Once a Sufi master was dying. He was worried about how his three disciples would find a new master. If he said, “go to such and such” it would have been easy but he wanted them to find a new master themselves. He believed that when you find something yourself, it has immense value.
So he created a very strange strategy. He left them 17 camels with an order, “You will divide the camels among the three of you in the manner that oldest shall have half of them, the middle in age one-third, and the youngest shall have one-ninth.”
The disciples found this very strange, absurd and illogical.
But masters are illogical, they are not much worried about logic. Disciples soon realized that it was something that could not be done mathematically.
One said, “Let us own the camels communally.”
Another sought advice and the said, “We have been told to make the nearest possible division.”
During their search, they met a man who said, “Here is your solution. I will add one camel to the number. Now out of the 18 camels you will give half i.e. 9 to the oldest disciple. The second shall have a third of the total, which is 6 camels. The last disciple may have one-ninth, which is 2 camels. The makes 17. One camel is left over which is mine and is to be returned to me.”
Moral:Your problems cannot be solved unless the Master adds something of his being to you. Only one who is ready to get involved with you can solve your life problems. The Master has to become your inside.
