WISDOM OF THE IDIOTS

Idries Shah

Octagon Press, London, 1970

The stories of these self-styled 'idiots' are in fact skillfully designed exercises in which the movements of the characters portray psychological processes. The result is a working blueprint of the mind.

Audio selections can be found in 'On the Nature of Sufi Knowledge,' Code NASK1.

Because what narrow thinkers imagine to be wisdom is often seen by the Sufis to be folly, the Sufis sometimes call themselves 'the Idiots.'
--From Wisdom of the Idiots © 1969, 1970 by The Estate of Idries Shah

THE LOAN
A man was telling his friends in a teahouse: 'I lent someone a silver piece, and I have no witnesses. Now I am afraid that he will deny that he ever had anything from me.'
The friends commiserated, but a Sufi who was sitting in the corner raised his head from his knee and said: 'Invite him here and mention in conversation, in front of these people, that you lent him twenty gold pieces.'
'But I only lent him one silver piece!'
'That,' said the Sufi, 'is exactly what he will shout out -- and everyone will hear him. You did want witnesses, did you not?'
--From Wisdom of the Idiots © 1969, 1970 by The Estate of Idries Shah