Mullah Nasrudin (also spelt Nasr ud din, Nasreddin, Nasrudin, Nazrudin, and Nazrudeen) needs no introduction to those who already knows this wise fool, for those hearing about him for the first time here is a short introduction.
Nazrudin was a Muslim cleric; he lived over 600 years ago, he was considered a philosopher, wise man, a teacher and an utter fool at times.
Nasrudin stories appear all over the Middle East and central Asia especially in Persian, Arab, Azeri, Pashto, Urdu, Hindi, Bosnian and Turkish folk stories. Nasrudin was supposed to have dies in Turkey (There is a Nazrudin grave in Turkey among other places).
Wisdom (sometimes foolishness) of Nasrudin is enjoyed today as a story, jokes and Anecdotes and in therapy.
To give the newcomers to Nazrudin a taste of some of the Mullah’s antics consider the story below:
One night, Nazrudin was on his hands and knees searching for his key in a well light area. Some of his neighbors came to see why Nazrudin was on his hands and knees.
“What are you looking for, Nazrudin?†enquired one of the neighbors. “My door key.†Came the reply.
The helpful neighbors drop to their hands and knees and joined Nasrudin in his search for the lost key.
After a long unsuccessful search, one of the neighbors asks: “We’ve looked everywhere. Are you sure you dropped it here?â€
Nazrudin answers: “Of course I didn’t drop it here, I dropped it outside my door.â€
“Then, why are you looking for it here!â€
“Because there’s more light here,†responded Nazrudin.
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I use the above story in my references to suggest that often we search outside ourselves when the key to solving all our psychological challenges are inside ourselves.
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A good teaching story must be multilayered, and multifaceted.
Thus another meaning of the key is that we use whatever tools available to us. As a Chinese saying says,
“If you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail to you.â€
