Mystic and the Thief

A thief visited the house of a Sufi mystic at night, and spread his shawl to wrap up the loot. After a long search he had not found anything. In the meantime the dervish sleeping on the floor had rolled over onto the shawl. When the thief came to pick up his shawl, he saw the dervish sleeping on it.

Just as he was leaving empty-handed, the dervish woke up and called after him, ‘Please shut the front door.’

‘Why should I?’ the thief answered.‘I came and supplied your mattress, someone else might come and bring your blanket too.’

 

So remain open, don’t be worried — even a thief cannot steal anything from you. He may supply a mattress or a blanket, that is another matter. He may give something to you but he cannot take anything from you, because that which can be taken is not yours. That which cannot be taken, only that is yours.

The Cow & EM Junnaid

One Sufi mystic, Junnaid, was going to the mosque with his disciples. On the road, they saw a man who was trying to move his cow. It was apparent, clear that the man was absolutely new at the job. He was doing hard work, pulling the cow with the rope, but the cow was stronger. She was backwards. He would manage somehow to pull her one foot, and she would back up two feet.

Junnaid and his disciples stood there… because that was the method of Junnaid, to use actual situations in life for teaching. He said, “This man has done no harm to the cow. He is taking her home, where food will be ready, shelter will be ready; a cozier, warmer place will be ready — but why is the cow reluctant? Why is she feeling annoyed, irritated, humiliated? Rather than going home with him, she’s FIGHTING!”

Junnaid said this to his disciples and the servant who was taking the cow was also listening. Junnaid said, “There is an art that, even in the smallest job like this, is needed. This man has good intentions but has no understanding of how the mind of man or animals functions. He’s creating a reaction. He’s making the cow an enemy.”

He said to the man: “This is not the way. You are new; you just stand aside and I will show you what has to be done.”

And he went into his house, brought out a bundle of green grass, and just walked ahead of the cow — not even a rope on the neck of the cow. He simply walked. Sometimes he went slowly, and when the cow would come too close he would go fast, almost running. The cow would start running.

When he came back, he said, “This is the situation of every human being. Society has created so many reactionary attitudes that he goes on doing things which are harmful to himself, and he goes on doing them the wrong way.”