The Masnavi Flashcards
What is “The Counsels of the Bird”?
It is from the Masnavi
The bird’s three counsels are:
“Believe not foolish assertions of anyone.”
“Do not grieve for what is past; When a thing is done, vex yourself not about it.”
and, arguably, “To give counsel to a sleepy ignoramus…Torn garments of folly and ignorance cannot be patched. O counselors, waste not the seed of counsel on them!”
What is “The Marks of the Wise Man, of the Half Wise, and of the Fool”?
It is from the Masnavi
It is about how the wise man leads himself and others, the half wise is not yet wise enough to “carry his own torch” but is wise enough to follow the people with “the torch”, and the fool is not nearly wise enough to lead others and is still too stupid to realize he must follow the wise