Professional Documents
Culture Documents
AFTER
TRUTH
A Handbook by
IDRIES SHAH
ISBN 0 863040 12 8
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
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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
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viii
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.’
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.
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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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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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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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.
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QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
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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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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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.
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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Матеоиал. з;
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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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 .
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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!’
Материал
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:
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 ’.
Attraction
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.’
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
43
44
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.’
46
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
48
49
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.
51
52
53
54
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
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
56
57
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.’
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!’
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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
67
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!’
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70
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 .
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72
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.
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'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.’
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75
76
77
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
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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.’
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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.
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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 .’
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82
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.
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'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!’
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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.’
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89
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
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
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.’
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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
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
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
101
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
104
107
108
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’
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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
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
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120
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
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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
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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
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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
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
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.’
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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.’
133
134
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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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
A PERFUMED SCORPION
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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
200
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
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202
203
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.
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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
212
'P a ra lle l to th e m in d ’s w o rk in g s’
- The Observer
213
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
214
ISBN 0 -8 6 3 0 4 -0 1 2 -8
9 780863 040122