In the interests of good nutrition and a balanced diet, the Inner Call offers a variety of posts: first and foremost, texts from Hazrat Inayat Khan, but also from other spiritual sources; occasional letters to mureeds, such as this one; and of course, stories, because the wise of all traditions have always understood that some truths are more easily illustrated by an engaging tale than by laborious explanation.

Many of the posted stories are about Mullah Nasruddin, and these usually make us laugh, and sometimes–on a good day–think. Recently, however, several of the stories have brought murmurs of uneasiness from readers. The tale in which the Mullah gains victory in his court case by bribing the judge in the name of his opponent is one example; another is the recent post in which the Mullah dines with the king, and changes his opinion almost in mid-sentence in order to be in agreement with his host. These behaviours of the Mullah seem so base, so ignoble, that the question arises: what are we supposed to make of this? Does it have anything to do with spirituality?

Of course, as a figure, the Mullah is not intended to be a model for us to follow. He is far from being a saint, and in any case he seldom shows the tender-hearted compassion of that path; he is, if anything, on the path of mastery, because he is always coping with the contrariness of life–as shown in human nature, difficult circumstances and various strong-headed donkeys. And, while he shows flashes of insight and wisdom, he is not a sage, whatever he may tell his students. He might perhaps be compared to the one eccentric uncle that most large families seem to have, the one who is usually out of step but not always wrong. Such an uncle, like the Mullah, can often help us drop our preconceptions and see life differently.

Perhaps the greatest value of Nasruddin and his adventures, apart from the laughter they give us, which is not a small benefit, is that he holds up a mirror of human nature in which, if we are honest, we may see some traces of ourselves. Indeed, that is the point, or one aspect of it, in the tale about the simple man and the mirror.

Therefore, to the question, ‘What should we make of the Mullah?’ the answer could be, make of him whatever you can. But be aware–if his behaviour makes you uncomfortable, it could be because his mirror shows something you weren’t prepared to see.