The Hundredth Name (Sufi Tradition)

A student asked his Sufi master to reveal God’s fifth name.

“Whoever knows that name is capable of changing History,” he answered. The master asked him to spend the whole day at the gates of the city. The boy returned the following day.

“What did you see?” asked the master.

“An old man tried to enter the city to sell a sheep. The guard wanted to tax him but the man had no money. So the guard stole his sheep and chased him off. I thought: if I only knew God’s hidden name I could change this situation.”

“You could have prevented this injustice, but you preferred to stand there dreaming of a revelation. Such stupidity! Well, then, I shall tell you God’s fifth name: act on behalf of others. That’s the only way we can change History.”

- By Paulo Coelho

The Asylum

I was strolling in the gardens of an insane asylum when I met a young man who was reading a philosophy book. His behavior and his evident good health made him stand out from the other inmates.
 

I sat down beside him and asked: ‘What are you doing here?’

He looked at me, surprised. But seeing that I was not one of the doctors, he replied: ‘It’s very simple. My father, a brilliant lawyer, wanted me to be like him. My uncle, who owns a large emporium, hoped I would follow his example. My mother wanted me to be the image of her beloved father. My sister always set her husband before me as an example of the successful man. My brother tried to train me up to be a fine athlete like himself. And the same thing happened at school, with the piano teacher and the English teacher – they were all convinced and determined that they were the best possible example to follow. None of them looked at me as one should look at a man, but as if they were looking in a mirror. So I decided to enter this asylum. At least here I can be myself.’

-By Khalil Gibran

The Caliph and His Wife

The Arab Caliph sent for his secretary: “Lock up my wife in the tower while I’m away,” he ordered.

“But she loves Your Majesty!”

“And I love her,” answered the Caliph. “But I respect an old traditional proverb of ours that says “keep your dog thin and he will follow you; make him fat and he will bite you.”

The Caliph went off to war and returned six months later. On arriving, he called for his secretary and asked to see his wife.

“She has abandoned you,” was the secretary’s answer. “Your Majesty quoted a beautiful proverb before leaving but forgot another Arab saying that goes: “If your dog is tied up it will follow anybody that opens its cage”.

-By Paulo Coelho

Making the Field Fertile

A Zen master entrusted a disciple with looking after the rice patch.

 

In the first year the disciple took care that the necessary water was never lacking. The rice grew strong and it was a good harvest.

 

In the second year he had the idea of adding a little fertilizer. The rice grew fast and the harvest was bigger.

 

In the third year he used more fertilizer. The harvest was even bigger, but the rice came up small and had no shine to it.

 

“If you go on increasing the amount of fertilizer, you will have nothing of any value next year,” said the master. “You give someone strength when you give a little help. But you weaken him if you help too much.”

-By Paulo Coelho