Part of our long-running Saturday Sufi Wisdom series.
Khaja Bahaudin Naqshband, aka. Muhammad Bahauddan Uways al-Bukhari "Imam of the Tariqah" (d. circa 1389), was one of the great Masters of the Khagajan school, now known as the Naqshbandi Chain of Sufism. The school arose in Central Asia, and remains active to this day. They are not, to put it mildly, terribly fond of the Wahabbis. Anyway, I was reading this item is Idries Shah's Way of the Sufi and thought it a nice extension of last week's post:
One day, a man came to the great teacher Bahauddan.
He asked for help in his problems, and guidance on the path of the Teaching.
Bahauddan told him to abandon spiritual studies, and leave his court at once.
A kind-hearted visitor began to remonstrate with Bahauddan. "You shall have a demonstration," said the sage.
At that moment a bird flew into the room, darting hither and thither, not knowing where to go in order to escape.
The Sufi waited until the bird had settled near the only open window of the chamber, and then suddenly clapped his hands.
Alarmed, the bird flew straight through the opening of the window, to freedom.
"To him that sound must have been something of a shock, even an affront, do you not agree?" Said Bahauddan.
Most Sufi stories operate on multiple levels. What's this one trying to tell us?