97. ON KNOWLEDGE AND MOTIVES -- Selections from "Caravan of Dreams", by Idries Shah

Selections

from

"Caravan of Dreams",

[Writings and Sayings

from the Near East]

by

Idries Shah,

Penguin Book Inc,

1968

"Knowledge"

The Prophet

[Mohammed]
said:
"There
will be
a time
when
knowledge
is
absent."
 
Ziad
son of Labid
said:
"How could
knowledge
become absent,
when
we repeat
the Koran,
and teach it
to our children,
and
they
will teach it
to their children,
until
the Day of Requital?"

The Messenger

answered:
"You
amaze me,
Ziad,
for
I thought
that you
were
the chief of the learned
of Medina.

Do

the Jews
and
the Christians
not
read
the Torah
and
the Gospels
without understanding
anything
of
their Real Meaning?"

[p. 25]

+++

"Sayings
of
the Prophet"
[Mohammed]

Thoughts

"Good
THOUGHTS
are
a part
of Worship."

Contemplation

"An hour's
CONTEMPLATION
is
better
than
a year's Worship."

Teaching

"One hour's
TEACHING
is
better
than
a whole night
of Prayer."
 
Understanding
"Speak
to everyone
in accordance
with
his
degree
of
Understanding."
 
Work
"I am
a
worker."
 
Distribution
"God
it is
who gives;
I am
only
a
distributor."
 
The Learned
"Whoever
honors
the
Learned,
honors
me."

Practice

"Who
are
the Learned?

Those

who
put
into practice
what
they know."
 
Paradise
"I will
stand surety
for
Paradise
if you
save yourselves
from
six things:
telling Untruths,
violating Promises,
dishonoring Trust,
being Unchaste
in
thought and act,
striking
the
first blow,
taking
what is bad
and
unlawful."
 
Knowledge
"Journey
even as far
as
China
seeking Knowledge."
 
The World
"Treat
this World
as I do,
like
a wayfarer;
like
a horseman
who stops
in
the shade of a tree
for
a time,
and
then moves on."
 
Poverty
"My
Poverty
is
my pride."
 
Desire
"Desire not
the World,
and
God
will love you.

Desire not

what
others have,
and
they
will love you."
 
Objects
"It is
your
attachment
to
Objects
which
makes you
Blind and Deaf."
 
Princes and Scholars
"The best
of
Princes
is one
who visits
the Wise.
 
The worst
of
Scholars
is one
who visits
Princes."
 
Love
"Do you
think
you love
your Creator?
 
Love
your fellow-creature
first."
 
Anger
"You ask
for
a piece of Advice.
 
I tell you:
"Do not
get angry."
 
He is
strong
who can
withhold
anger."
 
Kindness
"Whoever
has
no Kindness
has
no Faith."
 
Lies, Promises, Trust
"He is
not of mine
who
Lies,
breaks
a Promise
or
fails
in
his Trust."
 
The Pious
"My back
has been
broken
by
'Pious'
men."
 
Vision of the Faithful
"The Faithful
see
with
the
Light
of God."
 
Helping others
"I ORDER YOU
to
assist
any oppressed person,
whether he is
a Moslem
or not."
 
Recognition
"Souls
which
recognize one another
congregate together.
 
Those
which
do not,
argue
with one another."
 
Reflection
"The Faithful
are mirrors,
one
to
the other."
 
The Koran
"The Koran
has
been revealed
in
seven forms.
 
Each Verse
has
inner and outer
Meaning."
 
Obligation to Learn
"The pursuit
of
Knowledge
is obligatory
on
every Moslem."
 
Oppression
"When
Oppression
exists,
even
the bird dies
in its nest."
 
Cursing
"You
ask me
to curse
Unbelievers.
 
But I
was not sent
to curse."
 
Accusations
"Anyone
reviling
a brother
for
a sin
will not
himself
die
before
committing it."
 
The Judge
"A man
appointed
to be
a Judge
has been
killed
without a knife."
 
Struggle
"The
Holy Warrior
is him
who
struggles
with himself."
 
Truth
"Speaking
THE TRUTH
to
the Unjust
is
the best
of Holy Wars."
 
Ink and Blood
"The Ink
of
the Learned
is Holier
than
the Blood
of
the Martyr."
 
Poetry
"In
some poetry
there is Wisdom."
 
The Young in Paradise
"Old women
will
not enter Paradise:
they
will be
made
young and beautiful
first."
 
Death
"Die
before
your death."
 
Sleep
"Sleep
is
the brother
of death."
 
Day and Night
"The Night
is long:
do not
shorten it
by sleep.
 
The Day
is fair:
do not
darken it
with wrongdoing."
 
Some behavior
"I
am like
a man
who
has lighted
a Fire,
and
all
the creeping things
have
rushed
to
burn themselves
in it."
 
The Bequest
"I have
nothing
to leave you
except
my Family."
 
The time will come
"The
time will come
when you
are
DIVIDED
into
seventy-two Sects.
 
A group
among you
will be
my people,
the people
of Salvation."
 
(drawn
from
pages 16 - 19)
 
+++
 
"Motives"
 
"The Messenger
of Allah said:
A Martyr
will be
brought before God
on Resurrection Day
and
the man will say
'I Fought
for your Cause,
even
to martyrdom.'
 
God will say:
'You are a Liar.
 
You fought
in order
that
you should be called
a Hero,
and People
have called you such.'
 
He will be taken
to Hell.
 
Then a man
learned in the Koran
will be brought
and he will say:
'I studied
and
read the Koran
for Your sake.'
 
God will say:
'You are a Liar.
 
You gained Learning,
in order
to be called Learned
by Men.
 
They have
called you Learned.'
 
He will be taken
into Hell.
 
Now a Rich Man
will be
brought forward,
and
he will say:
'I have
given liberally
for that
to which
You
desired Generosity
to be extended.'
 
God will say:
'You are a Liar.
 
You did
what you did
in order
to be called Generous
by Men.
 
They
have called you
Generous.'
 
He will be taken
into Hell."
 
(from page 20)
 
+++
 
From
the Mishkat:
 
"The bier
of a Jew
was carried past.
 
The Messenger
stood up
in respect.
 
Someone said:
'It
is
the body
of
a Jew.'
 
The Prophet
answered:
'Is it
not
a Soul?'
 
(from page 20)
 
+++
 
Abu Musa
records:
 
"The Prophet
said:
'Feed
the Hungry,
visit
those
who are Sick,
free
the Captive.'
 
If anyone
seeks Learning
to argue
with
the Wise
or
to dispute
with
the Foolish,
or
to attract attention
to himself,
Allah
will deliver him
into Hell.
 
Men will come
from
every part of this earth
to understand
the Faith.
 
When
they come
to you,
give them
right advice.
 
Whoever
is
without Gentleness
is
devoid of Good."
 
Abdulla
son of Harith
states:
 
"I have never seen
anyone
who smiled more
than
the
Envoy of Allah."
 
Anas testifies:
"I never saw
anyone
more kind to children
than
the Messenger of God."
 
Mu'ad recalls:
"The last words
I had
from
the Messenger
were:
'Treat
People
well,
Mu'ad."
 
(from
pages 20 - 21]
 
+++
 
Thoughts
from
Omar Khayyam:
 
"I Flew"
 
"I was a hawk.
I flew
from
the Secret World
desiring
to
wing at once
to heights.
 
But
I found none
worthy
of
the Secret.
 
I
went back
by
the Door
through which
I came."
 
+
 
"Mirror"
 
"I am
a Mirror
and,
who looks
in me --
whatever
Good or Bad
he speaks,
he speaks
of
himself."
 
(from page 75)
 
+++
 
Proverb:
 
"Others
sowed
for me:
I
sow
for others
to come."
 
(from page 76]
 
+
 
Saying:
 
"Learn
to behave
from those
who cannot."
 
(from page 111)
 
+++
 
Definitions
from
Mulla Do-Piaza:
 
"Sickness
-- The
Messenger
of
Death.
 
Debtor
-- A Donkey
in
a Quagmire.
 
Community
-- Irrationals
unified
by
Hope of the Impossible.
 
Sword of God
-- The
empty stomachs
of
the Poor.
 
Worry
-- something
to make you
unnecessarily Ill.
 
Mirror
-- a means
of
laughing
in
your own Face.
 
Drugs
-- Source
of
the Mystical Experience
of
the Ignorant.
 
A Test
-- A Hardship
you
do not expect.
 
Poverty
-- The result
of
Marriage.
 
Intellectual
-- One
who
knows no craft.
 
Wisdom
-- Something
you can learn
without
knowing it.
 
A Fool
-- A man
trying
to be honest
with
the dishonest.
 
Brave Man
-- Someone
looking for
a Test.
 
Friends
-- Material Substances.
 
Poet
-- A Beggar
with pride.
 
Truthful Man
-- He
who is,
secretly,
regarded
by
everyone
as
an Enemy.
 
[The Mulla's
definitions
form
Contemplation-Materials
rather than
Aphorisms.
 
The Reader
is
supposed
to be able
to
interpret
each saying
in
several
different ways.
 
As
an example,
the message
about
the Fool
may mean:
"Don't
be honest
with
the dishonest' --
or
it may mean:
"Don't try
to
be Honest:
be Honest."
 
Most people
tend
to
interpret the sayings
defensively.
 
This,
says
Do-Piaza,
'is
the first step
towards
not
being defensive.'"]
 
(from page 131)
 
+++