An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.
After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by, still nothing. By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six month went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his emty pot to the palace.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot.
He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I am a failure! May be he will have me killed!" When Ling got to the front, the emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!"
Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boild seeds which would not grow. All of you except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.
"Therefore , he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
Reflections
If we plant honesty, we will reap trust.
If we plant goodness, we will reap friends.
If we plant humility, we will reap greatness.
If we plant perseverance, we will reap victory.
If we plant consideration, we will reap harmony.
If we plant hard work, we will reap success.
If we plant forgiveness, we will reap reconciliation.
If we plant openness, we will reap intimacy.
If we plant faith, we will reap miracles.
BUT
If we plant dishonesty, we will reap distrust.
If we plant selfishness, we will reap loneliness.
If we plant pride, we will reap destruction.
If we plant envy, we will reap trouble.
If we plant laziness, we will reap stagnation.
If we plant bitterness, we will reap isolation.
If we plant greed, we will reap loss.
If we plant gossip, we will reap enemies.
If we plant worries, we will reap wrinkles.
If we plant sin, we will reap guilt.
So be careful what we plant now, It will determine what we will reap tomorrow. The seeds we now scatter, will make life worse or better our lives or the one who will come after. Yes, someday, we will enjoy the fruits, or we will pay for the choices we plant today.
FGJ
March, 2010.
The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.
After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by, still nothing. By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six month went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his emty pot to the palace.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot.
He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I am a failure! May be he will have me killed!" When Ling got to the front, the emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!"
Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boild seeds which would not grow. All of you except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.
"Therefore , he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
Reflections
If we plant honesty, we will reap trust.
If we plant goodness, we will reap friends.
If we plant humility, we will reap greatness.
If we plant perseverance, we will reap victory.
If we plant consideration, we will reap harmony.
If we plant hard work, we will reap success.
If we plant forgiveness, we will reap reconciliation.
If we plant openness, we will reap intimacy.
If we plant faith, we will reap miracles.
BUT
If we plant dishonesty, we will reap distrust.
If we plant selfishness, we will reap loneliness.
If we plant pride, we will reap destruction.
If we plant envy, we will reap trouble.
If we plant laziness, we will reap stagnation.
If we plant bitterness, we will reap isolation.
If we plant greed, we will reap loss.
If we plant gossip, we will reap enemies.
If we plant worries, we will reap wrinkles.
If we plant sin, we will reap guilt.
So be careful what we plant now, It will determine what we will reap tomorrow. The seeds we now scatter, will make life worse or better our lives or the one who will come after. Yes, someday, we will enjoy the fruits, or we will pay for the choices we plant today.
FGJ
March, 2010.
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