Yunus, the son of Adam, decided one day not to weigh his life on the scales of fate anymore, but to find out how and why necessary things come to a person.
“I am,” he said to himself, “a man. And as such, I daily receive my share of all things in the world. This share comes to me through my own efforts along with the efforts of others. By simplifying this process, I will find the way food reaches people and learn something about the “how and why.” So, I will take the path of religion, which prescribes man to rely on almighty God for self-sustainment. Rather than live disorderly in a world where food and other things clearly pass through the medium of society, I will give myself to the immediate support of the Power that governs everything. After all, even the poor depend on intermediaries - on mercy: people give food or money because they were taught to do so. I will not accept such indirect gifts.” Having said this, he went out of the city and devoted himself to the support of invisible forces with the same determination with which he accepted the support of visible forces when he was a school teacher. As night fell, Yunus lay down straight on the ground with the faith that Allah would take full care of his interests - just as birds and animals receive their share of care in his kingdom.
At dawn he was awakened by a chorus of birds. At first, the son of Adam lay motionless, waiting for support to appear. However, he soon realized that, despite his trust in the invisible force and the confidence that he would be able to understand it when it began to act in his new position, mere theoretical reflection was not very helpful in this unusual situation. So he spent the whole day, lying on the shore, contemplating nature, watching fish in the water and repeating his prayers. From time to time, rich, powerful men in splendid robes rode past him, accompanied by riders on excellent horses. The bells rang imperiously, announcing their absolute right to the path; at the sight of Yunus's venerable turban, they only shouted greetings. Groups of pilgrims stopped near him and chewed their dry bread and dry cheese, which only whetted his appetite.
“This is just a test. “Soon everything will be fine,” thought Yunus, saying the fifth prayer of that day and plunging into meditation in the way that one dervish who had achieved a high development of consciousness taught him.
Another night has passed. Five hours after dawn on the second day, at the same time as Yunus was sitting looking at the rays of the sun reflected in the mighty Tiger, his attention was attracted by some rustling in the reeds. It turned out to be a package wrapped in leaves and tied with palm bast. Yunus, the son of Adam, entered the river and became the owner of an unknown cargo. The package weighed about three-quarters of a pound. When Yunus untied the bast, a delicious aroma filled his nose. The package contained a fair amount of Baghdad halva. This halwa, prepared from almond paste, rose water, honey, nuts and other precious elements, was highly valued for its taste and nutritional value. Because of its pleasant taste, the beauties of the harem ate it in small pieces, and because of its strengthening power, warriors took it with them into battle. It was also in great demand as a healing remedy for hundreds of diseases.
- My faith was justified! - Yunus exclaimed. “Now let’s check whether the water will bring me halva or something similar every day or at other intervals; thereby I recognize the means provided for my maintenance by Providence. Then all I have to do is use my mind to find its source.
Over the next three days, at exactly the same hour, a package of halva floated into the hands of Yunus. Then he decided that his discovery was of paramount importance: simplify your circumstances, and nature will do much the same. He felt obligated to share it with the rest of the world. For is it not said: “When you know, you must teach”? However, then he realized that he did not yet know, but had only experienced. It was obvious that his next step should be to follow the path of the halva upstream until its source was found. Then he will understand not only its origin, but also why it is given to him. Yunus walked upstream of the river for many days. Every day, with the same regularity, but accordingly at an increasingly earlier time, halva appeared, and he ate it. Finally, Yunus saw that the river, instead of narrowing - as could be expected in the upper reaches - had expanded significantly, and in the middle of a wide expanse of water a picturesque island rose, on which a majestic and at the same time surprisingly elegant castle was located. “This is where the food of heaven comes from,” Yunus decided. While pondering his next step, Yunus noticed a tall, unkempt dervish with matted hair - a hermit in a cloak of multi-colored rags.
- Peace be with you, baba (father)! - Yunus greeted him.
- Ishq, Hu! - exclaimed the hermit. - What are you doing here?
“I follow a sacred vow,” explained the son of Adam, “and in my quest I must reach that castle over there.” Can you tell me how this can be done?
“Since, despite your special interest, you know nothing about this castle,” answered the dervish, “I will tell you about it.” Here the king's daughter lives in exile and imprisonment; She is served by numerous beautiful servants, who protect her. There is no way she can escape from there: the man who kidnapped her and placed her there because she refused to marry him has erected powerful, inexplicable barriers around the castle, invisible to the naked eye. To get to the castle and achieve your goal, you will have to overcome them.
-Can you help me with this?
“I myself am now setting off on a special initiatory journey. However, I know a certain word and exercise - wazifa, which, if you are worthy, will help you summon invisible forces - benevolent genies and fiery creatures, which alone can defeat the magical forces guarding the castle. Peace be with you!
And, repeating the strange sounds as a farewell, he departed, moving with ease and agility, truly amazing in a man of such venerable age.
Day after day Yunus sat, performing his wazifa and watching for the appearance of halwa. And then one evening, looking at the setting sun shining on the castle tower, he saw an extraordinary sight. There, shining with unearthly beauty, stood a maiden who, undoubtedly, could only be a princess. She stood for a moment, gazing at the sun, and then threw something into the waves crashing against the rocks far below, which floated past the tower where she stood. It was a packet of halva.
- So this is where, it turns out, the direct source of generous gifts, the source of heavenly food! - Yunus cried.
Now he is almost on the very threshold of truth: sooner or later the lord of the genies will appear, whom he calls with a dervish wazifa, and will give him the opportunity to reach the castle, the princess and the truth. As soon as he thought about it, something suddenly picked him up and carried him away... And he found himself in heaven, and before him appeared an ethereal kingdom with many palaces, the beauty of which was breathtaking. The son of Adam ascended into one of them and saw there a creature similar to a man, who, however, was not a man, beautiful and wise in appearance and somehow far from any age.
“I am,” said the vision, “the lord of the jinn, and I brought you here in response to your call and repetition of the sacred names that were given to you by the great dervish.” What can I do for you?
“O mighty lord of the genies,” Yunus said in a trembling voice, “I am looking for the truth, and I can only find it in the enchanted castle near which I stood when you called me here.” I pray you, give me the strength to enter this castle and talk to the princess imprisoned there.
- So be it! - the overlord thundered. - But remember: a person receives an answer to his questions in accordance with his ability to understand and his preparation.
“The truth is the truth,” said Yunus. “And I will find it, no matter what it may turn out to be.” Give me this blessing.
Soon the son of Adam was racing in disembodied form (thanks to the magic of the genie) back to earth, accompanied by a small troop of the genie's servants, who had been ordered by their master to use their special powers to aid this human being in his quest. In his hand, Yunus clutched a special mirror stone, which, as the head of the genies taught him, must be aimed at the lock in order to be able to detect invisible protection. And with the help of this stone, the son of Adam saw that the castle was protected from attack by a line of giants, invisible and formidable, striking anyone who approached the castle. The genies, suitable for such a task, dispersed the giants. Then he saw that something like an invisible web or network extended over the entire castle. This network was also destroyed by the genies, who had the necessary cunning. Finally, the space from the river bank to the castle itself was filled with an invisible, seemingly stone mass that did not betray its presence in any way. Having overcome this obstacle, the genies flew away to their kingdom. Yunus looked and saw that a bridge had grown by itself from the river bank, and he, without even getting his soles wet, walked along it to the castle itself. The gate guard immediately took him to the princess, who turned out to be even more beautiful up close than when she first appeared to him on the tower.
“We are grateful to you for breaking down the defenses that made this dungeon impenetrable,” she said. “Now I can finally return to my father.” But first I would like to reward you for your efforts. Speak and you will get everything you want.
“An incomparable pearl,” Yunus began, “I am looking for only one thing, and that one thing is Truth.” And since it is the duty of all who have the truth to give it to those who can receive it, I implore you, Your Highness, give me the truth for which I so thirst.
“Well, speak, and any truth that can be given will be given to you without delay and will be yours.”
- Excellent, Your Highness. Tell me, how and for what reasons was the heavenly food, the wonderful halva that you threw for me every day, destined to come to me in this way?
- Yunus, son of Adam! - exclaimed the princess. “I threw this halva, as you call it, every day because in reality it is the remnant of cosmetics that I rub myself with every day after bathing in donkey milk.
“I finally learned,” said Yunus, “that a person’s understanding is determined by his ability to understand.” For you this is waste from the daily toilet, for me it is heavenly food.
Only very few of the Sufi tales, according to Halkawi (author of “Food of Paradise”), can be read by anyone at any time and, nevertheless, constructively influence his “inner consciousness.” Almost all stories, he says, are only able to exert their influence depending on where, when and how they are studied. From here, most people will find in them only what they expect - entertainment, mystery, allegory. This famous teacher of the Naqshbandiyya school often caused bewilderment among many of his followers, of various faiths and origins, for there were stories about him related to strange phenomena. They said that he appeared to people in dreams, telling them important things, that he was seen in many places at once, that what he said always benefited the listener. But, meeting him face to face, people could not find anything unusual in him. Yunus, son of Adam, was a Syrian and died in 1670. He had remarkable healing powers and was an inventor.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru