A famous Sufi was asked:
-What does it mean to be invisible?
He said:
“I will answer when I have the opportunity to demonstrate this.”
After some time, the Sufi and the man who asked this question were stopped by a mounted detachment of soldiers. The soldiers said:
“We are ordered to take into custody all the dervishes, because the king of our country declared that they do not carry out his orders and with their speeches disturb the inner peace of other citizens.
- Orders must be followed. This is your duty,” said the Sufi.
— Aren’t you Sufis yourself? - asked the soldiers.
“Test us,” said the Sufi.
Then the officer took out some Sufi book and asked:
- What is this?
The Sufi looked at the title of the book and said:
“This is the very thing that I will burn in front of you, since you yourself have not yet done this.”
With these words, he set fire to the book, and the soldiers, satisfied, galloped away. Then a fellow Sufi asked:
-What was the purpose of this action?
“Make us invisible,” replied the Sufi, “for to the man of this world, to be visible means that you look like something or someone he expects you to resemble.” If you look different, your true nature becomes invisible to him.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru