Sunday reflection . . . the sultan bowed to the dervish

” A sultan was riding through the country
surrounded by courtiers and soldiers.
Everybody bowed as the sultan passed,
except for a single dervish.

The sultan halted his procession and had
the dervish brought to him.
He demanded to know why the man
did not bow to him.

The dervish replied. ” Let all these people
bow to you. They all want what you have ….
money, power, rank. Thank God these things
mean nothing to me. ”
Then he added. ” Furthermore, a free man ….
should not bow down to a slave. ”

” What do you mean? the sultan cried.

” You are a slave …. to anger and greed, ”
the dervish said calmly, looking the sultan
full in the face. ” I have made them my servants
…. and become a free man. ”

Recognizing the truth of what he heard, the sultan
…. bowed to the dervish ” …..

– Sufi Story

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text & image credit: Rumi, Saadi, Hafiz (Poems and Quotes) https://web.facebook.com/RumiSaadiHafiz/