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, take absolute of it and come back here after 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. And, if you do not take care of
the plant, I will have you punished!!!"
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. 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, 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. Ling’s mother told him not to be afraid of the outcome and attend
the King’s meeting and advised him to honestly tell the King as to what
happened. Ling felt sick to 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 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 in the back. "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'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 become quiet. 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, 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!"
*****
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 openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But,
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.
So be careful what you plant now, it will determine what you will
reap tomorrow, the seeds you now scatter, will make life worse or better, your
life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits,
or you will pay for the choices you plant today.
