ANDREW WEBB

Melbourne Victoria Australia 3911
Email subscription: Yes
Faith: Mystic
UCS Member since: 12/3/2008
Last login: 1/21/2009
Last update: 12/3/2008

Personal Introduction
The Idiot

One day, God came walking through the world to see how his children were faring. He came upon an old ascetic who had spent his entire adult life in severe body mortification and forceful mental disciplines.

The ascetic had gained a certain degree of clarity of his senses from his prolonged practice and realise that the man casually walking by his cave was fully established in awareness of the inner divine self. Painfully unwinding his body from his rigid posture, the ascetic bowed before God and said, Great Souled One! I perceive you are an illumined master. Pray tell me, honourable sir, how long will it be before I realise my inner Divine Nature?

God smiled warmly and laughingly replied, You are doing well, my son! At your present rate of progress, you will realise your inner Divine Self with just one more lifetime of similar effort.

The ascetic, terrified, in shock, cried, Another lifetime of this horror? How can I endure this boredom, this agony, this pain for another day, let alone another lifetime! How horrible! You have cursed me this day! Begone from this place, you imposter! Never would I believe such as you.

God smiled lovingly at him and walked on. Soon he came upon an idiot splashing in the river, laughing and singing. This mans primary activity every day was to cry out, God! How I love God! God! I love God! God! This foolish one never took the slightest care for his physical needs, never cared if he were fed, clother, housed. He never noticed if he were clean or dirty, hot or cold, wet or dry. He might have been locked up in a padded cell in our modern age, but in those days, people saw that he was harmless and therefore tolerated him and occasionally gave him a crust of bread or some old, half rotten fruits or vegetables to eat.

This idiot was attracted by the radiance of this handsome stranger, came up out of the water, bowed before him and said, How wonderful! God has sent by a Great-Souled One. I have been enjoying myself so much of late I had nearly forgotten that I have a goal. I began my quest to realise enlightenment long ago but of late have become distracted by this constant joy welling up inside. Seeing you just now reminded me of my journey and I was wondering if you could tell me how long it will be before I realise my inner Divine Nature?

God smiled warmly and laughingly replied, You are doing well, my son! At your present rate of progress, you will realise your inner Divine Self with just 70 more lifetimes of similar effort.

70 lifetimes of similar effort! cried the idiot with perfect joy. How wonderful! What a flawless boon, you have today bestowed upon me, Great Lord! The idiot was so filled with joy at the prospect of another 70 lifetimes of such blisss that the last doubt fled from his mind; his last question melted into the joy that was his life; his ignorance was irrevocably crushed; he attained the highest state of enlightenment instantly.

-Maharishi Sadashiva Isham, Ascension! Ch.5 'Escape from Darkness'

One day Nasruddin repaired tiles on the roof of his house. While Nasruddin was working on the roof, a stranger knocked the door. - What do you want? Nasruddin shouted out. - Come down, replied stranger So I can tell it. Nasruddin unwilling and slowly climbed down the ladder. - Well! replied Nasruddin, what was the important thing? - Could you give little money to this poor old man? begged stranger. Tired Nasruddin started to climb up the ladder and said, - Follow me up to the roof. When both Nasruddin and beggar were upside, on the roof, Nasruddin said, - The answer is no!

Nasruddin used to stand in the street on market-days, to be pointed out as an idiot. No matter how often people offered him a large and a small coin, he always chose the smaller piece. One day a kindly man said to him: Nasruddin, you should take the bigger coin. Then you will have more money and people will no longer be able to make a laughing stock of you. That may be true, said Nasruddin, but if I always take the larger, people will stop offering me money to prove that I am more idiotic than they are. Then I would have no money at all.

From the book - The Sufis by Idries Shah

"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."

- William Shakespeare Hamlet Act:1 Scene:111

If you have read this far you may be tempted to contact me. I'd be delighted to meet you but should warn you I am direct to the point and have been accused of being sarcastic - it is not intentional.

I don't suffer fools gladly, but if you tell me you have a delicate or sensitive disposition I will try to respond in kind.