Who is Truly "The Fool"?

A man once made this bequest to his son: "Take these hundred gold pieces, my son. You are to give them to the biggest fool you meet." The man died, and the son set out to discharge his father's bequest. Whenever he saw somebody acting stupidly, he would approach him to check whether he had found a fool.

In the course of his search, he came one day to a palace, in front of which a crowd had gathered. bystander explained to him, "The Grand Vizier has displeased the Emperor. The executioner is going to behead him now, then the new Grand Vizier will be made to step over the dead body of his predecessor before being installed in his office." When asked the reason for this, he was told, "As an admonition to the incoming minister."

A moment later, they brought out a man in handcuffs. Ignoring his moans and groans, they forced him to his knees and cut off his head. The new minister witnessed this scene, then trod on the corpse of his executed predecessor to mount the Grand Vizier's throne of office. Everyone started congratulating the new minister. The young man mingled with the well-wishers. When he came in front of the Grand Vizier, he handed him the purse containing the gold pieces. "What is your motive in giving me this money?" "Please take it," said the youth. "It is a bequest of my late father's. Allow me to discharge my duty." The minister then asked, "Do you mean to tell me that your father's bequest was to give a hundred gold pieces to the Grand Vizier?" "No," replied the young man, "not to the Grand Vizier or minister. My father's bequest was to give money to a great fool. I have searched high and low, but--forgive me for saying so--I have not come across a greater fool thank you." "How do you know I am a fool?"the minister asked, angrily.

The young man explained: "I witnessed this ceremony with my own eyes. Your predecessor was beheaded just a short time ago, and you stepped over his body to mount this throne of office. The very same calamity could befall you tomorrow. One who saw this, yet took no warning from it, is not just any old fool; he is The Fool himself....the bequest is fulfilled."

- Sheikh Muzaffer

A FABLE

An alchemist came into the land in search of good.
He was not to usual sort of magic that turned lead into gold. Rather, he sought to make the unusual happen, so that people could fathom the extraordinary within the everyday and the unexpected where least predicted. If such could happen, the alchemist reasoned, maybe an appreciation of life could then grow within the people to recognize the less fortunate who had no sense of the unusual. No matter how far away, no matter how near.

His was a work of transformation.

But the times were dry. People were rushing about, self-consumed, seeking ease and contentment, and no one heard the alchemist's voice. Theirs was a world of the gigantic, the quick fix, the sure thing. Things were going from bad to worse. There was no small any more.

How could the alchemist change anything in a place so barren?
The alchemist began to figure that he must trust his gut. If there was no small, he must make the small. If there was no thinking, he must teach learning. If there was no one living the extraordinary, he must breed them. And he began to dream of catalysts, people of change. Why not form a small band of catalysts who would begin to knead and sow and dance and invent and play jazz and dare and dream. It was a crazy idea.
As soon as he realized the lunacy of it all, the alchemist was transformed.
And so they began.

- William Tate, AIA

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