(A short story by Leo Tolstoy - abridged)One day, there was an emperor who had three questions he wished he knew the answer to.
What is the best time to do each thing?
Who are the most important people to work with?
What is the most important thing to do?
The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.
In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule. But the emperor was not convinced as it was impossible to plan in advance for everything in the future. Someone else suggested said that the emperor should set up a council of wise men and then to act according to their advice. Another adviced him to consult magicians and fortune-tellers. But again the emperor was not convinced.
Responses to the second question also lacked sense. One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in his administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors. But the emperor was not convinced either.
The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.
After hearing all these answers, not a single one convinced the emperor, and he decided that no reward was to be given to anyone.
After several nights, the emperor heard of an old wise man who lived up on the mountain and was said to be very enlightened. The emperor wished to find the answer to his three questions, so he decided to go and visit the old wise man.
It was known that the old wise man welcomes only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with wealthy people. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his guards to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed up the slope alone to meet the old wise man.
Reaching the top, the emperor found the old wise man digging a garden in front of his hut. When the old wise man saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him but he was working hard.
The emperor approached him and said, "I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do?" The wise man listened but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, "You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that." The wise man agreed and thanked him, and then sat down on the ground to rest.
After an hour, the emperor stopped and turned to the wise man and repeated his three questions. The wise man still did not answer, but instead stood up and said, "Why don't you rest now? I can take over again." But the emperor refused and continued to dig. Another hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor said to the old wise man, "I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can't give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home."
The wise man lifted his head and asked the emperor, "Do you see someone running over there?" The emperor turned his head and they both saw a man emerge from the woods. He ran towards them pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground. The emperor cleaned the wound and used his own shirt to bandage it until the flow of blood had stopped.
Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The old wise man gave the emperor a hand in carrying the wounded man into the hut where they laid him down. The wounded man closed his eyes and fell to sleep. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden that he too fell asleep.
When he woke up, he looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man looking around him in confusion. When the wounded man saw the emperor, he stared at him and then said in a faint whisper, "Please forgive me."
"But what have you done that I should forgive you?" the emperor asked.
"You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your enemy and during the last war you killed my family and seized my property and I had vowed to take revenge. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the old wise man, I wanted to kill you on your way back. But after waiting a long time at the foot of the mountain there was still no sign of you, so I left my hiding place to look for you. But instead of finding you, I came across your guards, who recognized me, and gave me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn't met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful and if I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life."
The emperor was moved by the story of the wounded man that he not only forgave the man but promised to return all his property and to send his own physician to serve the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his guards to take the wounded man home, the emperor returned to the old wise man and repeated his three questions one last time. The old wise man looked at the emperorand said, "but your questions have already been answered your majesty."
"How's that?" the emperor asked.
"Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with the digging, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Therefore the most important time was the time you took the decision to dig in my garden, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you decided to clean the man's wound. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of him."
The emperor was still puzzeled so the old wise man added, "Always remember that the best time to do anything is 'Now'. The present moment is the only time over which you have control. The most important person is always the person sharing the present moment with you, for who knows if you will ever be with any other person in the future. And the most important thing to do is to make that person who's sharing the present with you, happy, for that alone is the way to enjoy life."
well ...
here is a questions that i would like someone to answer ... What if, the 'Now' is so lonely and the most important person is not there with you to share the present and you just have no means of making her happy?I MISS U
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