A man is walking home late one night when he sees an anxious Mulla Nasrudin down on all fours, crawling on his hands and knees on the road, searching frantically under a street light for something on the ground.
“Mulla, what have you lost?”, the passer-by asks.
“I am searching for the key to my house”, Nasrudin says worriedly.
“I’ll help you search for your key”, the man says and joins Mulla Nasrudin in the search.
Soon both men are down on their knees under the streetlight, looking for the lost key.
After some time, the man asks Nasrudin,
“Tell me Mulla, do you remember where exactly did you drop the key?”
Nasrudin waves his arm back toward the darkness and says,
“Over there, in my house. I lost the key inside my house…”
Shocked and exasperated, the passer-by jumps up and shouts at Mulla Nasrudin,
“Then why are you searching for the key out here in the street?”
“Because there is more light here than inside my house”,
Mulla Nasrudin answers nonchalantly.»
Instead of searching for the place where it is, they wander all around in places where it is not.
This story is symbolic, highlighting the human tendency to search for answers and solutions outside of ourselves, rather than within. The key to happiness, freedom, and peace is often sought in external sources, such as power, success, relationships, or wealth. However, true fulfillment can only be found by looking within and acknowledging the light that is already present within us.
Key Takeaways
- Mulla Nasrudin’s story illustrates the importance of self-reflection and introspection.
- The story highlights the human tendency to seek external solutions rather than looking within.
- The key to happiness and fulfillment is often found within, rather than outside of ourselves.
Finding god in wrong places
This story also signifies that the man is searching for God and purpose in wrong places. The God who is within ourselves and within everyone, the man searches for in temples, mosques, and holy places.
When a man starts looking within himself, all crimes and hate would stop, and the world would become a peaceful place to live, because he will see God in everyone and everywhere, and he would not be able to do anything wrong to anyone.
The religious conflicts would stop as people will see that the same God resides in everyone. Because man is looking for God outside, he has created different gods and is fighting among themselves to prove that their god is better than others.
Even if we try to look outside, all religions are created from Vedas, and all languages from Sanskrit. Even looking outside, there is not much difference.
How to look inside?
- The easiest way is to find a true guru/Satguru. He will awaken our consciousness and will connect us to the higher supreme power. After that, we will start understanding what’s happening inside us, from where and how we are getting thoughts and emotions, and how to control them.
- Become an observer and start seeing from where the thoughts and emotions are coming. Understand the role of atma/soul, Mind and body. Learn how the mind works. Start doing pranayama deep breathing practices, and slowly, after observing minute details happening in the conscious mind, you will start seeing how the whole world is interconnected and how the world works.
References
- https://lettersfromporttransience.blogspot.com/2018/08/lost-key-story-of-mulla-nasrudin.html
- https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/the-lost-key-a-mulla-nasrudin-story