The parable of the Sadhu is the story of the dilemmas faced by Mr.

McCoy, who is
a managing director of Morgan Stanley& Co. Inc and President of Morgan Stanley
Realty. The story revolves around his experiences during a trek in Nepal (while on
a six month sabbatical from work) and the reflections of these experiences in the
corporate world.
Mr McCoy, accompanies by a westerner, an anthropologist by the name Stephen,
spend the first 3 months travelling across various villages in Nepal and climbing
some 120,000 vertical feet. Halfway through the 60 day trip, they reach a pass,
an 18000 foot pass over a crest that theyd have to cross to reach Muklinath, a
Hindu pilgrimage site. Mr McCoy, having suffered altitude illness in the past is
sceptical about crossing the stretch in the bleak weather conditions.
At 15,500 feet, they come across an almost naked, barefooted Sadhu, who looks
as if he is almost dead. Both, Mr McCoy and Stephen try to help the Sadhu
initially, but as time passes, they diverge on whether it is their responsibility to
ensure that the Sadhu survives the ordeal or whether their responsibility ends
with providing him the means of survival. Along with them, there are people from
New Zealand, Switzerland and Japan, who continue on the trek without being
concerned about the Sadhus survival. The travellers from New Zealand actually
consider that by bringing the Sadhu down to the basecamp, theyve fulfilled their
responsibility. The Sherpas too insist that they must carry on with the trek as the
weather conditions at such high altitudes arent reliable and deviating from the
schedule could cause problems. Stephen however is of the opinion that they
should make sure that the Sadhu reaches a safe place where he can be taken
care of, before they continue on their voyage.
Mr. McCoys rejection of his proposal leaves Stephen dejected and he questions if
McCoy and the other travellers would have reacted in the same manner had they
come across an almost dead member of their own community. Stephens opinion
is that the responsibility of the group isnt restricted to giving the Sadhu the aids
to survival but also would end only when
The Sadhu had died while they are caring for him
The Sadhu had demonstrated that he was okay
They had carried the Sadhu to a village and arranged proper care for him.
McCoy, however, was of the opinion that the responsibility of the group was
restricted to giving the Sadhu the means to recover because
High adrenaline flow at such an altitude
A goal that didn't allow for any variation (sudden changes of plan could be
deadly in such an environment)
A once in a lifetime opportunity (to summit the mountain).
Years later, Mr McCoy reflects on the incident and analyses the conflict between
the individual ethics and the group ethics. He analyses how in a lot of situations,
prompt reply is necessary and the situations have to be solved without seeking
any experts interventions. He identifies that in corporate situations, shared
values and mission among the group members and the presence of a leader are
vital, as these can drive the group towards consensus within the given time
period. Such values, missions and visions need not be engraved somewhere but
it is vital that everyone is aware of the underlying current. This can be achieved

through stories, legends, achievements which must be communicated in a way

to make sure that the essence of the message remains intact. The presence of
this business ethics is important as it is a unifying bond in the diverse
organisation. What is also important is the ability to identify the various ethical
dilemmas, recognising them and acting according to the values and ethics. He
recognises that the pressure form group members in most situations force an
employee to act against his sense of personal ethics. But he insists that in such
situations too, one must stand strong by his values as only those individuals who
have a thoughtful set of values can further strengthen the corporate value
systems.