THE SEED

[Guest guest]

Lovingly shared by a friend.....a wonderful story to reflect upon.....

 

THE SEED

 

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 to do 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 children

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 the 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. Everyday, 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, four

weeks, five 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 months went by--still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he

had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but

he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however.

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 his mother asked him to

be honest about what happened.

 

Ling felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right.

He took his empty 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 children 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 in the back. "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. He thought, "The emperor knows I'm a failure!

Maybe 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 boiled seeds that

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!"

 

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.

If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

 

So let us be careful about what we plant now; it will determine what we will

reap tomorrow. The seeds we now scatter will make life worse or better for

us or for the ones who will come after us. Someday we will enjoy the fruits

or will pay for the choices we make.

 

Remain Blessed!

 

 

Duty is God, Work is Worship

[Guest guest]

This is really a good story...

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Sai Ram

 

 

 

[] On Behalf Of MadhviSai (AT) aol (DOT) com

Friday, June 02, 2006 3:45 AM

; saibabanews;

; saivision;

; SaiForum

[sBOI-post] THE SEED

Lovingly shared by a friend.....a wonderful story to reflect upon.....

 

THE SEED

 

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 to do 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 children

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 the 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. Everyday, 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, four

weeks, five 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 months went by--still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he

had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but

he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however.

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 his mother asked him to

be honest about what happened.

 

Ling felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right.

He took his empty 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 children 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 in the back. "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. He thought, "The emperor knows I'm a failure!

Maybe 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 boiled seeds that

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!"

 

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.

If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

 

So let us be careful about what we plant now; it will determine what we

will reap tomorrow. The seeds we now scatter will make life worse or

better for us or for the ones who will come after us. Someday we will

enjoy the fruits or will pay for the choices we make.

 

Remain Blessed!

 

Duty is God, Work is Worship