Banality is like boredom: bored people are boring people, people who think that things are banal are themselves banal. Interesting people can find something interesting in all things. Idries Shah More Quotes by Idries Shah More Quotes From Idries Shah People who speak or act in an ordinary fashion are most likely to be those who have been the recipients of higher experiences. But because they do not rage around, wild-eyed, people think that they are very ordinary folk and therefore not aware of anything unknown to the general run of man. Idries Shah fashion running men When people have a hard task to do - one which stretches them - they become less concerned with trivial matters. Idries Shah tasks matter people ... when we are talking about 'Christians' and 'Moslems' we must first make sure that we are talking about people who have an idea, which should be more or less correct, as to what the other is supposed to believe and what he is expected to do as a consequence of that belief. Idries Shah christian talking believe If you want to strengthen an enemy and make him exult - hate him. Idries Shah hate want enemy A king who feared wasps once decreed that they were abolished. As it happened, they did him no harm. But he was eventually stung to death by scorpions. Idries Shah scorpions kings fear People used to play with toys. Now the toys play with them. Idries Shah toys play people The main problem is that most commentators are accustomed to thinking of spiritual schools as 'systems', which are more or less alike, and which depend upon dogma and ritual: and especially upon repetition and the application of continual and standardised pressures upon their followers.The Sufi way, except in degenerate forms which are not to be classified as Sufic, is entirely different from this. Idries Shah spiritual school thinking But one may say something and yet not be able to do it. Try, for instance, lifting yourself up by the bootstraps. Idries Shah able may trying A man who believes the word of a donkey in preference to my word does not deserve to be lent anything. Idries Shah doe men believe Learn to be as analytical about things of which you are credulous as you are of those which you criticise. Idries Shah criticise Anybody or anything may stand between you and knowledge if you are unfit for it. Idries Shah ifs may When the Higher Man does something worthy of admiration, it is an evidence of his Mastership, not the object of it. Idries Shah admiration doe men Exercise power by means of kindness, and you may be causing more damage than you could by cruelty. Neither approach is correct. Idries Shah kindness exercise mean Dramatic. A well developed sense of the dramatic has values beyond what people usually imagine. One of these is to realise the limitations of a sense of the dramatic. Idries Shah dramatic imagine people It is not enough that there is a collection of people with the common aim of working in unison towards an objective... Aspiration and desire only are not enough. Idries Shah common desire people Christian scholars often say that Sufi theories are close to those of Christianity. Many Moslems maintain that they are essentially derived from Islam. The resemblance of many Sufi ideas to those of several religious and esoteric systems are sometimes taken as evidence of derivation. The Islamic interpretation is that religion is of one origin, differences being due to local or historical causes. Idries Shah taken religious christian Many things which are called 'secrets' are only things withheld from people until they can understand or effectively experience them. Idries Shah secret people Talking about straws and camels' backs is just one way of approaching things. If you have enough camels, no backs need be broken. Idries Shah preparation broken talking The laziness of adolescence is a rehearsal for the incapacity of old age. Idries Shah rehearsal laziness age He that is purified by love is pure; and he that is absorbed in the Beloved and hath abandoned all else is a Sufi.Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah. Idries Shah sufi beloved love-is
