{"id":634,"date":"2022-12-05T13:36:03","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T13:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qsconsultants.in\/blog\/?p=634"},"modified":"2022-12-05T13:38:34","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T13:38:34","slug":"stealing-advice-a-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qsconsultants.in\/blog\/stealing-advice-a-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"Barrier to Learning \u2013 A Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation), as we begin today \u2018let us remember this about \u2018Attention\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week I bring to your attention a story titled \u2018Stealing Advice<\/em>\u2019 from the book titled \u2018A Perfumed Scorpion<\/em>\u2019 which is a collection of lectures, meditations and also illustrative anecdotes. The ‘perfuming of a scorpion’ referred to by the great Sufi teacher Bahaudin symbolises hypocrisy and self-deception: both in the individual and in institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idries Shah, in these lectures and meditations, directs attention to both the perfume and the scorpion – the overlay and the reality – in psychology, human behaviour and the learning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stealing Advice<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man once applied to a Sufi to become his disciple, but was rejected, as not being ready for this path. So he decided that he would learn what he could by direct methods. What could be wrong in adopting Sufi practice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding out that a new disciple was being enrolled that evening, he climbed onto the roof of the Sufi meeting-place and listened to the first instructions being given by the Teacher:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not walk on the left-hand side of a street; do not avoid a fortunate person; do not push yourself forward before others.’ Well, that seemed easy enough to the eavesdropper, who, naturally, at once proceeded to apply these teachings to his own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, as he was walking home along the right-hand side of a street, a plant-pot fell on him from a balcony, and he was injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making friends with a prosperous merchant, all that happened was that the man swindled him. Finally, when he tried to apply for employment to feed himself (as he had lost all his money) he found that there were always other applicants there first, and without pushing he was unable even to obtain an interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Story from \u2018A Perfumed Scorpion\u2019 by Idries Shah<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am sure that you will enjoy reading this book; you can buy your copy from the following link:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Perfumed Scorpion by Idries Shah<\/a><\/blockquote>