Thanks to Rathnakar Raghunath
Once a king called upon all his wise men and asked them "Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstance, in every place and in every time? Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?" All the wise men were puzzled by the king’s question. One answer for all questions? Something that works everywhere in every situation? In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought.
After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him a piece of paper. But the condition was that the king should not look at it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way out, should he see it. The King put the paper under his diamond ring.
After a few days, its neighbours attacked the kingdom. The King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. The King had to flee on his horse. His enemies followed him. The horse was taking him deeper into the jungle and the sound of hooves was getting closer. Suddenly the king found himself standing at the end of the path. Below him was a rocky valley a thousand feet deep. If he jumped, he would be finished .But returning through the narrow path was impossible. The sound of enemy horses was getting louder . The King became restless. There seemed to be no way.
Then he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was small but great. It said, "This too will pass."
The King read it. Again and again .Suddenly something struck him- Yes! This too will pass.
A few days ago I was the ruler of a mighty kingdom. Yet today, I have lost everything. However, as those days of luxury have passed, this danger will pass. His face regained its calm.
He looked around him. He had never known that such a beautiful place was a part of his kingdom. The message had a great effect on him. He forgot about those following him.
After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses was receding. They had moved to some other part of the mountains .The brave king reorganized his army and fought back. He defeated the enemy and regained his lost empire. When he returned to his empire , he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. His subjects sang and danced on the streets. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being showered on the King from every house, from every corner. For a moment the King said to himself," I am one of the bravest and greatest Kings. It is not easy to defeat me..:
In the glory of the moment , he felt ego emerging in him. Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He opened it and read it again: "This too will pass" . He became silent. So did the egotist in him.
If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a spectator . Everything passes by. We are a witness to all of this. We are the perceiver. Life comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes.
Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life.. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent? They all come and pass . Life just passes away. There were friends in the past.
They have gone. There are friends today. They too will go. There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go. There were enemies in the past. They have gone. There may be enemies in the present. They too will go. There will be new enemies tomorrow and they too will go.
nothing is permanent in this world. Everything changes except the law of change. Think it over from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks, all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They too will pass .
Who are you in reality? Know your real face. The face in your mirror will not be the same tomorrow . It will change with time. However, there is something in you, which will not change. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable? It is nothing but your true self. You are just a witness of change.
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