This too shall pass

Once a king called upon all his wise men and asked them, " Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstances, in every place and in every time. In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? One answer for all questions? 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 by the King’s question. They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on a paper, on condition 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 way, he shall read it. The King then put the paper under his diamond ring. Some time later, the neighbors attacked the Kingdom. The King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. The King had to flee. But the enemies followed him, getting closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road- that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley, a thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished.. the sound of the enemy’s horses was fast approaching. The King became restless. There seemed to be no way of survival. Then suddenly he saw the diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was : " THIS TOO SHALL PASS " The King read it . Read it again. Suddenly something struck him- Yes! This too will pass. Only a few days ago, he was enjoying his kingdom. He was the mightiest of all the Kings. But today, the Kingdom and all his pleasures have gone. He was there trying to escape from his enemies. Like those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. Tranquility came on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also part of his Kingdom. The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him. After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy was receding. They had moved into some other part of the mountains. The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fanfare. The whole capital was rejoicing in victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being showered on the King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment the King said to himself, ' I am one of the bravest and greatest Kings. It is not easy task to defeat me." With all the reception and celebration he felt the 'I' emerging in him. Suddenly the diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He opened it and read it again: “THIS TOO SHALL PASS”. He became silent. His face went through a total change - from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humility. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just an onlooker. Everything passes by. We are only witnesses of all this. We are the percievers. Life comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes. So it's time to evaluate your own life silently. This too will pass. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of sorrow and defeat. Are those permanent ? They all come and pass away. Life just passes away. There is nothing permanent in this world. Everything changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks- all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. The problems in the present- they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away. You are just a witness of change. Experience it, understand it, and enjoy the present moment- this too shall pass. Take care and enjoy the rest of your week. Love, Prof. Dr. Alex Abraham Odikandathil