Guest guest Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 ================================================================= By Niladri Moitra Rediscover humor with Mulla Nasruddin, the 13th century mystic jester Mulla Nasruddin was a Sufi visionary who lived during the 13th century in the Middle East. Roaming around the deserts of Arabia, this mystic jester brought humor to the Sufi tradition and life to stoicism. His stories appear in literature and oral traditions from nations in the Middle East to China. Most of them claim this lovable son of the soil to be their own native. It was Idries Shah who introduced us to the wisdom, wit and charm of this mysterious mentor through his collection of stories. These teaching stories are like koans of the Zen tradition, which reveal the paradoxes of conditioned living with humor. In one such story, Nasruddin is a magistrate who in his first case agrees with both the plaintiff and the defendant. When the court clerk objects that both cannot be right, Nasruddin says: ''I believe you are right.'' Here we are able to see the paradox clearly. In our conditioning, we see things as either right or wrong, black or white. Linear thinking does not allow one to think holistically. Our minds wrestle in the dark dens of logic and lose the gist of life. ================================================================= Nasruddin, ferrying a pedant across a piece of rough water, said something ungrammatical to him. "Have you never studied grammar?" asked the scholar. "No." "Then half your life is wasted." A few minutes later Nasruddin turned to the passenger. "Have you ever learned how to swim?" "No. Why?" "Then all your life is wasted-we are sinking!" http://www.lifepositive.com/Spirit/world-religions/sufism/nasruddin-mulla.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 , "Lady Joyce" <shaantih@c...> wrote: > ================================================================= > > By Niladri Moitra > > Rediscover humor with Mulla Nasruddin, the 13th century mystic jester > > Mulla Nasruddin was a Sufi visionary who lived during the 13th century in > the Middle East. Roaming around the deserts of Arabia, this mystic jester > brought humor to the Sufi tradition and life to stoicism. His stories appear > in literature and oral traditions from nations in the Middle East to China. > Most of them claim this lovable son of the soil to be their own native. > > It was Idries Shah who introduced us to the wisdom, wit and charm of this > mysterious mentor through his collection of stories. These teaching stories > are like koans of the Zen tradition, which reveal the paradoxes of > conditioned living with humor. > > In one such story, Nasruddin is a magistrate who in his first case agrees > with both the plaintiff and the defendant. When the court clerk objects that > both cannot be right, Nasruddin says: ''I believe you are right.'' Here we > are able to see the paradox clearly. In our conditioning, we see things as > either right or wrong, black or white. Linear thinking does not allow one to > think holistically. Our minds wrestle in the dark dens of logic and lose the > gist of life. > > ================================================================= friends, there is a forum dedicated to our friend nasrudin and his teachings, and you are welcome to visit: Nasrudin/ yosy > Nasruddin, ferrying a pedant across a piece of rough water, said > something ungrammatical to him. "Have you never studied grammar?" > asked the scholar. > > "No." > > "Then half your life is wasted." > > A few minutes later Nasruddin turned to the passenger. > > "Have you ever learned how to swim?" > > "No. Why?" > > "Then all your life is wasted-we are sinking!" > > > http://www.lifepositive.com/Spirit/world-religions/sufism/nasruddin- mulla.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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