In Fariduddin Attar's 'Asrar Nameh' (The Book of Secrets), the tale of the wise man and the donkey driver (kharbandeh) serves as a profound allegory for spiritual awakening and detachment from worldly distractions. When the driver tells a wise old man that his only occupation is tending to donkeys, the wise man prays for the donkey to die. He explains that as long as the man is entirely preoccupied with his beast of burden, he remains merely a 'servant of the donkey' (khar-bandeh). Only with the death of the donkey—symbolizing the removal of worldly attachments and superficial concerns—will his heart become alive, allowing him to truly become a servant of God. The story underscores the Sufi principle that material preoccupations often hinder genuine spiritual devotion.