Allegory II

Night of March 15

A man once founded a large business with many branches and departments and every now and then he sent one of his sons to visit a branch or department. And each son would do his work faithfully, rewarding the competent, encouraging the backward and bringing peace and harmony wherever he went.

Time past and the sons were no more. Then the business did not prosper. Each   department or branch thought itself most important and would not cooperate with the other branches. The Sales Department listened not to the Production Department and the Purchasing Department listened not to the Accounting Department nor would the Chicago Branch cooperate with the San Francisco branch.

Now one of these sons had a son, and when this son saw how affairs were going he visited each one. And he found that the departments and branched still revered the memory of his father and uncles, but had forgotten their admonitions and considered that the brother that had visited them was superior to the other brothers. Then this one said. “They were brothers, my father and my uncles and all wanted to carry out the wishes of my grandsire, list and see if their instructions were not the same. “But they would not, even though the business was not prospering. And though the new head of the firm tried hard, so bitter was the opposition and so hard was his struggles that he died.

And when he had died, all saw how good he was, and that if conditions were bad, they might take his advise, though he had gone. And this they did and the business prospered exceedingly thereafter. And him whom they ignored in life they honored in death.

(Must this be with thee, o Pir-o-Murshid!)