Here's a hard parable from the New Testament that gets to a similar point, I think.

Jesus proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore,

A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servents he gave them ten minas* and said to them, "Trade with these until I come."

... When he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servents, to whom he had given the momey, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. The first came before him, saying, "Lord, your mina has earned tend minas more." And he said to him, " Well done, good servant. Because you have been faithful in very little, you shall have authority over ten cities."

And the second came, saying, "Lord, your mina has made five minas." And he said to him, "And you are to be over five cities."

Then another came, saying, "Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid up in a napkin; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow."

He said to him, "I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You know that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I sould have collected it with interest?"

And he said to those who stood by, "Take the mina from him and give it to him who has the ten minas." (And they said to him, "Lord, he has TEN minas!")

"I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken from him."

This teaching was given as Jesus and the disciples were making their way to Jerusalem, where he would be tried and killed. Luke's Gospel mainly focuses our attention on Jesus as healer and teacher, so the harshness of this story (Luke 20:11-26) has always struck me. But it is a prelude to this teaching at the temple (Luke 21:1-4):

He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasurey; and he saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. And he said, Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had.

The wealthy man in the dream offers Nasrudin a wealth of spiritual riches which he might have put into use for the benefit of others. Instead of using what he was offered, he demanded and whined for more - thereby showing he was unworthy to have any gifts at all.

• A mina was about 3 months wages for a laborer at the time Jesus spoke.

From those to whom much has been given, much shall be demanded.

Joe's comment disappeared ???? I was responding to it. Hmmmm.

Yeah, I'm puzzled too. Main computer is down right now, will address it once that's working again and try to find that comment in my emails for restoration.

I am only guessing here....

The Mullah is offered an "incomplete" gift from God...in this case perhaps the freedom for Muslims in Iraq to worship without fear of reprisal from Saddam (courtesy of the USA)...however since Americans are still in the country AND there is considerable turmoil, the gift seems lacking to the Mullah (the additional Dinar). So when the Mullah complains about the lack of one Dinar (i.e. the perfect situation in Iraq) he cuts off his nose to spite his face (sorry for the cliche) by rejecting the initial gift.

Isn't this the way it always goes for short-sighted people. Nothing is perfect; certainly not in the aftermath of a war. To ask for, or expect, perfection is unrealistic. To ask for perfection at the expense of positive change is also foolhardy.

Just a guess but I think it is a fancy Sufi way to say, "One in the hand is worth two in the bush."

TBone, that is indeed one of the messages. It's a popular and universally applicable proverb, and this one is well-crafted for its target culture in the Middle East via its references to dreams, etc. As such, the story will take hold and spread on its own.

Very useful if you want your teaching materials preserved even if the religious institutions weaken. The everyday content also slips it right through censorship by making it simple folklore, thus preserving its availability for those who can understand it more fully.

Of course, there's more under the surface. Try this on for size:

The wealthy man is authentic spirituality and religious tradition. The dinars are spiritual reward. The haggling could be many things, most commonly the hunger for more that has people chasing the 10th dinar (often, but not always, representing material things) instead of spending the time to absorb and accept the spiritual gift. And waking up? Praradoxically, it's a metaphor for dying... and when you do, it's too late to go back for the "9 dinars" because the opportunity is gone.

You can even look at the story and, by keeping the theme of hunger and missed opportunity, change the meaning of the tale by changing the symbolic reference of the 10th dinar and of waking up.

For instance, the "10th dinar" could represent the accomplishments and abilities that a disciple wants as a result of studying under a Sufi shaykh. That may not correspond to what the Shaykh is in fact offering - and if the disciple continues to insist on his/her vision, they will fail and miss the real treasures that the tradition and practice truly offers through the Shaykh (the spiritually accomplished 'wealthy man').

Nasrudin's humble acceptance is the tenth dinar.

Non o dek?

Sri Idisti: --- Aujourd'hui en pleurs//fleurs, demain en fleurs//pleurs.

Ye ula nokto' Nasreddin-hodjo renkontris stranja sonjo en sua dormado:

Ne'konocata viro vizitis lu e donis a lu' non denari.
Tamen Nasreddin demandis de la viro' plusa denaro dicante ...

Pro quo, la diablo, nur non denari?
Donez a me' altra un denaro por facar la nombro ye bone kompleta.

La viro tacis ed ignoris la to quon Nasreddin demandis.
Ma Nasreddin insistis, pregis ed abasis su sen'cese ke finale lu vekis.
E vidante sua vakua manui, lu maledikis sua meskina karaktero,
qua finale perdigis da lu sua ne'expektita donacajo profitoza.
Lore lu hastante jaceskis itere por dormar.
E do klozante sua okuli, li extensis l'amba brakii ed exkuzis su dicante:
Bone! Pliz donez a me' la non denari ma ca'tempe suficanta por me.

Audinte la rakonteto, mea Zen-mastro Koudou la sen'hema parolis a Moyshe:

La sonjo esas la vivo sur ca mondo. E la Deo donacas a vu til non denari.
Tamen vu ne darfas recevar la lasta un por facar la donacajo ye kompleta.
Pro ke vu destinesas e darfas ganor la lasta "un" nur pos ke vu mortabos.
Esas do vua mortanteso' ta qua povas donar a vu' la lasta kara un denaro.

amen amen dico vobis nisi granum frumenti cadens in terram mortuum fuerit
ipsum solum manet si autem mortuum fuerit multum fructum adfert qui amat
animam suam perdet eam et qui odit animam suam in hoc mundo in vitam ae-
ternam custodit eam.(Co esas la pro-quo ke Iesu dicis to a sua dicipuli.)

Ne esez tro avara sur ca mondo. La vivo esos kompleta pos ke vu mortabos.

Adio! ......sincere via, vua ed anke tua
B.Y.T. .....Idisto ed Idiotisto pro mea nur limitizita e povra edukado
ed anke ....Ido-Kavaliero per bona oreli vice mea skarsa e povra cerebro
IdoLerneyo: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/idolerneyo/
Ido-Kurso.: http://www.geocities.com/bebsonido/
Ido-Biblioteko (Sro FT).: http://es.geocities.com/krayono/publikaji.html

Toyre kumt nit b'yerushe. Onu ne heredas la lernado. (Mea Yida proverbo)
Wem nicht zu raten ist, dem ist auch nicht zu helfen. (Germana proverbo)
Onu ne povas instruktar ti' qui nek pregas nek deziras docajo de'extere.