The Rogue and the Dervish

A certain dervish planned an object lesson. He paid an actor to go to a town and set himself up as a religious teacher. ‘Collect all the disciples you can’ he said, ‘pretending to be a man of great sanctity. When I arrive, I shall unmask you. The people will realize that they have been fooled and will listen to my teachings, once I have shown them how shallow are their beliefs.’                                                                                                                                                       

 

Some months later the dervish entered the town and made his way to the mystic’s house. There was the actor, surrounded by adoring disciples who were showering him with gifts and praising his every word.

 

The dervish started to speak:

 

‘O people! Know that I have come to explain everything to you. I sent this man to prove how people will believe anything if they want to. Now I shall give you rue teaching instead.’

 

The actor said nothing at all. The people seized the dervish and carried him off to an asylum as a madman. The actor came to the barred window one night and said to him: ‘Although a vagabond in appearance I was wise enough to accept your advice. Although a wise man in your opinion, you were foolish enough to believe in your own plans. A crooked plan will benefit only the crooked, and a wise one only the wise.’

~ by Shaykh on April 19, 2008.