| An emperor was coming out of his palace for his morning walk when he met a beggar. He asked the beggar, 'What do you want?'
The beggar laughed and said, 'You are asking me as though you can fulfill my desire!'
The king was offended. He said, 'Of course I can fulfill your desire. What is it? Just tell me.'
The beggar said, 'Think twice before you promise anything.'
The emperor insisted, 'I will fulfill anything you ask. I am very powerful; what can you possibly desire that I cannot give to you?'
The beggar then replied, 'It is a very simple desire. You see this begging bowl? Can you fill it with something?'
The emperor said, 'Of course!'
He called one of his ministers and said, 'Fill this man's begging bowl with some coins.'
The minister went and returned with a bag of gold coins and poured it into the bowl. The gold coins rolled into the bowl and then disappeared.
No matter how much he poured, it would disappear and the begging bowl would always remain empty.
The crowd in the palace gathered to watch this "magician's show". By and by the rumor went throughout the whole capital, and the crowd swelled.
The prestige of the emperor was at stake. The emperor then said to his ministers, 'If the whole kingdom is lost, I am ready to lose it, but I cannot be defeated by this beggar.'
Diamonds and pearls and emeralds were brought and poured into the bowl; by now the kingdom's treasuries were becoming empty. The begging bowl seemed to be bottomless.
Everything that was put into it - everything! - Immediately disappeared and went out of existence. Finally it was late evening, and the people were standing there in utter silence.
The emperor dropped at the feet of the beggar and admitted his defeat.
"Please just tell me one thing..." the emperor begged. "You are victorious - but before you leave, just fulfill my curiosity. What is this begging bowl made of?"
The beggar laughed and said, 'It is made up of the human mind. There is no secret. It is simply made up of human desire.'
This understanding transforms life. |
The above story was shared by Bro. Bo Sanchez at The Feast last Sunday. The nagging question in the story is: "What was the beggar's bowl made of?" Well... it was made of human heart's ungratefulness. With ungrateful heart, nothing and no one can satisfied. Blessings and more blessings can pour out in his life, but still, it is not enough. Material things, great relationships, earthly desires... but it can't fill the ungrateful heart. That is sad. But... there is a lot of ungrateful heart in this world...