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A man who believes the word of a donkey in preference to my word does not deserve to be lent anything.

Idries Shah

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Idries Shah
Age: 72 †
Born: 1924
Born: June 16
Died: 1996
Died: November 23
Author
Collector Of Fairy Tales
Teacher
Writer
Simla
Arkon Daraul
Believes
Deserve
Word
Doe
Anything
Believe
Lent
Men
Donkey
Preference

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A certain person may have, as you say, a wonderful presence I do not know. What I do know is that he has a perfectly delightful absence.
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It is not important to have said a thing first, or best - or even most interestingly. What is important is to say it on the right occasion.
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Trying to force something is the best way to stop it happening.
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Learn to be as analytical about things of which you are credulous as you are of those which you criticise.
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When a belief becomes more than an instrument, you are lost. You remain lost until you learn what 'belief' is really for.
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Anyone can see that an ass laden with books remains a donkey. A human being laden with the undigested results of a tussle with thoughts and books, however, still passes for wise.
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If you give what can be taken, you are not really giving. Take what you are given, not what you want to be given. Give what cannot be taken.
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Materialism, attachment to things of the world, includes pride. Many religious people suffer from pride: taking pleasure or even delight in being good, or religious.
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A generous person may not have wisdom: but, unlike others, he has the means to gain it.
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If your desire for 'good' is based on greed, it is not good, but greed.
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The learned person who only talks will never Penetrate to the inner heart of humans.
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When tomorrow comes, think tomorrow's thoughts.
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Exercise power by means of kindness, and you may be causing more damage than you could by cruelty. Neither approach is correct.
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Effort makes some great men famous. Even greater effort enables other great men to remain unknown.
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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.
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The impatient man is his own enemy he slams the door on his own progress.
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None should say: 'I can trust' or 'I cannot trust' until he is a master of the option, of trusting or not trusting.
Idries Shah
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When the ignorant have become numerous or powerful enough, they have been referred to by a special name. This names is 'the Wise'.
Idries Shah
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The sufis believe that they can experience something more complete.
Idries Shah
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Like the bat, the Sufi is asleep to 'things of the day' - the familiar struggle for existence which the ordinary man finds all-important - and vigilant while others are asleep. In other words, he keeps awake the spiritual attention dormant in others. That 'mankind sleeps in a nightmare of unfulfillment' is a commonplace of Sufi literature
Idries Shah