Nasrudin
Nasrudin (a wide variation on transcriptions exists) is a whimsical character of a large arabic folk tradition of vignettes, not entirely different from zen koans.Some mystic traditions use jokes, stories and poetry to express certain ideas. Allowing the bypassing of the normal discriminative thought patterns. The rationality that confines and objectifies the thinking process is the opposite to the intuitive, gestalt mentality that the mystic is attempting to engage, enter and retain.
By developing a series of impacts that reinforce certain key ideas, the rational mind is occupied with a surface meaning whilst other concepts are introduced. Thus paradox, unexpectedness, and alternatives to convention are all expressed.
That is what makes people laugh at the tales of Hodja Nasrudin.
An example:
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