There lived a farmer called Rasool in the Baluchistan province of Persia. The land was rocky and dry in that area with little water. One year was a particularly dry year with almost no rainfall. Very close to Rasool's farm was a little lake which became almost dry due to the draught. Rasool feared that his crop will wilt in the absence of water. He had to do something quickly. So Rasool decided to dig a well in his farm to get access to some underground water.
Next morning Rasool took his plough, and started digging in the middle of his farm. He dug and dug till afternoon. He kept removing a lot of mud and stones but there was no sign of water. Rasool was tired but did not give up. He kept on digging till sunset. He was now three feet below ground level but still he did not see any water. Tired, Rasool returned to his hut.
Next day, a chose a spot two metres away from the earlier spot and started digging. Again, he kept digging and digging and no water. He did not even stop for lunch. The crops were drying and he needed water quickly. He dug almost four feet till sunset but still no water. Dejected, Rasool returned to his house. Next day, He chose a third spot and started digging. The whole day went but no water. By the end of the week, Rasool and dug at eight places in his farm but still got no water.
A learned sufi happen to visit the village where Rasool lived, with his entourage. He heard people talking about Rasool and his effort at digging a well at the village mosque. So he decide to give Rasool a visit at his farm the next day.
The next morning Sufi , along with his disciples, reached Rasool's farm. Rasool was digging the ninth hole in his attempt to create a well.
Sufi noticed that Rassol would normally dig a few feet and then he would find that there was no water. Then he had started digging another well... and the same story was continued. Rasool's field was almost destroyed and yet he had not found water.
The master Sufi told his disciples, “Look at Rasool. If this man had been committed and had put his whole energy into only one well, he would have probably reached to the deepest sources of water long ago.
But the way he is going he will destroy the whole field and he will never be able to make a single well. With so much effort he is simply destroying his own land, and getting more and more frustrated and disappointed. In this rocky terrain, one has to go deep to find the sources of water.”
He turned to his disciples and asked them, “Are you going to follow this insane farmer? Sometimes on one path, sometimes on another path, sometimes one guru, sometimes another guru... you all will collect much knowledge, but all that knowledge is simply junk, because it is not going to give you the enlightenment you are looking for. It is not going to lead you to the waters of eternal life.
Discussion Points
1. This story is very relevant for all of us on the spiritual path. A lot of us keep going on spiritual shopping. From one school to another, because we are mostly looking for quick solutions to our problems. Most of us don't have the commitment to go to the depth of the teachings of that school. And when we don't find the solutions that we were looking for quickly, we get disappointed and than move on to another school with the expectations of a quick-fix.
2. Every big task requires continuous effort against all odds. We have to persevere and follow the task to its end. Giving up is too easy but leads to frustrations and disappointments. The learned Sufi (Rumi Himself here) is trying to teach his students the importance of perseverance.
3. The story brings out the importance of the focus in our effort. Sun rays cannot light up a piece of paper. However, a convex lens creates the required focus to create the fire . Similarly, effort has to be put in a focused manner. We have to learn to focus in one Direction, one path which we have chosen to follow. Do not change the path.
4. We also need to understand that problems are bestowed upon us by GOD so that something which we have been missing in our lives is brought to life. It is the method and the new learnings we deploy to overcome the problem which is the main reason why the problem is presented to us . Unfortunately, we try to solve the problem rather than understand the reason for which the problem has been sent to us and act like the foolish farmer…
5. From the spiritual point of you, every thing is an event which is temporary in nature. However, because of the imperfection of our soul, we look at it as a big problem. Every problem is pointing towards the issues in our nature/personalities, which need to be addressed when we are dealing with the difficult problems.
6. Usually, We start walking on a path shown by a spiritual school. Than, we create unrealistic expectation that every thing will be very smooth and there will be no problems. However, that cannot and does not happen and one gets disappointed by the results not coming or being delayed. To get the result faster, the person jumps to other schools in the hope to find the best school where he gets solution to all the problems. But such a school does not exist
7.Most of the spiritual aspirants join a school, not for the love of the school, but for getting some quick gratification and that is where the problem arises … before choosing any path one should have love towards that path and then start moving toward it without any expectations…
8. Our reader might ask what is it that create a binding/success factor towards any cause, path or anything in life. That factor, dear friends, is love. If you do not have love towards your career/ job you will not do well. If you do not have love for your guru and path, you will not reach the ultimate. If you do not have love in a relationship, it won’t last. If well digging is not inspired by love, you will not reach the water. So whatever task or act is not inspired by the love, soon boredom and frustration will creep in and the act will be abandoned sooner or later.
Love is also of two types conditional and unconditional. In the conditional love, one loves a person or an object till his desires are fulfilled. However, in unconditional love one’s love does not diminish even without any favourable outcome. It is the second type of love, which needs to be nurtured to walk the path.
In our modern times, a father/ mother’s love towards the son or daughter is unconditional, whereas husband’s love towards his wife or wife’s love towards husband is conditional ( in a lot of cases). We leave the reader to ponder and find out the real reason in what makes one love as conditional and another one unconditional…
Story Credit: This story is based on a actual life incident of Jalaluddin Rumi, the famous Persian poet, who once took all his students, disciples and devotees to a field to give a life lesson.
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