Practice What You Preach

Friday, August 27, 2010, 17:27

Intellectual learning that does not evolve into experience is but useless. A short Sufi story exposes the truth.

Mullah Nasruddin one day happened to see a crowd gathered around a pond. A priest with a huge turban, who had fallen into the pond, desperately cried out for help as he evidently did not know to swim.

Mullah Nasruddin saw people leaning forward to him and saying, “Revered Sir, give me your hand" But the priest just went about splashing the water in his struggle, not paying attention to the people.

Mullah Nasruddin finally stretched his hand out to the priest and said, “Here, take my hand" The priest immediately responded and was finally out of the water.

The surprised crowd wanted to know how Nasruddin could get the co-operation of the priest. Nasruddin explained, “It is simple, because I know the priest to be a miser and will not give anything to anyone. So instead of saying 'Give me your hand,' I said 'Take my hand' and he promptly responded!"

The priest sure would have done a good deal of preaching, but could not get rid of his miserly behaviour. So his knowledge did not hold good for himself as he had not made it an experience.

Hence intellect that does not evolve into experience is not of use.