In this tale from Farid al-Din Attar's Elahi Nameh, a man who spent his life practicing outward detachment (tajrid) in the desert without any provisions is eventually seen harboring and smelling a small piece of bread. He admits that his prior asceticism was based on self-delusion (pendar) and pride (ghurur). Attar uses this parable to demonstrate that true spiritual detachment is an internal state, warning that outward renunciation can mask lingering attachments and ego.