Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation), as we begin today ‘let us remember this about ‘Attention’.
Our life experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to. Attention: is important and most of the times we are so indifferent to it. It is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. We feed the hunger blindly. Once the mechanism is brought to our attention and we begin to study it, it is as if a veil has been stripped off ordinary life, and we become freer in our action and choices.
This week I bring to your attention a story titled ‘The Chariot’ from the book titled ‘Tales of Dervishes’ which is a compilation of tales recorded during the past thousand years. Here the stories contain several levels of meaning and work like psychological mirrors in which the reader may see himself and reality reflected, and come to better understand both.
The Persian word dervish is generally considered to be derived from the verb der-vekhtan to wait at a door. The reference is to waiting before the door of enlightenment.
The Chariot
There are three sciences in the study of man (Human). The first is the science of ordinary knowledge; the second is the science of unusual inner states, often called ecstasy. The third, which is the important one, is the science of True Reality: of what lies beyond these two.
Only the real inner knowledge carries with it the knowledge of the Science of True Reality. The other two are the reflections, in their own form, of the third. They are almost useless without it.
Picture a charioteer. He (the person) is seated in a vehicle, propelled by a horse, guided by himself (self). Intellect is the vehicle, the outward form within which we state where we think we are and what we have to do. The vehicle enables the horse and man (the person) to operate. This is what we call tashkil, outward shape or formulation. The horse, which is the motive power, is the energy which is called a state of emotion’ or other force. This is needed to propel the chariot. The man (the person), in our illustration, is that which perceives, in a manner superior to the others, the purpose and possibilities of the situation, and who makes it possible for the chariot to move towards and to gain its objective.
One of the three, on its own, will be able to fulfill functions, true enough. But the combined function which we call the movement of the chariot cannot take place unless all three are connected in the Right Way.
Only the ‘man’ (the person), the real Self, knows the relationship of the three elements, and their need of one another.
Among the Sufis, the Great Work is the knowledge of combining the three elements. Too many men, too unsuitable a horse, too light of too heavy a chariot and the result will not take place.
Story from ‘Tales of Dervishes’ by Idries Shah
I am sure that you will enjoy reading this book; you can buy your copy from the following link:
Enjoy reading it with your family, friends and near and dear one’s.
Before concluding today’s episode please pay attention to these words of a Storyteller.
My stories require, at this stage, no extra commentary, imaginings, or guesswork by you, me, or anyone else. The very worst would be that of moralizing. To explain away is to forget. Thus, let the stories which you can remember do their own work by their very diversity. Familiarize yourself with them.
Concluding today’s post and podcast episode, I thank all who take time out and read (the blog post) and listen to the episodes each week. For those who listen and have not subscribed to the podcast I suggest you do and click on the bell icon so that you can be notified for all the new episodes that get uploaded every week.
Namaste.
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