Theos-Talk Archives (June 2001 Message tt00093)

Here is a story that K told in an informal setting. It is reported by 
Javier Gomez Rodriguez in the Link -Spring 1997. When I read the story I am 
reminded of the current attitude towards Death Penalty in the US.

An old thief called his three sons to his death bed to tell them in his 
last will. He asked them to promise that they would continue in their 
father's trade. They all swore they would, as was demanded of them. So they 
buried the old thief and they went about the highway robbing and killing as 
their father had done. One day, on entering the town after one of their 
forays, they saw a preacher in the middle of the square. They immediately 
stuck their fingers in their ears and walked on. As they were crossing the 
square, the youngest got a thorn in his foot. He unstopped his ears to take 
it out and heard the preacher say: "Don't Kill, Don't Rob!". They went on 
their way, but from then on the youngest spend his days robbing and killing 
while repeating to himself the words of the preacher.

Rodriguez comments that:

This was an illustration of the 'poison' the teachings themselves could 
become for people who heard but did not act on them, who turned them into 
an ideal to be achieved. And ideals are the essence of paralysis.

--xxx---