Topic: encounter with the devil

[nichi]

A certain devout man, convinced that he was a sincere seeker after truth, embarked upon a long course of discipline and study. He had many experiences, under various teachers both in his inner and outer life, over a considerable period of time.

One day he was meditating when he suddenly saw the Devil sitting beside him.

"Away, demon!" he cried, "for you have no power to harm me; I am treading the path of the elect."   The apparition disappeared.

A truly wise man passing by told him, sadly: "Alas, my friend, you have grafted effort upon such an unsure basis as your unaltered fear, greed, and self-esteem that you have arrived at your ultimate possible experience."

"How so?" asked the seeker.

"That 'devil' is, in reality an angel. 'Devil' is only how you saw him."

~from the collections of Idries Shah
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