Enlightened

Mulla Nasruddin’s friend saw him walking with a large group of followers. Whatever Nasruddin did, his followers would do likewise. Every few steps he would shake his hands in the air, touch his feet and jump up yelling ‘Hu Hu Hu!’ His followers would ape him and do exactly the same thing.

The friend took Nasruddin aside and asked him, ‘What are you doing? Why are these people imitating you?’

‘I have become a Sufi saint’ replied Nasruddin. ‘These are spiritual seekers; I am helping them reach enlightenment!’

‘How do you know when they reach enlightenment?’

‘That’s the easy part... every morning I count them. The ones who have left... they have reached enlightenment!’

So often, we follow the irrational in quest of a sublime purpose. It is a human need to be part of a clan or cluster. But the worthiness of that clique must be confirmed. The noblest of intentions need to be empowered by the ability to constantly question whether we are on the right path and more importantly whether we are emulating the right actions.

It is all right to make a mistake while choosing the wrong person to follow. But it is not acceptable to keep following the wrong road. To be better at being enlightened, we must constantly review and clarify the choices we make and the actions we undertake. And more importantly we must have the courage to move away and move on the appropriate course that is illuminated by the radiant light of reasoning.

To BE BETTER at enlightened illumination...

We need to undergo constant clarification!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.