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Nondual
Highlights Issue #2311, Wednesday, November 9, 2005, Editor: Mark
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Mulla Nasaradin was once invited to speak on the subject of the
Divine Qualities at a prestigious university in the Northeast.
While
he was lecturing on the subject of the Divine Light, he closed
his
eyes in deep contemplation looking for the words to express
himself.
Suddenly, he was overcome by Divine ecstasy. To his students he
seemed to have lost him mind for he began ranting and raving as
if
insane. His students, who had arranged for him to speak, quickly
took over the situation and concluded the lecture for him. After
everyone had gone, they talked among themselves and decided to
bring
him to a nearby mental hospital for observation.
For several days he was incoherent, lost in the higher spheres of
consciousness. His students took turns staying with him worried
as
they were about his condition. Every hour different medical
personnel would come in to check his condition and speculate as
to
what name should be given to his mental disorder for insurance
purposes. Eventually, Mulla Nasrudin regained normal
consciousness
and sat up in the hospital bed. "Where am I?" he
demanded from the
nurse who was there to take his blood pressure. The nurse,
shocked
by his seemingly miraculous recovery said, "You are in the
hospital.
Don't worry. I'll be right back."
She ran out of the room to get the psychologist who quickly
returned
with the nurse to see the Mulla. "How are we today?"
the
psychologist asked in a cautious tone. "Well, I don't know
about you
my dear but I am quite well thank you. What am I doing
here?" Mulla
asked.
The psychologist recounted the story told to her by the mulla's
students and then about his unusual behavior at the hospital and
began explaining to Mulla Nasrudin the various mental disorders
that
she felt he might possibly be a victim of. The mulla listened
patiently as the doctor recounted in medical jargon her theories
as
to what had happened to him. When she was finished speaking the
mulla started to get up from the bed saying, "Well that is
all very
interesting but as you can see I am perfectly fine now and well
rested. I would not dream of imposing on you any longer so I must
be
going. Thank you very much for you hospitality."
The nurse pushed Mulla Nasrudin back down on the bed.
"Please sir,
not so fast, you must rest for now." The psychologist
agreed, "Yes
the nurse is quite right, you may think that you are all right
but
really you must be very ill and we could not, in good conscience
allow you to leave just now. Please try to relax while we try to
figure out what has happened to you."
The mulla laid back down in the bed as the nurse pulled the
covers
over him. The mulla looked at the nurse as the doctor left the
room
and said, "This is very kind of you my dear, I see that you
and the
doctor are most concerned about me. I am very touched."
"That's fine
sir, just try to rest." and as she turned to leave she said
under
her breath, "Touched isn't the word for this one!" and
then she
left.
Completely invigorated by his ecstatic vision, the mulla sat up
in
the bed meditating upon his beautiful and profound experience the
whole world seemed quite transfigured. Just then several of his
students came in to check on him and were overjoyed at his
recovery.
They sat and talked to him and asked him to give some clue as to
what he had experienced. "What I have witnessed is beyond
words my
dear ones but my question to you is why have you brought me here?
I
would have been quite fine to be given a small room and left
alone
as is our custom in the East. You needn't have brought me here to
worry these good people they think that there is something wrong
with me." said Mulla Nasrudin.
Just then the psychologist came back in and asked everyone to
leave.
When the students had gone the psychologist began asking the
Mulla
about his childhood in an effort to figure out his illness. After
a
time the Mulla asked the doctor, "Why do you think that I am
sick?
As you can see with your own eyes I am quite healthy!" The
Doctor
looked penetratingly into the Mullah's eyes and said, "You
have had
some sort of very traumatic psychological episode and even though
you seem well adjusted and healthy at the moment statistically,
there is bound to be something wrong with you."
"Statistically," the Mulla questioned, "how do you
mean?" The doctor
replied, "With co-dependency, addiction, childhood problems,
post-
traumatic stress syndrome, brain chemical imbalance, social
pressures and the like, we believe ninety-seven percent of the
population is ill to a greater or lesser degree."
"Ninety-seven
percent!" the mulla gasped, "That is a most terrible
problem! So,
have you personally ever met a healthy person?"
"Yes I believe I met one once but then," She reflected,
"I didn't
know him very well." the doctor replied gravely. "Well
in that
case," the Mulla replied, "I think of the great savings
to the
country and perhaps most of you troubles with overcrowding here
in
the hospital would be solved if you found those healthy three
percent of the people and put them in the hospital and the other
ninety-seven percent can come to study and learn from them how to
become healthy!"
- posted to Nasrudin
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A foolish man was raving at a donkey. It took no notice.
A wiser man who was watching said: 'Idiot! The donkey
will never learn your language - better that you should
observe silence and instead master the tongue of the Donkey.'
- Saadi of Shiraz, from the book, The Way of the Sufi, published
by
Penguin Books.
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You are the One which is aware
of the Awareness of objects and ideas.
You are the One which is even more silent
than Awareness. You are the life which
precedes the concept of life. Your nature
is Silence and it is not attainable, it
always Is.
- Papaji, posted to AlongTheWay
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I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.
- Tao te Ching, posted to MillionPaths
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The fruits are first in our thoughts,
but only in the end
are they truly seen.
When you have done the work
and planted the tree,
when the fruit appears,
you read the first words.
- Rumi, Mathnawi I: 971-972, version by Camille and Kabir
Helminski,
Rumi: Daylight, posted to Sunlight