Ancient Wisdom

A Sufi saint Ajmal Hussain was constantly being criticised by scholars, who feared that his repute might outshine their own. They spared no efforts to cast doubts upon his knowledge, to accuse him of taking refuge from their criticism in mysticism, and even to imply that he had been guilty of discreditable practices. At length he said: "If I answer my critics, they make it the opportunity to being fresh accusation against me, which people believe because it amuses them to believe such things. If I do not answer them they crow and preen themselves, and people believe that they are real scholars. They imagine that we Sufi (saints) oppose scholarship. We do not. But our very existence is a threat to the pretended scholarship of tiny noisy one. Scholarship long since disappeared. What we have to face now is sham scholarship.' The scholars shrilled more loudly than even. At last Ajmal said: "Argument is not as effective as demonstration. I shall give you an insight into what t...

Once upon a time there was a baby elephant who heard someone say: "Look, there is a mouse." The person who said it was looking at a mouse- but the elephant thought that he was referring to him. Now, there were very few mice in that country, and in any case they tended to stay in their holes, and their voices were not very loud. But the baby elephant thundered around, ecstatic at his discovery, "I am a mouse!" He said it so loudly and so often, and to so many people that-believe it or not-there is no an entire country where almost everyone believes that elephant, and particularly baby elephants, are mice. It is true that from time to time mice have tried to remonstrate with those who hold the majority belief: but they have always been put to flight. And if anyone ever wants to reopen the question of mice and elephants in those parts, he had better have a good reason, strong nerves and an effective mens of parting his case. 

Once upon a time there was a fox who met a young rabbit in the woods. The rabbit said: "What are you?" The fox said: "I am a fox, and I could eat you up if I wanted to." 'How can you prove that you are a fox?" asked the rabbit. The fox didn't know what to say, because in the past rabbits had always run from him without such enquiries. Then the rabbit said: "If you can show me written proof that you are fox, I'll believe you." So the fox trotted off to the lion, who gave him a certificate that he was a fox. When he got back to where the rabbit was waiting, the fox started to read out the document. It is also pleased him that he dwelt over the paragraph with lingering delight. Meanwhile, getting the gist of the message from the first few lines, the rabbit ran down a burrow and was never seen again. The fox went back to the lion's den, where he saw a deer talking to the lion. The deer was saying: "I want to see written proof that you...

It is related of ' Ibn-el-Arabi' that people said to him: 'Your circle is composed mainly of beggars, husband men and artisans. Can you not find people of intellect who will follow you, so that perhaps more authoritative notice might be taken of your teachings?' He replied: 'The Day of Calamity' will be infinitely nearer when I have influential men and scholars singing my praises, for without any doubt they will be doing so for their own sake and not for the sake of our work!'