Why We Are Here

Mulla Nasrudin is an international folk hero of timeless appeal. His character is portrayed in many different guises. Sometimes he is the fool, sometimes the sage; he may be a courtier or a judge, a beggar or a physician. His stories have a timeless quality which may be studied for their hidden wisdom or simply enjoyed for their humour, but they remain a delight to the reader.

The following anecdote, taken from The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin by Idries Shah suggests a light-hearted explanation of karma.

Walking one evening along a deserted road, Mulla Nasrudin saw a troop of horsemen coming towards him. His imagination started to work; he saw himself captured and sold as a slave, or impressed into the army.
Nasrudin bolted, climbed a wall into a graveyard, and lay down in an open tomb.
Puzzled at his strange behaviour, the men − honest travellers − followed him.
They found him stretched out, tense and quivering.
‘What are you doing in that grave? We saw you run away. Can we help you?’
Just because you can ask a question does not mean that there is a straightforward answer to it,’ said the Mulla, who now realized what had happened. ‘It all depends upon your viewpoint. If you must know, however: I am here because of you, and you are here because of me.’