The townsman's attitude is standard: I. A sense of insecurity 2. Quest for reassurance 3. Lack of thoughtfulness and sensitivity to others 4. Presumptuousness and obtrusiveness, and so on. If Nasrudin had granted the townsman's request, he would have added to his callousness and insensitivity. But by not doing so, the wise Nasrudin ensures that he does not become a crutch for his devotee and end up adding to his dependence on him. Thus, the story is not just about seeing the positive in a negative but has deeper meaning and significance. If one needs a material object to remind them of their object of love, that is no love at all. Secondly, the story also challenges us to accept a seemingly negative development in our life gracefully--with complete surrender.
On Aug 3, 2023 Hareshwar wrote :