Nasreddīn Hodja

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Grigoris
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Grigoris »

HODJA AND GOD

The Hodja was travelling from a long way away, he got very tired and decided to rest.

After resting for a while he prayed:
"Dear God, he said. Please send me a donkey!"

A few minutes later, he saw a man riding on a horse and leading a young donkey.
The man came nearer, stopped beside Hodja and shouted:
"You, leprous man! Instead of sitting there starving, come here and carry the donkey, it is tired."
Although Hodja explained that he too was tired, the tyrannical man beat him with a stick and so poor Hodja took the donkey on his shoulders.

Then the man on the horse proceeded on his way. Every time Hodja slowed down, the man beat him and after many miserable hours, they reached their destination, where the man let Hodja go, without thanking him.

Hodja, completely exhausted, fell down on the ground and slept many hours. When he awoke he murmured:
"Oh, God! What happened? Was it that I didn't explain properly, or that you didn't understand?"
hodja.jpg
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"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
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Kim O'Hara
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Kim O'Hara »

:lol:
:good:
:namaste:
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Aemilius
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Aemilius »

Good story. I think it means that all beings want to avoid pain equally. Nasruddin is equal to the donkey. He is not different from or better than the donkey. And further, there is no real difference between humans and animals. It is surprising to find this idea in any form in sufism, which is part of Islam.
It is well known that the equality of all sentient beings exists in buddhism. All sentient beings are in the Wheel transmigration or rebirth (bhavacakra) equally. Humans are not fundamentally better than or different from animals. But to find this in sufism or islam is surprising.
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
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Grigoris
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Grigoris »

Personally, I think the moral of the story is that when you ask God for something, you better be pretty damn clear on the terms!
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Aemilius
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Aemilius »

In 1970's I read some books of Idries Shah. Shah has translated many stories of Mulla Nasruddin, as he was usually called in 1970's. In his books Idries Shah assures that there are several levels of meaning in the stories of Mulla Nasruddin, including very profound meanings. He also tells us that these stories are an object of serious and deep study in certain sufi convents. Based on this I am quite sure that a deeper meaning here is the equality of the needs of donkey and of Mulla Nasruddin.
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
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Grigoris
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Grigoris »

Aemilius wrote:In 1970's I read some books of Idries Shah. Shah has translated many stories of Mulla Nasruddin, as he was usually called in 1970's. In his books Idries Shah assures that there are several levels of meaning in the stories of Mulla Nasruddin, including very profound meanings. He also tells us that these stories are an object of serious and deep study in certain sufi convents. Based on this I am quite sure that a deeper meaning here is the equality of the needs of donkey and of Mulla Nasruddin.
I am sure there are many layers of meaning! One for each sentient being. ;)
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Grigoris
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

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One day Hodja's wife baked him his favorite dessert. They ate most of it that very night and saved the rest for breakfast.

That night Hodja could not fall asleep thinking about the dessert which he was going to eat for breakfast.

He woke up his wife and said to her: "Wake up! Wake up! I have something very important to tell you!"

While his sleepy wife was trying to wake up Hodja rushed off to the kitchen and brought back the pan with the left-over dessert and said to her:

"Let's finish this off. It's better to have it in our stomach than in our minds!"
kazandibi_dessert.jpg
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"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Grigoris
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Grigoris »

The Tax Collector
 
One day, the tax collector of the city of Aksehir and surrounding towns fell into the river. Since he didn't know how to swim, he was about to drown. The villagers gathered by the river bank trying to save him.

"Give me your hand, give me your hand!" they were all shouting. But the man did not extend his arm.

At that time Nasreddin Hodja happened to be passing by.

"Hodja Effendi..." said the people that were trying to help "...the tax collector fell into the river. He is going to drown. He is not giving us his hand."

"Let me try." said the Hodja. `

Effendi! Effendi!" he yelled to the man bobbing in the water. "Take my hand!"

Immediately the tax collector extended his arm and grabbed Hodja's hand. Thus the Hodja and the people around were now able to pull him out of the water.

"You see..." the Hodja explained "...he is a tax collector, he is more practised in taking than giving."
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Grigoris
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Grigoris »

One day a neighbour asked Nasreddin Hodja if he could borrow Hodja's donkey:
"Hodja Effendi, we need a donkey for a few hours. Could I take yours?"
"I would gladly lend you my donkey, my neighbour," the Hodja started his excuse, "but he is not here."
Just at that moment the donkey's loud and long bray was heard coming from Hodja's shed.
"Shame on you Hodja Effendi, you have been caught lying, your donkey is braying in the shed!" said the neighbour
"My dear fellow," Nasreddin Hodja continued unrepentant, "are you going to believe the word of a Hodja or are you going to believe a donkey?"

Image
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Grigoris
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Grigoris »

'When you're right, you're right'

Nasreddin Hodja was named the Kadı of Akşehir. One day, two men who were in a dispute came to him and asked him to resolve their conflict. The Hodja listened to the plaintiff first.

"You are right," he said when the plaintiff had finished speaking. Then, the Hodja listened to the defendant.

"You are right," he said to the defendant as well. Everyone in the room was perplexed, with one observer even protesting his response.

"Kadı Efendi," he said, "You agreed with both of the parties. The dispute can't be settled if you say 'you are right' to both of them." Nasreddin Hodja considered for a moment, then he said: 'You are
right, too.'
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Simon E.
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Simon E. »

Nasreddin was hungry and there was nothing in the house

He went into the garden and prayed loudly 'Lord of the universe! Please send me food!'

His cynical neighbour heard this and decided to give Nasreddin a lesson..so he threw a leg of lamb over the fence. 'Thank you Lord' said Nasreddin.

Two days later he was hungry again, again he went to the garden to implore Allah to send him food.
His neighbour threw a bag of flour over. 'Thank you Lord', said Nasreddin.
A few days later he was in the garden again praying for food.
His neighbour thought to himself ' a jokes a joke but this is getting expensive'..
So he went round to Nasreddin's and said 'Nasreddin you idiot, don't you realise that it is me that that has given you food, not your pretend friend in the sky?'
'You are wrong' said Nasreddin. 'Allah sent the food. You were just the means he used to send it'.
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

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Tenma
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Tenma »

Grigoris wrote: Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:24 pm
A foreign scholar and his entourage were passing through Aksehir. The scholar asked to speak with the town's most knowledgeable person. Of course the townsfolk immediately called Nasreddin Hodja. The foreign savant didn't speak Turkish and our Hodja didn't speak any foreign languages, so the two wise men had to communicate with signs, while the others looked on with fascination.

The foreigner, using a stick, drew a large circle on the sand. Nasreddin Hodja took the stick and divided the circle into two. This time the foreigner drew a line perpendicular to the one Hodja drew and the circle was now split into four. He motioned to indicate first the three quarters of the circle, then the remaining quarter. To this, the Hodja made a swirling motion with the stick on the four quarters. Then the foreigner made a bowl shape with two hands side by side, palms up, and wiggled his fingers. Nasreddin Hodja responded by cupping his hands palms down and wiggling his fingers.

When the meeting was over, the members of the foreign scientist's entourage asked him what they have talked about.

`Nasreddin Hodja is really a learned man.' he said. `I told him that the earth was round and he told me that there was equator in the middle of it. I told him that the three quarters of the earth was water and one quarter of it was land. He said that there were undercurrents and winds. I told him that the waters warm up, vaporize and move towards the sky, to that he said that they cool off and come down as rain.'

The people of Aksehir were also curious about how the encounter went. They gathered around the Hodja.

`This stranger has good taste,' the Hodja started to explain. `He said that he wished there was a large tray of baklava. I said that he could only have half of it. He said that the syrup should be made with three parts sugar and one part honey. I agreed, and said that they all had to mix well. Next he suggested that we should cook it on blazing fire. And I added that we should pour crushed nuts on top of it.'
pistachio nut baclava.png
Pardon, but why must baklava be so greasy? I just tried it for the first time and I must say, it wasn't how I anticipated it to be.
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Grigoris
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

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Tenma wrote: Sat Jun 01, 2019 4:32 pmPardon, but why must baklava be so greasy? I just tried it for the first time and I must say, it wasn't how I anticipated it to be.
It is the melted butter which is spread between each layer of filo pastry, so that they do not stick together into a doughy clump.

What type of nut was in the baklava you ate?

The most common nut used in Greece is almond (my least favorite). Here on Lesbos there are an abundance of walnut trees in the area where my mother is from, so traditionally they use walnuts and plenty of clove and cinnamon. In Turkey they tend to make it with pistachio (my favorite).

If baklava is fresh it tends to be quite crispy. The longer it sits the more syrup it soaks up and the soggier it becomes.

The best baklava has plenty of honey in the syrup, rather than just sugar.

My mother also places some lemon peel and cinnamon stick in the syrup while boiling it, to add some flavor.
pistachio baklava.jpg
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"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Tenma
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Re: Nasreddīn Hodja

Post by Tenma »

Grigoris wrote: Sat Jun 01, 2019 5:41 pm
Tenma wrote: Sat Jun 01, 2019 4:32 pmPardon, but why must baklava be so greasy? I just tried it for the first time and I must say, it wasn't how I anticipated it to be.
It is the melted butter which is spread between each layer of filo pastry, so that they do not stick together into a doughy clump.

What type of nut was in the baklava you ate?

The most common nut used in Greece is almond (my least favorite). Here on Lesbos there are an abundance of walnut trees in the area where my mother is from, so traditionally they use walnuts and plenty of clove and cinnamon. In Turkey they tend to make it with pistachio (my favorite).

If baklava is fresh it tends to be quite crispy. The longer it sits the more syrup it soaks up and the soggier it becomes.

The best baklava has plenty of honey in the syrup, rather than just sugar.

My mother also places some lemon peel and cinnamon stick in the syrup while boiling it, to add some flavor.

pistachio baklava.jpg
Fascinating!

It was a pistachio baklava. The baklava I had was at a "Farmer's Market" near our local hospital at the booth of a Middle Eastern woman. The sign mentioned baklava and remembered this forum, so I gave it a try. Though seeing how you described the freshness vs. sogginess, I think that may have the case with my baklava being "greasy" and "wet."

Oh well, I shall see to a more "fresher" baklava. :anjali:
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