There is a much repeated story, with different versions, about a Servant of God and how he set aside traditional religious training to follow his mystical teacher and reach spiritual completion. And by under taking this journey, the world benefited.
One day, a Doctor of Theology was seated beside a water fountain, outside the university where he taught. Beside him on the fountain, were many books of religious law that had been passed down to him by his father, who in his time was a renowned theologian. As the doctor read through one of the books and memorized a passage, along came a desert wanderer. As was customary this fellow was dressed in a patched robe, with hair in disarray and a wild, far away look in his eye.
Before the Doctor of Theology fully noticed, the wanderer rushed forward and grabbed all of the doctor’s books, including the one he was reading and tossed them into the water fountain.
Surprised and astonished at this behavior, the doctor called out, “Why did you do that? These books are filled with great wisdom and are priceless!”
The desert wanderer, stared at the doctor, then replied, “If you wish to learn something really useful; wisdom that is not found in your books then follow me.” Then the wild desert wanderer turned and walked away.
Stunned and unable to move, the Doctor of Theology considered what to do.
Decidedly he left the books that had been passed down to him in the fountain and for three years followed this wild man of the desert. In time this doctor passed beyond knowledge of religion, into knowledge of self and spirit; becoming a sun whose rays still shine until this day. After their time together, nothing was ever heard again of the wild mystical teacher from the desert.
Today this Doctor of Theology, Jalaluddin Rumi, is widely recognized as one of the greatest mystical teachers and poets of all time.
-SB
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