A young man once came to Sheikh Farid and asked:
- Sir, what should I do to become wise?
Farid did not deign to answer him. After repeating his question several times with the same result, the young man finally left, only to return the next day with the same question. Again he did not receive an answer and returned on the third day, again repeating the question:
- Sir, what should I do to become wise?
Farid finally turned and headed towards the nearby river. He entered the water, nodding for the young man to follow him. Having reached a sufficient depth, the sage took him by the shoulders, plunged him into the water and kept him there, despite his attempts to free himself. Finally he let him go and, when the young man regained his breath, asked:
“My son, when you were under water, what did you desire most?”
The young man answered without hesitation:
- Air! Air! I wanted air!
“Wouldn’t you prefer wealth, pleasure, power or love instead, my son?” Have you thought about any of them? - Farid asked.
“No, sir, I longed for air and thought only about air,” came the immediate answer.
“So,” said Farid, “to become wise, you must want wisdom as much as you just wanted air.” You must fight for it, giving up all other goals in life. She should be the only object of your aspiration day and night. If you strive for wisdom with such zeal, my son, you will definitely become wise.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru