received acclaim by th e ex p erts as an o u t
sta n d in g exam ple of th e E xcessivist School. It w as th e n revealed,
by R oland D orgeles an d a group of a rtists, th a t th e p ic tu re h ad
been 'p a in te d ’ by a donkey, to whose ta il a b ru sh h a d been tied.
'B oronali’ w as form ed by a re a rra n g e m e n t of th e le tte rs in th e
n am e of A liboron, th e donkey in L a F o n tain e.
112

M atisse’s p ain tin g , 'L e B a te a u ’ w as h u n g for 47 d ay s a t th e
M useum of M odern A rt in 1961, w hen ab o u t 120,000 people saw it
w ith o u t re a lisin g th a t it w as upside down.
T h ere a re m an y tr u e sto ries of th is kind, w hich su rely go fa r
enough to estab lish th a t a rtistic ap p reciatio n an d 'h ig h e r p erc ep t
io n ’ a re n o t connected in th e k in d of a r t w hich is g en e rally
reg a rd e d as such. No, w h a t is c u rre n tly considered to be a r t does
n o t belong to a n y th in g h ig h e r th a n em otion an d im p lan te d belief:
an d th is h as alre ad y been w ell illu stra te d , no m a tte r w h a t people
m ay im agine.
I h av e m yself, in a ce rta in a r tis t’s studio, w itn essed a crowd of
d istin g u ish e d visitors, in clu d in g e m in e n t critics, ra p tu ro u s over a
bu n d le o f ra g s w hich, a s th e e m b arra sse d m a ste r p a in te r con
fessed, w ere th e pieces of cloth on w hich he w iped h is b ru sh es, an d
n o t w orks of a r t a t a ll___
So th e conclusion seem s to be th e v ery rev erse of w h a t you
believe. I t is possible to illu s tra te th a t w h a t is th o u g h t of as
a rtis tic ap p reciatio n is superficial; or, a t least, is d ep e n d en t upon
u n re lia b le feelings an d social p ressu re. If it w ere to be h eld th a t
th e re is som eth in g 'h ig h e r’ in a rtistic experience, th e onus w ould
be on th o se w ho claim ed it to show th a t th e y h av e excluded th e se
easily d em o n strate d subjective reactions.
Unreal
Q: In L ea rn in g how to L ea rn you write vigorously against such
things as dressing up in ridiculous clothes and carrying out absurd
exercises, and watching fictional spectacles, plus being fascinated
by distorted history. Now, surely, there is a strong interest in reality
and in real life, even the most banal forms of these. Surely this is an
excellent parallel to help to bring people to an interest in the true
reality which lies beyond ordinary reality, and which is the 'most
real of all’? What about the people who watch, for instance, docu
mentary programmes on television1?
A: I am glad th a t you a sk ed th a t. A ta ste for re a lity is c e rta in
ly a m o tif of a ta s te for objective re a lity ; so th a t co m p arativ e
re a lity - o rd in ary life - is a first step. A fter t h a t comes th e
show ing th a t o rd in ary life is n o t rea l b u t perceived subjectively.
B ut: people h av e not y e t become as accustom ed as you m ay
113

im ag in e to seeking reality . T hey still seek fan ta sy m uch m ore. I
am n o t a g a in s t fan tasy , b u t I say th a t th e search for too m uch
fa n ta sy a t th e expense of re a lity gives a n u n b alan ced in ta k e.
I f th e re a re th re e co n cu rren t television program m es, w hich of
th e m w ill g e t th e la rg e st audiences? T he one w hich fe a tu re s
b iz arre dress an d stra n g e physical actions, th e one w hich p re se n ts
a h u m a n life, or th e one w hich is a n em otionally-charged costum e
d ram a? W h a t proportion of each w ill th e p ro g ram m es win?
I w ill n o t ask you to guess a t th e figures, for th e re s u lt w ill
em b arra ss you. We hav e got some figures on this. The P a ris n ew s
p ap e r France Soir ca rrie d o u t a su rv ey o f view ing h ab its. They
h eld a poll to see w hich of th e following w as b ein g w atched one
n ig h t, an d in w h a t proportions:
1. 'It's a K nockout’ - w ith a m ix tu re of sport an d b iz arre dress;
2. A n histo rical costum e d ram a;
3. A docum entary ab o u t th e life of a w om an.
H ere are th e results:
P erce n tag e of view ers w atch in g
'I t’s a K nockout’ - 33%
C ostum e d ram a - 67%
W om an’s life - N IL.
Yes, I said nil.
Disreputable
Q: I see that such writers as Norman Cohn, in his book The
Pursuit o f the Millennium, ascribe the rise o f Christian sects wan
dering about and proclaiming the direct influence o f God, to Sufis
and Sufism. He speaks o f their debauchery, and habit of eating
revolting foodstuffs, and states that they reached Europe and
influenced it, from Moslem Spain. This is not the behaviour which
most people associate with Sufis.
A: C ohn says* th a t Sufism 'seem s to hav e assisted th e grow th
of th e F ree S p irit in C h ristia n E urope. C e rtain ly every one of th e
fea tu re s t h a t characterize d Sufism in tw elfth -cen tu ry S p ain -
even to such d etails as th e p articoloured robes - w ere to be noted
as typical of th e ad ep ts of th e F re e S p irit a ce n tu ry or two la te r.’
♦ Norman Cohn, The Pursuit of the Millennium, London, Paladin, 1972, pp. 151f.
114
A ll publicly-m anifested ac tiv itie s a n d some o th e rs h av e th e ir
im itato rs. T he lu n a tic s w ho go a b o u t in In d ia an d th e W est, ap in g
w h a t th e y ta k e to be th e b eh a v io u r of H indus, influence o th e r
people. A re we therefo re to say t h a t 'th e se people re p re se n t H in d u
influence’? T he can n ib a l who alw ay s sa id grace before e a tin g
people because m issio n arie s h a d ta u g h t h im to do so sho u ld n o t,
su rely , be considered w ith o u t q u alification as a C h ristia n o r even
'u n d e r C h ristia n in flu en ce?
B u t your p o in t is in te re stin g , because we h a v e a v ery sim ila r d e
velopm ent in th e W est today. P a ra lle l w ith a n in c re ase in re a l
Sufic activ ity , th e re a re b an d s of people ro am in g th e stre e ts a n d
filling th e h a lls, en ro llin g disciples a n d g en e rally claim in g to be
Sufis or p rete n d in g to be such. T hey w ill, in tu rn , h av e m a n y im i
ta to rs.
B u t th e 'fe a tu re s th a t c h a racterize’ Sufism a re n o t th o se w hich
can be im itated , so Professor Cohn is being som ew hat superficial
h ere. Such cu lts re p re se n t th e d eterio ratio n of Sufi beh av io u r.
T hey come ab o u t by th e in te ra c tio n b etw een u n sta b le im ita to rs
(would-be teach ers) a n d em otion-starved, te m p o ra rily in sa n e
people, w ould-be disciples.
What Meant...
Q: Modern science, and contemporary ways o f looking at
things, have enabled us to solve many mysteries o f the past. The
written records o f the Sufis, admittedly, are often obscure because
they are presented in a special way. B ut surely present-day scholars
can decipher them when they know the point of view o f the writers?
A: Sufi w ritin g s are n o t all encoded: th e y depend, as often a s
n ot, upon som eone h av in g a c e rta in experience before he can
re a lly u n d e rsta n d them .
A nd th e re a re problem s w hen you call in th e 'e x p e rts’ as a
n u m b e r of re p u ta b le scholars found o u t w ith a c e rta in in scrip tio n
n o t so long ago. O ne d ay a sm all boy found a stone stick in g o u t
from th e ground, w hen h e w as crossing a field in so u th e rn Irelan d .
O ne side w as sm ooth, th e o th e r h a d an in scrip tio n . T h is h e show ed
to h is local schoolm aster, who se n t it to th e u n iv e rsity . T h ere
scholars becam e excited. O ne found th a t it w as w ritte n in H ebrew ,
a n d h e tra n s la te d it as a w a rn in g of in v a d ers who w ere to come.
115
A nother, how ever, w as eq u ally c e rta in th a t it w as inscribed in
an c ie n t N orse, and told of a b a ttle a g a in st w ild m en a fte r th e
w rite r h ad been shipw recked.
T h a t is, u n til a n o rd in ary stu d e n t looked a t it w ith th e su n
sh in in g upon it a t an angle. T hen th e m essage stood o u t clearly. It
w as in E nglish, an d no m ore th a n a h u n d red and fifty y ea rs old. I t
said, sim ply:
'J u n e 1788. Am very d ru n k ag a in th is d ay .’
You w ill find th is recorded in F ra n k E d w ard s’s Stranger than
Fiction , London, 1963 (P an Books), pages 136 to 137.
Learn?
Q: Again and again the Sufis claim that people do not register
truth, and that the ordinary mind is not reliable. B ut surely all our
knowledge of life and of ourselves is based on a reliable under
standing o f facts. Surely Sufis are only talking about a minority of
people. I f they are, why bother with them ?
A: O n th e co n trary , Sufis a re ta lk in g h e re ab o u t a m ajo rity of
people. It is in te re stin g to note th a t it is only lately th a t o th e rs a re
catch in g up w ith th is very g re a t problem . I call it a problem
because if it is tru e th a t people o rd in arily are prone to consider
able m istak e s in perception an d u n d e rsta n d in g , an d a re easily
m isled by w rong inform ation, th e n th is sta n d s, a s th e Sufis say, as
a b a rrie r to rea l u n d ersta n d in g .
T h is h a s been dem o n strate d a g a in an d ag ain . O n television, in
one pro gram m e as a n exam ple, it w as show n th a t people h ard ly
ev er know w h at th e y h av e seen: 'a s eye-w itnesses, h u m a n s a re in
th e d isa ste r class’.*
F rom 525 questions ask ed of w itn esses to stag ed events, only 52
- one in te n - w ere correct: an d th is from a selection of people who
h ad been ale rte d to w atch for som eth in g an d still could n o t see it.
T he social consequences m ig h t include people bein g im prisoned
on in a c c u ra te eye-w itness testim ony. T he consequences for th e
perception of th in g s w hich a re th e re in a h ig h e r sense a re w h a t
th e Sufis ta lk about.
T his opens th e questio n o f who can learn , an d w h at is a stu d e n t.
*Daily Telegraph, London: February 21 1974, p. 12 ('Evidence of your Eyes’ pro

gramme).
116

A gain, people ask for tr u th , b u t a d v e rtise rs h av e show n th a t
tr u th does not sell goods. A stu d y p rese n ted before th e A m erican
M a rk e tin g A ssociation show ed th a t tru th fu l a d v e rtise m e n ts fail,
b u t lying ones succeed, in p u ttin g people in to a b u y in g mood.*
In supposedly religiou s m a tte rs w hich h av e been show n to be
e a rly exam ples of 'a d v e rtisin g ’, th e sam e p ic tu re em erges. The
G lasto n b u ry legends, in w hich, am ong o th e r th in g s, C h rist
h im se lf ap p eared an d dedicated a church, a re only one exam ple.
Supposed to s ta r t from AD 63, th e schem e w as in re a lity sta rte d as
a fu n d -raisin g ploy in 1184 - 1,121 y ears a fte r th e supposed
ev en ts, by th e m onks, whose b u ild in g s h ad been d estroyed by a
fire. D oes anyone believe th a t supposed ev en ts of over a th o u sa n d
y ea rs ago, first pu b lish ed today a s tru e fact, should receive an y
credence?!
T his h u m a n tendency h a s a c tu a lly been tested . T he BBC 2 te le
vision m an Tony Bilbow hoaxed view ers by say in g t h a t h e h a d
o b tained film clips of 'T he G re a t P ism o’ a n d show ed fo rg eries of
th e film. T hen:
'E verybody b egan to rem e m b er T he G re a t Pism o w h en he m ade
h is television debut. L e tte rs piled into th e BBC p ra isin g th e
1920’s com edian.
'A w om an w rote en th u sia stic ally : "My a u n t w as a g re a t fan of
th e G re a t Pism o - she saw him a t a show in H a stin g s.” S he added:
"W h at a pity h e w as n o t recognized on telev isio n before she died in
1957.” O ne m an even se n t in p h o to g rap h s of The G re a t P ism o ’s
fa th e r.’ (Daily Sketch, J u n e 26, 1969, page 9.)
A fter all th a t, could one dou b t th a t h e ev er existed?
I t is precisely because o f th e u n re lia b ility of vision, of m em ory,
o f w a n tin g to believe, of induced belief: w h e th e r in religion, in
m otor accidents, or in th e lives o f in v e n ted in d iv id u als, th a t th e
Sufis say th a t a n objective perception m u st be acq u ired before
even fa m ilia r th in g s can be seen as th e y are.
What
Know?
Q: The sensitivity o f people towards animals must surely help
them to understand higher things, especially the ability o f animal-
*Time Magazine, New York: May 14,1973, p. 62 ('Truth Doesn’t Sell’).
iThe Times, London: May 28,1976, quoting Christianity in Somerset, edited by Dr.
Robert Dunning, London 1976 (Somerset County Council).
117

lovers to perceive directly the ways of their pets ?
A: T h a t is q u ite trtie; how ever, before you a ttrib u te th is
a b ility to a ll anim al-lovers, consider w h a t a n u m b e r of cat-
fanciers th o u g h t ab o u t cats. T hey w ere asked:
1. A re cats lone an im als?
2. Do th e y form gangs, especially th e m ales?
3. Do d o m in a n t m ales ch allen g e o th ers for th e favours of th e
fem ales?
4. Do th e y in v a riab ly re a c t a g a in st in tru sio n o f o th e r cats in to
th e ir te rrito ry ?
5. Do d o m in an t cats try to d rive w ea k er ones from th e la tte r ’s
te rrito ry ?
6. A re som e dom estic c a ts u n ab le to kill?
O u t of th e se six questions, asked from a h u n d red cat-fanciers,
each person got every an sw er w rong.
T h e answ ers, by th e w ay, are: q u estio n s 1, 3, 4, an d 5, NO;
qu estio n s 2 an d 6, YES.
T h is research , by Professor P a u l L ey h a u ser of th e W est G erm an
M ax P lan ck In s titu te , show ed th a t people m ay th in k th a t th e y
know ab o u t an im als, b u t do they?
S im ilarly , w h a t people th in k th a t th e y know (even th in k in g
t h a t th e y know it by observation an d even experience) a b o u t o th e r
th in g s, such as psychological an d religious m a tte rs, can often be
seen to be fra g m en tary , m isplaced, selectively adopted.
If people could rely upon th em selv es to le a rn by th em selv es,
th e y w ould n o t need teach in g . T hey w ouldn’t even need scientific
verifications of fact to correct th em , because th e ir beliefs w ould be
based on ac cu rate inform ation, since th e y would e ith e r observe
correctly from th e b eg in n in g or else reject in a c c u ra te inform ation.
So, before we g e t to th e p o in t of th e v alu e of th e know ledge, we
m u st be su re th a t it is re a lly th e re .
Human Nature
Q: The Sufis often condemn heedlessness, irrelevance and con
fusion, and insist that these things have to be set aside since they
interfere with higher perceptions, keeping people 'asleep’for practi
cal purposes. But are those characteristics manifested in ordinary
118

life, and if they are how do they affect us?I f so, is this an analogy of
the barriers to higher understanding'?
A: I should h av e th o u g h t t h a t a n y of th e se factors w ould in te r
fere w ith th e effectiveness of alm o st a n y th in g in o rd in a ry life. B u t
t h a t th e y a re p a r t of o rd in ary h u m a n b eh a v io u r h as been tested . A
rec en t exam ple is th e n a tu re o f in v e n to rs an d th e c h a racteristics
of th o se w hom th e y have to deal w ith in th e m a tte r of in v en tio n s.
W hen th e jo u rn a l New Scientist ca rrie d o u t a n in v e stig a tio n
in to th e question, it w as able to p u b lish resu lts* w hich show ed
t h a t th is is a g en e ral h u m a n problem . T he in v e n to rs w ere fre
q u en tly irre le v a n t, confused an d im p a tie n t. Som e trie d to p a te n t
in v en tio n s th a t nobody w an te d because th e y w ere doing som e
th in g w hich w as alre ad y done. Som e le t th e ir p a te n ts lapse. T hey
w ro te le tte rs w hich could h a rd ly be rea d , w hich d e a lt w ith
divorce, illness, b u rg la ry an d su rg ery as well as th e in v e n tio n su p
posedly u n d e r discussion. S om etim es w hen ask ed a b o u t one
in v e n tio n th e y w ould an sw e r a b o u t an o th er. T hey ch an g ed th e ir
ad d resses w ith o u t inform in g th e P a te n ts Office, so th e y could n o t
be contacted.
T he reactio n to in v en tio n s w as ju s t as bad, or worse. M ajor
official an d o th e r e n titie s com pletely m isunderstood in v e n tio n s
alth o u g h th e y w ere supposed to be e v a lu a tin g th em . Some o rg a
n isa tio n s did n o t lik e th e m w hen th e y h ad n o t been ca rrie d o u t by
th e ir ow n staff. Some people lik ed in v e n tio n s b u t did n o t believe
t h a t th e y w ould w ork, th o u g h th e y could n o t say why. Some of th e
rea so n s w hy in v en tio n s w ere tu rn e d down w ere obviously ab su rd .
O ne in v en tio n w hich saves lives a fte r card iac a rre st, for in stan c e,
w as d isliked because th e rele ase of a n a ir valve m ade a h issin g
sound! T he M in ister a t th e D e p a rtm e n t o f H e a lth com pletely m is
u nderstood one rem a rk a b le in v en tio n to p re v e n t suicide or
accid en tal d e a th th ro u g h in tro d u cin g em etics in to ta b le ts. P eople
felt th a t th e ir em pire w ould be th re a te n e d by th e acceptance o f a n
ou tsid e invention. T he P re ss p referre d la m e n tin g th e in c re ase in
c a r th e fts to fe a tu rin g a n in v e n tio n to fru s tra te th em . A nd, in th e
case of th e sam e inventio n , everyone approached th o u g h t it so
sim ple th a t it could not work.
H ere we have th e classic w o rk in g o f th e m ajor h u m a n , n o rm al
m ethods of th in k in g an d ac tin g - or n o t acting:
L aziness, stu p id ity , inc re d u lity , fear of u p se ttin g th e status quo,
obstructionism , tim id ity , irre le v an c e a n d confusion an d so on.
I t should be rem em bered th a t w hen th e o rd in ary h u m an bein g
is approached w ith a n idea, a series of ideas, or a teac h in g , h e or
sh e w ill often respond in ju s t th is sam e w ay. I t is because of th is
*Adrian Hope: 'It’s a wonderful idea, but. . in New Scientist, 1 June 1978, pp. 576
ff.
119

th a t people w ith new th in g s to say h av e reso rted to aro u sin g th e
g reed of w hom ever th e y a re approaching. T h is succeeds in
in creasin g th e greed an d p re v e n tin g th e developm ent o f an y side
of th e c h a ra c te r or o f th e proposal w hich is n o t connected w ith
greed.
T here is n o t only a n analogy w ith h ig h e r u n d e rsta n d in g h ere.
Before w e g e t to th a t, we h av e to d eal w ith th e b a rrie rs erected by
th e 'low er u n d e rs ta n d in g / w hich often can n o t be described as u n
d e rsta n d in g a t all.
T he Sufi perception of th e se problem s h a s been c o n tin u ally an d
solidly rep resen ted for ce n tu ries. T he Sufi a c tiv ity is designed to
g e t p a st th e se b arrie rs, by th e m ethods in d ic ated to o u t
m an o eu v re th e 'C om m anding S elf’, w hich is th e com plex o f
reactio n s involved w hen p re se n tin g advanced id eas to o rd in ary
people an d org an isatio n s.
T his experience w ith a n easily -stu d ied a re a of h u m a n ac tiv ity
s ta rtlin g ly illu s tra te s how 'h u m a n ity is aslee p ’.
New Knowledge from Old

Q: By what method do the Sufis extract information o f value to
present-day psychology and higher knowledge from ancient
written materials? For my own part, I can only see the ordinary
meaning in such texts.
A: T h is is a n in te re stin g qu estio n , a n d th e only w ay to an sw e r
it is to say th a t one h a s to h av e specialised know ledge a n d also ex
perience. B u t it m ay be possible to m a k e th e process cle a re r by
m ean s o f a n analogy.
A ssum e th a t th e re is a w a te r source w hich seem s u nexpectedly
to be h a rm in g crops. A n ex p e rt is called in an d h e re a lise s th a t
th e re is zeolite in th e w a te r an d t h a t it is no longer active. H e also
know s th a t s a lt can re g e n e ra te it, by m ean s of th e follow ing
form ula:
CaZe + 2 N a C l = N a2Ze + C a C l2.
H e adds s a lt to th e w a te r an d th e phenom enon of ion exchange
is achieved.
So we need a chem ist.
Now, if you are still w ith m e, consider th e follow ing passag e
120

from th e O ld T estam e n t (II K ings 2 ,1 9 -2 1 ):
A nd th e m en of th e city said u n to E lish a , Behold, I p ray th ee,
th e situ a tio n of th is city is p le a sa n t, a n d as m y Lord seeth: b u t
th e w a te r is n a u g h t, an d th e ground b arren . A nd h e said, B rin g
m e a new cruse, an d p u t s a lt th e re in . A nd th e y b ro u g h t it to
him . A nd he w en t forth u n to th e sp rin g of th e w ate rs, an d cast
th e s a lt in th e re , an d said, T h u s sa ith th e Lord, I h av e healed
th e se w aters; th e re sh a ll not be from th en ce an y m ore d e a th or
b a rre n land.
I t is difficult to im ag in e th a t E lish a is n o t d e m o n stratin g
chem ical know ledge an d perform ing ion exchange.
If you did n o t know som eth in g ab o u t chem istry, th e story m ig h t
m a k e a n in te re stin g rea d ab o u t a m iracle. On th e o th e r h an d , if
you did, it m akes, for som e a t least, a n even m ore in te re stin g
account of inform ation.
You m ay be in te re ste d to know th a t th e chem ical n a tu re of th is
B iblical ta le, rea ch in g beyond its supposed m iracle sta tu s, w as
an aly sed by Professor Y ah ia H aschm i, a n illu strio u s sc ien tist an d
Sufi a u th o rity of th e Aleppo Society for Scientific R esearch, in
S y ria in 1962*
Q: I was interested to read in the Press that you are reported as

having said that institutions, far from giving a guarantee of ration
ality because they are subject to assessment and measurement,
equally often, or more frequently, enshrine irrationality. But
surely, whereas a quasi-institution like a commercial company
may behave eccentrically because of the wishes of, say, the Direc
tors, this is not the case in more coherent bodies like Government
Departments, where there is a public check ?
A: T he tendency is everyw here. R a th e r th a n m y w astin g your
tim e w ith nu m ero u s exam ples, I th in k th a t it would be w orth y our
w hile to seek such anom alies yourself. T h ere a re to be found in th e
new spapers, if you have no d irec t contacts to supply th e m . H ere is
ju s t one:
T he New Scientist repo rted on 29 M arch 1979 th a t th e follow ing
*M. Y. Haschmi: 'Ion Exchange in Arabic Alchemy’, in Ithaca, 26 VIII - 2 IX 1962.
121

figures h ad been given in th e B ritish P a rlia m e n t for th e un derfoot
floor covering supplied by th e G o v ern m en t for v ario u s k in d s of
people in its em ploy:
T ypists: £25
C lerical officers £30
S enior executive officers: £67
U n d ersecretaries: £181
D eputy secretary: £290.
T h ere is no evidence th a t D eputy S ec re ta rie s’ office floors g e t
h a rd e r tre a tm e n t th a n U n d ersec reta rie s’; indeed, th e re is n o th in g
to show th a t such carp ets are h ard e r-w earin g - only th a t th e y a re
m ore expensive. We all know , of course, th a t a b e tte r ca rp et is a
hallow ed privilege, an d th a t people a re rep rim a n d ed for u sin g
th e ir own ru g s if th e se seem to in d icate a h ig h e r sta tu s. B u t w here
does th e ru g as an ind icato r of s ta tu s connect w ith th e ra tio n a lity
expected from a n in stitu tio n ?
Economics
Q: Although, as we know, most Sufi activity down the ages has
been private rather than public, and Sufis do not primarily wish to
attract attention to themselves, there is undoubtedly evidence o f a
massive investment of people and resources in Sufi teaching. Apart
from the scholars, who are subsidised by universities, and the
cultists, who are self-financing as they grow in numbers, there are
the Sufi activities which appear full-blown, and which are always
seen to be immensely efficient and well funded. What makes it
worth while for the Sufis to engage in such enormous investments'?
A: Sufi ac tiv ity is, of course, to be expressed m ore in te rm s of
less im pressive-looking th in g s th a n m a te ria l in v estm en t. B u t, a s
you h av e raised th e m a tte r, you m ig h t care to look a t it in th is
w ay, by p u rsu in g y our own lin e o f th o u g h t:
We can ta k e th e sm allpox erad ica tio n pro g ram m e of th e U n ite d
N atio n s as a n equivalence. T his s ta rte d in 1968 an d la ste d for a
decade. T he U n ited S tate s alone co n trib u ted $2.6 m illion a y e a r
tow ards th e effort - $26 m illion over th e te n y ea rs in w hich th e
d isease w as elim inated.
Now, m an y people im agined th a t th is m oney w as lost, w as of
122
th e n a tu re of c h a rity to th e T h ird W orld; an d som e w ondered
w h e th e r it could n o t be b e tte r u sed in th e U.S.A. itself. 'W hy do w e
spend such m assive su m s on people who often don’t beh av e
properly?’ it w as asked.
Dr. L. B. B rillia n t of th e W orld H e a lth O rg a n isa tio n ’s S m allpox
E ra d ic atio n P rogram m e, how ever, h as rev ealed th a t th e U n ite d
S ta te s of A m erica alone g ain s over $300 m illion each y e a r in
sav in g s on h e r protection of th e A m erican people a g a in st
sm allpox. O th ers calcu late th e sav in g as bein g in excess of 450
m illion dollars, a g a in an n u a lly .
So y our w ord 'in v estm e n t’ is correct. Sufis in v e st p a rtly to
pro tect th e people a g a in st th e absence of Sufic activ ity an d conse
q u e n t im poverishm ent of th e people, an d p a rtly in o rd er to
'in o cu late’ th e people a g a in st cu lts an d conditioning; a n d p a rtly to
b rin g th e a d v a n ta g es of th e Sufi e n te rp rise to th e people who can
benefit from them .
S im ilarly , too, people who co n trib u te to Sufi e n titie s also help to
p re v e n t th in g s g e ttin g worse; an d th e y also help to m a k e i t im
possible for th in g s ever to be as bad ag a in as th e y once w ere.
Invention versus
Q: British people constantly complain that, although they

invent some o f the most wonderful things, they hardly ever develop
them, and the result is that technical devices all over the world are
o f British origin, while engineers and scientists of other nations
adapt and market them. What can be done about this, and what is
its relevance to higher human capacities'?
A: I have h ea rd th is constantly: ab o u t an tib io tics, ab o u t je t
engines, ab o u t hovercraft, an d so on. People love to com plain
ab o u t it in speeches, an d it is p a rt of a re fra in seen in th e new s
papers. T he im plication is th a t, if one could only develop a b e tte r
p la n n in g an d vision sense, all w ould be well.
Before looking a t th is problem , I th in k th a t it is w orth p ay in g
a tte n tio n to w h a t a n E n g lish m an said, a fte r considering th e
w hole phenom enon. H e told me:
'A F ren ch m an , a G erm an and an E n g lish m an w ere being ta k e n
to be hanged. T he F ren ch m a n w as first, an d th e trap d o o r did n o t
w ork. H e w as reprieved on th e grounds th a t nobody could be
123

h an g ed tw ice: fate h a d in terv en ed . The sam e th in g hap p en ed to
th e G erm an.
'A s th e E n g lish m an w as being ta k e n for h is tu rn , h e w as ask ed
if he h ad an y la st w ords." Y es”, h e said,"you need a b it of g rease on
th e hinges!” ’
T he jo k e its e lf is rem a rk a b ly diagnostic of th e m e n ta lity in
question. T he m an know s w h at should be done, b u t is u n ab le to
re la te it to h is own needs. H e is u n ab le, too, to keep h is m o u th
sh u t, even w hen h is life is a t stak e.
T his, in tu rn , h ig h lig h ts th e problem . If h u m a n beings are d e
p en d e n t upon in v en tio n an d th e developm ent of in v e n tio n s
w ith o u t an y q uestion as to w h a t k in d s of inv en tio n s, w hen an d
w here, w ould be of an y far-rea ch in g value, th e n those who in v e n t
w ill hav e to le a rn how to develop, and those who develop should
also le a rn to inv en t, if th is k in d of th in g is to be k e p t going s a tis
factorily to such a m echan istic view of life.
B u t w h a t ab o u t th e m a tte r of w h a t k in d of in v en tio n s an d w h a t
k in d of developm ent? F or th is, h ig h e r know ledge is necessary.
Deterrent
Q: I can’t understand how it can be true that real Sufi, teachings
contain elements which deter unsuitable people from going deeper
into the subject, on a deliberate basis. Surely the intention of the
Sufis, like that o f everyone having something good to share, is to
interest as many people as possible, and to improve people by means
o f their literature, not to deflect them1?
A: People are alw ays w ritin g to o th e r people, claim in g th a t
th e y 'can ’t u n d e rsta n d ’ th is or th a t. Now, if th e y do n o t u n d e r
sta n d it, th is is m erely a sta te m e n t of th e re a d e r’s condition - it is
n o t a question. If, on th e o th e r h an d , th e in d iv id u al m e an s th a t h e
does no t w a n t to believe it, we m ig h t try to give an answ er. I
choose to in te rp re t th is q u estion in th a t way.
O n th e social level, people often m ake th em selv es obnoxious to
o th e rs to p rev e n t th e m from try in g to become too friendly, if th e y
do n o t like them . Do you im ag in e th a t so m eth in g w hich can
operate on such a crude level can n o t be w orked on a h ig h e r one?
R um i, for in stan ce, co n stan tly a ssails scholars an d show s th e m up
as m uch m ore stu p id th a n th e y im ag in e th em selv es to be. T h is
124

d eters few scholars: th e y continue to w rite an d lectu re a b o u t R um i
an d his w ork. B u t it gives th e o rd in ary person a n o p p o rtu n ity to
see th e ab su rd ity of th e situ atio n : scholars re p e a tin g th e ir own
shortcom ings, an d co n tin u in g to do R um i’s w ork a fte r seven
h u n d red years.
In assu m in g th a t th e Sufis w a n t to sh a re an d in te re s t as m a n y
people as possible, you are confusing th e m w ith e n th u sia st
c u ltists an d people who count heads. The Sufis w a n t to sh are, b u t
th e y hav e to sh a re w ith those who can profit from th e s h a rin g an d
can th erefore continue th e process of sh a rin g w ith o th e rs to come.
T h is req u ires th e Sufis u sin g th e ir en ergy in 'tea ch in g how to
le a rn ’, before an y sh a rin g can ta k e place. S h a rin g th e sh e er se n
satio n of im portance or of bein g a h u m a n being or even a se rv a n t
of h u m a n ity , can be done by anyone, an d is th e so rt of sh a rin g th a t
people are alw ays stra in in g tow ards. B u t th e m in im u m h u m a n
d u ty is to serve others: it is no g re a t a tta in m e n t. F eelin g im p o rt
a n t is a vice, n o t a v irtu e , how ever concealed as p a rtic ip a tio n in
so m eth ing noble.
F in ally , note w h a t N ew Je rse y p a rk officials in th e U.S.A. h av e
done w ith C h ristm as trees. So m an y people w ere ste a lin g th e m
th a t th ey are now sprayed w ith a chem ical w hich gives off an of
fensive sm ell w hen th e tre e is p u t in a w arm place.* T hieves le a rn
to avoid th e se tree s for th is reason. If th is can be done w ith p la n ts,
w hy no t w ith books? A nd, in th e case of a book, or a m a n ’s b eh a v
iour, even, you don’t hav e to ru in th e book or w aste th e m a n ’s
contact (as you h av e to ru in th e C h ristm as tre e s of N ew Je rse y ) to
teach th e 'can ’t-u n d e rsta n d e rs’ a lesson.
Effect
Q: Why do Sufis sometimes do inexplicable things? I have
heard of them forbidding people to eat certain food, or telling them
to go to certain places, or even saying outrageous things which
people puzzle over for years.
A: Im ita to rs do th e se th in g s to im press. R eal Sufis do th em
because th ey hav e a know ledge of cause and effect. M ost people
h av e no idea th a t th e m ost triv ia l-see m in g actions m ay h av e ex
trem ely far-reach in g effects. O nly occasionally a re cause an d
*Daily Telegraph, London: 19 December 1978, p. 8, Cols. 4-5.

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effect seen in a sh o rt ru n w ith in a contracted tim e-scale, g iving
an equivalence of w h a t we are ta lk in g about. T h ere is th e case, to
ta k e one alm ost a t random , of
T H E W IN E AND T H E FIN G E R
T he F ren ch p la y w rig h t V ictorien S ardou w as s ittin g a t ta b le
d u rin g a d in n e r w hen he u p set a glass o f w ine. A lady by h is side,
to p rev e n t th e liq u id sta in in g th e cloth, poured s a lt on it. S p ilt
sa lt, to som e people, m ean s b ad luck. To co u n terac t th is, a pinch is
th ro w n over th e shoulder; an d S ard o u did ju s t th is.
T he s a lt got into th e eyes of th e w a ite r who w as try in g to serve
him , an d th e chicken on a p la te w hich h e held fell to th e ground.
T he dog of th e house sta rte d to gobble th e chicken, an d a bone
lodged in its th ro a t so th a t it b eg an to choke. T he ho stess’s son
trie d to get th e bone o u t of th e dog’s th ro a t. Now th e dog tu rn e d on
th e yo u th an d b it h is finger so h a rd th a t it h ad to be a m p u tated .
T he w aiter, th e dog an d th e son of th e house w ere all ac tin g
au to m atically , th ro u g h th e secondary self: a m ix tu re of greed,
hope, fear an d conditioning. O nly th e w om an acted for p ractical
reasons: b u t h e r a tte m p t to re trie v e th e situ a tio n w as foiled by th e
play w rig h t, whose second action - th ro w in g th e s a lt over h is
shoulder - se t th e w hole tra in of actions going.
False Masters
Q: Why are there so many false spiritual teachers around ?
A: T his is one of th e m ost com mon questions, an d th e re a re
alm o st as m any an sw ers as th e re a re people asking. W hen th e re is
a tru e or useful th in g , th e re is su re to be a counterfeit. T his does
n ot m ean th a t th e o rig in al in te n tio n w as bad: b u t th in g s tu rn o u t
b ad if th ey are not properly organised. T h ere is no difference
betw een th is problem an d th e one of th e
LO VELO RN TA IW A N ESE
T h ere w as once a young m an of T aiw an who d esp erate ly d esired
th a t a c e rta in g irl should m a rry him . H e w rote h e r le tte rs, over a
period of two years, a n av erag e of one a day, d eclarin g h is love.
126
T his continued, says th e U n ite d P ress, from 1972 to 1976.
W ith o u t th a t effort it is u n lik e ly th a t th e lady w ould h ave
becom e engaged, in th e w ay she did, to th e po stm an who delivered
th e letters.
Troubadours
Q: / have heard it said, repeatedly, that such groupings as the
Troubadours were engaged in religious enlightenment pro
grammes; but I cannot see how. After all, they were amusing people
with their songs and poems. Surely this is part of what you have
called the 'entertainment in d u stry a n d would not bring anyone to
enlightenment, any more than sacred dances or self-centred
prayer1?
A: T h ere is a re s ta u ra n t in New Y ork to w hich a k in d friend
took me. T he w aiters th e re e n te rta in th e ch ild ren w ith balloons
an d songs an d doing a pied-piper act aro u n d th e tab les. Does th is
m ak e anyone im agine th a t th e y a re n o t w aiters a t all? A
m o m en t’s o b servation shows th a t, in ad d itio n to th is e n te rta in
m e n t function, th ey a re indeed w orkers, b rin g in g food to th e
tables.
T he fact is th a t Sufi activ itie s m ay co n tain e n te rta in m e n t
v alue, b u t th e y have som eth in g else as well; ju s t as an orange h as
flavour an d n u tritio n . T h is is n o t w idely understood only because
people are in fact looking for e n te rta in m e n t, or else to d e n ig ra te
it, th ey a re not looking for fact. H ere is a ta le w hich m ay fix th is in
y o u r m ind:
A m a n used to sta n d outside th e window of a b ea u tifu l girl,
p lay in g th e g u ita r and se re n ad in g her.
Som eone asked:
'W hy do you n o t ask h e r to m a rry you?’
H e said:
T h av e th o u g h t of th a t; but, if she agreed, w h a t would I do w ith
m y evenings?’
127

7
REMARKS AT THE
DINNER-MEETINGS
Satisfaction
Q: Why is it that so many people are satisfied with vain and
stupid things? Surely it is obvious that there are objectives higher
than making money, or playing games, or trying for fame, for
instance?
A: People can only do w h a t th e y can do a t an y given m om ent.
T hey m ay h av e to w a it u n til circum stances allow th e m to h av e
b e tte r aim s.
T h ere is a story about th is, w hich m ay hav e a p a ra lle l in th e
fa m ilia r world:
TH E REM EDY
A n insom niac w ent to a devout doctor for advice.
'M em orize prayers, and sit up all n ig h t re p e a tin g th e m ’ said th e
holy physician.
'A nd w ill th a t cure m y sleeplessness?’
'N o, b u t it will cease to annoy you.’
A m an once noticed a very large, locked box, w hich seem ed very

old an d w as of curious w orkm anship, in th e corner of th e shop of
one of th e g re a t m e rc h an ts of B aghdad.
O n th e outside w as inscribed:
The Bases and Essentials o f Sufi Knowledge
Now th is m an w as in te reste d , for he h ad been reflecting ab o u t
th e Sufis for m an y years, an d rea d in g th e ir w orks an d ab o u t th e ir
lives.
131

H e bought th e box for a very la rg e sum of m oney, an d took it
home.
W hen he m an ag ed to open it, th e re w as only a sm all piece of
p ap e r inside, on w hich w as w ritte n : 'The B ases a n d E sse n tia ls of
Sufi know ledge are th a t you d esire tr u th above ex c item en t an d
th a t you m a k e y o u r w ay to th e T each er.’
Who is the More

Spiritual?
Q: How is it that higher ideas and deeper insights always come
from the E ast?
A: I can give you one of th e ex p lan a tio n s w hich are c u rre n t in
th e E ast. It w as know n th e re a t le a st as long ago as th e C rusades,
b u t I th in k th a t you w ill find it co n tain s an in te re stin g hid d en
reflection ab o u t h u m a n n a tu re :
I t is re la te d th a t a young m a n ask ed a sage:
'How is it th a t th e F ra n k s h av e so m uch b ru te force, w hile we
only h av e faith ?’
'B ecause’, said th e w ise m an , 'w hen provisions for th is w orld
w ere being han d ed o u t a t th e b eg in n in g - th e y h ad th e first
choice.’
Recognising It
A group of people all died a t once in a catastro p h e, an d w ere s u r
p rised to find them selves in a w orld very m uch like th is one. A ll
k in d s of e n te rta in m e n ts an d every possible facility w ere provided.
T hey w ere am azed to le a rn th a t th e y w ere in Hell.
Those who w an ted exciting lives got them . People who desired
m oney received it. A m bitions of all kin d s w ere fulfilled.
T here w ere m any dem ons in a tten d a n ce , who helped everyone
to do w h at th e y w anted.
O ne day, know n as 'com plaints d ay ’, a n u m b e r of th e in m a te s
w en t to th e controlling dem on an d said:
'W e hav e a w onderful life: p arties, riches, excitem ent. B u t we
132
seem to be w ith e rin g aw ay, become u n a ttra c tiv e to each o th e r
little by little , lose th e belongings th a t come to us so e a sily — ’
'Y es’, said th e fiend, 'H ell, isn ’t it?’
his Son
Once th e re w as a king, w hose only son chose, as h e grew up, to
be an id ler an d spen d th rift. C o n stan tly su rro u n d ed by w asters
an d o p p o rtu n ists - w hom he reg ard ed as re a lly w o rth w h ile people
- he judged ev ery th in g by th e ir sta n d ard s. A lth o u g h a ll lived, for
exam ple, th ro u g h th e b o unty of th e K ing, th e y m ocked h im in
p riv a te an d th o u g h t hig h ly o f people an d th in g s w hich w ere o f no
valu e a t all, a p a rt from am u sin g them .
O ne day th e K ing, w ith o u t w arn in g , called th e P rin c e an d h ad
h im th ro w n o u t of th e palace. U n happy an d bew ildered, th e y o u th
w en t from one of his friends to th e n ext, seek in g sy m p a th y an d
com fort, a sk in g for help. B u t none would aid h im - a p a rt from
say in g t h a t th e K ing m u st be a n evil m an, an d th e re su rely w as
ju stic e som ew here, probably as far from th e P alace as could be.
B ecause of his foolishness an d h ab its, th e P rin ce felt m ore an d
m ore e stra n g ed from h is fath e r. A lthough he trie d to m a k e a new
life for him self, h e did n o t know how to do so. H e h ad forgotten, in
th e com pany of h is evil associates who posed as friends, how to see
th in g s as th e y really are. C onsequently h e found h is life both h a rd
an d perplexing. H e engag ed h im self in triv ia l p u rsu its, h a u n te d
a ll th e sam e by an x iety an d em ptiness.
A fter m any m onths, th e K in g se n t em issa ries to b rin g th e
P rin ce before him . 'My son,’ h e said, 'you su rely see how y o u r own
h a b its have laid you low, an d how little use to you y o u r form erly
valu ed com panions h av e b een.’
We, too, who rely upon c e rta in aim s in th is life a s 'good’ an d
esteem ce rta in th in g s an d people as 'sig n ific an t’, m u st fail to see
th e Real, or even its indications. C e rta in h ab its of m ind hold us
fast, in th e role of 'id le rs’ an d 'sp e n d th rifts.’
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Definitions
A good m an is one who tre a ts o th ers as h e would lik e to be
tre a te d .
A generous m an is one who tre a ts o th e rs b e tte r th a n h e expects
to be trea ted .
A w ise m a n ia one who know s how h e an d o th e rs should be
trea ted : in w h at w ays, a n d to w h a t ex ten t.
T he first m a n is a civilising influence.
T he second m an is a refin in g an d sp read in g influence.
T he th ird m an is a higher-developm ent influence.
E veryone should go th ro u g h th e th re e ph ases typified by th e se
th re e m en.
To believe th a t goodness or gen ero sity a re ends in th em selv es
m ay be good or it m ay be generous. I t is, how ever, n o t a n inform ed
a ttitu d e - an d th a t is th e m ost good an d th e m ost generous we can
be ab o u t it.
If som eone said: 'Is it b e tte r to be good, g enerous or w ise?’ one
w ould h av e to reply:
'If you a re w ise, you do n o t h av e to be obsessed by bein g "good”
or "gen erous”. You a re obliged to do w h a t is necessary .’
T he E a s t teem s w ith people who are se ek in g know ledge an d

h av e come from th e W est w ith no background to en ab le th e m to
recognise it.
A nd it is seeth in g , too, w ith ta le s ab o u t th e se people an d th e ir
p ec u lia r w ays. W hen you m e et th e m back in E u ro p e or A m erica
an d th ey te ll you how th e y found tr u th , ta k e it w ith a pinch of sa lt.
O ne of m y favourite sto ries of th e se u n fo rtu n a te s is th is one:
ONLY A M ATTER O F TIM E

A W estern se ek er-after-T ru th w en t on a jo u rn e y to th e E a st,
w ith a n u m b e r of p hotog rap h s w hich a friend h a d given h im of a
supposed s p iritu a l teach er. To m a k e it easier, th e frien d h ad se n t
h im eig h t p ictu res of th e sam e m an, ta k e n from d iffe ren t angles.
134

A fter some w eeks, such is th e m u ltitu d e of alleged m ystics in
those p a rts, he got a postcard from h is friend, w hich said:
'I have located an d been sp iritu a lly elev ated by seven of th e
g re a t m en w hose photographs you se n t m e, an d I a m h o t on th e
tr a il of th e eighth!’
Sufism
A ll c u rre n t critiq u es of Sufism can be assessed w hen it is
rea lise d th a t analysis, discussion a n d in v e stig a tio n of opposing
arg u m e n ts show th e m to be based on one or m ore of th e se few
sim ple factors:
1. A d esire to m a in ta in in ta c t in h is m ind ideas
o r assu m p tio n s w hich th e critic fears Sufi th o u g h t
th re a te n s ;
2. A desire to find in Sufism a n over-sim plified system , failin g
w hich th e critic m ay w ell oppose th e form w ith w hich he is in
contact, or else oppose all of Sufism. T his is due to failin g in th e
search for a m e n ta l m odel of Sufism w hich th e critic m ay accept,
one w hich accords w ith his prejudices, how ever formed.
3. Lack of inform ation an d re la tiv e ly shallow study. Sufi th o u g h t
an d action being so w idespread in v ario u s lan guages, cu ltu re s an d
tim es, scholars an d stu d e n ts often m ista k e a local m a n ifesta tio n
for ’all of Sufism ’, or 'th e rea l Sufism ’. A v a rie ty of th is is found in
p erso n a lity w orship, w h en loyalty to a n in d iv id u al Sufi te a c h e r
causes h is follow ers to reg a rd em phases w hich he h a s m ade as
sacrosanct, and those w hich he h a s n o t m ade as heterodox. T h is is
only a n o rm al developm ent in cult-form ation an d is, of course,
ta k in g th e s tu d e n t o u t of Sufism into factionism .
I t is in te re stin g , if n o t rem a rk a b le , to n ote th a t w h erea s Sufism
is sy stem atised only for in stru m e n ta l purposes - to approach
objectives - an d can n o t th erefo re be approached th ro u g h sim p li
stic m eans, y e t th e critical approaches to it are so in ten sely
over-sim plified as to be v irtu a lly covered by th e th re e m a in factors
listed above.
In n u m erab le books, review s, le tte rs an d le ctu res w hich have
been an aly sed d u rin g th e p a st decade or so show an overw helm ing
ascendancy of reactio n s to Sufism w hich fall w ith in th e se c a te
gories.
135

Side-Effects
Q: Since I began to study Sufism, there have been many diffi
culties in my life; or it may be that I notice things more than I did. I
often feel that the disadvantages are greater than the benefits.
A: T his is a typical question, an d one of th e in te re stin g th in g s
ab o u t it is th a t a n eq u al n u m b e r of people say th e very reverse.
B oth com m ents, of course, e m a n a te from th e sh allo w er p a r t of th e
m ind, an d h av e to do w ith expectation.
T his p a r t o f one’s m ind is very well rep rese n ted by v ario u s
an im als in fables and o th e r lite ra tu re . The situ a tio n of th is
q u estio n er can be sum m ed up in th e saying:
'A donkey d ra n k from a pool a n d th e n com plained th a t h is chin
becam e w et.’
According to the Best

Advice
Q: There is a widespread tendency today for people to amalga
mate beliefs and rituals from all spiritual sources. Sufis, however,
seem to say that truth is one and forms vary and cannot be amalga
mated. I f all forms are only part o f an ultimate truth, why cannot
these forms be associated together?
A: B ecause th e form s d ate from v ario u s needs a n d epochs, an d
do n o t go to g eth er, any m ore th a n th e w heel of a h o rse-carriag e
w ill fit a m otor-car.
P erh ap s you hav e n o t h e a rd th e ta le of M ulla N a sru d in , w hen
he w as try in g to bu ild a house?
H is friends, all of w hom h ad houses an d some of w hom w ere c a r
p en ters, b u ild e rs and so on, su rro u n d ed him . H e w as glad to h av e
th e ir advice.
O ne afte r th e o ther, an d som etim es all to g eth er, th e y to ld him
w h a t to do. M ulla N asru d in obediently followed th e in stru c tio n s
of each one.
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W hen th e b u ild in g w as finished, it looked n o th in g lik e a house.
'T h a t’s fun n y ,’ said N asru d in , 'a fte r all, I did do exactly w h a t
everyone told m e to!’
Sweets for the Wise

T h ere is a very an c ie n t ta le ab o u t tw o scholars, m uch respected
in th e ir com m unities, who w ere o u t for a w alk one day, discu ssin g
people an d affairs, w hen th e conversation tu rn e d to th e subject of
a c e rta in p ro m in e n t Sufi.
T he first m an of learn in g , w hose fav o u rite subject w as lite r a
tu r e an d biography, said of th e Sufi:
'H e is a tru e sage, an d a sa in t; h e n ev e r ta k e s a n y th in g for
h im self.’
T he second sa v an t, w hose ex p e rtise w as in religion a n d who h ad
m uch experience of legal affairs, said:
'H e does n o t have to " ta k e ” - for people a u to m atica lly give
th in g s to him . I am su re, how ever, th a t h e w ould ta k e if he
c o u ld . . . ’
T h u s engaged, each offering in tu r n a n anecdote ab o u t th e Sufi
to su p p o rt h is own contentions, th e tw o reflective ones cam e upon
a ca ra v a n se ra i. T hey en te re d it, a ttra c te d by th e sound of a loud
an d an im a te d discussion. Inside th e y found a w om an, re p e a tin g to
a circle of m erch an ts, idlers an d others:
T h av e been divorced by m y hu sb an d , an d I h av e lost m y
m a rria g e contract, by th e te rm s of w hich I am e n title d to h a lf of
h is possessions if he divorces me. Now he d enies h a v in g signed it;
a n d th e C o u rt w ill n o t liste n to m e. I h a v e only a single copper coin
to m y n am e.’ T he audience w ere offering suggestions to solve h e r
problem , ra n g in g from m u rd e r to p ray er.
T he second scholar now suggested th a t th e m a tte r should be
ta k e n to th e Sufi w hom th e y h a d been discussing, for h is in te rv e n
tion. 'In th is w ay ’ he sa id to h is com panion, *we can estab lish
w h e th e r he w ill in fact do a n y th in g for n o th in g .’
Now, since th e Sufi w as so h ig h ly respected, everyone agreed,
an d all p re se n t a t once w en t to th e place w here th is m a n of w isdom
sa t, silen tly , for a n h o u r before d in n e r on one day a w eek.
T he crowd ran g e d them selv es aro u n d th e co n tem p latin g sage,
who raise d h is eyes to th e d is tra u g h t w om an. 'W h a t do you w an t?’
137

he asked, an d she said:
‘R espected Sir, th e se two w ise an d kin d ly g en tlem en h av e su g
gested th a t you m ig h t help me. W ould you come to th e
m a g istra te s to testify th a t, from your looking into m y h e a rt, I am
te llin g th e tr u th w hen I say th a t by my lost m a rria g e co n tract I
am en title d to h a lf of m y form er h u sb a n d ’s goods upon being
divorced? T he C o u rt w ill ju d g e only on evidence, or upon th e w ord
of one who is rela ted to th e t r u t h ..
T he Sufi in te rru p te d her. 'Before we do an y th in g lik e th a t, you
w ill hav e to do som ethin g else. Go to th e m a rk e t an d b rin g m e a
piece of T u rk ish d elig h t.’
Now th e crowd gasped, th e first sch o lar felt acu tely e m b a r
rassed a t th e Sufi’s greed an d superficiality, an d th e second
scholar sm iled in triu m p h a t th is a p p a re n t d em o n stratio n of th e
m y stic’s tr u e n a tu re . T he w om an, a fte r a m om ent’s th o u g h t,
scowled, tu rn e d on h e r heel an d w en t off to buy th e sw eetm eat.
E veryone w aited in silence, u n til th e w om an re tu rn e d an d
th re w a packet, b o u g h t w ith h e r la s t coin, a t th e S ufi’s feet. 'Is th is
th e w ay to behave w hen you seek a favour?’ ask ed th e Sufi; 'p ra y
open th e p ack et an d rem ove th e confection.’
A s th e w om an unw rap p ed th e package, she saw th a t it w as
enfolded in a piece of paper, th e very sam e one upon w hich w as
w ritte n h e r m a rria g e contract.
Now, of course, th e crowd how led w ith d elig h t a t th e m iracle;
th e first scholar w as filled w ith joy, an d th e second m a n of
le a rn in g felt abashed an d confused.
W hen th e m em bers of th e crowd h ad ru n off in a ll directions to
sp read w ord of th e m iracle o f th e g re a t sa in t, an d th e w om an an d
th e tw o m en of w ords still stood before h im , th e Sufi said, to th e
w om an:
'K now th a t your needs can often be fulfilled, b u t th a t th e w ay to
achieve th is is seldom by giving specific in stru c tio n s to th o se who
know b etter. Now go and g et y o u r rig h ts.’
To th e first scholar he said:
'To ju d g e a person a s "good” th ro u g h ju d g m e n t based on superfi
cialities is only slig h tly b e tte r th a n to ju d g e him "bad” by o u tw ard
signs. T ry to le a rn w h a t re a lly is rig h t, n o t to follow w h a t h ap p en s
to please you.’
To th e second scholar h e said:
'F o r th e b itte rn e ss of d isa p p o in tm en t in w h a t is rea lly a shallow
w ay of th in k in g , th e rem edy is to ta k e som eth in g as p a ltry b u t
m ore sw eet. I therefore aw a rd you th e T u rk ish d elig h t - triv ia l to
deal w ith triv ia l. As for th e onlookers - th e y h ave h ad th e ir su ste
nance, for th e y sought ex citem en t.’
A nd, alth o u g h th is happened m a n y ce n tu ries ago, it is in sisted
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by th e W ise th a t sim ila r ev en ts can be seen by those who w ill see
th e m , b ein g played o u t in th e w orld o f today, an d every day.
Alarm
Q: The dangers o f personality-worship and the need for
everyone to find his own way are the most attractive statements o f a
certain guru, who has many disciples all over the world. Should he
not be listened to?
A: T h ere is a saying:
‘Do n o t fell a tre e w hich is g iv in g sh a d e.’ M any people im ag in e
t h a t such g u ru s as th is a re holy a n d useful. T hey are, in fact, p ro
vid in g a d istin g u ish e d social (though n o t a sp iritu a l) service.
T hose who need th is ‘sh a d e ’ should c e rta in ly h av e it.
A s for o th ers, th ey should be able to know w h a t is sh ad e an d
w h a t is so m eth in g else.
T he w ay to d eterm in e th is is to look an d see w h e th e r, in th e
w ords of a n o th e r proverb, some people a re 'F eed in g a flam e an d
cry in g "F ire ”!’
Pattern
I f you collect a n u m b e r of th e m ost fre q u e n t reaso n s said to be
given by w om en to exp lain w hy th e y w a n t som ething, you m ig h t
be r a th e r su rp rised w h en com paring th e m w ith supposedly 'less
frivolous’ desires. O n th e left is a lis t of th e ‘rea so n s’ or ju stific a
tio n s advanced by w om en; on th e rig h t, ta k e n from m y own files,
a c tu a l exam ples of reaso n s g iv en to m e w hy v a rio u s correspon
d en ts th in k th e y should stu d y to be Sufis:
1 I t is good for m y m o rale 1 I w a n t to be happy/fulfilled
2 I t is from P a ris 2 It is from th e E a st
3 E verybody h a s one 3 E veryone is en title d to
know ledge
4 Nobody else h a s one 4 It is ra re know ledge/for th e
few
5 I t is ch eap er in th e long ru n 5 I t m ay be h a rd e r, b u t it is
m ore re a l
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6 I t is different 6 It is different
7 I h av e w aited so long 7 I h av e w aited all m y life
8 I like it: it m u st be rig h t 8 S om ething te lls m e it m u st
be tru e
9 I hav e alw ays w an ted 9 The need h a s alw ay s been
o n e . .. in m e
T h ere is no doubt th a t both th e w a n tin g of th e a d o rn m e n t an d of
th e m ore su b tle 's p iritu a l’ satisfactio n are v a rie tie s o f an ac q u isi
tio n im pulse in th ese cases.
Sufis are aw are th a t th is stag e m u st be passed. To g et beyond
th is acquisition p o in t it m ay be n ecessary to reach it first, recog
nise it an d th e n discard it.
T h ere are th re e useful reflections w hich apply to th e description
an d sup ersed in g of th is state:
1. If I w orship Y ou for desire for P arad ise , exclude m e from
P arad ise; if I w orship You for fea r of H ell, ca st m e in to H ell
(Rabia).
2. T he donkey w hich b ro u g h t you to th e door is not th e m e an s by
w hich you e n te r th e house.
3. F irs t rep en t: afterw ard s you h av e to re p e n t y o u r rep entan ce.
Impact
I t is ch a racteristic of th e p rim itiv e to reg a rd th in g s w hich are
felt strongly to be of g re a t im portance. The less th e person know s
ab o u t th e origin or w orking o f th e feeling, th e g re a te r im portance
h e is likely to endow it w ith. T ake a few alm ost ran d o m exam ples:
* U nable to explain or to m itig a te th e p ain s of ch ild b irth , p rim i
tiv e people h av e come to re g a rd th e m as inflicted by som e h ig h e r
pow er. Som e people believe th is even today. T he 'so p h isticated
b a rb a ria n ’ ta k es th is th in k in g a stag e fu rth e r, an d a c tu a lly
believes t h a t th e m o th e r’s love for h e r child is in d irec t proportion
to th e p ain w hich she experienced d u rin g its delivery. T h is te lls
you n o th in g ab o u t m other-love, b u t ev e ry th in g ab o u t th o se who
believe th is.
* If a p rim itiv e person, or a child a t a sim ila r sta g e of m e n ta l de
velopm ent, experiences a pain, or a sense of joy, in accidental
synchronicity w ith some o th er ev en t, he or she w ill often lin k th e
two, producing a sense of im portance for w h a t m ig h t w ell hav e
been a triv ia l or irre le v a n t event.
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* If you follow up th e histo ry o f an in d iv id u al who re g a rd s some
p e rso n a lity as being of g re a t im portance in h is life, you w ill
alw ay s find t h a t th e p erso n a lity h as a t some tim e en g en d ered
stro n g feelings of som e so rt in th e o th e r person.
T he fact is t h a t em otion sen sitises th e b ra in of th e in d iv id u al. If
no tr u e ex p lan a tio n of w h a t is h ap p e n in g (such as 'you a re only
h av in g a to o th o u t’) is forthcom ing, a stro n g sense of dependency
to w ard s th e source (or even a supposed source) of th e stim u lu s w ill
ta k e its place. In ste a d of ex p lan a tio n th e b ra in w ill re so rt to
quasi-ex p lan atio n .
Such a qu asi-ex p lan atio n m ay become so pow erful th a t it can
assu m e a d o m in a n t position in th e m e n tal p ic tu re of th e in d i
vidual.
I t is th e conscious or unconscious policy of m an y religious, pol
itical, social, trib a l, psychological, scholastic an d o th e r dogm atic
bodies to c re ate th is situ a tio n in th e expectation t h a t a t th e
m o m en t of g re a te st em otion th e com m anding idea w hich is to ta k e
possession of th e in d iv id u a l’s m in d w ill be th e one w hich th e
sy stem its e lf d esires to propagate.
T h is p a tte r n m ay be seen rep e ate d som ew here in v irtu a lly
every system in th e world. I t also occurs, rep eated ly , random ly
a n d accidentally. W hen a person acq u ires a fixation upon some
b iz arre an d u n accep tab le idea, th e condition a ttra c ts th e a tte n
tio n of psychological th e ra p ists . W hen it is 'h a rm le ss’, it m ay n o t
be perceived a t all. W hen it is socially acceptable, th e in d iv id u al
m ay even be rew arded, an d th e conditioning reinforced by each
rew ard.
In p ractical philosophies we a g a in and ag a in find t h a t th e basic
a tte m p t (before th e in stitu tio n a l or dogm atic phase) m u st be to
en ab le th e le a rn e r to see h im se lf as th e victim of such forces. By
d e ta c h m e n t from th e operatio n of im p act upon him self, h e is able,
th e o re tic ally , to p re v e n t th e o peration of em otion in m a k in g him
n o t him self, b u t a copy of som eone else or th e product of a series of
ideas.
U n til th is stag e of u n d e rsta n d in g is reached, indeed, all efforts
to u n d e rsta n d oneself, to find who one rea lly is, a re a t b est of
la te n t value; because th e y w ill alw ays be ev a lu a ted th ro u g h th e
veil of th e very obsessions im p lan te d by th e m ech an ism s ju s t
described.
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8
THE SKILL THAT
NOBODY HAS:
Twelve Tales

The Skill that Nobody
Has
T h ere w as, in far-off tim es, a y o u th who lived n e a r a sm all tow n
in a m ig h ty em pire. H e w as b rig h t an d in te llig e n t, an d he
im pressed everyone w ith h is a b ility to le a rn an d h is good-
n eig hbourliness.
H e lived w ith h is widowed m other.
O ne day h is m o th e r said to him , 'A n w a r’ - for t h a t w as h is
n am e, 'A nw ar, you should rea lly be th in k in g a b o u t se ttlin g dow n
in life. T ru e, you help th e farm ers like o th e r lads. I know th a t you
s it a t hom e an d m ak e b a sk e ts like o th e r people, w h en th e re is
n o th in g else to do. B u t you should e ith e r g et m a rrie d or se t fo rth to
seek your fo rtu n e in th e w ider world. A t an y ra te , t h a t is w h a t I
th in k a b o u t th in g s .’
'M y d e a r M other!’ cried th e boy, 'th a t is exactly w h a t I w a n t to
do. I could sta y a t hom e an d w ork p e rm a n e n tly for one of th e
farm ers; or I could go a n d try so m eth in g re a lly reckless, lik e
tra v e llin g to very d is ta n t p arts. B ut, before a tte m p tin g a n y th in g
like th a t, I h av e m ade u p m y m in d th a t I sh a ll both sta y fairly
n e a r to hom e and also become som eone of im portance: I sh a ll
m a rry th e d a u g h te r of th e E m p ero r an d live h ap p ily ev e r after!’
'People like u s ’, said th e old lady, 'do n o t u su a lly h av e such
ideas. W hy, h a rd ly an y of us o rd in a ry w orking folk h a s ev er seen
th e E m peror, m uch less his d au g h ter. A nd who a re you, m ay I ask ,
to go to ou r m onarch an d ask such an o u trag eo u s th in g ? ’
7, M other, am nobody to do so,’ said th e y outh; 'b u t you, now -
t h a t is an o th e r m a tte r. I w a n t you to go to th e E m p ero r an d a s k for
th e P rin cess for a daug h ter-in -law !’
We can w ell im ag in e how th e poor old th in g felt. T he boy A n w ar
w as, it is tru e , th e apple of h e r eye, b u t su rely he w as show ing fa r
too m uch recklessness an d even ru d en e ss in h a v in g such a m b i
tions?
'N onsense!’ she said, an d set h im to do so m uch w ork th a t for a
tim e he forgot h is plan.
T hen som eth in g rem in d ed h im again. H e b adgered h is m o th e r
u n til she gave up, packed a b ag w ith a few essen tials, an d m ade
145

h e r w ay to th e c a p ita l of th e E m pire.
D ay afte r day th e poor w om an lo itered n e a r th e
palace, w here she saw th e g litte rin g g u ard rid e fo rth , th e
em bassies from far-o fflan d s a rriv e an d d ep a rt, th e to w erin g w alls
beh in d w hich sat, in his throne-room , th e E m peror him self. T h ere
w as plen ty of ex citem en t in th e stree ts, as th e re alw ays is in a
c a p ita l city. Processions an d people of im portance w ere ev ery
w here, an d both of th em , in th e ir own proper place, w ere for th e
edification of th e people.
B u t how does one a c tu a lly g et in to th e presence of such a person
as a n em peror?
She trie d an d trie d and tried. T hen she th o u g h t, 'If th e E m p ero r
w on’t le t m e go to him , I m u st w a it u n til h e comes to me!’
So she sta tio n e d herself, day an d n ig h t, outside th e g re a t
m osque to w hich th e E m peror rode, on a w h ite horse, to p ray on
F rid ay s. T here w as alw ay s a la rg e crowd th e re , b u t a fte r a tim e
th e old w om an becam e know n as th e one who s a t a t a ce rta in
point. She chose th is spot because it w as ju s t w here th e ru le r
tu rn e d h is horse a fte r m o u n tin g it.
O ne F rid ay , th e n , she w as sittin g q u ie tly in h e r u su a l position,
w hen, as th e E m peror p u t h is foot in to th e s tirru p an d glanced in
h e r direction, she raised h e r h an d s in supplication.
'H ave th a t w om an b ro u g h t to th e P ala ce’, ordered th e m o n arch
as soon as h e saw h e r g estu re. In a few m in u te s sh e w as beside h im
in th e throne-room .
'You are a poor w om an, as I can see,’ said H is M ajesty, 'a n d you
h ad b e tte r speak if you seek a boon from me!’
B u t th e w om an w as so aw e stru ck by th e place, an d by being
ac tu a lly ta lk in g to th e g re a t m an, th a t, a lth o u g h she opened h e r
m outh, no sound cam e fo rth from it.
So th e E m peror ordered th a t she be given a b ag of gold a n d
show n th e door, 'T hese people can alw ays do w ith m oney’, h e said
to h is courtiers.
W hen th e old lady re tu rn e d hom e, h e r son said, 'Did you see th e
E m peror?’
'Indeed, I did, A nw ar!’
'D id you appeal to him ?’
T did.’
'D id you e n te r h is presence?’
'Y es.’
'A nd w h a t did he say to m y proposal of m a rria g e to h is
d au g h ter, th e P rincess S alm a?’
'Foolish boy! How could I, dressed in ra g s an d w ith o u t an y of th e
m a n n ers of th e court, say a th in g like th a t? I sa id no th in g , for I
w as overcome w ith th e splendour of th e place. B u t H is Im p erial
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M ajesty w as m ore th a n kind, an d h a s given u s th is bag, heav y
w ith gold. You can use it to se t y o u rself up in tra d e , a n d th a t w ill
give you a ca reer an d a lifetim e’s fulfilm ent. F o rg e t all th is
nonsense ab o u t princesses!’
'M other, I don’t w a n t gold, I w a n t th e P rincess!’ sa id A nw ar.
H e continued to p ester h er, u n til sh e w as forced to se t off, once
ag a in , to th e capital.
T h ere th e E m peror saw h e r ag a in , sittin g in h e r corner. H e
called h e r to h im an d ag a in ask ed h e r w h a t she w anted. A g ain sh e
w as too frig h ten e d to speak. A gain he gave h e r a b ag o f gold an d
se n t h e r aw ay.
A nd th e sam e th in g h ap p en ed w hen sh e re tu rn e d to h e r h u m b le
cottage, w ith A n w ar n o t a t all reconciled, a fte r all th e E m p e ro r’s
kindness.
F in ally , A n w ar said to h is m o th er, T h av e decided n o t to sta y a t
hom e. I h av e decided n o t to accept th e com fortable life w hich th e
gold w ould give me. I h av e decided to seek th e E m p e ro r’s
d au g h te r, an d I sh all the re fo re se t off tom orrow m o rn in g to find
o u t how I can w in h er.’
T h e n ex t day, as daw n broke, h e left th e house an d s ta rte d to
w alk along th e road, th ro u g h th e woods. A s th e road tu rn e d a t th e
top of a h ill, A nw ar cam e across a w ise m an , sittin g by th e w ay,
w ith a pointed cap on h is head, h is robe m ade up of sm a ll sq u a re s
of ra g carefully stitch ed to g e th er.
'P eace upon you, Y our P resence th e D ervish!’ sa id A n w ar
politely.
'A nd w h a t do you seek, little b ro th e r? ’ ask ed th e dervish.
T am seek in g th e w ay in w hich I can approach th e E m p ero r an d
a s k for th e h an d of his d a u g h te r in m a rria g e , for I h av e se t m y
h e a r t upon it,’ said A nw ar.
'T h a t is difficult’ said th e w ise m an, 'u n less you a re first
p rep a re d to le a rn th e "S kill th a t Nobody H a s”.’
'H ow can th e re be such a th in g , if it is called th e "Skill th a t
Nobody H as”?’ ask ed th e youth.
'Nobody h a s it because people do it,’ said th e derv ish , 'a n d th e y
can only do it w hen th e y have som ething, som e o th e r th in g s.
W hen th e y h av e th e th in g s, th e sk ill w orks for th em , so th e y don’t
re a lly h av e to h av e it.’
'T his is ex trem ely difficult’ said A nw ar, 'b u t can you te ll m e how
to go ab o u t it?’
'Y es, indeed,’ said th e old m an. 'You keep s tra ig h t on, allow ing
n o th in g to deflect you, stick in g w ith th e sam e road, an d n o t
th in k in g th a t an y th in g is m ore im p o rta n t th a n th e ro ad .’
A n w ar th a n k e d th e d erv ish an d w ent on h is w ay. T h e road led
h im on an d on, an d he lived as b est he could on w ild fru its, roots
147

an d b erries an d th e k in d n ess o f v ario u s people w hom he m et.
F rom tim e to tim e people suggested th a t h e should ta k e up
em ploym ent w ith th em , or in te re st h im self in th e ir cra fts an d
occupations; or even m a rry th e ir d au g h ters. B u t A n w ar k e p t on,
alth o u g h a fte r a very long tim e he began to feel, m ore an d m ore,
th a t th e road w as lead in g now here a t all.
A nd th en , one day, as it w as com ing to n ig h tfa ll, A n w ar saw
th a t th e ro ad did indeed end. T h a t is to say, in ste a d of p assin g a
ce rta in to w erin g fortress, it led s tra ig h t w ith in th e w alls, th ro u g h
a w ide gate.
A n w ar followed it in.
T he g atek e ep e r challenged him :
'W h at do you seek?’
T am in search of th e P rincess, w hom I am d eterm in ed to m a rry ’,
an sw ered A nw ar.
'Y ou can n o t pass, u n le ss you h ave a m ore reaso n ab le object
th a n th a t!’ shouted th e g u a rd ia n of th e gate, an d h e levelled a
sh arp en ed spike a t poor A nw ar.
A nw ar said: 'W ell, th e n , I am going to le a rn th e "S kill th a t
N obody H a s’” .
'T h a t’s d ifferen t,’ said th e g u ard , low ering h is w eapon; 'b u t,’ h e
added sulkily, 'som eone m u st h av e told you ab o u t it, because
people u su a lly im ag in e th a t th e y can approach th e P rin cess
d irec t.’
A nw ar w en t on h is w ay, and found h im se lf inside th e gro u n d s of
th e enorm ous castle. In a sm all pavilion in th e grounds w as a
s ile n t figure, s ittin g in contem plation. As A n w ar approached h im ,
h e saw t h a t it w as th e very sam e d erv ish w hom he h ad m et on th e
road, th ose m an y m oons ago!
'As you have arriv ed h ere a t la st, w ith o u t ta k in g a n y notice of
th e te m p ta tio n s of th e ro ad ’ said th e dervish, 'you m ay undergo
th e n ex t te s t.’
H e show ed A n w ar in to a long, low m e d ita tio n -h all, w here row s
of sile n t dervishes w ere reposing, th e ir h ead s on th e ir knees.
A n w ar s a t down. T hen th e d ervishes s ta rte d to perform e x e r
cises, an d A n w ar found h im self com pelled to e m u la te them . W hen
th is w as over, h e w as assig n ed to th e M a ste r G ard en e r, a n d m ade
to w ork, digging and hoeing, w a te rin g an d p ru n in g , te n d in g
p la n ts an d c u ttin g p ath s, u n til h is h an d s w ere as sore as h is back
ached. A nd all th is contin u ed for m an y m onths.
N ex t he w as ta k e n to th e room of th e M a ste r of th e M onastery,
an d h ad to go th e re every day for h o u rs on end, w hile th e g re a t
m an looked a t him , say in g n o thing. T his continued for m an y m ore
m onths.
A fter th a t, A n w ar w as assigned to th e k itch en s, w here h e
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w orked like a slave, p re p a rin g food for th e h u n d red s o f d erv ish es
w ho lived in th e precincts, a n d for th e people who co n stan tly
v isited th e m on astery , as w ell as for th e m a n y festiv als w hich
w ere conducted by th e b reth ren .
A t tim es A n w ar felt th a t h e w as b ein g useful, a t o th e r tim es
t h a t h e w as w astin g h is own tim e, for he th o u g h t co n stan tly a b o u t
th e Princess, and also ab o u t th e 'Skill th a t Nobody H a s \
B u t w orse still lay before him . T h a t w as w hen he h ad no w ork a t
a ll to do. H e w as not in v ited to ta k e p a r t in th e d erv ish e s’ ex e r
cises; he h ad no place in th e k itch en s, a n d he w as n o t w an te d in
th e gard en s. M any o th e r young m en cam e an d w ent, m o st of th e m
seem ed hap p y enough, b u t in co n v ersatio n s w ith th e m h e could
n o t le a rn m uch ab out th e com m unity a n d w h a t th e m e a n in g w as
of its activ ities: indeed, w h e th e r th e re w as an y m e a n in g a t all.
T hen, one day, afte r som e y ears, A n w ar w as called in to th e
presence of th e M aser of th e M onastery. As h e reach ed th e hujra,
th e room w here th e M a ste r in terv iew ed people, h e saw th a t th e
old m a n w as ab o u t to fall in to a w ell w hich suddenly opened u p in
th e m iddle of th e floor. A n w ar ju s t m an ag ed to save him .
'M y son,’ said th e sage, h a n d in g h im a key, 'ta k e th is key a n d
look a fte r i t w ith your life’.
A n w ar w en t on w orkin g a t th e m o n astery u n til he w as called
in to th e presence of th e ch ief of th e g ard e n ers, a n d h e saw t h a t a
tre e w as top p lin g and w as ab o u t to fall on th a t sag e’s h ead . A n w ar
ju s t m a n ag ed to p rev e n t th a t h ap p en in g , a n d sav ed th e m a n ’s life.
'M y son,’ said th e h ead g ard e n er, 'ta k e th is cry sta l pebble, an d
g u a rd it w ith y o u r life.’
H e w en t back to his w ork, a n d w as called, a fte r a very long tim e,
to th e presence of th e ch ief of th e k itch en s. W hen he g o t th e re , h e
saw th a t th e m a n w as ab o u t to lift a b u rn in g -h o t la d le from a pot
on th e fire. A n w ar sn atch e d it first, an d w as b u rn e d on th e th u m b .
'M y son,’ said th e ch ief of th e k itc h en s, 'you w ill now h av e a
callous a t th e base of th a t th u m b . G u ard it w ith y o u r life.’
A fter m an y m ore m on th s in th e m o n astery , A n w ar w as called
in to th e assem bly-hall, w here a ll th e d erv ish es w ere s ittin g
h av in g d in n er. A t th e h ea d of th e ta b le s a t a h a u g h ty prince, w ith
a very su p erio r m ien an d d ressed in glorious robes. As everyone
listen ed , th e P rin c e told a long a n d com plicated story. As if it w ere
w ith in him , A n w ar h e a rd th e P rin c e’s voice say: 'R em em ber th is
story, a n d g u a rd it w ith y o u r life.’
M any days afte r th is, A n w ar w as told to go to th e place in th e
g ard en w here h e h ad first seen th e dervish. W hen h e got th e re , th e
old m an w as s ittin g as before, in contem plation. R aisin g h is head ,
h e said:
'A nw ar, you a re now read y to continue w ith y o u r quest. You
149

w ill succeed, for I h av e given you th e "S kill th a t Nobody H a s”.’
’B u t I do n o t u n d ersta n d it’ said A nw ar.
’If you th in k th a t you do ,’ said th e sage, 'you do not. If, on th e
o th e r h an d , you th in k th a t you do not, you can exercise it w ith o u t
in terferen ce.’
’I still do n o t u n d e rsta n d ’ said A nw ar.
’If you h a d left us, you w ould nev er h av e le a rn t,’ said th e
dervish. 'A nd if I driv e you out, you w ill le arn . If you try to come
back, you w ill n o t le arn . If you n eed help, I w ill ap p e ar.’
'W hy is th a t? ’ ask ed A nw ar, in some confusion.
'B ecause, a p a rt from c e rta in th in g s w hich you hav e, / am a p a r t
o f th e "S k ill”, w hich can n o t sta y w ith you, so it h a s to be k e p t in
m e!’
So A n w ar se t off tow ard s th e g a te of th e fortress, an d as h e cam e
up to th e g u a rd ia n of th e e n tra n c e an d looked a t h is face, he saw
t h a t he w as th e sam e m a n as th e d erv ish who h a d been ta lk in g to
him . J u s t outside stood th e ch ief of th e g ard en s, th e h ea d of th e
k itc h en an d th e ch ief of th e m o n astery , an d a ll th e o th e r people
w hom he h ad m e t since h e e n te re d th e place. E ach an d every one
o f th e m h ad th e face of th e d erv ish whom he h ad first m e t on th e
roadside n e a r th e top of th e h ill a fte r h e h ad left h is m o th e r’s
cottage!
'I sh a ll n ev er be able to u n d e rsta n d th is ,’ A n w ar sa id to him self.
B u t he continued on h is way.
W hen h e looked back, he saw th a t th e m o n a ste ry w as no lo n g er
th e re - an d even th e ro ad before h im h a d changed. In ste a d o f
lead in g back tow ards h is own home, it ra n in a com pletely dif
fe re n t direction.
A n w ar continued along it, nonetheless.
A fter m an y days he cam e upon a h u g e an d b rillia n tly -lit city,
a n d asked w h at it was.
’T h is,’ sa id a passer-by, 'is th e C a p ita l of th e E m pire, no less.’
A n w ar ask ed him how m an y y e a rs h ad passed since th e y e a r in
w hich he h ad se t out, an d th e m a n looked a t him oddly. 'W hy, only
a single y e a r’ h e said. B y A n w ar’s own reckoning, he h ad sp e n t
m ore th a n th ir ty y ea rs in th a t m o n astery , so h e rea lise d th a t in
som e stra n g e w ay tim e w as n o t th e sam e everyw here.
In th e ce n tre of th e city, A n w ar cam e across a deep w ell, an d
h e a rd cries com ing from it. A rope ra n down in to th e w ell, and h e
s ta rte d to h a u l it up. A crowd g a th e re d as h e w as stra in in g w ith
h is u tm o st s tre n g th an d he alm o st le t th e rope go: b u t h e w as able
to su sta in th e te rrib le chafing th ro u g h th e callous on his th u m b .
F in ally , a m an em erged from th e well. H e th a n k e d A nw ar, an d
said:
'Y ou m u st be th e M an from A far, a b o u t w hom it is prophesied
150

t h a t he alone w ill be ab le to save me. I am th e ch ief m in iste r of H is
Im p eria l M ajesty, im priso n ed in th e w ell by a G enie, a n d I w ill see
t h a t you a re rew arded!’
So saying, h e w en t h is w ay.
A n w ar w as still r a th e r su rp rised by th is w h en a stra n g e an d
fearsom e figure ju m p ed upon him . 'A ha!’ it said, 'Son of M an, you
a re m y prey an d I sh all e a t you aliv e as I do everyone in th is city
w hom I d esire to devour. W e gen ies a re in control of th e stre e ts of
th e cap ital, an d nobody can re sist u s except people who h av e
e a rn ed th e c ry sta l pebble of S u leim an , son of D avid, w hich b in d s
all th e G enies on e a rth !’
H e a rin g th is, A n w ar sn a tch e d th e pebble c ry sta l from h is
pocket an d held it before th e genie, who im m ed iately dissolved
in to flashes of fire an d sc u ttle d aw ay, fa r into th e d istance.
No sooner h ad he done th is, th a n a m a n on h o rseb ack cam e g a l
loping u p to him , an d said:
'I am th e E m p ero r’s herald! It h a s been foretold th a t an y o n e who
can rescue th e M in ister m ay be ab le to overcom e th e genies. Such
a m an m ay w ell h av e ea rn e d th e key to th e e n c h a n te d room in
w hich th e P rin cess is im prisoned. T he m a n who can open th a t door
is to be h e r h u sb an d , an d to ru le th e re a lm w h en H is Im p e ria l
M ajesty is no m ore!’
A n w ar m ounted beh in d him , a n d th e y sped to th e P alace. T he
m a n took h im to a room , w h ere A n w ar fitted th e k ey to th e lock.
T h e door sw ung open; an d th e re h e saw th e m ost b e a u tifu l lady
w hom h u m a n eyes h ad ev e r beheld. I t w as, of course, th e P rin cess,
a n d she cam e forw ard an d th e p a ir fell in love th e in s ta n t th e ir
eyes m et.
A nd so it w as th a t A nw ar, th e poor boy from th e co ttag e in a
rem ote province, becam e th e h u sb a n d of th e P rin cess S alm a: an d
E m peror, too, in th e fu lln ess of tim e. A nd h e an d h is consort a re
re ig n in g th e re yet.
T he story w hich th e h a u g h ty p rin ce a t th e m o n a ste ry ta b le to ld
th e m , th e y found, contain ed all th e elem e n ts for a ju s t, peaceful
an d successful ru le. A nd w h en ev er th e y , th e ir co u n try or th e ir
c h ild ren w ere faced w ith an y difficulties, th e y found t h a t th e y h ad
th e "S k ill th a t N obody H a s”: for th e y w ere ab le to u se th e ir ex p e ri
ence, th e m agical objects given to th em , an d th e advice of th e
m y sterio u s d erv ish , who alw ay s ap p eared a n d advised th e m w h en
th e y needed him .
151

The Man who Went in
Search of his Fate
T h ere w as once a m an - an d th e re h av e been m a n y lik e h im
b o th before an d since - who decided th a t h e should m a k e a chan g e
in h is life. ’W h at is th e p o in t’, h e ask ed him self, 'of try in g to do
th in g s, or le ttin g th in g s h ap p en to me, if I do n o t know m y F a te ? ’
I f he w orked a g a in st h is F ate , h e reasoned, h e w ould suffer: an d
in th e end th e fate w ould be th e sam e. If, on th e o th e r h an d , he did
no th in g , h is destin y w ould be a m in o r an d u n in te re stin g one: lik e
t h a t of th e th o u sa n d s of o rd in ary people a ll over th e w orld, who
h ad u n ev en tfu l lives.
H e h ad to s ta r t som ew here, so h e sold h is few possessions an d
b eg an to w alk along th e h ig h w ay w hich passed th ro u g h h is hom e
tow n.
H e h ad n o t been w alk in g for very long w h en h e cam e to a
teah o u se, w here h e saw a d erv ish sittin g , ta lk in g to a n u m b e r of
people. T he tra v e lle r - w hose n am e w as A k ra m —w aited u n til th e
audience h ad gone, an d th e n approached th e m a n of w isdom.
'R everend M an of th e P a th !’ h e said, T am in se arch of m y F a te ,
a n d w onder w h e th e r you can su g g est how I m ig h t s ta r t on th is im
p o rta n t en deavour.’
'T h is is e a sie r believed possible th a n it is achieved’ rep lied th e
dervish; 'a n d it w ould be b e tte r to ask how to recognize y o u r F a te
th a n to assu m e th a t you can do so w ith o u t p re p a ra tio n .’
'B u t I am su re th a t I can recognize m y F ate !’ cried A k ram ,
'because it is w ell know n th a t one’s F a te is a reflection of oneself:
a n d su rely I can te ll if I m e et som eone who looks lik e m e.’
'Looking like you ex te rn a lly is n o t th e sam e th in g as bein g a
reflection o f you’ said th e D ervish, 'especially w hen, lik e everyone
else, you h av e so m any sides th a t you find it h a rd to see y o u r own
reflection in all its form s. T he m irro r of perception is as fleeting
a n d as m iscellaneous a s th e w av elets of th e sea, each briefly
sh in in g fo rth w ith th e borrow ed lig h t o f th e su n , as it b re a k s upon
th e seash o re— ’
T he D ervish continued in th is vein for som e tim e, a n d A k ram ,
w ho h ad m e t D ervishes before, stopped liste n in g to h im . H e cam e
to th e conclusion th a t th e re w ould be n o th in g th a t h e could profit
from here. S till, he th o u g h t, it w ould be nice to h av e com pany on
th e journey. W hen th e D ervish h a d stopped ta lk in g , A k ram said:
'M ystical analogies are, of course, too deep for m e to u n d e rsta n d .
B u t if you are trav e llin g , m ig h t I accom pany you, a t le a st for p a r t
152

of th e w ay? F or I am unv ersed in th e experiences an d practices of
jo u rn e y in g .’
The D ervish agreed, an d th e y se t off along th e road.
P re sen tly th ey saw a tre e by th e roadside, an d from it w as
clearly to be h e a rd a stro n g buzzing sound. T he D erv ish said: T u t
y o u r e a r to th e tr u n k of th e tree , and see w h at you can h e a r.’
A k ram followed h is advice an d realised th a t th e tre e w as
hollow. Inside th e re w as a very larg e n u m b e r of bees.
The D ervish said: 'T he bees a re trapped. If you can m a n ag e to
b re a k off th a t branch, th e y w ill be released an d w ill be able to
escape. I t m ig h t be a kin d ly act - an d who know s w here it m ig h t
lead?’
A k ram answ ered: 'O ld m an, you are n o t of th is world! H as it n o t
been said th a t one should n o t be d istra cte d from one’s objective by
m in o r m a tte rs? Now, supposing th a t som eone w ere to offer m e
som e m oney for b re a k in g th e b ran ch , I w ould accept, for I h av e no
m oney for m y jo u rn ey . B u t to do it for n o th in g is absurd!’
'A s you w ill’, said th e D ervish, an d th e y continued on th e ir w ay.
W hen it w as d a rk th e y lay down to sleep. In th e m o rn in g th e y
w ere w oken by a m a n going p a s t w ith two la rg e ja rs stra p p e d to
th e sides of h is donkey. H e stopped to pass th e tim e of day.
'W here a re you going?’ ask ed th e D ervish.
'To m a rk e t to sell th is honey. I t should fetch a t le a st th re e pieces
of gold. Y esterd ay I h e a rd some bees in a hollow tre e , an d th e y
seem ed to w a n t to g et out. So I broke a dead b ran c h an d th e y
sw arm ed. I found th is h u g e am o u n t o f honey, an d , from b ein g a
p au p er, I am on th e w ay to su p p o rtin g m yself!’ A nd h e w en t on h is
w ay.
A k ram said to th e D ervish: T should, p erh ap s, h av e got to th e
honey first, as you suggested. B ut, on th e o th e r h an d , it m ay n o t
h av e been th e sam e tre e , an d in th a t case I w ould probably h av e
been s tu n g - an d th a t is n o t th e F a te I am looking for!’
T he D ervish said nothing.
F u rth e r along th e ro ad th e y cam e to a bridge over a riv er, an d
stopped to ad m ire th e view. S uddenly a fish poked its h e a d o u t of
th e w ate r an d looked a t th em , its m o u th opening an d s h u ttin g in a
q u ite p a th e tic way.
'W h at do you th in k th a t m ean s?’ A k ra m asked.
The D ervish said: 'C up y o u r h an d s w ith in te rlac ed fingers, an d
see w h e th e r you can u n d e rsta n d th e speech of th e fish.’
W hen A k ram did as th e D ervish suggested, he found th a t he
could indeed u n d e rsta n d th e fish, who w as saying:
'H elp m e, help me!’
T he D ervish called out:
'W h a t help do you seek?’
153

T he fish answ ered:
T have sw allow ed a sh a rp stone. T h ere is a c e rta in herb,
grow ing in profusion on th e riv er-b an k . If you would k in d ly pluck
som e and th ro w i t to me, I could b rin g up th e stone an d find some
relief.’
'A ta lk in g fish, indeed!’ said A k ram . T th in k th a t th is is some
so rt of a tric k of m agic or ven trilo q u ism . I refuse to m a k e m y se lf
ridiculous. In an y case, I am in se arch of m y F ate . D ervish, if th is
stra n g e h ap p en in g is a n y th in g to do w ith you, p erh a p s you m ig h t
care to help yonder fish yourself!’
T he D ervish only said, 'No, I sh a ll n o t do an y th in g . L et u s be on
ou r w ay.’
Soon afte rw a rd s th ey e n tered a tow n an d s a t down in th e
m ark et-p lace to rest. P re se n tly a m a n cam e g alloping in to th e
sq u a re on a fine horse, obviously v ery excited. D ism ounting, h e
sh o u ted to th e tow nspeople:
'A m iracle, a m iracle!’
As everyone g ath ered aro u n d th e h o rsem an , h e said:
T w as crossing a bridge, w hen, believe it or not, a fish spoke to
me. I t asked m e to th ro w it som e herbs. I did so, a n d a fte r e a tin g
th e m it th re w up a flaw less diam ond as big as bo th m y fists!’
A k ram called out: 'How do you know th a t it is a rea l diam ond?’
T am a je w e lle r’ said th e m an.
'How ty pical of life’ said A k ram , 'th a t a m a n of w e a lth should
g et even m ore, w hile I, u n ab le to succour th e fish because I w as on
im p o rta n t business, am forced to beg m y b rea d in th e com pany of a
m ost u n in te re stin g dervish!’
T he D ervish said, 'O h w ell, p erh a p s it w as n o t th e sam e fish;
perh ap s, indeed, th a t m a n is lying. L et u s look forw ard an d n o t
back!’
'T h a t is all r a th e r like a philosopher,’ sa id A k ra m , 'b u t m uch
th e sam e th o u g h ts w ere in m y own m in d .’
T hey continued on th e ir way.
T he n ex t ev en t in th e ir jo u rn ey w as w hen th e y stopped to e a t
beside a rock, em bedded in th e ground. A low h u m m in g seem ed to
be com ing from th e rock, an d A k ra m p u t h is e a r to it. H e found
t h a t th e sound cam e from u n d e r th e rock, an d as he listen ed he
could u n d e rsta n d w h a t it m ean t. It w as a n u m b e r of a n ts, an d th e y
w ere saying:
'If only we could m ove th is rock, or g e t th ro u g h it somehow, we
w ould be able to extend o u r kingdom an d find room for all o u r
people. If only som eth in g could come to o u r aid! T his h a rd
m a te ria l down here is too difficult to g et th ro u g h . If only som eone
or som ething w ould ta k e it aw ay!’
A k ram looked a t th e D ervish, an d said:
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T h e a n ts w a n t th e rock moved, so th a t th e y can extend th e ir
kingdom . W h at have I to do w ith an ts, rocks or kingdom s? F irs t I
m u st find m y F ate!’
T he D ervish said noth in g , an d th ey continued on th e ir way.
T he follow ing day, w hen th e y w ere risin g from th e ir m iserab le
bivouac u n d er a hedge, th e y h ea rd th e sound of m an y people
com ing th e ir w ay, sin g in g an d sh o u tin g w ith glee. P re se n tly th e y
saw th a t a larg e band of ru stic s w as on th e road, dan cin g an d
play in g fiddles an d pipes, leap in g an d so m e rsau ltin g w ith delig h t.
As th ey passed, A k ram asked one of th em w h a t h ad happened.
T he m a n said:
'A g o atherd, believe it or not, h ea rd some a n ts m u rm u rin g
u n d er a rock, in g re a t distress. H e moved it so th a t th e y could
extend th e ir nest. W h a t do you th in k he found u n d e rn e a th ? W hy,
a hu g e tre a s u re of gold pieces! He took it and sh a re d it w ith all h is
neighbours, an d we are th e lucky v illag ers who benefited!’
T hey w ent on th e ir w ay, still d elirious w ith delight.
T he D ervish said to A kram :
'You are a fool, for you h ave th ric e failed to do even th e sim p lest
th in g t h a t m ig h t have b ro u g h t you th e fo rtu n e w hich you desired!
You are a fool, because you a re even less prep ared to follow y o u r
fate th a n all those people who ju s t did a k in d action an d w ere not
obsessed by th e ir F a te an d th e ir personal desires! You are a fool,
for you have, in stead o f following y o u r fate, d istan ced y o u rself
from it, by your beh av io u r an d your failu re to look a t w h a t is
b en e ath your nose. Above all, you are a fool because you did n o t
a tte n d to w h a t I am an d w h a t I have said, not said an d in d ic ated .’
A kram , like m any an o th e r before an d since, becam e enraged.
H e shouted a t th e D ervish:
'Self-satisfied an d dom in eerin g know-all! A nyone can be wise,
afte r th e event! I noticed th a t you, a m iserab le an d underfed
w an d e re r on th e face of th e e a rth , did not ta k e an y a d v a n ta g e of
th e g re a t th in g s w hich you a re now such a n ex p e rt upon! P erh ap s
you can te ll m e w hy that is?’
T can indeed,’ replied th e D ervish, T could n o t benefit m y self
because I h ad o th er th in g s to do. You see, I am y our F ate!’
T hen th e D ervish disappeared, an d he h a s n ev e r been seen
again: except, of course, by all th e A k ram s who hav e lived since
th a t tim e, m any, m any y ea rs ago.
155

The Greed for Obstinacy
T h ere w as once a n h o n est m an, who h ad never, in h is life, ta k e n
ad v a n ta g e of others. He w as k in d a n d hard -w o rk in g , b u t he h a d
n o t achieved an y success in life.
T h is m an, w hose nam e w as S inglem ind, w as co n stan tly being
b etra y ed an d exploited, b u t th is did n o t tro u b le h im p a rtic u la rly ,
because - q u ite rig h tly - he knew th a t h is own stra ig h tfo rw a rd
ness could n o t be corrupted by th e v illain y of others.
S inglem ind practised c h a rity an d gen ero sity a n d k in d n e ss to
th e full e x te n t of h is capacity, reposing h is tr u s t in th e ju stic e
w hich w ould follow such a life: as h e w as convinced it m u st.
B u t he w as not tra n q u il in m ind. So h e w en t to a Sufi an d ask ed
h im w h a t to do.
T he Sufi said:
'B rother; honesty, h a rd w ork, kindness: th e se are all th in g s
w hich are o f th e u tm o st im p o rtan ce to h u m a n k in d , if re a lisa tio n
is to be a ttain ed . B u t you m u st be su re th a t you a re re a lly honest;
th a t you are, indeed n ot o ffsetting y o u r g en ero sity by an eq u a lly
h arm fu l greed for obstinacy in following y o u r own opinions ab o u t
yo u r w ay of actio n .’
T he Sufi offered h im a w ay of observing an d co rrectin g him self,
b u t S inglem ind did not lik e to h e a r h is h o nesty described as o b sti
nacy, an d concluded th a t th e Sufi m u st be w rong.
H e resolved, therefore, to m ak e a jo u rn e y to see th e g re a t s a in t
M usa al-K azim , to seek h is advice as to how h is fo rtu n e an d h is
prospects of s p iritu a l developm ent m ig h t be changed.
H e se t off along th e road.
P re sen tly th is good m an, crossing a w ilderness, cam e upon a
very fierce-looking tig er, w hich w as rollin g in th e dust. W hen he
saw th e tra v e lle r, th e tig e r stopped doing th is, an d said:
'Son of m an , w here are you going?’
S inglem ind said:
'U n fo rtu n a te in m y p a s t an d p rese n t, u n c e rta in as to m y fu tu re ,
I am seek in g th e g re a t s a in t M usa al-K azim , to beseech him to
give m e h is advice.’
'I am Sher, th e T ig er’ said th e w ild b east, 'an d I beg of you to a sk
th e s a in t w h a t I can do to im prove m y own condition, for I am m is
era b le and o u t of sorts. T h ere is so m eth in g w rong w ith m e, an d I
need perceptive advice.’
'W illingly’, said S inglem ind, an d continued on h is way.
In th e course of tim e he arriv e d a t th e b a n k of a riv er, an d saw a
g re a t fish, w ith its m outh opening an d sh u ttin g , h a lf in an d h a lf
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o u t of th e w ater.
T he fish said:
'Son of m an, w here a re you going?’
S inglem ind told all th a t h a d happened.
T am M ahi th e F ish ’ said th e fish, 'an d th e re is so m eth in g w rong
w ith me. For som e reaso n I can n o t sw im in th e w ate r, an d I need
som e k in d of help. P lease ask th e sa in t w hen you see him to send
m e advice on m y problem .’
S inglem ind prom ised to do so, and co n tin u ed on h is way.
A fter m uch jo u rn ey in g , th e p ilg rim cam e upon th re e m en. T hey
w ere w earily digging in a piece of sandy ground.
S inglem ind stopped an d ask ed th e m w hy th e y w ere la b o u rin g
so h a rd in such a n u n pro m isin g field.
'W e are th e th re e sons of a good m a n who h a s recen tly died,’
th e y told him . 'O u r fa th e r left u s th is la n d an d told us to dig it,
w hich is w h at we are doing; b u t it seem s to u s th a t it is so poor th a t
n o th in g will ev er grow on it.’ They ask ed S inglem ind w h at his
m ission w as; and, w hen he told them , th ey begged h im to a sk for
th e s a in t’s solution to th e ir own difficulty. S inglem ind w illingly
prom ised to help th em in th is w ay, an d continued on h is jo u rn ey .
E v en tu ally th e tra v e lle r reach ed h is d estin atio n , an d found th e
g re a t te a c h e r sittin g , as alw ays, m odestly an d w ith o u t o ste n ta
tion, w ith a group of people who h ad come to le a rn from him .
W hen S inglem ind approached, th e s a in t said, 'S p e ak ’, an d S in
g lem in d said:
T am such-and-such a m a n a n d I hav e come to seek y o u r help,
b u t before I do so I have ce rta in re p re se n ta tio n s to m ak e, Lord, on
b e h a lf of th re e m en, a fish an d a tig e r whom I m e t on my long
jo u rn ey an d who m ay be d eserv in g of your k in d n e ss.’
W hen ask ed to continue, he recited th e difficulties w hich b eset
th e m en, th e fish and th e an im al.
'Y our P resence m ig h t now k in d ly deign to allow th is u n w o rth y
person to describe h is own condition, so th a t advice for him , too,
m ig h t generously be forthcom ing.’
B u t M usa al-K azim said:
'M y brother! Y our an sw e r h as a lre ad y been co n tain ed in w h a t
I have advised.’
So S inglem ind retrac ed h is steps, w ondering how h e could
u n d ersta n d , from w h at th e s a in t had said, how to solve h is own
problem s.
In due tim e he cam e upon th e th re e m en, still w o rking in th e
b a rre n field. H e told them :
T h av e consulted th e g re a t sa in t, an d th is is h is advice. "L et th e
th re e m en ” he said, "dig in th e exact m iddle of th e field. T hey w ill
find a n u n d erg ro u n d ch am b er w ith tre a su re s w hich a re th e irs.
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T his is th e m eaning of th e in stru c tio n of th e ir fa th e r to d ig th e
field.” ’
S inglem ind helped th e th re e m en to follow th is advice, an d p res
en tly th ey cam e upon a tre a su re of incalculable size, to g e th e r w ith
a n u m b er of rem a rk a b le in stru m e n ts w hich would en ab le people
to achieve w h at m ost m en call w onders, w h eth e r in th e service o f
h u m a n ity or otherw ise.
T he b ro th ers offered S inglem ind h is pick of gold or of th e
w ondrous devices, b u t he said:
'K ind friends, I h av e only done m y duty! A ll th is belongs to you
an d I have no rig h t to covet it. M ay you be in peace!’ A nd he w en t
on h is way.
E v en tu ally , too, he cam e upon th e g re a t fish who asked him if
he h ad been able to o b tain an y guidance for th e re lie f of h e r sufifer-
ing.
'L ady fish!’ said S inglem ind, 'th e g re a t s a in t h as, by h is w onder
ful perceptions, allev iate d th e lot of th re e p a u p e r b ro th ers:
in d icatin g a tre a su re to th em . H is advice ab o u t y o u r case w as as
follows:
"L et a blow be stru c k on th e left side of th e head of th e fish, an d
she w ill thenceforw ard be able to sw im an d gam bol in th e w a te r
q u ite no rm ally .’”
T he fish begged Singlem ind to help, so he took his s ta ff an d
stru c k h e r a blow on th e place w hich th e s a in t h a d indicated.
No sooner had he done so, th a n th e fish slid in to th e w a te r an d
sw am , leap in g an d play in g w ith u n re stra in e d joy. T h en sh e glided
th ro u g h th e w ate r to Singlem ind an d th a n k e d him deeply for h is
help.
B u t S inglem ind said:
'M ahi, w hen I stru c k y our head, it sp lit a lum p w hich seem s to
hav e been u p se ttin g yo u r b alan c e___’
'Yes, yes,’ said M ahi, 'b u t th a t is n o th in g to me. I only know th a t
I am free an d well!’
S inglem ind continued:
'O u t of th a t place on y o u r h ead h as dropped, a n d is h e re on th e
b an k , a diam ond la rg e r th a n a w aterm elon. T ake it, or som eone
w ill su rely ste al it!’
'A nd w h a t is th a t to m e, a fish?’ said M ahi. A nd sh e stre a k e d
aw ay, calling down blessings upon h e r benefactor.
'O m y sister!’ S inglem in d called o u t a fte r h er, 'you w ill be
robbed if I leave th e jew el lying h e re .’ A nd he th re w th e h u g e gem
in to th e w a te r n e a r w here he h ad seen th e fish disap p ear.
U ltim ately , going h is w ay, th e tra v e lle r cam e to th e place
w here th e troubled tig e r sat. He recited a ll his ad v e n tu res, a n d
th e tig e r ask ed w h at M usa al-K azim h ad advised in h is own case.
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T h e s a in t’ said S inglem ind, 'specifically sta te d th a t y o u r con
ditio n could be allev iate d only by devouring a fool. Do th a t, an d
you w ill have no fu rth e r tro u b le s.’
'A nd n e ith e r w ill you!’ ro ared th e tig er, leap in g upon him .
Milk of the Lioness

T h ere w as once a tim e
W hich w as n o t a tim e
W hen
In a far-off kingdom all th e people w ere w aitin g for th e K in g ’s

th re e d a u g h te rs to be m a rrie d . A ccording to th e law s of th a t
realm , princesses of th e blood royal h ad th e rig h t to m ake
absolutely anyone th e y w ished th e ir m ates, an d on th is occasion
th e ladies found it difficult to m a k e up th e ir m inds.
F in ally th ey asked th e ir fa th e r to h av e th e e n tire p o p u latio n of
th e kingdom p arad ed p a s t th em , so th a t th ey could m ak e a choice.
T he first princess decided upon th e ta ll an d h andsom e son of one of
th e m in iste rs, an d th e second chose th e m u sc u la r an d d ash in g son
of th e E m ir al-Ja ish , C om m ander of th e A rm ies - as, indeed,
everyone h ad alw ays th o u g h t th e y would. B u t th e th ird , an d
youngest, princess could not decide; an d th e endless stre a m of
people only confused h e r more.
So th e princess took a n apple an d th rew it in to th e air, saying:
'W hoever catches th is sh a ll be my h u sband!’
Now it so happened th a t in th e crowd in th e public sq u a re w here
th is w as ta k in g place th e re stood a young m a n w ith a lim p a n d a
hu n ch ed back, w ith h is tu rb a n -e n d th ro w n across h is face,
w ea rin g ragged clothes an d w alk in g w ith th e aid of a staff.
T his w as th e m an who ca u g h t th e apple, an d who d rag g ed
h im self to th e platform w here th e royal fam ily sat, to claim his
prize.
The crowd cheered, m ore because o f h a b it th a n a n y th in g else,
for in w ard ly th ey did n o t feel happy th a t such a m a n should
becom e one of th e ru lin g house. T he son of th e m in iste r an d th e
m ilita ry com m ander’s son m u tte re d to th em selv es an d to each
other. A nd th e K in g said to h is m in iste r:
'T he royal w ord m ay n ev er be w ith d raw n , so le t th e stu p id g irl
159
hav e th e clown or buffoon, or w h ate v er he is. A t le a st I h av e tw o
s ta lw a rt and reliab le sons-in-law !’
W h a t nobody knew a t th a t tim e, of course, w as th a t th e y o u th
w as only p rete n d in g to be w h a t he seem ed to be. T he lam en ess w as
affected an d th e crouched p o stu re w as assum ed, and he covered
th e low er p a r t of his face because he did n o t w an t to be recognised.
H e w as a fugitive H ash e m ite E m ir, concealing h im self from p e r
secution.
All th re e g irls w ere m a rrie d and, since th e young prince, Ibn
H aid ar, did n o t rev eal him self, h e an d h is bride w ere b an ish ed to a
stab le to live, by h e r enrag ed fath er.
E ven h is own wife did n o t rea lise who Ibn H a id a r w as, b u t she
loved him , w h atev er he looked like, an d both of th e m accepted th e
life of poverty an d o stracism w hich w as th e ir lot.
Ibn H aid a r used to w alk, in th e evenings, out of th e city an d con
te m p la te in a sm all cave w here nobody else ev er seem ed to go.
A fter some m onths he m e t a n old m an, who said to him :
'Son of th e Lion (w hich is w h a t Ibn H a id a r m eans) you m u st
w a it u n til th e D ay of Lion M ilk. W hen you h e a r of th is, you should
ta k e action tow ards th e re stitu tio n .’ A nd th e old m a n h an d e d him
a clear stone. 'R ub th is stone in y o u r rig h t h an d an d th in k of a
very sm all, broken coin, an d you can sum m on th e M agical
C harcoal M are.’
So saying, he w en t on h is way.
Now it cam e to pass th a t th e K in g w as engaged in w ar, an d he
rode out w ith h is arm ies, h is tw o v a lia n t sons-in-law and h is com
m an d ers to engage th e enem y. N a tu ra lly , th e y left th e lam e an d
m isshapen Ibn H a id a r behind. T hey fought m an y b a ttle s, b u t a t
la s t it seem ed th a t th e in v ad ers of th e co u n try w ere g ain in g th e
u p p er h and. A t th is p oin t Ibn H a id a r felt th e stone grow h o t in h is
pocket, an d he took it out, rem em b erin g th e broken coin. As h e
tu rn e d it in his fingers, a splendid, charcoal-coloured m a re
appeared. I t said to him :
'M y Lord, p u t on th e acco u trem en ts in m y saddle-bags: we rid e
to w ar!’
W hen he w as fully arra y e d in k n ig h tly m ail, th e y o u th le ap t
upon th e back of th e horse, an d she flew th ro u g h th e sk ies u n til
th e y reach ed th e battlefield. T he m y sterio u s k n ig h t fought from
daw n to dusk, u n til th e enem y w ere routed, alm o st en tire ly
th ro u g h h is bravery. T he K in g rode up to him an d th re w h is own
K ash m ir shaw l aro u n d h is neck, saying:
'B lessings upon you, lordly one, for you hav e aid ed th e good a n d
opposed evil, an d we are e te rn a lly in your deb t.’
B u t Ibn H a id a r said nothing. H e bowed to th e K ing, ra ise d h is
lance in sa lu ta tio n , and, sp u rrin g th e m agical m a re in to th e
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clouds, re tu rn e d home.
W hen th e w arrio rs a rriv e d back a t th e cap ital, th e y w ere full of
ta le s of th e m ysterious k n ig h t who h a d saved th em , a n d spoke of
h im as th e 'B lack K n ig h t of H eav en ’. T he K ing said, ag a in an d
again:
'W ould th a t I h ad a son-in-law like th a t!’
Ibn H aid ar, of course, continued to be th e b u tt of jokes, a c u ri
osity and a n o n en tity , even th o u g h he w as th e h u sb a n d of a
princess.
A fter som e m onths, th e you n g m a n w as s ittin g in h is sta b le
w hen he felt th e stone grow h o t again. W hen h e took it o u t an d
rubbed it, n o t fo rg ettin g to th in k of th e coin, th e horse ap p eared
an d said:
'O n m y back! We h av e w ork to do.’
T he horse took him to th e K in g ’s castle, th ro u g h a window in to
th e royal bedcham ber, w here Ibn H a id a r w as ju s t in tim e to
sn a tc h an d k ill a sn ak e w hich w as ab o u t to strik e a t th e h ea d of
th e K ing. A t th a t m om ent th e m o n arch aw oke an d saw w h a t h ad
happened. In th e gloom he could n o t see who h is d eliv erer was, b u t
he took off h is priceless ruby rin g an d han d ed it to him , saying:
'I owe you m y life, w hoever you are. T h is rin g sh a ll be a to k en
for you.’
Ibn H a id a r took th e rin g an d h is steed flew h im back to th e m is
erab le stable.
H is life co n tinued as before for a n u m b e r of m onths, w hen th e
stone called him ag ain , and he sum m oned th e horse.
'P u t on th e robe and tu rb a n in m y saddle-bags’ cried th e m are,
'for we h av e w ork to do.’
T he an im al carried Ibn H a id a r to th e K in g ’s throne-room ,
w here a m a n h ad ju s t been condem ned to d eath . T he ex ecu tio n er
h ad alread y spread h is le a th e r ca rp et to catch th e blood an d w as
a w a itin g th e royal signal w ith sw ord upraised. A t th e sig h t of th e
black m a re w ith th e robed figure upon it, everyone stiffened, a s if
m ade of wood. Ibn H a id a r w aited, an d w ith in a few m om ents th e re
w as a com m otion a t th e throne-room door. A m an h ad a rriv e d
w ith proof th a t th e condem ned m an w as innocent. E veryone a t th e
court w as am azed, an d th e K in g said to th e m y sterio u s ap p aritio n :
'B lessings upon him who in te rv e n e s for justice! T ak e th is sword
of m ine as a to k e n .’
W ith o u t a word Ibn H a id a r g irded on th e sw ord an d th e m a re
took h im back, th ro u g h th e clouds, to h is stable.
N o th in g of g re a t im portance hap p en ed for m an y m ore m onths,
u n til, one day, th e K in g becam e ill. I t w as as if th e whole w orld
h ad dark en ed , and people w en t ab o u t th e stre e ts as if in
m ourning. E ven th e an im als w ere silen t, th e tre e s drooped, an d
161

th e su n its e lf seem ed dim . No doctor could find o u t w h a t ailed th e
ru le r, u n til th e g re a te st of th e m all, th e H ak im A1 Н и к и т а , th e
Doctor of all Doctors, pronounced:
T h is illn ess is to be cured only by a d ra u g h t of th e m ilk of a
lioness, b ro u g h t from th e L and of N ot-B eing.’
Im m ed iately th e two sons-in-law of th e K in g offered th em selv es
for th e ta sk , an d rode ou t from th e palace in full d e te rm in a tio n to
e a rn th e glory of sav in g th e ir lord an d m a ste r.
A fter m any days th ey a rriv e d a t a crossroads, w here a w ise m an
sat. The road b ranched into th re e highw ays, an d th e tw o m en
w ere u n ab le to decide w hich one to follow. They exp lain ed th e ir
m ission to th e w ise m an, who said:
T h e s e th re e roads have nam es. T he first is called "The Road of
Those who do as We do, th e Bond of Blood”. The second is called
"T he Road of Those who th in k a s We do, th e Bond of D ecision”,
an d th e th ird is called "T he Road of T ru th ”.’
T he first son-in-law said:
T sh a ll ta k e th e Road of Blood, for it is th ro u g h k in sh ip w ith h is
M ajesty th a t I am h e re .’ H e sp u rre d his horse on its way.
T he second son-in-law cried:
'I sh all ta k e th e Road of Decision, for decisiveness is m y w ay.’
A nd h e galloped aw ay.
P re sen tly th e first young m an cam e to a m an a t th e e n tra n c e to
a city, an d asked h im w here he was.
‘You are a t th e g atew ay to "The L and of N ot-B eing’” an sw ered
th e m an, 'b u t you can n o t e n te r it u n til you h av e played chess w ith
m e.’ T hey s a t and played, an d th e young m an lost. H e lost h is
horse, his arm our, h is m oney and, finally, h is freedom.
T he o th e r m an took h im into th e city an d sold him to a cooked-
m e at seller, an d th e re he stay ed for m an y days.
A s to th e second youth , he, too, arriv ed a t th e g atew ay of th e
city, an d th e sam e th in g h appened to him . H e w as ta k e n into th e
city an d sold as a slave to a sw eetm eat-seller.
A fter several m onths, w hen th e re w as no sign of th e r e tu rn of
th e cham pions, Ibn H aid a r felt th e stone grow h o t in h is pocket,
an d h e sum m oned th e black m are.
T h e tim e is now!’ sh e said, 'jum p on m y back.’
H e followed th e sam e ro ad u n til he reached th e spot w here th e
w ise m an sa t, and told h im h is m ission.
T he m an gave h im his choice of th e th re e roads an d Ibn H a id a r
said a t once:
'I choose th e "R oad of T ru th ”.’ H e w as ab o u t to co n tin u e on h is
w ay w hen th e w ise m an said:
'You have m ade th e rig h t choice. C ontinue: b u t w hen you get to
th e chess-player, challen g e him to com bat r a th e r th a n p lay in g
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w ith h im .’
Ibn H aid a r w en t on, an d w hen th e chess-player ask ed h im to
play he drew h is sword an d cried:
'F or T ru th , n o t tricks! Face rea lity , n o t to k en b attle : see before
you him who says, "O people of H ashim !” ’ F or th a t w as h is b a ttle -
cry.
T he chess-player su rre n d e re d w ith o u t a fight, a n d told Ibn
H a id a r w h a t h ad happen ed to h is brothers-in-law .
H e took him into th e city an d show ed h im w here th e lionesses
w ere kept. A fter o u tw ittin g th e g u ard s an d ta m in g th e beasts, th e
young m a n took th re e flasks of m ilk. H e p u t one in each sad d le
b ag an d one in h is tu rb a n , as a p recau tio n a g a in st th e ir being
broken or lost.
Now he w ent to th e sw eetm eat-seller an d th e vendor of cooked
m e a ts an d b ro u g h t back th e o th er tw o young m en, a lth o u g h th e y
did n o t recognise him in h is k n ig h tly garb. T h a t n ig h t, how ever,
th e p a ir of th e m - who knew th a t he h ad th e lioness’s m ilk - stole a
flask each an d fled th e city u n d e r cover of d ark n ess.
Ibn H aid a r gave th e m tim e to reach th e palace an d th e n
m o u n ted th e m agical m a re w hich, fa ste r th a n an arrow , carried
h im to th e very sick-room of th e ailin g K ing.
As he alig h te d from h is horse an d strode to th e bed, th e assem
bled doctors and cou rtiers, and th e b rothers-in-law , w ere
aw estrick en a t his app earance. As th e tu rb a n h e w ore th e
K a sh m ir shaw l of th e K ing, on h is finger w as th e g re a t ru b y ring,
an d a t h is side h u n g th e royal sword.
'H ere is th e m ilk of th e Lionesses of th e L and of N ot-B eing,’ h e
said, as he approached th e bed.
'B u t you are too late!’ everyone cried. T he K in g said:
'T hese sons-in-law of m ine h av e b ro u g h t back th e m ilk, b u t it
does m e no good.’
Ibn H a id a r said:
'T h a t is because th e y stole it from m e, who ob tain ed it: an d all
special v irtu e flees from so m eth in g ob tain ed by theft. H ere is th e
th ird flask. T ake a d rau g h t, О K ing!’
As soon as th e K ing h a d sw allow ed a little of th e m ilk, h e s a t up,
com pletely cured.
T he K ing said:
'W hence do you come, an d w ho a re you, an d w hy do you h elp
m e?’
The young m an said:
'T he th re e questions are one question, an d an an sw er to th e first
is a n an sw er to all; th e an sw er to th e second is a n an sw e r to all; th e
an sw er to th e th ird is a n an sw er to a ll.’
T he K in g did not u n d e rsta n d .
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’V ery w ell,’ said Ibn H aid a r, 'I am th e m an who lives in th e
stab le, w hich m eans th a t I am your son-in-law , w hich is w hy I
help you.’
A nd th a t w as how Ibn H aid a r cam e to in h e rit th e crown of th e
kingdom , w hen th e K ing w as ta k e n , in th e fu lln ess of tim e, on h is
longest journey.
The Spirit of the Well

T h ere w as once a couple who lived in a sm all village an d who
used to arg u e all th e tim e.
O ne day th e wife becam e so e n rag ed w ith som eth in g said by h e r
foul-m outhed h u sb an d th a t she clipped him aro u n d th e e a r, an d
h e tum bled into th e ir deep well.
Now a t th e bottom of th a t well, as is often th e case, lived a
G enie; an d he w as an u n u su a lly fierce an d abom inable one. As
soon as th e hu sb an d saw him , he sta rte d to scream an d shout, to
pull him about, an d to show er upon h im such abuse as he h ad n o t
h eard since th e days of th e g re a t K ing S u leim an , son of D avid
(upon w hom Peace!) u n til th e G enie, affronted an d affrig h ted , w as
forced to rise from h is dw elling. T h is w as how he cam e to ascend
in to th e sky, tow ering over th e terrified wife as she stood looking
down into th e depths of th e well.
’M iserable w om an!’ ro ared th e G enie, as soon as h e saw h er,
’W ho is responsible for flinging th a t unb eliev ab ly ap p a llin g
h u m a n into m y well, d istu rb in g m y peace an d cau sin g m e to flee
from m y hom e of th e p a s t te n th o u sa n d y ears?’
'W h at ab o u t m e?’ asked th e w om an, 7 h av e h ad to live w ith th a t
m an for tw o decades, an d you can n o t sta n d him for two m in u tes!’
'Y ou u n fo rtu n a te creatu re!’ cried th e G enie, for h e w as n o t
w ith o u t som e b e tte r feelings an d th e how ls of th e frig h tfu l
h u sb an d w ere still rin g in g in h is ears, 7 ce rtain ly do see your
po in t of view .’
'W ell’ said th e w om an, 'since I do n o t w a n t him o u t of th e well,
an d you do n o t w an t to go back, you m ig h t as well come along w ith
m e to th e city, for I hav e decided to w alk th e re to see w h a t life
m ig h t have in sto re for me. To sta y h ere would be to starv e, an d in
an y case I w a n t to g et as fa r aw ay from th a t m an as possible.’
T he G enie agreed, an d th e y se t off along th e road, c h a ttin g
164
am icably together.
P re sen tly th e G enie said:
'How are you going to live in th e big city?’
'S om ething w ill tu rn up’ said th e wom an.
'My su g g estio n ' said th e G enie, 'is this: th e k in g h as a d au g h ter.
I w ill e n te r into h e r b ra in an d possess her. T hen you come along
an d cast m e out, an d th e k in g w ill rew ard you.’
'T h a t is an excellent idea’ said th e wom an.
'B u t th e re is one proviso’ said th e G enie. 'T h a t is th a t you will
only use th e word of exorcism once, otherw ise I w ill alw ay s be a t
your m ercy.’
'All rig h t’ said th e w om an.
T he G enie sped on ah ead an d drove th e princess com pletely
m ad. She w rith ed an d she cried, she cursed an d she th re w h e rse lf
about, an d everyone soon realised th a t a genie of som e k in d h ad
en tered in to her.
As soon as th e w om an reached th e tow n, she m et people who
told h e r th e te rrib le story. 'T he k in g ,’ th e y added, 'h a s prom ised
illim itab le gold to anyone who can cure her, an d to h a n g anyone
w ho falsely p rete n d s to be able to do so.’
As soon as sh e reached th e m ain m a rk e t of th e city, th e w om an
began callin g out: 'G enies ca st out! The w orld’s g re a te st caste r-o u t
h a s arrived! B rin g out y o u r begenied people, I sh all ca st th e m out!’
A lm ost a t once she w as seized by th e royal g u ard s an d ta k e n to
th e king. The princess was b ro u g h t forw ard, g rim a cin g an d
how ling - an d th e w om an, u sin g th e word w hich th e G enie h ad
told h er, cast him out.
O f course th e king, as w ell a s th e princess, w as d elig h ted by
th is, and th ey rew arded th e exorcist w ith as m uch gold a s she
w an ted , an d sh e estab lish ed h e rse lf in a palace of h e r own, w hich
riv alled th a t of th e m onarch him self.
B u t th e G enie w as n o t finished. A fter a few m o n th s’ ro am in g
about, u n ab le to go hom e to h is w ell an d feeling th e need to do
som e fu rth e r m ischief, h e found h im self back in th e selfsam e city
and, alm ost w ith o u t noticing w h a t he w as doing, e n tered in to th e
p rin cess’s m other, th e queen.
T he k in g im m ediately called th e exorcist w om an an d com m and
ed:
'C ast out th is dem on a t once, or I sh a ll kill you!’
Since it w as a m a tte r of h e r life or th e G enie, sh e w en t to th e
q u een ’s bedside and w hispered th e m agic word. W ith a ro a r an d a
ru sh , th e in fu riate d sp irit stood beside h e r in th e form of a n ox
w ith a sn a k e’s head, b re a th in g o u t fum es an d ro llin g h is eyes.
'By th e G re a t K ing S uleim an, son of D avid, on w hom Peace!’ he
roared, T sh all seize you for th is, an d you w ill n ev er be able to ca st
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m e out, for you w ill be too begenied to rem em ber th e m agic word!’
'M y d e a r frie n d / said th e clever w om an, 'if you d a re to do th a t, I
sh a ll im m ediately re tu rn to my h u sb an d , a n d you an d I w ill h av e
to en d u re him for th e re st o f y o u r tim e in h a b itin g me!’
A nd, a t th e frig h tfu l prospect, th e G enie took flight, ro ared
aw ay - and h as n ev er been seen ag ain .
з Princess of the
Water of Life
O nce upon a tim e, w hen th e re w as n o t a tim e, in th e co u n try of
N o-Place-A t-A ll, th e re lived, all alone in a sm all h u t, a poor g irl
w hose nam e w as Ja y d a.
W alking in th e woods one day, J a y d a saw th a t a colony of bees
h ad abandoned th e ir honey, and she decided to collect it.
'I sh a ll ta k e it to m a rk e t, an d sell it, and try to im prove m y life
w ith th e m oney I sh all g e t’ she told herself.
J a y d a r a n hom e an d b ro u g h t a ja r, w hich sh e filled w ith th e
honey. B u t she did not know th a t th e reaso n for h e r poverty w as a
m alefic J in n , who trie d all he could to p rev e n t h e r from m a k in g
a n y th in g a success.
T he J in n woke up as som eth in g told him th a t J a y d a w as
s ta rtin g to do so m ething useful, an d he ru sh ed to th e spot, in te n t
on causing trouble. As soon as h e saw Ja y d a w ith th e honey, he
tu rn e d h im self into a b ran c h a tta c h e d to a tree , an d jogged h e r
arm , so th a t th e ja r fell a n d broke, and th e honey all seeped in to
th e ground.
The J in n , still in th e form of th e b ran ch , la u g h ed an d laughed,
sw inging back an d fo rth w ith glee. 'T his w ill in fu ria te her!’ he
cackled to him self.
B u t Ja y d a ju s t looked a t th e honey an d said to herself:
'N ever m ind, th e a n ts w ill e a t th e honey, an d p erh a p s som e
th in g m ay come of it.’ She h ad seen a lin e of a n ts w hose scouts
w ere alread y ta s tin g th e honey to see if it w as useful to them . As
she sta rte d to w alk th ro u g h th e woods back to h e r h u t, Ja y d a
noticed th a t a m an on horseback w as com ing to w ard s her.
W hen he w as only a few y ard s aw ay, he idly raise d h is w hip an d
stru ck a t a tre e in passing. Ja y d a saw th a t it w as a m u lb e rry tree,
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an d th e blow h ad m ade th e rip e fru it show er onto th e ground.
She th o u g h t, 'T h a t’s a good idea. I’ll collect m u lb e rrie s an d ta k e
th e m to m a rk e t to sell. P erh ap s som ething w ill come of it.’
T he J in n saw h e r collecting th e fru it an d la u g h ed to him self.
W hen Ja y d a h ad filled h e r bask et, he tu rn e d h im self in to a
donkey and followed q u ietly behind h e r on h e r w ay to m ark e t.
W hen she s a t down to rest, th e J in n in th e form of a donkey
edged up to her, nuzzling h e r arm . Ja y d a stro k ed h is nose: and
th e n th e h o rrid cre a tu re suddenly rolled over onto th e b a sk e t of
m u lb erries, cru sh in g th e m to pulp. The ju ice ra n a ll over th e road,
an d th e J in n -a s s gleefully galloped aw ay into th e bushes.
J a y d a looked a t th e fru it in dism ay. A t th a t m om ent, how ever,
th e Q ueen h ad been approaching, on h e r w ay to th e cap ital.
'Stop a t once!’ she ordered h e r p alan q u in -b ea rers, 'for th a t poor
g irl h as lost ev ery th in g . H er donkey h as sq u ash ed h e r fru it an d
r u n off. She w ill be ru in e d if w e do n o t help h e r.’
So th e Q ueen took J a y d a w ith h e r in h e r p a la n q u in , an d th e y
becam e fast friends. She gave J a y d a a house an d J a y d a soon
becam e a successful m e rc h a n t in h e r own rig h t.
W hen he saw how w ell Ja y d a w as g ettin g on, th e J in n h a d a
good look a t h e r house to see w h at he could do to ru in h er. He
realised th a t she k ep t a ll h e r goods in a w arehouse beh in d th e
house: so he set fire to th e house an d goods, an d th e place w as
b u rn ed to th e ground in alm o st less tim e th a n it ta k e s to tell.
J a y d a h ad ru n o u t of th e house w hen she sm elt th e sm oke, an d
looked a t th e ru in s w ith sorrow. T hen she noticed th a t a lin e of
tin y a n ts w as form ing, an d th e n th a t th e y w ere ca rry in g th e ir
stocks of com , one g ra in a t a tim e, from b en e ath th e house to a
place of g re a te r safety.
To help th em , Ja y d a lifted a la rg e stone covering th e ir nest.
B en eath it gushed a sp rin g of w ater.
As J a y d a ta ste d it, th e people of th e city g a th e re d aro u n d h e r
an d cried:
'The W ater of Life! T his is w h a t h a s been foretold!’
T hey told h e r th a t it h ad been prophesied th a t one day a fte r a
fire and afte r m any d isa ste rs a sp rin g would be found by a young
g irl who d isreg ard ed calam ities. T his w ould be th e la st fo u n tain of
life.
A nd th a t is how J a y d a becam e know n as th e P rin cess of th e
W ater of Life, w hich she still tends, an d w hich can be d ru n k , to
give im m o rtality to those who find it by d isreg a rd in g calam ity.
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Fahima and the Prince
T h ere w as once, in th e city of B a sra, a very b ea u tifu l an d in te lli
g e n t girl, ex p e rt a t solving con u n d ru m s a n d u su a lly able to
p red ict people’s actions fa r b e tte r th a n th e y th em selv es ever
could.
H er nam e, in fact, w as F ah im a , 'T he U n d e rsta n d e r’. S he h ad in
h e rite d a la rg e fortune, an d all th e young m en of th e city - as w ell
as a n u m b e r of older ones - w an te d to m a rry h er, m ost of th e m
hoping to g et hold of h e r money. W om en, too, so u g h t h e r frie n d
ship. Those who did not w an t h e r w ea lth w ere curious a b o u t th e
source an d action of h e r re m a rk a b le cleverness: an d so F a h im a
w as alw ays besieged by su ito rs, w ell-w ishers, id lers a n d people
try in g to sell h e r things.
F a h im a s h u t h e rse lf aw ay an d very sensibly m ade it difficult for
people to g e t to know her. T hen one day w h en she w as sta n d in g for
a m om ent on th e tu r r e t of h e r castle, briefly lit by th e ra y s of th e
sun, a ce rta in prince cam e by an d saw h er. H e decided th a t he
w ould m a rry her.
T he prince cam ped outside th e castle an d laid siege to th e fa ir
lady. H e sa n g h e r songs, played on th e lu te , displayed h is m a n ly
figure in a g re a t v a rie ty of splendid robes, an d se n t h e r poem s an d
m essages. In betw een a ll th e se ac tiv ities, h e broke, off to go
h u n tin g , w ith d rew to p rac tise sw ord-fighting, rode in to th e city to
in sp ect th e la te s t cargoes from d is ta n t lands, and g en e rally acted
as princes of th a t tim e u su a lly did.
F ah im a , as we know , w as wise; a n d she both liked w h a t sh e h ad
seen an d h e a rd of th e prince, an d understood h im b e tte r th a n h e
understood him self. O ne day, therefore, w hen she w en t o u t of th e
castle and found h e rse lf seized an d borne back to th e p rin ce’s own
castle, she w as n o t a s su rp rised a s some people m ig h t h av e been.
W hen he th re w h e r in to a dungeon w ith o u t an y discussion, she
rea lise d th a t he h ad done th is because he h ad convinced h im se lf
th a t she w ould not m a rry him u n til he h ad show n h is a s se rtiv e
ness an d power; because as you w ill hav e g a th ered , h e w as in th e
h a b it of com ing to conclusions ab o u t situ a tio n s w ith o u t sufficient
reflection.
A fter som e days th e prince w en t to F a h im a ’s priso n a n d called
th ro u g h th e bars:
'F a h im a , I w a n t to m a rry you. I h ave m oney, I am y o u n g an d
stro n g an d handsom e, an d I h av e you in m y pow er, an d can do
an y th in g I like w ith you. M oreover, I can please you an d m a k e you
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a n in te re stin g an d devoted h u sb a n d .’
F a h im a answ ered:
'N ot by m oney, not by honey
N ot by guile, no r by wile;
N ot th ro u g h boasting, or even ro astin g !’
D ay a fte r day th e prin ce w en t to th e dungeon, a n d a sim ila r
k in d of conversation took place. H e suggested all th e reaso n s w hy
h e th o u g h t she should m a rry him , an d she rejected th e m all.
F in a lly o th e r th in g s began to occupy his m ind. A fter som e m o n th s
he decided to go to B aghdad for a tim e, an d w ord of th is cam e to
F a h im a th ro u g h th e gossip of h e r ja ile r.
B u t F a h im a h ad n o t been idle. All th a t tim e she h ad been tu n
nellin g , an d she now h a d a m e an s of escape to th e outside w orld.
As soon as th e prince left, F a h im a w en t down h e r secret p assag e
to freedom and, h irin g th e fa ste st horses in B asra, m ade h e r w ay
to th e cap ital, a rriv in g long before th e in d o len t prince, who m ade
h is w ay th e re in s ta te an d w ith m an y h a lts to hav e food p rep a re d
a n d for all k in d s of o th e r reasons.
W hen th e prince arriv ed in B aghdad h e visited friends, he w en t
h u n tin g w ith h aw k s an d gave la v ish e n te rta in m e n t, an d
g en e rally com ported h im se lf as p rin ces did in th o se days.
O ne day, stro llin g p a s t a lu x u rio u s m ansion, h e saw a b ea u tifu l
g irl sta n d in g by a window. H e th o u g h t: 'T h a t lovely c re a tu re is
alm o st exactly like F ah im a of B asra!’ A nd w ell he m ig h t, for it
w as th e very sam e g irl, who h ad estab lish ed h e rse lf in B aghdad
for th e v ery purpose of m eetin g th e prince.
T he prince in s ta n tly contrived to m eet th e lady an d ask ed h e r to
m a rry him . She agreed, th e y w ere wed, F a h im a becam e a
princess, an d she gave b irth in due course to a baby girl. The
prin ce w as delighted, of course.
A fter a tim e, how ever, h e decided to go on h is tra v e ls ag ain ; an d
h e jo u rn ey ed to T ripoli. F ah im a , le av in g h e r child w ith a tru ste d
se rv a n t, w en t th e re too, a n d took a su m p tu o u s house. A g ain th e
prin ce saw h er, ag a in h e found th a t h e w an te d to m a rry h e r -
th in k in g th a t she w as a n o th e r w om an - an d ag a in th e y w ere
m arrie d . T his tim e th e y h ad a baby boy, an d th e prince w as, of
course, delighted.
W hen w an d e rlu st ag a in arose in th e p rin ce’s b re a st, he took
ship to A lex an d ria w here, needless to say, F a h im a also w ent, and
ev e ry th in g w ent as before. The p rince saw her, ask ed h e r to m a rry
him , m a rrie d her, an d th e y h ad a n o th e r child.
A fter a y e a r or two, th e prince felt hom esick for B a sra an d he
em b ark ed for th a t city, le av in g h is wife, as h e th o u g h t, in A lex an
d ria. F a h im a c h a rtered a fa ste r sh ip an d arriv e d back in tim e to be
s ittin g in h e r dungeon w hen th e prince w en t to see her.
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W hen he saw her, th e prince began, for th e first tim e, to feel
rem orse an d d istress. 'A h, F ah im a!’ h e cried, 'I w ould still like to
m a rry you, an d I have tre a te d you badly, leav in g you im prisoned
h ere for so m an y years. B u t I am n o t re a lly th e sam e m an. I am
even w orse. I have done th in g s w hich I should not h ave done, an d I
am u n w o rth y of you, an d , indeed, of th e o th ers ab o u t w hom you
know nothing!’
F ah im a said:
'A re you p rep ared to tell me th e tr u th ab o u t w h at h a s h appened
w hile you h av e been aw ay?’
'I m ig h t a s w ell,’ said th e prince, 'b u t it w ill m a k e little dif
ference. C lever as you are, even you w ould n o t be able to th in k of a
solution to m y problem s, b ro u g h t ab o u t by foolishness an d lack of
reflection.’
F a h im a said:
'If you te ll m e th e w hole story, o m ittin g no single d etail, I m ig h t
be able to su g g est som eth in g .’
T he p rince th e n rela te d how he h ad m e t an d m a rrie d b ea u tifu l
g irls in B aghdad, T ripoli an d A lex an d ria, how he h ad th re e
children, an d how h e w ished h e h a d acted differently.
'W ere it not for m e,’ said F ah im a , 'you would h av e done a ll th e se
th in g s in a n irrevocable form. If th a t h ad happened, you w ould n o t
h av e been able to undo y o u r folly, and o th ers w ould h av e been
h arm e d th ro u g h yo u r own selfishness. As it happens, I am ab le to
u n ra v e l th e th re a d for you.’
'W h at h as been done can n o t be undone!’ cried th e prince; 'and,
as for th e re s t of your speech, I do n o t u n d e rsta n d it a t a ll.’
'Go to yo u r draw ing-room ’ said F ah im a , 'an d w a it th e re u n til
som eone is announced, som eone whom you m u st in sta n tly hav e
ad m itte d to y o u r p resence.’
T he prince did as she asked, a n d in an h o u r or so, dressed in all
h e r finery an d lead in g th e ir th re e children, F a h im a ap p eared a t
th e castle gate.
I t w as som e tim e before th e p rin ce could u n d e rsta n d th a t th e
four w om en w ere in fact one, an d th a t all of his th re e ch ild ren h ad
th e sam e m other. B ut, w hen he realised w h a t F a h im a h ad done, in
spite of w h a t he h ad done to h e r, h e w as overw helm ed w ith joy,
an d becam e a com pletely reform ed ch aracter. T hey all lived
hap p ily ev er afterw ards.
170

Salik and Kamala
T h ere w as once a yo u th n am ed S alik , w ho lived in a city ru le d
by a ste rn K ing, w hose edicts w ere so s tric t an d so all-
encom passing th a t people obeyed th e m w ith o u t th in k in g , an d
reg ard ed th em alm o st as law s of n a tu re .
T he K in g h ad a d au g h te r, w hose n am e w as K a m a la - w hich
m ean s perfection; an d sh e w as indeed perfection in every sense.
S he w as in tellig en t, b ea u tifu l an d wise; an d th e re w as a law th a t
she w as n o t to be seen, or spoken to, or even th o u g h t ab o u t too
m uch. O f course th e re w ere people who saw h e r som etim es; an d
som e people h ad to speak to h er, from am ong h e r serv an ts; b u t in
g en e ral people th o u g h t a b o u t h e r so little , an d ab o u t th e d an g e rs
of th in k in g ab o u t h er so m uch, th a t m an y of th e citizens alm o st
feared h e r nam e.
O ne day, how ever, S alik w as w alk in g by th e seashore w h en he
glim psed th e P rin cess com ing o u t of th e sea a fte r h e r m o rn in g
b ath e, an d he fell in love w ith h er; or he th o u g h t th a t he had, for
th e m any sen satio n s of a ttra c tio n , fear an d curiosity stru g g le d
w ith in him .
S alik spoke to h is p a re n ts of w h a t he h ad seen, an d th e y w ere
terrified, an d advised him to forget th e m a tte r. ’W e can h av e a
good enough life here if we obey th e K in g ’s o rd ers a n d serve h im
w ith in h is com m ands’ said h is fath e r, who w as a respected an d
le arn ed m an.
B u t S alik began to feel, m ore and m ore strongly, th a t he w ould
lik e to see th e P rin cess ag ain , an d he took to h a u n tin g th e
seash o re and w an d erin g in th e woods n e a r th e city, in th e hope of
glim psing her.
Now th e P rincess, for h e r p a rt, h ad also espied S alik , an d she
fell in love w ith him . She confided in a n old w om an who v isited th e
palace as a pedlar, an d th e crone so u g h t o u t S alik , as she w en t
from door to door.
O ne day, a fte r v isitin g h u n d red s o f houses, th e h ag found
h e rse lf face to face w ith Salik.
’My child’, sh e said, 'th e P rincess loves you, an d you m u st now
do your own p a rt. In sp ite of w h a t th e K in g say s you m u st w in
y o u r w ay th ro u g h to th e girl; an d is she n o t m ore b ea u tifu l th a n
th e moon?’
Salik, of course, w as asto n ish ed and delig h ted th a t such as he,
a n in significant y o uth, should love an d be loved by th e P rincess,
an d he prom ised th e old w om an th a t h e w ould find a w ay to m eet
h er, and by seeking h e r out in spite of dan g ers, w ould prove his
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love.
E ncouraged by th e exciting m essage, S alik felt fea r of th e
K in g ’s w ra th fa r less th a n before, an d he q u itte d h is house to w alk
th ro u g h th e city w hile he m ade p lan s to m eet h is beloved.
H e had n o t gone fa r w hen h e cam e across a crowd, su rro u n d in g
a m an on a w hipping-block. 'W h at is h ap p en in g ?’ ask ed S alik.
'T his m a n ’, th e people told him , 'spoke in te rm s of a d m ira tio n
ab o u t th e P rincess. N a tu ra lly , th e K ing is h a v in g h im p u n ish ed .’
As he looked a t th e ho rro r of th e flayed flesh, S a lik ’s h e a rt san k ,
an d he feared th a t such a fa te m ig h t be h is if he p ersisted in h is
secret desires.
B ut, as he continued on h is w ay, h is a d m ira tio n an d d e te rm i
n atio n retu rn ed , an d he sta rte d to lay p la n s to m eet th e girl.
T hen he tu rn e d a corner, an d h e found a crowd of people je e rin g
a t a m an who w as being evicted from h is shop. T hey th re w m u d a t
him an d as th e soldiers o f th e K in g flung all h is goods on th e
stree t, th e people stole them .
W hen he asked w h a t w as hap p en in g , th e people told Salik:
'T h u s disgraced are those who covet th e d a u g h te r of our m ost
w ise an d pow erful m a ste r th e K ing. T his m a n m ade up a poem
ab o u t h er.’
S a lik ’s h e a rt tu rn e d to w ater, an d h e saw w h a t th e p en a lty
m ig h t be for him ; b u t th e n h is resolve re tu rn e d an d he continued
on h is way.
P resen tly , h e saw a m a n looking tow ards th e sky as he w alked:
an d suddenly th e K in g ’s G u ard s ap peared, seized him an d ca rrie d
him off. W hen S alik asked b y sta n d ers w h a t crim e th e m a n h ad
com m itted, th ey said:
'Looking upw ards is a crim e. Such a person m ig h t one day find
h im self gazing tow ards th e P rin c ess’s tu r re t window, so h e h as to
be stopped.’
So S alik, to protect him self, s ta rte d to w alk w ith h is gaze fixed
on th e ground. He h ad been w alk in g along in th is w ay for some
tim e w hen he saw th e old crone beckoning to him .
'Y oung m a n ,’ sh e said, 'you a re not doing a n y th in g ab o u t th e
Princess, an d if you love h e r as she loves you, you m u st ta k e some
steps tow ards it, in case she becomes d isen ch an ted w ith you.’
T th in k th a t I have m ade a s ta r t’ said Salik.
'A nd how is th a t? ’ asked th e wom an.
'F irst, I have said n o th in g ab o u t h e r to anyone except m y
paren ts. Second, I have composed no poetry ab o u t h e r.’
'T h en ,’ said th e old w om an, 'w hy are you looking a t th e ground?’
T w as ju s t going to te ll you, h a g ’ said S alik , 'th a t I w as p ro tec t
in g m yself by not looking up a t w indow s.’
'You foolish cre atu re!’ cried th e w om an, 'do you not know th a t
172

th e re is a law an d custom th a t people do not look a t th e ground, in
case th is m ean s th a t th e y are seeking th e P rin cess’s footsteps?’
A nd she w en t on h e r w ay.
Suddenly, as he w as p assin g a house, th in k in g only of th e
P rincess, S alik h e a rd a w eeping an d w ailin g from w ith in . H e
ru sh ed inside, calling out, in h is obsession, 'Is sh e dead? Oh, is she
dead? L et m e see h e r for th e la s t tim e!’
T he m o u rn ers looked a t him and th o u g h t th a t he m u st be a
m adm an.
'Y oung m a n ’, th ey said, 'we g rieve because one of o ur re la tiv e s
h a s died. B u t you, a stran g e r, h av e no rig h t to b u rst in h e re in th is
u n seem ly m a n n er. Besides, it is not a w om an who h a s died; it is a
m a n .’
S alik w en t on his way.
P re sen tly he found h im self a t a crossroads w here a ven erab le
sage sa t, a Sufi teach er, w ith half-closed eyes. T his m an said to
him :
'S alik , m y friend, you have little tim e left to find th e P rincess.
You h av e been looking up an d looking down; you h av e been fol
low ing your own inclin a tio n s a n d exciting y o u rself over a d ea th .
Now it is tim e for you to find out w h eth e r you re a lly seek th e
P rin cess or w h eth e r you seek to avoid th e m a n n ers of th e people of
th is tow n.’
S alik cried out:
'B u t w h a t can I do?’
'W h at you can do is to ta k e th e s tra ig h t road’ said th e Sufi; 'b u t,
because of w h a t people are doing and h av in g done to th em , you
can n o t m ake th is choice. Come w ith m e.’
He took S alik by th e arm an d to g e th er th e y w alked along th e
ro ad u n til th e y a rriv ed a t th e palace of th e K ing. 'A re you afraid of
d ea th ?’ ask ed th e old m an. 'A re you afra id of loss of goods an d
disgrace?’ he continued; 'a re you afraid of advice and help?’
T only do w h at o th e rs do, an d avoid w h a t o th e rs avoid,’
an sw ered S alik.
'O nly’ said th e sage, 'w h a t some o th ers do an d some o th ers do n o t
do; an d th is you th in k is th e b eh av io u r of "all o th e rs”.’
T hey en tered th e palace an d th e Sufi guided S alik to th e th ro n e-
room w here th e K in g s a t in C ourt.
'Y our M ajesty’ said th e sage, 'th is is th e you th S alik , who h a s
feared an d who h as im agined, an d now he h as come to you to ask
for th e h a n d of your d au g h te r, th e P rin cess K am ala, in m a rria g e .’
T ru le ,’ said th e K ing, 'over th is a re a w here d an g e r is ev ery
w here, w here all m u st die, w here people are co n stan tly
disapproved. Those who fear d an g e r u n n ecessarily , who fear
d ea th , who cannot en d u re disapproval, rem a in slaves. A re th e y
173

w orthy of th e d a u g h te rs of those who ru le?’
'If y o u r M ajesty’s law s say th a t I m u st now die, th e n k ill me!’
said Salik. 'If you disapprove of m y am bition, d isgrace me! All I
now know is th a t I w a n t to m a rry th e P rin cess.’
A nd t h a t is how S alik m a rrie d K am a la an d becam e, in h is tu rn ,
r u le r o f th e kingdom . A nd S alik , of course, m eans 'S e ek e r’, w hile
K a m a la is th e word for 'P erfectio n ’; so h e a tta in e d h e r only a fte r
he h ad p u t aside those th in g s w hich stood betw een th em .
When Went to
Amman
O nce upon a tim e th e re w as a n old w om an, going from th e
co u n try to th e city of A m m an, to v isit h e r g randson. I t w as
sum m er, an d on th e h o t an d d u sty ro ad she cam e upon a tire d -
looking b u t r a th e r sin iste r m a n in a black cloak.
'Good m orning!’ she said, for sh e h ad n o th in g b e tte r to do, an d
country-people alw ays sa lu te one an o th er.
'A nd a bad. m o rn in g to you!’ h e answ ered.
'T h a t’s a fine w ay to sp eak to people,’ said th e old w om an, 'a n d
w h a t kin d of a m an are you th a t you sa y such th in g s to th e
ch ild ren of A dam ?’
T h a te th e C h ild ren of A dam - a n d I ta lk like th a t because I am
th e D evil’ he sn arled .
T he old w om an w as no t a t all afraid. 'A nd w hy should you be on
th e ro ad to th e g re a t city?’ she asked.
'A h,’ said th e D evil, 'th e re is p le n ty for m e to do in such a place.’
'You don’t look m uch of a devil to m e’ said th e old w om an; 'why, I
believe th a t I could m a tch a n y th in g th a t you could do, an y day!’
'V ery well,* snapped th e D evil, 'I’ll give you th re e days in
A m m an, an d if you can do w orse th in g s th a n m e, I’ll leave th e
tow n alone for th e re st of m y d a y s . . . ’
So th e b a rg a in w as stru ck , an d th e two of th em a rriv e d to g e th e r
in th e city.
'W hen are you going to s ta rt? ’ th e D evil asked, for he w as
longing to see som e w ickedness.
'I’ll s ta r t rig h t aw ay, an d you can w atch me, providing, th a t is,
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th a t you can m ak e y o u rself in v isib le’ sh e told him .
'L ike th is?’ he asked, an d she rea lise d th a t h e h ad m ade h im self
d isa p p ea r from sight, th o u g h she could feel his h o t b re a th on h e r
ear. 'Now get on w ith it,’ he rasped.
T he old w om an m ade h e r w ay to th e shop of one of th e biggest
m e rc h an ts of fine cloth in th e city, an d sa t down a t th e en tra n ce ,
ask in g th e m e rc h a n t to b rin g o u t some re a lly fine silk.
'It w ould hav e to be so m eth in g re a lly u n u su a l’, she said. 'My
g ran d so n is in love w ith a ce rta in m a rrie d w om an and he w an ts to
give h e r a p rese n t th a t she w ill n ev er forget, to soften h e r h e a rt
tow ards him . She h as said th a t she w ill yield, if only sh e can hav e
a bolt of th e very finest silk th a t can be found.’
'W hy you w a n t it is no business of m ine, so please do n o t te ll m e
an y d etails,’ replied th e m an. 'B u t I hav e here, as it happens, a bolt
of th e very finest cloth in all th e world. U n til th e o th e r day th e re
w ere tw o bolts of it. T hen I sold one to th e Royal P alace, so you can
im ag in e th e q u a lity .’
W hile sh e w as ex am in in g it, th e crone said:
'Now th is is very expensive stuff, an d I expect th a t I sh a ll buy it.
How is it th a t you are n o t tre a tin g m e w ith th e resp ect w hich is
due to a valued custom er?’
'W h a t do you m ean?’ asked th e m erch an t.
'W ell, a t th e very least, you should call for a pipe for m e, so th a t I
h av e a sm oke w hile I am deciding___’
T he m e rc h an t im m ed iately called for a pipe, w hich w as
b rought, w ith charcoal b u rn in g w ell in th e co n tain er on top of it.
H e also placed n e a r h e r a p la te of sticky p a stry bak law as.
M um bling to herself, th e old w om an fingered th e cloth an d ate
th e p astry , an d in betw een she puffed a t th e tu b e of th e pipe.
S uddenly th e m e rc h a n t noticed w ith dism ay th a t she h ad sm eared
som e of th e honey from h e r fingers on th e priceless cloth, an d -
even w orse - she h ad tilte d th e pipe an d allow ed a piece of glow ing
charcoal to fall on th e silk, b u rn in g a hole rig h t th ro u g h it.
'Ayee! You foolish crone!’ he cried, 'you are ru in in g th e cloth!’
'N ot a t all. A ll th a t I h av e to do is to cu t it in a c e rta in w ay a n d
th u s elim in a te th e sta in an d th e hole’ sh e said; 'because I am
buy in g it, anyw ay. How m uch did you say it w as?’
'A h u n d red pounds’ he said, expecting to conclude th e b a rg a in
a t fifty. B u t she im m ediately accepted w ith o u t a quibble, p aid h im
th e m oney, an d left th e shop.
As sh e w en t dow n th e s tree t, th e devil w hispered a t h e r elbow, T
don’t call th a t m uch of a trick: tru e , you gave h im a sm all shock,
b u t you overpaid h im an d h e th in k s th a t you a re a fool. H e is m ore
of a devil th a n you are!’
'Be silen t!’ hissed th e old w om an, 'a n d have some p atien ce, for
175

goodness’ sake. W atch w h a t I do n ex t.’
So saying, she began to ask q uestions of people in a caf6, u n til
sh e h ad found out th e ad d ress of th e hom e of th e cloth m e rc h an t.
I t w as a larg e an d opulent-looking house, an d th e crone stood
outside in to n in g p ray ers, an d th e n knocked on th e door.
T he m e rc h a n t’s wife called out:
'W ho is th e re an d w h a t do you w an t?’
'Peace be upon you, m ag n an im o u s lady!’ th e old crone called up
to h e r w indow 'know th a t I am only a poor w om an from th e
country, com e to v isit m y son. I am ca u g h t h e re in th e s tre e t a t th e
tim e of m y special p ray ers, an d I can n o t find a q u iet, clean place in
w hich to say th e m .’
So th e m e rc h a n t’s wife invited th e pious lady in, an d show ed h e r
in to th e la rg e sitting-roo m on th e ground floor.
'K ind lad y ,’ w heezed th e aged one, 'as one la s t favour, I beg th a t
I m ig h t be le n t a p ray er-ru g , on w hich to k n ee l.’
T he m e rc h a n t’s wife looked aro u n d and b ro u g h t o u t h e r
h u sb a n d ’s sajjadah from h is room and h an d ed it to her.
T he old w om an preten d ed to say h e r p ray e rs w hile th e o th e r
w om an w ithdrew to h e r own q u a rte rs. T h en she rolled up th e
carp et, w ith th e cloth w hich sh e h ad b o u g h t inside it, an d h an d e d
th e ru g b ack w ith a th o u sa n d w ords an d g estu re s of th a n k s an d of
h u m ility .
W hen sh e left th e house, th e D evil ag a in an g rily ask ed h e r w h a t
k in d of play -actin g th is w as, b u t she gave him th e sam e an sw e r as
before.
W hen th e m e rc h a n t re tu rn e d hom e th a t ev en in g an d took o u t
h is ru g to say his p ray ers, out dropped th e roll of cloth. It h a d th e
sam e m a rk an d th e sam e hole as th e one w hich he h ad sold to th e
crone. T he bolt, he rem em bered, w hich w as a g ift to a m a rrie d
w om an who w ould yield to h e r g randson in re tu rn for i t —
H is own wife! The m e rc h a n t w as b lazing w ith fury. As th e D evil
in visibly stood by, h e tu rn e d h is wife o u t of th e house, refu sin g to
listen to a n y th in g she said.
'T his is m ore like it!’ th e D evil chuckled to him self. The old
w om an followed th e d istra cte d wife, to see w here she w ent, an d
saw th a t she ra n to th e house of h e r cousin, w here sh e th re w
h e rse lf upon a bed, cry in g b itte rly , an d refu sin g to ex p lain
a n y th in g to anyone.
T he follow ing m o rn in g th e old w om an w en t to see h e r grandson,
a lu sty yo u th who w as no b e tte r th a n he should be. 'Come, m y fine
y o u n g fellow ’ sh e said to him , 'I am going to in tro d u ce you to a fine
an d in te llig e n t lady, who is lonely an d d is tra u g h t___’
S he took th e y outh to th e house w here th e m e rc h a n t’s wife w as
re stin g an d - profiting from th e a n x iety an d confusion of th e lady,
176

in sisted th a t th e tw o should re m a in to g eth er. Such w as th e bew il
d erm e n t of th e p a ir th a t th e y sim ply s a t in th e room, looking a t
one an o th er, a s th o u g h m esm erised by th e crone.
Now th e an c ie n t h a g sped to th e m e rc h a n t’s shop. A s soon a s he
saw h er, h e s ta rte d to cry an d b e a t h is b rea st, callin g out, '0 crone
of ill-fortune! W hy should you choose m e to be th e in stru m e n t of
th e seduction of m y own wife, by y o u r in fern al, m isbeg o tten
grandson! W hy h av e you come back to to rm e n t me? Begone,
before I k ill you!’ A nd th e re w as m uch m ore in th e sam e vein.
T he old w om an stood h e r ground u n til th e m e rc h a n t w as
som ew hat out of b re a th , an d th e n sh e said:
'O K in g of M erchants! I re a lly h ave no idea as to th e reaso n for
y o u r words. I only come to say th a t I am h ere to ask for th e r e tu rn
of m y silk w hich I seem to h av e left, by some ov ersig h t, a t y our
house. B u t th e re is nobody a t home!’
T he D evil w as w heezing into h e r ea rs as h e h ea rd th is, suffocat
in g w ith stifled lau g h ter.
'W hat!’ shouted th e m erch an t; 'Do you m ean to te ll m e th a t it is
n o t m y wife who w as to be suborned by m eans of th e silk ?’
'C e rta in ly not - all th a t h ap p en ed w as th a t I chanced upon y o u r
house w hen I w as looking for a place to p ray , an d n eg lig en tly left
th e m a te ria l t h e r e . . . ’
A lm ost beside h im self w ith th e rem a in s of h is fury, w ith g rie f
an d an g u ish a t th e in ju stice w hich h e h ad done to h is wife, th e
m e rc h a n t cried:
'O th a t I could get m y beloved wife back!’
'N ow ’ said th e hag, T m ay be able to help you th e re .’
'If only you can get h e r back, k in d w om an’ said th e m e rc h an t, T
w ould give you a th o u san d pounds, an d in gold!’
'Done!’ scream ed th e h a rrid a n , an d skipped o u t of th e shop.
'D on’t te ll m e th a t you a re going to do som eone a good tu rn , you
crazy old ja d e ’ ru stle d th e D evil in to h e r ear.
'G et aw ay from m e, you fool, so th a t a rea l e x p e rt can g et to
w ork!’ screeched th e hag , w hile a look of u ltim a te c u n n in g sp rea d
across h e r features.
T he D evil lu rk ed beside h e r a s she m ade h e r w ay to th e priso n
w here h e r gran d so n an d th e m e rc h a n t’s wife w ere held.
A s soon as she saw th e ja ile r a t th e prison g ate, th e h ag s ta rte d
to k een an d sway:
'O, m ost noble of all g u a rd ia n s of th e ju stic e of th e K ing! To
th in k th a t in m y old age I should h av e been b ro u g h t to th is ___
Y et p erhaps, good Sir, k in d g en tlem an , illu strio u s one, you m ay
be able to help m e---- ’
S he held o u t a golden sovereign, an d th e ja ile r looked a t h e r
w ith g re a te r in te rest.
177

'W h at do you w an t?’ h e gruffed.
'O nly t h a t I should be allow ed to e n te r for a few sm all m om en ts
to see m y gran d so n , who has, q u ite rig h tly of course, been locked
up in y our charge, b rav e custodian of ju stice!’
'W ell, th e n , if you h av e a n o th e r coin to m a tch th a t one, som e
th in g m ig h t be a rra n g e d ’ said th e m an.
Q uick as a flash, she p assed h im tw o gold pieces, an d h e le t h e r
in.
As soon as she reach ed th e dungeon w here th e accused p a ir
w ere locked in adjoining cells, she w en t to th e one w here th e
m e rc h a n t’s wife w as an d un b o lted th e door.
'H u rry an d ta k e m y old robe an d veil an d leave m e yours. Leave
th is ja il p re te n d in g to be m e an d jo in y o u r hu sb an d : th a t is, if you
a re w illin g to rew ard m e for your d eliv eran ce an d h is fo rgiveness.’
'I h av e a th o u sa n d gold pieces a t home, would th a t be en o ugh?’
cried th e d is tra u g h t w om an. 'T h a t will do nicely; b u t m in d you do
n o t go back on y o u r word, or I sh a ll te ll th e m e rc h a n t th a t you
re a lly w ere g u ilty a fte r all!’ croaked th e hag.
So th e m e rc h a n t’s wife p u t on th e crone’s clothes, an d th e crone
dressed h e rse lf as th e wife, an d sh e an d th e lad w ere left in th e
dungeon w hile th e m e rc h a n t’s w ife ru sh ed hom e to h e r d elig h ted
h u sband.
T h a t evening, according to law , th e ex a m in in g m a g istra te
v isited th e gaol to see w h e th e r th e re w as rea l cause for th e in c a r
ce ratio n of its inm ates. W hen h e arriv e d a t th e cell w here th e h a g
w as h e asked:
'W hy a re th e se people being k e p t h ere?’
'T hey w ere seized on a n accusation of im m o rality , m y lord
J u d g e ’ said th e ja ile r.
T he h a g th re w off h e r veil an d w hined:
'N oble Judge! I am a w om an o f n in e ty y ea rs o f age, an d th is is
m y grandson, who is h ard ly m ore th a n six teen y e a rs old! H ere a re
p ap ers to prove it. We w ere s ittin g ta lk in g in nocently to g e th e r
w hen som e m isc re a n t denounced us to th e police on th is ab su rd
charge. P lease, noble S ir, order our rele ase a t once, for we h av e
indeed suffered enough!’
T h e m a g istra te , furious, tu rn e d upon th e ja ile r an d th e police
m a n in charge of th e case, an d roared:
'Is th is th e w ay in w hich ju stic e is being done in o u r land? D is
ch arg e th is innocent old lady an d h e r c h a rm in g g ran d so n a t once!’
To th e escort he said:
'G ive th e ja ile r an d th e policem an te n stro k es w ith y o u r sw itch!’
A s th e old w om an an d h e r g ran d so n w alked aw ay from th e ja il-
house, th e y cam e upon th e Devil.
'I’m off, h e said, 'for a fte r seeing such a perform ance I know th a t
178

I can n o t com pete!’ A nd h e opened h is w ings a n d flew s tra ig h t back
to Jeh en n u m .
A nd th a t is w hy you n ev er come across a n y d ev ilm e n t in
A m m an, since th e old lady h as n o t trie d h e r h a n d a t it ag ain .
The Robe
T h ere w as once a m a n who m ade up h is m in d t h a t he w ould
deceive a K ing. H e laid h is p la n s deeply, a n d th is is w h a t h e did:
H e w as living in a sm a ll tow n, lik e m an y a sm a ll tow n of today,
w h ere people find it easy to acq u ire a re p u ta tio n for goodness
th ro u g h o u tw ard acts an d b en ig n faces. H e s ta rte d to sp eak m ore
q u ietly , to dress m ore sim ply, and to grow his b eard long. H is
p ray e rs w ere endless, an d people began to reg a rd h im as a m a n of
w orth an d w eight. T hese people, of course, h a d n o t h e a rd th e
saying, 'T he b est of m en is h e w hose b eard is sh o rtest, an d th e
w orst of m en is he who m ak es h is public p ray e rs long.’
A fter dropping som e sm all h in ts, th is m an, w hose n am e w as
S h a tir, b u ilt a sm all h u t w ith tw o doors on a h ig h place, an d used
to v isit it frequently, dressed in a sin g le sheet, in to n in g p ra y e rs
an d invocations.
W hen people ask ed him w h a t h e w as doing, S h a tir only
answ ered, T am callin g upon th e C elestial Pow ers an d live in th e
hope th a t th e y m ay an sw e r me, if I am ev er to become sufficiently
w orthy, th o u g h I h av e g re a t doubt about th is .’
T h u s he gained a rep u ta tio n of piety an d h u m ility . People
s ta rte d to v isit h is sh rin e, an d to sta n d outside, w hile th e pious
voice of S h a tir w as h e a rd from w ith in .
A fter a n u m b er of m onths, people noticed th a t S h a tir sp e n t
m ore an d m ore tim e in h is re tre a t. W hen th e y stood outside, th e y
h e a rd voices, as if S h a tir w as conversing w ith someone. T he new s
sp read th ro u g h o u t th e town.
O ne day, w hen he w as in th e tow n, S h a tir v isited th e la rg e st
m e rc h a n t’s shop an d stopped to converse. T h is m e rc h a n t w as
in q u isitiv e an d greedy, an d h e plied S h a tir w ith questions, b u t th e
sage in stea d ask ed ab o u t th e price of c e rta in v alu ab le cushions
an d a fine ca rp et w hich adorned th e place.
T he m e rc h a n t’s curiosity increased. W hy, h e ask ed him self, did
S h a tir w a n t such th in g s? How could he ever afford to buy th e m ,
even if he did w a n t th em ? W h a t w ere th e y for?
T h en S h a tir asked how m uch th e goods w ould be if he w ere
sim ply to h ire th e m for a tim e, an d w h e th e r th e re w ere an y finer
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cushions or carp ets to be h ad in a ll th e tow n.
F in ally th e m e rc h a n t said, 'F rie n d S h a tir. I know th a t you a re a
good m an, and th a t you h av e a good reaso n for w a n tin g th e se
objects. I f I w ere to lend th e m to you, w ould you te ll m e y o u r
secret?’
'I sh a ll h av e to consult som eone, an d w h en I h av e done so, I sh a ll
r e tu r n to you,’ said S h atir.
H e w en t aw ay, leav in g th e m e rc h a n t in a s ta te of h ig h ex cite
m en t. H e knew , a fte r all, th a t S h a tir, by p ray e rs an d fastin g , an d
th ro u g h a long period of self-denial, w as try in g to a ttr a c t th e
a tte n tio n of th e C elestial P ow ers of Good. Could it be th a t h e
needed th e objects for th e ir reception?
W hen S h a tir re tu rn e d , he said, 'Illu strio u s m e rc h a n t an d good
friend! I h av e consulted w ith th o se who know, an d I am able to
inform you of th e reaso n for m y need in g th e a rtic le s a b o u t w;hich
w e h av e spoken. B u t h e re is a condition: you m u st te ll nobody
w h a t I am ab o u t to im p a rt to y ou.’
T he m e rc h a n t rea d ily agreed, an d S h a tir continued:
'Y ou m ay know th a t I h av e for long trie d to a ttr a c t to me, to
become th e ir se rv a n t, th e C elestial P ow ers of Good. Now, a fte r
considerable a u s te ritie s an d sacrifices, I h av e b een to ld by th e m
th a t th ey w ill descend from th e h eav en s an d converse w ith me.
B u t I m u st have a su ita b le place, correctly fu rn ish ed , for th e ir
recep tio n .’
T he m e rc h a n t w as delig h ted , for h e hoped t h a t he, too, m ig h t
benefit from th e v isit of th e C e lestial O nes. H e le n t th e c a rp e t an d
cushions to S h a tir. T h a t n ig h t h e crep t o u t an d p eered th ro u g h a
crack in th e sh rin e, to see w h a t w as happening.
H e saw S h a tir s ittin g a t one en d of th e carp et. A t th e o th e r en d
w ere th e cushions, an d th e m e rc h a n t could p la in ly see, by th e
lig h t of a lam p, t h a t th e cushions w ere dented, as if som e in v isib le
p resence reposed th ere.
T he m e rc h a n t crep t aw ay, an d th e n e x t day h e w en t to th e sam e
place by d aylight. H e knocked on th e door, an d S h a tir cam e out.
'How w en t th e in terv iew w ith th e C elestial O nes?’ ask ed th e
m e rc h an t, w hen S h a tir appeared.
'O ne of th em cam e, an d I spoke to him , an d h e told m e m a n y
g re a t secrets’ answ ered S h a tir. 'H is ap p e aran c e w as of such
b ea u ty an d m agnificence th a t it is invisible to a n y b u t th e pious
an d good. H e h a s decided to m ak e m y sh rin e h is abode on e a rth ,
w h ere he can be seen by those w o rth y o f such a n experience. O ne
glim pse of h im w ill tra n sfo rm an y o n e’s destin y so th a t the
observer w ill be g ra n te d felicity an d w ill be n u m b e re d am ong the
elect of h u m a n k in d !’
T h e m e rc h a n t begged S h a tir to allow him to sa lu te th e C elestial
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O ne, an d S h a tir agreed. T he follow ing day th e m e rc h a n t w as
show n in by th e one door, w as allow ed to bow to th e d en ted
cushions, an d w as u sh ere d o u t by th e o th er door. H is h e a rt w as
r a d ia n t, an d alth o u g h he h ad seen n o th in g , h e a t le a st knew th a t
h e h ad seen th e evidence th a t th e su p e rio r being w as p rese n t, an d
h e alm o st convinced h im self th a t he h ad seen him .
By th e tim e he h ad a rriv e d hom e, th e m e rc h a n t h ad em b ro id
ered th e ta le s in h is own m ind. H e w as also so excited th a t h e
forgot h is prom ise, an d to ld h is wife. She, in tu rn , told h e r m aid,
who told everyone she knew , a n d th e y told o th ers, u n til th e w hole
to w n w as buzzing w ith th e news.
P re se n tly th e tow n w as em pty, an d all th e citizens w ere on th e
hillto p , clam o u rin g to be allow ed in to th e sh rin e.
S h a tir ap p ealed to th e m to be still: an d th e n , one by one, h e con
ducted th e people into th e P resence, an d o u t a g a in by th e o th e r
door, as he h ad done in th e case of th e m e rc h an t.
Now th e people of th e tow n, down to th e sm a lle st v a g ra n t,
believed th e m se lv es to be specially sin g led o u t for special con
sid e ra tio n by th e C elestial One, an d each agreed th a t he h ad in
fac t seen h im , an d also t h a t h is b e a u ty w as indescribable.
W ith in a fairly sh o rt period o f tim e w ord of th is m iracu lo u s
e v e n t reach ed th e e a rs of th e K in g of th e country, w ho im m ed i
a te ly suspected a n im posture, for such th in g s often happen. H e
accordingly se n t som e of h is c h a m b e rla in s an d police, in disguise,
to th e tow n, to in v e stig a te S h a tir an d h is sh rin e.
B u t all th e ir en q u iries show ed th a t S h a tir led a blam eless life,
a n d th a t h e h ad ta k e n n o th in g from anyone, except for th e loan of
th e fu rn ish in g s from th e m e rc h an t. E veryone in th e tow n sta te d
t h a t th e y h a d seen th e C e le stia l V isito r w ith th e ir own eyes, an d
t h a t only v illain s w ere u n ab le to do so. T he in v e stig a to rs w en t to
th e sh rin e. W hen th e y re tu rn e d to th e ca p ital city, th e y inform ed
th e K in g th a t they, too, h ad seen w h at th e o th e rs h ad seen, an d h is
M ajesty w as convinced.
H e called S h a tir to h is court.
N ow th is w as w h a t S h a tir h ad been w orking for all along, b u t h e
m ad e v ario u s difficulties an d show ed h im self re lu c ta n t; w ith
m an y a ’W h a t does a poor m an w a n t w ith a K ing?’ u n til th e K in g
w as ach in g to see him .
In h is room of p riv a te au d ien ces adjoining th e th ro n e-
room , th e K in g received S h a tir an d questioned him . 'T he re p o rts
w hich your M ajesty h as received a re correct in every d e ta il’ said
th e rogue.
'T he one th in g w hich I hav e w hich is som ew hat ta n g ib le , from
th e C elestial O ne, is th is gorgeous robe w hich I am w earin g , an d
w hich asto n ish es everyone who se ts eyes upon it. I t is a m agical
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robe as w ell. L ike th e C elestial O ne him self, of course, it is in v is
ible to th e im p u re.’
Now th e K ing could see no robe, b u t all th e sam e he coveted it as
h e h ad n ev er w anted an y th in g in his life. 'A m a n of your sa n c tity
su rely does n o t need such a n object,’ he h in te d , 'an d th e re would,
of course, be com pensation if you cared to p re se n t it to m e ___’
'Y our M ajesty,’ said S h a tir, 'n o th in g w ould please m e m ore. I
am only a poor m an of th e sp irit, an d you m u st forgive m e for n o t
h av in g th o u g h t of th a t myself. Be pleased to accept th e robe, an d
th e com pensation w ill of course be useful, so th a t I can ca rry on m y
c h a ritie s.’
A ffecting to rem ove th e robe from h is shoulders, and h a n d lin g it
gen tly , he m oved as if to place it upon th e shoulders of th e K ing.
H e, of course, could n o t feel an y th in g of th e a c tu a l robe, w hich did
n o t exist: b u t he felt m uch m ore, a sense of holy joy.
'Go to th e H all of A ssem bly’ said th e K ing, 'an d an n o un ce th e
h isto ry an d th e n a tu re of th e robe to th e assem bled co u rtiers an d
re p re se n ta tiv e s of th e people. S ay th a t I sh a ll a p p e a r in th e robe
shortly. W hen I do so, I sh a ll give you y o u r rew ard publicly.’
Now it happened th a t th e re w as a Sufi, who h ad access day or
n ig h t to th e K ing, an d he w alked in to th e p riv a te audience
cham ber in tim e to h e a r th e tra n sa c tio n . 'Y our M ajesty’, he said,
'm ay I h av e a glass of w ate r?’
'O f course’ said th e K ing, m otioning to a se rv a n t to b rin g one.
W hen it w as h an d ed to him , th e Sufi th re w it over th e K ing, robe
an d all.
'W h at a re you so ak in g m e for, fool?’ shouted th e m onarch.
'T he robe does n o t im pede th e effect of w a te r’ said th e Sufi; 'b u t
th e re w as n o th in g im p u re ab o u t th a t w a t e r ___’ P u ttin g h is
h an d s to th e K in g ’s shoulders, h e m ade as if to tra n s fe r th e robe to
h is own back. 'Now ’, he said, 'would y o u r M ajesty k in d ly w alk in to
th e assem bly hall an d see w h a t hap p en s?’
T he K in g en tered th e h a ll an d th e crowd, h av in g been told th a t
he w ould be w earin g th e C e lestial Robe an d th erefo re im a g in in g
t h a t th ey saw it - or desirous th a t th e y should not be th o u g h t
im p u re - gasped an d cried out, 'W onderful, look a t th e colours,
look a t it, how su b lim e....... ’
T he K in g seated h im self on h is throne, an d th e Sufi e n tered th e
h a ll sh o rtly afterw ard s. B ut, alth o u g h th e Sufi w as 'w e arin g th e
ro b e’, an d everyone saw h im come in, nobody applauded, nobody
cheered, n o th in g w h ate v e r w as said.
T he Sufi stood up an d said: 'M ay I be th e sacrifice of y o u r
M ajesty! T he people have seen th e w ondrous Robe, and th e K ing's
M ajesty w earin g it. It h a s been b ro u g h t by th e V en erab le S h a tir,
w ho sta n d s h ere an d who is to be rew ard ed w ith a su m for h is
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ch arities.
'I sh a ll now req u e st H is M ajesty to p re se n t a h u n d re d th o u sa n d
gold pieces to th e V enerab le S h a tir.’
H e placed a cloth b ag in th e K in g ’s h ands.
'C elestial robes are so ra re th a t th e y should be p aid for w ith cel
e s tia l gold, of course.’
A nd th e K in g h an d ed th e em pty b ag to S h a tir, who took i t w ith
a s good a grace as he could.
B u t th e re are still people, all over th e kingdom , who th in k th a t
th e C elestial O ne rea lly did come as a re s u lt of th e d ev o u tn ess of
S h a tir. Since all th is h ap p en ed m a n y y ea rs ago, even m ore people
now rev e re th e nam e of th e G re a t S h a tir, an d h is sh rin e is s till a
place of pilgrim age.
Pocket
O nce upon a tim e th e re w ere th re e b ro th e rs who lived in a v illag e
in a far-aw ay land. B ecause th is com m unity w as so iso lated a n d
few s tra n g e rs w ere seen th e re , its people used to call th em selv es,
sim ply, 'T he People’.
O f th e b ro th ers, A dil w as th e eldest, A m in th e second, a n d A rif
th e youngest.
O ne fine day th e th re e w ere s ittin g by th e w ayside, w h en th e y
saw a tra v e lle r approachin g . W hen he cam e up to th em , a fte r s a lu
ta tio n s, h e b eg a n to rev e a l stra n g e new s.
'T h ere is a K in g of a c e rta in country, fa r from h e re ,’ he told th e
th re e , 'w hose b e a u tifu l d a u g h te r, th e P rin cess N afisa, h a s an in s a
tia b le crav in g for figs. She e a ts th e m by d ay an d sh e e a ts th e m by
n ig h t. W alk in g an d ta lk in g , s ittin g or lying, sh e stu ffs h e rse lf
w ith figs. F igs, figs, figs, fresh or dried.
'Nobody w ill m a rry h e r because of th is. The K ing, w hose n am e
is A bd-al-A ali, h a s decreed th a t w hoever ca n cu re h e r, pro v id in g
t h a t he is a fittin g consort, m ay become h e r h u sb a n d , an d sh a ll
in h e rit th e w hole K ingdom in due course.’
Now th e h e a rts of th e th re e b ro th e rs w ere aro u sed by th is
s tra n g e tale, an d th e y ask ed th e stra n g e r th e n am e of th e co u n try
of K in g A bd-al-A ali.
'It is called A cacia-country’ h e said, 'b u t th e ro u te to it is diffi
cult. If you a re proposing to se ek th e lad y ’s h an d , I su g g e st you a t
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le a st p rep a re yourselves w ith a su ita b le stra ta g e m .’
H e w en t on h is w ay, an d th e b ro th e rs excitedly discussed th e ir
prospects of finding, cu rin g an d m a rry in g th e P rin cess N afisa.
A fter a g re a t deal of arg u m e n t, th e y cam e to th e conclusion t h a t
th e b est w ay to tr e a t th is a ilm e n t w as to feed th e p a tie n t so m an y
figs th a t sh e w ould become revolted a t th e m ere sig h t of them , for
ev er afterw ards.
L uckily th e re w as no sh o rtag e of th e fru it: for th e b ro th e rs lived
in a fig-grow ing area. 'It is m y rig h t to a tte m p t th is ex p lo it’ said
th e eld est b rother. So th e o th ers helped him to collect a tru ly
enorm ous basket-load of su ccu len t figs, w hich h e strap p ed to h is
back. It reached from th e top of h is h ead alm o st to h is heels: b u t, as
h e w as very strong, Adil w as ab le to ca rry th e load a t a fa ir pace.
H e se t off along th e road in th e direction from w hich th e tra v e l
le r h ad come, an d a fte r m any m iles he cam e across a poor d erv ish
dozing in a d ry ditch. T he holy m a n stirre d a t h is approach, and,
seeing A dil, called out:
'Son of good fortune! W here a re you going, an d w h a t h av e you
got in th a t g re a t b ask et? ’
'I am seek in g th e L and of th e A cacia’ said A dil, 'a n d in th is
b a s k e t a re figs, w hich I p la n to feed to th e P rin cess N afisa, so th a t
she w ill become su rfeited w ith th e m an d th u s be cu red o f h e r fig-
addiction, m a k in g m e eligible for h e r h a n d in m a rria g e an d
su b seq u en tly to h av e th e in h e rita n c e of th e dom ain of K in g Abd-
al-A ali, h e r fa th e r.’
T he d erv ish said: 'It is w ell th a t people w ith e n te rp rise a n d
courage should follow th e road to success an d fu lfilm en t w ith
optim ism , an d reg ard le ss of possible te rro rs. T h u s h av e th e
ig n o ra n t often become w ise, an d th u s hav e th e h u m b le fre q u en tly
been rew arded, an d th u s, too, h av e th e people of old b een able to
preserve, for those of u s who come a fte r, th e know ledge of th e
rew ard s of effort an d dedication.’
'T h a n k you,’ said A dil politely, 'b u t can you n o t h elp me? W hat,
for in stan ce, is th e w ay to A cacia-L and?’
T he derv ish said: 'A cacia-L and can be found by follow ing th is
p ath : alw ays tu rn in g w hen it tu rn s, an d n ev er tu rn in g w hen it
does n o t tu rn , an d refu sin g to be beguiled by th o se th in g s w hich
a re n o t of th e road. A nd I can te ll you m ore, for you h av e a difficult
e n terp rise ah e ad of you. B u t before I do th a t, you w ill h av e to give
m e some of your figs, for I am h u n g ry an d th e due n eed s of th e body
m u st alw ays be accom m odated.’
A dil th o u g h t for a m om ent, w eighing u p th e a lte rn a tiv e s , an d
se ek in g th e ju s t answ er: for h is n am e m ean s 'Ju stic e ’. F in a lly h e
said:
'H onoured Sir! I have applied m y logical cap acities to y o u r
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rem a rk s, an d find th a t I c an n o t give you an y figs. T h is is because I
h av e only a lim ited q u a n tity of th e m , an d I hav e fa r to go. I t is p e r
fectly possible th a t, w hen I give th e se figs to th e P rin cess, I m ig h t
fail in m y m ission th ro u g h bein g even one fig sh o rt. T herefore I
m u st leave you to yo u r own resources, an d m u st dispense w ith
y o u r fu rth e r advice. In an y case, a m a n should be able to proceed
on th e m in im u m of help from o th e rs.’
So saying, he w en t on h is way.
W hen, a fte r overcom ing m any h az ard s an d u n d erg o in g
n u m ero u s ad v e n tu res an d tria ls , Adil a rriv ed a t th e P alace of th e
th e m onarch of A cacia-L and, h e w as im m ed iately show n in to th e
presence of P rincess N afisa. She w as d elighted to see h is
enorm ous b a sk e t of figs, an d se t to w ith o u t delay, gobbling th e m
up as fa st as she could. T hey w ere delicious. In alm o st less tim e
th a n it ta k e s to tell, how ever, sh e h ad finished th e lot an d w as
loudly d em an d in g m ore.
Poor Adil w as sorrow ingly show n th e door.
W hen, ag a in afte r m a n y a trib u la tio n , Adil arriv e d hom e, th e
second b ro th er, A m in, w hose n am e m ean s ‘T ru e ’, resolved to try
his luck.
A m in se t off w ith a sim ila r b a sk e t of figs, b u t he also took beside
h im a donkey lad en w ith as m an y figs as it could carry . A lto g e th er
he h ad th re e o r four tim es th e q u a n tity of fru it th a t A dil h ad ta k e n
to th e P rincess.
I t w as n o t long before he saw th e v ery sam e d ervish, w alk in g
slowly, supported by h is staff, along th e road.
'Good d ay to you, О O ne of B rig h t Prospects!’ said th e dervish.
H e added: 'You are w ell lad en w ith figs. W ould you fill th is
begging-bow l w ith a h an d fu l of th em ?’
A m in th o u g h t for a m om ent, an d th e n h e replied: 'V en erab le
M an of T he Way! I h av e considered y o u r req u est. My n am e is
A m in, an d I am a m a n of tru th . In tr u th , if I w ere to s ta r t g iving
aw ay figs a t th is ea rly stage, I w ould h av e none left to sa te th e
P rin cess N afisa. I am d eterm in e d to accom plish w h a t m y b ro th e r
A dil h a s failed to do: to m ak e th e P rincess lo ath e figs, so th a t she
w ill m a rry m e, so th a t I m ay become successor to K in g Abd-al-
A ali, of A cacia-L and.’
A nd h e w en t on h is w ay, convinced th a t p rin cip les w ere p rin c i
ples, in h is in te rp re ta tio n of th em , a t an y rate .
W hen, a t len g th , an d w ith ju s t as m an y p le a sa n t an d u n h ap p y
experiences as those o f h is b ro th er, A m in a rriv e d a t th e Royal
P alace of A cacia-L and, h e found th a t th e P rin c ess’s ap p e tite, fed
on m ore an d m ore figs as people b ro u g h t th e m from fa r and wide,
h ad become even g rea ter. I t took h e r only a few m in u te s to dispose
of h is e n tire stock. A fter th a t h e h ad to ta k e to h is heels, because
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she com plained b itte rly th a t h e w as being stin g y in only offering
h e r th a t m iserab le q u a n tity , an d vowed th a t she w ould com m and
th a t h e be s h u t up in a dungeon, if h e did n o t b rin g h e r more.
A nd so A m in th e T rue, lik e h is b ro th e r A dil th e J u s t before h im ,
m ade his w ay sadly home. T his, of course, left only A rif, th e W ise
(w hich is w h a t his nam e m eans) who w as as d eterm in e d a s th e y to
w in th e P rin cess N afisa’s h an d .
A rif collected figs an d d ried th em . T h en he found th e la rg e st
an d h a rd ie s t donkey in th e v illag e an d loaded it up. In th is w ay h e
n e a rly doubled th e load w hich A m in th e T ru e h ad carried . H e also
said to him self: 'H av in g done all th is, I m u st also keep a w a re of
an y possibility w hich m ig h t help m y u n d e rta k in g on th e w ay.’
N o t long a fte r he h ad s ta rte d alo n g th e h ighw ay, A rif th e W ise,
in h is tu r n also cam e upon th e d erv ish , an d told h im h is p lan. T he
derv ish said: 'O Laden-dow n M an of E n terp rise! G ive m e y o u r
h an d , an d give m e a couple of figs, for th e w ay is h a rd for a n c ie n t
tra v e lle rs.’
'W illingly’ said A rif, 'Y ou can h av e a ll m y figs, for a ll I care, if
you can only te ll m e how I can w in th e P rin cess N a fisa ... ’
'T h a t’s a b arg ain !’ sho u ted th e dervish. 'Now, you should know
th a t m y n am e is th e D ervish A jib-o-G harib, w hich m ean s S tra n g e
an d E x trao rd in ary . You give m e all th e figs a n d th e donkey, an d I
w ill give you so m ething very m uch m ore useful, how ever 'stra n g e
an d ex tra o rd in a ry ’ it m ay seem to you a t th is m o m en t.’
A rif agreed. T he d erv ish took a piece of cloth, a n d sewed it upon
th e outside of A rifs robe. 'T his is now a pocket’ he said, 'a n d you
w ill place in it only th is single d ried fig. W hen you a rriv e in th e
P rin cess’s presence, h a n d it to h er. T he pocket w ill, w hile sh e is
chew ing it, im m ediately rep le n ish its e lf w ith a n o th e r d ried fig,
an d so on. T he supply of figs w ill be endless.’
A rif th a n k e d th e an c ie n t an d con tin u ed on h is way. A fter a
n u m b e r of a d v e n tu re s every b it as stra n g e a n d m iscellaneous as
th o se of h is b ro th ers, h e reach ed th e P alace of A cacia-Land. H e
h a d som e difficulty g ettin g to see th e P rin cess N afisa, it is tru e ,
since few of th e n u m ero u s gu ard s, co u rtiers an d asso rted lo u n g ers
th e re believed th a t th e re w as an y p o in t in p rese n tin g h e r w ith a
single fig, w hich w as all th a t th e y o u th seem ed to h av e w ith him .
B u t ev e ry th in g w ent a s th e d erv ish A jib-o-G harib h a d foretold.
T he P rin cess grabbed A rif’s fig a n d s ta rte d to chew it, h o lding o u t
h e r h a n d for an o th er. As soon a s she did so, a n o th e r fig ap p e ared
in th e pocket, an d A rif gave it to h er. A nd th is w en t on, a n d on, all
day, all n ig h t, a n d m ost of th e n e x t day as w ell. In th e end, th e
P rin cess m ade a g estu re o f disgust. 'U gh!’ she said T h av e h a d
enough figs. Stop giving th e m to me. I n ev e r w a n t to see a n o th e r
fig as long a s I live.’
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S u re enough, she w as cured, a s everyone found o u t w hen day
a fte r day passed w ith o u t th e P rin cess a sk in g for a sin g le fig.
Now th e K ing, w hose п аш е A bd-al-A ali m ean s S e rv a n t o f th e
H ig h est, said to Arif:
'Y oung m an , you h av e passed th e te s t of th e figs, an d we a re
g rate fu l to you. T he P rincess, I a m told, is prep ared to m a rry you.
B u t th e re is still th e m a tte r of th e second p a rt of th e req u irem en t.
You m ay recall th a t w e hav e announced th a t th e su ito r m u st n o t
only stop th e P rin cess e a tin g figs, b u t m u st also be a fittin g
consort to in h e rit th e K ingdom . T h is m eans th a t I hav e to add
v ario u s te s ts /
A rif answ ered th a t he w as indeed p rep a re d to continue. By now
he w as in love w ith th e P rin cess an d w anted to in h e rit th e
K ingdom as well.
'M ighty K ing, E ssence of Royalty: C om m and an d I sh all obey;
for is it n o t said th a t in th e presence o f k in g s th e e ssen tial w ords
are: "H earin g is th e sam e as obedience?” ’
'O bedience is possible only to th e e x te n t of one’s cap acity ’ said
th e K ing, gravely, 'an d th a t is w h a t we h av e to te st. F irs t you
m u st find tw o w itn esses.’
Before th e w edding could ta k e place, th e re would h av e to be
found, by th e custom of th a t co u n try , tw o w itnesses w ho w ere n o t
re la te d to th e bride or groom. B u t th e co u n try of A cacia-L and w as
by now in h a b ite d by only two k in d s of people: th o se who w an te d to
m a rry th e P rin cess an d th erefo re refused to help anyone else do
so, an d those who h ad been convinced th a t th e P rin cess could
n ev er be cured an d would n o t believe it, now, even if th e y h a d
proof.
So nobody w ould be a w itness.
A rif w alked back down th e hig h w ay u n til he cam e to w here he
h a d seen th e d erv ish A jib-o-G harib. T h ere h e w as, sittin g by th e
roadside.
T he dervish, w ith o u t p relim in arie s, said: 'D on’t s ta r t te llin g m e
th a t you need th is and you need th a t. If you know th a t I can help
you, you m u st do as I say. Now, a re you read y ?’
T am rea d y ’ answ ered Arif.
T he d erv ish said: 'H ere is a sign. M ake i t w hen you a re ta lk in g
to people, an d th e y w ill believe you, if w h a t you say is tru e a n d if
th e y are them selves ju s t.’
A rif th a n k e d h im an d re tu rn e d to th e cap ital of A cacia-Land.
H e soon found tw o w itnesses, a n d th e y w en t w ith him to th e K ing.
'N ow ,’ said h is M ajesty, 'you h av e to o b ta in th e ring. I t ta k e s th re e
people to g et it, a n d it h a s to be b ro u g h t to you by a b ird in th e
fo rest.’
T he th re e se t off for a n ea rb y forest, w ith n o th in g to h elp th e m
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b u t th e ir frien d sh ip and th e sig n al w hich th e d erv ish h a d ta u g h t
A rif. A fter th ey h ad looked everyw here for th e rin g o r th e bird,
A rif th o u g h t of th e pocket. H e p u t h is h an d in to it, a n d found a
sm all flute th e re . T ak in g it out, h e blew a.note on it, an d sud d en ly
a bird flu ttered down, w ith a rin g in its beak. It a lig h te d on th e
h a n d of one of th e w itnesses, an d p rese n ted th e rin g to th e o th e r
one. T hen it flew aw ay.
Now th e th re e w en t back to th e K in g an d showed h im th e ring.
'Y ou h av e passed th a t te s t,’ h e said, 'a n d now all you h av e to do
is to pass th e te s t of "occasion an d percep tio n .” H ere are four
lam bs. T ake th e m in to th e fields and graze th e m for four w eeks.
A fter th a t, brin g th e m back to me, for th e y a re th e sym bol of o u r
p ro sp erity .’
A rif took th e lam b s in to th e fields. T h e first n ig h t h is tw o w it
nesses cam e u n d er cover of d ark n e ss an d stole one of th em . T he
second n ig h t, th e K ing cam e in disguise an d offered A rif a
h u n d red th o u san d gold pieces for one of th e lam bs, b u t he refused.
T he follow ing day, th e d erv ish appeared.
'O ne o f m y lam bs is lost’ said A rif, an d told h im th e w hole story.
T he derv ish gave h im a design inscribed on p a rc h m e n t an d said:
'W ave th is in th e a ir, an d your lam b w ill alw ays be re tu rn e d to
you.’
A rif trie d it, and, su re enough, th e lam b w hich th e w itn esses
h a d ta k e n suddenly appeared. A fter t h a t th e K ing cam e back
ag a in , disguised as a b an d it, an d th re a te n e d A rif w ith d e a th if h e
did n o t give h im th e lam bs. A rif h an d ed th e m over. Soon a fte r
w ards, how ever, he w aved h is design and th e y re tu rn e d to him .
T hen, one a fte r an o th er, th e P rin cess a n d one m em b er of th e ro y al
C o u rt a fte r an o th er, app eared in disguise, cajoling, th re a te n in g
an d pleading, all a sk in g for lam bs. A rif obliged th e m all, an d
m ade su re th a t he alw ays got th e m back w ith h is m agical
d iagram .
W hen h is tim e w as up, A rif re tu rn e d to th e P alace, an d th e K in g
said:
'You h av e passed all th e te sts except th a t of perception. W ho
w ere th e people who th re a te n e d , cajoled an d tem p ted you w hen
you w ere in th e fields?’
'W hy, S ir,’ said A rif, 'T hey w ere you yourself, th e tw o w itnesses,
th e P rin cess an d vario u s m em bers of th e Royal C o u rt.’
A nd th a t w as how A rif becam e h u sb a n d to th e P rin cess N afisa,
w hich m ean s 'L ittle Soul’, and e v e n tu a lly K in g o f A cacia-L and,
w hich tra n s la te s as Balad as-Salam: 'L an d of P eace or C om
p le tio n ’.
In th e original lan g u ag e of th is story, th e w ord for 'P o ck et’ (jaib)
also m ean s 'H e a rt’; an d th e w ord for 'F ig ’ sounds very sim ila r to
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th e word for 'C lay,’ (tin) th e e a rth an d hence for th in g s w hich
su rro u n d u s ...........
The Son of a
Story-Teller
Once upon a tim e th e re w as a sto ry -teller, who w as o f a long lin e
of bards, w hose tra d itio n w as th a t th e y preserv ed an d re la te d th e
ta le s of olden tim es a t th e co u rt of a c e rta in king.
Now th is rec iter w as proud o f his a n c ie n t lineage, an d of th e
e x te n t of h is rep erto ire, an d of th e degree of wisdom of h is ta les,
for th e y w ere used as in d icato rs of th e p resen t, as records of th e
p ast, an d as allu sio n s to th e th in g s of th e world of sense an d of th e
w orld beyond ap p earan ces alike.
B u t a t th e court, too, as is n a tu ra l and useful, w ere o th e r
experts of all kinds. T here w ere m ilita ry chiefs, co u rtiers, ad v isers
a n d am bassadors; th e re w ere en g in ee rs skilled in b u ild in g an d in
dem olishing, m en of religion an d of o th e r k in d s of le arn in g : in
sh o rt, th e re w ere people of every type an d condition, an d each one
of th e m th o u g h t h im self b e tte r th a n all th e others.
O ne day, w hen th e re h ad been a long d isp u te ab o u t precedence
am ong th e se w orthy people, th e only conclusion a t w hich th e y
could a rriv e w as th a t, of all of th em , th e sto ry -teller w as th e le a st
im p o rta n t, th e le a st useful, th e le a st sk illed in an y m e asu rab le
a rt. The assem bly th erefo re decided th a t, to begin th e process of
reducin g th e n u m b er of w o rth less people aro u n d th em , th e y w ould
e lim in a te th e story-teller. E ach one also th o u g h t, p riv ately , to
him self, 'W hen we have got rid of him, we w ill be able, one by one,
to prove th a t all th e o th e rs are superfluous: and th e n / w ill be left
- an d I sh a ll be th e k in g ’s sole adviser!’
I t w as a g a in st th is background th a t a select deleg atio n of th e
co u rtiers w en t to th e sto ry -teller an d said:
'We h av e been deputed by th e re st of th e lords of th e rea lm who
a tte n d upon H is M ajesty to inform you th a t we have decided th a t
of all those associated w ith th e court, you are th e m ost su p erflu
ous. You do not go to w ar, to e n su re th e glory of th e kingdom or to
extend our victorious monarches dom inions. You do n o t ju d g e
cases, to preserve th e tra n q u illity of th e sta te . You do n o t m in iste r
to th e se re n ity of th e people’s souls, as do th e religious chiefs. You
a re not handsom e, like th e e le g a n t boon-com panions. In sh o rt,
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you are n o th in g a t all!’
'V enerable and respected peacocks of w isdom a n d p illa rs of
faith !’ cried th e story-teller, 'fa r be it from m e to d isa g re e w ith
a n y th in g w hich you m ig h t h av e resolved; b u t, since it is in c u m
b e n t upon m e to te ll th e tr u th in co u rt affairs, o u t of loyalty to H is
M ajesty, I have th e follow ing re p re se n ta tio n to m ake:
'T here is a n an cien t an d deeply w ise ta le w hich com pletely
proves th a t, fa r from bein g unn ecessary , th e re c ite r o f ta le s is
absolutely essen tial to th e w ell-being an d th e pow er of th e em pire.
I f you allow m e to n a rra te it, I sh a ll be glad to do so.’
T he delegation of co u rtiers w ere not anxious to le t th e m a n h av e
his say; but, a t th a t m om ent th e K ing called everyone back in to
th e throne-room and dem anded to know w h a t h ad been going on.
W hen he h ea rd w h a t we h ave ju s t h eard , he com m anded th e sto ry
te lle r to begin h is tale, o m ittin g no d etail.
T he sto ry -teller began:
'Peacock of th e E arth ! F o u n ta in of Wisdom! G re a t M ajesty an d
Shadow of A llah upon E arth ! K now th a t once, in th e m ost rem ote
tim es th e re w as a king, lik e y our own M ajesty a ju s t an d pow erful
sovereign, esteem ed in m an y lands, beloved of h is people an d
feared by h is enem ies.
'T his k in g h ad th re e b ea u tifu l d au g h ters, fair as th e moon. O ne
d ay th e th re e w ent for a w alk in th e woods n e a r th e palace, a n d
th e y com pletely disappeared.
'E x ten siv e searches w ere m ade for th e m , b u t no tra c e of th e m
w as to be found. A fter m an y d ays th e k in g ordered th e h e ra ld s to
cry: "In th e K in g ’s nam e! L et none say th a t he did n o t hear!
A nyone who can find th e th re e d a u g h te rs of H is M ajesty an d can
resto re th e m safe and sound to our benign a n d sagacious
m o n arch ’s household w ill be rew arded w ith th e h a n d in m a rria g e
of w hichever one he m ay desire!”
'S till, for w eeks an d m o n th s n o th in g w as h eard : it w as as if th e
e a rth h ad opened and sw allow ed th e g irls up.
'T hen, w hen a ll hope seem ed a t a n end, th e k in g called h is co u rt
ie rs tog eth er, including th e lords sp iritu a l, m ilita ry an d tem p o ral,
an d th e ju d g es of all th e judges, an d all th e q u a lity an d ch iv alry of
th e sta te . H e addressed th e m th u s:
"'R ev eren d doctors of th e law an d of faith! Lions an d tig e rs of
th e all-conquering arm ies! R elentless p u n ish e rs of m iscrea n ts
an d k in g s of th e a r ts of tra d e an d industry!
" 'H e a r an d know m y com m and. You sh a ll elect from am ong
yourselves rep rese n tativ e s, tw o or th re e in nu m b er, who sh a ll se t
off in search of th e lost princesses, an d sh all n o t re tu r n w ith o u t
them . Those who have been chosen sh all in h e rit th e kingdom if
th e y are successful. If th e y fail, th e y sh a ll n o t set foot in our
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dom inions again, on p ain of d e a th .”
'T he assem bled court im m ed iately divided in to groups to elect
rep rese n tativ es, an d th e y in tu r n n o m in ated an d voted for th e ir
own deputies, u n til it em erged th a t tw o m en h ad been chosen.
T hese w ere th e blood-drinking com m ander of th e ever-victorious
arm ies, th e E m ir A l-Jaish , an d th e w isest m a n in all th e lan d , th e
P rim e M inister, know n as th e W azir A l-W uzura.
'The k in g gave th em a final lecture, a fte r w hich th e y touched
th e ir heads, h e a rts an d eyes, m u rm u rin g : "To h e a r is to obey!”
T hey th e n sp ran g to th e saddle an d rode h eadlong o u t of th e palace
g ate, as tru m p e ts b lared to announce th e ir d ep a rtu re .
'Now th ey jo u rn ey ed an d trav e lle d , w alked an d rode, encoun
te re d m any h ard sh ip s and, in a word, did e v e ry th in g w hich th e ir
com bined valo u r an d sag acity could devise. B ut, before th e y found
an y trac e of th e m issing princesses, th e y w ere cap tu red by b an d its
an d sold as slaves to th e ow ner of an in n , who w orked th e m lik e
b ea sts of burden, m a k in g th em look a fte r th e m en an d a n im a ls of
th e tra v e lle rs who passed th a t way.
'W hen no new s of th e m ission h ad been received for a very long
tim e, an d th e K in g an d h is co u rt w ere plunged in to th e d eep est
gloom, a ce rta in young sto ry -teller, son of a sto ry -teller, h im self
th e son of a story-teller, an d th e son of one who w as also a sto ry
te lle r, for uncounted gen e ratio n s, cam e to th e court. H e ap pealed
to th e K in g to allow him to go in search of th e m aidens.
'A t first th e k in g refused to allow him to go, w ondering w h a t a
m ere te lle r of ta le s could do w here two of th e very best m en in th e
kingdom h ad ev idently failed. B u t in th e end, re a lisin g th a t h e
could n o t in any case m ak e th in g s worse, h e gave h im leave.
'The sto ry -teller le ap t upon a horse an d sped, fa st as a n arrow ,
in th e direction of th e risin g sun. A fter m an y a d v e n tu re s he cam e
upon a n in n an d th e re h e saw, m iserab ly w aitin g on th e guests,
dressed in rag s an d w ith th e ir feet in shackles, th e shuffling
figures of none o th er th a n th e E m ir a n d th e W azir. W hen th e y
recognised him , th e p a ir pleaded piteously for help; an d he w as
ab le to pay th e ir ransom -m oney to th e in n k e ep e r a n d secured
th e ir freedom , buying th e m decent clothes.
'T hey w ere, a t first, disconcerted to h e a r th a t th is, to th em , re la
tiv ely h um ble m an, bore th e K in g ’s com m ission to jo in in th e
search; an d th ey w ere ch a g rin ed to know th a t such as he could
release th e m from captivity, for th e ir arro g an ce w as fast r e tu r n
ing. In th e end, how ever, th e y h ad to ag re e to h is co n tin u in g w ith
th e m on th e quest.
'T hey continued on th e ir w ay, n o t know ing w here th e y w ere
bound, u n til, a t n ig h tfa ll, th e y cam e to a sm all hovel w here a poor
old w om an w as sittin g , m en d in g a ree d -b a sk et by th e door. T he
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sto ry -teller stopped; an d th e y all s a t down to ta lk . A fter sh a rin g
th e w om an’s poor supper, th e sto ry -teller told a ta le of long ago to
e n te rta in th e others, an d th e w om an asked th e m w h a t th e ir
business w as in those p arts.
' "We are th ree m em bers of th e court of o u r king, an d we a re on a
q u est for th e th re e b eau tifu l d a u g h te rs of H is M ajesty, who d isa p
p eared m any m o n th s ago” th e y to ld h er. "B ut, so far, we h av e
n e ith e r seen th e m nor h ea rd a w ord ab o u t th em , a lth o u g h we have
been th ro u g h m any difficulties.”
' "A h”, said th e w om an, "I m ay be able to help you in th a t, since
you show m e th a t you a re w ise by th e ta le w hich you h av e recited,
an d I th in k th a t you m ay hav e a chance, b u t ju s t a sm all chance, of
success.
’"The th re e princesses hav e been cap tu red by th re e evil genii
a n d ca rrie d to th e bottom of a la k e n e a r h ere. T hey h av e a m agical
u n d e rw a te r p alace th e re , an d it is n e x t to im possible for h u m a n
k in d to p e n e tra te it.”
'A fter spending a fitful n ig h t’s sleep beside th e hovel, th e th re e
s e t off for th e lake. It w as su rro u n d ed by tre e s covered in tw isted
vines, an d a feeling of evil loomed over th e place.
"T sh a ll go down first” said th e ch ief of th e w arrio rs, "for I am
th e stro n g est an d can deal w ith an y k in d of foe. W h a t can a
m in iste r an d a poet do in a case like th is!” He tw irle d h is m ou
stach es in a g estu re of vainglory, an d rem oved m ost of h is clothes.
T he o th ers m ade ropes o u t of th e vines an d th e soldier, sword
b ared an d clutched in h is rig h t h an d , sta rte d to descend in to th e
w ater. "If I tu g ” he said, "h a u l m e up.”
'As he w en t down into th e w ater, he found th a t it got colder an d
colder, an d suddenly th e re w as a sound like a th o u sa n d cra sh in g
rolls of th u n d e r com ing from th e d a rk depths. F e a r g ripped h is
h e a rt, an d th e once-gallan t w a rrio r tugged ag ita te d ly to be pu lled
up again.
'T hen th e m in iste r in sisted on going down, for he coveted, like
so m an y ad m in istra to rs, th e pow er th a t w ould come to h im if he
could only w ed one of th e k in g ’s own d au g h ters.
'B u t th e sam e th in g happened, an d h e h ad to be p u lled back to
d ry lan d again.
'T hen th e sto ry -teller w en t down. T he w a te r w as cold, b u t he
steeled h im self a g a in st it. The noise w as as loud as a th o u sa n d
th u n d e rsto rm s, b u t he m an ag ed to close h is e a rs to it. F in ally ,
w hen he th o u g h t th a t h e would hav e to give up, h e found th a t h e
h ad dropped beyond th e protective spells of th e genies a n d w as in a
h u g e u n d e rw a te r cavern.
'H e opened a door an d cam e to a room w here th e first th in g h e
saw w as one of th e princesses, sittin g on th e floor, w ith a hideous-
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looking genie in th e sh ap e of a se rp e n t w ith eig h tee n heads,
sp raw lin g asleep in one corner.
'T he sto ry -teller sn atch ed a g leam ing sword w hich h u n g on th e
w all, an d w ith one blow cu t off th e h ead s of th e evil one. T he
princess kissed his hand , and round h is neck she placed a royal
chain of office. "W here are y our sisters?” ask ed th e young m an.
S he opened an o th e r door, an d w ith in th e room beyond lay th e
second princess, g u arded by a sleeping genie in th e sh a p e of a
g ig an tic sk u ll, w ith tin y legs.
'The sto ry -teller pulled a jew elled d ag g er from a b rac k et in th e
w all, an d w ith one blow severed th e hideous h ea d from th e legs,
an d th e genie expired w ith a groan. T hen th e th re e w en t into th e
n ex t room, w here th ey found th e you n g est sister, g u ard ed by a
genie w ith a v u ltu re ’s h ead an d a liz ard ’s body. In sta n tly he saw
th a t th e evil th in g w as asleep, th e y o u th picked up a g a rro tte
w hich w as h u n g on th e w all, an d stra n g le d th e genie to d ea th . T h e
tw o princesses placed a crown on h is head and a sword of s ta te in
h is hand.
'Now th ey h u rrie d back to th e place w here th e rope of vines
h u n g down in to th e cavern, an d th e sto ry -teller m ade th e first
princess hold onto it, w hile he tugged w ith th e signal to be d raw n
up. T he first princess reach ed th e shore in safety.
'T hen th e second princess w as lifted up, an d th e rope cam e down
for th e la st girl. "Go u p ” said th e sto ry -teller, b u t th e princess said ,
"You should go, for I fea r trea ch e ry . You could be left down h e re if
we th re e are all safely ta k e n up, for y o u r com panions could th e n
claim th e rew ard and leave you b eh in d .”
'B u t th e young m an refused to go first, an d so did th e princess.
A fter a tim e, th e two m en above decided to ta k e th e tw o princesses
an d to re tu rn to th e court to claim th e prize th a t rig h tfu lly
belonged to th e ir d eserted com rade.
'T he v illain s th re a te n e d th e two g irls th a t if th e y did not
su p p o rt th e ir story th a t th e y w ere th e re a l heroes, th e y would be
killed.
'T hus it w as th a t th e four a rriv ed back a t th e palace an d w ere
received lik e conquerors. They told th e k in g th a t th e yo u n g est
princess h ad been k illed in th e cave, an d he ordered th a t forty
d ay s’ m o u rn in g w as to be observed, a fte r w hich th e E m ir an d th e
M in ister w ere to be m a rrie d to th e tw o g irls w hom th e y w ere
supposed to have rescued.
'M eanw hile, deep in th e geniefc’ cavern, th e young m a n an d th e
y oungest princess realise d th a t th e y h ad been abandoned w hen
th e rope did not come down for th e la st tim e.
'T hey looked th ro u g h all th e rooms, an d in one of th em cam e
across a jew el-studded b rass box. W hen th e princess opened th e
193

lid, a voice said:
"'W h a t is your com m and? I am th e sp irit of th is box. A sk an d it
sh a ll be g ran ted !”
'T he sto ry -teller a t once ask ed to be tran sp o rte d , w ith th e box, to
th e surface of th e la k e a n d th e n to th e shore: w hich w as done in
th e tw in k lin g of a n eye. T hen h e ask ed for a h u g e ship loaded w ith
tre a su re s, an d th e sword, crow n an d ch ain of office to be em b la
zoned upon th e sails. W hen h e a n d th e princess w ere aboard, he
ordered it to fly in s ta n tly to th e h a rb o u r ju s t beside th e p alace of
th e princess's fath er.
'W hen he saw th e ship, th e K in g th o u g h t:
"'T h is is th e vessel of a m ig h ty m onarch, an d I sh a ll m y self
approach him to do h im honour, for he h as th re e sym bols of
ro y alty on h is sails, an d h e m u st th e re fo re be th re e tim es as im
p o rta n t as I.”
'T he K in g th e n w en t on board th e ship an d began to sp eak to th e
sto ry -teller w ith g re a t h u m ility , n o t recognising him in th e robes
a n d jew els w hich he h ad ob tain ed th ro u g h th e m agical box.
'B u t th e princess, u n ab le to r e s tra in h e r joy, ju m p ed o u t o f con
cealm en t an d told h e r fa th e r th e w hole story. T hen th e evil
m in iste r a n d soldier w ere b an ish ed from th e realm , a n d th e sto ry
te lle r m a rrie d th e princess, to in h e rit, w ith h er, th e kingdom in
th e fu lln ess of tim e.
'T his, noble sirs, show s you’, co n tin u ed th e sto ry -teller, 'how im
p o rta n t a sto ry -teller can be.’
Finding the Teaching

Q: I first came across your books in 1975. This was when I read
Paul Theroux’s best-seller The G re a t R ailw ay B azaar. May I quote
from it? Theroux has ju st met a curiously-dressed Seeker after
Truth’ on a train in Turkey, heading for the Far East. He had the
'aspiring prophet? look, and fHis shirt had been artistically cut from
a flour sack and he wore a very faded pair o f ’Washington Brand’
bib overalls, an elephant-hair bracelet on one wrist, and an Indian
bangle on the other. I had seen him sitting in a lotus position in
second class. He put a worn book by I dries Shah on the table; it had
the chewed-over look Korans have in the the hands of the languid
194
fanatics l saw later in the holy city of Meshed. But he did not read
it’
As soon as I read this I remembered that similar books, that I had
taken little notice of, were in the hands and on the shelves of dozens
o f 'spiritually-minded’ people wandering all over the world, and
especially in the possession of people who imagine that they can be
enlightened from them or teach from them. Since then I have found
that there is an industry, so to speak, of people who use your books
like this. What is to be done about them?
A: F irs t of all you m u st rem em b er th a t th e re are also o th e r
rea d ers of th e books. T hese a re people in all k in d s of disciplines,
an d also people who a re indeed sincere seekers who are n o t show-
offs lik e th e one you m ention. As for th e show-offs and th e
self-appointed 'te a c h e rs’, q u ite a n u m b e r of th e m come to u n d e r
stan d , in due course, th a t th e books h av e a special u se an d th a t
w hen th e y have read th em th e y h av e to co n tin u e alo n g th e
specially organised p a th for w hich th e y are a p rep a ra tio n . A t any
given tim e th e re will be p len ty of people a t th e early stages, both
as 'le a rn e rs ’ an d 'te a c h e rs’ who a re u sin g th ese books in th is silly
an d superficial way. A t th e sam e tim e, th e re a re also p le n ty of
people who a re freeing th em selv es from th is in a d e q u a te posture.
You m ay not see th em , b u t we do, as th e y come to us.
Q: Yes, I see that, but how are they to come to this understand
ing, and how can they get in touch with you?
A: I f th ey rea lly w a n t to le arn , th e y come to th e u n d e rsta n d
in g all rig h t. If th ey need th e o rie n ta tio n w hich is n o t av a ila b le
th ro u g h books, th e y only hav e to w rite to us. E v ery copy of every
book h as th e p u b lish er’s address in it, a t th e front: a n d people
w rite care of such addresses.
195

Other books by Idries Shah.
A PERFUMED SCORPION
The ‘Perfum ing o f a Scorpion’ is th e im age employed by

th e sage, B ahaudin N aqshband, to symbolise hypocrisy
and self-deception: both in th e individual an d in
institutions.
The lectures and m editations in th is book exam ine th e

Perfum e and th e Scorpion: th e overlay and th e underlying
reality - in psychology, h u m an behaviour and th e le arn
ing process itself.
“..............com bining stra ig h t instruction, inform ation,

hum our, aphorism s, verses___A n invigorating, abrasive
book like jum ping into icy w ater - h ard to do, b u t you’re
glad you’ve done it.”
Books and Bookmen
197

TALES OF THE DERVISHES

'T hese are te ac h in g stories, sp a n n in g m ore th a n 1,000
y ears, from P ersia n , A rabic an d T u rk ish tra d itio n a l
collections - publish ed a n d in m a n u sc rip t - a n d from
oral sources, w hich include contem porary te a c h in g
centres; chosen an d a rra n g e d by a Sufi to p re se n t to
W e stern ers a Sufi view of life: one th a t challenges o u r
in te lle ctu al assu m p tio n s a t alm o st ev ery p o in t.’
The Observer
'A n asto n ish in g ly g enerous an d lib e ra tin g book . . .

strik in g ly ap p ro p riate for o u r tim e a n d situ a tio n .’
The Sunday Times
'S to ries w hich equal, an d som etim es su rp ass, in re l

evance, p iquancy an d h u m o u r, th e b est of th e sp iritu a l
an d eth ica l teach ers o f th e W est . . . source-book of
a u th e n tic teach in g -sto ries.’
Kirkus Review
'B eau tifu lly tra n s la te d . . . equips m en an d w om en to

m ak e good use of th e ir lives.’
Professor J a m e s K ritzeck: The Nation
198

NEGLECTED ASPECTS
OF SUFI STUDY
B ased on U n iv ersity le ctu res 'N eglected A spects of Sufi
S tu d y ’ deals w ith m an y o f th e problem s of Sufi m ethods
of study, those th a t is w hich m ilita te a g a in st its effec
tiv e progress in th e m odern w orld . . . n o tab ly th e
unrecognised assum p tio n s w hich we m a k e ab o u t o u r
selves and ab out le a rn in g an d its processes.
T h is book provides a com panion to th e tw en ty
volum es of Sufi stu d ies an d lite ra tu re w hich S h ah h a s
ex tra cte d from th e lite ra tu re an d p ractice of Sufis over
th e p a s t one th o u sa n d years.
'It elab o rates points found p a rtic u la rly difficult in our
cu ltu re because of se ts of m ind.’
Books and Bookmen
A VEILED GAZELLE:
SEEING HOW TO SEE
As th e g re a t m ystic Ibn A rab i ex p lain s in h is 'In te rp re
te r of D esires’, 'A V eiled G azelle’ is a su b tlety , a n organ
of h ig h e r perception.
Sufi e x p e rien tialists re fe r to th e activ a tio n of th e se
c e n tres of aw aren ess as th e aw a k en in g of real know l
edge o f T ru th beyond form.
T h is book deals w ith th e sym bolical an d in stru m e n
ta l em ploym ent in Sufi stu d ies of its lite ra tu re : w hich is
seldom didactic an d n ev e r m e a n t only as e n te rta in
m en t, alth o u g h reg ard ed in all cu ltu res as some of th e
w orld’s g re a te st w ritin g .
199

CARAVAN OF DREAMS
'O ne can rea d a sto ry or tw o an d be delighted. B u t th e
effect does n o t stop th e re . T hese sto ries ad here, re tu rn ,
seem ing som ehow to ex p an d a fte r re a d in g into a n a re a
beyond o u te r consciousness. L ike fine poem s . . . lik e
g re a t p o e m s. . . m ore th a n rew ard in g , a n d im possible to
fo rg e t/
Tribune
'L ike a fabled ca ra v a n from a n o th e r tim e, th is book

tra v e ls g re a t d istan ces . . . re -stim u la te s th e dream , by
in d icatin g re a l possib ilities an d p rac tica l a lte rn a tiv e s
to o u r p re se n t w ays of operation; p re se n tin g n o t idle
fan ta sie s b u t sig n a ls from th e tra d itio n of know n an d
te ste d activity; rele v a n t, fru itfu l an d u rg e n t for our
p re se n t society.’
New Society
200

THE HUNDRED TALES OF

WISDOM
T ales, anecdotes an d n a rra tiv e s used in Sufi schools for
th e developm ent of in sig h ts beyond o rd in ary percep
tions, p resen ted by Id ries S h ah , an d tra n s la te d from
th e P ersian . T ra d itio n a lly know n as T h e H u n d red
T ales of W isdom ’ th e sto ries a re o f th e life, te ac h in g s
an d m iracles of J a la lu d in R um i from A flaki’s
'M u n aq ib ’, to g e th e r w ith c e rta in im p o rta n t ta le s from
R u m i’s w orks.
SPECIAL ILLUMINATION:
THE SUFI USE OF HUMOUR
Id ries S h ah is w ell know n for h is p u b lish in g of th e
N a sru d in corpus of te a c h in g stories, in w hich h u m o u r
is used to display h u m a n b eh av io u r a n d also to engage
th e m in d in a d iffe ren t m a n n er. 'Special Illu m in a tio n ’
is th e p h ra se used by th e g re a t te a c h e r an d m ystic J a l a
lu d in R um i to stre ss th e im p o rtan ce of h u m o u r in
m etap h y sical experience.
'M any jo k es in "Special Illu m in a tio n ” are collected
from or se t in th e w e s t. . . he d em o n strate s th a t we h ave
p erh ap s failed to app reciate, or even notice, our own
in stru c tio n a l rich es.’
New Society
201

Other books by I dries Shah.
THE WAY OF THE SUFI

'T he definitive account of a n c ie n t Sufi teaching. A
g re a t m any com m on W estern d isto rtio n s an d m is in te r
p re ta tio n s are cleared aw ay, a n d m uch v alu ab le source
m a te ria l anthologized.’
Tribune
'A p re se n t for anyone who, th o u g h religious, finds th e

c u rre n t orthodoxies u n p a la ta b le .’
Times Literary Supplement
'H ighly educative, basic course of study; in trin sic re l

evance to a ll.’
The Hindu
'A key book . . . can a s sist to d em o n strate o th e r possible

uses o f th e m ind . . . gives new m a te ria l on m ethod,
histo ry , personnel, m uch of it from o ral sources.’
The Observer
202

Other books byldries Shah.
SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN THE

STUDY OF SUFI IDEAS
T h is im p o rta n t m onograph co n stitu tes th e whole te x t
o f Id ries S h a h ’s S em in a r a t S ussex U n iv ersity , fully a n
n o ta ted , indexed an d w ith a biblio g rap h y an d notes.
It k n its to g e th er th e av a ila b le know ledge a b o u t Sufi
th o u g h t an d lite ra tu re in its p assag e th ro u g h m an y
deform ing influences, such as th e developm ent o f cults,
th e m is in te rp re ta tio n by lite ra lis t scholars, an d th e fal
lacious com parisons of com m itted 'sp ecialists’.
'M asterfu l essay . . . h e h as ably p rese n ted Sufism to
th e W est an d h a s conveyed its deep sense of re a lity to
m odern m a n . . . ’
Professor A. Reza A ra ste h ,
Psychology of the Sufi Way, 1972.
203

Other books by I dries Shah.
REFLECTIONS
T his selection of Id ries S h a h ’s own fables, aphorism s
an d teach in g s is now in its th ird edition an d continues
to be ex trem ely popular.
Pocket-sized, it is im m ensely e n te rta in in g an d a t th e
sam e tim e offers a n a lte rn a tiv e view of o ur society th a t
is both refresh in g a n d profitable.
'M ore w isdom th a n I have found in an y o th e r book
th is y e a r.’
P a t W illiam s Review of the Year, BBC.
'It seem s to oblige th e m in d to scorn th e sa tisfactio n of

going from A to В in fav o u r o f an approach from a dif
fe ren t angle, ta k in g in u nsuspected te rrito ry , h atch e s
o u t a s m odified b eh av io u r.’
Evening News
204

THE EXPLOITS OF THE

INCOMPARABLE
MULLA NASRUDIN
T he first collection of N asru d in sto ries acclaim ed as a
h u m o u ro u s m asterp iece, as a collection of th e finest
jo k es, as a priceless gift book, an d for its h u n d red
'en c h an te d ta le s ’.
B u t th is folklore fig u re’s an tics h av e also been
divined as 'm irro rin g th e an tics o f th e m in d ’. T hey h av e
a double use: significance s ta rts to sin k in. Id ries S h ah
h a s achieved a tru e b re a k th ro u g h w ith a book w hich
ca n convulse on th e level of h u m o u r a n d still g et serious
review s, like th is one from th e sociological jo u rn a l New
Society:
'H is sto ries are perfectly designed, h a rm le ss m odels for
iso latin g an d holdin g for a m om ent th e d isto rtio n s of
th e m in d w hich so often p ass for reaso n ab le b eh av io u r.’
'A rouse la u g h te r in th e sim ple an d co n tem p latio n in
th e illu m in a te d ’
- T h e Listener
'S h a rp E n g lish t h a t doesn’t w aste a w ord’

- Sunday Telegraph
'O u r fa m ilia r responses a re ru led o u t’

- New Statesman
'A ll w ill w elcom e th e te llin g by Id ries S h a h ’

- Times Educational Supplement
205

LEARNING HOW TO LEARN

’"L earn in g How to L e a rn ” is both th e d istilla tio n of a
m illion w ords an d a guide to th e whole body o f th e S h ah
m a teria ls. C e rtain irre sistib le keys keep th e re a d e r on
th e edge of th e se a t.’
’A book w hich su rely m a rk s th e w atersh ed in stu d ies of
th e m in d .’
Psychology Today Choice of the Month
’B racin g and often shocking. S h a h ’s approach can b est

be described as a b risk an d inform ed com m onsense a t
its h ig h e st level.’
Books and Bookmen
’P acked w ith im p o rta n t in fo rm atio n .’

New Society
206

THE ELEPHANT IN THE DARK

R um i’s elephant w as exam ined in th e d ark by m en using
only one sense - th a t of touch. In contact w ith only one
p a rt of it, they described it v ariously as p illars (the legs),
rope (the tail), a fan (the ear), agreeing only on its texture.
C hristian scholars exam ining Sufism often say th a t Sufi

theories are close to C hristianity. M any M oslems m ain
ta in th a t they are derived from Islam . O th er religions too
find evidence of derivation in Sufi ideas. The Islam ic
in terpretation is th a t religion is of one origin.
T he m aterials in th is book deal w ith th e interplay

between C hristianity, Islam and th e Sufi conception of
surren d er to God.
207

THE BOOK OF THE BOOK

'T his is a handsom e, red-and-gold volum e w hich is easy
on th e eye an d w eighs sa tisfacto rily in th e h an d . It is a
brief, dense, an c ie n t ta le of a book, of th e book of th a t
book, w h a t it gave, an d w h a t people w ere able to ta k e
from it. T he u n a le rte d rea d er, tu rn in g page a fte r page,
m ay w onder if i t is a joke.
A ctually it is - am ong o th e r th in g s - an e x tra o rd i
n a ry psychological te st, in th a t it p red icts th e com plete
ra n g e o f possible responses to its e lf/
Sunday Telegraph
'Beyond w ords’ (The Observer); 'S om ething new for th e

W est’ ( The Guardian ); 'T a n ta liz in g ’ (World Medicine)-,
'S h a tte re d th e lite ra ry w orld’ (Irish Press); 'A sto n ish
in g ’ (Sunday Mirror); 'Looks le g it’ (The Arizona
Republic).
208

WISDOM OF THE IDIOTS

N a rra tiv e s of th e action-philosophy of th e th in k e rs who
called them selv es 'id io ts’ in c o n tra st to th e self-styled
'w ise’. T he first edition of th is book w as w idely
acclaim ed for its e n te rta in m e n t v alu e an d psychologi
cal in te rest.
T he celeb rated w rite r N in a E pton sa id in a recen t
broadcast:
'Seeds th a t Idries S h ah sows on our W estern p a th
a re chosen by a d iscern in g m odem m ind, w ith a
profound know ledge of th e E a st an d W est. T he best
sp iritu a l trad itio n s, in te rp re te d afresh, are applied
by Idries S h ah to o u r contem porary world. T h is is
h is co n trib u tio n to o u r sp iritu a l eq u ip m en t -
w hich consequently now finds its e lf considerably
en rich ed .’
'O pens up a new w orld of u n d e rsta n d in g ’

- The Inquirer
'R are exam ples of n o n -lin e a r th in k in g ’

- Evening News
209

Other hooks by Idries Shah.
THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS

How th e E n g lish see th em selv es - th e ir view co n tra ste d
w ith th a t of people from o th e r co u n tries try in g to u n d e r
sta n d th e ir stra n g e b eh aviour. S h ah also sp ecu lates on
th e likely con tin u in g effect of E n g lish n ess on th e fu tu re
developm ent of global society, offering un su sp ected p a r
allels betw een E n g lish a ttitu d e s an d o rie n ta l wisdom.
\ .. I can’t im ag in e anyone n o t enjoying th is m a n y

an g led book, such a ric h m ix of anecdote, in fo rm a tio n . . .
an d h isto ry ..
- Daily Telegraph
210

Other books by Idries Shah .
THE DERMIS PROBE

T he title-sto ry , w ith scrip t by Id ries S h ah , film ed as a
space-satire, w as chosen as a n O u tsta n d in g F ilm of th e
Y ea r an d selected for show ing a t bo th th e London an d
N ew Y ork film festivals. T his is a collection of e x tra c ts
from th e w ritte n an d o ral tra d itio n of E a s te rn th in k e rs.
S h a h says in h is Preface:
'In th is book you can find illu stra te d som e of th e pecu
lia ritie s of th o u g h t in th e C o u n try w hich is to d ay ’s
w orld, seen by its in h a b ita n ts an d by those who call
th em selv es v isito rs.’
. a peep-show in to a w orld w hich m ost people do

n o t know e x ists’.
- The Guardian
'. . . deftly done, in th e tru e Sufi tra d itio n ’.

- The Times Literary Supplement
'...w h is k in g aw ay th e ru g from u n d e r o u r fav o u rite

convictions an d th in k in g h a b i t s . . . th e effect is e x h ila r
ating*.
- Tribune
211

THE SUFIS
'M any forlorn puzzles in th e w orld, w hich seem ed to
su g g est th a t som e g re a t sp iritu a l age som ew here in th e
M iddle E a st h ad long since died an d left in d ecip h erab le
relics, suddenly come to organic life in th is book.’
Ted H ughes: The Listener
'Sufism is . . . "th e in n e r secret te ac h in g th a t is conceal

ed w ith in every relig io n ”. T he book h a s flashes o f w h a t
(w ithout in te n d in g to define th e word) I can only call il
lu m in atio n .'
D. J . E n rig h t: New Statesman
'F u lly a u th o rita tiv e ' (Afghanistan News ); 'Im p o rta n t

h isto rically an d c u ltu ra lly ’ (Los Angeles Times)-, 'In
credibly rich in scope an d fine d e ta il’ (Psychology
Today)', 'T he definitive sta te m e n t of S ufism ’ (Library
Journal ); 'Now its influence is sp rea d in g w here long
overdue’ {The American Scholar); 'M ore e x tra o rd in a ry
th e m ore it is stu d ie d ’ (Encounter); 'M ost com prehen
sively in fo rm ativ e’ (New York Times Book Review).
212

THE PLEASANTRIES OF THE

INCREDIBLE MULLA NASRUDIN
B oth th is book - c o n tain in g no less th a n 165 ta le s -
an d th e previous N a sru d in volum e h av e been
acclaim ed for th e ir h u m o u r by critics a ll over th e world.
N a sru d in ta le s h av e been used to illu s
tr a te a b s tru s e concepts in h ig h -en erg y physics: an d a
com plete sy stem of m y stica l tra in in g based upon th e m
w as described in th e Hibbert Journal.
'P a ra lle l to th e m in d ’s w o rk in g s’
- The Observer
'A r a r e g ift - h e a lin g la u g h te r’ -N e w Society
'U ndebased w isdom - a n ex tension of th e p ro v erb ial’

- Country Life
213

Other books by Idries Shah .
DARKEST ENGLAND
\ .. Idries S h ah ex p lain s th e E n g lish to th em selv es an d
to o th e rs w ith h u m o u r an d in sig h t. U sing th e etym ol
ogy o f th e E n g lish la n g u ag e itself, scholarly rese arch
an d a rich store of anecdotes - w hich serve as te ac h in g
notes - S h ah in v e stig a te s th e o rig in s a n d c h a ra c te r of
th is stran g e ly o rien ta l trib e an d comes to som e su rp ris
in g an d provocative conclusions. A fasc in atin g an d e n
joyable read . . . ’
-B B C
\ .. F u ll of in sig h ts an d in fo rm atio n assem bled to

p re se n t a view no E n g lish person could ea sily reach.
V ery funny ..
—Sunday Times
'.. . try in g to te ll u s so m eth in g u seful . . . a d a rk e r

edge. S h ah know s, an d we know , t h a t th e fo reig n er’s
problem h a s become ours; how to be E n g lish . . . ’
- New Society
214

SEEKER AFTER TRUTH
TORIES SHAH has written twenty books on traditional

psychologies, literature, philosophy and Sufi thought
which are published in many countries and have sold
more than five million copies. He has taught as a visiting
Professor both in the East and at universities in
Switzerland and the United States.
About this book—

. .. This book, which describes itself as a handbook, is
food for many different kinds of study - a book unlike
anything our own society has produced until recently, in
its richness, its unexpectedness, its capacity to shock us
into seeing ourselves as others see us, both personally
and as a society.. .
The Literary Review
ISBN 0 -8 6 3 0 4 -0 1 2 -8
9 780863 040122
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Idries-Shah Seeker After Truth

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Idries-Shah Seeker After Truth

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SEEKER

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From Tales, Discussions and Teachings, Letters and Lectures

THE OCTAGON PRESS

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or

Published by the Octagon Press with the aid of

First Published 1982

Printed and bound in Great Britain by

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Q uestions and A nsw ers 19

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A n ecd o tesan d N g rra tiv e s 87

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R em arks a t th e D inner-m eetings 129

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The Skill th a t N obody Has: Twelve T ales 143

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* IBRAHIM KHAWAS (Abu-Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Ahmad al-Khawas, The Palm-

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The Four Types

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The Fires of Today...

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Prayers and Rituals

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Present and Absent

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*Ali al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Veiled, Discourse on Miracles.

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TH E BEGGAR AND T H E COAT

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Parable of the King and

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Q: What is the the first step in learning how to learn’?

Q: How can we learn more about the Sufis of ancient times,

STO LEN RAISIN

*Abu'l-Hasan al-Farisi, in Abu-Bakr al-Kalabadhi’s Kitab al-Taaruf.

Q: The great Sufi Bayazid is reported to have said: 'All that I

* Daily Mail, 17 March 1979, p. 7 col. 4, quoting P. Butler, of Sussex.

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Do as your Friends Wish

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Asleep and Awake

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The Greater World

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*Daily Telegraph, London: February 21 1974, p. 12 ('Evidence of your Eyes’ pro