Once upon a
time.. there was a rich King who had four 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, and she would
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. 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
wondered, "I now have four 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
lightning, 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 as 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 will 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 (or mind), 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.
When the
world pushes you to your knees.. You're in
the perfect position to pray.
-- Author Unknown
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