The Sufi way is through knowledge and practice, not through intellect and talk.
Idries ShahRead
It is the message, not the man, which is important to the Sufis.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of teachings is more significant than the individual delivering them.
In this quote by Idries Shah, the focus is on the importance of the message and the teachings, rather than the personality or status of the person conveying them. This emphasizes that wisdom and insight can transcend the individual, highlighting the value of the ideas shared, particularly within the context of Sufism, which seeks spiritual truth and understanding beyond the ego of the teacher.
Themes
MessageSufismWisdomTeachingImportance
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about teaching methods in education.
More from Idries Shah
All quotes βTo 'see both sides' of a problem is the surest way to prevent its complete solution. Because there are always more than two sides.
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You have not forgotten to remember; You have remembered to forget. But people can forget to forget. That is just as important as remembering to remember - and generally more practical.
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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.
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Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right effort, right time, right people, right materials.
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To be obsessed by the idea of freedom, for instance, is itself a form of slavery. Such people are in the chains of the hope of freedom, and are therefore able to do little else than struggle with them.
Idries ShahRead
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