by T.L. James of Mars Blog and Man of Two Worlds. Part of our weekly Sufi Wisdom series.
This week, we have another story from Sa'adi's classic Gulistan, this time concerning the effects (or rather, lack thereof) of education:A vezier who had a stupid son gave him in charge of a scholar to instruct him and if possible to make him intelligent. Having been some time under instruction but ineffectually, the learned man sent one to his father with the words: 'The boy is not becoming intelligent and has made a fool of me.'
When a nature is originally receptive
Instruction will take effect thereon.
No kind of polishing will improve iron
Whose essence is originally bad.
Wash a dog in the seven oceans,
He will be only dirtier when he gets wet.
If the ass of Jesus be taken to Mekkah
He will on his return still be an ass.
I have no idea what a vezier is, but if one wants real education, let attention take itself as an object.
Mr. Stevens, I believe it's an alternate spelling of "vizier". The gist of the story is an official hired a private tutor for his idiot son, and the tutor resigned because his teaching was not having any effect on the son.
At a basic level, a teacher can only succeed if her pupils are a) willing to receive learning (i.e., willing to perform the associated hard work involved), and b) ready to receive learning, i.e., having the mental capacity to bootstrap themselves from ignorance to knowledge (e.g., it is unproductive trying to teach kindergartners how to solve systems of non-linear differential equations).
As I understand the teacher's resignation letter, he says he failed because the son, regardless of his willingness (factor a), doesn't have the capacity to understand learning (factor b).
This is a familiar story form in Buddhism. A disciple grapples, often enthusiastically (factor a), with some difficulty of enlightenment, but can't grasp it (factor b) until his master provides something (an example, a non sequitur, etc.) that sparks an "A Ha!" moment in the disciple's mind. But only a select few of the master's disciples have the capacity for this "A Ha!" moment.
Conversely, the teacher, too, must be willing to expend the effort necessary to teach, and be able to present instruction in a manner comprehensible to the student. Jonah was unwilling to teach Nineveh until after he spent some time in the belly of the fish. And we've all had the experience of the boring teacher who just droned on and on.
In short, both teach and student teach each other: the teacher instructs the student on the material, and the student instructs the teacher on how best to present that material.
Not only that, but the scholar's complaint indicates that the effort was having a negative impact on his own intelligence...a subtle bit of humor that, like other Sufi humor, is more than a joke.
As Samuel says, one point of this story is that teaching can only take place when certain conditions obtain -- a common Sufic theme. Specific to this story, the "right people" must be involved...a teacher who can convey the knowledge, and a pupil capable and prepared to receive it. While the son is described as "stupid", he in turn makes a "fool" out of the scholar -- it could be that the two are not the right combination: the scholar may be as incapable of transmitting knowledge to the pupil in a manner from which he can benefit, as the pupil is of receiving knowledge in the manner the scholar is conveying it.
The son may or may not be unteachable, but the scholar feels like a fool because he, at some level, recognizes that he is not so wise as he thought.
Hodjo e la elefanto
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Sri Idisti: Tell me what the elephant is. (Dicez a me quo es l'elefanto.)
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Me trovis che WindsOfChange.Net ke Sro Joe KATZMAN prezentas ca rakonteto
de Sufismo quale ....
Ul'die Nasreddin vizitis richa amikod del sua e dicis a lu:
Nasreddin: Donez (Pruntez) a me kelka pekunio.
Richa amiko: Ma pro quo?
Nasreddin: Nu!, me deziras komprar elefanto!
Richa amiko: Se tu ne havas pekunio, quale tu afordas nutrar elefanto?
Nasreddin: Me venis ad'hike por ganar pekunio ma ne tua fola konsilo!
Lore Sro Joe KATZMAN dicas ....
> As is often the case with Sufi stories, the level of meaning depends on
> the level the hearer chooses. At a worldly level, there are obviously
> many applications. The story might be well commended to the EU, for in-
> stance, or the UN. Sufi stories also point toward spiritual lessons,
> however, so one wonders what this one might be....
> Thus begins our first Sufi Challenge. And tell me what you think this
> story is about. I'm no Sufi, but here's a starting point: tell me what
> the elephant is.
La richa amiko esas kompreneble sacerdoto del nun existanta religii quala
Yudismo, Kristanismo, Islamo edc. Lu ja posedas sua establisita avantajo.
Tamen, quo esas l'elefanto? Pro quo Nasreddin bezonas komprar l'elefanto?
Til ke Dro Albert EINSTEIN trovis sua E=MxC-quadrata, nulu savabis ke onu
povus explozigar mem la tero per pugno de substanco pro ke la universo ja
en'plantacis "ne'imageble imensa energio" aden omna partikuli de su ipsa.
Homo anke havas "imensa energio" dormanta e do tote ne'uzebla en su ipsa.
Ca "imensa energio" esas lua elefanto. Til ke lu komprabas olu, l'elfanto
ne darfas laborar por la homo. Do Nasreddin mustis vizitar la richa amiko
por demandar o forsan pruntar pekunio por komprar sua elefanto di laboro.
Kompreneble la richa amiko o sacerdoto ne donis a Nasreddin la pekunio' e
vicee donis konsilo a lu, pro ke lu havas sua establisita avantajo sur la
preganto. Se Nasreddin komprabus l'elfanto, lu ne plus bezonus vizitar la
sacerdoto o richa amiko por ganar helpado pro ke lu ja havus sua energio.
La richa amiko sempre mustas impedar a lu komprar l'energio sua elefanto.
Do Nasreddin ne povas pruntar suficanta pekunio del sacerdoti por eterne.
Lu devas, sudorifante sur la fronto, laborar por ganar suficanta pekunio.
Onu devas esar ne'dependanta del omna sacerdoti por trovar sua nirvaneso.
Ne do pruntez pekunio del sacerdoti ma laborez per vu ipsa por ganar olu.
Co esas la pro-quo me sempre mustas dicar a vere serioza serchanti quale:
Se tu hazarde renkontros Budho sur'voye, mortigez lu. O mem plu radikale:
Se tu mustos renkontrar tua Elohim, Iesu ed Allah sur la voyo, ocidez li.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
*************************************************************************
This is for your reference, because I have borrowed your story for Ido-
(not Yiddish) speaking people. Thank you so much for your excellent work.
Sholem aleykhem!
Hodjo e la elefanto (revised)
=========
Sri Idisti: Tell me what the elephant is. (Dicez a me quo es l'elefanto.)
=========
Me trovis che WindsOfChange.Net ke Sro Joe KATZMAN prezentas ca rakonteto
de Sufismo quale ....
Ul'die Nasreddin vizitis richa amikod del sua e dicis a lu:
Nasreddin: Donez (Prestez) a me' kelka pekunio.
Richa amiko: Ma pro quo?
Nasreddin: Nu!, me deziras komprar elefanto!
Richa amiko: Se tu ne havas pekunio, quale tu afordas nutrar elefanto?
Nasreddin: Me venis ad'hike por ganar pekunio ma ne tua fola konsilo!
Lore Sro Joe KATZMAN dicas ....
> As is often the case with Sufi stories, the level of meaning depends on
> the level the hearer chooses. At a worldly level, there are obviously
> many applications. The story might be well commended to the EU, for in-
> stance, or the UN. Sufi stories also point toward spiritual lessons,
> however, so one wonders what this one might be....
> Thus begins our first Sufi Challenge. And tell me what you think this
> story is about. I'm no Sufi, but here's a starting point: tell me what
> the elephant is.
La richa amiko esas kompreneble sacerdoto del nun existanta religii quala
Yudismo, Kristanismo, Islamo edc. Lu ja posedas sua establisita avantajo.
Tamen, quo esas l'elefanto? Pro quo Nasreddin bezonas komprar l'elefanto?
Til ke Dro Albert EINSTEIN trovis sua E=MxC-quadrata, nulu savabis ke onu
povus explozigar mem la tero per pugno de substanco pro ke la universo ja
en'plantacis "ne'imageble imensa energio" aden omna partikuli de su ipsa.
Homo anke havas "imensa energio" dormanta e do tote ne'uzebla en su ipsa.
Ca imensa energio esas lua elefanto. Til ke lu komprabas olu, la elefanto
ne darfas laborar por la homo. Do Nasreddin mustis vizitar la richa amiko
por demandar o forsan pruntar pekunio por komprar sua elefanto di laboro.
Kompreneble la richa amiko o sacerdoto ne donis a Nasreddin la pekunio' e
vicee donis konsilo a lu, pro ke lu havas sua establisita avantajo sur la
preganto. Se Nasreddin komprabus l'elfanto, lu ne plus bezonus vizitar la
sacerdoto o richa amiko por ganar helpado pro ke lu ja havus sua energio.
La richa amiko sempre mustas impedar a lu komprar l'energio sua elefanto.
Do Nasreddin ne povas pruntar suficanta pekunio del sacerdoti por eterne.
Lu devas, sudorifante sur la fronto, laborar por ganar suficanta pekunio.
Onu devas esar ne'dependanta del omna sacerdoti por trovar sua nirvaneso.
Ne do pruntez pekunio del sacerdoti ma laborez per vu ipsa por ganar olu.
Co esas la pro-quo me sempre mustas dicar a vere serioza serchanti quale:
Se tu hazarde renkontros Budho sur'voye, mortigez lu. O mem plu radikale:
Se tu mustos renkontrar tua Elohim, Iesu ed Allah sur la voyo, ocidez li.
------------
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)
*************
Pruntar o ne pruntar?
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Sri Idisti: ---- Wer den Wein getrunken, der trinke auch die Hefen. ----
=====================================================================
La unesma rankonteto de Sufismo multe importas pro ke olu havas signifiko
dopa, quan onu ne facile darfas komprenar, apud l'avana posible kaptebla.
Ul'die Nasreddin vizitis richa amikod del sua e dicis a lu:
Nasreddin: Donez (Prestez) a me' kelka pekunio.
Richa amiko: Ma pro quo?
Nasreddin: Nu!, me deziras komprar elefanto!
Richa amiko: Se tu ne havas pekunio, quale tu afordas nutrar elefanto?
Nasreddin: Me venis ad'hike por ganar pekunio ma ne tua fola konsilo!
Se la richa amiko prestus la pekunio, Nasreddin povus komprenar elefanto.
Se onu povus komprenar la elefanto per la pekunio pruntebla de sacerdoto,
lu recevus l'imensa energio qua posibligas preske l'omno por su. Tamen lo
certe facus la pruntinto esar aroganta pro lua granda suceso en ca mondo.
Ma la pruntinto mustas perdar sua vivo pro la sorcego dil energio imensa.
Se onu sudorifante laboras por recevar suficanta pekunio, lu jame falias.
Ca rankonteto indikas a ni ke Nasreddin fortunoze evitis sua destrukteso.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
*************************************************************************
I was not able to comment on the proper site.
So I comment here for Nasruddin's book.
To:
Cc: , ,
Nasreddin'ens libro
===============
Sri Idisti: "L'homme ne vit pas seulement de pain." E quon signifikas co?
===============
Yen la duesma rakonteto di Sufismo, quan me trovis che WindsOfChange.Net.
A friend asked Nasruddin, "Why do you have a book tied to your leg?"
- "So I won't lose it," replied Nasruddin.
"But you can't read it if it's tied to your leg!"
- "I can't read it if I lose it either."
Amiko questionis Nasreddin: Pro quo tu portas libro ligata sur tua gambo?
Nasreddin respondis a l'amiko perplexa: Yen pro ke me ne perdez la libro.
L'amiko replikis: Ma tu ne povas lektar olu dum ke olu esas sur la gambo.
Nasreddin lore klamis: Me nek povas lektar olu pos ke me perdus la libro!
Moyshe Yehuda HOCHFELD tote ne komprenis ca fola rakonteto kande lu audis
olu unesmafoye. Ma yel nokto dil dio lu dormis e havis tre stranja sonjo.
En la sonjo' Nasreddin'ens akuta cerebro imperis a la gambo kun la libro:
He, gambo! La libro esas por me, inteligenta cerebro. Me volas havar olu.
La gambo respondis: Ma anke ni gambi bezonas kelka savi. Lasez ni lektar.
Lore la cerebro klamis al gambi: Qua maxim importas del membri dil korpo?
Kompreneble, co esas me' ta qua esas la maxim granda inter ni. Donez olu.
La gambi devis abandonar la libro a la cerebro, qua esas superba e forta.
Kelka dii pose la gambi mortis pro lo' e do la cerebro mortis pro hungro.
------------------------
Moyshe vizitis la Zen-mastro Koudou "la sen'hema" e questionis lu pri co.
Audinte la rakonteto ed la sonjo di Moyshe, la mastro respondis a Moyshe:
Ka tu remarkis ke ca rakonteto esas un del maxim bela rakonteti Sufismal?
Ka tu havis la sonjo quale .....
La gambi devis abandonar la libro a la cerebro, qua esas superba e forta.
Kelka dii pose la gambi mortis pro lo' e do la cerebro mortis pro hungro?
Lore tu havas posibleso por tua nirvano .... Ul'die tu vere esos apud me.
Co esas ma pro ke la gambi portadis la cerebro ad'ube la manjajo existis.
Nulu savabas ke la gambi anke vivas sur kelka vitamini de savi del libro.
La korpo darfas vivar sub la kondiciono ke l'omna membri di korpo laborus
harmonioze. Anke la cerebro mem superba ne povas vivar sen la kondiciono.
Japonia prosperas pro ke onu vere tendencas respektar mem porteri' nur se
li laboras honeste. Cerebri multe importas, ma anke gambi egale importas.
Hike en multa kompanii fakte trovesas prezidanti qui ne recevis autentika
edukado en universitati. Tamen lo ne esas probabla en la socii Ocidental.
La socio esas vere forta e sana nur kande l'omna membri recevas respekti.
La gambi anke vivas sur respekti, quo esas la vitamini de savi del libro.
----------------
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)
******************