It is known that one day a man came to Ahmed Yasawi, a Sufi from Turkestan and said:
“I want to study, but to study without the help of books, and without the help of a teacher who would stand between me and the truth, because any teacher is perishable, and any book is empty.”
Yasawi replied:
“I see you want to learn how to eat without using your mouth and digest food without the help of your stomach?” Perhaps you still want to walk without legs and buy without paying a fee?.. Perhaps I will help you, but this will happen only after you part with the corresponding organs of your body! Imagine for a second how you can eat without a digestive system, find a Sufi, without the help of words that you don’t like so much, how can you thirst for truth and not desire its source that suits you? Perhaps it is funny to think about learning without books, as a basis and exercises without a teacher. It’s also probably fun to dream about miracles and magic. But fun aside: what about the immediate result?
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru