Parables of Rama

by Swami Rama Tirtha | 102,836 words

Stories in English used by Swami Rama to illustrate the highest teaching of Vedanta. The most difficult and intricate problems of philosophy and abstract truths, which may very well tax the brains of the most intellectual, are thus made not only simple and easy to understand but also brought home to us in a concrete form in such an interesting and ...

Story 55 - Practice of Half Truth

Al Koran Practised in Part

A Mohammedan gentleman was seen drinking wine and running after the pleasures of the flesh, enjoying carnal desires. A Mohammedan priest came up to him, and admonishing him told him not to do so because he was infringing the rules laid down by their prophet; and then this man, this drunkard, at once recited the first of the verse in the Al Koran, and said, "Look here. The Al Koran says *Drink ye and make merry and give ye yourselves up to sensuality.' Here is the exact reading in the Al Koran, our Scriptures, our Bible. The Al Koran, holy Scriptures enjoined drinking and sensuality. Why should they not?"

Then the priest said, "Brother, brother, what are you going to do? Read the succeeding part also, 'Ye shall work your own ruin.' (This was the second part of the verse). Read the second part too." The drunkard replied, "There is not a man on the face of the earth who could put into practice the whole of the Al Koran. Let me put into practice this part. Nobody is expected or supposed to put in practice all the teachings in the Bible. Some can put into practice only a small fraction, and some a larger fraction; that is all. The whole of it nobody puts into practice, so why do you expect me to put into practice the whole of the verse? Let me enjoy the first part of the verse."

The logic or philosophy of that Mohammedan drunkard ought not to be employed; the whole of the verse should be read, then the conclusion drawn, not before that.

MORAL: Practice of half truth is misleading and ruinous.

Vol. 1 (322-323)

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