Once upon a time there lived a man who dreamed of becoming a student of a Sufi sheikh. In fact, he was not ready to go along the path, accepting the proper order of events, because of his greed and easy excitability - those qualities that do not allow most people to complete the Journey.
The Sheikh, however, gave him a chance because it was still possible for the disciple to see, after going through a series of failures in his affairs, that he should take a completely different approach and become calmer and more attentive.
However, after some time, the student felt oppressed by the situations in which he found himself following the sheikh's instructions, and decided that the teacher was not bringing him any benefit.
He began to look for another teacher who would be more consistent with his ideas about himself. Naturally, such a person was quickly found. His second teacher was a local maniac who mortally hated the first teacher. When he gained the student's confidence and inflamed him with promises of secrets and success, he said:
“Now I must test you.” If you pass the test, I recognize you as capable of reaching the highest heights of understanding.
The student begged, wanting to take the test right away.
- Great. Go and bring me the heart of the first teacher.
The student, whose head was turned by ideas about the new teacher, rushed and killed the sheikh and cut out his heart.
Filled with excitement, full of a thirst for mystery and mysticism, he was running towards the house of the false teacher when he tripped and almost fell. And then, as if from a cut out heart, the sheikh’s voice came:
- Calm down, son. Overcome your greed and carelessness!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru