030 - When the master adds something of his being to you

The Sufis say that your problems cannot be solved unless the Master adds something of his being to you.

Once a Sufi master was dying. He was worried about how his three disciples would find a new Master. If he said "go to such and such" it would have been easy but he wanted them to find a new Master themselves. He believed that when you find something yourself, it has immense value. The master wants you to grope in the dark, so that when you have found, you have the feeling that you have found. So he created a very strange strategy. He left them 17 camels with an order, "You will divide the camels among the three of you in the following manner, the oldest shall have half of them, the middle in age one-third, and the youngest shall have one-ninth."

The disciples found this very strange and absurd. And illogical. But, masters are illogical, they are not much worried about logic. They soon realized it was something that could not be done mathematically.

One said, "Let us own the camels communally."

Another sought advice and then said, "We have been told to make the nearest possible division."

During their search, they met a man who said, "Here is your solution. I will add one camel to the number.

Out of the eighteen camels you will give half - nine camels to the oldest disciple. The second shall have a third of the total, which is six camels. The last disciple may have one-ninth, which is two camels.

That makes seventeen. One camel is left over which is mine and is to be returned to me."

Only one who is ready to get involved with you can solve your life problems. The Master has to become your inside.

source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html