This too will pass

Once a king called upon all of 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 such mantra?"

All the wise men were puzzled. How could there be one answer for all questions-in every joy, sorrow, defeat or victory. Finally, one wise old man walked up to the king and gave him a something written on a piece of paper. But the condition was that the king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the king finds himself alone and there seems to be no other solution, he will have to see it. The king agreed and put the paper under his diamond ring.

Shortly, the neighboring states attacked his kingdom. It was a surprise attack. Although the king and his army fought bravely, they lost the battle. The king had to flee on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in the jungle. He could hear the enemoies on their horse back closer to him. Suddenly, the king founf himself standing at the end of the road. Beneath, there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. It he jumped, he would definitely die, and if he recturend, his enemies will surely capture him. 

There seemed to be no way to go. Suddenly, he saw his diamond ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden inside the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. 

It read "This too will pass".

The king read it over and over again.Suddenly something struck  his mind. Yes!, it too will pass. He calmed down and kept standing where he was. After sometime, he realised that the noise of the horses were receding. Perhaps his enemies moved into some other part of the mountains.

The king was very brave. He re-organised his army and fought again bravely. He defeated the enemy and regained his lost empire. When he returned to his empire victorious, he was received with much fan fare, and all his people were rejoicing in the victory. People were dancing and singing merrily. For a moment, the king said to himself, 'I am one of the bravest and greatest. It is not so easy to defeat me". With the reception and celebration he got, he saw an ego emerging in him.

Suddenly, his diamond 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. His face went through a total change - from the egoist, he moved to a state of utter humbleness.

Moral: There is nothing 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. Nothing remains forever. Joy and sorry are the two faces of the same coin. They too will pass away. 

Cheers!