For some, the stories of Mullah Nasruddin are mere jokes, if you read his stories without insight and just as jokes, you need some self-work to do before recognizing the level of intellect he is tickling with his humor.
At an individual and collective level, Mullah pinches at some the most important cultural, religious, sociological and traditional customs and traditions. I initially thought of writing a blogpost on each and every story, but then I think, Mullah’s way of tickling the mental agility is better left alone. Directions ought to be given, doors have to be opened individually, for no one can walk you in, they will just show the way.
I will start with one story and reproduce Idris Shah’s The Sufis, read one by one, slowly and try to compare your individual self, think like Mullah, be different and he will open new doors of enlightment.
Mullah had this thought, all of sudden, that he is dead. He told his wife about this new development. She replied at once:” Oh come on Mullah, if you were dead your bones would have been cold”.
The next day Mullah had to bring wood from a near by jungle. He went riding his donkey. After hours of cutting wood, he felt his hands had become cold due to snowy weather. Shocked and distraught, he at blurted “Surely, now my bones have gotten cold, I am dead!”. Lamenting this, he slept by a tree, with his donkey tied by another nearby tree.
All of sudden, a thief wandered by Mullah’s donkey. Though Mullah was not fast asleep and he could hear the thief untying his donkey and stealing it, he did not do anything to raise hue and cry to stop the thief from stealing his donkey. After the thief had gone away with his donkey, a child who was watching all of this drama from a nearby place, came to Mullah and asked: “Mullah, I saw you were not asleep, why did you not stop that man from stealing your donkey? “
“You stupid kid, can a dead man stop anyone? “ – Mullah replied and went asleep again.
Anyone can steal your rights, anyone play with your belongings, your country, your pride and your prestige if and when you pretend to be dead. Though Mullah was not dead actually, but his ignorant and apathetic mindset had made him believe he is. The same problem exists with our society where we see so many things happening daily, yet our failure to stop them shows our ignorance and apathy. This story exists at several levels, and can have multi-fold meanings, the true genius of Mullah!
