Four Wives

There was a rich merchant who had four wives. He loved the fourth wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the third wife very much. He’s very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his second wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant’s confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his second wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant’s first wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, “Now I have four wives with me. But when I die, I’ll be alone. How lonely I’ll be!”

Thus, he asked the fourth wife, “I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” “No way!” replied the fourth wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant’s heart. The sad merchant then asked the third wife, “I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” “No!” replied the 3rd wife. “Life is so good over here! I’m going to remarry when you die!” The merchant’s heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the second wife, “I always turned to you for help and you’ve always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?” “I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!” replied the second wife. “At the very most, I can only send you to your grave.” The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out : “I’ll leave with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.” The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, “I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !”

Actually, we all have four wives in our lives. 

The fourth wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it’ll leave us when we die. 

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others. 

The second wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we’re alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave. 

And the first wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

Carpenter and A House

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort.

Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build.

Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."

Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

Life As A Game

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.

If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.

They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.

How?

• Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

• Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

• Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

• Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life. 

• Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

• Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

• Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

• Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.

• Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

• Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

• Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Be A Giver

An old man aged over 80 years old. He was planting a durian tree when he was observed by a neighbor. (A durian is a thorny fruit with a very pungent smell. It is known as the King of Fruits and is very popular in South East Asia)

The neighbor asked the old man “Do you expect to eat durian from that tree?” The durian tree will take about 8 to 10 years to bear fruit.

The old man rested smilingly on his spade. He said “No, at my age I know I won’t. All my life I have been enjoying durians but never from a tree I have planted before. I wouldn’t have had durians if other men have not done have not done what I am doing now. I am just trying to pay the other men who planted durians for me.” No wonder he is so happy.

We should be GIVERS first and GETTERS second in everything we do. We will not only get what we want but will actually be really happy in the end. Because we need to sow first before we can reap.

Behind 5 Things

One night a man had a dream. In his dream God commanded him to travel West, along with few things to do.

"The first thing you see, eat it. The second thing you encounter, hide it. The third thing you get, accept it. The fourth thing, do not lose hope and lastly, run from it."

The man got up from his dream and went towards West the next morning. He walked, and the first thing he saw was a big black hill. He was puzzled, he was ordered to eat it but surely it was impossible thing to do.

However the man went closer to the hill to eat it and suddenly, the hill shrunk into a piece of bread. He took it and placed it inside his mouth. It tasted sweet, like honey. He thanked God.

He continued his journey and came upon a gold cup. He quickly remembered he was ordered to hide it. Without wasting time he dug a hole next to the cup, and placed it in. He covered the hole and kept walking.

But suddenly the gold cup appeared from the hole. He man buried it 3 times but failed. Then he said, " I had done what you asked me to, God." So he left the place with the gold cup remained on the ground.

He kept on walking, as he saw an eagle was chasing a small other bird. The bird came and said to him, "Dear God's servant, help me." The man felt sympathy for the bird and took it, hiding it inside his shirt, as he remembered what God told him for the third thing, to hide what you see.

From the the eagle came to the man and said to him, "Dear God's servant, I am hungry and I have been chasing the bird since this morning. So please don't take my sustenance." Begged the eagle. The man remembered God's fourth order, never break hope.

So he jumped to a conclusion by cutting a small piece of his own flesh, taken from his thigh and gave it to the eagle. After the eagle left the man let the bird inside his shirt free.

With that, he continued. Soon he came across a rotten corpse with awful smell, that no one couldn't bear it. The stink was unbearable, so the man fled from the place, and returned to his home. On that night he prayed to God. "I have done all the things you asked me, now please tell me the meaning of each of my actions."

In his next dream God explained to him.

"The first thing you ate was rage and anger. First it might seem big like a hill but soon, when you managed to control and retain yourself, it would be sweeter than honey.

The second thing was all the good deeds a man does. No matter how the person tries to hide it, people and God will surely notice it.

The third thing is to accept someone's trust on us. So do not betray someone who has given his or her trust on us.

Fourthly, when a man comes to you and asks for your help, try to help him in anyway you can even though you yourself wish for it.

The last thing, the corpse resembles the action of telling someone's weakness. Then you should refrain yourself from getting closer to a group of people who're discussing about others' weaknesses.