30
PARABLES
For three years, the residents of the settlement listened to the wise men.
Each of the hundred defended his own theory as to how best to build a
temple for God and what to do in the temple each day. Each of the wise men
had his own theory. The residents of the settlement did not know which of
the hundred wise teachings to choose. In addition, how were they to do this
and not insult the wise men? So they decided, listening to them all, to build
all the temples. One per family. But there were ninety-nine families in that
village, and there were one hundred wise men. Hearing the decision of all
the residents, the wise men became upset. This meant someone would not
get a temple and someone would not receive offerings. They began to argue
among themselves as to which of the theories for worshiping God was the
most effective and to draw the settlement’s residents into their debate. The
debate heated up, and for the first time in many years the residents of the
village forgot about their time for communicating with God. They did not
gather in the glade as before on their appointed day.
Another three years passed. Around the settlement stood ninety-nine
magnificent temples, and only the huts no longer shone like new. Some of
the vegetables went unharvested, and worms began eating the fruits in the
orchard.
“All this is because you do not have a complete faith,” the wise men pro-
claimed in the different temples. “Bring more gifts to the temple, and wor-
ship God more diligently and more often.”
Only one wise man, the one left without a temple, on the sly told one and
then another, “You have done everything wrong, people. All the temples you
have built are of the wrong construction, and you are worshiping in the
temples incorrectly, uttering the wrong words in your prayers. I alone can
teach you how you can communicate with God every day.”
As soon as he was able to convince someone, a new temple rose up, while
one of the existing ones immediately fell into decay. Once again, the one
wise man who was left without offerings secretly tried to defame the others
before the people. Quite a few years passed. One day, the people re-
membered their former gatherings on the glade where they heard God’s
voice. Once again they gathered in the glade and began asking questions in
