FACTS OF LIFE,
BITTER BUT TRUE
Once upon a time...
There was a rich King who had 4 wives.
He loved the
4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest
of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing
her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would
leave him for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was
his confidante and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever
the King faced a problem, he could confide in her to help him get through the
difficult times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal
partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom.
However, he did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he
hardly took notice of her.
One day, the King fell ill and he
knew his time was short.
He thought of his luxurious life and
pondered, "I now have 4 wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.
Thus, he asked the 4th
wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and
showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me
company?"
"No way!" replied the 4th wife and
she walked away without another word.
Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his
heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife,
"I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep
me company?"
"No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is
too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!"
His heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have
always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die,
will you follow me and keep me company?"
"I'm sorry, I can't help you out this
time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your
grave."
Her answer came like a bolt of
thunder and the King was devastated.
Then a voice called
out:
"I'll leave with you
and follow you no matter where you go." The King looked up and there was his
first wife. She was so skinny, she suffered from malnutrition.
Greatly grieved, the King
said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"
In Truth, we all have 4
wives in our lives ...
Our 4th
wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look
good, it'll leave us when we die.
Our 3rd wife is our possessions,
status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and
friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can
stay by us is up to the grave.
And our 1st wife is our Soul,
often neglected in pursuit of wealth,
power and pleasures of the ego. However, our Soul is the only thing that
will follow us wherever we go.
So cultivate, strengthen and cherish
it now! It is your greatest gift to offer the world. Let it Shine!
|
|