Once upon a time...there was a rich King who had four wives.
He loved the fourth 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 third wife very much, and he was always
showing her off to
neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would
leave him
for another.
He also loved his second 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 first 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 four
wives with
me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.
Thus, he asked the fourth 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?"
"Absolutely not!"
replied the
fourth 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 third wife, "I have loved you all my
life. Now
that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"
"No,"
replied the
third wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to
remarry!" His
heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the second 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 second 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
sad and thin, she looked half-starved. Greatly grieved, the
King said, "I
should have taken much better care of you when I had the
chance!"
In truth, we all have four wives in our lives: Our fourth 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 third wife is our possessions, status, and wealth. When we
die, it will
all go to others.
Our second 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 first 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.