It happened once upon a time that Mullah Nasruddin, riding his old donkey along a road, encountered a man he knew heading in the other direction. Walking with a staff and carrying a small pack on his back, the man appeared to be embarking on a trip. Of course, according to the normal rules of courtesy, the two men stopped and began to converse.

After asking about each others’ health and their families, discussing the weather and the crops, and one thing and another, Nasruddin finally said, “Friend, you seem to be travelling. May I ask where you are going?”

“I have decided to go on a pilgrimage,” said the other man.

“A pilgrimage?” said the Mullah. “What is that?”

“You know,” the man replied. “A long journey to some sacred place.”

Nasruddin looked at the man in puzzlement. “But what is the purpose of your journey?”

“The purpose?” said the man, surprised. “Nasruddin, you, a mullah, of all people should know—a pilgrimage is to find God!”

“To find God?”

“Yes,” the man affirmed, “to find God. You could join me if you like.”

“Thank you,” said the Mullah, “but I am already on a journey. To find my donkey.”

The man stared at the Mullah in consternation. “But Mullah, you are sitting on your donkey. You don’t need to go anywhere to find it–you already have what you are looking for.”

“Yes,” said Nasruddin, “I was thinking of saying the same to you.”