A certain person may have, as you say, a wonderful presence; I do not know. What I do know is that he has a perfectly delightful absence.
Idries ShahEffort makes some great men famous. Even greater effort enables other great men to remain unknown.
Idries ShahEnemies are often former or potential friends who have been denied - or think that they have been denied - something.
Idries ShahIf 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 ShahThe main problem is that most commentators are accustomed to thinking of spiritual schools as 'systems', which are more or less alike, and which depend upon dogma and ritual: and especially upon repetition and the application of continual and standardised pressures upon their followers.The Sufi way, except in degenerate forms which are not to be classified as Sufic, is entirely different from this.
Idries Shah