Story: Nasrudin & the Lamp Post
One of my favorite little anecdotes/parables comes from a collection of stories about the historical Sufi figure, Nasrudin. Within these stories, Nasrudin often plays the role of the “wise fool,” providing lessons through actions that may seem nonsensical, silly, or foolish. To me, the added element of apparent foolishness makes these stories more memorable and impactful than any straightforward intellectual explanation of concepts could be (similar to the way jokes are funny - once they need to be prosaically explained, they lose what’s funny about them and lose their basic essence). Here’s one of my favorite Nasrudin stories that, to me, carries a profound message:
One evening, Nasrudin was out near a sidewalk,
looking through the grass and bushes under the light of a lamp post.
A friend of his walked by and asked what Nasrudin was up to.
“I’m searching for my house keys,” said Nasrudin.
The friend offered to help, and the two spent a considerable amount of time
continuing to search under the light of the lamp post.
Finally, the friend asked, “Where did you last have your keys?”
“Oh, back at the house,” replied Nasrudin.
Exasperated, the friend shouted, “Then why are we looking here?!”
Nasrudin plainly stated, “Because the light’s better here.”
So, in relation to what I stated above, I’m going to resist the urge to try to intellectually explain this story and leave it to you to sit with it and contemplate its meaning for you personally. I’d be happy to discuss interpretations in the comments below. Also, I’ve recorded a guided meditation based on this short story that provides some of my personal take on it, so you can feel free to listen to that as well (see below).
Here’s a collection of these stories if you’d like to read more.