Topic: Sufiisms

[nichi]

Nasruddin addressed a crowd saying, "People, do you want knowledge without difficulties, truth without falsehood, attainment without effort, progress without sacrifice?"

Everyone shouted, "Yes, yes!"

"Wonderful!" said Nasruddin, "I do too, and if I ever discover how to do it, I will be delighted to tell you."

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traditional
as collected by James Fadiman & Robert Frager

[nichi]

Not only do beings and things have spirits that in turn take the forms of beings and things, but deeds, words, thoughts, and feelings also have spirits of their own. Thus it may happen that the soul of a beautiful deed may assume the form of an angel.

Sheikh Badruddin
as collected by James Fadiman & Robert Frager

[nichi]

The lower self is like a thief who sneaks into your house at night to steal whatever is valuable and worthwhile. You cannot fight this thief directly, because it will mirror whatever force you bring against it. If you have a gun, the thief will also have a gun. If you have a knife, the thief will have a knife as well. To struggle with the thief is to invite disaster. So, what can you do? The only practical solution is to turn on the light. The thief, who is a coward at heart, will then run out. How do we turn on the light? Through the practice of remembrance, awareness, and heedfulness.

Sheikh Tosun Bayrak
as collected by James Fadiman & Roger Frager

[Nichi]

A huge lion went hunting one day, and took with him a wolf and a fox.

They were all excellent hunters and by the end of the day the team had caught an ox, an ibex, and a hare.

The wolf was already hungrily eying their prey, so the lion magnanimously told him, “Wolf, divide up this abundance between us in any way you like.”

The wolf, though hungry enough to eat the ox himself, decided it was safest to give the largest prize to the lion. He claimed the ibex for himself, and handed the small hare to the fox. The wolf was already licking his chops and about to begin his meal, when the lion roared:

“Wolf! How dare you talk of ‘mine’ and ‘yours’!” With a single swipe from his might paw, the lion slew the wolf.

The lion slowly calmed himself, and then turned to the fox. With a huge smile, he said, “Fox, divide up this abundance between us in any way you like.”

The fox, being no fool, immediately said that the entire bounty belonged to the lion.

The lion rumbled in satisfaction, and said, “Fox, you are no longer a fox; you are myself. The entire bounty is yours!”

Attributed to Rumi

[Nichi]

A rich Persian came to Akshehir and began to boast about the tremendous palaces built in Isfahan by the shah, some of which, he said, had over two hundred rooms and covered thousands of square feet.

Hodja interrupted him by saying, "Ah, that's nothing! You should see the buildings that the sultan has built in our captial, Bursa. He has just built a hospital that is ten thousand feet long." Just then a man entered the room who had just returned from Bursa. "And a hundred feet wide!" continued Hodja.

"Well, that sounds like a most peculiar building. Why is the width not in proportion with its length?"

"It would have been," replied Hodja. "If my friend hadn't suddenly appeared."

as collected by James Fadiman & Robert Frager