Bayazid of Bastam was a seeker.
He lived a long life and, when he was seventy-four, someone asked how old he was.
Bayazid replied, "I'm four years old now! For seventy years, I was hidden behind veils. I found myself only four years ago."
When Bayazid was a young man, a stranger came to Bastam looking for him. People directed the stranger to Bayazid's house. He knocked at the door, and Bayazid answered.
"I'm looking for Bayazid," the stranger said.
"I'm looking for him too!" replied Bayazid. "I've been looking for over thirty years, and I still haven't found him."
Inspired by: Sacred Laughter of the Sufis by Imam Jamal Rahman
Notes: This story is on p. 3 of the book. Rahman only tells the story of the young Bayazid. I added the other famous anecdote about Bayazid; it even appears in the Wikipedia article about him.
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