Artwork by ~sora-ko
Once upon a time, there was a king, who is quite a philosophical man. He had three burning questions on his mind, which he had no answers to. The three questions were:
1. Who is the most important person in the world?
2. What is the most important thing to do in the world?
3. When is the most important time to do it?
The questions were posed to his ministers, but none, including his wise sages, could give him the answers he was seeking. Feeling frustrated, the king decided to venture out of the palace and take a walk in town.
As night began to close in, the king decided to put up at a little hut, situated on the outskirts of town. The hut was owned by a hospitable old man who lived alone.
In the middle of the night, the king was awakened from his deep slumber by a loud commotion. Someone was banging hard at the door and shouting for help. The King got up just in time to see the old man opening the door. A young man came rushing in, his clothes torn and stained with blood. More blood was dripping down his forehead and his eyes were filled with desperation and fear.
The young man begged the old man to shelter him from his pursuers, who were hot on his heels. Without another word, the old man agreed and quickly hid the young man out at the back in a shack, where it was dark and isolated. Not long after, soldiers came storming into the house, demanding to know if the old man has seen anyone passing through his grounds.
The old man denied and feigned ignorace, and the soldiers left him to continue their manhunt. The young man finally came out of his hiding place, washed and cleaned up his wounds, thanked the old man and went on his way.
The King was stupefied at what unfolded before his eyes, but kept his composure. The next morning, he asked the old man:
"Why did you agree to help the young man last night? Why did you not even bother to find out who he was? What has he done? Or where is he going?"
The old man look the king in the eye and replied:
"The most important person in the world is the one who needed your help most. The most important thing to do is to offer whatever assistance you can in his time of need. And the most important time to do it is right then and there - immediately."
The king was stunned for a moment, and it finally dawned on him that the answers he has been searching for for so long, were actually right before his eyes. The old man had taught him the most important lesson he needed to know.
1. Who is the most important person in the world?
2. What is the most important thing to do in the world?
3. When is the most important time to do it?
The questions were posed to his ministers, but none, including his wise sages, could give him the answers he was seeking. Feeling frustrated, the king decided to venture out of the palace and take a walk in town.
As night began to close in, the king decided to put up at a little hut, situated on the outskirts of town. The hut was owned by a hospitable old man who lived alone.
In the middle of the night, the king was awakened from his deep slumber by a loud commotion. Someone was banging hard at the door and shouting for help. The King got up just in time to see the old man opening the door. A young man came rushing in, his clothes torn and stained with blood. More blood was dripping down his forehead and his eyes were filled with desperation and fear.
The young man begged the old man to shelter him from his pursuers, who were hot on his heels. Without another word, the old man agreed and quickly hid the young man out at the back in a shack, where it was dark and isolated. Not long after, soldiers came storming into the house, demanding to know if the old man has seen anyone passing through his grounds.
The old man denied and feigned ignorace, and the soldiers left him to continue their manhunt. The young man finally came out of his hiding place, washed and cleaned up his wounds, thanked the old man and went on his way.
The King was stupefied at what unfolded before his eyes, but kept his composure. The next morning, he asked the old man:
"Why did you agree to help the young man last night? Why did you not even bother to find out who he was? What has he done? Or where is he going?"
The old man look the king in the eye and replied:
"The most important person in the world is the one who needed your help most. The most important thing to do is to offer whatever assistance you can in his time of need. And the most important time to do it is right then and there - immediately."
The king was stunned for a moment, and it finally dawned on him that the answers he has been searching for for so long, were actually right before his eyes. The old man had taught him the most important lesson he needed to know.
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself." ~ Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642)
2 comments:
Good parable.
The dignity of the individual is the far most important thing. If we do not value each person, then we value no person, for how we do anything is how we do everything.
He who refreshes others will he himself be refreshed.
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