The Boatman.... A Sufi Story from the Middle East
(Najamuddin Ghanghro, Karachi ( Original from Larkana))
A scholar asked a boatman to
row him across the river. The journey was long and slow. The scholar was bored.
"Boatman," he called out, "Let's have a conversation." Suggesting a topic of
special interest to himself, he asked, "Have you ever studied phonetics or
grammar?"
"No," said the boatman, "I've no use for those tools."
"Too bad," said the scholar, "You've wasted half your life. It's useful to know
the rules."
Later, as the rickety boat crashed into a rock in the middle of the river, the
boatman turned to the scholar and said, "Pardon my humble mind that to you must
seem dim, but, wise man, tell me, have you ever learned to swim?"
"No," said the scholar, "I've never learned. I've immersed myself in thinking."
"In that case," said the boatman, "you've wasted all your life. Alas, the boat
is sinking."