True story from the life and studies of Hiravi

It has been told, that during the reign of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna, there lived a certain Haidar Ali Jan. His father, Iskandar Khan, wanted to gain the patronage of the Sultan, so he sent Haidar Ali away to study spirituality under the guidance of a well known sage.

After Haidar Ali had mastered various exercises and spiritual recitals, taught in the Sufi schools, his father took him before Sultan Mahmud.

"Mighty Sultan Mahmud," said Iskandar Khan, "I have had my eldest and most intelligent son specially trained in the ways of the Sufi, so that he might be given a good position in your court, knowing that you are a patron of learning!"

Sultan Mahmud did not look up, but just said, "Bring him back in a year!"

Slightly disappointed, but maintaining high hopes, Iskandar Khan sent Haidar Ali to study the works of the great Sufis of the past and to visit the shrines of the ancient masters, so that he would be better prepared the following year.

The next year, when he took Haidar Ali back to Sultan Mahmud's court, he said, "Your Majesty, my son has covered long and difficult journeys and is now more knowledgeable in Sufi history and classical spiritual exercises. Please have him tested, so it can be proven that he will be a wonderful asset to your court."

"Let him," said Sultan Mahmud without hesitation, "return after another year!"

Over the next twelve months, Haidar Ali crossed the Amu Darya river and visited Bukhara and Samarqand, Qasr-i-Arifin and Tashkent, Dushambe and the turbats of the Sufi saints of Turkestan.

When he returned to the court, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna took one look at him and said, "He may care to come back after a year!"

Haidar Ali made the pilgrimage to Mecca that year. He then traveled to India and in Persia he consulted rare books and never missed an opportunity to seek out and pay his respects to the great dervishes of the time.

When he returned to Ghazna, Sultan Mahmud said to him, "Now select a sheikh (teacher) if he will have you, and come back in a year!"

Another year was over and Iskandar Khan prepared to take his son to the court, however, this time Haidar Ali showed no interest in going before the Sultan. He sat at the feet of his sheikh in Herat and nothing that his father could say would move him.

"I have wasted my time and money, and my son has failed the tests imposed by Sultan Mahmud," Iskandar Khan cried to his family and friends. He decided to abandoned his great plans for Haidar Ali and left him alone with his sheikh.

The day preset day for Haidar Ali to present himself at the court came and went. Sultan Mahmud said to his courtiers, "Prepare for a journey to Herat, for there is someone in that city I have to meet."

When Sultan Mahmud's entourage entered Herat to the sound of drums and trumpets, Haidar Ali and his sheikh were sitting in a garden sanctuary near by. Sultan Mahmud and his courtier Ayaz, approached the sanctuary and took off their shoes in respect.

"Welcome, Sultan Mahmud," said the Sufi sheikh, and he pointed to Haidar Ali and said, "Here is the man who was nothing while he was a visitor at your court, but now, he is worthy of a visit from a king. Take him as your Sufi counselor, for he is ready!"

Note: This is a true story from the life and studies of Hiravi also called, Haidar Ali Jan, the Sage of Herat!

Ascetic's Desires

A certain ascetic, Zarvand, decided to meditate in the Alborz Mountains with only a piece of cloth wrapped around him. Quickly he realized, that he needed another piece of cloth to wear while he washed the first, so he told the people in the village that he needed another piece of cloth. They knew he was a pious man, so they gave it to him. With his two pieces of cloth he once again ascended the Alborz Mountains.

Shortly after, he discovered that as he was meditating a mouse would try to drag his extra cloth away. He wanted to frighten the mouse away, but he could not keep leaving his meditation and prayers to run after the mouse. So, he descended to the village and asked the people for a cat.

After having taken the cat, he realized that it could not live on eating fruit alone. There were not enough mice for it to feed on and it needed milk. The people of the village knew the milk was not for him, because he did not care for anything, so they gave him some.

Soon the milk was finished and Zarvand became worried because he was now going up and down the mountain to the village for milk. To eliminate the problem of fetching milk, he took a little cow up the mountain, so it could provide milk for the cat.

He found himself milking the cow to care for the cat, then he thought, "There are so many poor people in the village. I will ask one of them to milk the cow for the cat's sake, and he can drink some milk daily also."

A poor villager who looked like he could use nourishes milk was brought up the mountain. After a few weeks of the mountain air and lots of good milk he became healthy. The man then told Zarvand, "I would like a companion and to raise a family."

Zarvand thought to himself, "He is quite right, I cannot deprive him of companionship." To cut short what could be a very long story, after two months the whole village moved up the mountain.

Note: Interesting how the need for one thing leads to the need for another and another. Ultimately, the ascetic had indirect desires. It is an old Persian tale.

Illusions

A man got the idea in a dream that a snake had entered into his mouth, and that it was there in his stomach.  And he would feel the movement of the snake.  He became very disturbed.

He went to the doctors and was X-rayed, but, there was nothing.
  
He would say, "It is there, even if the X-ray is not showing it.  It doesn't matter.  I am suffering, my suffering is real."

Then he went to a Sufi master, the master said, "Right, I will do something.  Tomorrow moring it will come out."

The next morning, the master arranged it:  he found a snake, gave it to the man's wife and said, "Make arrangements so when your husband wakes up in the morning, he finds the snake crawling out of the bed."

And the man shrieked, and he screamed and jumped.  And he said, "Here!  Here it is!  That snake!  And those foolish doctors: they were saying that there is no snake, nothing.  And here it is!"

And since that day the problem disappeared. 

Our miseries, our hurts, our ambitions, our jealousies, our fears, our greeds, our hatreds, our attachments - they are all illusions.  Although they are illusions, we still believe our suffering is real!

Rebirth

I died as a mineral and became a plant;

I died as a plant and rose to animal;

I died as animal and I was a man.

Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?

Yet once more I shall die as man to soar

With angels blest. But even from an angel

I must pass on: all except God must perish.

When I have sacrificed my angel soul,

I shall become what no mind ever conceived.

JALALUDDIN RUMI