As the ‘Day of the Mother’ was recently celebrated in some parts of the world, the following post seems timely. It is a very personal, anonymous account told by a mureed close to Pir-o-Murshid Musharaff Khan, who is referred to in the anecdote as ‘Chacha’, meaning ‘Uncle,’ a respectful way of speaking of an elder in Indian culture. The story mentions ‘Taya’, also a respectful form of address, in this case indicating Pir-o-Murshid Ali Khan, who at one stage seemed destined for a career in opera. ‘Murshid’ here indicates Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Murshid and his brothers gave much importance to the attitude of children towards their parents. In Murshid’s books, in the Biography, and in many ways in the addresses of Chacha this subject is often explained. Respect is an attitude which is of great importance on the spiritual path. The parents are considered in Eastern education as the “first guru,” the school teacher as the second, and then comes the spiritual guru in the later age. But the first two gurus are a preparation for the third, the real spiritual guru.

It is quite natural that children should love their parents. And to love means to be considerate, as Murshid says: “The highest form of love is respect.” One day I remember there came a visitor to Chacha, and he declared that he had the intention to take such and such a decision in his life, though his very old father would not agree with it; he would accept an invitation to stay for many years with friends in another continent. And I felt clearly that Chacha was shocked, and also to me came the thought that this decision could easily wait for one or two years and probably in that time the father, who was about ninety years old, would leave the world, whereas if the decision was made now it could cause him much pain and be the cause of a sudden great disappointment which could give a tragic result.

Then, Chacha spoke about the blessing of the parents and how the parents sometimes had to suffer from their children and what a result could come out of their great suffering as a harm to the children.

Chacha then told the following story: When they all lived in England, Taya had a lady-teacher in singing. Among the other pupils there was a young singer who already had become very well known. Themas B*** was his name. He was the son of a coal trader, and he had a beautiful voice. His parents wrote to him often, saying that they wanted so much to see him, that they longed for their son who was making such a beautiful career. But he simply did not answer them. Finally the parents went to his teacher and entrusted to her their great wish to see their son again. She told this to her pupil, but he had become proud, and was ashamed of the fact that his parents were such simple people. He told the teacher, “My circumstances in life do not allow me to receive my parents.”

And here are the words with which Chacha ended the story: “And would you believe, within six months he lost his voice totally. The blessing of the parents has a greater value than all earthly treasures.”