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Observations
According to the Sufis, human faculties, although perceptive, are like a radio set, which can receive only certain electromagnetic waves and not other parts of this band.
The inability to transcend the barrier of limited senses explains human subjectivity. The Sufis assert that through familiarization with concepts, patterns of thought, and ideas that form part of their contemporary literature, one can learn to penetrate beyond this apparent reality.
In this book, the reader will experience the unique quality of this material.
Shah’s Observations is a fine example of the lucidity and humor prevalent throughout his more than 30 published works. Each observation is a gem of wisdom that can be returned to again and again for more insight.
The inability to transcend the barrier of limited senses explains human subjectivity. The Sufis assert that through familiarization with concepts, patterns of thought, and ideas that form part of their contemporary literature, one can learn to penetrate beyond this apparent reality.
In this book, the reader will experience the unique quality of this material.
Shah’s Observations is a fine example of the lucidity and humor prevalent throughout his more than 30 published works. Each observation is a gem of wisdom that can be returned to again and again for more insight.
186 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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65 people want to read
About the author
Idries Shah
242 books423 followersIdries Shah (Persian: ادریس شاه), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي), was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.
Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.
In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.
Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.
Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."
Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim
Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.
In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.
Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.
Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."
Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 8, 2020
Idries Shah’s little book of Observations flashes with insight, clear thinking and humour. Each observation entices us to think, question and think again. Sufis hold that familiarizing ourselves with the concepts, ideas and thought patterns within their current literature, can help us learn to transcend our apparent realities. In the meantime, here are a few samples:
Words, they say, are the food of minds. But, like other foods, they can do little by themselves.
Self-deception is always very near under two sets of circumstances:
1. When you feel that you are right; 2. When you feel that you are wrong.
It is your duty to do your best. It is not, however, your birthright to prevail.
People are always asking why they do not make more progress in their inward studies. The answer is simple for the detached observer. You cannot keep a crow and corn in the same field, when the crow is hungry, and the corn is sparse.
Words, they say, are the food of minds. But, like other foods, they can do little by themselves.
Self-deception is always very near under two sets of circumstances:
1. When you feel that you are right; 2. When you feel that you are wrong.
It is your duty to do your best. It is not, however, your birthright to prevail.
People are always asking why they do not make more progress in their inward studies. The answer is simple for the detached observer. You cannot keep a crow and corn in the same field, when the crow is hungry, and the corn is sparse.
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February 11, 2020'People are always asking why they do not make more progress in their inward studies. The answer is simple for the detached observer.
You can't keep a crow and corn in the same field when the crow is hungry and the corn is sparse.'
There is a new edition. I chose the above observation at random. It happens to be one I have long overlooked. The observations repay thought; repay observation.
You can't keep a crow and corn in the same field when the crow is hungry and the corn is sparse.'
There is a new edition. I chose the above observation at random. It happens to be one I have long overlooked. The observations repay thought; repay observation.
January 27, 2021
A Short and Sweet Introduction to Sufism
Sometimes when people ask which of Idries Shah's books they should read first, they get told The Sufis. I think I understand why: it's an extraordinary and comprehensive book, and its points are convincing and impressive, but for some readers its length and scholarly tone might make it daunting or hard to get through, despite the fact that this tone is broken up with a wide variety of formats, including humor and short stories. I think it is an important book to read if you are really interested in learning everything you can about Sufism, but if you're at a place where you're just more curious than convinced or maybe are wondering, "Is Sufism right for me?" a shorter volume that gives you a taste of this unusual way of seeing the world without the large amount of convincing detail might work better.
Don't get me wrong, The Sufis is a wonderful and fascinating book, and very important for everyone interested in this subject to read, but maybe for some it shouldn't be the first thing they read. Instead, they might find this tiny pamphlet, Observations, a good starting point. Instead of providing a detailed history of this way of living or describing and quoting the most important exemplars of its knowledge, Observations contains a short collection of sayings and stories from Idries Shah that were collected by others, possibly students of his. This collection will, for some, make a great first introduction to Shah's work because it conveys the "flavor" of Sufism—it's feel, style and impact—without all of the impressive but possibly overwhelming historic details. After reading it, if you like what you've read and have a desire to read morem, you can jump to any one of many other books by Shah, including The Sufis, if you're ready for the bigger picture the background provides.
As a tiny example of what this "flavor" (or, as some describe it, its "impact") feels like, one can do much worse than read the first excerpt:
"Someone says that I haven't taught him anything that he can remember. He can't understand yet that that's precisely what I am aiming at..."
Besides being amusing, it is very interesting to ponder its literal meaning. These multiple meaning of simple statements are part of the Sufic flavor. This puts some people off, particularly those who like a statement to have only one perfectly clear meaning. But for others, you may find that once you have experienced a small taste of this style, you might appreciate its refreshing newness (no one else besides the Sufis write in this way successfully, continuously, and very cleverly) and want to sample a little more.
While I think it's best to read books like this in paper form, preferably a new copy that hasn't been tainted by the small smudges, folds, and other slight reading marks another person makes on a book that might influence one's own reading of it, this pamphlet (and all of Idries Shah's books) are available online at the Idries Shah Foundation website, where they can be read there for free as well as purchased. Most of these volumes, except for a few rare, scanned manuscripts, are entirely free of reading marks.
PS: I don't know if you care, but the green cover shown on this website is older, from the original pamphlet. It now has a new, blue cover with a cool design! Maybe Goodreads has it too: you could try clicking the "Change edition" link, above.
Sometimes when people ask which of Idries Shah's books they should read first, they get told The Sufis. I think I understand why: it's an extraordinary and comprehensive book, and its points are convincing and impressive, but for some readers its length and scholarly tone might make it daunting or hard to get through, despite the fact that this tone is broken up with a wide variety of formats, including humor and short stories. I think it is an important book to read if you are really interested in learning everything you can about Sufism, but if you're at a place where you're just more curious than convinced or maybe are wondering, "Is Sufism right for me?" a shorter volume that gives you a taste of this unusual way of seeing the world without the large amount of convincing detail might work better.
Don't get me wrong, The Sufis is a wonderful and fascinating book, and very important for everyone interested in this subject to read, but maybe for some it shouldn't be the first thing they read. Instead, they might find this tiny pamphlet, Observations, a good starting point. Instead of providing a detailed history of this way of living or describing and quoting the most important exemplars of its knowledge, Observations contains a short collection of sayings and stories from Idries Shah that were collected by others, possibly students of his. This collection will, for some, make a great first introduction to Shah's work because it conveys the "flavor" of Sufism—it's feel, style and impact—without all of the impressive but possibly overwhelming historic details. After reading it, if you like what you've read and have a desire to read morem, you can jump to any one of many other books by Shah, including The Sufis, if you're ready for the bigger picture the background provides.
As a tiny example of what this "flavor" (or, as some describe it, its "impact") feels like, one can do much worse than read the first excerpt:
"Someone says that I haven't taught him anything that he can remember. He can't understand yet that that's precisely what I am aiming at..."
Besides being amusing, it is very interesting to ponder its literal meaning. These multiple meaning of simple statements are part of the Sufic flavor. This puts some people off, particularly those who like a statement to have only one perfectly clear meaning. But for others, you may find that once you have experienced a small taste of this style, you might appreciate its refreshing newness (no one else besides the Sufis write in this way successfully, continuously, and very cleverly) and want to sample a little more.
While I think it's best to read books like this in paper form, preferably a new copy that hasn't been tainted by the small smudges, folds, and other slight reading marks another person makes on a book that might influence one's own reading of it, this pamphlet (and all of Idries Shah's books) are available online at the Idries Shah Foundation website, where they can be read there for free as well as purchased. Most of these volumes, except for a few rare, scanned manuscripts, are entirely free of reading marks.
PS: I don't know if you care, but the green cover shown on this website is older, from the original pamphlet. It now has a new, blue cover with a cool design! Maybe Goodreads has it too: you could try clicking the "Change edition" link, above.
June 30, 2020
A packet of concentrated observations to tantalise your taste buds and stimulate your thought juices.
June 8, 2024
People are always asking why they do not make more progress in their inward studies. The answer is simple for the detached observer. 'You can't keep a crow and corn in the same field when the crow is hungry and the corn is sparse.' I chose the above observation at random. It happens to be one I have long overlooked. The observations repay thought. Repay observation.The new edition can be found on the ISF site and there is a free read offer. Observtions that repay observation. Yes well... irresistible. Current favourites: I D R I E S S H A H 102 How sad that only hindsight proves the truth of aphorisms which one found it hard to accept many years ago.For instance what a teacher told me over thirty years ago: ‘Try to understand. If you cannot make progress in this, then obey. If you cannot obey, forget metaphysics altogether, for there is no alternative to either of these paths.’ I D R I E S S H A H 104 Anyone who says or writes anything which seems to conflict with the true or false beliefs of a community or any part of it deliberately accepts the risk of beinmisunderstood and vilified and perhaps punished. People are widely held to have the right to attack what they dislike. We have not yet, however, reached the stage where it is required that people understand (though they purport to describe) the roots of liking and of disliking.
September 2, 2008
This multi-level book contains some of Shah's aphorisms, collected by his students. The best way to give you its flavor is to reproduce one of the aphorisms:
If you want to nourish your stupidity, try a little avarice.
If you want to nourish your stupidity, try a little avarice.
October 25, 2020
Every time I reread any of Idries Shahs books I continue to find new things that somehow escaped me on the first reading.
Thankfully his books are more accessible then ever, even free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Thankfully his books are more accessible then ever, even free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews