Master Bahauddin was happy all his life, the smile never left his face. His whole life was saturated with the aroma of the holiday! Even dying, he laughed cheerfully. He seemed to be enjoying the coming of death. His disciples were sitting around, and one asked:
- Why are you laughing? You've laughed all your life, and we all didn't dare ask how you do it? And now, in last minutes, you're laughing! What's funny here?

One day, the turtle, yielding to the scorpion’s request, took him to the other side of the river. The scorpion sat quietly all the way, but just before the shore it finally took and stung the turtle. Having become completely indignant, she was indignant:
– My nature is such that I strive to help everyone. That's why I helped you. How could you sting me?!
“My friend,” answered the scorpion, “your nature is to help, and mine is to sting.” So, will you now turn your nature into virtue, and call mine meanness?

A man came to one dervish; considered himself brave.

“Well, venerable one,” he said, “I fought a lot and put my enemies to flight.” And my muscles are like a rock. You and your disciples are weak and fearful. You don’t have courage, not much of it was given to you by God. But it cannot be taught.
“Do you shoot from a bow?” asked the dervish.
- Yes, look!

The man pulled his bow and shot three times in a row, so that the second arrow caught up with the first, and the third hit the second.

“You are a skilled shooter,” said the dervish. “And yet this is not a perfect art, and your courage is not perfect courage.”
“Prove it, otherwise you will pay with your life for your words!” the enraged “brave man” roared, grabbing the hilt of his sword.
“Well, come with me and I’ll show you the difference.” You will know what perfection is without art.

Once upon a time, three young people met on the road, heading to the Sufi master Kilidi, because they had heard about his great holiness and miracles. Traveling together, they shared with each other what they knew about the path and the difficulties along it.

“Sincerity towards the teacher is extremely important,” said the first young man, “and if I am accepted as a student, I will concentrate on getting rid of my petty egoism.”
“Sincerity,” said the second, “of course means complete submission, even when resistance is provoked, and I will definitely adhere to this.” But submission also means giving up hypocrisy—the inner desire to disobey—and includes generosity without pride. This is what I will try to practice.
“Sincerity, the elimination of petty egoism, submission, renunciation of hypocrisy, generosity,” said the third, “are of course necessary.” But I have heard that if the student tries to impose all this on top of his unchanging self, it becomes mechanical, role-playing, even hiding undesirable traits that are waiting to emerge. A true student is undoubtedly one who does more than just the opposite of that, which he feels is bad, but also does not wear the clothes of “virtue”. It is said that the seeker of truth is the master of the choice: to do good or to do what must be done.

I believed that I was a person of humility and was more than modest in my thoughts and behavior towards others.

One day, standing on the bank of the river, I saw a man sitting there. Next to him was a woman, in front of him was a wine bottle. I thought: “If only I could correct this man and, from the corrupt creature that he is, make him like me!” At that moment I noticed a boat on the river that was beginning to sink. This man immediately rushed into the water, where seven people were exhausted, and safely pulled six of them ashore. Then he came up to me and said:
– Hasan, if you best person, than I, in the name of God, save the last one left!

Once upon a time there lived a learned man. He devoted his entire life to the search for knowledge, and read a great variety of books, among which were very rare books dedicated to secret knowledge. And then one day this man was walking along the river bank in thought.

Suddenly, a loud voice coming from the river interrupted his thoughts. He listened and heard someone shouting:
- A ya ha! A ya ha! A ya ha!
“Oh, this is a sacred formula for walking on water!” the scientist said to himself. “I remember I read it in an ancient, very secret book.” But this person is engaged in a useless activity because he pronounces the formula incorrectly. Instead of saying "ya ha", he says "ah ya ha". - My daughter, get ready to go. We're going on a journey. I have some business in the islands Mediterranean Sea. Maybe there you will meet a handsome young man with a good future who will love you and you will get married.

So they went on a journey. The father was busy with his trading business, and Fatima spent her time dreaming about her future husband. One day, when they were sailing towards Crete, they were caught in a terrible storm and the ship sank. Fatima, who lost consciousness, was washed ashore by the waves near Alexandria. Her father and everyone on the ship died, and she was left alone without any support.

The scene of the shipwreck and the long stay on the open sea had such an effect on her that she past life she has only vague memories.

When she woke up, she got up and walked along the shore. There she came across a weaver's family. They were poor people, but they were filled with compassion for her plight, took her into their wretched home and taught her their trade.

Sufi parables are wise tales that captivate with their mysticism, semantic content, and colors. But the main purpose of reading these stories for many is to gain knowledge of the wisdom contained in them, to reveal the facets of self-knowledge and to search for the correct truth that will help one become purer and wiser. Where did these literary creations come from, and how long have they attracted people?

Sufi parables are not read for entertainment. These folding short stories were not created by chance. They carry special wisdom and semantic content. Not everyone will be interested in reading it. But if you happen to read Sufi parables, you will be able to glean a lot of interesting and, most importantly, useful things from these instructive stories. This means that the time was not wasted.

What are Sufi parables based on, who composed them, and how do they influence self-development?

Philosophy of Sufism and the history of parables

Before moving on to talking about parables, I would like to dwell on the basis that became the platform for the emergence of these legends.

The philosophy of Sufism is a special direction that originated in Islamic culture. The main emphasis of this philosophical movement is on three components of pure spirit:

1. mysticism;
2. asceticism;
3. asceticism.

Sufism raises many themes that boil down to the idea of ​​the unity of opposites. Space and time are one, the earthly and the divine are inseparable, the permanent and the temporary are one whole. These are just a few of the truths on which the ideas of Sufism are based. The main goal of the teaching is to find a way to cleanse the soul from negative qualities and develop the positive facets of the spiritual body.

History of origin

The first adherents of Sufism appeared in the 8th–9th centuries. The precursor to the emergence of this doctrine was the emergence and spread of the Islamic religion. However, scientists believe that the beginnings of Sufi philosophy began to appear long before this period. The teaching has absorbed the facets of many religious philosophies. But Sufism has taken a course towards monotheism. And this has not changed for centuries.

The name “Sufism” is explained by several versions of its origin:

1. Some scholars believe that the word “Sufism” comes from the word “wool”: this refers to the material from which the ascetic’s shirt is made.
2. Other scholars see the word as originating from a bench on which a Sufi once sat.
3. There is a version of historians that says that the name of the philosophy is based on the root of the word “Sufi”, i.e. pure.

The history of the emergence of just such a name for a philosophical movement is not known for certain. Each follower chooses for himself the version that is closer to him. There may be other explanations. But history, accessible to a wide range of interested people, is currently silent about such options.

Sufi parables are interesting to read!

What are Sufi parables that are so exciting, interesting and useful to read? In essence, such parables are created in the form of a fascinating, short, instructive story. Each such story has an allegorical meaning. A more or less literate person, after reading a Sufi parable, will be able to understand what it is about. A person who is internally drawn to self-development and self-improvement will not only understand the meaning of the Sufi parable, but will also think about it. It is not difficult to draw the right conclusions. Stories created in accessible format. Only the lazy will find a ringing emptiness in these tales. Other readers will understand the essence and perhaps find useful application life wisdom described in the story read.

Long and short Sufi parables

These instructive stories are made in a diverse format. There are short Sufi parables written in a poetic style. There are versions of stories that are created in the form of prose. However, despite the presence of different forms and the variety of themes that form the basis of these literary creations, the main idea of ​​each parable is the same. Each legend says that love is the basis of the universe. By suppressing his own ego, renouncing worldly temptations, a person can find his divine self. And this is the purpose of life.

The theme of love in parables

Love in these stories is written allegorically. To convey the meaning, fictitious images are taken and invented interesting stories. Love as harmony with God, as a path to perfection and to oneself - this is perhaps the main theme underlying Sufi instructive stories.

A lot of such stories are written in poetic form. For example, it is worth paying attention to the works of the famous poet Rumi. He wrote about love: “The Love of Majnun”, “About Lovers”, “Majnun and the Dog”, etc. Other creators who created works based on the ideas of Sufi philosophy also wrote many interesting instructive stories about love.

Other topics

Not only love is the key theme of Sufi stories. Many parables are written about self-knowledge, moral choice, thirst for what you want, achieving goals, renunciation of the vicious, etc. These stories are based on themes that in one way or another can be useful for cleansing the soul and finding ideal harmony with the world.

How to read Sufi parables

Each such story does not have a single interpretation. Each person finds his own meaning in the story he reads. Some people see deeper, while others see this moment its development is given to understand only the superficial essence of each story. Everything is gradual. Therefore, neither one nor the other is considered negative. If a person is interested in reaching the highest wisdom and self-improvement, he will find his own path. Whether it will be short or long depends on each individual. This idea can also be found in stories written by adherents of Sufi philosophy.

Summarizing everything that has been written about Sufi wise stories, I would like to summarize what they really are and what they can give to modern man. Sufi parables are literary creations that can be called a storehouse of wisdom. These stories reveal questions that may concern any person striving for self-improvement and searching for the path of wisdom and purification. However, without these stories, it is not always easy to find answers to these questions. Parables are also an interesting heritage that will be useful to turn to from the point of view of studying Sufism as a phenomenon. Many facts about the history of the emergence of this teaching are revealed in the process of reading the parables.

Sufism is a special, mystical, religious and philosophical movement within Islam, whose representatives believe it is possible, through personal psychological experience, to enter into direct spiritual communication (contemplation or union) of a person with God. It is achieved through ecstasy or inner illumination sent to a person who goes to God with love for Him in his heart. Mysticism is a special way of approaching the Truth, using intuition and emotional abilities that are dormant and usually not revealed until they are brought into action by training under the guidance of a mentor. Final goal Such training, which is considered to be “traversing the Path,” is the throwing off of the veil that hides the truth from the personal self and thus transformation, or immersion in a state of indissoluble unity human essence and Truth. Knowledge of the True (God) cannot be achieved through non-mystical faith, codified in Islam or in other religions, say Sufis. The experience of direct communication with God convinced seekers that Islam does not fit into the framework of theological canons. They sought to obtain clear ethical ideas that were reoriented, or adapted to the main goal of Sufism - the achievement of a mystical understanding of the Truth.
The path of the Sufi is the path of the ardent lover. His beloved is life itself in all its manifestations, glorified by Sufi Masters in Eastern lyric poetry of the 8th - 15th centuries. Each such work carries encrypted knowledge about the mountain path and becomes understandable if you know that the beauty of the beloved is the beauty of Truth; wine is a stream of divine revelations; the cupbearer is the Lord of Heaven himself; the jug is a source of inspiration; the cup is the seeker of Truth himself; the rose is the human heart; pearls are grains of True knowledge.
Sufis know that immersion in thoughts of love leads to ecstasy. But while Hindu and Buddhist mystics believe that ecstasy is union with God and therefore the pinnacle of religious achievement, Sufis recognize the value of ecstasy only if the person who has achieved this state can then return to the world and live in it according to with the experience gained.

Tariqa - Sufi Path

...And as for thought, sometimes entire worlds depend on its play! Rumi, from the parable “Two Slaves”

The emergence of the religious-mystical movement of the Sufis (Arabic tasawwuf - perhaps from “suf” - wool, hair shirt as the clothing of ascetics, but rather from the Greek “sophia” - wisdom; other etymologies are known) is usually dated to the 8th century, when Islam was spreading across vast areas of Asia, Africa and partly Europe. Some researchers trace the beginnings of Sufism already in the 7th century, linking them with the environment of the Prophet Muhammad himself, including his famous son-in-law Ali. But there is another point of view, according to which the foundations of Sufism go back to much earlier times in human history. A number of its features can be traced in cultural traditions that existed thousands of years before Islam. There is a popular saying among the Sufis themselves: “Our fathers (i.e., the early Sufis) drank wine (a symbol of ecstatic knowledge of God) even before Noah planted the vine.” Sufism undoubtedly contains elements of the heritage of the most diverse religious and mystical-ecstatic systems of mankind: Jewish Kabbalah and early Christian Gnosticism, Zoroastrian ethics and Hindu theology... There are even connections between some provisions of Sufism and the ideas of the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians about the essence and meaning being. However, all the theoretical constructions of the Sufis and all their spiritual practice are subordinated to the concept of strict Monotheism (At-Tawhid - Unity of God) and the idea of ​​​​the gradual ascent of the immortal human spirit to unity with the Creator. This is the Sufi Path - tariqa, which the student (murid) goes through under the guidance of his spiritual teacher (sheikh). Tariqa is preceded by a preliminary part of the path - Sharia, scrupulous adherence to all the ethical and ritual requirements of the Muslim faith. And the tariqa itself elevates the adept to the level called Haqiqat (Truth): here direct, intuitive knowledge of God, associated with spiritual insight, is achieved, and a life filled with revelations from above begins...
In his ordinary, “unregenerate” state, man is considered by Sufis to be “dead” or “sleeping” in relation to the spiritual world, since he is alienated from God and insensitive to the subtle influences of the invisible, higher worlds. For his “resurrection” or “awakening” he must go through a series of steps and acquire certain stable internal states on the paths of tariqah. The sequence of spiritual steps, or maqamat (places, stations), according to normative Sufi ideas, is as follows: tauba (repentance), wara (abstinence), zuhd (renunciation), tawakkul (hope), faqr (poverty), sabr (patience), shukr (gratitude) – and, as a result, rida (satisfaction). Among internal states(hal), gradually achieved by the adept, usually mentioned are qurb (closeness to God), mahabba (love), hauf (reverence), raja (hope), shauk (passion), uns (trust), itmanina (peace), mushahadah (testimony) ), and, finally, yakin (affirmation, confidence). There are other options for describing the Path.
It is important that in addition to the practice of gradually achieving more and more high levels communication with the Almighty in Sufism there is also the possibility of “instantly” passing through some stages of the Path with the help of genuine love for God that has flared up in the heart. It can manifest itself simultaneously as love for a specific person (often a mentor or fellow student in a common mystical quest), forming one whole with this latter.
In general, love (mahabba), according to many Sufis, is the highest state of a person, leading to unity between the lover and the Beloved.
A similar teaching is contained in the New Testament, where it is presented as a summary of the commandments of the Torah: “...You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind: this is the first and greatest commandment; the second is similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself...” (Matt. 22:37-39; cf. Deut. 6:4-5 and Lev. 19:18); see also: “...He who does not love his brother, whom he sees, how can he love God, Whom he does not see? And we have this commandment from Him, that whoever loves God should also love his brother” (I John 4:20-21).
The theme of all-encompassing spiritual love, which returns the soul to the bosom of God, and the entire multitude of creations to unity with the Creator, is succinctly expressed in the parable “I and You”:

Now you understand the secret of existence:
My essence is merged with your essence!

You are Me. Now the issue is resolved:
The root and the bud are inseparable!

So, Sufism can be considered as a synthesis of a number of earlier teachings about love of God and ascent to Him through spiritual self-improvement. These teachings, which developed in various religious and mystical traditions, received dogmatic completion within the framework of Islam.
Sufism also had a great influence on the development of some ideas and trends in Christian civilization, especially since the Renaissance. Echoes of the influence of the Sufis can be observed, for example, in the sermon of Francis of Assisi, as well as in Russian “spiritual Christianity” (the so-called Christ Belief). Certain features of the Sufi worldview can be traced in the works of so many European writers and poets - from Dante to Blake and Andersen - that it is difficult to list all their names. In Russian poetry, for example, the influence of Sufism is felt to varying degrees in the works of Pushkin, Tyutchev, Fet, Blok, Kuzmin, Klyuev. It should be noted that while some European writers were deeply imbued with the Sufi worldview, others used only some ideas and images of Sufism in their work. As for Muslim Sufi authors directly, they include greatest thinkers and poets of the Islamic world who wrote in Arabic, Farsi, Turkic and some other languages: these are such geniuses of the Middle Ages as Attar, Sanayi, Al-Ghazali,

You may have never heard of Sufism and be a Sufi if you are religious. Krishna is a Sufi, Christ is also a Sufi, and Mahavira is a Sufi too, and Buddha too, and all of them have never heard of this word.

One without the other

It is known that one day a man came to Ahmed Yasawi Sufi of Turkestan and said:
- I want to study, but to study without the help of books, and without the help of a teacher who would stand between me and the truth, because any teacher is perishable, and any book is empty. Yasawi replied:
- I see you want to learn how to eat without using your mouth, and digest food without the help of your stomach? Perhaps you still want to walk without legs and buy without paying a fee. Perhaps I will help you, but this will happen only after you part with the corresponding organs of your body! Imagine for a second how you can eat without a digestive system, find a Sufi without the help of words that you don’t like so much, how can you thirst for truth and not desire its source that suits you? Perhaps it is funny to think about learning without books, as a basis and exercises without a teacher. It’s also probably fun to dream about miracles and magic. But fun aside: what about the immediate result?

Heretics

It is said that Imam al-Ghazali was once invited to a meeting of judges, and the greatest of them said to him:
- You are a learned man, just like us all... many come to you so that you explain to them the sacred law of Sharia. We have learned that you recommend that they not fast in holy month Ramadan. We also know that you discouraged people from making the pilgrimage to Mecca.
They also say about you that you forbid people to say “There is no God but Allah.” Everything is indisputable evidence of your infidelity. Your reputation is the only thing that has protected you so far from death for apostasy. People need to be protected from people like you. Ghazali answered with a sigh:

- The Holy Law of Islam states that people who do not understand the Law and what it means are not criminals and are not subject to its judgment. This includes children and the weak-minded, but it should also include those who lack understanding. If a person fasts without realizing why he is doing it, or goes on a pilgrimage only to suffer, or recites the Creed and has no faith, that person lacks understanding and should not be encouraged to continue what he is doing. does, but set the path. In your words, people should be protected from people like you, because you do not reward them for virtue and punish them not for crimes. If a man is unable to walk, if he is lame, will you tell him to walk at all costs, or will you still give him crutches and means to treat his illness? The Prophet said this about you, predicting your appearance, “Islam came as a stranger, and as a stranger it will leave.” Understanding the meaning of things lies beyond your intentions, your training and your abilities. That is why you have no choice but to frighten people with death for apostasy, and yet the apostates are not I, but you.

Starting point
Bayazid Vistami, a Sufi Master, wrote in his autobiography: “When I was young, the basis of all my prayers was the desire to change the world. I asked:
- This seems to be too much, life is leaving my hands. Half of it has passed and I haven't changed a single person yet. Therefore, O Lord, let me change my family! And when I got old, I realized that even a family is too much. Wisdom came to me, and I realized that if I manage to change myself, it will be enough, more than enough.
And I began to pray like this:
- Lord, I understand everything, and I want to change myself! Let me do this!

And then God answered me:

- Now you have no time left. This is where we should have started. You should have thought about this at the very beginning."
Get up!
One student asked his Sufi mentor:
- Teacher, what would you say if you found out about my fall?
- Get up!
- And next time?
- Get up again!

- And how long can this continue - keep falling and rising?

- Fall and rise while you're alive! After all, those who fell and did not rise are dead. Shadow on a sundial One eastern ruler decided to bring joy to his subjects and brought them, who did not know what a clock was, a sundial from his travels. This gift changed the lives of the people in his kingdom. They learned to manage their time, became more accurate, accurate, reliable, diligent, and all got rich. There was complete prosperity. When the king died, his subjects began to think about how they could honor the merits of the deceased. And since the sundial was a symbol of the king’s favor towards his subjects and was the reason for their success, they decided to build around

sundial

a magnificent temple with a golden dome. When the temple was erected and the dome rose above the sundial, the sun's rays could no longer reach the clock and the shadow that showed people the time disappeared. People have ceased to be precise, efficient, and diligent. Everyone went their own way. And the kingdom fell apart. Path to God One priest arrived in an unfamiliar city. The taxis were on strike and he needed to get to church because he had a sermon to preach that evening. So he asked little boy "You don't know the way to the church, how can you know the way to the Divine? I won't come."

Who to believe

Could you lend me your donkey for today? - one peasant asked the mullah.
“Dear friend,” said the mullah, “you know that I am always ready to help you if you need it.” My heart just longs to give you, a righteous man, my donkey. I will be glad to see you bring home fruits from your field on my donkey. But here’s what I have to tell you, my dear friend: unfortunately, I lent the donkey to another person.
The peasant, deeply moved by the mullah’s words, thanked him:
- Although you could not help me, your kind words helped me a lot. May God help you, O noble, kind and wise mullah." He froze in a deep bow, and suddenly a deafening sound was heard from the donkey's stall: "E-A!" The peasant was amazed, raised his eyes in surprise and finally asked in disbelief:
- What am I hearing? After all, your donkey is here. I just heard him scream.
The mullah turned red with anger and shouted:

-Oh, you ungrateful one! I told you there is no donkey here. Who do you believe more, me, the mullah, or the stupid cry of an even stupider donkey?

True love
One day, when the Buddha and his disciples were resting in the shady cool of the trees, a courtesan approached him. As soon as she saw the Divine face, shining with heavenly beauty, she fell in love with him and loudly exclaimed: - Oh, beautiful, shining, I love you! Students who gave celibacy
, were very surprised to hear the Buddha say to the courtesan:
“I love you too, but, my love, please don’t touch me now.” The courtesan asked:
- You call me beloved, and I love you, why do you forbid me to touch you? Buddha replied:
- Darling, so I came to test my love for you and fulfill my promise. I have waited a long time for the opportunity to show my true love for you, for I love you when everyone else has stopped loving you, I hug you when all your friends do not want to touch you. After being cured, the courtesan joined the Buddha's disciples.

It's better to have an intelligent enemy than a stupid friend

The emperor was walking through the forest and got lost. When he saw a man sleeping under a tree, he was happy, thinking that maybe he would show him the way. But, coming closer, he saw that his mouth was open - some people sleep with their mouths open - and a snake crawled into his mouth. The emperor saw the snake's tail. He raised his whip and began to whip the man. He suddenly woke up - and could not understand anything! He shouted: "What are you doing? Why are you beating me? What bad have I done? My God! What a evil person. He's strong, he's stronger than a horse, he's so strong that I can't even fight him." The emperor forced him to eat rotten fruits that were lying on the ground. He did not stop and lashed the man with the whip as hard as he could. The man cried and ate, the fruit was rotten and stank. The Emperor whipped him so hard that he forced him to eat so much fruit that he vomited and lost consciousness. When he vomited, a snake fell out.
When this man saw the snake, he realized what had happened. He bowed to the emperor and said:
“Out of great compassion, you whipped me and forced me to eat rotten fruits and shed my blood. This is great luck. God sent you at the right moment, otherwise I would have died. But I want to say one thing: if you said that I swallowed a snake or that a snake crawled into me, I would not scold and curse you.

The Emperor replied:

- If I told you, it would be impossible to remove the snake. You would die of fear. But you didn't die from the beating. If I told you that you had swallowed a snake, I could not force you to eat fruit, you would lose consciousness, and it would be impossible to save you. So I had to force myself to remain silent and beat you instead. All I cared about was how to make you throw up. I had to stop caring about you because if I made you throw up, it would throw the snake out of you. “What is the point of telling people what cannot be said? And even if you tell them, they will definitely understand everything wrong. Moreover, if someone can understand your words, he will definitely be able to find the truth on his own.” History says that then the Gods descended from heaven. They touched Buddha's feet and begged him to speak.
- For what? - said Buddha. “Ninety-nine percent of people won’t understand anything at all, but the one percent who understand will be able to find the truth even if I don’t say anything.” What's the point of saying anything?
The gods were puzzled. The logic was correct, but still something was wrong, because in ancient times the Buddhas spoke. They began to confer among themselves on how to refute the Buddha's arguments. They found a way, and it’s good that they found it, otherwise we would have lost these immensely important messages of the Buddha.