Maulana Rumi was a great savant (scholar) of his time. He could give good speeches and discourses. When he traveled from place to place, the books of his learned lore were packed and carried on camelback. Everywhere, he was accorded the highest honors. Shams-e-Tabriz, on the other hand, was quite naked. One day, they encountered each other and Shams threw all Rumi’s books in a well. Rumi was furious with him, but Shams explained that all his books, including the Koran, were like dry bones for a dog! “Until now,” he said, “you have been chewing only the bones; it is time you tasted the brain!”
Rumi was greatly upset, and so Shams had all the books drawn out of the well. They were completely dry! This amazed Rumi, and Shams said, “As long as Rumi does not become the slave of Shams, he will learn nothing!” Henceforth, Rumi became his Master’s slave, and Shams eventually made him God-Realized.
Baba ended by saying, “Become men of Experience, and for that be like the dust at the Master’s feet.”
www.lordmeher.org, p3347)