Parable of Reason

The Parable of Seeing Reason

By Roy D. Follendore III

February 13, 2003

Once there was an old and wise university teacher named Asom who lived in a kingdom that was ruled by a unfair and violent king. Every student wanted to be taught by this professor because he had the ability to see and speak only the truth. They would come from far off lands to hear him speak. They would sleep by his door during the cold winters just in case he might say something. He had one "first student" who was particularly dedicated to the old man.

One day the king came to the university to hear the teacher say something wise. Of course the old teacher noticed the king and his entourage in his class and chose to speak about the importance of rulers. Before the lesson the King stood and asked a question.

"Teacher, I command you to tell me what it is that you see that makes my kingdom so powerful."

The old wise teacher was fearful of his answer but he could only speak the truth as he saw it.

"I can see that a kingdom to be powerful its king must be both fair minded and even handed."

The King was of course angered and publicly humiliated by the teachers words. He ordered his guards to seize the old teacher. He then ordered that the teachers eyes be removed in front of his class so that he would never again be able to see or say such treasonous things again. The eyes of the old teacher were then removed with a spoon and put into a glass jar so that all of the university students could see what would happen to them.

The next week, while still recovering from the Kings terrible torture, old Asom was helped into his classroom by his first student. The room was quiet but there were even more students who wanted to attend the class. A single student then rose and asked the one question that everyone in the class wanted to know.

What is it that you can see to teach us without your eyes?

The old professor smiled and said, "I now clearly see the reason for light."

The class remained silent for about ten long seconds and then broke into applause.

Old Asom continued teaching for many years and he eventually became even more famous after he died. The professors first student eventually became a wise teacher himself, he wrote about the event and kept his teachers memory alive for centuries after the kingdom was gone. The angry King was overthrown and except for this story his name was never to be remembered.

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