Saturday, May 12, 2007

I am the King - A Story

Yaro Luck
Yaro Luck (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There was a learned man who, for several years, longed to be shown the way to God. Everyday, he sat apart from men and prayed that he might be brought into contact with a Sage, a Saint, and a Know-er of Truth.

One day, as he sat in prayer, he heard a Voice say, “Go to such and such a place, and you will meet the man who will show you the way to blessedness and bliss!”

Great was his joy when he heard the words. Forthwith he went to the place indicated by the Voice. He was surprised to find a man, humble, simple, poor, with tattered cloths on his body, his feet soiled with mud. The learned man looked all around him, but found no other man seated there. So, to this man, he said, “Good morning to you!”

Quietly, answered the poor man, “I have never had a bad morning!”

“God give you good luck!” said the learned man.

“I have never had ill-luck!” answered the poor man.

The learned man’s astonishment grew. “May you be happy!” he said to the poor man.

To which the poor man answered, “I have never been unhappy!”

“I am unable to understand,” said the learned man, “Pray explain it all to me.”

“Gladly,” said the poor man. “You wished me a good morning. I have never had a bad morning. For, if I do not get food to eat, I praise God. If it rains or snows, or if the weather is foul, I still praise God. If I am despised and have no human company, I praise God! So I have never had a bad morning, never an evil day.
“You wished me good luck: but I have never had ill-luck. For I always dwell at the Lotus Feet of the Lord: and I know that whatever God sends to me is the very best that can ever happen to me. I cheerfully accept everything that comes to me – health or sickness, prosperity or adversity, joy or sorrow – as a gift from God. I have never had ill-luck.

“You wished me happiness. I have never been unhappy. For the deepest longing of my heart is to live in union with God’s Will, and I have so entirely yielded my will to the Will of God, that what God wills, I will!”

Astonished, the learned man asked, “What if God’s Will should cast you into hell?”

“Cast me into hell!” exclaimed the poor man. “God too loves to do that. But even if He sends me to hell, I should have two arms with which to embrace Him. One is the arm of humility, the other of love. With them I should so embrace Him that He would have to go to hell with me. I would rather be in hell and be with God, than be in heaven and remain away from God!”

The poor man taught that in self-surrender, in utter humility, is the simplest, surest, nearest way to God.

When asked who he was, he answered, “I am a king!”

He was the very picture of destitution: and yet he felt he was a king! For he had learnt to walk the way of acceptance. He accepted all that came his way and rejoiced in all that happened. He expected nothing: he hoped for nothing: he needed nothing: he lacked nothing. Was he not the richest of men on earth?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

for the past year I have been feeling like the man in your story.
I have came to the same ansewer.
I work very hard on my job's and no one seem to notice or say you did a nice job and you went that extra mile. One day last year my boss called me to come to work , because someone else was a no show. I gladly went in to help them out with the understanding that I will be off the next day to help my only son find him a place to stay. Before the day was over she called and told me if I did not show up the next day I would be burning my bridges. I explained to her my son need a place to stay so he can go to college I helped you out today and I informed you that before I came in today... She has not called me since that day I tried to do something nice and I got burned. But, the seeds you plant will come up. So I learned the hard way.I take one day at a time and every day is a good day for me I believe everything happen for a reason. God Bless You, And American. The Eye Of An Angel.com

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