It is reported that, on one occasion, a distraught woman came to the Mullah in desperation over her son’s deteriorating condition, who was/ seemed on the verge of suicide. The Mullah talked to the young man briefly and then sat with with the mother, suffering, passive in for a period of time, in silence, as though mulling the serious situation and available alternatives. Then he rose and told the youngster and his mother that the situation required furthe thought and time and perhaps he might receive some clues during a dream that night.He instructed the boy to get plenty of rest during the night, but not sleep, as much as possible.( insomnia had been one of the problems ), and to be ready for a task that would be assigned to him the following day ).
That day came and went, without the young man or his mother showing up. They did show up the following week and the Mullah,fearful about their motivation, yet concerned about them not coming in, he assigned some trivial and irrelevant sounding homework, duly admonishing the youngster,stressing repeatedly the seriousness of the situation.Several weeks later the mother came in, explaining that the man was at work and did not feel he needed to come, for some reason was even upset about the mother’s repeated insistence on seeing the Mullah, even deriding the latter! Who needs such an ignoramus!
What serious task had been assigned to him, that resulted in this ,for the mother, at least, a good outcome?