Wisdom, sleeping..
  • Home
  • Four Pillars of Wisdom
    • Why Wisdom, a Provisional Foreword
    • Doubts
    • Ethos or How I Learned Some Wisdom
    • The "State of the Art" - an impression
    • A Nutshell History of Worldly Wisdom
    • What is Wisdom?
    • The first pillar of wisdom: wise knowledge
    • Good Judgment is the second pillar of wisdom
    • Wise Conduct is the third pillar of wisdom
  • Articles
    • Secret Life of the Obvious
    • Powerful inaction, conspicuous absence, bountiful void
    • The Power to Make Things Simple
    • Three kinds of Criticism
    • Critical thinking is disobedient, not correct
    • Strategy of Surprise
    • The Rectification of Meaning
    • The n plus minus one principle: higher, wider, different...
    • The Fascination of Paradox
    • A choice of choices
    • Des choix de la spiritualité
  • Blog
  • This reminds me of a story

A gift of calling names

12/7/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Let me wonder again at the power of changing with one single word the meaning of a whole situation. Such turns of phrase cheap or subtle - are good to treasure in your memory. Nasreddin’s sharp mind is a school of bringing down a Goliath with a mere sling. This reminds me of a story:

There was a famous sheikh who hated Nasreddin’s wits. He decided to teach this insignificant mullah a public lesson that will put him right where he belonged.

The best place to shame a mullah was of course under the porch of the mosque, at the hour when the believers flocked to attend the Friday noon sermon.

The angry sheikh stepped out of the crowd towards Nasreddin and shouted – for everyone to hear:

“Idiot!”

In response, Hodja bowed to him with deep respect and answered with a friendly smile:

“Pleased to meet you Master Idiot! I is an honour to make your acquaintance. My name is Nasreddin.”

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    111 teaching stories of Nasreddin Hodja,the wise fool of the East

    Retold by Ioan Tenner

    Archives

    July 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

© 2011 - 2020 Ioan Tenner & Daniel Tenner