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1 " In a village where everyone has only one leg, the biped will hop about more lamely than anyone else, if he knows what is good for him. "
― Idries Shah , Knowing How to Know: A Practical Philosophy in the Sufi Tradition
2 " One day we will all wear a garment which has no pockets... "
― Idries Shah , The Commanding Self
3 " Wisdom is when you understand what, previously, at best you only knew. "
― Idries Shah , Observations
4 " SAYING OF SHEIKH ZIAUDIN:Self-justification is worse than the original offence. "
― Idries Shah , The Way of the Sufi
5 " It is not Sufism if it does not perform its function for you. A cloak is no longer a cloak if it does not keep a man warm. "
― Idries Shah , Thinkers of the East
6 " If wine is the enemy of religion, I shall devour the enemy of religion. "
― Idries Shah , Sufi Thought and Action
7 " The function of a nutrient is to become transmuted, not to leave unaltered traces. "
― Idries Shah , The Sufis
8 " Haste is from the Devil. "
― Idries Shah , Caravan of Dreams
9 " Fettered feet in the presence of friends is better than living in a garden with strangers. "
10 " If you really want to learn, do not be surprised if someone tries to teach you. And do not lightly reject the method. "
― Idries Shah , Learning How to Learn: Psychology and Spirituality in the Sufi Way
11 " Most people, whatever their opinions and protestations, do not want to learn. "
12 " One of the basic Sufi needs is to enable people to see themselves as they really are. "
13 " The Sufi teacher’s mission is to be in the service of those who can learn. "
14 " The teacher works in accordance with the prospects of his students and the possibility of maintaining the community of Sufis. "
15 " The Sufis regard systems which treat everyone alike as mechanical and degenerate. "
16 " The candle burned the moth:But soon it will vanish in its own fat. "
― Idries Shah , The Dermis Probe
17 " Yes, the world is an illusion. But Truth is always being shown there. "
18 " If you want special illumination, look upon the human face:See clearly within laughter the Essence of Ultimate Truth. "
― Idries Shah , Special Illumination: The Sufi Use of Humor
19 " The question of divine knowledge is so deep that it is really known only to those who have it. "
20 " It is your duty to do your best. It is not, however, your birth-right to prevail. "
