Idries Shah Quotes

Quotes about:

• Enlightenment must come little by little - otherwise it would overwhelm.

  Idries Shah

  Spiritual, Enlightenment, Littles

  Idries Shah (1999). “The Sufis”, p.124, Octagon Press Ltd

  51 Copy quote

• Knowledge is not gained, it is there all the time. It is the "veils" which have to be dissolved in the mind.

  Idries Shah

  Mind, Veils

  Idries Shah (2002). “Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study”, p.39, Octagon Press Ltd

  31 Copy quote

• Opinion is usually something which people have when they lack comprehensive information.

  Idries Shah

  People, Information, Opinion

  Idries Shah (2015). “Reflections”, p.54, ISF Publishing

  23 Copy quote

• When you realize the difference between the container and the content, you will have knowledge.

  Idries Shah

  Differences, Realizing, Containers

  Idries Shah (2016). “The Book of the Book”, p.15, ISF Publishing

  9 Copy quote

• The word 'choice' is a fraud while people choose only what they have been taught to choose.

  Idries Shah

  People, Choices, Taught

  Idries Shah (1983). “Reflections”, p.22, Octagon Press Ltd

  48 Copy quote

• The Sufi way is through knowledge and practice, not through intellect and talk.

  Idries Shah

  Practice, Way, Sufi

  Idries Shah (1990). “Sufi Thought and Action”, p.4, Octagon Press Ltd

  18 Copy quote

• Trying to force something is the best way to stop it happening.

  Idries Shah

  Trying, Way, Force

  Idries Shah (1997). “The Commanding Self”, p.39, Octagon Press Ltd

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• Knowledge is something which you can use. Belief is something which uses you.

  Idries Shah

  Use, Belief

  Idries Shah (1983). “Reflections”, p.125, Octagon Press Ltd

  14 Copy quote

• Materialism, attachment to things of the world, includes pride. Many religious people suffer from pride: taking pleasure or even delight in being good, or religious.

  Idries Shah

  Religious, Pride, Attachment

  Idries Shah (1990). “Sufi Thought and Action”, p.3, Octagon Press Ltd

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• The chicken had his wish, and was magically transformed into a fox. Then he found that he could not digest grain.

  Idries Shah

  Wish, Foxes, Chickens

  Idries Shah (1991). “The Magic Monastery: Analogical and Action Philosophy of the Middle East and Central Asia”, p.167, Octagon Press Ltd

  13 Copy quote

• Man (and woman) has an infinite capacity for self-development. Equally, he has an infinite capacity for self-destruction. A human being may be clinically alive and yet, despite all appearances, spiritually dead.

  Idries Shah

  Men, Self, Alive

  22 Copy quote

• If, from time to time, you give up expectation, you will be able to perceive what it is you are getting.

  Idries Shah

  Giving Up, Expectations, Able

  Idries Shah (1983). “Reflections”, p.141, Octagon Press Ltd

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• Right time, right place, right people equals success. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong people equals most of the real human history.

  Idries Shah

  Real, People, Right Time

  Idries Shah (1983). “Reflections”, p.82, Octagon Press Ltd

  15 Copy quote

• The Path is not to be found anywhere except in human service

  Idries Shah

  Path, Found, Human Service

  Idries Shah (1991). “Seeker After Truth”, p.34, Octagon Press Ltd

  5 Copy quote

• Have you noticed how many people who walk in the shade curse the Sun?

  Idries Shah

  Healing, People, Teens

  Idries Shah (1983). “Reflections”, p.125, Octagon Press Ltd

  16 Copy quote

• If you want to make an ordinary man happy, or think that he is happy, give him money, power, flattery, gifts, honours. If you want to make a wise man happy - improve yourself!

  Idries Shah

  Wise, Men, Thinking

  Idries Shah (1983). “Reflections”, p.28, Octagon Press Ltd

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• When prayer, rituals and ascetic life are just a means of self-indulgence, they are harmful rather than beneficial. This is quite obvious to people nowadays, when it is widely recognised that fixations are not the same as valuable and laudable observances. One should not pray if that prayer is vanity; rituals are wrong when they provide lower satisfactions, like emotional stimulus instead of enlightenment; he or she should not be an ascetic who is only enjoying it.

  Idries Shah

  Prayer, Mean, Emotional

  Idries Shah (1991). “Seeker After Truth”, p.22, Octagon Press Ltd

  4 Copy quote

• People used to play with toys. Now the toys play with them.

  Idries Shah

  Play, People, Toys

  Idries Shah (1983). “Reflections”, p.145, Octagon Press Ltd

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• A motto of the human race: Let me do what I like, and give me approval as well.

  Idries Shah

  Race, Giving, Approval

  "Reflections".

  15 Copy quote

• When Fortune knocks, open the door,' they say. But why should one make fortune knock, by keeping the door shut?

  Idries Shah

  Doors, Should, Fortune

  Idries Shah (1988). “Caravan of Dreams”, p.220, Octagon Press Ltd

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• When tomorrow comes, think tomorrow's thoughts.

  Idries Shah

  Thinking, Tomorrow

  Idries Shah (2016). “The Dermis Probe”, p.85, ISF Publishing

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• You must empty out the dirty water before you fill the pitcher with clean.

  Idries Shah

  Dirty, Water, Empty

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• Meditation - Before you learn how to meditate, you must unlearn what you think meditation might be.

  Idries Shah

  Thinking, Meditation, Might

  Idries Shah (1988). “Caravan of Dreams”, p.229, Octagon Press Ltd

  18 Copy quote

• To 'see both sides' of a problem is the surest way to prevent its complete solution. Because there are always more than two sides.

  Idries Shah

  Two Sides, Way, Problem

  Idries Shah (1983). “Reflections”, p.58, Octagon Press Ltd

  8 Copy quote

• You are adrift while you still think that a means is an end.

  Idries Shah

  Mean, Thinking, Adrift

  "If one says “Red” (the name ofa color) and there are 50 people listening, it can be expected that there will be 50 reds in their minds. And one can be sure that all these reds will be very different".

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