Learning to Understand

  There was once a man who went to see a mystic who was reputed to be very knowledgeable.

    "Sir," he said. "I lead a comfortable life and have no desire for anything material in nature and yet I always feel as though my life is missing something. I would like nothing more than to just be happy."

   

The mystic replied, "I have the answer that will solve your problem but it entails some work on your part." The man readily agreed and begged him to go on.

    "Go and travel the world and look for the happiest man in the world and when you find him, ask him for his shirt and put it on."

    The seeker immediately set out looking for happy people. One by one he came across various individuals, each one naming another happier than themselves.

    After many months of traveling from one country to another, he found out that the happiest man in the world lived somewhere in the woods near a village in India. When he reached the place, he followed the echoes of laughter he heard among the trees. Finally coming face to face with an old man, he asked him, "Are you the happiest man in the world?"

    "Yes, I am," replied the old man.

   

    The seeker introduces himself and relayed to him the purpose of his search and then asked, "I have been ordered by a great mystic to wear your shirt; please give it to me and I will give you anything you ask for in exchange."

   

    The happiest man looked at him closely and burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter. He laughed and laughed and he laughed much to the annoyance of the seeker. "Are you insane that you laugh at such a serious request?" asked the seeker.

    "Maybe," replied the happiest man. "But if you had taken trouble to look, you will see that I am not wearing a shirt."

    "What do I do now?" sighed the seeker, feeling tired and dejected.

    "Don't worry," consoled the happiest man, "you will now be able to fulfill your quest. When you strive for something unattainable, the very effort you put in is the exercise that you need to achieve what is needed. When a man gathers all his strength to jump across a stream as though it was wider than it is, he gets across."

    The happiest man then took off his turban, a part of which had concealed his face. The seeker then saw that he was none other than the original mystic who had given him the advice.

    "But why did you not tell me this when I first came to see you?" the seeker asked, completely confused.

    "Because you were not ready then. You needed to go through the effort and the experience which would help you develop the capacity to understand."

- as told by my grandfather.   

What you make me know,

That alone I know.

What you make me see,

That alone I see.

                                        -Maulana Rum