{"id":692,"date":"2023-03-12T13:33:35","date_gmt":"2023-03-12T13:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qsconsultants.in\/blog\/?p=692"},"modified":"2023-03-12T13:33:35","modified_gmt":"2023-03-12T13:33:35","slug":"confined-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qsconsultants.in\/blog\/confined-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"Confined Thinking"},"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. 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 tale titled \u2018Confined Thinking<\/em>\u2019 from the book titled \u2018The Magic Monastery\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Magic Monastery is rich in thought-provoking material, and can be read and enjoyed at many levels. It is also designed as a course in non-linear thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Persian word dervish <\/strong>is generally considered to be derived from the verb der-vekhtan <\/strong>to wait at a door. The reference is to waiting before the door of enlightenment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confined Thinking<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a rest-house on one of the great Central Asian highways of the Silk Route, a certain man was talking, loudly and incessantly, one evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone hoped that he would stop, so that travellers could get some rest before the following morning’s early start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this man showed no sign of quietening down, and few of those present were pleased when a wandering dervish approached the garrulous one, greeted him politely and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wish to listen to every single word of yours with the greatest possible attention. Please continue to talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The talker continued with greater volume and verbosity, phrasing his harangue with more and more virtuosity, while the dervish sat before him, his gaze fixed upon him with intense concentration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within a few minutes the man had almost stopped talking-and the dervish was asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the morning, as the caravan’s animals were being saddled up for the march, some of the travellers asked the dervish the meaning of his behaviour. He said: That man wanted your attention, and you did not want to give it, because you wanted to be doing something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted rest, but I knew that I would have to pay for it in advance. As soon as our friend had gained his objective, he no longer wanted it. As soon as I gained mine, of relative quiet following concentrated effort, I took advantage of it – and you people benefited too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked his own impressions of the night before, the talker said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That pretended dervish had the insolence to fall asleep as I spoke, after pretending to be interested. He was only trying to impress us all. Let that be a lesson to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tale from \u2018The Magic Monastery\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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The Magic Monastery by Idries Shah<\/a><\/blockquote>